Static executables on other platforms: Native builds via Nix

[wolfgangwalther]

We have been building a static executable for x64-linux for quite a while now. From this, the minimal docker image is created.

It would be really cool, if we could build the static executable on other platforms, too - and then create a multi-layer docker image, which provides minimal image size for different platforms.

One way to do this would be to run a nix environment on those platforms and build the static executable natively.

This issue collects the current state of affairs.

---

Linux on x64 ✅

This has been working fine for a long time. For a few weeks now, we have been building via nixpkgs' pkgsStatic.

Linux on aarch64/arm64 ❌

Last tried here on our self hosted GitHub Runner.

Currently failing with:

[3 of 3] Compiling Data.DoubleWord  ( src/Data/DoubleWord.hs, dist/build/Data/DoubleWord.o )
ghc: Failed to lookup symbol: __aarch64_ldeor2_sync
ghc: Could not load Object Code /nix/store/r64jjh6pjhf7f19wgr8mqslpk6cjh9dg-aarch64-unknown-linux-musl-ghc-native-bignum-9.4.8/lib/aarch64-unknown-linux-musl-ghc-9.4.8/ghc-prim-0.9.1/HSghc-prim-0.9.1.o.
<no location info>: error: unable to load unit `ghc-prim-0.9.1'
error: builder for '/nix/store/qgjbvyajkwandzpldwxb1dfip5pg4kyd-data-dword-static-aarch64-unknown-linux-musl-0.3.2.1.drv' failed with exit code 1;
       last 10 log lines:
       >      |
       > 1047 |                          , appV 'bitSize [SigE (VarE 'undefined) loT] ]]
       >      |                                 ^^^^^^^^
       > [3 of 3] Compiling Data.DoubleWord  ( src/Data/DoubleWord.hs, dist/build/Data/DoubleWord.o )
       > ghc: Failed to lookup symbol: __aarch64_ldeor2_sync
       >
       > ghc: Could not load Object Code /nix/store/r64jjh6pjhf7f19wgr8mqslpk6cjh9dg-aarch64-unknown-linux-musl-ghc-native-bignum-9.4.8/lib/aarch64-unknown-linux-musl-ghc-9.4.8/ghc-prim-0.9.1/HSghc-prim-0.9.1.o.
       >
       >
       > <no location info>: error: unable to load unit `ghc-prim-0.9.1'
       For full logs, run 'nix-store -l /nix/store/qgjbvyajkwandzpldwxb1dfip5pg4kyd-data-dword-static-aarch64-unknown-linux-musl-0.3.2.1.drv'.

MacOS on x64 ❌

Last tried here on the regular macos GitHub Runner.

Currently failing with:

error: don't yet have a `targetPackages.darwin.LibsystemCross for x86_64-apple-darwin`

Related: NixOS/nixpkgs#256590

MacOS on aarch64/arm64 ❌

Last tried here via FlyCI runner connected to my fork.

Currently failing with:

-- Looking for __atomic_fetch_add_4 in atomic - not found
CMake Error at cmake/modules/CheckAtomic.cmake:59 (message):
  Host compiler appears to require libatomic, but cannot find it.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
  cmake/config-ix.cmake:407 (include)
  CMakeLists.txt:848 (include)
-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
error: builder for '/nix/store/0xhhqzfvid6f3cbvx4bng0dl93xydva0-llvm-static-aarch64-apple-darwin-16.0.6.drv' failed with exit code 1;
       last 10 log lines:
       > -- Looking for __atomic_fetch_add_4 in atomic
       > -- Looking for __atomic_fetch_add_4 in atomic - not found
       > CMake Error at cmake/modules/CheckAtomic.cmake:59 (message):
       >   Host compiler appears to require libatomic, but cannot find it.
       > Call Stack (most recent call first):
       >   cmake/config-ix.cmake:407 (include)
       >   CMakeLists.txt:848 (include)
       >
       > 
       > -- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
       For full logs, run 'nix log /nix/store/0xhhqzfvid6f3cbvx4bng0dl93xydva0-llvm-static-aarch64-apple-darwin-16.0.6.drv'.

Other

• ❔ FreeBSD could be possible in theory, we could try to run it on a Cirrus CI FreeBSD instance.
• ❌ Windows is not supported by nix. It can run in WSL2, I think, but that won't help us building natively.