README.android

How to cross-compile for Android.  These notes were last updated on 
17 Feb 2012, for Valgrind SVN revision 12390/2257.

This is known to work at least for :
  Android 4.0.3 running on a (rooted, AOSP build) Nexus S.
  Android 4.0.3 running on Motorola Xoom.
  Android 4.0.3 running on android emulator.

Android 2.3.4 on Nexus S worked at some time in the past.
It is known not to work on Android 4.1  running on android emulator.

Other configurations and toolchains might work, but haven't been tested.
Feedback is welcome.


You need the android-ndk-r6 native development kit.  r6b and r7
give a non-completely-working build; see
http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=23203
For the android emulator, the versions needed and how to
install them are described in README.android_emulator.

Install it somewhere.  Doesn't matter where.  Then do this:


# Modify this (obviously).  Note, this "export" command is only done
# so as to reduce the amount of typing required.  None of the commands
# below read it as part of their operation.
#
export NDKROOT=/path/to/android-ndk-r6


# Modify this too.  Tell the build system which Android hardware you
# are building for.  It needs to know this so it can compile in
# support for the right Android-hw-specific ioctls.  (sigh.)  As with
# NDKROOT above, this is merely to avoid repeated typing; none of the
# commands read it.
#
# Currently the supported values are:  nexus_s pandaboard
# So choose one of the below:
#
export HWKIND=nexus_s         # Samsung Nexus S; also Xoom (for now)
export HWKIND=pandaboard      # Pandaboard running Linaro Android
export HWKIND=emulator        # Android emulator

# Then cd to the root of your Valgrind source tree.
#
cd /path/to/valgrind/source/tree


# After this point, you don't need to modify anything; just copy and
# paste the commands below.


# Set up toolchain paths.
#
export AR=$NDKROOT/toolchains/arm-linux-androideabi-4.4.3/prebuilt/linux-x86/bin/arm-linux-androideabi-ar
export LD=$NDKROOT/toolchains/arm-linux-androideabi-4.4.3/prebuilt/linux-x86/bin/arm-linux-androideabi-ld
export CC=$NDKROOT/toolchains/arm-linux-androideabi-4.4.3/prebuilt/linux-x86/bin/arm-linux-androideabi-gcc


# Do configuration stuff.  Don't mess with the --prefix in the
# configure command below, even if you think it's wrong.
# You may need to set the --with-tmpdir path to something
# different if /sdcard doesn't work on the device -- this is
# a known cause of difficulties.

./autogen.sh

CPPFLAGS="--sysroot=$NDKROOT/platforms/android-3/arch-arm -DANDROID_HARDWARE_$HWKIND" \
   CFLAGS="--sysroot=$NDKROOT/platforms/android-3/arch-arm" \
   ./configure --prefix=/data/local/Inst \
   --host=armv7-unknown-linux --target=armv7-unknown-linux \
   --with-tmpdir=/sdcard
# note: on android emulator, android-14 platform was also tested and works.
# It is not clear what this platform nr really is.

# At the end of the configure run, a few lines of details
# are printed.  Make sure that you see these two lines:
#
#          Platform variant: android
#     Primary -DVGPV string: -DVGPV_arm_linux_android=1
#
# If you see anything else at this point, something is wrong, and
# either the build will fail, or will succeed but you'll get something
# which won't work.


# Build, and park the install tree in `pwd`/Inst
#
make -j2
make -j2 install DESTDIR=`pwd`/Inst


# To get the install tree onto the device:
# (I don't know why it's not "adb push Inst /data/local", but this
# formulation does appear to put the result in /data/local/Inst.)
#
adb push Inst /

# To run (on the device)
/data/local/Inst/bin/valgrind [the usual args etc]


# Once you're up and running, a handy modify-V-rebuild-reinstall
# command line (on the host, of course) is
#
mq -j2 && mq -j2 install DESTDIR=`pwd`/Inst && adb push Inst /
#
# where 'mq' is an alias for 'make --quiet'.


# One common cause of runs failing at startup is the inability of
# Valgrind to find a suitable temporary directory.  On the device,
# there doesn't seem to be any one location which we always have
# permission to write to.  The instructions above use /sdcard.  If
# that doesn't work for you, and you're Valgrinding one specific
# application which is already installed, you could try using its
# temporary directory, in /data/data, for example
# /data/data/org.mozilla.firefox_beta.
#
# Using /system/bin/logcat on the device is helpful for diagnosing
# these kinds of problems.