Cross-compiling vim and porting to arm embedded Linux systems

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As we all know, Vim is an enhanced version of VI, the actual experience is much better than VI, because the author for Arm system based on the BusyBox file system with only VI tools, This article mainly describes how to transplant the Vim tool into the BusyBox-based Rootfs.

First, the compilation environment:

Host machine: ubuntu-16.10 (64bit)

Target:arm

Cross tool chain: ARM-LINUX-GNUEABI-GCC

Tool Kit:

ncurses-5.9.7:https://yunpan.cn/cmkkk9pdiuu7g (Extract code: 2488)

Vim-7.4.tar.bz2:https://yunpan.cn/cmwcsc5rwptwh (Extract code: 8D84)

Second, compile preparation

Put the downloaded compressed file into the/home/liangwode/test folder and unzip the two files.

tar xvzf ncurses-5.9.7.tar.gz
bzip2 -d vim-7.4.tar.bz2
tar xvf vim-7.4.tar

Get two of directories

vim-74    ncurses-5.9

Third, compiling ncurses

    Since VIM relies on the libtinfo.so library, and the functionality of the Libtinfo.so library has been incorporated into the ncurses library, it is necessary to compile the ncurses, then create the libtinfo.so symbolic link to the ncurses Library, go to the ncurses directory, and configure cross-compilation

cd ncurses-5.9
./configure --prefix=/home/test/install_ncurses  --host=arm-linux-gnueabi --without-cxx --without-cxx-binding --without-ada --without-manpages --without-progs --without-tests --with-shared

Compiling and installing the Ncurses Library

Make && make install

This will generate the Ncurses library and header files in the/home/test/install_ncurses directory.

Bin  include  Lib  share

Enter the Lib directory to create a Littinfo symbolic link

cd lib
ln -s libncurses.so.5 libtinfo.so.5
ln -s libtinfo.so.5 libtinfo.so

Fourth. compiling vim

Enter the VIM directory and configure the Vim compilation environment, where cppflags indicates the directory where the header files associated with the Libtifo library are required for the VIM compilation process, and Ldflags indicates the directory where the Libtinfo library resides.

cd /home/liangwode/test/vim74
./configure --with-features=tiny --disable-gui --without-x --disable-selinux --disable-acl --disable-gpm CPPFLAGS=-I/home/liangwode/test/install_ncurses/include/ncurses LDFLAGS=-L/home/liangwode/test/install_ncurses/lib

Start compiling

Make CC=ARM-LINUX-GNUEABI-GCC

If there is a arm-linux-gnueabi/bin/ld:cannot find-ltinfo error in the compilation, it means that the Tinfo library has the wrong path, or there is a problem with the previous step of Ncuses compilation.

Fifth. Porting to the target machine

First, the Ncurses library is ported to the/usr/lib directory of the target machine, and the Tinfo library related symbolic link is created, the author mounts the target machine's root file system to the/mnt/sysroot directory.

Cd /home/liangwode/test/install_ncurses
Cp -frP lib/* /mnt/sysroot/usr/lib/
Cp -frP share/* /mnt/sysroot/usr/share/

/*Create a symbolic link to libtinfo.so*/
Cd /mnt/sysroot/usr/lib 

ln -s libncurses.so.5 libtinfo.so.5
ln -s libtinfo.so.5 libtinfo.so

Porting the vim executable file to the target machine

cd /home/liangwode/test/vim74/src
cp vim /mnt/sysroot/usr/sbin
cd /mnt/sysroot/usr/sbin
chmod 777 vim

Remove VI and link VI to VIM

cd /bin
rm -f vi
ln -s /usr/sbin/vim vi

Restart the target machine, after booting, input vim, done

vim


~
~                              VIM - Vi IMproved
~
~                                 version 7.4
~                           by Bram Moolenaar et al.
~                 Vim is open source and freely distributable
~
~                           Sponsor Vim development!
~                type  :help sponsor<Enter>    for information
~
~                type  :q<Enter>               to exit
~                type  :help<Enter>  or  <F1>  for on-line help
~                type  :help version7<Enter>   for version info
~
~                        Running in Vi compatible mode
~                type  :set nocp<Enter>        for Vim defaults
~                type  :help cp-default<Enter> for info on this
~
~

Cross-compiling vim and porting to arm embedded Linux systems