How to Make a Minimum Viable Software Package with NetBSD, ARM, and QEMU

The article provides a detailed guide on creating a minimum viable software package using NetBSD, ARM architecture, and QEMU. The author shares their experience of attempting to publish an API for Flying Car, highlighting the challenges faced, particularly with cross-compiling for ARM and using pkgsrc, the package management system for NetBSD. The tutorial is aimed at readers familiar with Linux and the C programming language, guiding them through the setup of a development environment using QEMU to virtualize NetBSD on ARM.

The process begins with installing QEMU and downloading the necessary NetBSD disk images. After setting up the virtual machine, the author explains how to configure SSH access and update software packages. The guide then details the steps to create a software package, including setting up the directory structure, writing necessary files like DESCR, Makefile, and PLIST, and compiling a simple "Hello World" application.

Once the application is built, the binary package is created for offline distribution. The author also explains how to install the package on another virtual machine, ensuring it runs correctly on NetBSD ARM. The article concludes with a reminder that the compiled binary is specific to NetBSD on ARMv7 and encourages readers to subscribe for future updates.