On 2024-02-29, Jean-Pierre De Jesus DIAZ wrote:
> As the ath9k-htc-firmware package requires a custom toolchain to build
> the firmware I thought it was best to have a target for this specific
> package as it modifies the default configuration of the Xtensa target in
> GCC.
>
> To work around this a new target is added: xtensa-ath9k-elf.
>
> It uses binutils@2.33 and the patched version of GCC to properly compile
> the firmware. So, as a result it allows using #:target keyword parameter
> to cross-compile the firmware and avoids explicitly adding the cross
> compiler in the NATIVE-INPUTS field.

I am not in a position to evaluate the correctness of the proposed
toolchain changes, but conceptually it makes sense.


> As a result the ath9k-htc-firmware package was splitted into two and
> uses the cmake-build-sytem now to use Guix's cross-compilation support
> properly, so it removes the need for the ath9k-htc-firmware-objcopy.patch.

This makes sense to me too.


> The [PATCH 7/8] contains a patch that was already sent to:
>
> https://issues.guix.gnu.org/68366

Ok, one of these two patch series will need to be refactored depending
on which gets applied first.


> I don't have the hardware to test this firmware but the build produces
> the same hashes for the firmware so it's safe to say that the firmware
> should keep working.

I do have some of the hardware to test, though have not had a chance to
test the patches... will try to get on that.

Obviously producing identical hashes is quite compelling; this is an
excellent example of applying Reproducible Builds to refactoring code!


> The hashes with this patch series:
>
> a5481cc67d962b217de1300121a6c7584e847cbe215442553d24a2173ca9202e  /gnu/store/0i3zw28pvrr8l85fx79i8lq0f9vmgyjz-ath9k-htc-ar9271-firmware-1.4.0/lib/firmware/htc_9271.fw
> eef84c16e3edad3fdec19c985d190b5ed3f5bd5bae20be5579681ab35f001406  /gnu/store/iqbd77grzy4sngkxz9lgyvk52apn8vzj-ath9k-htc-ar7010-firmware-1.4.0/lib/firmware/htc_7010.fw
>
> And the hashes in master at commit 75bad75367fcf2c289fae3b40dbcc850f92177be:
>
> a5481cc67d962b217de1300121a6c7584e847cbe215442553d24a2173ca9202e  /gnu/store/0m45gn74b5bavxq77158i3l593lh082r-ath9k-htc-firmware-1.4.0/lib/firmware/htc_9271.fw
> eef84c16e3edad3fdec19c985d190b5ed3f5bd5bae20be5579681ab35f001406  /gnu/store/0m45gn74b5bavxq77158i3l593lh082r-ath9k-htc-firmware-1.4.0/lib/firmware/htc_7010.fw

Yay!


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