Installation Guide

The build scripts run on GNU/Linux and macOS.

The Windows binaries are generated on x64 GNU/Linux, using mingw-w64.

GNU/Linux

Host system

Since the actual builds run inside Docker containers, the distribution or release of GNU/Linux used on the host system is irrelevant.

Docker images

The production XBB comprises multiple Docker images for x64 and Arm.

These images are published on Docker Hub; pulling can be done anonymously, while pushing requires login.

To download/test the x64 GNU/Linux:

docker run --interactive --tty ilegeul/debian:amd64-10-xbb-v6.0.0

To download/test the arm64 GNU/Linux:

docker run --interactive --tty ilegeul/debian:arm64v8-10-xbb-v6.0.0

Typically, manual installation is unnecessary as docker will automatically install them upon first use.

macOS

When running on macOS, the build scripts cannot use Docker, since there are no macOS native Docker images; instead, a standard system and the Command Line Tools are required.

Command Line Tools

As usual with macOS, the compiler and other development tools are not packed in the base system and need to be installed separately as part of the Command Line Tools package, available from Apple.

To install it, use:

xcode-select --install

To check the installed version, use:

pkgutil --pkg-info=com.apple.pkg.CLTools_Executables

The XBB binaries expect the CLT binary tools to be present in a fixed location, which is:

• /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin

tree

macOS does not provide a tree command.

The build scripts do not mandate this command; however, for development environments, it is advisable to compile one from sources.

• https://gitlab.com/OldManProgrammer/unix-tree.git

mkdir ~/Work/tree
cd ~/Work/tree
git clone https://gitlab.com/OldManProgrammer/unix-tree.git

cd unix-tree
sed -i.bak -e "s|^PREFIX=/usr/local|PREFIX=${HOME}/.local|" Makefile

make install

sudo ln -s ~/.local/bin/tree /usr/local/bin/tree

Python

To ensure consistency with the GNU/Linux Docker images, the same Python version must be installed manually.

Avoid HomeBrew or MacPorts

In the absence of a Docker-like solution to ensure an isolated environment, it is imperative to maintain a clean system and avoid installing packages that might interfere with the build scripts.

Specifically, avoid using Homebrew or MacPorts for package installation.

Additionally, inspect the PATH and remove any references to non-standard directories.

Thoroughly check the /usr/local/bin and /usr/local/sbin directories, and preferably remove any binaries that may interfere with the builds.

Build Prerequisites

The full details of installing the prerequisites for building xPack Binary Development Tools are available in the Build Prerequisites page.