diff -r f4362ffd810f SConstruct
--- a/SConstruct	Mon Nov 08 12:43:38 2010 -0800
+++ b/SConstruct	Tue Nov 09 21:00:58 2010 -0600
@@ -313,6 +313,7 @@
     ('BATCH', 'Use batch pool for build and tests', False),
     ('BATCH_CMD', 'Batch pool submission command name', 'qdo'),
     ('M5_BUILD_CACHE', 'Cache built objects in this directory', False),
+    ('VERBOSE', 'Print full tool command lines', False),
     ('EXTRAS', 'Add Extra directories to the compilation', '',
      PathListAllExist, PathListMakeAbsolute),
     )
@@ -346,6 +347,16 @@
 # the ext directory should be on the #includes path
 main.Append(CPPPATH=[Dir('ext')])
 
+if not main['VERBOSE']:
+    main['CCCOMSTR']     = ' [ C] $SOURCE'
+    main['CXXCOMSTR']    = ' [CC] $SOURCE'
+    main['ASCOMSTR']     = ' [AS] $SOURCE'
+    main['SWIGCOMSTR']   = ' [SW] $SOURCE'
+    main['ARCOMSTR']     = ' [AR] $TARGET'
+    main['LINKCOMSTR']   = ' [LN] $TARGET'
+    main['RANLIBCOMSTR'] = ' [RN] $TARGET'
+    main['M4COMSTR']     = ' [M4] $TARGET'
+
 CXX_version = readCommand([main['CXX'],'--version'], exception=False)
 CXX_V = readCommand([main['CXX'],'-V'], exception=False)
 
@@ -789,7 +800,7 @@
 
     # String to print when generating header
     def gen_switch_hdr_string(target, source, env):
-        return "Generating switch header " + str(target[0])
+        return " [GN] " + str(target[0])
 
     # Build SCons Action object. 'varlist' specifies env vars that this
     # action depends on; when env['ALL_ISA_LIST'] changes these actions
diff -r f4362ffd810f src/SConscript
--- a/src/SConscript	Mon Nov 08 12:43:38 2010 -0800
+++ b/src/SConscript	Tue Nov 09 21:00:58 2010 -0600
@@ -54,6 +54,17 @@
 from m5.util import code_formatter
 
 ########################################################################
+# Code for tricking the Action() call into either printing a shorthand
+# output or the full Command() string depending on verbosity
+#
+def getOutput(shorthand):
+    if not env['VERBOSE']:
+        return (shorthand,)
+    else:
+        return tuple()
+
+
+########################################################################
 # Code for adding source files of various types
 #
 class SourceMeta(type):
@@ -289,7 +300,8 @@
 
     code.write(str(target[0]))
 
-env.Command('config/the_isa.hh', map(Value, all_isa_list), makeTheISA)
+env.Command('config/the_isa.hh', map(Value, all_isa_list),
+            Action(makeTheISA, *getOutput(" [IA] $TARGET")))
 
 ########################################################################
 #
@@ -431,7 +443,8 @@
 
 defines_info = [ Value(build_env), Value(env['HG_INFO']) ]
 # Generate a file with all of the compile options in it
-env.Command('python/m5/defines.py', defines_info, makeDefinesPyFile)
+env.Command('python/m5/defines.py', defines_info,
+            Action(makeDefinesPyFile, *getOutput(" [DF] $TARGET")))
 PySource('m5', 'python/m5/defines.py')
 
 # Generate python file containing info about the M5 source code
@@ -445,7 +458,7 @@
 # Generate a file that wraps the basic top level files
 env.Command('python/m5/info.py',
             [ '#/AUTHORS', '#/LICENSE', '#/README', '#/RELEASE_NOTES' ],
-            makeInfoPyFile)
+            Action(makeInfoPyFile, *getOutput(" [IF] $TARGET")))
 PySource('m5', 'python/m5/info.py')
 
 ########################################################################
@@ -520,7 +533,8 @@
 
     hh_file = File('params/%s.hh' % name)
     params_hh_files.append(hh_file)
-    env.Command(hh_file, Value(name), createSimObjectParam)
+    env.Command(hh_file, Value(name),
+                Action(createSimObjectParam, *getOutput(" [SM] $TARGET")))
     env.Depends(hh_file, depends + extra_deps)
 
 # Generate any parameter header files needed
@@ -528,7 +542,8 @@
 for name,param in all_params.iteritems():
     i_file = File('python/m5/internal/%s_%s.i' % (param.file_ext, name))
     params_i_files.append(i_file)
-    env.Command(i_file, Value(name), createSwigParam)
+    env.Command(i_file, Value(name),
+                Action(createSwigParam, *getOutput(" [SG] $SOURCE")))
     env.Depends(i_file, depends)
     SwigSource('m5.internal', i_file)
 
@@ -538,16 +553,19 @@
     extra_deps = [ py_source.tnode ]
 
     cc_file = File('enums/%s.cc' % name)
-    env.Command(cc_file, Value(name), createEnumStrings)
+    env.Command(cc_file, Value(name),
+                Action(createEnumStrings, *getOutput(" [ES] $TARGET")))
     env.Depends(cc_file, depends + extra_deps)
     Source(cc_file)
 
     hh_file = File('enums/%s.hh' % name)
-    env.Command(hh_file, Value(name), createEnumParam)
+    env.Command(hh_file, Value(name),
+                Action(createEnumParam, *getOutput(" [EN] $TARGET")))
     env.Depends(hh_file, depends + extra_deps)
 
     i_file = File('python/m5/internal/enum_%s.i' % name)
-    env.Command(i_file, Value(name), createEnumSwig)
+    env.Command(i_file, Value(name),
+                Action(createEnumSwig, *getOutput(" [EW] $SOURCE")))
     env.Depends(i_file, depends + extra_deps)
     SwigSource('m5.internal', i_file)
 
@@ -586,7 +604,8 @@
 
 for name in sim_objects.iterkeys():
     params_file = File('python/m5/internal/param_%s.i' % name)
-    env.Command(params_file, Value(name), buildParam)
+    env.Command(params_file, Value(name),
+                Action(buildParam, *getOutput(" [PM] $TARGET")))
     env.Depends(params_file, depends)
     SwigSource('m5.internal', params_file)
 
@@ -608,10 +627,11 @@
 # Build all swig modules
 for swig in SwigSource.all:
     env.Command([swig.cc_source.tnode, swig.py_source.tnode], swig.tnode,
-                '$SWIG $SWIGFLAGS -outdir ${TARGETS[1].dir} '
-                '-o ${TARGETS[0]} $SOURCES')
+                Action('$SWIG $SWIGFLAGS -outdir ${TARGETS[1].dir} '
+                '-o ${TARGETS[0]} $SOURCES', *getOutput(" [SW] $TARGET")))
     init_file = 'python/swig/init_%s.cc' % swig.module
-    env.Command(init_file, Value(swig.module), makeEmbeddedSwigInit)
+    env.Command(init_file, Value(swig.module),
+                Action(makeEmbeddedSwigInit, *getOutput(" [SW] $TARGET")))
     Source(init_file)
     env.Depends(swig.py_source.tnode, swig.tnode)
     env.Depends(swig.cc_source.tnode, swig.tnode)
@@ -836,11 +856,14 @@
     code.write(str(target[0]))
 
 flags = map(Value, trace_flags.values())
-env.Command('base/traceflags.py', flags, traceFlagsPy)
+env.Command('base/traceflags.py', flags, 
+            Action(traceFlagsPy, *getOutput(" [TF] $TARGET")))
 PySource('m5', 'base/traceflags.py')
 
-env.Command('base/traceflags.hh', flags, traceFlagsHH)
-env.Command('base/traceflags.cc', flags, traceFlagsCC)
+env.Command('base/traceflags.hh', flags,
+            Action(traceFlagsHH, *getOutput(" [TF] $TARGET")))
+env.Command('base/traceflags.cc', flags, 
+            Action(traceFlagsCC, *getOutput(" [TF] $TARGET")))
 Source('base/traceflags.cc')
 
 # Embed python files.  All .py files that have been indicated by a
@@ -897,7 +920,8 @@
     code.write(str(target[0]))
 
 for source in PySource.all:
-    env.Command(source.cpp, source.tnode, embedPyFile)
+    env.Command(source.cpp, source.tnode, 
+                Action(embedPyFile, *getOutput(" [EP] $TARGET")))
     Source(source.cpp)
 
 ########################################################################
diff -r f4362ffd810f src/arch/isa_parser.py
--- a/src/arch/isa_parser.py	Mon Nov 08 12:43:38 2010 -0800
+++ b/src/arch/isa_parser.py	Tue Nov 09 21:00:58 2010 -0600
@@ -1945,7 +1945,7 @@
             else:
                 print 'File', file, 'is unchanged'
         else:
-            print 'Generating', file
+            print ' [GN]', file
             update = True
         if update:
             f = open(file, 'w')
diff -r f4362ffd810f src/cpu/SConscript
--- a/src/cpu/SConscript	Mon Nov 08 12:43:38 2010 -0800
+++ b/src/cpu/SConscript	Tue Nov 09 21:00:58 2010 -0600
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@
 
 # Generate string that gets printed when header is rebuilt
 def gen_sigs_string(target, source, env):
-    return "Generating static_inst_exec_sigs.hh: " \
+    return " [GN] static_inst_exec_sigs.hh: " \
            + ', '.join(temp_cpu_list)
 
 # Add command to generate header to environment.