How to build boost 1.56.0 boost::context for iphone (ARM) - ios

Question

I'm trying to build boost for iOS development and I found a auto build script on github.
Most libraries build fine and I got a boost.a. I have the asio library tested, it works.
But the boost::coroutine build fails, in fact the boost::context build fails with this error.
darwin.compile.c++ iphone-build/boost/bin.v2/libs/context/build/darwin-8.1~iphone/release/architecture-arm/link-static/macosx-version-iphone-8.1/target-os-iphone/threading-multi/unsupported.o
libs/context/src/unsupported.cpp:7:2: error: "platform not supported"
#error "platform not supported"
^
1 error generated.
"/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/clang++" "-arch" "armv7" "-arch" "armv7s" "-arch" "arm64" "-fvisibility=hidden" "-fvisibility-inlines-hidden" "-DBOOST_AC_USE_PTHREADS" "-DBOOST_SP_USE_PTHREADS" "-std=c++11" "-stdlib=libc++" -ftemplate-depth-128 -O3 -finline-functions -Wno-inline -Wall -gdwarf-2 -fexceptions -isysroot /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs/iPhoneOS8.1.sdk -pthread -arch arm -DBOOST_ALL_NO_LIB=1 -DBOOST_CONTEXT_SOURCE -DNDEBUG -D_LITTLE_ENDIAN -I"." -c -o "iphone-build/boost/bin.v2/libs/context/build/darwin-8.1~iphone/release/architecture-arm/link-static/macosx-version-iphone-8.1/target-os-iphone/threading-multi/unsupported.o" "libs/context/src/unsupported.cpp"
...failed darwin.compile.c++ iphone-build/boost/bin.v2/libs/context/build/darwin-8.1~iphone/release/architecture-arm/link-static/macosx-version-iphone-8.1/target-os-iphone/threading-multi/unsupported.o...
And the boost::context requirements says we should
specify certain additional properties at bjam command line: target-os, abi, binary-format, architecture and address-model.
I change build script's bjam command line from
./bjam -j16 --build-dir=iphone-build -sBOOST_BUILD_USER_CONFIG=$BOOST_SRC/tools/build/example/user-config.jam --stagedir=iphone-build/stage --prefix=$PREFIXDIR toolset=darwin architecture=arm target-os=iphonemacosx-version=iphone-${IPHONE_SDKVERSION} define=_LITTLE_ENDIAN link=static stage > "${LOG}" 2>&1
to
./bjam -j16 --build-dir=iphone-build -sBOOST_BUILD_USER_CONFIG=$BOOST_SRC/tools/build/example/user-config.jam --stagedir=iphone-build/stage --prefix=$PREFIXDIR toolset=darwin abi=aapcs binary-format=mach-o address-model=32 architecture=arm target-os=iphone macosx-version=iphone-${IPHONE_SDKVERSION} define=_LITTLE_ENDIAN link=static stage > "${LOG}" 2>&1
now the compiler doing the right thing but I got another error
darwin.compile.asm iphone-build/boost/bin.v2/libs/context/build/darwin-8.1~iphone/release/abi-aapcs/address-model-32/architecture-arm/link-static/macosx-version-iphone-8.1/target-os-iphone/threading-multi/asm/jump_arm_aapcs_macho_gas.o
libs/context/src/asm/jump_arm_aapcs_macho_gas.S:94:11: error: invalid operand for instruction
pop v1
^
"/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/clang++" "-arch" "armv7" "-arch" "armv7s" "-arch" "arm64" "-fvisibility=hidden" "-fvisibility-inlines-hidden" "-DBOOST_AC_USE_PTHREADS" "-DBOOST_SP_USE_PTHREADS" "-std=c++11" "-stdlib=libc++" -x assembler-with-cpp -O3 -finline-functions -Wno-inline -Wall -gdwarf-2 -fexceptions -isysroot /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs/iPhoneOS8.1.sdk -arch arm -DBOOST_ALL_NO_LIB=1 -DBOOST_CONTEXT_SOURCE -DNDEBUG -D_LITTLE_ENDIAN -I"." -c -o "iphone-build/boost/bin.v2/libs/context/build/darwin-8.1~iphone/release/abi-aapcs/address-model-32/architecture-arm/link-static/macosx-version-iphone-8.1/target-os-iphone/threading-multi/asm/jump_arm_aapcs_macho_gas.o" "libs/context/src/asm/jump_arm_aapcs_macho_gas.S"
`
Not just pop v1, and lots of other compile errors and after read the clang's Cross-compilation doc,
I decide to add -target arm-macho to auto script line 213.
Now, only one error pop v1 and 8 warnings like these:
clang: warning: unknown platform, assuming -mfloat-abi=soft
clang: warning: argument unused during compilation: '-arch armv7'
clang: warning: argument unused during compilation: '-stdlib=libc++'
clang: warning: argument unused during compilation: '-arch arm'
I know a little x86 asm and I read the libs/context/src/asm/jump_arm_aapcs_macho_gas.S, it seems that pop v1 should be pop {v1}, I don't know ARM asm, whatever, I just wanna make this pass and check error later.
So I change libs/context/src/asm/jump_arm_aapcs_macho_gas.S:94
from pop v1 to pop {v1} and build this again it finally works fine.
But just the context and coroutine library build fine. Other library such as libs/atomic/src/lockpool.cpp fails with error
libs/atomic/src/lockpool.cpp:15:10: fatal error: 'cstddef' file not found
As a dummy donkey, I'm out of skills.
Can somebody help me about this?
I should link all references, but my reputation is less than 10. I cannot post more than 2 links.

Answer 1

I just managed to build Boost.Context (1.59.0) with some modifications to the solution as provided by ofxiOSBoost from GitHub.
The problems with the original solution against building Boost.Context are:
the build script hard-codes the darwin toolset to use "clang++", which can only build pure C++ code, not the assembly code
as you have already figured out, the b2 command line as supplied by the build script doesn't include all the requirements to build Boost.Context, namely: abi, address-model, architecture, binary-format, these requirements are used to match the correct assembly source files inside "context/build/Jamfile.v2"
Even after you correctly specify all of the requirements, you still get compilation errors, which are actually generated from attempting to use the hardcoded clang++ to compile the assembly source code - btw, you should not modify the original assembly source code to just see it compiles.
Inside context/build/Jamfile.v2, you have to build the assembly code inline, instead of using clang++. Fortunately, there are some nice examples inside the same file teaching you how to build the assembly source code inline, so eventually clang++ will just see the generated object files, and the rest of the toolchain pipeline can happily consume them.
I am pasting the modifications I made in the Boost.Context Jamfile below (you should be smart enough to figure out where to put those sections):
actions gasarmv7
{
cpp -x assembler-with-cpp "$(>)" | as -arch armv7 -o "$(<)"
}
actions gasarm64
{
cpp -x assembler-with-cpp "$(>)" | as -arch arm64 -o "$(<)"
}
-
# ARM DARWIN 32_64
alias asm_context_sources
: [ make asm/make_arm_aapcs_macho_gas.o : asm/make_arm_aapcs_macho_gas.S : #gasarmv7 ]
[ make asm/jump_arm_aapcs_macho_gas.o : asm/jump_arm_aapcs_macho_gas.S : #gasarmv7 ]
[ make asm/make_arm64_aapcs_macho_gas.o : asm/make_arm64_aapcs_macho_gas.S : #gasarm64 ]
[ make asm/jump_arm64_aapcs_macho_gas.o : asm/jump_arm64_aapcs_macho_gas.S : #gasarm64 ]
: <abi>aapcs
<address-model>32_64
<architecture>arm
<binary-format>mach-o
<toolset>darwin
;
And below are the modifications to the build-libc++.sh:
Boost 1.58.0+ is recommended, since it Boost.Context added support for arm64
BOOST_V1=1.59.0
BOOST_V2=1_59_0
-
buildBoostForIPhoneOS()
{
cd $BOOST_SRC
# Install this one so we can copy the includes for the frameworks...
set +e
echo "------------------"
LOG="$LOGDIR/build-iphone-stage.log"
echo "Running bjam for iphone-build stage"
echo "To see status in realtime check:"
echo " ${LOG}"
echo "Please stand by..."
./bjam -j${PARALLEL_MAKE} --build-dir=iphone-build -sBOOST_BUILD_USER_CONFIG=$BOOST_SRC/tools/build/example/user-config.jam --stagedir=iphone-build/stage --prefix=$PREFIXDIR --toolset=darwin-${IPHONE_SDKVERSION}~iphone cxxflags="-stdlib=$STDLIB" variant=release linkflags="-stdlib=$STDLIB" architecture=arm address-model=32_64 abi=aapcs binary-format=mach-o target-os=iphone macosx-version=iphone-${IPHONE_SDKVERSION} define=_LITTLE_ENDIAN link=static stage > "${LOG}" 2>&1
if [ $? != 0 ]; then
tail -n 100 "${LOG}"
echo "Problem while Building iphone-build stage - Please check ${LOG}"
exit 1
else
echo "iphone-build stage successful"
fi
echo "------------------"
LOG="$LOGDIR/build-iphone-install.log"
echo "Running bjam for iphone-build install"
echo "To see status in realtime check:"
echo " ${LOG}"
echo "Please stand by..."
./bjam -j${PARALLEL_MAKE} --build-dir=iphone-build -sBOOST_BUILD_USER_CONFIG=$BOOST_SRC/tools/build/example/user-config.jam --stagedir=iphone-build/stage --prefix=$PREFIXDIR --toolset=darwin-${IPHONE_SDKVERSION}~iphone cxxflags="-stdlib=$STDLIB" variant=release linkflags="-stdlib=$STDLIB" architecture=arm address-model=32_64 abi=aapcs binary-format=mach-o target-os=iphone macosx-version=iphone-${IPHONE_SDKVERSION} define=_LITTLE_ENDIAN link=static install > "${LOG}" 2>&1
if [ $? != 0 ]; then
tail -n 100 "${LOG}"
echo "Problem while Building iphone-build install - Please check ${LOG}"
exit 1
else
echo "iphone-build install successful"
fi
doneSection
echo "------------------"
LOG="$LOGDIR/build-iphone-simulator-build.log"
echo "Running bjam for iphone-sim-build "
echo "To see status in realtime check:"
echo " ${LOG}"
echo "Please stand by..."
./bjam -j${PARALLEL_MAKE} --build-dir=iphonesim-build -sBOOST_BUILD_USER_CONFIG=$BOOST_SRC/tools/build/example/user-config.jam --stagedir=iphonesim-build/stage --toolset=darwin-${IPHONE_SDKVERSION}~iphonesim architecture=x86 address-model=32_64 binary-format=mach-o abi=sysv target-os=iphone variant=release macosx-version=iphonesim-${IPHONE_SDKVERSION} link=static stage > "${LOG}" 2>&1
if [ $? != 0 ]; then
tail -n 100 "${LOG}"
echo "Problem while Building iphone-simulator build - Please check ${LOG}"
exit 1
else
echo "iphone-simulator build successful"
fi
doneSection
}
Pay special attention to the b2 command lines above (the requirements are specified there to match the Boost.Context Jamfile.v2 changes.
Also, as the original build script always tries to download and unpack the boost archive, so you need to might want to save the modifications to the Boost.Context Jamfile.v2 somewhere and re-apply it, or for the second run (after downloading, unpacking, and patching boost for at least once):
#cleanEverythingReadyToStart #may want to comment if repeatedly running during dev
#restoreBoost
#downloadBoost
#unpackBoost
#inventMissingHeaders
prepare
bootstrapBoost
#updateBoost
buildBoostForIPhoneOS
scrunchAllLibsTogetherInOneLibPerPlatform
buildIncludes
#restoreBoost
#postcleanEverything
Again, please get latest version from https://github.com/danoli3/ofxiOSBoost and use Boost 1.59.0
Hope this helps!