[OLD] Cross-compiling for Arch Linux ARM install using QEMU

[crimsonredmk]

Yes, we prefer natively-compiled packages, but we've perfected the cross-compiling guide on the wiki. It's not "real" cross-compiling in the sense that you'll have to install a new toolchain and all, it's just an ARM chroot that is possible because of Qemu. It's a separate environment that acts and feels exactly like Arch Linux ARM install Linux. You can use ABS, makepkg, etc. In it. It's a full Arch Linux ARM install installation.

http://Arch Linux ARM.com/index.php5?title=De ... _Compiling

[crimsonredmk]

We're going to be phasing this out. QEMU's performance is quite terrible, and nowadays, cross-compiling can be done using distcc to send work to other PCs that will run it through a cross-compiling toolchain and return it back to the plug.

[dan64]

I have installed Arch-linux-i686 on VMWare for Windows and then on Arch-i686 I have installed QEMU as suggested. I have decided to install on QEMU PlugApps-Linux-2011.02-beta1-rootfs.tar.gz.

I don't understand why but it works fine. I have made a try to build a package and the package was built (even if the speed is not very good). The only problem (I don't konw if is a problem) is that during the compiling phase qemu display the following message:

qemu: Unsupported syscall: 369

What do you think ?

[crimsonredmk]

It's just not perfect, that's all. QEMU (and other VM platforms) can't emulate everything, and this is just one of those times.

Since you use VMware to virtual Arch Linux ARM Linux, I'm assuming you're using it to compile things faster, right?

If so, you may want to instead just use Arch Linux (x86) in a VM, install distcc onto both your plug and the Arch x86 VM, and then see http://plugboxlinux.org/wiki/index.php5 ... ith_distcc to make a cross-compiler. It's many times faster than using QEMU.

[kmihelich]

QEMU is just bad for producing packages. I tried every which way, but it just doesn't work. When it does work, you never know if the packages will actually work right.

Cross-compiling with distcc is incredibly faster. The plug still has to do all the preprocessing, linking, and final packaging, but offloading the compile to produce binaries at the native speed of the x86 system makes it all much quicker. It's the method we have in place that has built our testing repo of (as of now) 3400ish packages in the last month or so. It works.