Bug#980889: RFP: binutils-sh-elf -- cross binary utilities for SuperH bare-metal systems

[John Paul Adrian Glaubitz]

Hi John!

> This package would provide GNU Binutils suited for embedded targets, and
> would be suited for both SH-1 and SH-2 hardware at least [1]. This is needed
> to build carl9170, the libre wireless firmware for AR9170 devices that's
> currently in firmware-linux-free. That will require GCC and Newlib as well.

I'm Debian's sh4 maintainer and I would be willing to sponsor this provided
that Matthias is fine with a separate binutils package.

Also, please join the debian-superh mailing list [1] and the #debian-ports
IRC channel.

Thanks,
Adrian

> [1] https://lists.debian.org/debian-superh/

--
.''`. John Paul Adrian Glaubitz
: :' : Debian Developer - glau...@debian.org
`. `' Freie Universitaet Berlin - glau...@physik.fu-berlin.de
`- GPG: 62FF 8A75 84E0 2956 9546 0006 7426 3B37 F5B5 F913

[John Paul Adrian Glaubitz]

Hi John!

On 9/26/21 13:05, John Paul Adrian Glaubitz wrote:
>> This package would provide GNU Binutils suited for embedded targets, and
>> would be suited for both SH-1 and SH-2 hardware at least [1]. This is needed
>> to build carl9170, the libre wireless firmware for AR9170 devices that's
>> currently in firmware-linux-free. That will require GCC and Newlib as well.
>
> I'm Debian's sh4 maintainer and I would be willing to sponsor this provided
> that Matthias is fine with a separate binutils package.

I had a look at the package and it throws a number of lintian errors. Are you
planning to address these or are they common for all binutils-$ARCH-elf packages
we currently have in Debian?

Adrian

[John Scott]

On Fri, 2021-10-22 at 11:18 +0200, John Paul Adrian Glaubitz wrote:
> I had a look at the package and it throws a number of lintian errors. Are you
> planning to address these or are they common for all binutils-$ARCH-elf packages
> we currently have in Debian?

I believe you're referring to debian-rules-missing-required-target and
debian-rules-missing-recommended-target. In this case, Lintian seems to
not recognize that I'm using Debhelper via the .DEFAULT target in the
Makefile. I've filed a Lintian bug for this (#983539).

If it's really bothersome, I could switch debian/rules from
.DEFAULT:
dh $@
to
%:
dh $@
but I personally prefer the former as a stylistic choice, and this
would cover up an area where Lintian should be smarter.

As for debian-rules-sets-DH_COMPAT, which is merely a warning, Lintian
has this to say:
> As of debhelper version 4, the DH_COMPAT environment variable is only
> to be used for temporarily overriding debian/compat. Any line in
> debian/rules that sets it globally should be deleted and a separate
> debian/compat file created if needed.
I don't set DH_COMPAT globally; I use it as a temporary override for
dh_auto_configure, and my source comments explain why I do this.

I would consider filing a Lintian bug, and still would if you'd like me
to, but frankly I'd like to keep the warning around as a reminder that
we should drop this hack when we're able.