Compile Swift code to native executable for Linux - linux

I've installed Swift lang for Linux (Ubuntu) and it works fine. For example:
print("Hello World")
To run it:
./swift hi.swift
My question is, is it possible to generate a native executable code for it? How?

Listing the executable files in the Swift directory, it has swiftc. It generates a native executable binary by command:
swiftc hi.swift -o hi
./hi

In addition to swiftc, one can also generate native executables by using the Swift build system, which is described at
https://swift.org/getting-started/#using-the-build-system
Using the build system, one can easily build native executables from multiple source files, while swiftc is a convenient way to build an executable from a single source file.
Please note that you also need to install Clang if you want to create native executables with Swift. Clang is not needed to run the swift command interactively or to run a .swift file. Interestingly, installing GCC (including g++) and creating symlink clang++ to g++ does allow swiftrc to build an executable. This also enables swift build to work. At least it is true for very simple programs. However, this is not a "blessed" way. Apple docs at swift.org say that Clang is needed.

Related

Build static executable on RHEL 7?

I have a C++ project that I'm currently building using dynamic linking to various system libraries. It's on a RHEL 7 system. I've been using devtoolset-9 to get a more modern version of g++ (the system one is 4.8.5, I think). It all works fine, but I'd like to now build a static executable that I will be able to run on a non-RHEL linux system. I've tried specifying -static-libstdc++, but it appears to still be dynamically linked, looking at the ldd output. I've read that devtoolset compilers use some link-time trickery to link in both the system libstdc++ dynamically and any new C++ functionality statically. Is this true? It doesn't work for me; if I copy the executable over to the non-RHEL system and try to run it, I get a bunch of things like this (from memory, so hopefully correct):
/lib64/libstdc++.so.6: version `GLIBCXX_3.4.21' not found
Is there any way to build a fully static executable using g++ from devtoolset-9? Thank you.

Unable to make a portable Fortran executable in Cygwin

I'm attempting to compile a relatively simple Fortran executable so that it can be passed around to other Windows users that don't have Cygwin (or something of the sort) installed, however, I'm unable to get the executable to operate as a standalone. I've tried gfortran -static file.f and gfortran -static-libgfortran file.f, however other users always encounter this error:
The program can’t start because cygwin1.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem.
From what I've read online (e.g. here), the -static option should be sufficient. I have verified that running the executable from my machine (DOS prompt) does work.
I have gcc (gfortran) version 4.7.3. I should also point out this is my first attempt at compiling portable Fortran.
Update
After realizing that this isn't a gfortran-specific issue (thanks to replies here), searches led me to related posts here and here
This is partially explained in the Cygwin FAQ. The solution is to install the mingw64-i686-gcc-fortran package with its dependencies, and cross-compile your code with i686-w64-mingw32-gfortran -static.
Just package the cygwin1.dll along with your binary file (both in the same folder) then it will run just fine.

Compiling my C program with my customized library (.h) using Linux

Hi team,
I have three files which I need to compile for testing, btw im using CentOS linux.
source_code.c
library.h
library.c
how do I put the library.h in the gcc library, so I can use it?
how do I compile the source_code.c to use that library?
Thank you very much.
This is basic knowledge of your tools, but you can do this:
#include "library.h" in the include section of the library.c code (at top of the file).
gcc source_code.c library.c in the linux terminal will link and compile both source_code.c and library.c. This will generate an executable named "a.out" (if there were no compilation problems). You can change its name, by adding the option -o name to the gcc command (gcc source_code.c library.c -o mycode will generate an executable named "mycode").
If you really need a library that will be used by a lot of other programs, you can look for "shared libraries", but I think that you are asking for a basic thing.
You dont need this library.h while building and executable (with gcc) as you should have specified the exact location of the library in the source file. All you need to do is gcc sourcefile1.c sourcefile2.c -o exename

QT building applications for arm linux

I got a little confused when it comes to QT and cross compiling
appliations for my arm-linux:
So far I have a linux running on my AT91SAM9263-EK and an appropriate
filessystem including QT libs build via buildroot.
Also I have build QT-4.8 on my ubuntu.
Now I want to build an example application:
I created a makefile in an examples folder in QT on my ubuntu using
qmake; I used the given qmake.conf in mkspecs/qws/linux-arm-g++.
when executing make I get an error because it includes qatomic_i386.h
and the message "error: impossible constraint in 'asm'".
this header file does obviously not match to my arm toolchain.
my question:
how to configure Qt on my ubuntu to build Qt binaries for my embedded linux
on arm? Do I need to include any libs build by the arm toolchain?
any help is appreciated!
regards
EDIT:
I use the -spec flag and pass the path to "mkspecs/qws/arm-linux-g++" where a "qmake.conf" is located. I did not change anything in here because I dont know wich qmake variable are relevant to link to my arm related libs.
So the right compiler is used, which I could verify when the make process starts. But I observed that in a config file called qconfig.h there is an ARCH flag which is set to i386 but I didnt figure out how one can configure this. I dont think I should manually edit this file.
EDIT2:
someone knows whats behind the file qconfig.h?? should I adjust it manually?
I will solve it by myself :)
After struggling a while and scanning the web I got a little deeper involved how everything works together. I did not understand how to generate an executable for my ARM target device. I figured out two things:
do not add your QT path for X11 at the beginning in your PATH variable. this might mess up your cross compilation.
edit the qmake.conf correspondingly. add your libs build for the target device which in my case are located within buildroot. Add theses lines to your qmake.conf file:
QMAKE_CFLAGS += -O3 -march=armv5te
QMAKE_CXXFLAGS += -O3 -march=armv5te
QMAKE_INCDIR_QT = /home/user/arm/toolchain/buildroot-2010.11/output/staging/usr/include
QMAKE_LIBDIR_QT = /home/user/arm/toolchain/buildroot-2010.11/output/staging/usr/lib
I got it running now. thanks to everyone!
Yes, either you provide the Qt libraries in your toolchain or you tell qmake where to find them. Also, I suspect you're calling qmake without the -spec parameters. If you are using the qmake you find in your distribution, it will use the default spec, which is not arm I guess. Add the -spec parameter and point it to the arm mkspec. Also, make sure the generated g++ commands link to the correct Qt libs compiled for arm.
You shall install QtSDK for embedded linux befor you use it to build your application. I'm afraid you just have QtSDK for x86 right now. After QtSDK for embedded linux installed, it has qws/linux-arm-g++ as the default mkspace typically. If you don't have QtSDK for embedded linux, you can build it from source. Then run qmake to create Makefile for you application.
$QTDIR_FOR_ARM/qmake
Reference:
Installing Qt for Embedded Linux and Cross-Compiling Qt for Embedded Linux Applications

How do I configure Qt for cross-compilation from Linux to Windows target?

I want to cross compile the Qt libraries (and eventually my application) for a Windows x86_64 target using a Linux x86_64 host machine. I feel like I am close, but I may have a fundamental misunderstanding of some parts of this process.
I began by installing all the mingw packages on my Fedora machine and then modifying the win32-g++ qmake.conf file to fit my environment. However, I seem to be getting stuck with some seemingly obvious configure options for Qt: -platform and -xplatform. Qt documentation says that -platform should be the host machine architecture (where you are compiling) and -xplatform should be the target platform for which you wish to deploy. In my case, I set -platform linux-g++-64 and -xplatform linux-win32-g++ where linux-win32-g++ is my modified win32-g++ configuration.
My problem is that, after executing configure with these options, I see that it invokes my system's compiler instead of the cross compiler (x86_64-w64-mingw32-gcc). If I omit the -xplatform option and set -platform to my target spec (linux-win32-g++), it invokes the cross compiler but then errors when it finds some Unix related functions aren't defined.
Here is some output from my latest attempt: http://pastebin.com/QCpKSNev.
Questions:
When cross-compiling something like Qt for Windows from a Linux host, should the native compiler ever be invoked? That is, during a cross compilation process, shouldn't we use only the cross compiler? I don't see why Qt's configure script tries to invoke my system's native compiler when I specify the -xplatform option.
If I'm using a mingw cross-compiler, when will I have to deal with a specs file? Spec files for GCC are still sort of a mystery to me, so I am wondering if some background here will help me.
In general, beyond specifying a cross compiler in my qmake.conf, what else might I need to consider?
Just use M cross environment (MXE). It takes the pain out of the whole process:
Get it:
$ git clone https://github.com/mxe/mxe.git
Install build dependencies
Build Qt for Windows, its dependencies, and the cross-build tools;
this will take about an hour on a fast machine with decent internet access;
the download is about 500MB:
$ cd mxe && make qt
Go to the directory of your app and add the cross-build tools to the PATH environment variable:
$ export PATH=<mxe root>/usr/bin:$PATH
Run the Qt Makefile generator tool then build:
$ <mxe root>/usr/i686-pc-mingw32/qt/bin/qmake && make
You should find the binary in the ./release directory:
$ wine release/foo.exe
Some notes:
Use the master branch of the MXE repository; it appears to get a lot more love from the development team.
The output is a 32-bit static binary, which will work well on 64-bit Windows.
(This is an update of #Tshepang's answer, as MXE has evolved since his answer)
Building Qt
Rather than using make qt to build Qt, you can use MXE_TARGETS to control your target machine and toolchain (32- or 64-bit). MXE started using .static and .shared as a part of the target name to show which type of lib you want to build.
# The following is the same as `make qt`, see explanation on default settings after the code block.
make qt MXE_TARGETS=i686-w64-mingw32.static # MinGW-w64, 32-bit, static libs
# Other targets you can use:
make qt MXE_TARGETS=x86_64-w64-mingw32.static # MinGW-w64, 64-bit, static libs
make qt MXE_TARGETS=i686-w64-mingw32.shared # MinGW-w64, 32-bit, shared libs
# You can even specify two targets, and they are built in one run:
# (And that's why it is MXE_TARGET**S**, not MXE_TARGET ;)
# MinGW-w64, both 32- and 64-bit, static libs
make qt MXE_TARGETS='i686-w64-mingw32.static x86_64-w64-mingw32.static'
In #Tshepang's original answer, he did not specify an MXE_TARGETS, and the default is used. At the time he wrote his answer, the default was i686-pc-mingw32, now it's i686-w64-mingw32.static. If you explicitly set MXE_TARGETS to i686-w64-mingw32, omitting .static, a warning is printed because this syntax is now deprecated. If you try to set the target to i686-pc-mingw32, it will show an error as MXE has removed support for MinGW.org (i.e. i686-pc-mingw32).
Running qmake
As we changed the MXE_TARGETS, the <mxe root>/usr/i686-pc-mingw32/qt/bin/qmake command will no longer work. Now, what you need to do is:
<mxe root>/usr/<TARGET>/qt/bin/qmake
If you didn't specify MXE_TARGETS, do this:
<mxe root>/usr/i686-w64-mingw32.static/qt/bin/qmake
Update: The new default is now i686-w64-mingw32.static
Another way to cross-compile software for Windows on Linux is the MinGW-w64 toolchain on Archlinux. It is easy to use and maintain, and it provides recent versions of the compiler and many libraries. I personally find it easier than MXE and it seems to adopt newer versions of libraries faster.
First, you will need an arch-based machine (virtual machine or docker container will suffice). It does not have to be Arch Linux, derivatives will do as well. I used Manjaro Linux.
Most of the MinGW-w64 packages are not available at the official Arch repositories, but there is plenty in AUR. The default package manager for Arch (Pacman) does not support installation directly from AUR, so you will need to install and use an AUR wrapper like yay or yaourt. Then installing MinGW-w64 version of Qt5 and Boost libraries is as easy as:
yay -Sy mingw-w64-qt5-base mingw-w64-boost
#yaourt -Sy mingw-w64-qt5-base mingw-w64-qt5-boost #if you use yaourt
This will also install the MinGW-w64 toolchain (mingw-w64-gcc) and other dependencies.
Cross-compiling a Qt project for windows (x64) is then as simple as:
x86_64-w64-mingw32-qmake-qt5
make
To deploy your program you will need to copy corresponding dlls from /usr/x86_64-w64-mingw32/bin/. For example, you will typically need to copy /usr/x86_64-w64-mingw32/lib/qt/plugins/platforms/qwindows.dll to program.exe_dir/platforms/qwindows.dll.
To get a 32bit version you simply need to use i686-w64-mingw32-qmake-qt5 instead. Cmake-based projects work just as easily with x86_64-w64-mingw32-cmake.
This approach worked extremely well for me, was the easiest to set-up, maintain, and extend.
It also goes well with continuous integration services. There are docker images available too.
For example, let's say I want to build QNapi subtitle downloader GUI. I could do it in two steps:
Start the docker container:
sudo docker run -it burningdaylight/mingw-arch:qt /bin/bash
Clone and compile QNapi
git clone --recursive 'https://github.com/QNapi/qnapi.git'
cd qnapi/
x86_64-w64-mingw32-qmake-qt5
make
That's it! In many cases, it will be that easy. Adding your own libraries to the package repository (AUR) is also straightforward. You would need to write a PKBUILD file, which is as intuitive as it can get, see mingw-w64-rapidjson, for example.
Ok I think I've got it figured out.
Based in part on https://github.com/mxe/mxe/blob/master/src/qt.mk and https://www.videolan.org/developers/vlc/contrib/src/qt4/rules.mak
It appears that "initially" when you run configure (with -xtarget, etc.), it configures then runs your "hosts" gcc to build the local binary file ./bin/qmake
./configure -xplatform win32-g++ -device-option CROSS_COMPILE=$cross_prefix_here -nomake examples ...
then you run normal "make" and it builds it for mingw
make
make install
so
yes
only if you need to use something other than msvcrt.dll (its default). Though I have never used anything else so I don't know for certain.
https://stackoverflow.com/a/18792925/32453 lists some configure params.
In order to compile Qt, one must run it's configure script, specifying the host platform with -platform (e.g. -platform linux-g++-64 if you're building on a 64-bit linux with the g++ compiler) and the target platform with -xplatform (e.g. -xplatform win32-g++ if you're cross compiling to windows).
I've also added this flag:
-device-option CROSS_COMPILE=/usr/bin/x86_64-w64-mingw32-
which specifies the prefix of the toolchain I'm using, which will get prepended to 'gcc' or 'g++' in all the makefiles that are building binaries for windows.
Finally, you might get problems while building icd, which apparently is something that is used to add ActiveX support to Qt. You can avoid that by passing the flag -skip qtactiveqt to the configure script. I've got this one out of this bug report: https://bugreports.qt.io/browse/QTBUG-38223
Here's the whole configure command I've used:
cd qt_source_directory
mkdir my_build
cd my_build
../configure \
-release \
-opensource \
-no-compile-examples \
-platform linux-g++-64 \
-xplatform win32-g++ \
-device-option CROSS_COMPILE=/usr/bin/x86_64-w64-mingw32- \
-skip qtactiveqt \
-v
As for yout questions:
1 - Yes. The native compiler will be called in order to build some tools that are needed in the build process. Maybe things like qconfig or qmake, but I'm not entirely sure which tools, exactly.
2 - Sorry. I have no idea what specs files are in the context of compilers =/ . But as far as I know, you wouldn't have to deal with that.
3 - You can specify the cross compiler prefix in the configure command line instead of doing it in the qmake.conf file, as mentioned above. And there's also that problem with idc, whose workaround I've mentioned as well.

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