Can I compile newlib as a shared library on x86_64 linux-gnu?

[Kai Yu]

In newlib README file, it says that:

Shared newlib
=============

newlib uses libtool when it is being compiled natively (with
--target=i[34567]86-pc-linux-gnu) on an i[34567]86-pc-linux-gnu
host. This allows newlib to be compiled as a shared library.

To configure newlib, do the following from your build directory:

$(source_dir)/src/configure --with-newlib --prefix=$(install_dir)

configure will recognize that host == target ==
i[34567]86-pc-linux-gnu, so it will tell newlib to compile itself using
libtool. By default, libtool will build shared and static versions of
newlib.

Does it mean that we can build newlib shared library only on
i[34567]86-pc-linux-gnu host?
I tried to build newlib on x86_64-unknown-linux-gun just the way
above, but the Makefile generated
did nothing for newlib target. I also tried x86_64-unknown-linux-gun
as --target with cross-compiling
on i686-pc-linux-gnu, the Makefile still did nothing.
So please tell me can't we build newlib on x86_64 linux-gnu??

Thanks
Yu Kai