129 lines
3.7 KiB
Markdown
129 lines
3.7 KiB
Markdown
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# Alfred Linux — ARM64 Build Investigation
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## Executive Summary
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- ✅ Cross-compilation possible but **native ARM64 builds recommended for production**
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- Each target differs: Generic ARM64 UEFI, Raspberry Pi, Apple Silicon = separate boot chains
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- **Effort**: 4–8h (generic ARM64), 8–16h (RPi), 20–40h (Apple Silicon)
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- **Recommendation**: Start with native ARM64 build server, generic ARM64 first; defer Apple Silicon
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---
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## 1. Cross-Compilation vs Native Builds
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| Factor | Cross-Compile (x86_64) | Native (ARM64) |
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|--------|------------------------|-----------------|
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| Speed | 3–5× slower (QEMU) | 1× baseline |
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| Reliability | Potential edge cases | Most reliable |
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| Setup | Moderate (qemu-user-static) | Simple |
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| Cost | $0 (use existing server) | €10–500/mo (Hetzner ARM64 VPS) |
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| Best for | Experimentation | Production releases |
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**Recommendation: Native ARM64 build server** (Hetzner CAX21 ~€10/mo)
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---
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## 2. Boot Methods by Target
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### Generic ARM64 (UEFI servers/laptops)
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- **Boot**: UEFI firmware → GRUB2 EFI → kernel
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- **Package**: `grub-efi-arm64`
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- **Complexity**: Medium
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- **live-build**: `--bootloader grub-efi-arm64 --arch arm64`
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### Raspberry Pi 4/5
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- **Boot**: GPU firmware → EEPROM → config.txt → kernel
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- **Packages**: `raspberrypi-kernel`, `raspberrypi-bootloader`, `raspberrypi-firmware`
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- **Image**: `.img` (NOT ISO) — FAT32 boot + ext4 root
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- **Complexity**: High
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### Apple Silicon
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- **Boot**: Asahi Linux m1n1 → custom kernel
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- **Status**: NOT in mainline Debian
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- **Recommendation**: **Defer to v2.2+**
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---
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## 3. Implementation Plan
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### Phase 1: Generic ARM64 (Week 1, 4–8 hours)
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1. Add `--arch arm64` parameter to `build-unified.sh`
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2. Conditional bootloader: GRUB-EFI for ARM64, syslinux for x86
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3. Create `9999-arm64-efi-grub.hook.binary`
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4. Test on native ARM64 server
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5. Publish ARM64 ISO
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```bash
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# build-unified.sh additions
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ARCH="${1:-amd64}"
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if [[ "$ARCH" == "arm64" ]]; then
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LB_BOOTLOADER="grub-efi-arm64"
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LB_KERNEL_FLAVOUR="generic"
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fi
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```
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### Phase 2: Raspberry Pi (Week 2–3, 8–16 hours)
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1. Add `--target rpi5` parameter
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2. RPi firmware hook + config.txt generation
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3. `.img` output instead of ISO (`--image-type hdd`)
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4. Test on Pi 5 hardware
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5. RPi installation guide on alfredlinux.com/docs
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### Phase 3: CI/CD (Week 3–4)
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1. Permanent ARM64 build server
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2. Nightly builds via cron
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3. Auto-upload to alfredlinux.com
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4. Multi-arch download page
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---
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## 4. Effort Estimates
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| Target | Hours | Prerequisites | Status |
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|--------|-------|--------------|--------|
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| Generic ARM64 UEFI | 4–8 | GRUB-EFI knowledge, ARM64 server | Ready to start |
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| Raspberry Pi 4/5 | 8–16 | RPi hardware, firmware blobs | Phase 2 |
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| Apple Silicon | 20–40+ | Asahi Linux partnership | Deferred |
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| CI/CD pipeline | 6–12 | ARM64 server, testing infra | Phase 3 |
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---
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## 5. Checklist
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### Phase 1: Generic ARM64
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- [ ] Update build-unified.sh for `--arch arm64`
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- [ ] Add GRUB-EFI ARM64 conditional
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- [ ] Create ARM64 binary hook
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- [ ] Test on ARM64 server
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- [ ] Publish test ISO
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### Phase 2: Raspberry Pi
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- [ ] Add `--target rpi5` support
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- [ ] RPi firmware hook
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- [ ] .img partition layout
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- [ ] Test on Pi 5 hardware
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- [ ] RPi docs page
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### Phase 3: Automation
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- [ ] ARM64 build server setup
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- [ ] Nightly build cron
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- [ ] Auto-upload pipeline
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- [ ] Multi-arch download page
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---
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## 6. Release Plan
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| Release | Architecture | Boot | Format |
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|---------|-------------|------|--------|
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| v2.0 RC3 | x86_64 | BIOS (syslinux) | ISO |
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| v2.0 RC4+ | x86_64 + ARM64 | BIOS + UEFI | ISO |
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| v2.1 | + Raspberry Pi | RPi firmware | .img |
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| v2.2+ | + Apple Silicon (maybe) | Asahi m1n1 | TBD |
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---
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**Status:** Ready for Phase 1 | Updated: April 6, 2026
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