Build Qt5 for BeagleBone Black

luca · wrote on 17 Oct 2013, 10:57

Hi all.
I bought a BBB and now I'm trying to cross-compile Qt5 for it.

I downloaded the toolchain
gcc-linaro-arm-linux-gnueabihf-4.7-2013.02-01-20130221_linux.tar.xz
from
https://launchpad.net/linaro-toolchain-binaries/

then I tried to configure Qt 5 this way:
@
./configure -opensource -confirm-license -no-pch -prefix /opt/qt510-bone -release -force-debug-info -device linux-beagleboard-g++ -make libs -nomake tests -nomake examples -device-option CROSS_COMPILE=/opt/arm-toolchain/gcc-linaro-arm-linux-gnueabihf-4.7-2013.02-01-20130221_linux/bin/arm-linux-gnueabihf- -sysroot /mnt/tmp
@
where I mounted beaglebone root fs in /mnt/tmp .

At the end of the configuration process I get the following error:
@
WARNING: Unable to find file .device.vars
No QPA platform plugin enabled!
If you really want to build without a QPA platform plugin you must pass
-no-qpa-platform-guard to configure. Doing this will
produce a Qt that can not run GUI applications.
The dependencies needed for xcb to build are listed in
src/plugins/platforms/xcb/README
@

This is my linux-beagleboard-g++/qmake.conf :
@

qmake configuration for the BeagleBoard and BeagleBoard xM boards

http://beagleboard.org/

MAKEFILE_GENERATOR = UNIX
CONFIG += incremental gdb_dwarf_index
QMAKE_INCREMENTAL_STYLE = sublib

include(../../common/linux.conf)
include(../../common/gcc-base-unix.conf)
include(../../common/g++-unix.conf)

load(device_config)

QT_QPA_DEFAULT_PLATFORM = eglfs

modifications to g++.conf

QMAKE_CC = $${CROSS_COMPILE}gcc
QMAKE_CXX = $${CROSS_COMPILE}g++
QMAKE_LINK = $${QMAKE_CXX}
QMAKE_LINK_SHLIB = $${QMAKE_CXX}

modifications to linux.conf

QMAKE_AR = $${CROSS_COMPILE}ar cqs
QMAKE_OBJCOPY = $${CROSS_COMPILE}objcopy
QMAKE_STRIP = $${CROSS_COMPILE}strip

#COMPILER_FLAGS = -march=armv7-a -mtune=cortex-a8 -mfpu=neon -mfloat-abi=softfp
COMPILER_FLAGS = -march=armv7-a -mtune=cortex-a9 -mfpu=neon

#modifications to gcc-base.conf
QMAKE_CFLAGS += $${COMPILER_FLAGS}
QMAKE_CXXFLAGS += $${COMPILER_FLAGS}
QMAKE_CXXFLAGS_RELEASE += -O3

QMAKE_LIBS += -lrt -lpthread -ldl

Extra stuff (OpenGL, DirectFB, ...)

QMAKE_INCDIR_EGL = $$[QT_SYSROOT]/usr/include
QMAKE_LIBDIR_EGL = $$[QT_SYSROOT]/usr/lib
QMAKE_INCDIR_OPENGL_ES2 = $${QMAKE_INCDIR_EGL}
QMAKE_LIBDIR_OPENGL_ES2 = $${QMAKE_LIBDIR_EGL}
QMAKE_INCDIR_OPENVG = $${QMAKE_INCDIR_EGL}
QMAKE_LIBDIR_OPENVG = $${QMAKE_LIBDIR_EGL}

QMAKE_LIBS_EGL = -lEGL -lIMGegl -lsrv_um
QMAKE_LIBS_OPENGL_ES2 = -lGLESv2 $${QMAKE_LIBS_EGL}
QMAKE_LIBS_OPENVG = -lOpenVG $${QMAKE_LIBS_EGL}

Sanity check

deviceSanityCheckCompiler()

load(qt_config)

@

Can you help me?

luca · wrote on 17 Oct 2013, 13:34

Ok, it seems I used the wrong toochain.

Now I'm trying the gcc-linaro-arm-linux-gnueabi-2012.04-20120426_linux.tar.bz2 toolchain and it seems to compile.

luca · wrote on 24 Oct 2013, 08:31

Here again.

I compiled without error Qt5 qtbase source.

Now the problem is that I only can start applications in BBB using:
@
./myapp -platform linuxfb
@
But it seems I can't use mouse or keyboard.

Have someone compiled Qt5 for BBB without my problems?

Now I'm also trying to build Qt5 with EGL support but I actually can't.

jseeQt · wrote on 22 Nov 2013, 17:43

Which distribution do you use? Angstrom? Debian?
just check if you have the EGL, GLESv2 and OpenVG libraries installed on your BBB system, they won't be installed by default.

luca · wrote on 22 Nov 2013, 18:19

[quote author="jseeQt" date="1385142188"]Which distribution do you use? Angstrom? Debian?
just check if you have the EGL, GLESv2 and OpenVG libraries installed on your BBB system, they won't be installed by default.[/quote]

I'm using Angstrom.
Have you compiled Qt5 with EGL support ?

messi · wrote on 22 Nov 2013, 22:41

Hi Luca,

if you have time and enough HD space you could try yocto with meta-qt5:
Look here
http://gpupowered.org/node/20
and here
http://gpupowered.org/node/22

Cheers

jseeQt · wrote on 23 Nov 2013, 00:48

Hey Luca,

I don't know any prebuild packages with the OpenGL/EGL-libraries for BB(B).
You get these libraries if you compile the Sitara Graphics SDK on your own (see http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/Graphics_SDK_Quick_installation_and_user_guide).
This provide you the EGL and the GLESv2 libraries.

You find the current version of the Graphics SDK at:
http://software-dl.ti.com/dsps/dsps_public_sw/sdo_sb/targetcontent/gfxsdk/latest/index_FDS.html

I tested it with Robert Nelson's Debian Wheezy Image:

Download the image and copy it to SD card, mount the rootfs on it
Download the cross-compiler
Download the kernel and compile it
Download Graphics SDK and compile it against kernel (instructions see first link)
If everything worked fine, boot up BB(B), and run the script /etc/init.d/335x-demo. It will install the modules and libraries. With this libraries, you will be able to compile OpenGL/EGL-stuff (maybe you should then pass the "-opengl es2" option to the Qt configure)

Maybe this steps also works for the Angstrom image...

If some guys are interested, maybe we could create a Debian-package to install the libraries with apitude, apt-get, etc. (like on Raspberry Pi the librasberrypi-dev)

john3909 · wrote on 12 Dec 2013, 18:47

I would be very much interested in Debian-package to install the libraries.

Regards,
John

vveliev · wrote on 5 Feb 2014, 11:02

+1
I would be interested in Debian-packages as well

Thank you

jseeQt · wrote on 6 Feb 2014, 14:05

I compiled the OpenGLES and EGL libraries against the 3.8 kernel.
Currently, the "out-of-the-box" wheezy-image from Robert Nelson also includes the 3.8 kernel, so you can test them really quickly. LINK:

https://rcn-ee.net/deb/rootfs/wheezy/debian-7.3-console-armhf-2014-01-24.tar.xz

My question: Do you like a debian package or tar.* archive?
(Have to say, I have no excperience with making a debian package...)

vveliev · wrote on 7 Feb 2014, 05:06

thanks a lot , for your time ,

i don't really mind any right now :)

Since i'm trying to figure out how everything works ...

luca · wrote on 10 Feb 2014, 09:35

Hi jseeQt,
I think a tar archive can be enough.

Thanks!

[quote author="jseeQt" date="1391695537"]I compiled the OpenGLES and EGL libraries against the 3.8 kernel.
Currently, the "out-of-the-box" wheezy-image from Robert Nelson also includes the 3.8 kernel, so you can test them really quickly. LINK:

https://rcn-ee.net/deb/rootfs/wheezy/debian-7.3-console-armhf-2014-01-24.tar.xz

My question: Do you like a debian package or tar.* archive?
(Have to say, I have no excperience with making a debian package...)[/quote]

luca · wrote on 10 Feb 2014, 14:34

jseeQt, why have you compiled a new kernel for you board ?
Is it impossible to use the kernel you already have in the BBB?

Thanks

jseeQt · wrote on 11 Feb 2014, 10:33

I did not compiled the kernel again.
But the SGX driver (which give us the GLESv2 and EGL libraries) have to be build against kernel sources...so I checked-out the (current) standard 3.8 kernel and compiled the SGX driver.
So: If you compilethe SGX driver against the 3.2 or 3.12 kernel, you cannot use them with a 3.8 kernel.

luca · wrote on 11 Feb 2014, 13:18

Thanks jseeQt,
I have in my BBB the 3.8.13-bone30 Kernel (i'm using ubuntu-saucy-13.10-armhf-3.8.13-bone30.img.xz from armhf.com).
Can you please tell me where to find the 3.8.13-bone30 kernel source?

Another question, in "this link":http://www.elinux.org/Beagleboard:BeagleBoneBlack#Known_Issues they tell:
@2) SGX support is not currently provided i the 3.8 kernel.@
why can you use it building with 3.8 kernel?

Thanks

[quote author="jseeQt" date="1392114832"]I did not compiled the kernel again.
But the SGX driver (which give us the GLESv2 and EGL libraries) have to be build against kernel sources...so I checked-out the (current) standard 3.8 kernel and compiled the SGX driver.
So: If you compilethe SGX driver against the 3.2 or 3.12 kernel, you cannot use them with a 3.8 kernel.[/quote]

jseeQt · wrote on 11 Feb 2014, 13:57

Ok, I managed it to run with 3.2, I currently working to compile it for 3.8, but that's now wasted time...
I check it with the 3.2 kernel again...I will post updates here!

luca · wrote on 11 Feb 2014, 16:10

Ok, thanks!

[quote author="jseeQt" date="1392127023"]Ok, I managed it to run with 3.2, I currently working to compile it for 3.8, but that's now wasted time...
I check it with the 3.2 kernel again...I will post updates here![/quote]

vveliev · wrote on 12 Feb 2014, 14:02

[quote author="jseeQt" date="1392127023"]Ok, I managed it to run with 3.2, I currently working to compile it for 3.8, but that's now wasted time...
I check it with the 3.2 kernel again...I will post updates here![/quote]

Hey thanks for your help , I'm having a bit of difficulty to figure out correct steps for compiling SGX right now.

but talking about kernel 3.8 it seems to me that it been fixed. Based on discussions from:
1 "Here":https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/beagleboard/qQTC7C8g0I8
2 and here "here":http://e2e.ti.com/support/arm/sitara_arm/f/791/p/298596/1087282.aspx#1087282

and i assume that we need "this version (bone40.1) ":https://github.com/RobertCNelson/linux-dev/tree/am33x-v3.8 of kernel where patches have been applied

XelaG · wrote on 17 Feb 2014, 13:23

@Luca: Did you manage to compile Qt5 for beaglebone black running angstrom distribution ?

luca · wrote on 19 Feb 2014, 08:57

[quote author="XelaG" date="1392643385"]@Luca: Did you manage to compile Qt5 for beaglebone black running angstrom distribution ?[/quote]

Hi,
yes, I built Qt 5 for BBB but I didn't use angstrom, I used "this":http://www.armhf.com/index.php/boards/beaglebone-black/#saucy .