How to cross compile Erlang OTP including crypto and ncurses

First get install a cross compiler. Here I will use the arm-linux-gnueabi.

Then follow the instructions below

zlib

> wget http://zlib.net/zlib-1.2.8.tar.gz
> tar xf zlib-1.2.8.tar.gz
> cd zlib-1.2.8
> export CC=arm-linux-gnueabi-gcc
> ./configure --prefix=$HOME/arm
> make
> make install
> unset CC  # thanks benoitc

openssl

> wget http://openssl.org/source/openssl-1.0.2f.tar.gz
> tar xf openssl-1.0.2f.tar.gz
> export cross=arm-linux-gnueabi-
> cd openssl-1.0.2f
> ./Configure dist --prefix=$HOME/arm
> make CC="${cross}gcc" AR="${cross}ar r" RANLIB="${cross}ranlib"
> make install

ncurses

> wget http://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/ncurses/ncurses-6.0.tar.gz
> tar xf ncurses-6.0.tar.gz
> cd ncurses-6.0
> ./configure --host=arm-linux-gnueabi --prefix=$HOME/arm --without-ada --without-cxx --without-cxx-binding --without-manpages --without-progs --without-tests 
> make
> make install

otp

> wget http://www.erlang.org/download/otp_src_18.2.1.tar.gz
> tar xf otp_src_18.2.1.tar.gz
> cd otp_src_18.2.1

Now modify xcomp/erl-xcomp-arm-linux.conf, replace arm-wrs-linux-gnueabi with arm-linux-gnueabi

> ./otp_build configure 
> export ARM_SYSROOT=$HOME/arm
> ./otp_build configure --with-ssl=$HOME/arm --disable-dynamic-ssl-lib --xcomp-conf=./xcomp/erl-xcomp-arm-linux.conf
> ./otp_build boot -a
> ./otp_build release -a $HOME/arm/erlang

When building the tar file we remove some apps in order to reduce the size of the image. We could probably add --exclude=erlang/lib//src as well.

tar czf erlang.tgz --exclude=erlang/lib/cos* --exclude=erlang/lib/common_test* --exclude=erlang/lib/percept* --exclude=erlang/lib/public_key* --exclude=erlang/lib/eunit* --exclude=erlang/lib/gs* --exclude=erlang/lib/ic* --exclude=erlang/lib/jinterface* --exclude=erlang/lib/megaco* --exclude=erlang/lib/test_server* --exclude=erlang/lib/dialyzer* --exclude=erlang/lib/observer* --exclude=erlang/lib/diameter* --exclude=erlang/lib/orber* --exclude=erlang/lib/typer* --exclude=erlang/lib/edoc* --exclude=erlang/lib/ose* --exclude=erlang/lib/webtool* --exclude=erlang/lib/eldap* --exclude=erlang/lib/wx* --exclude=erlang/lib/erl_docgen* --exclude=erlang/lib/otp_mibs* ./erlang

Here is how to install the erlang.tgz on the target system

scp erlang.tgz user@ip:

then ssh/minicom to the target and

cd /usr/lib
tar xf ~user/erlang.tgz
cd erlang
./Install -minimal /usr/lib/erlang
ln -s /usr/lib/erlang/bin/erl /usr/bin/erl

To get termcap working ( the ncurses step ) some data located under $HOME/arm/share/terminfo needs to be (re)located on the target under for example $HOME/.terminfo. Or you may set a symbolic link from $HOME/.terminfo -> /usr/share/terminfo Ncurses may have options to fix this at build time ?

How to build applications

Use rebar and set the REBAR_TARGET_ARCH. This will cross compile most rebar applications that contain driver/nif source code.

cd my_app
REBAR_TARGET_ARCH=arm-linux-gnueabi rebar compile