Hi all,
I would like to try and rebuild FPC to create a Win32 cross-compiler to create linux-arm programs so I can see if I can develop for the GP2X handheld linux computer.

I have seen various posts around the net on cross-compiling and building cross-compilers and am totally confused :(

Does anyone have a step-by-step guide to building a cross compiler that will run under Windows to make linux-arm programs?

I know where to get the FPC source and the linux-arm cross compiler from the freepascal site, but am totally stumped as to where to go next.

Thanks in advance,

"The plastic veneer of civilization is easily melted in the heat of the moment" - Paul Nicholls.

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Op Thu, 25 Jan 2007, schreef Paul Nicholls:

Building cross-compiler is not a user friendly job.

Does anyone have a step-by-step guide to building a cross compiler that will run under Windows to make linux-arm programs?

No, this does not exist.

I know where to get the FPC source and the linux-arm cross compiler from the freepascal site, but am totally stumped as to where to go next.

I recommend installing Linux on your desktop computer, which costs you much less time to accomplish than building a cross-compiler. If you still need a cross-compiler, please read the buildfaq, and check out the forums, there is enough info about this topic available.

Daniël

A couple of weeks back I create a cross compiler installer for arm-linux.

I did not announce it (yet), because I have no good solution for the linking problem. You need to supply the libraries (e.g. libc.so) for arm-linux at compile time.

If you want to try what I made, download
ftp://ftp.hu.freepascal.org/pub/lazarus/cross/Lazarus-0.9.21-fpc-2.1.1-20070104-cross-arm-linux-win32.exe

Vincent

I recommend installing Linux on your desktop computer, which costs you much less time to accomplish than building a cross-compiler.

For compiling for ARM a cross compiler is necessary anyway, but nonetheless I feel that when doing work for Linux it's a good idea to use Linux as an development system, too. I'm sure that I'll go that way once my investigations are far enough to suggest starting the FPC on ARM Linux project.

Happily you now can legally use VMWARE to run Linux on your system together with Windows. I do this right now and performance is really acceptable.

-Michael

Op Mon, 29 Jan 2007, schreef Michael Schnell:

For compiling for ARM a cross compiler is necessary anyway,

Yes, but, the big difference is that the ARM cross compiler for Linux is an official FPC release and therefore useable without digging into the compiler build process. Simply download 2.0.4 for ARM and ready you are.

There is one big thing I forgot totally forget about in my original e-mail: Francesco Lombardi did build and upload a Win32 -> ARM Linux crosscompiler snapshot sime time ago:

ftp://ftp.freepascal.org/pub/fpc/snapshot/v21/arm-linux

but nonetheless I feel that when doing work for Linux it's a good idea to use Linux as an development system, too.

Yes, it is less work to get everything running, and development is easier, since you can test your software on your desktop instead of having to transfer it to your ARM device every time.

Daniël

What is the best way to let the compiler find the arm-linux shared libraries that it needs for linking?

Vincent

Op Tue, 30 Jan 2007, schreef Vincent Snijders:

Don't use shared libraries :) Seriously, I don't know, this totally depends on the exact ARM device. A Thecus like Florian uses will likely run a glibc system, but a more limited device like the GP2x will likely use an embedded libc, uclibc is very common on ARM devices. An uclibc distribution in a directory could be a good approac.

Daniël

For example in c:\fpc\2.1.1\lib\arm-linux ?

Vincent

Op Wed, 31 Jan 2007, schreef Vincent Snijders:

Yes, I think you can do that.

Daniël