I'm trying to cross-compile a source which needs libncurses. I've built the toolchain using the image branch of your repository github.com:werecatf/source.git and I can compile and run simple binaries.

But now, I'd like to build larger projects which depend on other software packages. I have the problem that the cross-compiler doesn't seem to respect library paths.

For example, I did this:

mdj@xxx:/tmp$ mipsel-openwrt-linux-gcc foo.c -L~/src/werecatf/staging_dir/target-mipsel_24kc_musl-1.1.15/usr/lib -lncursesw
/home/mdj/src/werecatf/staging_dir/toolchain-mipsel_24kc_gcc-5.4.0_musl-1.1.15/lib/gcc/mipsel-openwrt-linux-musl/5.4.0/../../../../mipsel-openwrt-linux-musl/bin/ld: cannot find -lncursesw

What could be the problem, and what, in general, is the normal way to do this?

Best regards,
Mikael

#!/bin/bash
pushd .
pushd `dirname $0` > /dev/null
export SCRIPTDIR=`pwd`
popd > /dev/null

cd $SCRIPTDIR
cd staging_dir/toolchain*
cd bin
export PATH=$PATH:$(pwd)
cd $SCRIPTDIR
cd staging_dir
export STAGING_DIR=$(pwd)
cd target-*
export TARGET_DIR=$(pwd)
export CC=mips-openwrt-linux-gcc
export LD=mips-openwrt-linux-ld
export CROSS_COMPILE=mipsel-openwrt-linux-
export CFLAGS="-march=24kec -mtune=24kec -mdsp -D_MIPS_ARCH_MIPS32R2"
export CPPFLAGS="-I${TARGET_DIR}/usr/include"
export LDFLAGS="-L${TARGET_DIR}/lib -L${TARGET_DIR}/usr/lib"
popd
bash

I create a file called curseshello.c:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <ncurses.h>

void main()
{
    WINDOW *vin;
    initscr();
    start_color();
    init_pair(1,COLOR_YELLOW,COLOR_BLUE);
    init_pair(2,COLOR_BLUE,COLOR_YELLOW);
    init_pair(3,COLOR_BLUE,COLOR_WHITE);
    vin=newwin(12,40,13,0);
    wmove(vin,0,5);
    wprintw(vin,"Hello, World.");
    wbkgd(vin,COLOR_PAIR(1));
    wrefresh(vin);
    getch();
    delwin(vin);
    endwin();
}

Then I proceed to call the cross.sh and then compile the above code with: mipsel-openwrt-linux-gcc $CFLAGS curseshello.c -o curseshello -lncurses $CPPFLAGS $LDFLAGS

A proper cross-compiling wizard would most likely be aghast at all the stupidity I commit here, but I only taught myself rudimentary cross-compiling like two-three weeks ago, and this method works for now, so...

However, it strange that the tools don't respect LIBRARY_PATH---something I've also tested.

May I ask you on which Linux Distribution you are cross compiling?

I have tried to build the tool chain (including the LEDE Image) on Kubuntu and on Ubuntu
without success by following this tutorial:

https://wiki.onion.io/Tutorials/Cross-Compile

with the toolchain from the "Onion Omega2" branch from Onion's git hub

This is the error I am getting (on latest Ubuntu LTS):

There had also been a couple of errors before this one that I have managed to fix by recrusive chmodding the whole directory with 777.

Basically, once you have checked that out, you can do just

make

to get the image, however you might want to select things using

make menuconfig

first.