Discussion:
osxcross-based port -- difficult or impossible?
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Yaroslav Halchenko
2016-03-25 13:10:02 UTC
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Dear Fella DDs,

I was referred to https://github.com/tpoechtrager/osxcross which allows to
cross-build for OSX under Linux. I wondered if it would be then feasible
to port build debian so it could be then debootstrapped for being chroot'ed
into under OSX? Or is there a better/cleaner way to chrooting here?
Do you see any major show stoppers?

Just thought to ask,
Cheers,
--
Yaroslav O. Halchenko
Center for Open Neuroscience http://centerforopenneuroscience.org
Dartmouth College, 419 Moore Hall, Hinman Box 6207, Hanover, NH 03755
Phone: +1 (603) 646-9834 Fax: +1 (603) 646-1419
WWW: http://www.linkedin.com/in/yarik
Adam Borowski
2016-03-25 14:00:02 UTC
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Post by Yaroslav Halchenko
Dear Fella DDs,
I was referred to https://github.com/tpoechtrager/osxcross which allows to
cross-build for OSX under Linux. I wondered if it would be then feasible
to port build debian so it could be then debootstrapped for being chroot'ed
into under OSX?
There are no _technical_ reasons it couldn't be done -- either using glibc
(like kfreebsd) or Apple's libc (like illumos). On the other hand, there
are significant legal reasons not to.
Post by Yaroslav Halchenko
Or is there a better/cleaner way to chrooting here?
That osxcross tool you linked to compiles against Apple's libraries. Thus,
it's not meant for chrooting but for running programs side-by-side with OSX
stuff.
Post by Yaroslav Halchenko
Do you see any major show stoppers?
Yes, osxcross depends on Xcode whose license is thoroughly non-free and
non-distributable. You're not even allowed to install it on a
"non-Apple-branded computer", which makes cross-compiling legally rather
pointless. Sure, it looks like osxcross guys do breach that license, but
it's not feasible for the Debian project to do so. You and me as
individuals can choose to disobey unjust laws, the Debian project can't.


Meow!
--
A tit a day keeps the vet away.
Alex Waite
2016-03-25 14:50:02 UTC
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Adam,

Thanks for the response. I had not read the Xcode Terms and Conditions yet. :-/
Post by Adam Borowski
You're not even allowed to install it on a
"non-Apple-branded computer", which makes cross-compiling legally rather
pointless. Sure, it looks like osxcross guys do breach that license [...]
IANAL, but from what I'm reading in their Terms and Agreements, this
can still all be done, as long as it is done on Apple hardware. They
make no indication that the hardware must be running OS X. So a Debian
install on an Apple branded machine could in fact use the Apple SDK
without any problems with their license.

Just a thought.

---Alex

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