Porting guide

This is a placeholder for information about porting existing software to the Pandora.

Build Environment

Ensure you have Set up your cross-compiler.

Configure Scripts

Much open source software comes with a configure script which can be used to customise the build. Running ./configure --help will usually display all the available options. Most configure scripts have a --host option which can be used for cross compiling. The majority of the remaining options can be used to enable or disable features, or to specify where libraries and their headers are located.

Makefiles

If the Makefile for your software aren't generated by a configure script, it may be necessary to alter parameters manually. Again, the main thing is making sure your cross-compiler is used instead of that on your PC. This is often achieved by setting variables such as CC, LD and similar.

Helper Programs

Some software uses custom tools to aid in the build process. Usually these are built along with the main application itself and compiled as required. Of course, when cross-compiling, these helper programs cannot be run on the PC if they're being compiled for the Pandora. Some configure scripts are smart enough to allow a native compiler to be used for such programs. In other cases they may need to be built manually. This is easily achieved by compiling the package natively and copying the executables over to the cross-compile build directory.