[Buildroot] buildroot's support of ltp-testsuite

[Thomas Petazzoni <thomas.petazzoni@free-electrons.com>]

Hello David,

Please keep the Buildroot list in Cc for all Buildroot-related topics.

On Thu, 20 Jan 2011 20:27:47 -0800
David Fisher <dfisher769@gmail.com> wrote:

> Thank you very much for answer.
> I am trying to evaluate the possibility of using the LTP test suite for
> embedded software, basing on Linux kernel, which was built with the Build
> Root tool, using uClibc.
> 
> I found in your posting at Free Electronics "On the road to Buildroot
> 2009.08", from August 3, 2009, that ltp-testsuite is on the list of upgraded
> packages.  Also there is ltp-testsuite directory (under buildroot/package),
> so it was my understanding that it could be compiled under uClibc, exactly
> as it could be compiled under non embedded Fedora, which uses glibc.
> (By the way the version of August 30, 2009, -- 20090830, which is used there
> would not compile even under Fedora, because of bug.  The "tst_exit"
> function, used in the "inh_capped.c" with an argument, while the prototype
> of this function, defined in the "test.h" defines it as
> "void tst_exit(void) LTP_ATTRIBUTE_NORETURN*;*", however in the newer
> versions of the ltp this bug is fixed.  I modified the version's date in all
> the related files of the ltp-testsuite and tried to compile, however without
> success.  The file "ballistaRPC.h, which is generated automatically using
> rpcgen, and therefore should not be edited, has a line *#include <rpc/rpc.h>
> *, while the rpc.h file does not exist.)
> 
> *My major two questions are:*
> *1. Is there any possibility to build (at least a portion of) LTP test suite
> above uClibc and test with it the kernel?  If yes, how to do it?*

It is probably possible, but not with the default uClibc configuration
used in Buildroot. The LTP test-suite uses some functions that are
considered legacy: those functions are present in glibc, but not in
traditional configurations of uClibc. With enough effort, you can
probably find all the uClibc options needed to generate an uClibc that
has all the required features to run ltp-testsuite. I have however
never tried this, so I can't say for sure if it's feasible or not.

> *2. If not, could you please provide with more details how to use the ltp,
> built on external toolchain that relies on glibc, which you mention in your
> email to me?*

If you're using Buildroot 2010.11 (the latest stable version at this
time), then you have to first download and install a glibc toolchain
separatly. If you're working on ARM, my recommandation would be the
CodeSourcery toolchains. If you're working on another architecture, you
may want to try Crosstool-NG to generate a toolchain. Once you have the
toolchain, just configure Buildroot to use it as an external toolchain.

If you're using Buildroot Git (which will become the next stable
version, at the end of February), then Buildroot can automatically
download and install an external toolchain for you, at least for the
CodeSourcery toolchains on ARM, MIPS, PowerPC and SH.

Note that the ltp-testsuite package has been upgraded recently in
Buildroot:
http://git.buildroot.net/buildroot/commit/?id=a72a670489547a3ca645ff7c3a0d9c3fb66eab51.
The version used is newer than the one you would use if you work with
Buildroot 2010.11.

Regards,

Thomas
-- 
Thomas Petazzoni, Free Electrons
Kernel, drivers, real-time and embedded Linux
development, consulting, training and support.
http://free-electrons.com