Database Info

[Tool]File(1) command for Android (ver 5.11)

After wandering around looking for an android build of the file command, I finally went ahead and compiled it myself.
The attached package contains the file binary (v5.11), the libmagic.so shared library, the associated magic files and the build specific files that I needed (over and above the source) to build it. The paths of the files are relative to '/'.
Refs:
source: file website (www_darwinsys_com/file/)
compiling: Native Vim on Android (gdr_geekhood_net/gdrwpl/vim-android.php)
Note: Add the location of libmagic.so to LD_LIBRARY_PATH to get rid of the "CANNOT LINK EXECUTABLE" error. (I use /data/local/lib)

Compiled a dynamically linked library and associated binary instead of the monolithic binary built earlier.

samveen said:
After wandering around looking for an android build of the file command, I finally went ahead and compiled it myself.
The attached package contains the file binary (v5.11), the libmagic.so shared library, the associated magic files and the build specific files that I needed (over and above the source) to build it. The paths of the files are relative to '/'.
Refs:
source: file website (www_darwinsys_com/file/)
compiling: Native Vim on Android (gdr_geekhood_net/gdrwpl/vim-android.php)
Note: Add the location of libmagic.so to LD_LIBRARY_PATH to get rid of the "CANNOT LINK EXECUTABLE" error. (I use /data/local/lib)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I followed your instructions and it works perfectly.
Code:
$ echo $LD_LIBRARY_PATH
/data/local/lib:/data/local/lib:/data/local/lib:/system/lib:/vendor/lib
$ file
Usage: file [-bchikLlNnprsvz0] [--apple] [--mime-encoding] [--mime-type]
[-e testname] [-F separator] [-f namefile] [-m magicfiles] file ...
file -C [-m magicfiles]
file [--help]
$ getprop | grep device
[ro.cm.device]: [jordan]
[ro.product.device]: [umts_jordan]
I have been looking for this for a while. Man!! This post needs some serious attention. Great work.
Sent from my MB525 usiIng XDA

@samveen Any chance you could compile it with libmagic statically linked again to make it portable? Thanks for your time.

osm0sis said:
@samveen Any chance you could compile it with libmagic statically linked again to make it portable? Thanks for your time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@osm0sis Sure. I'll add in a statically linked binary, but it'll take a little time (2-3 days).

samveen said:
@osm0sis Sure. I'll add in a statically linked binary, but it'll take a little time (2-3 days).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was just looking for this. Great tool.
Thanks for your work.

samveen said:
@osm0sis Sure. I'll add in a statically linked binary, but it'll take a little time (2-3 days).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any luck? I think it only needs libmagic statically linked to be portable; the other NDK/Bionic stuff can probably stay dynamic to keep the filesize down. I see file 5.17 source is available now too if you wanted to update your builds to the latest.

osm0sis said:
Any luck? I think it only needs libmagic statically linked to be portable; the other NDK/Bionic stuff can probably stay dynamic to keep the filesize down. I see file 5.17 source is available now too if you wanted to update your builds to the latest.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want only the system file type, the workaround i use is this (eval $(/sbin/blkid /dev/block/mmcblk0p11 | /sbin/awk ' { print $3 } '); /sbin/busybox echo $TYPE)
In a script just add a var like this
TYPE=$(eval $(/sbin/blkid /dev/block/mmcblk0p11 | /sbin/awk ' { print $3 } '); /sbin/busybox echo $TYPE) and you will have the FS type in $TYPE.
Phone: Samsung Galaxy SII - GT-I9100
Kernel: Dorimanx kernel v10.43v99-mv3
1st ROM : SlimSaber 4.4.2 Maliv3 by fusionjack build of 20140320 (Online)
2nd ROM :
MODEM: UHMS1
MODS: Partition Fix, Hue Blue v4.4 by Kroz :good:

Computoncio said:
If you want only the system file type, the workaround i use is this (eval $(/sbin/blkid /dev/block/mmcblk0p11 | /sbin/awk ' { print $3 } '); /sbin/busybox echo $TYPE)
In a script just add a var like this
TYPE=$(eval $(/sbin/blkid /dev/block/mmcblk0p11 | /sbin/awk ' { print $3 } '); /sbin/busybox echo $TYPE) and you will have the FS type in $TYPE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting but nope; I need file to determine a filetype. Compressed archives via a script, to be specific.

@osm0sis I got the code compiled (both with a dynamic libmagic.so, and libmagic compiled into file) but I need a little more time to compile the magic data (it requires running file on the target device to compile the magic data into a binary datafile). Once I have that figured out (either by compiling it or by creating a script to allow the users to do it themselves, I'll post it all in one go (need one more day).

samveen said:
@osm0sis I got the code compiled (both with a dynamic libmagic.so, and libmagic compiled into file) but I need a little more time to compile the magic data (it requires running file on the target device to compile the magic data into a binary datafile). Once I have that figured out (either by compiling it or by creating a script to allow the users to do it themselves, I'll post it all in one go (need one more day).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome! Thanks so much. The magic file isn't terribly important since you can grab one a lot of places and specify it with the -m parameter; keeps the file size down too if you were thinking of including it in the binary somehow!

Alright. I just wanted to thank you again for your work but I managed to make a static native compile (~440kb) of file-5.17 using my N7 and a kbox build environment I set up. It's available in my ARM Android Image Kitchen linked in my sig. Cheers!

osm0sis said:
Alright. I just wanted to thank you again for your work but I managed to make a static native compile (~440kb) of file-5.17 using my N7 and a kbox build environment I set up. It's available in my ARM Android Image Kitchen linked in my sig. Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@osm0sis - Can you please share how did you static compile this? I have setup the Ubuntu 13.10 image on Android using Complete Linux Installer (with all the necessary build tools setup).
I am able to compile this, but it's linking the shared library "libmagic.la".

Need to pass --static to ./configure and have a cross compiler set up, for ARMv7.

ericlnu said:
Need to pass --static to ./configure and have a cross compiler set up, for ARMv7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think that's a valid option.
Code:
$ ./configure --static
configure: error: unrecognized option: `--static'
Try `./configure --help' for more information

amit.bagaria said:
I don't think that's a valid option.
Code:
$ ./configure --static
configure: error: unrecognized option: `--static'
Try `./configure --help' for more information
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, seems not ^_^. Sorry, it usually is with autoconf derived configure scripts.

amit.bagaria said:
@osm0sis - Can you please share how did you static compile this? I have setup the Ubuntu 13.10 image on Android using Complete Linux Installer (with all the necessary build tools setup).
I am able to compile this, but it's linking the shared library "libmagic.la".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't tried it using a full Linux image on Android, just made it native compile in KBox2 on my N7'13 for awhile by editing in the gettext functions it was complaining about, and have since moved on to cross-compiling on my Windows 7 desktop in Cygwin using the NDK. There were still a few tricks to getting it to be a true static compile. It's all linked in my post here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=54510825
My latest compile included in my AIK-mobile package is file 5.20. :good:

I don't suppose you could do a quick compile with the -fPIE flag? Trying to use this on 5.0 + and don't want to patch my linker.
Tried to compile it myself (it sort-of worked, file --version is operational) but when I try to actually use it for something my terminal borks out and switches to some weird font after about 20 warnings. (configure also seems to be using the -rpath flag apparently, linker complains about it) hmm
EDIT: I've got it working after some trial and error. If anyone requests I'll post it
EDIT 2: android 6.0's linker seems less forgiving than 5.0/5.1, need to compile without -rpath (so no just using ./configure) will keep posted

Can you please post the file binary you built with -pie ?

[GUIDE] How to Build and Package a Kernel [D2]

This thread aims to be a comprehensive guide to building and packaging kernels for US Variant Samsung Galaxy SIIIs
In my opinion, a kernel is a great way to get into building things for your device and its pretty easy to do too.
Intro
What is a kernel?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kernel_(computing)
This guide is for US SGSIII's (d2att,d2cri,d2mtr,d2spr,d2tmo,d2usc,d2vzw,others?)
It may be possible to adapt this to other devices, but I am not responsible for anything that happens should you try to do this.
This guide assumes you have a general knowledge of the Linux operating system. If you've never used it, you might consider playing around
with it for awhile before attempting this guide.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Prerequisites
On all devices you must be rooted, on Verizon SGS3 (d2vzw) you must also have the unlocked (VRALE6) bootloader installed.
This is not the thread for figuring out how to do this. You can use the forum's search function to figure out how to do this on your device.
You'll need a computer or a virtual machine running ubuntu. You may be able to figure out how to get this working on other distributions,
but since ubuntu is generally the most accepted distribution to use for building android things, I'll stick to using that here.
At the time of this writing, I'm using ubuntu 12.10, 64-bit.
You'll need to install some packages on your ubuntu machine:
Code:
sudo apt-get install build-essential git zip unzip
On 64-bit you'll also need some multilib and 32-bit compatibility packages:
Code:
sudo apt-get install gcc-multilib g++-multilib lib32z1-dev
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Setting up the Build Environment
Next, you'll need a toolchain which is used to actually build the kernel. You may download one of these:
GCC 4.4.3: Download || Mirror
GCC 4.6: Download || Mirror
GCC 4.7: Download || Mirror
If you aren't sure, go for 4.4.3 or 4.6.
4.7 requires some code changes to work. The original kernel developer may or may not have made these changes.
Here is what I needed to do in order for 4.7 to build, boot and have wifi work:
https://github.com/invisiblek/linux-msm-d2/commit/f8d7199d37cfbfa1bcb6b4bcae3fc15ae71fbdea
https://github.com/invisiblek/linux-msm-d2/commit/ea58076501e5874db7b934c215c4dae81ddfd0a6
The toolchains are also available in the android NDK.
*** There are many toolchains out there, some of you may know of the Linaro toolchain which is aimed to optimize your binary even further ***
*** If you choose to use a different toolchain, that is fine. Keep in mind that you may run into issues depending on the toolchain you use ***
You can check what your currently running kernel was built with by issuing these commands:
Code:
adb root
adb shell cat /proc/version
It should return something like:
Linux version 3.4.0-cyanogenmod-gc4f332c-00230-g93fb4aa-dirty ([email protected]) (gcc version 4.7 (GCC) ) #134 SMP PREEMPT Thu Feb 28 00:22:41 CST 2013
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This shows my particular kernel here was built with GCC 4.7
You can use wget to download one of the links from above, in this instance we'll download version 4.4.3 from the first link:
Code:
wget http://invisiblek.org/arm-eabi-4.4.3.tar.bz2
Extract this to somewhere you will remember, probably your home directory.
Code:
mkdir arm-eabi-4.4.3
tar -xf arm-eabi-4.4.3.tar.bz2 -C arm-eabi-4.4.3/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Obtaining Source
Find someone's source to use as a base. This can be a source archive from Samsung, a kernel tree from CyanogenMod, or any other developer around that makes kernels for your device.
TIMEOUT
This is a good spot to stop and take note that the Linux kernel is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL): http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html
What does this mean you ask? It means that if you plan to share your kernel with the community (if it's good, please do so!) then you MUST share your
source code as well. I am not liable for what you choose to do once you start building kernels, but know this: if you share your kernel and do not
provide source code for it, you will get warnings from XDA for a determined amount of time, after that you may have your threads closed, deleted and
possibly your user account terminated. This is extremely important!
Also, you may run into more problems than just XDA. There are organizations out there that do take action if you consistently refuse to comply with the GPL.
I recommend you read this: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html so that you are familiar with what legalities you are getting yourself into.
The main thing to remember is to share your source code if you decide to share your built kernel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In this instance, we will use CyanogenMod's kernel source for the US Galaxy S3's. You may browse the source code here:
https://github.com/CyanogenMod/android_kernel_samsung_d2
You'll notice that the branch there is cm-10.1
This is the default branch of this repository on github. This means that if you intend to build this branch, you'll need to use it on CM version 10.1. Most
likely it will not function on another version.
To obtain the source code:
Code:
git clone https://github.com/CyanogenMod/android_kernel_samsung_d2
This will take a little while, be patient.
When done, you'll have a directory called android_kernel_samsung_d2, cd into this directory.
Code:
cd android_kernel_samsung_d2
Next, you'll need to set up a couple environment variables. These tell the system two things:
1. What CPU architecture to build for, in this case arm
2. Where to find the toolchain we downloaded earlier, so that the system can cross compile for arm
Code:
export ARCH=arm
export CROSS_COMPILE=~/arm-eabi-4.4.3/bin/arm-eabi-
You'll need to set these variables on each new session. You can modify your Makefile in the root of your kernel tree in order to have these set permanently.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Building
At this point you can make any changes to the source code that you want. If this is your first time, I recommend not making any changes and make sure you have a
sane build environment before adding any complications.
When you build a kernel, you need to choose a defconfig. This is a specialized configuration file, specifically tailored for your device.
CyanogenMod names their defconfigs for their devices like so: cyanogen_<device>_defconfig and they are located in arch/arm/configs/
Code:
ls arch/arm/configs/cyanogen*
In this example, we will build for d2vzw.
Set up your tree to build for the d2vzw:
Code:
make cyanogen_d2vzw_defconfig
(do this in your kernel's root directory, in this example it was android_kernel_samsung_d2/ )
Now you are ready to build:
First, determine how many cpu's your computer has. You'll use this number to determine how many jobs the compiler command will use. The more jobs you can use, the more
cpu threads the compile will take advantage of, thus you'll get faster builds. If you don't know, just assume you'll use the number 2. We'll use 2 as an example here.
Code:
make -j2
Where 2 is the number of CPU cores your build system has.
And now we wait...until it's done compiling...
You'll know it successfully compiled when you have this line when it stops:
Kernel: arch/arm/boot/zImage is ready
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PROTIP:
If it stops somewhere other than "zImage is ready" then you had build errors. Try running the 'make' command with no options after it. This will run the compile on a single thread
and will cause it to stop compiling as soon as it hits an error. When you run it on multiple threads, it definitely goes much faster, but if an error occurs, the console doesn't stop
until it finishes all of its threads. Causing you to have to scroll up and search around for an error
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now, assuming the build completed successfully, you have two things you are concerned with: A zImage (the kernel binary itself) and your kernel modules, which get built based
on what was configured in your defconfig.
You'll find your zImage at: arch/arm/boot/zImage
Code:
ls arch/arm/boot/zImage
The modules are scattered all over the place, depending on where the source existed that they were compiled from. We can easily search for them using this command:
Code:
find . -name "*.ko"
If both of the previous commands completed, you are now ready to package your kernel up for testing.
Move up a directory before continuing.
Code:
cd ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Packaging
You may know of an awesome developer by the name of koush.
Well, once upon a time, koush created a rather simple zip, called AnyKernel, that would flash a kernel on a device, regardless of what ramdisk the kernel has on it.
I've taken his zip and modified it for d2 devices and to work with the newer recoveries out there.
This has a script in it that will dump your current boot.img (kernel+ramdisk), unpack it, replace the kernel, repack it and flash it.
It'll also copy any modules to the proper directory (/system/lib/modules) and set permissions appropriately.
You can get a zip here: Download || Mirror
(You can get it here as well: https://github.com/invisiblek/AnyKernel )
(Everyone is invited to use this zip, it'll probably make your life easier to not have to worry about the ramdisk. Enjoy!)
IMPORTANT
This AnyKernel package is for US variations of the Galaxy S3.
NOT the international (I9300) or any other device.
There are checks in the updater-script that will ensure you are running a d2 device before it does anything.
If you were to remove these checks, and not modify the partition that it flashes to later, you could end up with a brick.
If you intend to adapt this package for another device (please, do this! its a very handy script!), make sure you know it well, or ask someone to help you determine your device's
partition scheme before using it.
The risk here is due to the fact that the script doesn't know your device's partition scheme. It is configured specifically for the d2 devices. Flashing it on something else, who's boot
partition is somewhere else, might cause a bad flash to the bootloader partition (bad bad news if this happens).
Just be careful if you want to use this on another device. You won't run into problems if you use this on a d2 device.
EDIT: I made modifications that should make this less likely, but please, if you intend to use this on a different device (which is completely fine!) make sure you configure
the scripts to flash to the proper partitions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Download and extract one of the above, we'll again use the first link for this example:
Code:
wget http://invisiblek.org/AnyKernel_samsung-d2.zip
unzip AnyKernel_samsung-d2.zip -d AnyKernel/
Now we'll copy our newly compiled zImage (still referring to the same kernel directory we used above, your repo might be called something different)
Code:
cp android_kernel_samsung_d2/arch/arm/boot/zImage AnyKernel/kernel/
cp `find android_kernel_samsung_d2 -name "*.ko"` AnyKernel/modules/
Finally we are ready to zip this up and test out flashing it.
Code:
cd AnyKernel
zip ../MyAwesomeKernel.zip -r *
cd ..
You'll now have a file named MyAwesomeKernel.zip which you should be able to flash via custom recovery (TWRP or CWM)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Extra Credit/Protips
Learn to use git. It's very powerful and great way to store your code.
Learn to use adb. It's an invaluable tool for any android developer.
Touchwiz and AOSP-based kernels are different. This means you cannot take CyanogenMod's source, build a kernel and expect it to work on a Touchwiz-based ROM.
Build a ROM next: http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Build_for_d2vzw
Crackflash your own stuff!
ALWAYS NANDROID!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Source code for all of my projects can be found here: http://github.com/invisiblek

FAQ
Q: How do I update my source tree to the latest that is available from where I downloaded it?
A: This can be handy if, for instance, you are building a CyanogenMod kernel and they added some patches, after you downloaded the source, that you want to include in your next build. You'll want to cd to your kernel tree and issue a git pull:
Code:
cd android_kernel_samsung_d2
git pull
You may then continue with the building instructions.
This may, however, have other problems if you've made changes to files. You might run into conflicts. I won't cover fixing any of this here, its not in the scope of this thread.
Q: I'm using X as a kernel base, but Y has a patch that I really like. How do I get it in my kernel easily?
A: I'll let you check Google for this answer, but I'll give you a hint use: git cherry-pick

Nice tutorial bro! Always good to learn something new everyday

Really is a good thread，thanks

This guide would have made things too easy for me.
Too easy, indeed. haha
Great job, invisiblek! AnyKernel is the beez neez.

Ok so this is a noob question but I gotta ask anyway lol. Ok so I cloned the kernel source, I made my edits, now how do I push all this to my github?
I already have a github account, I already made a new repo for the kernel. Here's a link to my github if you need it...
https://github.com/ghicks12/d2vzw_kernel.git

spc_hicks09 said:
Ok so this is a noob question but I gotta ask anyway lol. Ok so I cloned the kernel source, I made my edits, now how do I push all this to my github?
I already have a github account, I already made a new repo for the kernel. Here's a link to my github if you need it...
https://github.com/ghicks12/d2vzw_kernel.git
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
git remote add origin git_location_you_created_on_github.git
git push -u origin somebranch
The -u is for first time run only, you can just git push afterwards.
Sent from my SCH-I535

GideonX said:
git remote add origin git_location_you_created_on_github.git
git push -u origin somebranch
The -u is for first time run only, you can just git push afterwards.
Sent from my SCH-I535
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! When I run
Code:
git remote add origin https://github.com/ghicks12/d2vzw_kernel.git
I get this back:
Code:
fatal: remote origin already exists.
I'm editing a CM based kernel, not sure if that matters or not?

That just means you added the remote already. Just issue the push command then.
Sent from my SCH-I535

Why is this happening? I don't know what i did wrong
[email protected]:~/cm$ make VARIANT_DEFCONFIG=cyanogen_d2att_defconfig
scripts/kconfig/conf --silentoldconfig Kconfig
drivers/media/video/msm/Kconfig:123:warning: choice value used outside its choice group
drivers/media/video/msm/Kconfig:128:warning: choice value used outside its choice group
***
*** Configuration file ".config" not found!
***
*** Please run some configurator (e.g. "make oldconfig" or
*** "make menuconfig" or "make xconfig").
***
make[2]: *** [silentoldconfig] Error 1
make[1]: *** [silentoldconfig] Error 2
make: *** No rule to make target `include/config/auto.conf', needed by `include/config/kernel.release'. Stop.
[email protected]:~/cm$

Hey. I'm having some problems with some GIT terminology and procedures. I'm a .NET developer and I use TFS and SVN on a daily basis. Forgive me if this is complete off basis from what you'd do with GIT.
What I want to do is merge one branch into another branch. In other words I want to take the latest kernel source from my favorite dev and merge in the latest from cyanogen's 4.3 d2 branch. Is this a rebase thing? It doesn't seem like cherrypicking to me.

I have successfully compiled kernel and made modules.I inserted zImage and modules inside any kernel updater,flashed via TWRP.When reboot stuck in odin and it says could not do normal boot.

[GUIDE][HACK]Cross Compiling for OSX on Linux with AOSP

Hi Folks
I wasn't sure where this should belong but as it is a bit of an Hack this forum is probably the most appropriate
Introduction
This short tutorial will show you how to patch the Android Build System to allow you to cross-compile Android AOSP host tools ( adb, fastboot etc ) for OSX using a linux based machine. This is something Google said was impossible or at the very least unsupported.
Assumptions
You have a linux based machine and working copy of the AOSP source tree.
You can/have successfully compile(d) a full Android Release from this tree.
A basic idea of how the Android Build System works is beneficial.
Getting Started
I've set-up a git repository which contains a binary copy of the OSX SDK 10.6 and the apple-darwin10-gcc cross compiler. So first things first. open a terminal and set the root of the AOSP sources tree to the current directory.
STAGE 1: Copy the OSX SDK
Step 1.
Clone the repo with the SDK and toolchain
Code:
git clone https://github.com/trevd/android_platform_build2.git build2
Step 2.
Create /Developer directory at your filesystem root, this is a known location for the SDKs
Code:
sudo mkdir /Developer
sudo chown $USER.$USER /Developer
Step 3.
Copy and unpack the SDK package
Code:
cp build2/osxsdks10.6.tar.gz /Developer
cd /Developer
tar -zxvf osxsdks10.6.tar.gz
rm osxsdks10.6.tar.gz
cd - # back to aosp root
STAGE 2 : Swapping the Toolchain
This is where the fun begins :laugh:
The Android Build system has the majority of the infrastructure in place already to build for OSX, the only problem is that you need OSX to build for OSX. However we can remedy that with a couple of dirty hacks :laugh:.
The prebuilts/gcc/darwin-x86 directory contains a toolchain compatible with osx ( mach-o binaries ). We are going to swap this for a linux compatible ( elf ) executables.
Step 4:
Copy and unpack the elf compatible darwin cross toolchain
Code:
cp build2/i686-apple-darwin-4.2.1.tar.gz prebuilts/gcc/linux-x86/host
cd prebuilts/gcc/linux-x86/host
tar -zxvf i686-apple-darwin-4.2.1.tar.gz
cd - # back to aosp root
Step 5:
Remove the mach-o binaries and symlink the elf binaries in it's place
Code:
cd prebuilts/gcc
rm -rf darwin-x86
ln -s linux-x86 darwin-x86
cd - # back to aosp root
Step 6:
We also need to replace the mach-o version of the ccache executable which live in the prebuilt/misc directory
Code:
cd prebuilts/misc
rm -rf darwin-x86
ln -s linux-x86 darwin-x86
cd - # back to aosp root
STAGE 3: Patching the build system .mk files
We need to patch a couple of files in the build directory namely the build/core/combo/HOST_darwin-x86.mk the main crux of this is swapping the ar tool for libtool so static libraries can be created without error.
Code:
patch -p1 < build2/build.patch
If the patch has been applied successfully you should see the following
Code:
patching file system/core/adb/Android.mk
patching file build/core/combo/HOST_darwin-x86.mk
patching file build/core/combo/select.mk
patching file build/core/envsetup.mk
patching file build/envsetup.sh
You are now ready to cross compile!! :good: ..... well not quite, but nearly.... here's why!
The Android Build System will attempt to build both the Target and Host files for most modules so I'd advise using a lunch option which already has a full target built for it or alternatively you can build the generic sdk using the following commands at the AOSP source tree root.
Code:
. build/envsetup.sh
lunch sdk-eng
make sdk
This will stop target dependency errors occurring when you build individual modules.
NOW we're ready to cross compile.
STAGE 4: Building Modules
At present module build is very much a piecemeal process. To build adb for example we need to build the dependencies first. This is not too onerous as most host modules have very few dependencies.
Building adb
adb has dependencies on the following libraries
Code:
external/zlib
external/openssl
system/core/liblog
system/core/libcutils
system/core/libzipfile
I've found the easiest way to compile the dependencies is to navigate to each directory in turn an use to "mm" build system command to compile the individual module. the commands I run to compile adb are as follows.
From AOSP Source Root
Code:
cd external/zlib
USE_DARWIN=true mm -j8
cd ../openssl
USE_DARWIN=true mm -j8
croot # go back to the AOSP root
cd system/core/liblog
USE_DARWIN=true mm -j8
cd ../libcutils
USE_DARWIN=true mm -j8
cd ../libzipfile/
USE_DARWIN=true mm -j8
cd ../adb
USE_DARWIN=true mm -j8
All being well you should now have and adb binary located at out/host/darwin-x86/bin/adb. running the file command on this binary should produce the following output
Code:
adb: Mach-O executable i386
Conclusion
Although this method is a little rough and ready, it should produce the desired results if you need to cross compile for OSX. The eventual goal would be to compile a full OSX Android SDK on linux in a similar manner to the way the windows-sdk is currently compiled. This requires more investigation as compiling the windows sdk on linux employs a little bit of trickery on the part of the build system.
Final Notes and FAQs:
Why can't I just type make <module> from the root?
Doing this triggers building of additional modules such as LLVM and clang which are to deployed out/host/darwin-x86/bin the build system then attempts to use binary later on. These are obviously built for the Mach-o architecture and as such are incompatible with the linux. This results in a build error which can and would be resolved by the above mentioned trickery ( see conclusion )

I use OSX binaries (along with Windows and my native Linux) in one of my projects. Thanks, I have always relied on finding compiled binaries elsewhere. Lack of an OSX aapt held up an update at one point.
One of those things that you don't really use until you need it, but I will try to remember to give it a shot. I don't have any doubt that it works.

mateorod said:
I use OSX binaries (along with Windows and my native Linux) in one of my projects. Thanks, I have always relied on finding compiled binaries elsewhere. Lack of an OSX aapt held up an update at one point.
One of those things that you don't really use until you need it, but I will try to remember to give it a shot. I don't have any doubt that it works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. Yes this really is an edge case. Hopefully It will help some folks out.
Regarding aapt in particular.... It's perfectly possible to build aapt, however, we need to do some slight of hand with the clang and clang++ executables as libpng on which aapt depends uses these 2 binaries as part of it's build process.
Here's the build list and the clang trick if you want to try it some time.
Code:
build/libs/host
external/expat
external/zlib
system/core/liblog
system/core/libcutils
mkdir out/host/darwin-x86/bin
cp out/host/linux-x86/bin/clang out/host/darwin-x86/bin
cp out/host/linux-x86/bin/clang++ out/host/darwin-x86/bin
external/libpng
frameworks/base/libs/androidfw
frameworks/native/libs/utils
frameworks/base/tools/aapt
I started off with a clean out/host/darwin-x86 directory so I didn't miss any dependencies.
like I mentioned the clang "swap out" is something the make win_sdk option does automatically so with it a little more research I should be able to get the mac build to do the same but you'll have to "fill yer boots" with the ghetto method for now
For reference here's a link to the sdk building instructions http://tools.android.com/build which describes how to cross compile the windows sdk on linux ( in case anyone was wondering what the hell i'm on about)

My use case has come up
I will be cross-compiling for OSX today...specifically with aapt in mind. I will report back, but I fully expect it to work as described.

mateorod said:
My use case has come up
I will be cross-compiling for OSX today...specifically with aapt in mind. I will report back, but I fully expect it to work as described.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers Man!
Hopefully no bitrot has crept in since april and now. I know I've changed my OS version since to Lubuntu 13.04, not like the OS version really matters any.
mateorod said:
but I fully expect it to work as described.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then you Sir, are either Drunk or a Fool! LOL Keep expectations Quantum and only decided when the result is observed a'la Schrodinger Cat

okay...So I was trying to compile SlimRom (so as to get an OSX aapt binary with the SlimRom changes) and things did not necessarily go as planned. There were enough changes to the SlimRom android_build that your build/build.patch does not apply cleanly. I spent some time and tried to modify the patch so that it would work for both SlimRom, AOSP and probably others, but each android_build repo has some differences in surrounding the HOST_AR line, so commenting that just was not portable between flavors. Not cool.
Anyway, turns out that this method does not quite work out of the box for non-AOSP versions (not that you claimed that it did). I got some unfamiliar errors related to (I believe) some OSX toolchains. But in both times I tried this, I actually had to pretty immediately swap out of that flavor and so I was unable to do much debugging. (I keep all the flavors I build {CM, AOKP, SlimRom, PAC, PA, OpenPDroid, etc, etc, etc} all layered in one android/system/jellybean directory. It saves a ton of space, but only allows me to do one thing at a time.)
So the only feedback I have is nothing...I even formatted my hard drive in-between and forgot to put up a paste, so the errors are currently lost to history.
Things that I noticed, for better or worse
You recommend putting the SDKs in the root dir. I believe the documentation is recommending the Developer be placed in home (as per the SDK/ADT bundle docs).
You might want a
Code:
mv android_platform_build2 build2
line. I normally wouldn't bother, but it looks like you are trying to post a line-by-line guide.
I would put the recommendation that a full build be available to the out folder (or a built generic sdk) right at the top, since it is a preliminary step. I had to revert my handwritten changes, then build, then reapply the changes and rebuild since I thought it needed a clean out dir.
Did you have any trouble with git reverting the toolchain swap? On two separate machines, I had to go so far as to delete .repo/projects/prebuilts/gcc/* and prebuilts/gcc/darwin-x86/arm/arm-eabi-4.6. It kept complaining of that the project in the .repo folder was a bad match. No amount of git trickery (which I am not terrible at) let me back out more easily.
I am willing to try again...but I have some other small things to attend to first. It is an admirable hack you have here sir. I will return to it soon and report back once more.

mateorod said:
okay...So I was trying to compile SlimRom (so as to get an OSX aapt binary with the SlimRom changes) and things did not necessarily go as planned. There were enough changes to the SlimRom android_build that your build/build.patch does not apply cleanly. I spent some time and tried to modify the patch so that it would work for both SlimRom, AOSP and probably others, but each android_build repo has some differences in surrounding the HOST_AR line, so commenting that just was not portable between flavors. Not cool.
Anyway, turns out that this method does not quite work out of the box for non-AOSP versions (not that you claimed that it did). I got some unfamiliar errors related to (I believe) some OSX toolchains. But in both times I tried this, I actually had to pretty immediately swap out of that flavor and so I was unable to do much debugging. (I keep all the flavors I build {CM, AOKP, SlimRom, PAC, PA, OpenPDroid, etc, etc, etc} all layered in one android/system/jellybean directory. It saves a ton of space, but only allows me to do one thing at a time.)
So the only feedback I have is nothing...I even formatted my hard drive in-between and forgot to put up a paste, so the errors are currently lost to history.
Things that I noticed, for better or worse
You recommend putting the SDKs in the root dir. I believe the documentation is recommending the Developer be placed in home (as per the SDK/ADT bundle docs).
You might want a
Code:
mv android_platform_build2 build2
line. I normally wouldn't bother, but it looks like you are trying to post a line-by-line guide.
I would put the recommendation that a full build be available to the out folder (or a built generic sdk) right at the top, since it is a preliminary step. I had to revert my handwritten changes, then build, then reapply the changes and rebuild since I thought it needed a clean out dir.
Did you have any trouble with git reverting the toolchain swap? On two separate machines, I had to go so far as to delete .repo/projects/prebuilts/gcc/* and prebuilts/gcc/darwin-x86/arm/arm-eabi-4.6. It kept complaining of that the project in the .repo folder was a bad match. No amount of git trickery (which I am not terrible at) let me back out more easily.
I am willing to try again...but I have some other small things to attend to first. It is an admirable hack you have here sir. I will return to it soon and report back once more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
Thanks for this, It sounds like you've suffered an exercise in frustration there. I wasn't aware that "SlimRom" had a different aapt ( just out of general ignorance and not having paid any attention )
SDK - My Tree last time I used this was /Developer directory in the root - I think It comes from what the toolchain is expecting, I just gave it what it wants
mv android_platform_build2 build2 - Yep I did mean that it's the git clone line which wants changing
Code:
git clone https://github.com/trevd/android_platform_build2.git build2
SDK Recommendation - I shall move that to the top, even though it is already in there, It should probably be highlighted better and possible it's own "Stage"
Reverting the toolchain - Ahh , It appears I work slightly different from most in this respect. I have a general mistrust of SCM's ( I lost too much code on too many different SCM's, Probably through my own inability to use them correctly but ) what I do to revert to change is
Code:
cd prebuilts/gcc/darwin-x86/host/
rm -rf i686-apple-darwin-4.2.1
repo sync i686-apple-darwin-4.2.1
You can do this "trick" on any project in the source tree it's only on rare occasions where I screwed up badly that I have to delete anything in .repo/projects but I also have my distro in their own individual directories with there own full git trees, which is a massive waste of space and has a ton of redundancy due to the AOSP repositories being mirror by every single one but switching between them is a lot easier
If SlimRom's changes are localized to aapt, I'd be more inclined to drop it into the AOSP build and try that... If you have a link to slimrom's frameworks/base repository I'll grab it and try it myself.
On a final note there's a "full version" of the HOST_darwin make file in the build2/core/combo directory the changes to envsetup.mk and select.mk are minimal and can easily be applied manually. You don't need to patch the adb makefile if your not building it.
Again Thanks for the feedback

[GUIDE] Build Rom from Source For Tissot

What is ?
Android is the open-source operating system used for smartphones. Full Freedom for people using it
What is Source Code?
Android is an open-source software stack created for a wide array of devices with different form factors. The primary purposes of are to create an open software platform available for carriers, OEMs, and to make their innovative ideas a reality and to introduce a successful, real-world product that improves the mobile experience for users.The result is a full, production-quality consumer product with source code open for customization and porting.
So basically Allows to customize the things you like and make new things without any Restrictions. Cool isn’t it?
What is ROM ?
The ROM is the operating system. This is the User interface (Sense UI in HTC phones) and the file system for maintaining contacts etc. It is composed of a Linux kernel and various add-ons to achieve specific functionality.
What does a Rom Contain ?
Basically a Rom Contains following main things :
· Kernel
· Bootloader
· Recovery
· Radio
· Framework
· Apps
· core
· -runtime,Etc
Some Basics About Above Terms
Kernel :
A kernel is critical component of the and all operating systems. It can be seen as a sort of bridge between the applications and the actual hardware of a device. devices use the Linux kernel, but it's not the exact same kernel other Linux-based operating systems use. There's a lot of specific code built in, and Google's kernel maintainers have their work cut out for them. OEMs have to contribute as well, because they need to develop hardware drivers for the parts they're using for the kernel version they're using. This is why it takes a while for independent and hackers to port new versions to older devices and get everything working. Drivers written to work with the Gingerbread kernel on a phone won't necessarily work with the Ice Cream Sandwich kernel. And that's important, because one of the kernel's main functions is to control the hardware. It's a whole lot of source code, with more options while building it than you can imagine, but in the end it's just the intermediary between the hardware and the software. So basically if any instruction is given to mobile it first gives the command to kernel for the particular task execution.
Bootloader :
The bootloader is code that is executed before any Operating System starts to run. Bootloaders basically package the instructions to boot operating system kernel and most of them also have their own debugging or modification environment. Think of the bootloader as a security checkpoint for all those partitions. Because if you’re able to swap out what’s on those partitions, you’re able to break things if you don’t know what you’re doing. So basically it commands the kernel of your device to Boot the Device properly without any issues. So careful with bootloader since it can mess things very badly.
Recovery :
Recovery is defined in simple terms as a source of backup. Whenever your phone firmware is corrupted, the recovery does the job in helping you to restore or repair your faulty or buggy firmware into working condition. It is also used for flashing the Rom’s , kernel and many more things.
Radio
The lowest part of software layer is the radio: this is the very first thing that runs, just before the bootloader. It control all wireless communication like GSM Antenna, GPS etc.
What you’ll need
A relatively recent 64-bit computer (Linux, OS X, or Windows)(Virtual Machine will work as well) with a reasonable amount of RAM and about 100 GB of free storage (more if you enable ccache or build for multiple devices). The less RAM you have, the longer the build will take (aim for 8 GB or more). Using SSDs results in considerably faster build times than traditional hard drives.
A decent internet connection & reliable electricity
Some familiarity with basic operation and terminology. It would help if you’ve installed custom roms on other devices and are familiar with recovery. It may also be useful to know some basic command line concepts such as cd for “change directory”, the concept of directory hierarchies, that in Linux they are separated by /, etc.
Install the SDK
If you haven’t previously installed adb and fastboot, you can download them from Google. Extract it running:
Code:
unzip platform-tools-latest-linux.zip -d ~
Now you have to add adb and fastboot to your PATH. Open ~/.profile and add the following:
Code:
# add SDK platform tools to path
if [ -d "$HOME/platform-tools" ] ; then
PATH="$HOME/platform-tools:$PATH"
fi
Then, run source ~/.profile to update yur environment.
Install the build packages
Several packages are needed to build LineageOS. You can install these using your distribution’s package manager.
To build LineageOS, you’ll need:
bc bison build-essential curl flex g++-multilib gcc-multilib git gnupg gperf imagemagick lib32ncurses5-dev lib32readline-dev lib32z1-dev libesd0-dev liblz4-tool libncurses5-dev libsdl1.2-dev libssl-dev libwxgtk3.0-dev libxml2 libxml2-utils lzop pngcrush rsync schedtool squashfs-tools xsltproc zip zlib1g-dev
For Ubuntu versions older than 16.04 (xenial), substitute:
libwxgtk3.0-dev → libwxgtk2.8-dev
Java
Different versions of LineageOS require different JDK (Java Development Kit) versions.
LineageOS 14.1: OpenJDK 1.8 (install openjdk-8-jdk)
LineageOS 11.0-13.0: OpenJDK 1.7 (install openjdk-7-jdk)*
https://askubuntu.com/questions/761127/how-do-i-install-openjdk-7-on-ubuntu-16-04-or-higher
Create the directories
You’ll need to set up some directories in your build environment.
To create them:
Code:
mkdir -p ~/bin
mkdir -p ~//lineage
Install the repo command
Enter the following to download the repo binary and make it executable (runnable):
Code:
curl [url]https://storage.googleapis.com/git-repo-downloads/repo[/url] > ~/bin/repo
chmod a+x ~/bin/repo
Put the ~/bin directory in your path of execution
In recent versions of Ubuntu, ~/bin should already be in your PATH. You can check this by opening ~/.profile with a text editor and verifying the following code exists (add it if it is missing):
Code:
# set PATH so it includes user's private bin if it exists
if [ -d "$HOME/bin" ] ; then
PATH="$HOME/bin:$PATH"
fi
Then, run source ~/.profile to update your environment.
Initialize the LineageOS source repository
Code:
cd ~//lineage
repo init -u [url]https://github.com/LineageOS/.git[/url] -b lineage-15.1
Download the source code
Code:
repo sync -c -f --force-sync --no-clone-bundle --no-tags --optimized-fetch --prune
Prepare the device-specific code
Code:
git clone [url]https://github.com/TheScarastic/android_device_xiaomi_msm8953-common[/url] -b lineage-15.1 device/xiaomi/msm8953
git clone [url]https://github.com/TheScarastic/android_device_xiaomi_tissot[/url] -b lineage-15.1 device/xiaomi/tissot
git clone [url]https://github.com/TheScarastic/proprietary_vendor_xiaomi[/url] -b lineage-15.1 vendor/xiaomi
git clone [url]https://github.com/Tissot-Development/android_kernel_xiaomi_tissot[/url] -b 8.1 kernel/xiaomi/msm8953
Turn on caching to speed up build
Code:
export CCACHE_DIR=./.ccache
ccache -C
export USE_CCACHE=1
export CCACHE_COMPRESS=1
prebuilts/misc/linux-x86/ccache/ccache -M 50G
Configure jack
Jack is the new Java compiler used when building LineageOS 14.1. It is known to run out of memory - a simple fix is to run this command:
Code:
export _JACK_VM_ARGS="-Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 -XX:+TieredCompilation -Xmx4G"
Make Clean Build
Code:
make clean
Initialize the build command
Code:
source build/envsetup.sh
Start Build
Code:
croot
brunch tissot
For More info:
https://source..com/source/requirements
https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/cheeseburger/build

Thanks bro..

DGEEEK said:
Thanks bro..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Thany you for this guide! Will try this!

saski4711 said:
Thany you for this guide! Will try this!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:good:

Thanks for guide, btw what's the size of source code ?

prabhjot-singh said:
Thanks for guide, btw what's the size of source code ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Around 20-25GB I think

Followed the above steps to the letter but I get an error right at the beginning:
Code:
ninja: error: 'kernel/xiaomi/msm8953/arch/arm64/configs/lineage_tissot_defconfig', needed by '/home/rossi/android/lineage/out/target/product/tissot/obj/KERNEL_OBJ/.config', missing and no known rule to make it
build/core/ninja.mk:151: recipe for target 'ninja_wrapper' failed
make: *** [ninja_wrapper] Error 1
make: Leaving directory '/home/rossi/android/lineage'
Current git broken? Any idea?

saski4711 said:
Followed the above steps to the letter but I get an error right at the beginning:
Code:
ninja: error: 'kernel/xiaomi/msm8953/arch/arm64/configs/lineage_tissot_defconfig', needed by '/home/rossi/android/lineage/out/target/product/tissot/obj/KERNEL_OBJ/.config', missing and no known rule to make it
build/core/ninja.mk:151: recipe for target 'ninja_wrapper' failed
make: *** [ninja_wrapper] Error 1
make: Leaving directory '/home/rossi/android/lineage'
Current git broken? Any idea?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello,
Don't use that kernel, as actually don't work properly in Xiaomi Mi A1. This error is caused because the file "lineage_tissot_defconfig" it's not named like that, exactly it's name is "tissot_defconfig", for your first build with lineage I recommend you to use the following sources, because are adapt for Lineage. Don't forget to use superuser privileges to compile, it avoids a lot of possible errors with normal user.
Device tree
Vendor
Kernel
Give thanks to user @ghpranav for sources :good:
Regards

black_arashi said:
Hello,
Don't use that kernel, as actually don't work properly in Xiaomi Mi A1. This error is caused because the file "lineage_tissot_defconfig" it's not named like that, exactly it's name is "tissot_defconfig", for your first build with lineage I recommend you to use the following sources, because are adapt for Lineage. Don't forget to use superuser privileges to compile, it avoids a lot of possible errors with normal user.
Device tree
Vendor
Kernel
Give thanks to user @ghpranav for sources :good:
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info. I'm now past the error. Will take some time though since I'm building on my laptop :cyclops:

saski4711 said:
Thanks for the info. I'm now past the error. Will take some time though since I'm building on my laptop :cyclops:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Between 3 to 5h in modern pc, probably you will need between 7 to 10h in a laptop, depends on Nº of Cores and RAM, anyway, good luck in your first compilation :good:

black_arashi said:
Between 3 to 5h in modern pc, probably you will need between 7 to 10h in a laptop, depends on Nº of Cores and RAM, anyway, good luck in your first compilation :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thx m8. Still no error. Compiling over night on single core to avoid throttling / overheating. :highfive:

saski4711 said:
Thx m8. Still no error. Compiling over night on single core to avoid throttling / overheating. :highfive:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably you will se a lot of "warning" don't apologice, it's normal, these warning issues is being solved during the compilation. Some info just in case

saski4711 said:
Followed the above steps to the letter but I get an error right at the beginning:
Current git broken? Any idea?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rename tissot_defconfig to lineage_tissot_defconfig in arch/arm64/configs

Nice share brotherr :good:
Keep mia1 like the sky full of stars, so many custom rom :highfive::laugh:
Sent from my Xiaomi Mi A1 using XDA Labs

-Rhoby|™-Bugs said:
Nice share brotherr :good:
Keep mia1 like the sky full of stars, so many custom rom :highfive::laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks

Hello and thanks for the guide.
I am trying to build Dirty Unicorns 7.1.2 for tissot. I have downloaded kernel, vendor and device and repo synced DU n7x branch. I have also downloaded device_qcom_sepolicy and changed some files in device/xiaomi/tissot folder in order for the build to start normally. After 1.30 minutes of building i get this error
Code:
ninja: error: '/home/manoskav/du-tissot/out/target/product/tissot/obj/STATIC_LIBRARIES/bootctrl.msm8953_intermediates/export_includes', needed by '/home/manoskav/du-tissot/out/target/product/tissot/obj/EXECUTABLES/update_engine_sideload_intermediates/import_includes', missing and no known rule to make it
make: *** [build/core/ninja.mk:167: ninja_wrapper] Error 1
Maybe should i try n7x-caf branch or n7x is ok for tissot? Can anyone help me with the building process?
Thanks in advance.

mparmpas122321 said:
Hello and thanks for the guide.
I am trying to build Dirty Unicorns 7.1.2 for tissot. I have downloaded kernel, vendor and device and repo synced DU n7x branch. I have also downloaded device_qcom_sepolicy and changed some files in device/xiaomi/tissot folder in order for the build to start normally. After 1.30 minutes of building i get this error
Maybe should i try n7x-caf branch or n7x is ok for tissot? Can anyone help me with the building process?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm but seriously it's tougher bro because its bootctrl it need more configuration

I tried building for Tissot but I'm having this issue.
[email protected]:~/dos$ . build/envsetup.sh
including device/generic/car/vendorsetup.sh
including device/generic/mini-emulator-arm64/vendorsetup.sh
including device/generic/mini-emulator-armv7-a-neon/vendorsetup.sh
including device/generic/mini-emulator-x86_64/vendorsetup.sh
including device/generic/mini-emulator-x86/vendorsetup.sh
including vendor/discovery/vendorsetup.sh
[email protected]:~/dos$ brunch tissot
including vendor/discovery/vendorsetup.sh
build/core/product_config.mk:236: *** Can not locate config makefile for product "tissot". Stop.
build/core/product_config.mk:236: *** Can not locate config makefile for product "tissot". Stop.
No such item in brunch menu. Try 'breakfast'
[email protected]:~/dos$
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can anyone please help me out?

black_arashi said:
Hello,
Don't use that kernel, as actually don't work properly in Xiaomi Mi A1. This error is caused because the file "lineage_tissot_defconfig" it's not named like that, exactly it's name is "tissot_defconfig", for your first build with lineage I recommend you to use the following sources, because are adapt for Lineage. Don't forget to use superuser privileges to compile, it avoids a lot of possible errors with normal user.
Device tree
Vendor
Kernel
Give thanks to user @ghpranav for sources :good:
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@black_arashi
Oh so ghpranav's repo has LOS source added into it? If so is there any Android Stock for all these?
Thanks

[Guide] Building post 2017 android kernel from source

About this guide
I have been building kernels for many machine types and have been fiddling around with custom android kernels for my own phone but to my great frustration the rules changed quite a lot for my new phone. It seems every kernel after 2017 is A LOT harder to build and needs quite some fiddling around te get it to boot. The documentation is terrible the least on the steps and all howtos are all outdated by now. This guide shares with you the secrets to build yourself a modern post 2017 kernel from source. I only own a op7 at this moment but I am pretty sure the rules apply to all devices.
So why do we need to build our own kernel? Well that's simple. I have scrolled through many custom kernels missing a simple module that I need. In my case binfmt. Perhaps you need a specific device driver compiled into your kernel or you want to hack in/patch in some special functions that are only needed by you. Or you love a certain kernel but need that one little adjustment in the configs that this kernel doesn’t have and so on.
Lets get through it step by step but I do assume you know something about Linux, you know how to use the terminal and that you have some knowledge on building binaries from source. Ready? Ok lets get started.
These steps are required to be followed to be successful:
1. Set up a building environment
2. Obtain the kernel source
3. Download the proper tool-chain
4. Adjust configuration files to match your needs
5. Build the actual kernel image
6. Backup your current boot.img!!!
7. Trow the image into a anykernel zip and flash it.
8. Close your eyes prey and run the kernel.
Prerequisites
You will need:
A fairly fast computer with lets say 4 gigs of RAM and a decent CPU.
A workable linux distribution that you can boot into (I prefer ubuntu bionic at this moment).
The kernel sources for your device.
ROOT!!
Lots of spare time.
A attitude that makes you unstoppable.
1. Setting up the building environment
Ok lets first open a terminal. You will need the terminal a lot. As a matter of fact it will be your friend through this guide so better get used to it. Assuming you are on a ubuntu like distribution lets fetch the important packages first
Code:
$sudo apt install build-essential bizon flex git
This command will install some of the prerequisites you need to do anything. More packages will need to be installed on the way but at least you will be able to type $make
Now lets create a working directory. Go into your home folder and create a working directory which will later on contain your kernel sources and tool chain.
Code:
$cd
$mkdir [COLOR="MediumTurquoise"]name-of-your-working-folder[/COLOR]
2. Obtain the kernel source
This one is tricky as my experience have learned me the kernel sources supplied by my own vendor are usually badly documented and contain a few bugs here and there resulting in either build errors or a unbootable kernel. So usually I grab a custom kernel that has minimal changes to the stock kernel and boots by only using a single kernel file without extra kernel modules attached. The custom kernels usually have the nasty building bugs flawed out and thus your chances for success are higher. I used the exkernel in my case and out of respect for the hard work of flang2 I bought the app that came along.
To get the sources google around and find the sources on for example git and click the download or clone button there and copy the link of the depository.
Then simply clone the depository to your working directory so after changing to your working directory type
Code:
$git clone link-you-just-copied
Git will now automatically clone the entire kernel source into the source sub-directory. You can change the name of this directory to make you life easier.
3. Download the proper tool-chain
This is where I lost many days and weeks of my life. Where do we find the proper tool-chain for our kernel?
You basically need 3 compilers
clang
GCC
device-tree-compiler
There are many versions of clang and GCC and you will need to find the one that matches your kernel and builds for your cpu architecture. I will assume in this guide that your CPU is aarch64 or arm64 (both names are used at the same time).
To obtain clang head over to the following address:
"https://android.googlesource.com/platform/prebuilts/clang/host/linux-x86/"
now in the tags and branches you can find the version of android you are looking for. If your kernel is for android 9 then use the android 9 tag. Click on it and then click tgz which will provide you with a huge tarball.
Create a folder in your working directory named toolchain en extract the contents of the tarball into the sub-folder clang.
You can try any subversion of clang there is but I recommend to simply peek into the build.config files located in the root of your kernel source directory which usually specify the exact subversion of clang used.
Time to get GCC which is easier since there is only one version right now.
Head over to
"https://android.googlesource.com/platform/prebuilts/gcc/linux-x86/arm/arm-linux-androideabi-4.9/"
and use the correct version here as well. In my case I picked the latest build. Then do the same as for clang but name the sub-folder GCC or whatever you please to do.
And then finally get yourself the device-tree-compiler
Head over to
"https://github.com/dgibson/dtc/tree/v1.4.4"
and clone this depository into ~/your-working-directory/toolchain/
and navigate to the subdir you cloned it into
then build by typing
Code:
$make
any missing package errors will need you to install them using
Code:
$sudo apt install missing-package-name
and do make again until the build completes.
If all went well your tool-chain and working directory will look like this:
Code:
/[COLOR="mediumturquoise"]current-working-dir[/COLOR]/[COLOR="mediumturquoise"]kernel-source-dir[/COLOR]/
|
/toolchain/
|
/clang/
/gcc/
/dtc/
4. Adjust configuration files to match your needs
Lets first grab the correct defconfig file and setup the build directory. This defconfig file contains the default kernel configuration parameters which you propably want to adjust.
Head over to ~/working-directory/kernel-source-dir/arch/arm64/configs/
see what you can find there. I found the elementalX_defconfig file which is the file I needed to build the Exkernel from scratch. If you are trying a stock kernel dive a little bit deeper into the vendor folder and see if you can find a good config file there.
Alternatively sometimes the config is hidden on your device itself. Have a look at
/proc/config.gz
the file inside the archive contains a valid defconfig for your device but beware your may need to open it with menuconfig first and save it again to make it workable for the compiler script.
Place the defconfig file you like to use into the configs folder.
(Skip the following step if your are going to build your kernel for the first time because we first want to see it work.)
Now head over to your kernel source dir and type the following command
Code:
$PATH="~/[COLOR="mediumturquoise"]working-dir[/COLOR]/toolchain/clang/[COLOR="mediumturquoise"]clang-r353983c[/COLOR]/bin:~/[COLOR="mediumturquoise"]working-dir[/COLOR]/toolchain/gcc/a[COLOR="mediumturquoise"]arch64-linux-android-4.9[/COLOR]/bin:${PATH}" \
make menuconfig O=out \
ARCH=arm64 \
CC=clang \
CLANG_TRIPLE=aarch64-linux-gnu- \
CROSS_COMPILE=aarch64-linux-android-
now remember to use the correct paths to your tool-chain. In this command I use clang-r353983c but you may use a different version. The same applies for linux-android-4.9.
I would like to thank Nathan Chance for supplying documentation on the clang tool-chain on his github.
If all well you will be presented with a menu in which you can adjust things. First open the defconfig file you wish to use and then save the file after you are done. Now REMEMBER! With this command the menuconfig will save your new file into the /kernel-source-dir/out folder.
(end of the skipped step)
Now it is time to prepare our kernel build using the following command (do this from your kernel source dir) and remember that this command will look in the /kernel-source-dir/arch/arm64/configs/ directory
$make O=out ARCH=arm64 name-of-your-defconfig
If all goes well you will see something like configuration written to .config
Everything is up and ready to go. Your hart will start pounding from this moment on
5. Build the actual kernel image
This is where things get complicated. I hope you have many years to live because this part consumes time, a lot of it.
type
Code:
$PATH="~/[COLOR="mediumturquoise"]working-dir[/COLOR]/toolchain/clang/[COLOR="mediumturquoise"]clang-r353983c[/COLOR]/bin:~/[COLOR="mediumturquoise"]working-dir[/COLOR]/toolchain/gcc/[COLOR="mediumturquoise"]aarch64-linux-android-4.9[/COLOR]/bin:${PATH}" \
make -j$(nproc --all) O=out \
ARCH=arm64 \
CC=clang \
DTC=~/[COLOR="mediumturquoise"]working-directory[/COLOR]/toolchain/dtc/dtc \
CLANG_TRIPLE=aarch64-linux-gnu- \
CROSS_COMPILE=aarch64-linux-android-
ready set GO!
This will depending on your machine take between forever and eternally. You will witness many warnings on the DTC build seems normal these days and a few warnings on the CC part. Most important is that no errors are thrown at you.
If all goes well you will see a normal exit status and you will have a “working” kernel image.
“Error?: Well that happens. Try a different build of clang check your command line. And if all that fails try to find out what is wrong in the source and that means digging through thousands of forum pages until you find out whats wrong. But using the google tools usually goes well.”
Almost there go and check
kernel-source-dir/out/arch/arm64/boot
and there should be a image-dtb or image.gz-dtb file depending on you settings.
That is your kernel image right there. The difference in size between image and image-dtb should not be huge. 10Megs in difference usually means your dtb is not good but trying is the only way to find out if it works.
6. Backup your current boot.img!!!
You know what to do here right? Do not skip this step unless you like bricked devices or want to reflash and lose your data and all that kind of stuff. Not sure what you are doing stop here or backup your entire device including system vendor etc.
7. Trow the image into a anykernel zip and flash it.
Ok something changed in the last few years. Unpacking repacking and booting using fastboot somehow gives me problems. Dm-verity errors and all kind of red screens. Signing the boot image results into new errors. Well this is how I did it.
Get yourself a anykernel zip file. I used the Exkernel.zip because it only contains a kernel image which I like. Open the zip in a good zip tool (I used ark) and replace the image-dtb file with the one you created. Place this new zip you created on a memory stick and then….
Flash it using twrp or any tool of choice.
8. Close your eyes prey and run the kernel.
Two things can happen.
1. Blank screen nothing happens. Only god can help you, repeat all the steps.
2. Your android starts booting. Start crying of joy
Check in your android if this is indeed the kernel you build. If so time to make some adjustments to your configs or happily enjoy your boosted phone.
Now please remember. If you plan to distribute your kernel that you do the correct steps of accrediting the original programmer and trow the source online. If you use a already custom kernel please respect the hard work of the maker and communicate your plans with him/her.