cross-compile-tool 0.1.1

A generic fast cross-compilation tool using Docker and Sysroots

cross-compile-tool

A blazing fast, generic cross-compilation utility for C++ and ROS 2. It uses Docker to generate an ARM64 sysroot and standard native tools (GCC/Ninja) for compilation.

Prerequisites

• Docker: For building the sysroot (only runs when needed).
• Cross Compiler: sudo apt install g++-aarch64-linux-gnu

Installation

# Recommended: Install in a virtual environment
pip install .

Usage

The tool uses subcommands: build (for compiling) and sysroot (for environment management).

1. Build (The Daily Driver)

Compiles your code. It automatically builds the sysroot if it's missing.

# Basic usage (compiles current directory)
cross-compile-tool build

Common Options:

• --clean: Wipe build directory before compiling.
• --build-tool [colcon|cmake]: Force a specific build tool (default: auto).
• --build-dir: Customize output directory (default: build_arm64).

2. Sysroot (Environment Management)

Explicitly manage the Docker-based sysroot. Use this when you update your dependencies.

Step 1: Create apt_packages.txt in your project root:

libfmt-dev
ros-humble-ros-base

Step 2: Rebuild the sysroot:

cross-compile-tool sysroot --rebuild --packages-file apt_packages.txt

Features:

• Robustness: Uses a temporary build context, keeping your source tree clean.
• Staleness Check: Tracks apt_packages.txt using hashes. The build command will warn you if your sysroot is out of date.
• Optional Python: Automatically detects Python in the sysroot. If missing, it disables Python support in the toolchain (safe for pure C++).

Advanced: CI / Dev Workflow

The tool includes a built-in development environment (Docker).

1. Build the Dev Image:

   # Default uses ros:humble. You can specify another base image.
   cross-compile-tool build-dev --tag my-ci-image --base-image ros:humble
   

2. Run with Auto-Mounting: The build command above outputs the exact run command you need. It handles the HOST_WORKSPACE mapping automatically for Docker-in-Docker support.

   docker run -it --rm \
     -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
     -v $(pwd):/ws \
     -e HOST_WORKSPACE=$(pwd) \
     my-ci-image \
     bash -c "pip install . && cross-compile-tool build"