--- name: "apt-cross" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "apt-cross" version: "0.12.0" release: "Debian 5.0 (Lenny)" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/apt-cross" --- # apt-cross(1) apt support for cross compiling libraries ## NAME apt-cross - apt support for cross compiling libraries ## SYNOPSIS **apt-cross** \[\[-a\] \| \[--arch\] *ARCH*\] \[\[-S\] \| \[--suite\] *SUITE*\] \[\[-m\] \| \[--mirror\] *MIRROR*\] \[\[-f\] \| \[--force\]\] \[{-g\|--get} *PACKAGE ...*\] **apt-cross** \[\[-a\] \| \[--arch\] *ARCH*\] \[\[-S\] \| \[--suite\] *SUITE*\] \[\[-m\] \| \[--mirror\] *MIRROR*\] \[\[-f\] \| \[--force\]\] \[\[-x\] \| \[--exclude\] *PACKAGE*\] {-b\|--build} *PACKAGE ...* **apt-cross** \[\[-a\] \| \[--arch\] *ARCH*\] \[\[-S\] \| \[--suite\] *SUITE*\] \[\[-m\] \| \[--mirror\] *MIRROR*\] \[\[-x\] \| \[--exclude\] *PACKAGE*\] \[\[-k\] \| \[--keep-temp\]\] \[\[-n\] \| \[--simulate\]\] {-i\|--install} *PACKAGE ...* **apt-cross** \[\[-a\] \| \[--arch\] *ARCH*\] {--remove\|--purge\|-r} *PACKAGE ...* **apt-cross** \[\[-a\] \| \[--arch\] *ARCH*\] \[\[-S\] \| \[--suite\] *SUITE*\] \[\[-m\] \| \[--mirror\] *MIRROR*\] {-s\|--show} *PACKAGE ...* **apt-cross** \[\[-a\] \| \[--arch\] *ARCH*\] \[\[-S\] \| \[--suite\] *SUITE*\] \[\[-m\] \| \[--mirror\] *MIRROR*\] {-l\|--list} **apt-cross** \[\[-a\] \| \[--arch\] *ARCH*\] \[\[-S\] \| \[--suite\] *SUITE*\] \[\[-m\] \| \[--mirror\] *MIRROR*\] {-u\|--update} **apt-cross** \[\[-a\] \| \[--arch\] *ARCH*\] \[\[-S\] \| \[--suite\] *SUITE*\] \[\[-m\] \| \[--mirror\] *MIRROR*\] {--clean-lists} **apt-cross** \[\[-a\] \| \[--arch\] *ARCH*\] \[\[-S\] \| \[--suite\] *SUITE*\] \[\[-m\] \| \[--mirror\] *MIRROR*\] {-c\|--check} **apt-cross** \[\[-?\] \| \[-h\] \| \[--help\] \| \[--version\]\] ## DESCRIPTION **apt-cross** provides apt functionality for getting, building and installing libraries and header files for cross-compiling using **dpkg-cross**. **apt-cross** **-i** will search for and download missing dependencies of the requested package before building and installing the requested package and dependencies using **dpkg-cross** and **dpkg -i** (sudo required). **apt-cross** is intended to make it easier to locate, download, install and update cross-built libraries, directly from the Debian archives. **apt-cross** is not intended to handle applications or **Architecture: all** packages like *foo-common* or *libfoo-common*. **apt-cross** can download the cross-compiling version of those packages but does not build or install them - this can be done with **dpkg-cross** **-A** and **dpkg** **-i** if necessary. Note that not all such packages can be installed in that way. Architecture-independent packages do not need to be converted, so **apt-cross** omits all such packages from the dependency calculations and ensures that **dpkg-cross** also drops these packages from the dependencies of the generated package. One exception is that **apt-cross** will process development packages (-dev) that are Architecture: all. By default, **apt-cross** uses */etc/apt/sources.list* and */etc/apt/sources.list.d/\** to find the latest debian package file for the architecture specified (default is the **dpkg-cross** default) and in the suite specified (default is unstable). Alternatively, specify a different mirror. Downloaded files can be passed directly to dpkg-cross using the **-b** or **-i** commands to apt-cross. If the local file is missing or out of date, a new one will be downloaded automatically. If the **apt-cross** cache for the specified suite and architecture is older than 24hours, it will be updated automatically. If the cache needs to be updated more frequently or if the cache becomes corrupted, use **-u**\|**--update**. ### APT-CROSS AND CROSS-COMPILERS **apt-cross** does have limitations and cannot replicate all behaviour associated with **apt** itself. In particular, **apt-cross** cannot provide, build, install or download a cross-compiler. Certain parts of the process to build a cross-compiling toolchain do require **apt-cross** but you must obtain a suitable set of packages from somewhere else or build the toolchain yourself. See the *emdebian-tools* package for assistance with cross-compilers and cross-building toolchains. ## COMMANDS **--g**\|**--get** \ Retrieve the architecture-specific package(s) from the Debian mirrors into the current directory. If the package has already been downloaded, **apt-cross** will skip the download unless **--force** is used. **--b**\|**--build** \ Retrieve the architecture-specific package(s) from the Debian mirrors into the current directory and pass to **dpkg-cross** to build a cross-built version. ´Architecture: all´ dependencies of the requested package are added to the list of dependencies to be excluded from the cross package using **dpkg-cross** **-X**. **--build** will always replace any existing cross package file in the same directory. Use **--force** only to ensure that **apt-cross** gets a fresh package prior to conversion. Dependencies of the requested package are not processed recursively so the cross package may be uninstallable without other cross packages, see **--install** for that functionality. **--i**\|**--install** \ Retrieve the architecture-specific package(s) from the Debian mirrors into the current directory. Check for dependencies that are suitable for **dpkg-cross**, download each dependency and build, then install the package and dependencies using **dpkg-cross** and **dpkg -i**. If successfully installed, the temporary downloaded archives are removed. Requires working **sudo** setup and will prompt for the sudo password if necessary (if sudo is not already cached). **-r**\|**--remove**\|**--purge** \ Remove the cross-built package by calling **dpkg**. Requires working **sudo** setup and will prompt for the sudo password if necessary (if sudo is not already cached). **-s**\|**--show** \ Show the package information for the cross-built packages specified. If the package name does not end in -$arch-cross, the correct suffix will be added. The output format is the same as the equivalent **apt-cache show** output and includes the dependencies of the cross-built package. Note that only the details of cross-built packages (in the repository or installed) are displayed. **-l**\|**--list** List all cross-built package names. (Similar to **apt-cache pkgnames**). **-u**\|**--update** Force the user-specific **apt-cross** cache to be updated. Note that all sources for this suite on the specified architecture will be erased before the package cache is updated. If */etc/apt/sources.list* or */etc/apt/sources.list.d/\** does not contain a source for this suite, the updated cache for this suite will be empty. Use **-m**\|**--mirror** to specify a source to be added to whatever sources are available for this suite in */etc/apt/sources.list* and */etc/apt/sources.list.d/\**. - **--clean-lists** Force the user-specific **apt-cross** package list files to be updated. **apt-cross** turns off the normal apt default of cleaning up the package lists automatically because apt has a habit of removing the package lists for non-native architectures during the automated clean. This makes it impossible to maintain two sets of package lists from different architectures, requiring a complete update every time the cache switches architecture. Turning the option off, however, can lead to clutter and confusing errors from libcache-apt-perl so this command removes all package list files from the apt-cross directory for the specified or default suite, then runs force\_update. **-c**\|**--check** Check if the user-specific **apt-cross** cache needs to be updated and update if necessary. ## OPTIONS **-a**\|**--arch** ARCH set architecture (default: defined in the *~/.dpkg-cross/cross-compile* configuration file or by the dpkg-cross debconf configuration.) **-S**\|**--suite** SUITE set the Debian suite (stable, testing, unstable \[default\]) **-m**\|**--mirror** MIRROR set the Debian mirror to use to retrieve packages (default: first usable apt source.) **-x**\|**--exclude** As from **apt-cross** v0.1.2, architecture-independent dependencies are **NOT** processed. **apt-cross** also passes options to **dpkg-cross** to ensure that the cross package omits the same dependencies. If there are additional packages that need to be omitted, this option allows individual packages (e.g. perl-base) to be added to the list. The option is typically used to drop dependencies on packages that are not required within a cross-build environment, e.g. packages containing only executables or architecture independent files. **-n**\|**--simulate** **Requires -i**. Halts the install operation at the point where the dependencies have been calculated and **apt-cross** prints a summary message indicating how many packages need to be installed as new and how many as upgrades. **-k**\|**--keep-temp** **Requires -i**. Retains the .deb archives downloaded for conversion by **dpkg-cross** for use in later builds. Normally, these foreign architecture .deb archives are removed after a successful installation. This option is provided mainly for use in a chroot or other situation where the archives need to be copied into the local cache. **apt-cross** will check */var/cache/apt/archives/* before trying to download another copy so a chroot process can copy the archives into the chroot apt cache to prevent repeat downloads. Note that **apt-cross** downloads the archives into the current working directory; if this is a package source directory, consider changing to a temporary directory before starting **apt-cross** **--keep-temp** **--install** **foo** or arrange for the chroot process to move the files into the local apt cache before starting the build. (**empdebuild** from *emdebian-tools* does this for you.) **-f**\|**--force** **apt-cross** will normally skip downloads and rebuilds of cross packages already installed at the latest available version. Use **--force** to override this behaviour. In **--get** mode, **--force** simply downloads another version of the ARCH package. In **--build** mode, **--force** downloads a fresh ARCH package and rebuilds the cross version, overwriting a cross package in the same directory. **-v**\|**--verbose** be verbose - repeat once for extra verbosity. Repeat twice to see comprehensive debug information. **-q**\|**--quiet** be quiet. (default) **-?**\|**-h**\|**--help**\|**--version** Print usage and version information and exit. ## USE IN A CHROOT It is common for a chroot to not provide a Sources URL for apt. This causes problems for **apt-cross** and when preparing a chroot to use **apt-cross** a **deb-src** line will need to be added to whichever sources.list the chroot can use. ## BUGS **apt-cross** supports various levels of verbose output and **-v** can be useful in identifying problems. When preparing bug reports, it is often useful to use the debug level of verbose output using **-v -v -v** and redirecting the output to a file. ## FUTURE **apt-cross** has a **very** limited future. It is a tool for a particular stage in the process of making Debian cross-building friendly and as such it serves as a means to an end. As more **dpkg-cross** code migrates into *dpkg-dev*, **apt-cross** will become less important. Simultaneously, making **apt** cross-build friendly will become easier. The ultimate aim is therefore to aim for **apt** to replace **apt-cross** in a coordinated migration with **dpkg-cross** and **dpkg**. Eventually, when the core **dpkg-cross** functionality is merged into **dpkg**, **apt-cross** will be removed from Debian and the relevant versions of **dpkg** and **apt** will Replace: and Conflict: with **dpkg-cross** and **apt-cross** respectively. Anyone looking at the apt-cross source code needs to be aware that any improvements will only have a limited lifespan. ## FILES *~/.apt-cross/* Collection of directories and cache files for each suite (unstable, testing, stable etc.). *~/.apt-cross/sources.\** Sources list for each suite. ## SEE ALSO *dpkg-cross* (1), *emdebian-tools* (1) and *http://www.emdebian.org/*. ## AUTHOR *apt-cross* was written by Neil Williams \. This manual page was written by Neil Williams \ ## COPYRIGHT This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details. You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.