How to cross compile with cmake + arm-none-eabi on windows? - windows

Question

I like to automate the cross compiling for several projects on a Windows build server. I have some problems with the arm cross compiler. Setting it up seems a bit difficult. The cmake compiler check fails with a linking error(see below).
My experimental project looks like:
main.cpp - a test programm
CMakeLists.txt - the cmake build script
cmake/STM32F2xx.cmake - the special settings for the ARM STM32F2xx-series
I am using 3 Packages:
cmake-3.8.0-win64-x64.msi -cmake for windows
mingw-w64-install.exe - mingw 64 for windows
gcc-arm-none-eabi-6-2017-q1-update-win32.exe - arm x compiler
The main.cpp contains:
int main(void) {
return 0;
}
The CMakeLists.txt contains:
cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.0)
# module name
set(PrjName testPrj)
project (${PrjName})
# module version
set(PCK_MAJOR 1)
set(PCK_MINOR 0)
set(PCK_REVISION 0)
#####################
# Features switches
#####################
#####################
# architecture
#####################
# possible values:
# NATIVE
# STM32F2xx
SET(Arch NATIVE CACHE STRING "Architecture")
#############################
# software stack search path
############################
SET(SWstackPath NONE CACHE STRING "software stack search path")
#############################
# software stack handling
############################
if (${SWstackPath} STREQUAL NONE)
else ()
include_directories(${SWstackPath})
endif()
#############################
# package creation
#############################
SET(PackageFormat "DEFAULT" CACHE STRING "the format of the installation package")
########################
# define module content
########################
# MetaData header
set(testApp "testApp")
set(${testApp}_VERSION_MAJOR 1)
set(${testApp}_VERSION_MINOR 2)
set(${testApp}_VERSION_REVISION 3)
set(${testApp}_SOVERSION 4)
########################
# architecture handling
########################
if(${Arch} STREQUAL NATIVE)
MESSAGE("Architecture is set to NATIVE")
else()
include(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/${Arch}.cmake)
endif()
if (${PackageFormat} STREQUAL "DEFAULT")
if (UNIX)
include(GNUInstallDirs)
set(CPACK_GENERATOR "DEB")
else ()
set(CPACK_GENERATOR "ZIP")
set(CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_BINDIR "bin")
set(CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBDIR "lib")
set(CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBDIRSTATIC "lib")
set(CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_INCLUDEDIR "include")
set(CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_MANDIR "doc")
endif()
elseif(${PackageFormat} STREQUAL "ZIP")
set(CPACK_GENERATOR "ZIP")
set(CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_BINDIR "bin")
set(CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBDIR "lib")
set(CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBDIRSTATIC "lib")
set(CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_INCLUDEDIR "include")
set(CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_MANDIR "doc")
else()
message( FATAL_ERROR "The PackageFormat is unknown")
endif()
################################
# compile of the module content
################################
list(APPEND testApp_sources
${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/main.cpp
)
add_executable(${testApp}
${testApp_sources}
)
set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -std=c11")
set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++11")
set_target_properties(${testApp} PROPERTIES
LINKER_LANGUAGE CXX
)
################################
# installation
################################
if(EXISTS "${CMAKE_ROOT}/Modules/CPack.cmake")
# install app
install(
TARGETS ${testApp}
RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_BINDIR}
LIBRARY DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBDIR}
ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBDIR}/static
)
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION "test")
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_DESCRIPTION_SUMMARY "test")
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_VENDOR "xxx")
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_CONTACT "xxx")
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_MAJOR "${PCK_MAJOR}")
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_MINOR "${PCK_MINOR}")
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_PATCH "${PCK_REVISION}")
set(CPACK_PACKAGE_FILE_NAME "${PrjName}_${PCK_MAJOR}.${PCK_MINOR}.${PCK_REVISION}")
set(CPACK_SOURCE_PACKAGE_FILE_NAME "${PrjName}_${PCK_MAJOR}.${PCK_MINOR}.${PCK_REVISION}")
include(CPack)
endif()
The cmake/STM32F2xx.cmake contains:
set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS_INIT "--cpu Cortex-M3")
set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_INIT "--cpu Cortex-M3")
set(CMAKE_C_LINK_FLAGS_INIT "--zt")
I created an toolchain file for the arm compiler:
# generated cmake toolchain file for
include (CMakeForceCompiler)
# We are cross compiling so we don't want compiler tests to run, as they will fail
set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME Generic)
# Set processor type
set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR arm)
SET(CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING 1)
set(CMAKE_ASM_COMPILER "arm-none-eabi-as.exe")
set(CMAKE_C_COMPILER "arm-none-eabi-gcc.exe")
set(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER "arm-none-eabi-g++.exe")
set(CMAKE_LINKER "arm-none-eabi-gcc.exe")
set(CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM "mingw32-make.exe")
set(CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_PROGRAM NEVER)
set(CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_LIBRARY ONLY)
set(CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_INCLUDE ONLY)
set(CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_PACKAGE ONLY)
set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} --specs=nosys.specs")
set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} --specs=nosys.specs")
When compiling on cmd with:
cd D:\git\myTestBuild\build
PATH=C:\Program Files\CMake\bin;C:\Program Files (x86)\GNU Tools ARM Embedded\6 2017-q1-update\bin;C:\Program Files\mingw-w64\x86_64-6.3.0-posix-seh-rt_v5-rev2\mingw64\bin;%PATH%
"C:\Program Files\CMake\bin\cmake.exe" -DArch="STM32F2xx" -G"MinGW Makefiles" -DPackageFormat=ZIP -DSWstackPath="D:\git\myTestBuild\SWstack" -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE="D:\git\myTestBuild\dump\toolchain.cmake" ..
CMake Error at C:/Program Files/CMake/share/cmake-3.8/Modules/CMakeTestCCompiler.cmake:51 (message):
The C compiler "C:/Program Files (x86)/GNU Tools ARM Embedded/6
2017-q1-update/bin/arm-none-eabi-gcc.exe" is not able to compile a simple
test program.
It fails with the following output:
Change Dir: D:/git/myTestBuild/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeTmp
Run Build Command:"C:/Program
Files/mingw-w64/x86_64-6.3.0-posix-seh-rt_v5-rev2/mingw64/bin/mingw32-make.exe"
"cmTC_8c052/fast"
C:/Program
Files/mingw-w64/x86_64-6.3.0-posix-seh-rt_v5-rev2/mingw64/bin/mingw32-make.exe
-f CMakeFiles\cmTC_8c052.dir\build.make CMakeFiles/cmTC_8c052.dir/build
mingw32-make.exe[1]: Entering directory
'D:/git/myTestBuild/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeTmp'
Building C object CMakeFiles/cmTC_8c052.dir/testCCompiler.c.obj
"C:\Program Files (x86)\GNU Tools ARM Embedded\6
2017-q1-update\bin\arm-none-eabi-gcc.exe" -o
CMakeFiles\cmTC_8c052.dir\testCCompiler.c.obj -c
D:\git\myTestBuild\build\CMakeFiles\CMakeTmp\testCCompiler.c
Linking C executable cmTC_8c052
"C:\Program Files\CMake\bin\cmake.exe" -E cmake_link_script
CMakeFiles\cmTC_8c052.dir\link.txt --verbose=1
"C:\Program Files (x86)\GNU Tools ARM Embedded\6
2017-q1-update\bin\arm-none-eabi-gcc.exe"
CMakeFiles/cmTC_8c052.dir/testCCompiler.c.obj -o cmTC_8c052
c:/program files (x86)/gnu tools arm embedded/6
2017-q1-update/bin/../lib/gcc/arm-none-eabi/6.3.1/../../../../arm-none-eabi/lib\libc.a(lib_a-exit.o):
In function `exit':
exit.c:(.text.exit+0x2c): undefined reference to `_exit'
collect2.exe: error: ld returned 1 exit status
CMakeFiles\cmTC_8c052.dir\build.make:96: recipe for target 'cmTC_8c052'
failed
mingw32-make.exe[1]: *** [cmTC_8c052] Error 1
mingw32-make.exe[1]: Leaving directory
'D:/git/myTestBuild/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeTmp'
Makefile:125: recipe for target 'cmTC_8c052/fast' failed
mingw32-make.exe: *** [cmTC_8c052/fast] Error 2
CMake will not be able to correctly generate this project.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
CMakeLists.txt:5 (project)
It fails. The compiler can't link the simple demo program because it does not find the "_exit" symbol. This problem should be overcome by adding "--specs=nosys.specs". Seems that it does not work.
Any ideas?

Answer 1

Turning my comment into an answer
I've given a reduced version of your an example a try. I could reproduce your initial error and could fix the compiler detection by setting CMAKE_TRY_COMPILE_TARGET_TYPE to STATIC_LIBRARY. But then building an "executable" would still fail.
So you can set CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS_INIT to --specs=nosys.specs (since those are linker flags). Just make sure to start from an empty binary output directory if you are using ..._INIT flags, since the resulting CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS is cached.
I prefer to force the result CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS variable (INTERNAL does imply FORCE).
CMakeLists.txt
cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.6)
project(testApp)
file(WRITE main.cpp "int main(void) { return 0; }")
set(testApp "testApp")
list(
APPEND testApp_sources
main.cpp
)
add_executable(
${testApp}
${testApp_sources}
)
toolchain.cmake
set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME Generic)
set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR arm)
set(CMAKE_C_COMPILER "arm-none-eabi-gcc.exe")
set(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER "arm-none-eabi-g++.exe")
set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "--specs=nosys.specs" CACHE INTERNAL "")
set(CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_PROGRAM NEVER)
set(CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_LIBRARY ONLY)
set(CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_INCLUDE ONLY)
set(CMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_PACKAGE ONLY)
Does:
build> cmake -G"MinGW Makefiles" -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE:PATH="..\toolchain.cmake" ..
-- The C compiler identification is GNU 6.3.1
-- The CXX compiler identification is GNU 6.3.1
-- Check for working C compiler: C:/Program Files (x86)/GNU Tools ARM Embedded/6 2017-q1-update/bin/arm-none-eabi-gcc.exe
-- Check for working C compiler: C:/Program Files (x86)/GNU Tools ARM Embedded/6 2017-q1-update/bin/arm-none-eabi-gcc.exe -- works
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info - done
-- Detecting C compile features
-- Detecting C compile features - done
-- Check for working CXX compiler: C:/Program Files (x86)/GNU Tools ARM Embedded/6 2017-q1-update/bin/arm-none-eabi-g++.exe
-- Check for working CXX compiler: C:/Program Files (x86)/GNU Tools ARM Embedded/6 2017-q1-update/bin/arm-none-eabi-g++.exe -- works
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
-- Detecting CXX compile features
-- Detecting CXX compile features - done
-- Configuring done
-- Generating done
-- Build files have been written to: build
build> cmake --build .
Scanning dependencies of target testApp
[ 50%] Building CXX object CMakeFiles/testApp.dir/main.obj
[100%] Linking CXX executable testApp
[100%] Built target testApp
References
cmake cross-compile with specific linker doesn't pass arguments to armlink
What's the CMake syntax to set and use variables?