Without any warranty!

Please see:

• official homepage of T2SDE Linux: https://t2sde.org/
• my wiki: https://github.com/hpaluch/hpaluch.github.io/wiki/T2SDE

Why cross-build? Because Host build (stage 9) heavily depends on current state of system and often fails for various reasons.

So I have found that cross-build is significantly more stable and reproducible than Host build.

I created my own template called "CLI" based on "base" in "generic" target. However I removed all bloat that takes too long to build (llvm, clang, cargo, rustc) and also non x86 stuff.

• you can find original base profile under /usr/src/t2-src/target/generic/pkgsel/20-base.in
• my CLI profile is under target/generic/pkgsel/15-cli.in (has to be copied under /usr/src/t2-src/ later - see text below).

I installed latest T2 version 25.4 from: t2-25.4-x86-64-base-wayland-glibc-gcc-nocona.iso. Then did preparation:

Here are details of cross-build:

$ cd /usr/src/t2-src/
$ t2 up
$ svn info | grep '^Last Change'

Last Changed Author: rene

ast Changed Rev: 79772
Last Changed Date: 2025-07-18 19:13:15 +0200 (Fri, 18 Jul 2025)

# I need git and mc :-)

$ t2 install -optional-deps=no git mc btop

# These additional tools are required on host system:
# - scons required by serf which is http(s) library for SVN client
# - mtools required for image creation script
# - scdoc still required by kmod under some circumstances

$ t2 install perl perl-xml-parser python python-installer setuptools \
     pip jinja2 ninja meson libtool libxml autoconf scons mtools scdoc

Now copy our new Template "cli" (original posted on my branch and project):

• original: https://github.com/hpaluch/t2sde/blob/br-cli-template/target/generic/pkgsel/15-cli.in:
• latest: https://github.com/hpaluch/t2sde-files/blob/master/target/generic/pkgsel/15-cli.in

cd /usr/src/t2-src
x=target/generic/pkgsel/15-cli.in
curl -fLo $x https://github.com/hpaluch/t2sde-files/raw/refs/heads/master/$x

Run t2 config -cfg crosscli and change:

SDECFG_PKGSEL_TMPL='cli'
SDECFG_X8664_OPT='nocona'
SDECFG_CROSSBUILD='1'
SDECFG_CONTINUE_ON_ERROR_AFTER='9
# update for: r77109, 12 May 2025
# required to avoid 1-gcc build errors:
# config: GCC Options -> UNCHECK "Enable GNAT"
SDECFG_PKG_GCC_GNAT='0'

Build image with:

t2 build-target -cfg crosscli

Total 210 packages to be build.

I got new error

• at 0-python/setuptools:

  /usr/src/t2-src/build/crosscli-25-svn-generic-x86-64-nocona-cross-linux/TOOLCHAIN/cross/bin/python: No module named installer
  

• to fix it - apply my patch from: patches/python-installer-0-fix.diff
• and run:

  t2 build-target -cfg crosscli 0-python-installer
  # resume 0 stage build
  t2 build-target -cfg crosscli

Next error:

• on 2-python/python:

  /Modules/_gdbmmodule.c:12:10: fatal error: gdbm.h: No such file or directory
  

• looks like there is wrong build order (3rd column)

  $ awk '$5 == "python" || $5 == "gdbm" { print $0 }' config/crosscli/packages
  X 0-2------- 102.300 python python 3.13.5 / base/development CROSS NO-PIE NO-SSP NO-LTO.mips NO-LTO.mips64 NO-LTO.clang 0
  X --2------- 104.800 database gdbm 1.25 / base/library CROSS 0

• note: I have to use awk for package search, because there also exists group "python" rendering grep -w python command useless. Awk can easily target package column (No. 5).
• trying:

  t2 build-target -cfg crosscli 2-gdbm
  # resume build
  t2 build-target -cfg crosscli

Hmm, next error:

• again on 2-python/python:

  ./Modules/readline.c:43:12: fatal error: readline/readline.h: No such file or directory
  

• investigation:

  $ awk '$5 == "python" || $5 == "readline" { print $0 }' config/crosscli/packages
  X 0-2------- 102.300 python python 3.13.5 / base/development CROSS NO-PIE NO-SSP NO-LTO.mips NO-LTO.mips64 NO-LTO.clang 0
  X --2------- 104.100 base readline 8.3-001 / base/library CROSS DIETLIBC FAT-LTO.mips FAT-LTO.mips64 0

• same problem (104.100 is greater than 102.300 so readline would be build "after" python - which is too late), so again:

  t2 build-target -cfg crosscli 2-readline
  # resume build
  t2 build-target -cfg crosscli

Next error:

• stage 2-base/pam

  doc/man/meson.build:42:2: ERROR: Command `/usr/src/t2-src/build/crosscli-25-svn-generic-x86-64-nocona-cross-linux/TOOLCHAIN/cross/bin/xmllint
  

• real error from log seems to be:

  I/O warning : failed to load "http://docbook.org/xml/5.0/rng/docbookxi.rng": No such file or directory
  Relax-NG parser error : xmlRelaxNGParse: could not load http://docbook.org/xml/5.0/rng/docbookxi.rng
  Relax-NG schema http://docbook.org/xml/5.0/rng/docbookxi.rng failed to compile
  

• I added docbook-xml to config, but not sure, but it seems that just on Host system:

  t2 install docbook-xml

  fixed it(?)
• and resume build with:

  t2 build-target -cfg crosscli

Much later

• error on 2-filesystem/squashfs-tools

  lz4_wrapper.c:27:10: fatal error: lz4.h: No such file or directory
  

• fixed in 15-cli

When above build finishes, create crosscli.iso and crosscli.sha256 using:

t2 create-iso crosscli

It will create crosscli.* files right under /usr/src/t2-src/.

ISO Image tested on 2025-08-03:

• curl(1) works fine - it has its own CA list in /etc/curl/cacert.pem
• other programs will likely NOT work with https, becuase I excluded ca-certificates to avoid dependency on Rust bloat.

Now testing cross-building Wayland image (basically same as official ISO but from latest commit).

Tested commit:

$ cd /usr/src/t2-src
$ svn info | grep '^Last Changed'

Last Changed Author: rene
Last Changed Rev: 75092
Last Changed Date: 2025-03-15 22:57:37 +0100 (Sat, 15 Mar 2025)

Tested config is under config/crosswland/.

Commands so far:

t2 config -cfg crosswland
t2 install perl perl-xml-parser python python-installer setuptools pip jinja2 ninja meson libtool libxml autoconf
t2 build-target -cfg crosswland 0-scdoc
t2 build-target -cfg crosswland
# work in progress.. - will fail on  linux-firmware with: ERROR: the GNU parallel command is required to use -j
t2 install parallel
t2 build-target -cfg crosswland
# but GNU parallel will cause other error:
#   Created file outside basedir: /root/.parallel/tmp
# running it again fixes it (because these files already exists before build)

# have to fix rsync download from my project ..../hpaluch-pil/t2sde-patches/fix_rsync_mirror.sh
# and run again
t2 build-target -cfg crosswland
# new error: Program 'mesa_clc' not found or not executable
# trying:
t2 install mesa # answer 'y' to all questions
# resume cross-build
t2 build-target -cfg crosswland
# 2-serf: scons not found
t2 install scons
# 2-openjdk - requires zip
t2 install zip
# gnome/gtk+ - vanished file errors - simply re-run build
# but next: 2-librsvg - requires cargo-cbuild
t2 install cargo-c
...

I'm now testing cross-build of really minimalist image for x86_64 - just 16 packages to be (cross) build.

To use it:

• tested on following T2SDE revision:

  $ cd /usr/src/t2-src
  $ svn info | grep '^Last Changed'
  
  Last Changed Author: notag
  Last Changed Rev: 75040
  Last Changed Date: 2025-03-13 22:39:45 +0100 (Thu, 13 Mar 2025)

• copy contents from config/crossmin/ under your /usr/src/t2-src
• run this command (as root) to invoke cross-build:

  cd /usr/src/t2-src
  # run command below to review settings
  t2 config -cfg crossmin
  # run command below to cross-build truly minimal image
  t2 build-target -cfg crossmin

• you will likely encounter error while building 2-linux, which means stage 2, package linux (kernel)

  /usr/src/t2-src/package/kernel/linux/linux.conf:
     line 176: x86_64-t2-linux-uclibc-depmod: command not found
  

• trying to fix with:

  vim config/crossmin/packages # enable scdoc for 02
  t2 build-target -cfg crossmin 0-scdoc
  t2 build-target -cfg crossmin 0-kmod
  # restart build of kernel
  t2 build-target -cfg crossmin
  # will fail on missing /embutils, fixing with:
  # if embutils were already installed we must remove all packages
  # with conflicting files:
  mine -r -R build/crossmin-25-svn-embedded-minimal-x86-64-nocona-cross-linux/ embutils coreutils
  # must build coreutils first to force embutils to install into dedicated dir
  t2 build-target -cfg crossmin 2-coreutils
  # only now can build embutils (after coreutils)
  t2 build-target -cfg crossmin 2-embutils
  # additional required fixes:
  t2 build-target -cfg crossmin 1-zstd
  t2 build-target -cfg crossmin 2-fget
  t2 build-target -cfg crossmin 2-disktype
  t2 build-target -cfg crossmin 2-ipconfig
  t2 build-target -cfg crossmin 2-sed
  ( cd build/crossmin-25-svn-embedded-minimal-x86-64-nocona-cross-linux && cp bin/sed usr/embutils/sed )
  # now run Host mkinitrd with chroot (must be absolute path!)
  /sbin/mkinitrd -R `pwd`/build/crossmin-25-svn-embedded-minimal-x86-64-nocona-cross-linux
  # these are required for Image scripts: kbd pciutils ncurses
  t2 build-target -cfg crossmin 2-pciutils
  # but kbd fails with hard-error and ncurses is not there
  mkdir -p build/crossmin-25-svn-embedded-minimal-x86-64-nocona-cross-linux/etc/stone.d
  
  # TODO: Uuugh so many issues....
  t2 build-target -cfg crossmin

Note on configuration:

• I selected Embedded minimal that uses uClibc runtime with busybox for commands and dropbear for SSHD server for really minimal system - see target/embedded* under your source dir for configuration.
• I unchecked Stack protection because some uLibc components has issues with it
• I always use Abort build after stage (9) which means "abort build in any stage"

/usr/sbin/useradd -m -G wheel,video,audio,dialout -s /bin/bash USERNAME
passwd USERNAME

Goal: upgrade to latest revision:

cd /usr/src/t2-src/
t2 up
t2 config # I just set "abort on build error"
t2 install perl perl-xml-parser python python-installer setuptools pip jinja2 ninja meson libtool libxml autoconf
t2 install btop mc
t2 upgrade
# handling failed packages/deps
ls -lrt /var/adm/logs/*.err

# rsync:
# problem with download - corrupted file:
file download/mirror/r/rsync-3.4.1.tar.gz.extck-err
# => download/mirror/r/rsync-3.4.1.tar.gz.extck-err: data
# should return gzip
# fixed with: found link on: https://www.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/view/svn/basicnet/rsync.html
curl -fLo download/mirror/r/rsync-3.4.1.tar.gz  https://www.samba.org/ftp/rsync/src/rsync-3.4.1.tar.gz
file download/mirror/r/rsync-3.4.1.tar.gz
# => download/mirror/r/rsync-3.4.1.tar.gz: gzip compressed data, ...
rm download/mirror/r/rsync-3.4.1.tar.gz.extck-err
# again try build it:
t2 install rsync

# cryptsetup - just missing deps (base-wayland installation have not developemnt deps):

# now tough stuff - rustc
# see https://github.com/rxrbln/t2sde/pull/211 for details
mine -r rustc
# download and copy my patch: package/rust/rustc/rustdriver-libz-fix.patch
# and then: (takes around 15minutes on 10cores 12threads)
t2 install rustc
t2 clean # remove all aborted builds
# ok resume upgrade
t2 install mesa # install lot of build deps
t2 install thunderbird # same
t2 upgrade
t2 install libxfce4windowing # same - install deps

# new update
t2 up
svn info | grep '^Last Changed' | cut -d ' ' -f 4- | tr '\n' ' ';echo
# => foxdrodd 74894 2025-03-09 11:00:15 +0100 (Sun, 09 Mar 2025)

# we have to enable introspection and rebuild all packages
# that wil generate .gir files, following https://t2sde.org/kb/8/
t2 install -f gobject-introspection gdk-pixbuf pango harfbuzz at-spi2-core graphene gtk
# new addition:
t2 install -f libxfce4util
t2 upgrade

# corrupted icu4c mirror:
curl -fLo download/mirror/i/icu4c-75_1-data.zip https://github.com/unicode-org/icu/releases/download/release-75-1/icu4c-75_1-data.zip
file download/mirror/i/icu4c-75_1-data.zip
rm -f download/mirror/i/icu4c-75_1-data.zip.extck-err
# force installation of build deps:
t2 install libreoffice

t2 upgrade