Building python interpreter.

[dsydsy]

== How to crosscompile python for arm-linux ==

I will assume you have a working toolchain for crosscompilation of arm binary
for ezx platform, if not you can use the one on
http://lsb.blogdns.net/software and you can use the patch posted here:
http://www.motorolafans.com/index.ph...wnload&id=1244 to fix an issue that can lead to a broken limits.h

My toolchain is built in this directory:
~/EZX/crosstools/ezx-crosstool-0.5/gcc-arm-iwmmxt/gcc-3.3.6-glibc-2.3.2/arm-linux
so maybe you have to replace this location appropriately in the proceeding text.

Following there is a step-by-step guido to have our beloved python interpreter
running on our phones. ("guido" is a funny typo here, he he)

NOTE: when you see a \ at the end of the line you are in front of a multiline
command, so paste the following line, too.


=== Step by step

Python official distribution does not support yet crosscompilation, so we have
to apply a patch to the source.

1. Get the official source:
wget http://www.python.org/ftp/python/2.4.3/Python-2.4.3.tgz

2. Download the patch for crosscompiling:
wget "http://sourceforge.net/tracker/download.php?group_id=5470&atid=305470&file_id=97061&aid=1006238" -O python-patch.diff

3. Extract the tarball and apply the patch:
tar xzvf Python-2.4.3.tgz
cd Python-2.4.3
cat ../python-patch.diff | patch -p3

4. Rerun autoconf, since the patch touches configure.in
autoconf configure.in > configure

5. Configure python, but being in a directory parallel to the
extracted distribution. remembering to have the toolchain binaries in the
PATH:
cd ..
mkdir crossbuild-py2.4
cd crossbuild-py2.4

PATH=$PATH:~/EZX/crosstools/ezx-crosstool-0.5/gcc-arm-iwmmxt/gcc-3.3.6-glibc-2.3.2/arm-linux/bin \
../Python-2.4.3/configure --host=arm-linux

6. Build python:
PATH=$PATH:~/EZX/crosstools/ezx-crosstool-0.5/gcc-arm-iwmmxt/gcc-3.3.6-glibc-2.3.2/arm-linux/bin \
make

7. Installing, I use /opt/python-2.4 for instance:
PATH=$PATH:~/EZX/crosstools/ezx-crosstool-0.5/gcc-arm-iwmmxt/gcc-3.3.6-glibc-2.3.2/arm-linux/bin \
make install prefix=/opt/python-2.4

8. Strip binaries so to save some space:
PATH=$PATH:~/EZX/crosstools/ezx-crosstool-0.5/gcc-arm-iwmmxt/gcc-3.3.6-glibc-2.3.2/arm-linux/bin \
find /opt/python-2.4 -name "*.so" -or -name "python" -or -type f -name "lib*" -exec arm-linux-strip {} \;

9. Copy the files in /opt/python-2.4 on the phone with your preferred method.
I use to mount the "system" share via samba so i have access directly to the
/ mount point.

10. Test that it actually works, after telnetting to the phone:
# ./python
Could not find platform dependent libraries <exec_prefix>
Consider setting $PYTHONHOME to <prefix>[:<exec_prefix>]
Python 2.4.3 (#1, Apr 5 2006, 20:09:52)
[GCC 3.3.6] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import os
>>> os.uname()
('Linux', '(none)', '2.4.20_mvlcee30-mainstone', '#1 Jan 1,2003', 'armv5tel')
>>>


That's all, for now.


=== Problems ===

- The installation size is quite big even after stripping binaries, how to build
and install a minimal python distribution?

- There are problems building the zlib module, maybe because I do not have a
crosscompiled zlib?

[dsydsy]

Now, imagine if we could have python bindings for EZX toolkit...

[kpa1200e]

hi!
@dsydsy, any news on this?

[latino18hvm]

wonderfl

[BruceLee]

@latino18hvm
If you're interested in a python interpreter you can try scribi. It's an interpreter collection:
LINK

screen:

[latino18hvm]

yes, thanks for the link
thanks thanks thanks