--- lshw-B.02.08.01/src/Makefile
+++ lshw-B.02.08.01/src/Makefile
@@ -13,11 +13,13 @@
 export MANDIR
 export DATADIR
 
-CXX=c++
+CXX ?= c++
 INCLUDES=-I./core/
 DEFINES=-DPREFIX=\"$(PREFIX)\" -DSBINDIR=\"$(SBINDIR)\" -DMANDIR=\"$(MANDIR)\" -DDATADIR=\"$(DATADIR)\"
-CXXFLAGS=-g -Wall -g $(INCLUDES) $(DEFINES)
-LDFLAGS=-L./core/ -g
+CXXFLAGS ?= -g -Os
+CXXFLAGS += -Wall $(INCLUDES) $(DEFINES)
+LDFLAGS ?= -s
+LDFLAGS += -L./core/
 ifneq ($(shell $(LD) --help 2| grep -- --as-needed), )
 	LDFLAGS+= -Wl,--as-needed
 endif
@@ -48,7 +49,6 @@
 
 $(PACKAGENAME)-static: core core/lib$(PACKAGENAME).a $(PACKAGENAME).o
 	$(CXX) $(LDSTATIC) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $(PACKAGENAME).o $(LIBS)
-	strip $@
 
 .PHONY: compressed
 compressed: $(PACKAGENAME)-compressed
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
 
 install: all
 	$(INSTALL) -d -m 0755 $(DESTDIR)/$(SBINDIR)
-	$(INSTALL) -m 0755 -s $(PACKAGENAME) $(DESTDIR)/$(SBINDIR)
+	$(INSTALL) -m 0755 $(PACKAGENAME) $(DESTDIR)/$(SBINDIR)
 	$(INSTALL) -d -m 0755 $(DESTDIR)/$(MANDIR)/man1
 	$(INSTALL) -m 0644 $(PACKAGENAME).1 $(DESTDIR)/$(MANDIR)/man1
 	$(INSTALL) -d -m 0755 $(DESTDIR)/$(DATADIR)/$(PACKAGENAME)
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@
 
 install-gui: gui
 	$(INSTALL) -d -m 0755 $(DESTDIR)/$(SBINDIR)
-	$(INSTALL) -m 0755 -s gui/gtk-$(PACKAGENAME) $(DESTDIR)/$(SBINDIR)
+	$(INSTALL) -m 0755 gui/gtk-$(PACKAGENAME) $(DESTDIR)/$(SBINDIR)
 	$(INSTALL) -d -m 0755 $(DESTDIR)/$(DATADIR)/$(PACKAGENAME)/artwork
 	$(INSTALL) -m 0644 gui/artwork/*.svg $(DESTDIR)/$(DATADIR)/$(PACKAGENAME)/artwork
 	
--- lshw-B.02.08.01/src/core/Makefile
+++ lshw-B.02.08.01/src/core/Makefile
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 PACKAGENAME?=lshw
 
-CXX=c++
+CXX ?= c++
 INCLUDES=
 DEFINES=-DPREFIX=\"$(PREFIX)\" -DSBINDIR=\"$(SBINDIR)\" -DMANDIR=\"$(MANDIR)\" -DDATADIR=\"$(DATADIR)\"
-CXXFLAGS=-g -Wall -Os $(INCLUDES) $(DEFINES)
+CXXFLAGS ?= -g -Os
+CXXFLAGS += -Wall $(INCLUDES) $(DEFINES)
 LDFLAGS=
 LDSTATIC=
 LIBS=
--- lshw-B.02.08.01/src/gui/Makefile
+++ lshw-B.02.08.01/src/gui/Makefile
@@ -1,16 +1,18 @@
 PACKAGENAME?=lshw
 
-CXX=c++
-CC=cc
+CXX ?= c++
+CC ?= cc
 
 DEFINES=-DPREFIX=\"$(PREFIX)\" -DSBINDIR=\"$(SBINDIR)\" -DMANDIR=\"$(MANDIR)\" -DDATADIR=\"$(DATADIR)\"
 GTKINCLUDES=$(shell pkg-config gtk+-2.0 --cflags)
 INCLUDES=-I../core $(GTKINCLUDES)
-CXXFLAGS=-g -Wall -Os $(INCLUDES) $(DEFINES)
-CFLAGS=$(CXXFLAGS) $(DEFINES)
+CXXFLAGS ?= -g -Os
+CFLAGS ?= $(CXXFLAGS)
+CXXFLAGS += -Wall $(INCLUDES) $(DEFINES)
+CFLAGS += -Wall $(INCLUDES) $(DEFINES)
 GTKLIBS=$(shell pkg-config gtk+-2.0 --libs)
 LIBS=-L../core -llshw $(GTKLIBS)
-LDFLAGS= -Os -s
+LDFLAGS ?= -Os -s
 ifneq ($(shell $(LD) --help 2| grep -- --as-needed), )
 	LDFLAGS+= -Wl,--as-needed
 endif
@@ -33,7 +35,6 @@
 	$(CXX) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $^ $(LIBS)
 
 install: all
-	strip gtk-$(PACKAGENAME)
 	
 clean:
 	rm -f $(OBJS) gtk-$(PACKAGENAME) gtk-lshw.glade.bak gtk-lshw.gladep.bak interface.c.bak interface.h.bak callbacks.c.bak callbacks.h.bak Makefile.bak