Build the host SDK and Python wheel

Use CMake/Ninja presets for native builds, GTest for native tests and Pytest for Python and integration tests. Install prerequisites from the macOS and Linux source guide.

Build and test from a checkout

export SYMBIAN_DEPS_PREFIX="$PWD/.symbian/host-deps"
scripts/bootstrap_wheel_deps.sh
cmake --preset debug
cmake --build --preset debug --parallel 4
ctest --preset debug
uv sync
uv run pytest -q
uv build --wheel

The isolated prefix supplies static OpenSSL, libusb, Boost and zlib. Abseil, nlohmann::json and pybind11_abseil use pinned source revisions; source-directory overrides allow prepared offline inputs. On Linux the bootstrap also needs Perl's IPC::Cmd and Time::Piece modules.

Native libraries default to exceptions disabled. Selected Boost implementation and pybind11 translation units explicitly enable exceptions where required. Linux hides statically linked vendor symbols.

build/debug/compile_commands.json contains host commands and, when the source SDK is prepared, the configured GUI's ARM commands. Host and guest builds use separate target configurations. See CLion setup and the guest runtime.

Check an installed wheel

Install a built wheel into a fresh environment and run the audit outside the checkout:

python -m venv /tmp/symbian-wheel-check
/tmp/symbian-wheel-check/bin/pip install /absolute/path/to/the.whl
cd /tmp
/tmp/symbian-wheel-check/bin/python -m symbian.build_support.audit \
  /absolute/path/to/the.whl

The audit checks Mach-O/ELF dependency closure, native imports, structured statuses, CLI tools and packaged resources. Linux distribution wheels also require manylinux repair and tagging; a local linux_x86_64 or linux_aarch64 wheel is not automatically a manylinux wheel.

The host tooling wheel does not include firmware. Prepare the native target SDK separately using SDK installation.

Install a standalone C++ host SDK

Configure the host install explicitly. The prefix contains headers, one static archive with its private dependency closure, CMake configuration, licenses and symbian-native. It does not include the ARM guest SDK or firmware.

export SYMBIAN_DEPS_PREFIX="$PWD/.symbian/host-deps"
scripts/bootstrap_wheel_deps.sh
cmake --preset release -DSYMBIAN_INSTALL_HOST_SDK=ON \
  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="$PWD/.symbian/host-sdk"
cmake --build --preset release --parallel 4
ctest --preset release
cmake --install build/release
uv run python scripts/check_host_sdk.py .symbian/host-sdk

The installed prefix can move without rebasing its CMake configuration. An ordinary consumer needs only the host compiler, CMake and OS thread/system libraries; it does not need separate Boost, Abseil, OpenSSL, libusb or zlib installations. For a directory containing main.cc and CMakeLists.txt:

cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.28)
project(export_reader LANGUAGES CXX)
find_package(SymbianHost CONFIG REQUIRED)
add_executable(export_reader main.cc)
target_link_libraries(export_reader PRIVATE Symbian::Host)

#include <iostream>

#include "symbian/sdk/exports.h"

int main() {
  auto exports = symbian::sdk::ParseExports("EXPORTS\nExample @ 7 NONAME\n");
  if (!exports.ok()) {
    std::cerr << exports.status() << '\n';
    return 1;
  }
  std::cout << exports->front().ordinal << '\n';
  return 0;
}

cmake -S . -B build -G Ninja -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=/absolute/host-sdk
cmake --build build
./build/export_reader

Publish a native image without Python

symbian-native calls the same native format implementation as the Python CLI. It converts a linked guest ELF and generates import-proxy sources:

/absolute/host-sdk/bin/symbian-native convert-exe \
  --input app.elf --uid3 0xE0000808 --output app.exe \
  --import-proxy /absolute/sdk/proxies/euser/euser.dso
/absolute/host-sdk/bin/symbian-native proxy-sources \
  --definition euser.def --symbol _ZN4User4ExitEi \
  --target-dll euser.dll --output generated-proxy

Declare every import proxy used by the ELF. For an import-free image, omit --import-proxy; for the legacy process profile, add --kernel eka1 and use compatible GNU2 proxies. convert-dll additionally requires --definition with frozen exports; EKA1 DLL publication is unsupported.

Proxy generation writes exports.S, exports.map and proxy.ld for the ARM compiler/linker. The installed SymbianPic helper uses this native tool when available. Conversion rejects unsupported ELF profiles, and output paths that alias an input are rejected before publication. Inputs are limited to 64 MiB.

Reuse the host archive across Python builds

After installing the C++ host SDK, build only the Python binding layer for each interpreter. Select the prefix with SYMBIAN_PREBUILT_HOST_SDK:

CMAKE_ARGS="-DSYMBIAN_PREBUILT_HOST_SDK=$PWD/.symbian/host-sdk" \
  uv build --python 3.12 --wheel --out-dir dist

The prefix must match the source version, OS, architecture, C++ ABI and deployment target. Build separate binding wheels for each Python version; the host archive is reused. On macOS, set the same MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET when building the static dependencies, host SDK and binding wheels. Audit each installed wheel as shown above.