Cross-compilation shows>error: no termcap library found, why?

Cross-compilation shows>error: no termcap library found, why?

[Francisco Cuesta]

I'm experiencing a frustrating error trying to cross-compile gdbserver
for arm. I've downloaded and crosscompiled termcap with this command

    export CC="/bin/arm-mv5sft-linux-gnueabi-gcc"
    export CXX="/bin/arm-mv5sft-linux-gnueabi-g++"
    export AR="/bin/arm-mv5sft-linux-gnueabi-ar"
    CONFOPTS+="--target=arm-linux --host=arm-linux
--build=i686-pc-linux-gnu --prefix=/usr --exec-prefix=/usr
--enable-static"
    ./configure ${CONFOPTS}
    make &&

    make DESTDIR=~/gdb-7.6/toInst install

Being such crosscompilation successful since I wasn't prompted any
error, I got the libtermcap.a which is arm, as you can see below, and
located on ~/termcap/

    :$ file *.o
    termcap.o: ELF 32-bit LSB relocatable, ARM, version 1 (SYSV), not stripped
    tparam.o:  ELF 32-bit LSB relocatable, ARM, version 1 (SYSV), not stripped
    version.o: ELF 32-bit LSB relocatable, ARM, version 1 (SYSV), not strippe

However, if I try to do the same for cross-compiling gdbserver for
arm, with the same options and calling the cross compiled lib

    export CC="/bin/arm-mv5sft-linux-gnueabi-gcc"
    export CXX="/bin/arm-mv5sft-linux-gnueabi-g++"
    export AR="/bin/arm-mv5sft-linux-gnueabi-ar"

    CONFOPTS+="--target=arm-linux --host=arm-linux
--build=i686-pc-linux-gnu --prefix=/usr --exec-prefix=/usr
--sysconfdir=/etc --enable-static
--with-termcap=~/termcap/libtermcap.a"
    ./configure ${CONFOPTS} $@
    make &&

    make DESTDIR=~/gdb-7.6/toInst install

I get this

    checking for library containing waddstr... no
    configure: WARNING: no enhanced curses library found; disabling TUI
    checking for library containing tgetent... no
    configure: error: no termcap library found
    make[1]: *** [configure-gdb] Error 1
    make[1]: Leaving directory `~/gdb-7.6'
    make: *** [all] Error 2

I have found several sites on the internet suggesting installing the
library libncurses5-dev, but have I already installed!


    $ sudo apt-get install libncurses5-dev
    Reading package lists... Done
    Building dependency tree
    Reading state information... Done
    libncurses5-dev is already the newest version.
    0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 67 not upgraded.

SO, I don't know what can I do to crosscompile gdbserver, please help!

Thanks in advance!!

regards

Re: Cross-compilation shows>error: no termcap library found, why?

[Pedro Alves]

It sounds like you're running the top level's configure
instead of gdbserver's.  If you just want to build
gdbserver, run the configure in gdb/gdbserver/.

-- 
Pedro Alves

Re: Cross-compilation shows>error: no termcap library found, why?

[Francisco Cuesta]

Hi Pedro,

Thanks for replying that seems to work!! I have been able to
crosscompile gdbserver, from its directory with my cross options.

regards!

2013/6/6 Pedro Alves <palves@redhat.com>:
> It sounds like you're running the top level's configure
> instead of gdbserver's.  If you just want to build
> gdbserver, run the configure in gdb/gdbserver/.
>
> --
> Pedro Alves
>

Re: Cross-compilation shows>error: no termcap library found, why?

[Francisco Cuesta]

But now I have another doubt, if I want to crooscompile the gdb
"client" which is going to connect to the gdbserver, how can I do it?
Then, I will have to crosscompile the whole gdb suite right?

regards!

2013/6/6 Pedro Alves <palves@redhat.com>:
> It sounds like you're running the top level's configure
> instead of gdbserver's.  If you just want to build
> gdbserver, run the configure in gdb/gdbserver/.
>
> --
> Pedro Alves
>

Re: Cross-compilation shows>error: no termcap library found, why?

[Pedro Alves]

On 06/07/2013 10:52 AM, Francisco Cuesta wrote:
> But now I have another doubt, if I want to crooscompile the gdb
> "client" which is going to connect to the gdbserver, how can I do it?
> Then, I will have to crosscompile the whole gdb suite right?

Assuming gdb will run on your host non-ARM machine, no.

Here's the chapter everyone building cross tools should read (do
click the right arrow):

  http://www.sourceware.org/autobook/autobook/autobook_258.html

And also, simplified from:

  http://www.flameeyes.eu/autotools-mythbuster/autoconf/canonical.html

"
 When using autoconf, there are three system definitions (or machine definitions)
 that are used to identify the “actors” in the build process; (...) These three definitions are:

host

    The system that is going to run the software once it is built. Once the software
    has been built, it will execute on this particular system.

build

    The system where the build process is being executed. For most uses this
    would be the same as the host system, but in case of cross-compilation
    the two obviously differ.

target

    The system against which the software being built will run on. This only exists, or rather
    has a meaning, when the software being built may interact specifically with a
    system that differs from the one it's being executed on (our host). This is the case
    for compilers, debuggers, profilers and analyzers and other tools in general.
"

So configure GDB with --target=arm-mv5sft-linux-gnueabi,
and GDBserver with --host=arm-mv5sft-linux-gnueabi.

> 
> regards!
> 
> 2013/6/6 Pedro Alves <palves@redhat.com>:
>> It sounds like you're running the top level's configure
>> instead of gdbserver's.  If you just want to build
>> gdbserver, run the configure in gdb/gdbserver/.
>>
>> --
>> Pedro Alves
>>


-- 
Pedro Alves

Re: Cross-compilation shows>error: no termcap library found, why?

[Francisco Cuesta]

Hi Pedro,

I don't understand, I have the gdb server running in the target, this
is all arm archietecture. On the other hand I have my pc, which is x86
architecture, but for debugging in eclipse I have to point to the dbg
client (on the pc) which is going to connect to the dbg server on the
target. SO, both gdb client and gdbserver have to be compiled in arm,
that is correct or I missunderstand something?

Thanks in advance,

Ps: what's more,  I have done what you suggested and if I did that on
top level directory of gdb I get the error related to termcap... I
guess in that directory is where I need to crosscompile the gdb
client, though.

2013/6/7 Pedro Alves <palves@redhat.com>:
> On 06/07/2013 10:52 AM, Francisco Cuesta wrote:
>> But now I have another doubt, if I want to crooscompile the gdb
>> "client" which is going to connect to the gdbserver, how can I do it?
>> Then, I will have to crosscompile the whole gdb suite right?
>
> Assuming gdb will run on your host non-ARM machine, no.
>
> Here's the chapter everyone building cross tools should read (do
> click the right arrow):
>
>   http://www.sourceware.org/autobook/autobook/autobook_258.html
>
> And also, simplified from:
>
>   http://www.flameeyes.eu/autotools-mythbuster/autoconf/canonical.html
>
> "
>  When using autoconf, there are three system definitions (or machine definitions)
>  that are used to identify the “actors” in the build process; (...) These three definitions are:
>
> host
>
>     The system that is going to run the software once it is built. Once the software
>     has been built, it will execute on this particular system.
>
> build
>
>     The system where the build process is being executed. For most uses this
>     would be the same as the host system, but in case of cross-compilation
>     the two obviously differ.
>
> target
>
>     The system against which the software being built will run on. This only exists, or rather
>     has a meaning, when the software being built may interact specifically with a
>     system that differs from the one it's being executed on (our host). This is the case
>     for compilers, debuggers, profilers and analyzers and other tools in general.
> "
>
> So configure GDB with --target=arm-mv5sft-linux-gnueabi,
> and GDBserver with --host=arm-mv5sft-linux-gnueabi.
>
>>
>> regards!
>>
>> 2013/6/6 Pedro Alves <palves@redhat.com>:
>>> It sounds like you're running the top level's configure
>>> instead of gdbserver's.  If you just want to build
>>> gdbserver, run the configure in gdb/gdbserver/.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Pedro Alves
>>>
>
>
> --
> Pedro Alves

Re: Cross-compilation shows>error: no termcap library found, why?

[Pedro Alves]

On 06/07/2013 03:30 PM, Francisco Cuesta wrote:
> Hi Pedro,
> 
> I don't understand, I have the gdb server running in the target, this
> is all arm archietecture. On the other hand I have my pc, which is x86
> architecture, but for debugging in eclipse I have to point to the dbg
> client (on the pc) which is going to connect to the dbg server on the
> target. SO, both gdb client and gdbserver have to be compiled in arm,
> that is correct or I missunderstand something?

GDB and GDBserver are separate programs.  Applying the terms quoted
below (build/host/target), you get:

For GDB:
You need a GDB that _runs_ on x86.  You use --host to specify where
the program runs.  E.g., --host=i686-unknown-linux-gnu.  However, if
the program is meant to be run on the same system you are building
from, then the --host's default will pick the right option for you
automatically.  You need a GDB that understands how to debug ARM programs.
And you specify that with the --target option, like e.g.,
--target=arm-mv5sft-linux-gnueabi.  (If you don't specify --target,
then the build system defaults --target to the same system as
the one you're building on, which would be x86).

For GDBserver:
You need a GDBserver that _runs_ on the ARM machine.  Again, you use --host
to specify where the program runs.  In this case, GDBserver will run on
ARM, so specify --host=arm-mv5sft-linux-gnueabi.  GDBserver is not a "cross"
tool -- it knows how to debug the programs on its own system.  It's no different
from most other programs running on the ARM system, like grep, sed, etc,
so you build it just like all other autoconf programs.

So again, configure GDB with --target=arm-mv5sft-linux-gnueabi.  Run
the toplevel configure for that (src/configure).

Configure GDBserver with --host=arm-mv5sft-linux-gnueabi.
Run GDBserver's configure for that.  (src/gdb/gdbserver/configure).

Better start from scratch than reuse the same build tree.

I recommend building on a separate build directory from the sources.
Like,

Sources in gdb/src/
Build directory for gdb in gdb/build-gdb/
Build directory for gdbserver in gdb/build-gdbserver/

Cd into gdb/build-gdb/, and do '../src/configure ...'
Cd into gdb/build-gdbserver/, and do '../src/gdb/gdbserver/configure ...'

At any time you want to do a build from scratch, you just need
to wipe build directories.

> 
> Thanks in advance,
> 
> Ps: what's more,  I have done what you suggested and if I did that on
> top level directory of gdb I get the error related to termcap... I
> guess in that directory is where I need to crosscompile the gdb
> client, though.

You don't need to cross compile gdb.  That's a red herring.
Try building a gdb for the local system (just configure with no
options) just to make sure you have all the necessary build
dependencies installed, and you most probably will get the same error.
You'll need to sort that out first.

-- 
Pedro Alves

cross building gdb/gdbserver howto in the wiki (Re: Cross-compilation shows>error: no termcap library found, why?)

[Pedro Alves]

I've put all this in <http://sourceware.org/gdb/wiki/BuildingCrossGDBandGDBserver>,
linked from the wiki's main page.  Could probably use some copy/editing to make it
clearer, but it's a start.  :-)

-- 
Pedro Alves