Building Android Cross Compiler with Crosstool-ng

In order for you to rebuilt a kernel (or even a ROM) for Android from your laptop, you need a cross compiler to do that.

For Android ecosystem there are several popular cross compilers that being used:

1. Android NDK
2. Android Toolchain (which I believe a subset of the NDK)
3. Linaro customized cross compiler 
4. Self-made cross compiled built by using crosstool-ng
5. You do it yourself (but I never succeed this one)

I currently use crosstool-ng cross compiler "cooking tool" as it has several features;

You can save a stage for the built process. For example, I just got my laptop shutdown automatically (perhaps due to CPU overheating.. never shut it down for approx due days).. and since I chose the option for saving the compile state, the process just can be restarted at the previous stage:

Just use the build.log and parse the related info

najmi@vostro:~/toolchain/build-cng$ cat build.log |grep "Saving state"

[EXTRA]  Saving state to restart at step 'libc_check_config'...

[EXTRA]  Saving state to restart at step 'companion_libs_for_build'...

[EXTRA]  Saving state to restart at step 'binutils_for_build'...

[EXTRA]  Saving state to restart at step 'companion_libs_for_host'...

[EXTRA]  Saving state to restart at step 'binutils_for_host'...

[EXTRA]  Saving state to restart at step 'cc_core_pass_1'...

[EXTRA]  Saving state to restart at step 'kernel_headers'...

[EXTRA]  Saving state to restart at step 'libc_start_files'...

[EXTRA]  Saving state to restart at step 'cc_core_pass_2'...

[EXTRA]  Saving state to restart at step 'libc'...

[EXTRA]  Saving state to restart at step 'cc_for_build'...

[EXTRA]  Saving state to restart at step 'cc_for_host'...

najmi@vostro:~/toolchain/build-cng$ ct-ng cc_for_host+

 

The problem with abruptly terminated compilation process could also due to error in the compilation process. That way you just have to start where you suspect the compilation error occurs;

Simply with you can continue from the last saved state onwards;

najmi@vostro:~/toolchain/build-cng$ unset LD_LIBRARY_PATH

najmi@vostro:~/toolchain/build-cng$ ct-ng cc_for_host+

[INFO ]  Performing some trivial sanity checks

[INFO ]  Build started 20131130.102737

[INFO ]  Building environment variables

[EXTRA]  Preparing working directories

[EXTRA]  Restoring state at step 'cc_for_host', as requested.

[INFO ]  =================================================================

[INFO ]  Installing final compiler

[EXTRA]    Configuring gcc

[EXTRA]    Building gcc

[07:57] /