tjCFeng/compileGolang

Compile Go (Golang) for NVIDIA Jetson Development Kits

compileGolang

August, 2016

Compile Go (Golang) for NVIDIA Jetson TK1

Building Go Toolchain

For versions later than Go 1.5, a version of Go 1.4 is needed to bootstrap the Go toolchain.

Jetson TK1

On the Jetson TK1, Go 1.4 can be built natively. Executing the shell file:

$ ./compileGolang.sh

Will download and build Go 1.4 in the $HOME/go1.4 directory. Next the script will download Go (switches to version 1.6, the latest stable version as of this writing) and then builds to Go toolchain. In addition, the script sets the $GOROOT to point to the 1.6 toolchain, as well as adds the binary to $PATH.

Tested on L4T 21.4

Jetson TX1 32 bit

The Jetson TX1 uses an ARM 64 bit processor which is not supported natively by the Go 1.4 compiler. Another issue is that while the Linux kernel is 64 bit on the TX1, on Jetson TX1 32 bit, the user space is 32 bit.

Fortunately the Go environment has a built in cross compiler which allows people to build bootstrap environments. In the case of 'aarch64' (or 'arm64' as it is referred to by Go), you can build a bootstrap environment from a different Go system with a working 1.4 compiler.

In the src directory of the Go toolchain, there is a script called bootstrap.bash which builds a bootstrap for different architectures.

#

GOOS=linux GOARCH=arm bootstrap.bash

this script cross-compiles a toolchain for that GOOS/GOARCH

combination, leaving the resulting tree in ../../go-${GOOS}-${GOARCH}-bootstrap.

That tree can be copied to a machine of the given target type

and used as $GOROOT_BOOTSTRAP to bootstrap a local build.

On the 32 bit TX1 in particular, the Go toolchain is built as 'arm', and the host architecture is set as 'arm'. This makes the program available to run in 32 bit space.

The file go-linux-arm-bootstrap.tbz is the bootstrap used, generated on an Ubuntu x86 PC. Executing the shell file:

$ ./compileGolangArm32.sh

first untars the bootstrap and sets it as the $GOROOT_BOOTSTRAP The script sets up some compiler environment variables:

export GOARCH=arm

export GOARM=7

export GOHOSTARCH=arm

Next the script will download Go (switches to version 1.6, the latest stable version as of this writing) and then builds the Go toolchain. In addition, the script sets the $GOROOT to point to the 1.6 toolchain, as well as adds the binary to $PATH.

Tested on L4T 24.1 32 bit

Jetson TX1 64 bit

The Jetson TX1 uses an ARM 64 bit processor which is not supported natively by the Go 1.4 compiler.

Fortunately the Go environment has a built in cross compiler which allows people to build bootstrap environments. In the case of 'aarch64' (or 'arm64' as it is referred to by Go), you can build a bootstrap environment from a different Go system with a working 1.4 compiler.

In the src directory of the Go toolchain, there is a script called bootstrap.bash which builds a bootstrap for different architectures.

#

GOOS=linux GOARCH=arm64 bootstrap.bash

this script cross-compiles a toolchain for that GOOS/GOARCH

combination, leaving the resulting tree in ../../go-${GOOS}-${GOARCH}-bootstrap.

That tree can be copied to a machine of the given target type

and used as $GOROOT_BOOTSTRAP to bootstrap a local build.

On the 64 bit TX1, the Go toolchain is built as 'arm64'. The default host architecture used is 'arm64'.

The file go-linux-arm64-bootstrap.tbz is the bootstrap used, generated on an Ubuntu x86 PC. Executing the shell file:

$ ./compileGolangArm64.sh

first untars the bootstrap and sets it as the $GOROOT_BOOTSTRAP

Next the script will download Go (switches to version 1.6, the latest stable version as of this writing) and then builds the Go toolchain. In addition, the script sets the $GOROOT to point to the 1.6 toolchain, as well as adds the binary to $PATH.

Tested on L4T 24.1 64 bit