On 09/01/2010 12:48 PM, Ralf Corsepius wrote:
On 09/01/2010 12:41 PM, David Howells wrote:
>
> Would it be worth our while putting into Fedora basic gcc and binutils rpms
> for cross compilers for all the Linux arches? I keep finding the need to
> compile kernels for arches other than the x86_64 boxes I normally use, and I
> keep borrowing prebuilt compilers off others (usually Al Viro - thanks Al!) to
> do this.
>
> However, as the kernel advances, older compilers cease being able to compile
> it, so I have to go finding new compilers again.
>
> It would be much easier if I could just yum install them.
>
> Any thoughts on whether it would be worthwhile?
I'd welcome it.
However it would be a very challenging task on all levels:
- Fedora's rpm and some components the build-infrastructure have serious
issues related to cross-building.
- A cross compiler alone is not worth it, you need a whole zoo of
further cross-target packages to make it usable.
I don't see why. If you assume that someone compiling for user space
has a vague idea what they are doing, they will know how to install the
-devel packages for their target system somewhere the compiler can find
them. The x-compiler package itself wouldn't need much more than the
target's libc. I don't think we need to cater for people who can't
even figure out how to unpack what they need for the target system.
David is, I think, concerned about kernel building, so he doesn't even
need that.
Andrew.