Android + Linux Chroot + Node.js

- 2 mins read

This article will walk you through how to compile, from source, node.js on Android.  After installing node.js on about 4 different devices (Thunderbolt, Incredible, two G1’s, Galaxy S) I decided to compile this tutorial.

Prerequisites

  • Android running Debian in a chroot(ed) environment.

  • Environment contains the necessary path(s)

vim /etc/bashrc
PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/bin

Swap File (G1 only?)

The RAM in both the Incredible and Thunderbolt are sufficient to compile node.js.  The G1 however, requires a swap file to supplement the small amount of RAM to successfully compile node.js.  The gcc compilation failed when I tried a swap fall as small as 64 MB.  512MB swap file was used for a successful compilation.

524388 MB swap file
dd if=/dev/zero of=/swapfile1 bs=1024 count=524388

mkswap /swapfile1
chmod 0600 /swapfile1
swapon /swapfile1

vim /etc/fstab
/swapfile1 swap swap defaults 0 0

Node.js and Dependencies

  1. Download dependencies

  2. Download the node.js source and checkout a version known to work

  3. Patch, configure, and make

apt-get install git-core
apt-get install python g++ libssl-dev make pkg-config
./configure
make
make install

git clone https://github.com/joyent/node.git
cd node
git checkout v0.6.8

To patch node.js source create a file in the node root directory called patch and paste one of the following diff’s.  Next, run patch < patch.

G1 Patch

diff –git a/deps/v8/SConstruct b/deps/v8/SConstruct
index 1dcdce4..a5aaf50 100644
— a/deps/v8/SConstruct
+++ b/deps/v8/SConstruct
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ LIBRARY_FLAGS = {
},
‘gcc’: {
‘all’: {
-      ’CCFLAGS’:      ['$DIALECTFLAGS', '$WARNINGFLAGS'],
+      ’CCFLAGS’:      ['$DIALECTFLAGS', '$WARNINGFLAGS','-march=armv5t','-mno-thumb-interwork'],
‘CXXFLAGS’:     ['-fno-rtti', '-fno-exceptions'],
},
‘visibility:hidden’: {
@@ -154,12 +154,12 @@ LIBRARY_FLAGS = {
},
‘armeabi:softfp’ : {
‘CPPDEFINES’ : ['USE_EABI_HARDFLOAT=0'],
-        ’vfp3:on’: {
-          ’CPPDEFINES’ : ['CAN_USE_VFP_INSTRUCTIONS']
-        },
-        ’simulator:none’: {
-          ’CCFLAGS’:     ['-mfloat-abi=softfp'],
-        }
+#        ’vfp3:on’: {
+#          ’CPPDEFINES’ : ['CAN_USE_VFP_INSTRUCTIONS']
+#        },
+#        ’simulator:none’: {
+#          ’CCFLAGS’:     ['-mfloat-abi=softfp'],
+#        }
},
‘armeabi:hard’ : {
‘CPPDEFINES’ : ['USE_EABI_HARDFLOAT=1'],

Galaxy S Patch

diff –git a/deps/v8/SConstruct b/deps/v8/SConstruct
index 1dcdce4..a5aaf50 100644
— a/deps/v8/SConstruct
+++ b/deps/v8/SConstruct
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ LIBRARY_FLAGS = {
},
‘gcc’: {
‘all’: {
-      ’CCFLAGS’:      ['$DIALECTFLAGS', '$WARNINGFLAGS'],
+      ’CCFLAGS’:      ['$DIALECTFLAGS', '$WARNINGFLAGS','-march=armv5t'],
‘CXXFLAGS’:     ['-fno-rtti', '-fno-exceptions'],
},
‘visibility:hidden’: {
@@ -154,12 +154,12 @@ LIBRARY_FLAGS = {
},
‘armeabi:softfp’ : {
‘CPPDEFINES’ : ['USE_EABI_HARDFLOAT=0'],
-        ’vfp3:on’: {
-          ’CPPDEFINES’ : ['CAN_USE_VFP_INSTRUCTIONS']
-        },
-        ’simulator:none’: {
-          ’CCFLAGS’:     ['-mfloat-abi=softfp'],
-        }
+#        ’vfp3:on’: {
+#          ’CPPDEFINES’ : ['CAN_USE_VFP_INSTRUCTIONS']
+#        },
+#        ’simulator:none’: {
+#          ’CCFLAGS’:     ['-mfloat-abi=softfp'],
+#        }
},
‘armeabi:hard’ : {
‘CPPDEFINES’ : ['USE_EABI_HARDFLOAT=1'],

Node.js Libraries

Installing the below libraries are optional. This section is included for users that wish to setup node.js to control an arduino powered laser turret.

npm install express
npm install socket.io
npm install jquery
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