# chromium-fourier — first-build status (2026-04-26 00:42 UTC)

## Where we are

Build environment: **chromium-builder LXD container on boltzmann**
(8 cores, 28 GB RAM cap, 824 GB NVMe, Beryllium OS rkr3 host kernel).
Source: chromium-147.0.7727.116 release tarball extracted at
`/build/chromium/src` (25 GB extracted).

`gn gen out/Default` **succeeds** with our 7Ji-style args
(`use_v4l2_codec=true use_v4lplugin=true use_linux_v4l2_only=true
use_vaapi=false`, system toolchain via `unbundle:default`, system clang
at `/usr/bin/clang`, version-symlink `/usr/lib/clang/23` →
`/usr/lib/clang/22`, compiler-rt-adjust-paths style suffix patch
manually applied). 28057 targets generated.

`ninja -C out/Default chrome` **fails immediately** with two distinct walls:

### Wall 1 — clang version mismatch (chromium 147 ↔ Arch clang 22)

Chromium 147's compile flags include
`-fno-lifetime-dse` and
`-fsanitize-ignore-for-ubsan-feature=array-bounds`. Both are clang 23+
features. Arch Linux ARM ships **clang 22.1.3** (extra repo). Every
single C++ compile fails with `clang++: error: unknown argument`.

Resolutions, in order of effort:

- **(a)** Wait for Arch ARM to bump clang to 23. Tracking package
  upstream — happens whenever LLVM 23 lands in extra. Days to weeks.
- **(b)** Use chromium's bundled clang via
  `tools/clang/scripts/update.py`. That hits the same CIPD/gs://
  "linux-arm64 isn't a first-class target" issue we saw with
  `gclient sync` earlier — chromium's clang prebuilts are x86_64-only
  for many platforms.
- **(c)** Fork an older chromium (e.g., 132 or 138) that compiles
  cleanly with clang 22. 7Ji's chromium-mpp PKGBUILD targets 132 and
  builds clean on Arch ARM today. Loses 15 versions of upstream
  chromium evolution but ships fast.
- **(d)** Patch chromium 147 to drop the offending flags
  (`build/config/compiler/BUILD.gn` has the cflags lists). 50–200 line
  patch, brittle across version bumps but tractable. Fights every
  rebase.

### Wall 2 — bundled x86_64 esbuild under qemu

After Wall 1 (or independently for Action targets):
`qemu-x86_64-static: Could not open '/lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2'`
when chromium runs the bundled x86_64 `esbuild` from
`third_party/devtools-frontend/.../scripts/build/typescript/ts_library.py`.
Same shape as the bundled `node-linux-x64` issue we already fixed (we
symlinked system node into that path). `esbuild` needs the same
treatment — install system esbuild via `npm install -g esbuild` and
symlink it into the path chromium expects. Or install `qemu-user-static`
+ `glibc-x86_64` to make the bundled binary actually run.

**Wall 2 is much smaller than Wall 1** — a handful of bundled-x86_64
binaries to identify and replace, vs. fundamental clang version mismatch.

## What worked

- LXD container provisioning on boltzmann via his recommendation —
  the host environment is right.
- Tarball-instead-of-gclient approach — sidesteps CIPD-doesn't-have-
  linux-arm64 problem for source acquisition, leaves only a few
  bundled binary issues at build time.
- Wall 1 / Wall 2 are both **identifiable and bounded**. We're past
  the "is this even doable" phase; this is now down to grinding the
  patches.

## Options — needs your call

1. **Grind through Wall 1 with patches** — patch
   `build/config/compiler/BUILD.gn` to drop flags clang 22 doesn't
   know. Iterate per build error. Estimated 5–15 patch-and-retry
   cycles to compile clean. Then 6–10 h actual build.
2. **Pin to chromium 132** — match 7Ji's known-working version on
   Arch ARM. Drop our STUDY focus on "current upstream Chromium" and
   ship a 1-year-old binary. Build should work much sooner.
3. **Pin to chromium 138 or 140** — middle ground. Likely uses clang
   22 features and not 23. Some research needed to find the cutover.
4. **Use chromium's bundled clang** — not viable on linux-arm64
   without extensive sysroot setup; same CIPD issue as gclient sync.
5. **Wait for Arch ARM clang 23** — passive, days-to-weeks horizon.

Recommended (FWIW): **start with (3)** — find the latest chromium
version that builds clean against clang 22 (probably 138-141 range),
ship that as `chromium-fourier`, then bump as Arch ARM bumps clang.
That gives us a working browser in a few hours rather than days, on
mainline Linux + Wayland + V4L2 unlock — which is the actual goal.
The "current upstream Chromium" requirement was nice-to-have, not
essential.

## State of the build host (preserved)

- Container: `chromium-builder` on boltzmann (running, idle)
- Source: `/build/chromium/src` (extracted tarball, 25 GB)
- Build dir: `/build/chromium/src/out/Default` (gn-gen'd, no artifacts)
- Tools installed: gn, ninja, clang 22, lld, gperf, nodejs (system),
  rust, qt5/6, all the gtk/wayland/va/v4l deps from the long pacman
  shopping list
- Patches applied to source: `compiler-rt-adjust-paths` style (manual)
- Symlinks: `/usr/lib/clang/23` → `/usr/lib/clang/22`,
  `third_party/node/linux/node-linux-x64/bin/node` → `/usr/bin/node`
- Service unit history: `chromium-fetch.service` (one-shot, succeeded
  on tarball + extract); `chromium-build.service` (one-shot, three
  failed attempts above).

Discard the container and start over with option 2 if you pick that
direction; otherwise iterate from current state.