Netbeans Remote Build support for IBM i Open Source Builds

I had recently put in a request to have GCC remote build added to the IDE (RDi or Orion if Orion ever gets compile capabilities) to allow developers to develop PASE based Open Source on the IBM i from a desktop based IDE. The request has subsequently been rejected by IBM which I posted to LinkedIn as being a severe problem for IBM i Open Source development. Aaron Bartell questioned my statement and a discussion ensued about why I felt it was a problem. 

As part of that discussion I was asked to show how the Linux remote build works, so here it is.

First I searched on the Netbeans IDE how to set up a remote build target for my projects, here is the output from that search in the IDE help.

I first created a remote build host for the Linux development system we have, I felt if I could get this working I should be able to get the IBM i remote build working. Linux is far better documented on the web than IBM i Open Source development at this point.

I next created a new C project that I would use as the test.

Selected C Application as the project type.

Now I set up the application to state I will be using the remote build settings I have already created above.

On pressing enter the project is created with an empty main.c file. I can then open the project and start coding the application, when I am ready I can compile the files and Netbeans automatically sends the source to the remote system for build. In this example I simply added Hello World printf to the code and compiled it. Here is the output from the original project we tested with.

Copying project files to /home/chrish/.netbeans/remote/debian-dev.shield.local/chris-pheonix-Windows-x86_64 at chrish@debian-dev.shield.local
Building project files list…
Checking directory structure…
Checking previously uploaded files…
Checking links…
Uploading changed files:
Checking exec permissions…
Uploading changed files finished successfully.

cd ‘/home/chrish/.netbeans/remote/debian-dev.shield.local/chris-pheonix-Windows-x86_64/C/Users/chrish/Documents/NetBeansProjects/Remote_Build_Test’
rm -rf build/Debug/GNU-Linux/main.o

CLEAN SUCCESSFUL (total time: 59ms)
Copying project files to /home/chrish/.netbeans/remote/debian-dev.shield.local/chris-pheonix-Windows-x86_64 at chrish@debian-dev.shield.local
Building project files list…
Checking directory structure…
Checking previously uploaded files…
Checking links…
Uploading changed files:
Checking exec permissions…
Uploading changed files finished successfully.

cd ‘/home/chrish/.netbeans/remote/debian-dev.shield.local/chris-pheonix-Windows-x86_64/C/Users/chrish/Documents/NetBeansProjects/Remote_Build_Test’
/usr/bin/make -f nbproject/Makefile-Debug.mk build/Debug/GNU-Linux/main.o
mkdir -p build/Debug/GNU-Linux
rm -f “build/Debug/GNU-Linux/main.o.d”
gcc    -c -g -std=c99 -MMD -MP -MF “build/Debug/GNU-Linux/main.o.d” -o build/Debug/GNU-Linux/main.o main.c

COMPILE FILE SUCCESSFUL (total time: 252ms)

Now I did create a remote build with settings pointed to our IBM i, but that failed quietly with no indication on the IBM i or in the netbeans IDE as to why it fails, I will attempt to get back to debugging that later because if IBM does not build in GCC support for RDi I may have to use Netbeans as my IDE of choice for Open Source on IBM i..

None of this is rocket science, its only posted to show that remote build of C source using GCC on Linux is possible, something I wanted to see added to the IBM i IDE (RDi) as per the discussions on LinkedIn.

Here is a link to the LinkedIn discussion

Here is a link to the RFE (Note:- you need to sign in to see the RFE).

Chris..