Preface

I've been learning Qt programming under Tiny4412 recently. The first step is to build a cross-development debugging environment. After several attempts, it's basically completed. I'd like to sort out my notes during this period and post them on my blog as a summary. I also hope that others will avoid the pitfalls I've fallen into.

Another point to mention (which I learned from searching the Internet afterwards) is that the Yocto/OpenEmbedded framework is popular in the industry. Many manufacturers use this framework to build BSPs (including kernel, rootfs, toolchain, gdb, libraries, and qt libraries) for distribution development boards. Users can directly build a Qt cross-development environment based on this BSP, thus avoiding problems such as missing dependent libraries and toolchain version mismatches encountered when building the environment themselves, saving unnecessary time costs. There are many related cases, and several examples are listed in "References 2~5" (all unverified, for reference only).

However, Tiny4412 doesn't seem to provide Yocto BSP yet, so I can't experience it yet. But Yocto is probably a general trend, so I'll learn about it when I have time.

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1. Experimental Environment

1.1 Virtual Machine Environment

a) Vmware version: Vmware Workstation 12.5.7

b) Ubuntu version: Ubuntu 16.04.4 LTS (I used the version in the JZ2440 Data CD_20180516 of Baiwen.com, the address is: http://wiki.100ask.org/Download, then find: 002_JZ2440 Data CD_20180516(Free))

c) Kernel version: 4.13.0

d) gcc version: 5.4.0

e) Toolchain version:

arm-linux-gcc 4.3.2

1.2 Development Board Environment

1.2.1 Hardware

Development board: Friendly Arm tiny4412, baseboard: Tiny4412/Super4412SDK 1611, core board: Tiny4412 version number 1412

1.2.2 Software

a) Kernel version (included in the tiny4412 CD): linux-3.5-20170221

b) Root file system (included in the tiny4412 CD): rootfs_qtopia_qt4-20160514

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2. Specific process

2.1 Compile and install qte-4.8.5

Note: The tiny4412 CD contains the compiled target-qte-4.8.5-to-hostpc.tgz. However, my Ubuntu version is different from the Ubuntu version used by Youshan when compiling target-qte-4.8.5-to-hostpc.tgz. Therefore, after decompression, I cannot use it directly in qt-creator (after clicking the build button, it will report: The Qt version is invalid. Could not determine the path to the binaries of the Qt installation, maybe the qmake path is wrong?). I can only compile it from scratch.

Copy arm-qte-4.8.5-20131207.tar.gz to the development machine, and then execute the following command in the mobaXterm serial terminal:

tar xzvf arm-qte-4.8.5-20131207.tar.gz

cd arm-qte-4.8.5

./build.sh

Note: When executing ./build.sh for the first time, an error message was displayed: tslib functionality test failed. However, after re-executing ./build.sh, this error message did not appear again. The reason is unknown and needs to be investigated.

2.2 Download, compile, and install gdb-7.10, then compile and install gdbserver

Why did I choose this version? Because when I was studying the camera monitoring project of the third phase of Wei Dongshan Embedded Linux Training, I had successfully built a remote debugging environment for the development board using gdb-7.10 (in fact, I chose version 7.10 based on my feeling at that time ).

2.2.1 Download, compile, and install gdb-7.10 (download address: http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/gdb/gdb-7.10.tar.gz)

Download gdb-7.10.tar.gz to the development machine (assuming it is downloaded to /home/book/Downloads/), and then execute the following command in the mobaXterm serial terminal:

tar xzvf gdb-7.10.tar.gz

cd /home/book/Downloads/gdb-7.10

mkdir build && cd build

../configure --target=arm-linux --prefix=/usr/local/arm-gdb-7.10 --with-python

Note: You may also need to add: --with-expat --includedir=/home/book/Downloads/expat-2.2.9/bin/include --libdir=/home/book/Downloads/expat-2.2.9/bin/lib, see the notes below for details

make

make install

export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/arm-gdb-7.10

(You can add this sentence to /etc/environment or ~./bashrc to save the changes to the $PATH environment variable)

2.2.2 Compile and install gdbserver

Execute the following command in the mobaXterm serial terminal:

cd /home/book/Downloads/gdb-7.10/gdb/gdbserver

mkdir build && cd build

../configure --target=arm-linux -host=arm-linux

make CC=arm-linux-gcc

After completion, a gdbserver executable file will be generated in the build directory. Copy it to the /usr/bin directory of the development board (you can use ftp or nfs, the process is omitted):

2.3 Copy and unzip the root file system to the development machine

Copy the rootfs_qtopia_qt4-20160514.tgz in the CD-ROM that comes with Tiny4412 to the development machine (assuming it is copied to /home/book/Downloads/friendly_arm/tiny4412/linux_rootfs/), and then execute:

tar xzvf rootfs_qtopia_qt4-20160514.tgz

2.4 Download and install Qt-5.9.0 (download address: https://download.qt.io/archive/qt/5.9/5.9.0/qt-opensource-linux-x64-5.9.0.run)

Why choose this version? Because there are many successful cases online, and cross-debugging platforms have been built using this version, and there is experience to learn from.

Download qt-opensource-linux-x64-5.9.0.run to the development machine, and then execute the following command in the mobaXterm serial terminal:

chmod +x qt-opensource-linux-x64-5.9.0.run

./qt-opensource-linux-x64-5.9.0.run

Then follow the prompts of the installation wizard step by step (Note: In the "Select Components" step, select all components under Qt5.9.0 for safety reasons)

2.5 Open qt-creator and go to Tools==>Options for configuration

2.5.1 Add device

2.5.2 Add Qt version

2.5.3 Adding a compiler

2.5.4 Add debugger

2.5.5 Adding kit

2.5.6 Add environment variables to support touch screen operation

Method 1) Modify /etc/profile on the development board (follow the content of /bin/setqt4env) and add the following environment variables:

export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH

export QWS_DISPLAY=:1

export QWS_KEYBOARD=TTY:/dev/tty1

export QWS_MOUSE_PROTO="Tslib MouseMan:/dev/input/mice"

export TSLIB_CALIBFILE=/etc/pointercal

export TSLIB_CONFFILE=/etc/ts-mt.conf

export TSLIB_PLUGINDIR=/usr/lib/ts

export TSLIB_TSDEVICE=/dev/touchscreen-1wire

Method 2) In qt-creator on the development machine, go to project==>Build&Run==>tiny4412==>Run==>Base environment for this run configuration and add the above environment variables:

2.5.7 Modify /usr/local/etc/sshd_config on the development board to solve the problem of "SFTP initialization failed: Server could not start SFTP subsystem" when debugging

Subsystem sftp /usr/libexec/sftp-server

to:

Subsystem sftp /usr/local/libexec/sftp-server

2.6 qt-creator creates a widget test program test, and then does some configuration

2.6.1 Modify the "test.pro" file and add the following two lines:

target.path = /opt #Specify the installation path on the development board for the program

INSTALLS += target

2.6.2 Enter Project==>Build&Run==>Tiny4412==>Run Settings

At this point, the Qt development and debugging environment of Tiny4412 has finally been built, and the effect diagram is as follows:

1) Start debugging:

2) Stop debugging:

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3. References

1) Tiny4412 User Manual

2) QtCreator+Arm development and online debugging

3) Full record of yocto for imx6 development environment construction (L4.1.15_2.0.0)

4) QTCreator + gdbserver to achieve remote debugging

5) Qt5 porting and development on NXP iMX8