LFS Diaries - 1 || Prerequisites & CH1-2

Bash-3.2 (/bin/sh should be a symbolic or hard link to bash)

Binutils-2.13.1 (Versions greater than 2.43.1 are not recommended as they have not been tested)

Bison-2.7 (/usr/bin/yacc should be a link to bison or a small script that executes bison)

Coreutils-8.1

Diffutils-2.8.1

Findutils-4.2.31

Gawk-4.0.1 (/usr/bin/awk should be a link to gawk)

GCC-5.2 including the C++ compiler, g++ (Versions greater than 14.2.0 are not recommended as they have not been tested). C and C++ standard libraries (with headers) must also be present so the C++ compiler can build hosted programs

Grep-2.5.1a

Gzip-1.3.12

Linux Kernel-4.19

The reason for the kernel version requirement is that we specify that version when building glibc in Chapter 5 and Chapter 8, so the workarounds for older kernels are not enabled and the compiled glibc is slightly faster and smaller. As at Feb 2024, 4.19 is the oldest kernel release still supported by the kernel developers. Some kernel releases older than 4.19 may be still supported by third-party teams, but they are not considered official upstream kernel releases; read https://kernel.org/category/releases.html for the details.

If the host kernel is earlier than 4.19 you will need to replace the kernel with a more up-to-date version. There are two ways you can go about this. First, see if your Linux vendor provides a 4.19 or later kernel package. If so, you may wish to install it. If your vendor doesn't offer an acceptable kernel package, or you would prefer not to install it, you can compile a kernel yourself. Instructions for compiling the kernel and configuring the boot loader (assuming the host uses GRUB) are located in Chapter 10.

We require the host kernel to support UNIX 98 pseudo terminal (PTY). It should be enabled on all desktop or server distros shipping Linux 4.19 or a newer kernel. If you are building a custom host kernel, ensure CONFIG_UNIX98_PTYS is set to y in the kernel configuration.

M4-1.4.10

Make-4.0

Patch-2.5.4

Perl-5.8.8

Python-3.4

Sed-4.1.5

Tar-1.22

Texinfo-5.0

Xz-5.0.0

cat > version-check.sh << "EOF"
#!/bin/bash
# A script to list version numbers of critical development tools

# If you have tools installed in other directories, adjust PATH here AND
# in ~lfs/.bashrc (section 4.4) as well.

LC_ALL=C 
PATH=/usr/bin:/bin

bail() { echo "FATAL: $1"; exit 1; }
grep --version > /dev/null 2> /dev/null || bail "grep does not work"
sed '' /dev/null || bail "sed does not work"
sort   /dev/null || bail "sort does not work"

ver_check()
{
   if ! type -p $2 &>/dev/null
   then 
     echo "ERROR: Cannot find $2 ($1)"; return 1; 
   fi
   v=$($2 --version 2>&1 | grep -E -o '[0-9]+\.[0-9\.]+[a-z]*' | head -n1)
   if printf '%s\n' $3 $v | sort --version-sort --check &>/dev/null
   then 
     printf "OK:    %-9s %-6s >= $3\n" "$1" "$v"; return 0;
   else 
     printf "ERROR: %-9s is TOO OLD ($3 or later required)\n" "$1"; 
     return 1; 
   fi
}

ver_kernel()
{
   kver=$(uname -r | grep -E -o '^[0-9\.]+')
   if printf '%s\n' $1 $kver | sort --version-sort --check &>/dev/null
   then 
     printf "OK:    Linux Kernel $kver >= $1\n"; return 0;
   else 
     printf "ERROR: Linux Kernel ($kver) is TOO OLD ($1 or later required)\n" "$kver"; 
     return 1; 
   fi
}

# Coreutils first because --version-sort needs Coreutils >= 7.0
ver_check Coreutils      sort     8.1 || bail "Coreutils too old, stop"
ver_check Bash           bash     3.2
ver_check Binutils       ld       2.13.1
ver_check Bison          bison    2.7
ver_check Diffutils      diff     2.8.1
ver_check Findutils      find     4.2.31
ver_check Gawk           gawk     4.0.1
ver_check GCC            gcc      5.2
ver_check "GCC (C++)"    g++      5.2
ver_check Grep           grep     2.5.1a
ver_check Gzip           gzip     1.3.12
ver_check M4             m4       1.4.10
ver_check Make           make     4.0
ver_check Patch          patch    2.5.4
ver_check Perl           perl     5.8.8
ver_check Python         python3  3.4
ver_check Sed            sed      4.1.5
ver_check Tar            tar      1.22
ver_check Texinfo        texi2any 5.0
ver_check Xz             xz       5.0.0
ver_kernel 4.19

if mount | grep -q 'devpts on /dev/pts' && [ -e /dev/ptmx ]
then echo "OK:    Linux Kernel supports UNIX 98 PTY";
else echo "ERROR: Linux Kernel does NOT support UNIX 98 PTY"; fi

alias_check() {
   if $1 --version 2>&1 | grep -qi $2
   then printf "OK:    %-4s is $2\n" "$1";
   else printf "ERROR: %-4s is NOT $2\n" "$1"; fi
}
echo "Aliases:"
alias_check awk GNU
alias_check yacc Bison
alias_check sh Bash

echo "Compiler check:"
if printf "int main(){}" | g++ -x c++ -
then echo "OK:    g++ works";
else echo "ERROR: g++ does NOT work"; fi
rm -f a.out

if [ "$(nproc)" = "" ]; then
   echo "ERROR: nproc is not available or it produces empty output"
else
   echo "OK: nproc reports $(nproc) logical cores are available"
fi
EOF

bash version-check.sh

lfs@vbox:~$ bash version-check.sh 
OK:    Coreutils 9.5    >= 8.1
OK:    Bash      5.2.32 >= 3.2
OK:    Binutils  2.43.1 >= 2.13.1
ERROR: Cannot find bison (Bison)
OK:    Diffutils 3.10   >= 2.8.1
OK:    Findutils 4.10.0 >= 4.2.31
OK:    Gawk      5.3.0  >= 4.0.1
ERROR: Cannot find gcc (GCC)
ERROR: Cannot find g++ (GCC (C++))
OK:    Grep      3.11   >= 2.5.1a
OK:    Gzip      1.13   >= 1.3.12
ERROR: Cannot find m4 (M4)
ERROR: Cannot find make (Make)
ERROR: Cannot find patch (Patch)
OK:    Perl      5.40.0 >= 5.8.8
OK:    Python    3.13.0 >= 3.4
OK:    Sed       4.9    >= 4.1.5
OK:    Tar       1.35   >= 1.22
ERROR: Cannot find texi2any (Texinfo)
OK:    Xz        5.6.2  >= 5.0.0
OK:    Linux Kernel 6.11.4 >= 4.19
OK:    Linux Kernel supports UNIX 98 PTY
Aliases:
OK:    awk  is GNU
ERROR: yacc is NOT Bison
OK:    sh   is Bash
Compiler check:
version-check.sh: line 81: g++: command not found
ERROR: g++ does NOT work
OK: nproc reports 4 logical cores are available
lfs@vbox:~$

bison
gcc
g++
m4
make
patch
texi2any

ERROR: yacc is NOT Bison

sudo dnf install bison gcc g++ m4 make patch texi2any

Bison-2.7 (/usr/bin/yacc should be a link to bison or a small script that executes bison)

lfs@vbox:~$ which bison
/usr/bin/bison
lfs@vbox:~$ 

ln -s /usr/bin/bison /usr/bin/yacc

lfs@vbox:~$ bash version-check.sh 
OK:    Coreutils 9.5    >= 8.1
OK:    Bash      5.2.32 >= 3.2
OK:    Binutils  2.43.1 >= 2.13.1
OK:    Bison     3.8.2  >= 2.7
OK:    Diffutils 3.10   >= 2.8.1
OK:    Findutils 4.10.0 >= 4.2.31
OK:    Gawk      5.3.0  >= 4.0.1
OK:    GCC       14.2.1 >= 5.2
OK:    GCC (C++) 14.2.1 >= 5.2
OK:    Grep      3.11   >= 2.5.1a
OK:    Gzip      1.13   >= 1.3.12
OK:    M4        1.4.19 >= 1.4.10
OK:    Make      4.4.1  >= 4.0
OK:    Patch     2.7.6  >= 2.5.4
OK:    Perl      5.40.0 >= 5.8.8
OK:    Python    3.13.0 >= 3.4
OK:    Sed       4.9    >= 4.1.5
OK:    Tar       1.35   >= 1.22
OK:    Texinfo   7.1    >= 5.0
OK:    Xz        5.6.2  >= 5.0.0
OK:    Linux Kernel 6.11.4 >= 4.19
OK:    Linux Kernel supports UNIX 98 PTY
Aliases:
OK:    awk  is GNU
OK:    yacc is Bison
OK:    sh   is Bash
Compiler check:
OK:    g++ works
OK: nproc reports 4 logical cores are available