Tiny Core Linux

Tiny Core Base => Raspberry Pi => Topic started by: mikedev on June 13, 2016, 03:42:33 PM

Title: Cross compile Raspberry pi tcz apps on x86 TC?
Post by: mikedev on June 13, 2016, 03:42:33 PM
Anyone has experience/successful stories in cross compiling Raspberry Pi apps/tcz from source on x86 TinyCore Linux?

Besides the compiletc.tcz and related tcz(s) need to be loaded on x86 TinyCore Linux, any toolchain(s) or cross-compilers tcz available?

Thanks.
Title: Re: Cross compile Raspberry pi tcz apps on x86 TC?
Post by: bmarkus on June 13, 2016, 05:21:08 PM
Why do you want to crosscompile?
Title: Re: Cross compile Raspberry pi tcz apps on x86 TC?
Post by: mikedev on June 13, 2016, 05:36:48 PM
Quote from: bmarkus on June 13, 2016, 05:21:08 PM
Why do you want to crosscompile?

For a main reason - speed.
It is slow to compile sources on a Raspberry Pi Zero.  It is a single core vs RPI3 quad core.
Nevertheless, if the sources can be compiled on x86 TC and then have the tcz built transferred back to pi, isn't it more effective?  Especially when I try to experience different compile options, flags, etc.  It is going to be much faster and effective to re-run many times on x86 cross-compile than natively done on the pi.

Thanks.
Title: Re: Cross compile Raspberry pi tcz apps on x86 TC?
Post by: bmarkus on June 13, 2016, 06:07:58 PM
Cross compilation works for the kernel and packages with no dependencies like xz but as soon as you build packages depending on tcz's you can not manage it, or on a complicated way wasting much more time than you win. If you have few packeges to build, start compilation and take coffe, go to cinema, etc. If you have many, buy RPi2 or RPi3. But forget cross compilation at all.

I tried several times and gave up, using it for kernel only.
Title: Re: Cross compile Raspberry pi tcz apps on x86 TC?
Post by: Rich on June 13, 2016, 09:25:12 PM
Hi mikedev
Spreading the compilation over multiple PIs might be worth looking into. Google  distcc
Title: Re: Cross compile Raspberry pi tcz apps on x86 TC?
Post by: bmarkus on June 14, 2016, 02:33:23 AM
Quote from: Rich on June 13, 2016, 09:25:12 PM
Hi mikedev
Spreading the compilation over multiple PIs might be worth looking into. Google  distcc

There are few packages with long, several hours compilation time like QT5, boost but in general compilation time is acceptable on RPi2, RPi3 even better specially using all CPU cores not only one.  Larger RAM also helps.
Title: Re: Cross compile Raspberry pi tcz apps on x86 TC?
Post by: mikedev on June 14, 2016, 12:16:15 PM
Quote from: bmarkus on June 13, 2016, 06:07:58 PM
Cross compilation works for the kernel and packages with no dependencies like xz but as soon as you build packages depending on tcz's you can not manage it, or on a complicated way wasting much more time than you win. If you have few packeges to build, start compilation and take coffe, go to cinema, etc. If you have many, buy RPi2 or RPi3. But forget cross compilation at all.

I tried several times and gave up, using it for kernel only.

Thanks!  Just curious to get some additional information, for those packages that depends on other tcz, it is difficult to cross compile the package is it because of the difficulties in mounting th RPI tcz(s) on the arbitrary directory on x86 machines to satisfy the cross compiling requirements?
Title: Re: Cross compile Raspberry pi tcz apps on x86 TC?
Post by: bmarkus on June 15, 2016, 07:29:46 AM
You must unpack TCZ-s to the build system buildroot. Also consider startup scripts.