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Use x86 Boxes to Compile Mac OS X Binaries

Posted by pudge on from the ooo-i-have-an-extra-x86-computer dept.

IceFox writes "While working on the KDE on Darwin project I have only had one Mac to do development with. At the same time I have been playing around with distcc for Linux/x86 compiling. Combining the two projects I built a Mac OS X cross-compiler (for Linux/x86) and have created the DistccPPCKnoppix distribution. DistccPPCKnoppix is a 46MB Knoppix distribution based on distccKnoppix; with it you can use your extra x86 computers to build Linux/x86 or Mac OS X/PPC binaries. It might not be as shiny as an Xserve cluster, but it is a heck of a lot cheaper."

6 of 64 comments (clear)

  1. Re:This is news? by Ranger+Rick · · Score: 5, Informative

    The reason it's news is that GNU has no support for Mach-O, Apple has their own assembler and linker. Making them work on linux is a real pain in the ass.

    --

    WWJD? JWRTFM!!!

  2. Re:This is news? by torpor · · Score: 5, Funny

    Not any more though, and I have to say that having this new distcc-centric Knopix distro around has turned it from being 'a pain in the ass' to 'unbelievably easy, cheap, and fast!' ...

    oh dear. linux is unstoppable. you'd think that, by now, the point where linux is becoming 'The Development Environment of Choice' for compiling stuff for Other Operating Systems, well ... how can I put this: c'mon Microsoft, roll your own distro, for cryin' out loud!!!

    --
    ; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
  3. fruits by lethe1001 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    It might not be as shiny as an Xserve cluster, but it is a heck of a lot cheaper.

    Um, yeah, an Xserve is a piece of hardware, and a C-compiler is a piece of software. apples and oranges.

    you could install distcc on your Xserve cluster, nnd it (the software) would still be cheap, and it (the hardware) would also be shiny.

    Um, i guess the point is that if you want distributed compiling for MacOSX, heretofore the only option was Xserve cluster, and now linux/x86 cluster is also an option. ok ok....

  4. How it should be by MrIrwin · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Ferrari use Fiat vans to ship car parts around.

    Mac is about the desktop, why not use cheap bland hardware for backend muling.

    And that is how it should be, we should be able to select the type of hardware for the job in hand, the software should run wherever it is required.

    --

    And if you thought that was boring you obviously havn't read my Journal ;-)

    1. Re:How it should be by gsfprez · · Score: 5, Interesting

      >why not use cheap bland hardware for backend muling?

      sometimes, you're a small business and you don't want to pay someone $xxxxxx to run your backend mules. You don't know how to grok Linux email and file servers because you're a parts manufacturer, or a solar panel business, or a gift basket maker...

      With Mac OS X Server and a $300 iMac off eBay and prudent backups, you could run email for 40 people and have your own webserver off your home DSL with no problem.

      I only know this because i did it. They know jack shit about running computers. I did the scary part and installed the server for them (i hit "okay" a lot) and then showed them...

      see this window? This is where you add users... this window shows you that your email server is running just fine.

      They call me every so often to tell me that things are fine. And i get to not answer dumbass questions and watch the playoffs on ESPN.

      They own their IT... their IT does not own them.

      With Linux, if you're going to have geeks around, then yes, its cheaper and does everything i just mentioned at a MUCH lower cost. But if you're not a geek, and you want services like email and web servers for small business, and you want rock solid performance (not Windows shitty performance) then you're wanting Mac OS X Server.

      Mac OS X Server is the greatest boon to small business i've ever seen. I have helped 4 small businesses (friends) do this - and they are all running just fine without me - and they have all the stability that they would get from a competent Linux install and a in-house geek running it.

      Mac OS X Server can get a lot of low-ball geeks fired... OR it can help low-ball geeks make a lot of money serving a lot more customers. Its all in how you think about it.

      --
      guns kill people like spoons make Rosie O'Donnell fat.
  5. Re:Works in reverse, too...I think! by cremes · · Score: 5, Informative

    Specifying '-arch i386' on MacOS X doesn't work though. OSX doesn't ship with fat libraries, so it isn't possible to generate an x86 executable using the gcc switches. To make this work, you need to recompile several system frameworks and libraries and install them on your box. This is hairy. I saw instructions on how to do this about 2 years ago somewhere...

    Compiling ppc on x86 or x86 on ppc is actually a bit easier using OpenDarwin. You can run this fat on your hardware and emit fat executables just as the man page suggests.

    cr