which build system works for you?

[Rod Whitby]

Andreas Jellinghaus wrote:
> I'd like to use the same mechanism the core developers use
> for building openmoko images, so I can help with testing,
> and start writing my own apps using the latest code and style
> as the rest of openmoko.

Yes, this is the goal of the MokoMakefile - to build the image that the
core team desires that the assisting developers should build.

In my opinion (and I believe it has some support from the core team, but
may not be officially blessed as the one true way yet), the way to build
is listed at http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/MokoMakefile

Note that this builds OM-2007.1, because that is exactly what the core
team (in the form of Mickey) has requested that MokoMakefile build as of
this moment.  At some point in the next week or so (when Mickey gives
the "GO" signal to me) it will change to build OM-2007.2 (there is an
alpha version of the MokoMakefile available for testing - if you're in
the IRC channel you can find out about that).

> The problem is the wiki contains many different ways to build
> openmoko and they are either old and working or new and not working,
> or most likely: I did something wrong or missed some detail.
> 
> my latest try (on ubuntu feisty/7.04 x86_64) is using the OM2007.1
> second method with nslu2-linux MasterMakefile and it seems to work
> fine in general, except that it fails once it tries to build the 2.6.9
> kernel (guess some configuration is wrong if it tries to compile such
> an old kernel).

The nslu2-linux Makefile and OM-2007.1 just don't go together.  That's
an invalid combination.  The nslu2-linux makefile builds some
OpenEmbedded distributions (one of which just happens to closely
resemble OM-2007.2).  It is not a supported OpenMoko build system.

> so I wonder: which build systems works out for you?

Well, I'm biased, but I would recommend the MokoMakefile.

I would also recommend building on Debian Etch (cause that's what I use,
so you know it will usually work with the MokoMakefile).  But the distro
you use is your choice - just don't complain if you use Plan9 or
something and the MokoMakefile doesn't work for you :-)

> p.s. mid term it might be nice to have one common way to build openmoko
> and friends, so it is easier for all of us to work together and help
> each other. many options are nice but a support burdon and chaos as well.

Fully agree.  That's why I wrote the MokoMakefile.

-- Rod