Building X Client Programs for the iPAQ

Three possibilities

We suggest native development as the easiest path to gratification. Cross compilation, while nominally faster, usually involves much more hassle than it is worth. And since you can develop on your usual desktop (using a small window and a single button, or for the determined to be very accurate, via Xnest configured to a small root window), you will find it most convienient to first debug your programs on your normal environment before recompiling for StrongARM.

For completeness, here are your options laid out below.

1. cross compilation
2. native compilation on one of the Skiff machines
3. native compilation on an iPAQ

Cross Compilation

First, ask yourself if you really want to do this. Native development is generally a better way to go: first on your normal desktop using your normal tools in the usual fashion, and only when debugged, again, native on the iPAQ in the usual fashion. So have you stopped beating your head against this wall yet? It feels so good when you stop, you know....

For those determined to continue, here's some hints.

1. Determine if the software you are building uses imake or the GNU configuration tools. If it uses the GNU configuration tools, you probably really want to native compile, rather than cross compile, as hacking Makefiles until the cows come home gets very boring. The GNU build tools generally are not very happy about cross compilation. See either native compilation on a Skiff or on an iPAQ.
2. Get and install a cross compilation tool chain. We recommend using ours: it has all compilers, and has been pretty well shaken down. The version we use

   has few known problems. The following lines will give you some hints as to where to find tools and libraries. CC = /skiff/local/bin/arm-linux-gcc

   PREPROCESSCMD = /skiff/local/bin/arm-linux-gcc -E $(STD_CPP_DEFINES) RANLIB = /skiff/local/bin/arm-linux-ranlib

   MODCC = /skiff/local/bin/arm-linux-gcc

   LDPOSTLIB = -L/skiff/local/arm-linux/lib

   LDPOSTLIBS = -L/skiff/local/arm-linux/lib

3. Get and install the current X distribution. Configure it for cross compilation,

   per instructions.

4. You now have two choices:
   1. Build inside the X tree you just installed. In this case, you move your client into xc/programs, copy a makefile from another client on top of your makefile (only if you have an Imakefile!), type 'make makefile', 'make depend', and then make. Rebuilding your makefile ensures you pick up the cross compilation definitions.
   2. Build outside of the X tree you just installed. You can use imake to rebuild the makefile for your client, per 1.). You'll need to scratch your head for a while to figure out the arguments to imake. Note that xmkmf won't work for you, as you need to use the development environoment to build your executable, not your native machine.

Native Compilation on one of the Skiff/iPAQ Cluster Machines

Ahh... I see that sanity has returned... Feel better now that you've stopped beating your head against the wall?

Compaq CRL has made available as a service a number of Skiff and iPAQ handheld machines, running Linux. A Skiff is a small server machine based on a StrongARM which is effectively identical to an iPAQ for program development. The iPAQ's are iPAQ handhelds with large IDE disks attached running the Intimate Linux distribution.

It is Linux, with a normal set of development tools. The skiff distribution is very strange, being a cross between a Debian and a RedHat system, for historical (hysterical?) reasons. (Debian development for ARM seemed to die for a while, and Carleton University built a ton of RH RPM's). It appears that a number of vendors may be "fixing" this problem for us, but for now, what you see is what you get. We are putting into service a number of iPAQ's to replace the skiffs as well: these run Debian's ARM distribution.

Root access can be had if needed on request. Send mail to Jamey.Hicks@hp.com

Native Compilation on an iPAQ

1. Install Intimate, a version of Debian for the iPAQ handheld. The very adventursome can run Debian unstable, but our experience is that Debian Testing is a better compromise on ARM: testing is broken too often and for too long for that to be a viable for most.
2. Enjoy!