Cross-build node.js modules/addons

Aim

This section introduces you how to cross-build node.js native modules/addons.

Note: When you encounter difficulty in installing a node module which require rebuild, this section can give you a hand.

Prerequisition

Step up the environment on a host PC

• OS: Ubuntu 14.04 LTS x86_64

• Node version: 0.12.7 (you can use n or nvm to switch node version, I am using n)

    $ sudo n 0.12.7
  

• Npm version: 2.11.3

    $ sudo npm install -g [email protected]
  

• Install the following packages on your Ubuntu

    $ sudo apt-get install subversion build-essential gcc-multilib g++-multilib
  

• Clone mt7688-cross project down to your Ubuntu. If you don't have git, just download this project as a zip file from github.

``` bash
$ git clone https://github.com/simenkid/mt7688-cross.git
```

• Switch into the working directory mt7688-cross/, and invoke the script ./create_env.sh to create the cross-compiling environment. This step may take you around 20 minutes, have a cup of coffee and be patient.

    $ cd mt7688-cross
    ~/mt7688-cross $ 
    ~/mt7688-cross $ ./create_env.sh
  

  • Note: Once this step is successfully done, the environment is ready for your later use. Every time you want to cross-compile a node native module, just come into the working directory mt7688-cross/ and install a module with script npm_install.sh, there is no need to rebuild the environment again.

Steps of installing a node native module/add-on to Linkit Smart 7688

• In the working directory, use script npm_install.sh to install a cross-build node module.

    ~/mt7688-cross $ ./npm_install.sh foo-module
  

  • or install a specified version

    ~/mt7688-cross $ ./npm_install.sh foo-module@version
    

  • Let's take installation of serialport module as an example:

    ~/mt7688-cross $ ./npm_install.sh serialport
    

    

• The cross-built module is zipped in mt7688-cross/node_modules_mips folder.

    ~/mt7688-cross $ cd node_modules_mips
    ~/mt7688-cross/node_modules_mips $ ls
  

• Upload the compressed module to Linkit Smart 7688.

    ~/mt7688-cross/node_modules_mips $ scp foo-module-x.y.z.tar.gz [email protected]:/root/app
  

  

  • Note: Replace 192.168.0.109 to which your Linkit Smart 7688 allocates. Replace the remote folder /root/app to where you like to put this module to.

• ssh into Linkit Smart 7688.

• Switch into the folder where you just uploaded to, and uncompress the zipped file into node_modules/.

    > cd app
    ~/app > tar -xvf foo-module-x.y.z.tar.gz -C node_modules/
  

  

• And now, you are ready to write an app.js to test your module. Cheers!