configuring packages for cross-platform build

Hi all,

I wish to build a few packages for my embedded target running linux over ARM9. It would be tough for me to compile my packages on target so I need to build on a host machine and then transfer the generated binaries. So I got the source-tarball for the packages I need. Now here are my two requirements:-

a) The host runs linux over a X86 env. So I need to pass appropriate options to the configure script to make sure the end-binaries are for ARM9.
b) While running 'make install' I wish the install to happen in a particular directory where from I can collect the binaries and put them on target. But caveat is that the target directories are not at the same path as that on intermediate build env. (e.g. on host I want the package executable binaries to be collected in /home/rakesh/package-name/bin where as on target it shall be located in /system/bin)

A little research points me that using --target=TARGET can help for point (a) but will that allow me choose CPU(arm926ej-s) and Architecture(armv5tej)?
For point (b) it seemed --prefix=PREFIX (or specifying all bindir, libdir etc) might help, which will make all installations done in specific directories on host thus making it easy to collect binaries to be placed on target but since on target files are placed at different location it will create a problem as they will refer to non-existent locations.

Can somebody suggest me way out. How I can achieve the desired results.

Thanks in advance,
Rakesh