[gentoo-user] Anybody got a Gentoo system working under uclibc?

[gentoo-user] Anybody got a Gentoo system working under uclibc?

[waltdnes]

  I'm testing uclibc in a 32-bit QEMU Gentoo VM.  I want to eventually
install on my ancient 32-bit-only netbook.  I'm running into problems.
See https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-7912494.html

  To summarize...
  * static IP works for eth0, but dhcpcd fails, which is bad news for a
    laptop or netbook
  * when building x-rg-server, the builds for xf86-input-keyboard and
    xf86-video-intel fail to compile
  * www-client/w3m fails to build, so I can't even get decent textmode
    web browsing

-- 
Walter Dnes <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>
I don't run "desktop environments"; I run useful applications

Re: [gentoo-user] Anybody got a Gentoo system working under uclibc?

[Corbin]

On 04/27/2016 09:12 AM, waltdnes@waltdnes.org wrote:
>    I'm testing uclibc in a 32-bit QEMU Gentoo VM.  I want to eventually
> install on my ancient 32-bit-only netbook.  I'm running into problems.
> See https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-7912494.html
>
>    To summarize...
>    * static IP works for eth0, but dhcpcd fails, which is bad news for a
>      laptop or netbook
>    * when building x-rg-server, the builds for xf86-input-keyboard and
>      xf86-video-intel fail to compile
>    * www-client/w3m fails to build, so I can't even get decent textmode
>      web browsing
>

You already found my test load :)
Glad it helped someone.

Did you have/add "evdev" in "make.conf" for INPUT_DEVICES?
"evdev" is built-into-the-kernel or a kernel module. The newer input 
function, augmenting/replacing the AT keyboard and /dev/psaux.
( Seems "evdev" is almost replacing the functions of "xf86-input" 
libraries for Xorg.)

What CPU flags did you set/unset for the build?

My reason for asking ... a lot of software has an unmarked dependency on 
"sse/sse2". If the info on the Atom CPU I found was correct ... it 
doesn't have sse/sse2 instruction sets.

Useful Info : https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Safe_CFLAGS

Hope this helps.

Re: [gentoo-user] Anybody got a Gentoo system working under uclibc?

[waltdnes]

On Wed, Apr 27, 2016 at 12:25:41PM -0500, Corbin wrote
> 
> On 04/27/2016 09:12 AM, waltdnes@waltdnes.org wrote:
> >    I'm testing uclibc in a 32-bit QEMU Gentoo VM.  I want to eventually
> > install on my ancient 32-bit-only netbook.  I'm running into problems.
> > See https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-7912494.html
> >
> >    To summarize...
> >    * static IP works for eth0, but dhcpcd fails, which is bad news for a
> >      laptop or netbook
> >    * when building x-rg-server, the builds for xf86-input-keyboard and
> >      xf86-video-intel fail to compile
> >    * www-client/w3m fails to build, so I can't even get decent textmode
> >      web browsing
> >
> 
> You already found my test load :)
> Glad it helped someone.
> 
> Did you have/add "evdev" in "make.conf" for INPUT_DEVICES?
> "evdev" is built-into-the-kernel or a kernel module. The newer input 
> function, augmenting/replacing the AT keyboard and /dev/psaux.
> ( Seems "evdev" is almost replacing the functions of "xf86-input" 
> libraries for Xorg.)

  No.  Do I have to set something in the kernel?  Will the keyboard work
with evdev and without xf86-input-keyboard?  My netbook uses framebuffer
video driver, so I might try using that in the uclibc VM.

> What CPU flags did you set/unset for the build?
> 
> My reason for asking ... a lot of software has an unmarked dependency on 
> "sse/sse2". If the info on the Atom CPU I found was correct ... it 
> doesn't have sse/sse2 instruction sets.

  My Atom netbook has them, according to /proc/cpuinfo

flags           : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge
mca cmov pat clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe nx
constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts aperfmperf pni dtes64 monitor ds_cpl
vmx est tm2 ssse3 xtpr pdcm movbe lahf_lm dtherm tpr_shadow vnmi
flexpriority

  Note also the "movbe" flag.  *I CANNOT TEST RUN MY NETBOOK-OPTIMIZED
CODE I BUILD IN THE QEMU VM*.  QEMU claims to emulate "Atom" CPUs.
There are over 100 different atoms in the periodic table known to
physicists, and Intel is just as bad, with all their "Atom" variants.
QEMU's "Atom" emulation does not support the "movbe" flag.  So I simply
run with the host CPU in a 32-bit VM, and set "-march=native".  When
building for the netbook, I build with "-march=bonnell".  Important
distinction...

different "-march" values != crossdev

  As long as the "CHOST" variable is identical, you can build for
different "-march" variants, even those that won't run in the build
environment.

> Useful Info : https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Safe_CFLAGS

See also http://gentoo-en.vfose.ru/wiki/Safe_Cflags#-march.3Dnative

gcc -march=native -E -v - </dev/null 2>&1 | grep cc1

  Ignore all the fancy flags.  Both of those pages come up with output
that shows "-march=bonnell" on my Atom
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnell_%28microarchitecture%29

  I have a standard glibc 32-bit VM which I use for Gentoo distcc for
the Atom, as well as manually building Pale Moon web browser.  I use the
following settings for both...

CFLAGS="-O2 -march=bonnell -mfpmath=sse -pipe -fomit-frame-pointer \
-fno-unwind-tables -fno-asynchronous-unwind-tables"

CCFLAGS="${CFLAGS}"

  "-march=bonnell" implies all the other flags, so no need to enter them
into the CFLAGS variable.

  Thanks for that initial post.  I had almost given up on even a minimal
install, before I found it.

-- 
Walter Dnes <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>
I don't run "desktop environments"; I run useful applications

Re: [gentoo-user] Anybody got a Gentoo system working under uclibc?

[Corbin]

On 04/27/2016 04:31 PM, waltdnes@waltdnes.org wrote:
> On Wed, Apr 27, 2016 at 12:25:41PM -0500, Corbin wrote
>>
>> On 04/27/2016 09:12 AM, waltdnes@waltdnes.org wrote:
>>>     I'm testing uclibc in a 32-bit QEMU Gentoo VM.  I want to eventually
>>> install on my ancient 32-bit-only netbook.  I'm running into problems.
>>> See https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-7912494.html
>>>
>>>     To summarize...
>>>     * static IP works for eth0, but dhcpcd fails, which is bad news for a
>>>       laptop or netbook
>>>     * when building x-rg-server, the builds for xf86-input-keyboard and
>>>       xf86-video-intel fail to compile
>>>     * www-client/w3m fails to build, so I can't even get decent textmode
>>>       web browsing
>>>
>>
>> You already found my test load :)
>> Glad it helped someone.
>>
>> Did you have/add "evdev" in "make.conf" for INPUT_DEVICES?
>> "evdev" is built-into-the-kernel or a kernel module. The newer input
>> function, augmenting/replacing the AT keyboard and /dev/psaux.
>> ( Seems "evdev" is almost replacing the functions of "xf86-input"
>> libraries for Xorg.)
>
>    No.  Do I have to set something in the kernel?  Will the keyboard work
> with evdev and without xf86-input-keyboard?  My netbook uses framebuffer
> video driver, so I might try using that in the uclibc VM.
>
>> What CPU flags did you set/unset for the build?
>>
>> My reason for asking ... a lot of software has an unmarked dependency on
>> "sse/sse2". If the info on the Atom CPU I found was correct ... it
>> doesn't have sse/sse2 instruction sets.
>
>    My Atom netbook has them, according to /proc/cpuinfo
>
> flags           : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge
> mca cmov pat clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe nx
> constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts aperfmperf pni dtes64 monitor ds_cpl
> vmx est tm2 ssse3 xtpr pdcm movbe lahf_lm dtherm tpr_shadow vnmi
> flexpriority
>
>    Note also the "movbe" flag.  *I CANNOT TEST RUN MY NETBOOK-OPTIMIZED
> CODE I BUILD IN THE QEMU VM*.  QEMU claims to emulate "Atom" CPUs.
> There are over 100 different atoms in the periodic table known to
> physicists, and Intel is just as bad, with all their "Atom" variants.
> QEMU's "Atom" emulation does not support the "movbe" flag.  So I simply
> run with the host CPU in a 32-bit VM, and set "-march=native".  When
> building for the netbook, I build with "-march=bonnell".  Important
> distinction...
>
> different "-march" values != crossdev
>
>    As long as the "CHOST" variable is identical, you can build for
> different "-march" variants, even those that won't run in the build
> environment.
>
>> Useful Info : https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Safe_CFLAGS
>
> See also http://gentoo-en.vfose.ru/wiki/Safe_Cflags#-march.3Dnative
>
> gcc -march=native -E -v - </dev/null 2>&1 | grep cc1
>
>    Ignore all the fancy flags.  Both of those pages come up with output
> that shows "-march=bonnell" on my Atom
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnell_%28microarchitecture%29
>
>    I have a standard glibc 32-bit VM which I use for Gentoo distcc for
> the Atom, as well as manually building Pale Moon web browser.  I use the
> following settings for both...
>
> CFLAGS="-O2 -march=bonnell -mfpmath=sse -pipe -fomit-frame-pointer \
> -fno-unwind-tables -fno-asynchronous-unwind-tables"
>
> CCFLAGS="${CFLAGS}"
>
>    "-march=bonnell" implies all the other flags, so no need to enter them
> into the CFLAGS variable.
>
>    Thanks for that initial post.  I had almost given up on even a minimal
> install, before I found it.
>

Your Welcome.

Link for "evdev" : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evdev

The default kernel config has "evdev" built into the kernel.

On my desktop, Nvidia drivers do look for and use "evdev" without 
Wayland support in Xorg. ( XFCE )

This might be pedantic ...
... add "sse sse2 sse3 ssse3 mmx acpi -mmxext" to your USE flags in 
"make.conf" ( if not already present. ) Some packages look for those 
flags in strange ways.

Using a one-problem-at-a-time approach ...

< Proposed Test / Xorg Fix >
... adding "libinput" to the USE flags in your "make.conf".
... setting INPUT_DEVICES="evdev" in "make.conf".

Desktops that should work with "libinput/evdev" ONLY are QT4, QT5, XFCE.
XFCE provides its own keyboard library and config applets/plugins. Don't 
know about QT4 / QT5.

If you have not already done this ... might want to set 
VIDEO_CARDS="fbdev vesa" or just "fbdev" to save compile time.

This is getting very interesting.
Please let us know how this works out :)

Re: [gentoo-user] Anybody got a Gentoo system working under uclibc?

[waltdnes]

On Wed, Apr 27, 2016 at 07:30:12PM -0500, Corbin wrote
> 
> 
> 
> Your Welcome.
> 
> Link for "evdev" : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evdev
> 
> The default kernel config has "evdev" built into the kernel.
> 
> On my desktop, Nvidia drivers do look for and use "evdev" without 
> Wayland support in Xorg. ( XFCE )
> 
> This might be pedantic ...
> ... add "sse sse2 sse3 ssse3 mmx acpi -mmxext" to your USE flags in 
> "make.conf" ( if not already present. ) Some packages look for those 
> flags in strange ways.
> 
> Using a one-problem-at-a-time approach ...
> 
> < Proposed Test / Xorg Fix >
> ... adding "libinput" to the USE flags in your "make.conf".
> ... setting INPUT_DEVICES="evdev" in "make.conf".
> 
> Desktops that should work with "libinput/evdev" ONLY are QT4, QT5, XFCE.
> XFCE provides its own keyboard library and config applets/plugins. Don't 
> know about QT4 / QT5.
> 
> If you have not already done this ... might want to set 
> VIDEO_CARDS="fbdev vesa" or just "fbdev" to save compile time.
> 
> This is getting very interesting.
> Please let us know how this works out :)

  It's not the cpu flags.  I have an identical glibc-based VM where the
drivers build just fine.  Also, this is a code problem... both with and
without "evdev"...

> libtool: compile:  i686-gentoo-linux-uclibc-gcc -std=gnu99 -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I.
> -I/var/tmp/portage/x11-drivers/xf86-input-keyboard-1.8.1/work/xf86-input-keyboard-1.8.1/src
> -I.. -fvisibility=hidden -I/usr/include/xorg -I/usr/include/pixman-1
> -I/usr/include/X11/dri -I/usr/include/libdrm -Wall -Wpointer-arith
> -Wmissing-declarations -Wformat=2 -Wstrict-prototypes
> -Wmissing-prototypes -Wnested-externs -Wbad-function-cast
> -Wold-style-definition -Wdeclaration-after-statement -Wunused
> -Wuninitialized -Wshadow -Wmissing-noreturn -Wmissing-format-attribute
> -Wredundant-decls -Wlogical-op -Werror=implicit -Werror=nonnull
> -Werror=init-self -Werror=main -Werror=missing-braces
> -Werror=sequence-point -Werror=return-type -Werror=trigraphs
> -Werror=array-bounds -Werror=write-strings -Werror=address
> -Werror=int-to-pointer-cast -Werror=pointer-to-int-cast
> -fno-strict-aliasing -O2 -march=native -mfpmath=sse -fomit-frame-pointer
> -pipe -fno-unwind-tables -fno-asynchronous-unwind-tables -c
> /var/tmp/portage/x11-drivers/xf86-input-keyboard-1.8.1/work/xf86-input-keyboard-1.8.1/src/at_scancode.c
> -fPIC -DPIC -o .libs/at_scancode.o
> /var/tmp/portage/x11-drivers/xf86-input-keyboard-1.8.1/work/xf86-input-keyboard-1.8.1/src/lnx_kbd.c:
> In function 'OpenKeyboard':
> /var/tmp/portage/x11-drivers/xf86-input-keyboard-1.8.1/work/xf86-input-keyboard-1.8.1/src/lnx_kbd.c:194:8:
> error: implicit declaration of function 'getpgid'
> [-Werror=implicit-function-declaration]
>         rc = tcsetpgrp(pInfo->fd, getpgid(0));
>         ^
> /var/tmp/portage/x11-drivers/xf86-input-keyboard-1.8.1/work/xf86-input-keyboard-1.8.1/src/lnx_kbd.c:194:8:
> warning: nested extern declaration of 'getpgid' [-Wnested-externs]

-- 
Walter Dnes <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>
I don't run "desktop environments"; I run useful applications

Re: [gentoo-user] Anybody got a Gentoo system working under uclibc?

[Corbin]

On 04/27/2016 10:16 PM, waltdnes@waltdnes.org wrote:
> On Wed, Apr 27, 2016 at 07:30:12PM -0500, Corbin wrote
>>
>>
>>
>> Your Welcome.
>>
>> Link for "evdev" : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evdev
>>
>> The default kernel config has "evdev" built into the kernel.
>>
>> On my desktop, Nvidia drivers do look for and use "evdev" without
>> Wayland support in Xorg. ( XFCE )
>>
>> This might be pedantic ...
>> ... add "sse sse2 sse3 ssse3 mmx acpi -mmxext" to your USE flags in
>> "make.conf" ( if not already present. ) Some packages look for those
>> flags in strange ways.
>>
>> Using a one-problem-at-a-time approach ...
>>
>> < Proposed Test / Xorg Fix >
>> ... adding "libinput" to the USE flags in your "make.conf".
>> ... setting INPUT_DEVICES="evdev" in "make.conf".
>>
>> Desktops that should work with "libinput/evdev" ONLY are QT4, QT5, XFCE.
>> XFCE provides its own keyboard library and config applets/plugins. Don't
>> know about QT4 / QT5.
>>
>> If you have not already done this ... might want to set
>> VIDEO_CARDS="fbdev vesa" or just "fbdev" to save compile time.
>>
>> This is getting very interesting.
>> Please let us know how this works out :)
>
>    It's not the cpu flags.  I have an identical glibc-based VM where the
> drivers build just fine.  Also, this is a code problem... both with and
> without "evdev"...
>
>> libtool: compile:  i686-gentoo-linux-uclibc-gcc -std=gnu99 -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I.
>> -I/var/tmp/portage/x11-drivers/xf86-input-keyboard-1.8.1/work/xf86-input-keyboard-1.8.1/src
>> -I.. -fvisibility=hidden -I/usr/include/xorg -I/usr/include/pixman-1
>> -I/usr/include/X11/dri -I/usr/include/libdrm -Wall -Wpointer-arith
>> -Wmissing-declarations -Wformat=2 -Wstrict-prototypes
>> -Wmissing-prototypes -Wnested-externs -Wbad-function-cast
>> -Wold-style-definition -Wdeclaration-after-statement -Wunused
>> -Wuninitialized -Wshadow -Wmissing-noreturn -Wmissing-format-attribute
>> -Wredundant-decls -Wlogical-op -Werror=implicit -Werror=nonnull
>> -Werror=init-self -Werror=main -Werror=missing-braces
>> -Werror=sequence-point -Werror=return-type -Werror=trigraphs
>> -Werror=array-bounds -Werror=write-strings -Werror=address
>> -Werror=int-to-pointer-cast -Werror=pointer-to-int-cast
>> -fno-strict-aliasing -O2 -march=native -mfpmath=sse -fomit-frame-pointer
>> -pipe -fno-unwind-tables -fno-asynchronous-unwind-tables -c
>> /var/tmp/portage/x11-drivers/xf86-input-keyboard-1.8.1/work/xf86-input-keyboard-1.8.1/src/at_scancode.c
>> -fPIC -DPIC -o .libs/at_scancode.o
>> /var/tmp/portage/x11-drivers/xf86-input-keyboard-1.8.1/work/xf86-input-keyboard-1.8.1/src/lnx_kbd.c:
>> In function 'OpenKeyboard':
>> /var/tmp/portage/x11-drivers/xf86-input-keyboard-1.8.1/work/xf86-input-keyboard-1.8.1/src/lnx_kbd.c:194:8:
>> error: implicit declaration of function 'getpgid'
>> [-Werror=implicit-function-declaration]
>>          rc = tcsetpgrp(pInfo->fd, getpgid(0));
>>          ^
>> /var/tmp/portage/x11-drivers/xf86-input-keyboard-1.8.1/work/xf86-input-keyboard-1.8.1/src/lnx_kbd.c:194:8:
>> warning: nested extern declaration of 'getpgid' [-Wnested-externs]
>

Did some searching on "getpgid" ... looks to be related to GNU glibc.
> https://www.gnu.org/software/libc/manual/html_node/Process-Group-Functions.html

> error: implicit declaration of function 'getpgid'
Maybe they used an implicit glibc getpgid call instead of the specific 
posix_getpgid call? ( guessing )

( Is Xorg dumping POSIX compliance? Or is this a bug? )

Questions ... if you will permit :

Are you saying that in "make.conf" you set INPUT_DEVICES="evdev" and did 
a test compile run?
The emerge you tried ... was it "xorg-base/xorg-x11"?
Or did you try a meta package for a desktop?

If a hard dependency link between Xorg server -> xf86-input-keyboard 
exists, this will never work. I have no idea at this point if this is 
true. What I have been reading suggests that the xf86-input keyboard and 
mouse libs are being phased out.

With that call ?error? ... Xorg may be an impossible goal / waste of 
time on uClibc.

Thank you for sharing this info.

[gentoo-user] Re: Anybody got a Gentoo system working under uclibc?

[James]

Corbin <corbinbird <at> charter.net> writes:


> If a hard dependency link between Xorg server -> xf86-input-keyboard 
> exists, this will never work. I have no idea at this point if this is 
> true. What I have been reading suggests that the xf86-input keyboard and 
> mouse libs are being phased out.

> With that call ?error? ... Xorg may be an impossible goal / waste of 
> time on uClibc.


Hmmmm. Anthony (Blueness@gentoo.org) is extraordinarily knowledgable 
with uclibc and related issues. So that is where I would seek clarity,  
advice  and pathways for what you seek [1].


hth,
James


[1] https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Hardened_uClibc

Re: [gentoo-user] Anybody got a Gentoo system working under uclibc?

[waltdnes]

On Thu, Apr 28, 2016 at 08:33:01AM -0500, Corbin wrote
> 
> 
> Questions ... if you will permit :
> 
> Are you saying that in "make.conf" you set INPUT_DEVICES="evdev" and did 
> a test compile run?
> The emerge you tried ... was it "xorg-base/xorg-x11"?
> Or did you try a meta package for a desktop?

  xorg-server, intending to add ICEWM later.

> If a hard dependency link between Xorg server -> xf86-input-keyboard 
> exists, this will never work. I have no idea at this point if this is 
> true. What I have been reading suggests that the xf86-input keyboard and 
> mouse libs are being phased out.
> 
> With that call ?error? ... Xorg may be an impossible goal / waste of 
> time on uClibc.

  I tried INPUT_DEVICES="evdev mouse keyboard", which probably caused
the problem.  With INPUT_DEVICES="evdev" and VIDEO_CARDS="vesa fbdev",
things build OK.  Whether they'll work, I don't know, but at least it
builds.  ICEWM appears to be building too.  Actually, ICEWM has a
"(uclibc)" USE flag which is automatically hard-invoked or hard-masked
depending on whether or not the system uses uclibc.

  James points to https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Hardened_uClibc
which mentions "Lilblue"...

> Continued developments in uClibc have made it increasingly suitable
> for systems like Lilblue, our security-enhanced, fully featured
> XFCE4 desktop, amd64 system built on uClibc.

  WHEEEEEEEEEE!  IT WOIKS!  Whilst I was typing away, the ICEWM and
xterm builds finished.  I've brought up the basic ICEWM window with 4
work areas.  The fixes to my problem were...

INPUT_DEVICES="evdev"
VIDEO_CARDS="vesa fbdev"
enable "udev" flag in make.conf (actually it runs on eudev, but...)

  I've never used "evdev" before, so I was not familiar with how to set
it up.  It's a bit disappointing, because evdev *DEMANDS* udev, so I can
forget about switching in busybox's mdev for udev.

  BTW, I stumbled over "1 weird little tip" on the internet, to make
debugging easier for many bootup problems, not just uclibc.  Add the
"--noclear" option to the first console in /etc/inittab.  With this
option, the initial login prompt does *NOT* clear away late bootup
output, including useful error messages...

# TERMINALS
c1:12345:respawn:/sbin/agetty --noclear 38400 tty1 linux
c2:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty2 linux
c3:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty3 linux
c4:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty4 linux
c5:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty5 linux
c6:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty6 linux

-- 
Walter Dnes <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>
I don't run "desktop environments"; I run useful applications

Re: [gentoo-user] Anybody got a Gentoo system working under uclibc?

[Corbin]

On 04/28/2016 06:07 PM, waltdnes@waltdnes.org wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 28, 2016 at 08:33:01AM -0500, Corbin wrote
>>
>>
>> Questions ... if you will permit :
>>
>> Are you saying that in "make.conf" you set INPUT_DEVICES="evdev" and did
>> a test compile run?
>> The emerge you tried ... was it "xorg-base/xorg-x11"?
>> Or did you try a meta package for a desktop?
>
>    xorg-server, intending to add ICEWM later.
>
>> If a hard dependency link between Xorg server -> xf86-input-keyboard
>> exists, this will never work. I have no idea at this point if this is
>> true. What I have been reading suggests that the xf86-input keyboard and
>> mouse libs are being phased out.
>>
>> With that call ?error? ... Xorg may be an impossible goal / waste of
>> time on uClibc.
>
>    I tried INPUT_DEVICES="evdev mouse keyboard", which probably caused
> the problem.  With INPUT_DEVICES="evdev" and VIDEO_CARDS="vesa fbdev",
> things build OK.  Whether they'll work, I don't know, but at least it
> builds.  ICEWM appears to be building too.  Actually, ICEWM has a
> "(uclibc)" USE flag which is automatically hard-invoked or hard-masked
> depending on whether or not the system uses uclibc.
>
>    James points to https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Hardened_uClibc
> which mentions "Lilblue"...
>
>> Continued developments in uClibc have made it increasingly suitable
>> for systems like Lilblue, our security-enhanced, fully featured
>> XFCE4 desktop, amd64 system built on uClibc.
>
>    WHEEEEEEEEEE!  IT WOIKS!  Whilst I was typing away, the ICEWM and
> xterm builds finished.  I've brought up the basic ICEWM window with 4
> work areas.  The fixes to my problem were...
>
> INPUT_DEVICES="evdev"
> VIDEO_CARDS="vesa fbdev"
> enable "udev" flag in make.conf (actually it runs on eudev, but...)
>
>    I've never used "evdev" before, so I was not familiar with how to set
> it up.  It's a bit disappointing, because evdev *DEMANDS* udev, so I can
> forget about switching in busybox's mdev for udev.
>
>    BTW, I stumbled over "1 weird little tip" on the internet, to make
> debugging easier for many bootup problems, not just uclibc.  Add the
> "--noclear" option to the first console in /etc/inittab.  With this
> option, the initial login prompt does *NOT* clear away late bootup
> output, including useful error messages...
>
> # TERMINALS
> c1:12345:respawn:/sbin/agetty --noclear 38400 tty1 linux
> c2:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty2 linux
> c3:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty3 linux
> c4:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty4 linux
> c5:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty5 linux
> c6:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty6 linux
>

Great! Glad to hear it.

Might want to update the forum posting ... or I can update the one I 
made with this info, if you want.

It might save someone else a lot of head scratching :)

Re: [gentoo-user] Anybody got a Gentoo system working under uclibc?

[waltdnes]

On Wed, Apr 27, 2016 at 10:12:53AM -0400, waltdnes@waltdnes.org wrote
>   I'm testing uclibc in a 32-bit QEMU Gentoo VM.  I want to eventually
> install on my ancient 32-bit-only netbook.  I'm running into problems.
> See https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-7912494.html
> 
>   To summarize...
>   * static IP works for eth0, but dhcpcd fails, which is bad news for a
>     laptop or netbook

  I finally figured out dhcp.

1) net-misc/dhcp needs to be emerged, because it provides /sbin/dhclient

2) /etc/conf.d/net has to read smilar to...

config_eth0="dhclient"

Replace "eth0" with whatever the actual interface name is.

-- 
Walter Dnes <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>
I don't run "desktop environments"; I run useful applications