Cross compiler

[danielktdoranie]

I would like to compile source code for my PowerPC G4 Macs using my MacBook Air (M1, 2020) anyone know of a good cross compiler? I am a newbie to compiling code but being as my PowerBook G4 15" (2005 PowerBook5,4) is slow AF to compile code cross compiling interests me.

I found OSXCROSS but and I understand it will at least compile code for G4 Macs running Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard but I don't know if it runs on a MacBook Air (M1, 2020) with macOS Sonoma 14.3

Any suggestions?

 

[bzgnyc2]

I think the most likely paths to success are going to be getting recent versions of GNU C to cross-compile to MacOS X PPC/10.5/Leopard or getting LLVM 7 to run under macOS 14/Sonoma.

I don't know OSXCROSS but a quick glance at the GitHub suggests Thomas has two parallel efforts going on:
1. GNU C 5.5 toolchain running under Linux targeting PPC/macOS 10.5 (not sure why GNU C 5.5 and not newer ones used -- at first glance looks like PPC support has been retained up through at least GNU C 12)
2. LLVM toolchain running Linux targeting recent macOS (i386 - ARM)

Since LLVM 8 dropped support for mac/PPC, my guess is that the work done as part of #2 won't be helpful to you (maybe a few tips across the instructions/documentation that you can repurpose but can't tell). However, I believe what you want to do should be possible either using directly or for inspiration #1 as a start and pursuing one of the two paths I mentioned. May require quite a bit of elbow grease...

I am curious, is this purely for fun or do you have a business reason to targeting PowerPC/MacOS X?

 

[danielktdoranie]

Thanks for your reply and advice, I will certainly take that advice on.

I am curious, is this purely for fun or do you have a business reason to targeting PowerPC/MacOS X?

Oh my interest is purely for autodidactic purposes. Could anyone actually make money with new PowerPC Mac software? Ha ha.