Import Debian Wheezy Armhf Packages

[roberts]

The armv7 tcz repository is now open. http://distro.ibiblio.org/tinycorelinux/4.x/armv7/tcz/
You should find that the command line tool tce works as expected and is recommended.

First in is the import utility that I have been toying with.
Like the chicken and the egg, Import needed squashfs-tools and findutils in order to function.
So I built squashfs-tools and findutils and they are in the tcz repository.

Please carefully read the info file for import.tcz. I am using exports for both the master index and your local debian mirror.
The package you select will be in placed in the directory of the same name with the converted tcz and its dependencies.
Once tested you should copy them to your tce directory.

I used exports and a local directory so that import can be run on both a10Core and Core x86. You might find it faster and more convient to use Core x86.

I have tested this with just a few packages. Namely links, wireless-tools and wpasupplicant. They all work as expected. However, note that I expect that this tool is not a panacea. I am hoping that by an early release many will help by contributing patches and suggestions so that it can support many package conversions.

[sbp]

Hi will it be possible to make something similar for the Raspberry??

[roberts]

Yes. I have just begun.

[tinycorelinuxrocks]

I'm a bit confused.  Does "import" import packages from Debian and Ubuntu?  Does it convert them to .tcz packages?

[roberts]

Both piCore and a10Core are kernel and library compatible with raspbian and debian wheezy. Therefore it should be possible to repackage debs into tcz. That is the stated goal of import. To dynamically create tczs by repacking existing binaries. It has been over a month since I have even had time to revisit this area.

[roberts]

Finally been able to revisit import. Been playing with rpi and have been able to import rsync, mc, dillo, and leafpad!
Almost forgot.... ace-of-penguins. Now playing freecell on rpi 

[hlavery]

Is there some way to update the debian_wheezy file list that is accessed by import.tcz?  There seem to have been some updates on the debian repository affecting files that include version numbers.  For example, when I download mc, one of its dependencies is:

libglib2.0-0

However, the download fails as the current file is libgib2.0-0-2.33.3-1 and libglib2.0-0 is "not found".

I suppose I could search/change the debian_wheezy file to update this and its depends-on, but I suspect this would lead to disaster.  Further, there seem to be other instances of such changes. 

Thanks for any assistance.

[roberts]

I am working on v0.2 of import and yes, I too have found what you describe.

In v0.2 I offer a select list for such "not found" packages with the closest matches currently found in the Wheezy repository.

I need to clean up some code and will then post v0.2 soon, next day or two.

[sbp]

Finally been able to revisit import. Been playing with rpi and have been able to import rsync, mc, dillo, and leafpad! I
Almost forgot.... ace-of-penguins. Now playing freecell on rpi 

Hi Roberts, does this mean that it is working for raspberry now as well?

[roberts]

Yes. When I finish some clean up on v0.2 I will post it raspberry pi in the armv6 repo.

[roberts]

v0.2 of import now posted and available for both rpiCore and a10Core.
This is only a tool. A work in process. It has been useful for me and for some others as posted.
It is not a panacea. As time permits and feedback is considered hopefully this tool will be honed over time.

[hlavery]

Thank you for your work on import.  It is now much easier to use.  I downloaded links for example with no problems.  Unfortunately, the issue I described above (dependencies for mc, perl and maybe others) is still problematic;  import now offers a menu to select options, but the menu is empty.  I am working on a different Allwinner device (Miniand Hackberry) so perhaps there is some odd difference if import is working on other hardware?

[roberts]

OK. I will have the following shortly for v0.3:
1. Download Wheezy Master Index directly from Debian Mirror, lastest seems to be Nov 15.
2. Allow an option for import to skip dependencies and force only the specified package to be downloaded and converted.

Note: The not found items are in /tmp/import.log
Note: With our trusty links browser we can actually browse and even download missing items.
Note: I had been able to import mc, but mc did not work becuase bterm needs a terminfo item.

[roberts]

Re-posted import.tcz affects allwinner only devices.
The Raspberry PI version already downloads direct from Raspbian.

Now the Allwinner version  downloads Master Index direct from Debian.
You must remove the current Master Index from your tcedir.

Tested download of both mc and perl. Since I am not a user of either of
these. I could only verify that the extension builds, loads, and an ldd of
the binary passed.

The trivial hello.pl also ran. For mc we will need to find/make a terminfo
for bterm on allwiiner.

More to come...

[hlavery]

Thanks,  import now seems to work very well, and I gave it a workout importing build-essential and found no issues.  Is the bterm font easily changed now that I can access things...seriously ugly in my screen.