Add support to build AppImages on ARM #1564

rmartin16 · 2023-12-06T23:59:58Z

Changes

Add support for packaging AppImages for ARM
Bumps default manylinux image from manylinux2014 to manylinux_2_28
- The linuxdeploy tool for ARM requires at least glibc 2.25
- Python users are around 90% compatible with glibc 2.28

Notes

arm64 support is available for both docker and non-docker builds
It becomes more awkward for armv7 since manylinux doesn't publish an image for that arch
- I added a warning during the create process but I didn't want to prevent using docker altogether for 32-bit arm since users could use whatever docker image they want
The linuxdeploy support for ARM requires armhf....so, armv6 support is excluded

PR Checklist:

All new features have been tested
All new features have been documented
I have read the CONTRIBUTING.md file
I will abide by the code of conduct

rmartin16 · 2023-12-07T17:08:32Z

So, when only considering aarch64 support, this is all quite trivial...however, 32bit arm does throw in a few wrenches. That said, the changes and risk of fallout is all contained to AppImage/linuxdeploy support. 32bit arm is further complicated by the fact it requires a custom support package since Standalone Python doesn't publish them. The QT plugin only supports i386 and x86_64...but it errors out rather gracefully on the download error....so, I didn't change anything there.

I'm not able to test on Apple Silicon....but in theory anyway it should work in the aarch64 manylinux image.

rmartin16 · 2023-12-07T17:29:05Z

Also, for posterity....manylinux doesn't provide a i686 image for manylinux_2_28....but building the AppImage does still work without docker.

freakboy3742

All looks fairly straightforward; a couple of suggestions and one clarification request.

freakboy3742 · 2023-12-08T00:08:40Z

src/briefcase/bootstraps/pursuedpybear.py

@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ def pyproject_table_linux_system_arch(self):

    def pyproject_table_linux_appimage(self):
        return """
-manylinux = "manylinux2014"
+manylinux = "manylinux_2_28"


We should flag this change with a removal release note (in addition to the feature), as it's a notable change to defaults.

I was on the fence about whether this should be a removal note since it will only affect new projects. Although, if someone familiar with the old behavior created a wholly new project, they very well could be surprised then.

freakboy3742 · 2023-12-08T00:19:08Z

src/briefcase/integrations/linuxdeploy.py

        """The architecture defined (and supported) by linuxdeploy for AppImages."""
+        system_arch = tools.host_arch
+
+        # use 32bit linuxdeploy if using 32bit Python on 64bit hardware


It took me a moment to catch on what was going here. My initial read saw this as x86_64->i686->i386 always, not just on the "32 bit python" case. That might just be me needing a larger cup of coffee, but if you can think of a way to beef up this comment so it's more obvious, it might help.

freakboy3742 · 2023-12-08T00:36:14Z

src/briefcase/platforms/linux/appimage.py

+            manylinux_arch = "unknown"
+            self.logger.warning(
+                f"There is not a manylinux base image for {LinuxDeploy.arch(self.tools)}"
+            )


Why set the arch as "unknown" and printing a warning, so the next step fails (implicitly) on the Docker image lookup, rather than straight up failing on the arch lookup?

This one is a bit annoying....and I didn't want to introduce a bunch more changes to accommodate this better.

First, this code runs even if someone passes --no-docker. So, we can't error here if someone isn't even trying to use Docker. But....if this code doesn't run and they don't pass --no-docker next time, then the Dockerfile will definitely be hosed. (This may be best resolved by telling the user to run briefcase create linux appimage again since they want to use Docker now....but then we'd need to track they didn't use it the first time.)

Second, if someone isn't using the Briefcase template for AppImage, then the Dockerfile probably won't care about which specific manylinux image this logic determines anyway. So, I suppose we could assess the proper architecture for the name of the manylinux image after the code checks if app.manylinux exists.....but that just kinda moves the error condition around a bit and doesn't really change the underlying situation.

I don't think any of this is ideal....but I was mostly trying to avoid refactoring a bunch of this right now. Although, this really only presents because this is also introducing support for 32bit arm. If we only support aarch64, this complication (and others) goes away.

This is the balance I landed on given all this....open to other balancing points.

Ah - I hadn't considered the --no-docker case. That makes sense; and I think it's a reasonable compromise under the circumstances. My only thought is whether it might be better to use the actual architecture, rather than "unknown" (i.e., still raise the warning as you are now, but generate manylinux_2_28_armv7h as the manylinux base). That way, you'll still get an explicit pre-warning, but the Dockerfile will be in a state that won't look "wrong" - and when docker fails, the error will be of the form "manylinux_2_28_armv7h does not exist", rather than "manylinux_2_28_unknown does not exist". Both are equally true, but the former is a little more explicit about what doesn't exist... and it might exist at some point in the future.... (I doubt it, but it's at least possible)

freakboy3742 · 2023-12-08T00:36:47Z

src/briefcase/platforms/linux/appimage.py

+        except KeyError:
+            manylinux_arch = "unknown"
+            self.logger.warning(
+                f"There is not a manylinux base image for {LinuxDeploy.arch(self.tools)}"


Slightly awkward wording; suggest:

Suggested change

f"There is not a manylinux base image for {LinuxDeploy.arch(self.tools)}"

f"There is no manylinux base image for {LinuxDeploy.arch(self.tools)}"

…e change

rmartin16 · 2023-12-08T02:31:07Z

more iOS simulator fun:

[verifyapp] Starting app on an iPhone SE (3rd generation) running iOS 16.2 (device UDID 1A0F79A9-B187-44AF-9000-8558A7179437)
Booting simulator... done
The application /Applications/Xcode_14.2.app/Contents/Developer/Applications/Simulator.app cannot be opened for an unexpected reason, error=Error Domain=NSOSStatusErrorDomain Code=-600 "procNotFound: no eligible process with specified descriptor" UserInfo={_LSLine=387, _LSFunction=_LSAnnotateAndSendAppleEventWithOptions}
Opening simulator...

Unable to open iPhone SE (3rd generation) simulator running 16.2

freakboy3742

👍

rmartin16 force-pushed the arm-appimage branch 2 times, most recently from 220dd47 to 3938e7c Compare December 7, 2023 16:19

Add support to build AppImages on ARM

0b5e6a8

rmartin16 force-pushed the arm-appimage branch from 3938e7c to 0b5e6a8 Compare December 7, 2023 16:49

rmartin16 marked this pull request as ready for review December 7, 2023 17:11

freakboy3742 requested changes Dec 8, 2023

View reviewed changes

Revise manylinux arch warning and add removal note for manylinux imag…

f50efcc

…e change

rmartin16 force-pushed the arm-appimage branch from a51843b to f50efcc Compare December 8, 2023 02:09

rmartin16 requested a review from freakboy3742 December 8, 2023 02:21

freakboy3742 approved these changes Dec 8, 2023

View reviewed changes

freakboy3742 merged commit 230f3c1 into beeware:main Dec 8, 2023
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Add support to build AppImages on ARM #1564

Add support to build AppImages on ARM #1564

rmartin16 commented Dec 6, 2023 •

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	f"There is not a manylinux base image for {LinuxDeploy.arch(self.tools)}"
	f"There is no manylinux base image for {LinuxDeploy.arch(self.tools)}"

Add support to build AppImages on ARM #1564

Add support to build AppImages on ARM #1564

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rmartin16 commented Dec 6, 2023 • edited Loading

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PR Checklist:

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rmartin16 commented Dec 6, 2023 •

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