-Cross-compiling NetHack 3.7 Last edit: December 7, 2020
+Cross-compiling NetHack 3.7 Last edit: February 18, 2023
The NetHack 3.7 build process differs from the build process of previous
-versions in some important ways that make it possible to use a cross-compiler
-running on one platform (the "host" platform of the build) to produce a binary
-NetHack package that can execute on an entirely different platform.
+versions in some important ways. Those differences make it possible to use
+a cross-compiler running on one platform (the "host" platform of the build)
+to produce a binary NetHack package that can execute on an entirely different
+platform.
Part A Contents:
A1. Why cross-compile?
By using cross-compilers on host platforms with fast processors, plenty of RAM
and storage resources, and an available cross-compiler, it may be possible to
keep or resurrect a working version of NetHack on platforms that are now too
-constrained to carry out the build process natively on the platform any more.
+constrained to carry out the build process natively on the platform anymore.
Some of the constraints in carrying out a native build on the desired target
may include, but not necessarily be limited to, any of the following:
o Access: Somebody with a working knowledge of the NetHack build process may
- not have the desired target build platform available to them. Conversly,
+ not have the desired target build platform available to them. Conversely,
somebody with a keen knowledge of the target platform, and access to it,
may not be all that familiar with the NetHack build process.
compile process on the target platform.
o Compilers: Some of the native compilers on historical platforms may only
- support the particular dialect of C that was popular when the platform and
- compiler were in their prime.
+ support the dialect of C that was popular when the platform and compiler
+ were in their prime.
Another useful potential result of cross-compiling, is that it paves the way
for carrying out test and production builds of NetHack for multiple target
several required output files that contain information required by the
game, or contain information about the game during its execution, that
are stored in a portable, platform-independent way, that need to be
- inserted into the game package (makedefs -d, -z, -r, -h, -s).
+ inserted into the game package (makedefs -d, -o, -r, -h, -s).
3. Compile and link several less critical utilities such as uudecode,
tile-generation utilities, and so forth, all of which need to execute
on the build platform during the build process to produce output files
NetHack itself, Lua, and any optional regular-expression or window port
libraries that you plan to link into the NetHack game executable.
5. Package the game and its required files including the output from
- previous steps 2b, 3 and 4 above.
+ previous steps 2, 3 and 4 above.
-Step 4 is now the only impediment to cross-compiling NetHack, and is resolved
-by executing step 4 using a cross-compiler that runs on the build (host)
+Step 4 is now the only impediment to cross-compiling NetHack. That impediment
+is resolved by executing step 4 using a cross-compiler that runs on the build (host)
platform to produce a resulting binary for the target platform, instead of
executing the native compiler.
o There is no build-time level compiler involved. Instead, the level
descriptions have been converted to Lua and are inserted into the game
- package for processing by the embeded Lua during execution of NetHack.
+ package for processing by the embedded Lua during execution of NetHack.
o There is no build-time dungeon compiler involved. Instead, the dungeon
description has been converted to Lua and is inserted into the game
- package for processing by the embeded Lua during execution of NetHack.
+ package for processing by the embedded Lua during execution of NetHack.
o Some of the build and option information that was formerly produced
during build time by makedefs, and contained information about the
It should be mentioned that you can execute the cross-compile build approach
to generate binaries for the same platform as the host, where the HOST
-compilerand the TARGET compiler are actually one and the same.
+compiler and the TARGET compiler are the same.
+------------------------------------------------------+
Compile and link the following with these compiler switches:
-DCROSSCOMPILE
from sources: util/makedefs.c, src/mdlib.c, src/monst.c, src/objects.c
+ src/date.c, src/alloc.c
b) Execute HOST native makedefs utility, util/makedefs, as follows:
Required for complete packaging of the game, but not the C source
util/makedefs -h
util/makedefs -s
- For reference purposes, but no longer a required prerequisite for the
- game compile process:
- util/makedefs -v
- util/makedefs -o
- util/makedefs -p
-
c) Using the HOST native compiler, build these additional utilities if your
target platform requires components that they produce. It is important
to note that all of the required source files need to be compiled to
from sources: win/share/tile2bmp.c, win/share/tiletext.c,
win/share/tilemap.c, src/drawing.c,
src/monst.c, src/objects.c
- purpose: <TBD>
+ purpose: Read win/share/monsters.txt,
+ win/share/objects.txt and win/share/other.txt
+ files and produce a .bmp file.
util/gif2txt
win/share/tilemap.c, src/drawing.c,
src/monst.c, src/objects.c,
src/alloc.c, util/panic.c
- purpose: <TBD>
+ purpose: Read win/share/monsters.txt,
+ win/share/objects.txt and win/share/other.txt
+ files and produce a .gif file.
util/ppmwrite
win/share/tilemap.c, src/drawing.c,
src/monst.c, src/objects.c,
src/alloc.c, util/panic.c
- purpose: <TBD>
+ purpose: Read win/share/monsters.txt,
+ win/share/objects.txt and win/share/other.txt
+ files and produce a .ppm file.
+--------------------------------------------+
b) Lua (mandatory in 3.7)
- lib/lua-5.4.0/src
+ lib/lua-5.4.4/src
from sources: lua.c, lapi.c, lauxlib.c, lbaselib.c, lcode.c,
lcorolib.c, lctype.c, ldblib.c, ldebug.c,
You can explicitly include tty and curses support if desired. The default
you'll end up with is a tty-only cross-compile build:
- make WANT_WIN_TTY=1 WANT_WIN_CURSES=1 CROSS_TO_MSDOS=1 all
make WANT_WIN_TTY=1 WANT_WIN_CURSES=1 CROSS_TO_MSDOS=1 package
Result: The "make package" target will bundle all of the necessary
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