unable to crosscompile for ppc 32bits

[ntadas]

I'm having some problems compiling the open j9 for ppc 32bits
I've followed these steps: https://github.com/eclipse/openj9/blob/master/buildenv/Build_Instructions_V8.md#2-get-the-source

after some time fighting with the configure options I was able to successfully run the configure with the extra options:
--openjdk-target=powerpc-fsl-linux --without-x --without-cups --without-alsa
I had to set also these environment variables:

export X11_NOT_NEEDED=yes
export CUPS_NOT_NEEDED=yes
export ALSA_NOT_NEEDED=yes

now I'm trying to do the actual compilation but I'm getting this error:

checking for suffix of executables...
checking whether we are cross compiling... configure: error: in `/local_disk/ntadas/jvm/openj9-openjdk-jdk8/build/linux-ppc-normal-server-release/vm/omr':
configure: error: cannot run C compiled programs.
If you meant to cross compile, use `--host'.
See `config.log' for more details
gmake[3]: *** [CONFIGURE_SENTINEL_FILE] Error 1
gmake[2]: *** [configure] Error 2
gmake[1]: *** [run-preprocessors-j9] Error 2
make: *** [j9vm-build] Error 2

it seems that the new configures are loosing the information that this is being crossed compiled.
is this a known problem?

[DanHeidinga]

I've never tried this before... the only platform I'm aware we do cross compiling for is arm. @JamesKingdon Any suggestions for dealing with cross-compiling?

If you meant to cross compile, use `--host'.
See `config.log' for more details

The error message suggests checking config.log for more details and setting the --host option. Have you tried that?

[ntadas]

I've tried to replace the --openjdk-target=powerpc-fsl-linux with the --host and --target options (according to the configure help they do the same thing) and the result was the same.
please note the error is when compiling the omr (the --host should be when calling the configure of the omr). But this is done internally by the compilation of the j9.

if I check the omr config.log I see that its failing because it tries to execute a cross compiled binary (this because it doesn't know its a cross compilation)

configure:3394: checking whether the C compiler works
configure:3416: /homelocal/common/fsl-coriant/fsl/ppce500mc/18jan2/sysroots/x86_64-fslsdk-linux/usr/bin/powerpc-fsl-linux/powerpc-fsl-linux-gcc    -m32 -mhard-float -mcpu=e500mc --sysroot=/homelocal/common/fsl-coriant/fsl/ppce500mc/18jan2/sysroots/ppce500mc-fsl-linux -O2 -pipe -g -feliminate-unused-debug-types  -Wl,-O1 -Wl,--hash-style=gnu -Wl,--as-needed conftest.c  >&5
configure:3420: $? = 0
configure:3468: result: yes
configure:3471: checking for C compiler default output file name
configure:3473: result: a.out
configure:3479: checking for suffix of executables
configure:3486: /homelocal/common/fsl-coriant/fsl/ppce500mc/18jan2/sysroots/x86_64-fslsdk-linux/usr/bin/powerpc-fsl-linux/powerpc-fsl-linux-gcc -o conftest    -m32 -mhard-float -mcpu=e500mc --sysroot=/homelocal/common/fsl-coriant/fsl/ppce500mc/18jan2/sysroots/ppce500mc-fsl-linux -O2 -pipe -g -feliminate-unused-debug-types  -Wl,-O1 -Wl,--hash-style=gnu -Wl,--as-needed conftest.c  >&5
configure:3490: $? = 0
configure:3512: result:
configure:3534: checking whether we are cross compiling
configure:3542: /homelocal/common/fsl-coriant/fsl/ppce500mc/18jan2/sysroots/x86_64-fslsdk-linux/usr/bin/powerpc-fsl-linux/powerpc-fsl-linux-gcc -o conftest    -m32 -mhard-float -mcpu=e500mc --sysroot=/homelocal/common/fsl-coriant/fsl/ppce500mc/18jan2/sysroots/ppce500mc-fsl-linux -O2 -pipe -g -feliminate-unused-debug-types  -Wl,-O1 -Wl,--hash-style=gnu -Wl,--as-needed conftest.c  >&5
configure:3546: $? = 0
configure:3553: ./conftest
configure: line 3555: ./conftest: cannot execute binary file
configure:3557: $? = 126
configure:3564: error: in `/local_disk/ntadas/jvm/openj9-openjdk-jdk8/build/linux-ppc-normal-server-release/vm/omr':
configure:3566: error: cannot run C compiled programs.
If you meant to cross compile, use `--host'.
See `config.log' for more details

If I change the cross_compiling=no to cross_compiling=yes in openj9-openjdk-jdk8/build/linux-ppc-normal-server-release/vm/omr/configure and run again the make profiles I gues a different error:

checking build system type... x86_64-pc-linux-gnu
checking OMR_BUILD_OS... linux
checking OMR_BUILD_ARCH... x86
checking for gcc... gcc
checking whether the C compiler works... no
configure: error: in `/local_disk/ntadas/jvm/openj9-openjdk-jdk8/build/linux-ppc-normal-server-release/vm/omr/tools':
configure: error: C compiler cannot create executables
See `config.log' for more details
gmake[4]: *** No rule to make target `pugixml', needed by `/hookgen'.  Stop.
gmake[4]: *** Waiting for unfinished jobs....
In file included from main.cpp:33:0:
HookGen.hpp:32:23: fatal error: pugixml.hpp: No such file or directory
 #include "pugixml.hpp"
                       ^
compilation terminated.
In file included from HookGen.cpp:33:0:
HookGen.hpp:32:23: fatal error: pugixml.hpp: No such file or directory
 #include "pugixml.hpp"
                       ^
compilation terminated.
gmake[4]: *** [main] Error 1
gmake[4]: *** [HookGen] Error 1
gmake[3]: *** [tools/hookgen] Error 2
gmake[2]: *** [buildhook] Error 2
gmake[2]: *** Waiting for unfinished jobs....
gmake[4]: o: Command not found
gmake[4]: o: Command not found
gmake[1]: *** [run-preprocessors-j9] Error 2

[JamesKingdon]

Cross-compiling is only partially implemented. In particular we currently need to provide a build jdk as well as a boot jdk. The configure script I currently use for Java 10 for arm is

#!/bin/sh

BUILD_JDK=/root/buildjdk

TOOLCHAIN=/root/gcc-linaro-7.2.1-2017.11-x86_64_arm-linux-gnueabihf
#TOOLCHAIN=/root/gcc-linaro-4.9.4-2017.01-x86_64_arm-linux-gnueabihf

export PATH=$PATH:${TOOLCHAIN}/bin

bash ./configure --openjdk-target=arm-linux-gnueabihf --with-abi-profile=armv6-vfp-hflt  --with-x=${TOOLCHAIN}/arm-linux-gnueabihf/ --with-freetype=${TOOLCHAIN}/arm-linux-gnueabihf/libc/usr/ --with-freemarker-jar=/root/freemarker.jar --with-build-jdk=$BUILD_JDK --disable-warnings-as-errors --disable-ddr

I think the changes to support this ended up being fairly generic, but it's likely there is more we need to do for PPC

[ntadas]

it seems that the omr doesn't support cross compilation.
at least in Java 8 version (I need to use Java 8)

[JamesKingdon]

There was an attempt to cross compile Java 8 for arm, but we ran into a number of problems ( issue #712 ). It's likely that those problems will also impact a PPC cross compile for Java 8.

[ntadas]

I really need Java 8, never the less I've tried to cross compile Java 10 to ppc 32bits and it also has problems.
I guess the only option I have is to try to compile it in the ppc target (not cross compile)

[DanHeidinga]

Closing as this has been inactive for 2 years