Re: [PATCH] make grub2 compile with libc-less crosscompilers

[Stefan Reinauer <stepan@coresystems.de>]

* Yoshinori K. Okuji <okuji@enbug.org> [070519 19:44]:
> On Saturday 19 May 2007 17:30, Patrick Georgi wrote:
> > I'm now using a cross compiler with target "i386-elf", ie. no operating
> > system specification, which works fine so far. With grub2 I had an issue
> > in the configuration process as some tests try to build executables with
> > the target compiler that link libc (and potentially even more libs) -
> > which don't exist in my configuration.
> > As those are not necessary, I decided to modify grub2 instead of messing
> > around even more with the not-so-nice gcc build system.
 
I second this patch. Cleaning out platform dependencies where there
should be none is a good goal on the long and stony road to portable
software.

> They are necessary. Otherwise, you cannot make a core image, for example. 
> Also, without grub-emu, how do you plan to debug GRUB?
 
Can you please explain this? I would think grub-emu is something that
needs to be compiled with the host compiler, not the target compiler. If
you need the target, it is not an emulation, thus pretty useless.

> BTW I can hardly believe that it is so difficult to use gnu build tools on 
> solaris. Otherwise, how are opensolaris developers building GRUB?

Well, niche products are always hard to maintain. Try cross-compiling a driver
from the mainstream operating system windows under the niche OS Linux
and you will find lots of trouble, too. Not hard to believe. Cross
compiling a Linux/BSD only product like Grub under Solaris is for sure
easier, but not exactly trivial. Not hard to believe that one would not
start fixing auto tools code without a reason ;-)

Stefan

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