Linux From Scratch - Version 20200613-cross2

Chapter 6. Cross Compiling Temporary Tools

6.3. Ncurses-6.2

The Ncurses package contains libraries for terminal-independent handling of character screens.

Approximate build time: 0.7 SBU
Required disk space: 48 MB

6.3.1. Installation of Ncurses

First, ensure that gawk is found first during configuration: 

sed -i s/mawk// configure

Then, run the following commands to build the “tic” program on the build host: 

mkdir build
pushd build
  ../configure
  make -C include
  make -C progs tic
popd

Prepare Ncurses for compilation: 

./configure --prefix=/usr                \
            --host=$LFS_TGT              \
            --build=$(./config.guess)    \
            --mandir=/usr/share/man      \
            --with-manpage-format=normal \
            --with-shared                \
            --without-debug              \
            --without-ada                \
            --without-normal             \
            --enable-widec               \
            --enable-pc-files

The meaning of the new configure options:

--with-manpage-format=normal

This prevents Ncurses installing compressed manual pages, which may happen if the host distribution itself has compressed manual pages.

--without-ada

This ensures that Ncurses does not build support for the Ada compiler which may be present on the host but will not be available once we enter the chroot environment.

--enable-widec

This switch causes wide-character libraries (e.g., libncursesw.so.6.2) to be built instead of normal ones (e.g., libncurses.so.6.2). These wide-character libraries are usable in both multibyte and traditional 8-bit locales, while normal libraries work properly only in 8-bit locales. Wide-character and normal libraries are source-compatible, but not binary-compatible.

--enable-pc-files

This switch generates and installs .pc files for pkg-config.

--without-normal

This switch disables building and installing most static libraries.

Compile the package: 

make

Install the package: 

make DESTDIR=$LFS TIC_PATH=$(pwd)/build/progs/tic install
ln -s libncursesw.so $LFS/usr/lib/libncurses.so

Move the shared libraries to the /lib directory, where they are expected to reside: 

mv -v $LFS/usr/lib/libncursesw.so.6* $LFS/lib

Because the libraries have been moved, one symlink points to a non-existent file. Recreate it: 

ln -sfv ../../lib/$(readlink $LFS/usr/lib/libncursesw.so) $LFS/usr/lib/libncursesw.so

Details on this package are located in Section 8.24.2, “Contents of Ncurses.”