In this HOWTO, we will explain how to set up a cross development environment for the ARM platform including the use of libglib2.0. The ARM processor can be found in a number of embedded devices and PDAs, e.g. the Zaurus and the iPAQ.
All packages and versions are related to Debian SID.
First, install toolchain-source and dpkg-cross. Because toolchain-source depends on dpkg-cross, the following command will do:
# apt-get install toolchain-sourceThe toolchain-source package contains the source code of the current gcc and binutils. Additionally, it provides commands assisting in building cross compilers and binutils.
Optionally, install the package toolchain-source-gdb, if you believe in debugging.
The dpkg-cross package is a tool for installing libraries and headers for cross compiling in special directories.
We had a problem with building gcc with autoconf version 2.54, so we recommend to:
# apt-get install autoconf2.13For building the actual cross development packages, you will need fakeroot or a similar program. Because fakeroot will be used by default, just do this:
# apt-get install fakerootThe only configuration, that is necessary now, is to change the crossbase in the file /etc/dpkg/cross-compile. The default value /usr/local should be changed:
crossbase = /usrNow unpack and build binutils and compilers.
# cd /usr/src/; tpkg-make arm-linuxNew directories binutils-arm-linux-2.13.90.x.y/ and gcc-arm-linux-3.2.z/ appear.
Adjust the user name in {binutils-arm-linux-2.13.90.x.y,gcc-arm-linux-3.2.z}/debian/{changelog,control}, if necessary. You might get an error when signing the package, if the user name is not correct. You may use pga tool for creating a secret key, if you haven't one.
If you have to pass parameters to the configure or make process of binutils, change the files binutils-arm-linux-2.13.90.x.y/debian/rules.
Now do:
# cd binutils-arm-linux-2.13.90.0.4/; debuild -uc -usThis will configure, compile and build the cross binutils. To build the compiler, you have to install the resulting package first:
# debiThe compiler needs also the target system C library to build. This library can easily be installed using tpkg-install-libc.
# tpkg-install-libc arm-linuxThis command will download the libraries for the arm-linux platform from the british Debian server ftp.uk.debian.org, but the server can be changed via the environment variable TPKG_SERVER. The downloaded packages will automatically converted and installed by dpkg-cross.
The dependencies of libc6 and libc6-dev are already fulfilled by libc6-arm-cross and libc6-dev-arm-cross, the dependency libglib2.0-0 will be fulfilled anyway. That leaves pkg-config. A cross version of pkg-config does not make sense, because the only important thing is the output of the command itself. This depends on the contents of the .pc files. Therefore it is sufficient to create a dummy package that depends on pkg-config. Install the equivs package:
# apt-get install equivsWith this little script (just fix your address and the target platform), you can build the dummy package:
#!/bin/sh
EMAIL='You <you@your.isp>'
TARGET=arm-cross
if [ -z "$1" ]; then echo "no package"; exit -1; fi
PACKAGE=$1
VERSION=`dpkg-query -W --showformat='${Version}' $PACKAGE | sed 's/-.*/-1/'`
echo "Section: devel
Priority: optional
Standards-Version: 3.6.1.0
Package: $PACKAGE-$TARGET
Version: $VERSION
Maintainer: $EMAIL
Depends: $PACKAGE
Architecture: all
Description: Dummy $PACKAGE for $TARGET" > $PACKAGE-$TARGET.$$
equivs-build $PACKAGE-$TARGET.$$ && rm -rf ./equivs/ $PACKAGE-$TARGET.$$
$ mkXdummy pkg-configThen, you have to install the dummy package:
# dpkg -i pkg-config-arm-cross_0.15.0-2_all.debSimilar actions are necessary for tools, that are not platform-dependent, such as bison, flex, indent.
Now do:
# cd ../gcc-arm-linux-3.3.z/
# debuildAgain, the package installs via:
# debiNow you should have a cross development environment for C language.
You have to enable C++ language in gcc-arm-linux-3.3.z/debian/rules file:
--enable-languages=c++Rebuild gcc :
# debuild
# debi
Install arm-linux libstdc++ library:
# cd /usr/arm-linux/lib
# tar xvzf <PATH>/libstdc++.tar.gz
Install templates and header files:
# cd /usr/arm-linux/include
# tar xvzf <PATH>/include_g++.tar.gzNow you should have a cross development environment for C++ language.
There are not many programs a user really wants without the need for more library dependencies than just the standard C library. A typical additional library is glib2 which is used by GTK+ and GNOME.
Before you can start with the library, you have to analyse its dependencies:
$ apt-cache show libglib2.0-0|grep ^Depends:
Depends: libc6 (>= 2.3.1-1)
$apt-cache show libglib2.0-dev|grep ^Depends:
Depends: libglib2.0-0 (= 2.0.7-1), libc6-dev | libc-dev, pkg-configThe dependency on pkg-config-arm-cross can be fulfilled by a dummy package (see above). The output of pkg-config depends only on the contents of the .pc files.
Try to install libglib2.0-0 and libglib2-dev:
# tpkg-install-libc arm-linux 'libglib2.0-0$ libglib2-dev$'The dollar signs are necessary for the tool as are the single quotes.
The cross compilation environment should now be complete.
You can see the CFLAGS for cross compilation easily:
$ PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/arm-linux/lib/pkgconfig pkg-config --cflags glib-2.0
-I/usr/arm-linux/include/glib-2.0 -I/usr/arm-linux/lib/glib-2.0/includeFor packages, that come with a simple Makefile, use CC and CFLAGS=`pkg-config --cflags glib-2.0` etc., compilation is straight forward:
$ CC=/usr/bin/arm-linux-gcc \
PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/arm-linux/lib/pkgconfig makeFor packages based on autoconf, it should be easy as well:
$ CC=/usr/bin/arm-linux-gcc \
PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/arm-linux/lib/pkgconfig ./configure; makeUnfortunately, not all packages are build in a way, that supports cross compilation. For these packages, you should fix the build process and send patches to the packages authors.
This HOWTO is based on this article.