checking "return type of sprintf"

Hello,

I try to cross-compile mySql 5.0.18 on a suse linux machine to
mipsel-linux.
However, configure fails:

CC=mipsel-linux-gcc LD=mipsel-linux-ld ./configure
--prefix=/usr/downloads/mySQL5/mysql-5.0.18/prefix --without-server
--host=mipsel-linux --build=i686-pc-linux-gnu
--enable-thread-safe-client --cache-file=config.cache
______
error:
....
checking "return type of sprintf"... configure: error: cannot run test
program while cross compiling
See `config.log' for more details.
______________
In configure:
...
if test "$cross_compiling" = yes; then
{ { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error: cannot run test program while cross
compiling
See \`config.log' for more details." >&5
echo "$as_me: error: cannot run test program while cross compiling
See \`config.log' for more details." >&2;}
{ (exit 1); exit 1; }; }
else
cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF

Does that mean it is impossible to cross compile?
What can I do now?
I hope it is possible to provide the variable that is checked for and
comment the lines out, that quit the configure script?

Bye

Albrecht