Can't compile OpenWrt, some ubus errors happen regardless of what I am doing

For Developers
1

It seems it's unrelated to what I am trying to do:

echo "libubox" >> /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/pkginfo/libubox.default.install
rm -rf /home/emre/openwrt/tmp/stage-libubox
mkdir -p /home/emre/openwrt/tmp/stage-libubox/host /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/packages
install -d -m0755 /home/emre/openwrt/tmp/stage-libubox
cp -fpR /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/ipkg-install/* /home/emre/openwrt/tmp/stage-libubox/
find /home/emre/openwrt/tmp/stage-libubox -name '*.la' | xargs -r rm -f; 
if [ -f /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/packages/libubox.list ]; then /home/emre/openwrt/scripts/clean-package.sh "/home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/packages/libubox.list" "/home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl"; fi
if [ -d /home/emre/openwrt/tmp/stage-libubox ]; then (cd /home/emre/openwrt/tmp/stage-libubox; find ./ > /home/emre/openwrt/tmp/stage-libubox.files); 	SHELL= flock /home/emre/openwrt/tmp/.staging-dir.flock -c ' mv /home/emre/openwrt/tmp/stage-libubox.files /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/packages/libubox.list && cp -fpR /home/emre/openwrt/tmp/stage-libubox/* /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/; '; fi
rm -rf /home/emre/openwrt/tmp/stage-libubox
touch /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/stamp/.libubox_installed
rm -rf /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/libblobmsg-json.installed /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/libblobmsg-json
mkdir -p /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/libblobmsg-json
install -d -m0755 /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/libblobmsg-json/lib/
install -m0644 /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/ipkg-install/usr/lib/libblobmsg_json.so.* /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/libblobmsg-json/lib/
touch /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/libblobmsg-json.installed
rm -rf /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/jshn.installed /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/jshn
mkdir -p /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/jshn
install -d -m0755 /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/jshn/usr/bin /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/jshn/usr/share/libubox
install -m0755 /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/ipkg-install/usr/bin/jshn /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/jshn/usr/bin
install -m0644 /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/ipkg-install/usr/share/libubox/jshn.sh /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/jshn/usr/share/libubox
touch /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/jshn.installed
rm -rf /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/libjson-script.installed /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/libjson-script
mkdir -p /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/libjson-script
install -d -m0755 /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/libjson-script/lib/
install -m0644 /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/ipkg-install/usr/lib/libjson_script.so.* /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/libjson-script/lib/
touch /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/libjson-script.installed
mkdir -p /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/root-mediatek/stamp
echo '20260313' | cmp -s - /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/pkginfo/libblobmsg-json.version || { mkdir -p /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/pkginfo; echo '20260313' > /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/pkginfo/libblobmsg-json.version;  cp /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/pkginfo/libblobmsg-json.version /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/pkginfo/libblobmsg-json-any.version;  } 
SHELL= flock /home/emre/openwrt/tmp/.root-copy.flock -c 'cp -fpR /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/libblobmsg-json/. /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/root-mediatek/'
touch /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/root-mediatek/stamp/.libblobmsg-json_installed
echo "libblobmsg-json" >> /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/pkginfo/libubox.default.install
mkdir -p /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/root-mediatek/stamp
SHELL= flock /home/emre/openwrt/tmp/.root-copy.flock -c 'cp -fpR /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/jshn/. /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/root-mediatek/'
touch /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/root-mediatek/stamp/.jshn_installed
echo "jshn" >> /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/pkginfo/libubox.default.install
mkdir -p /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/root-mediatek/stamp
echo '20260313' | cmp -s - /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/pkginfo/libjson-script.version || { mkdir -p /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/pkginfo; echo '20260313' > /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/pkginfo/libjson-script.version;  cp /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/pkginfo/libjson-script.version /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/pkginfo/libjson-script-any.version;  } 
SHELL= flock /home/emre/openwrt/tmp/.root-copy.flock -c 'cp -fpR /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/libubox-2026.03.13~81563384/.pkgdir/libjson-script/. /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/root-mediatek/'
touch /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/root-mediatek/stamp/.libjson-script_installed
echo "libjson-script" >> /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/pkginfo/libubox.default.install
make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/emre/openwrt/package/libs/libubox'
time: package/libs/libubox/compile#1.79#1.29#2.87
make[3]: Entering directory '/home/emre/openwrt/package/system/ubus'
rm -f /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/ubus-2025.12.02~3cc98db1/.built
touch /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/ubus-2025.12.02~3cc98db1/.built_check
MAKEFLAGS="" /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/host/bin/ninja -v -j1 -C /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/ubus-2025.12.02~3cc98db1 
ninja: Entering directory `/home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/ubus-2025.12.02~3cc98db1'
[1/19] /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/toolchain-aarch64_cortex-a53_gcc-14.3.0_musl/bin/aarch64-openwrt-linux-musl-gcc -DUBUS_MAX_MSGLEN=1048576 -DUBUS_UNIX_SOCKET=\"/var/run/ubus/ubus.sock\"  -Os -pipe -mcpu=cortex-a53 -fno-caller-saves -fno-plt -fhonour-copts -fmacro-prefix-map=/home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/ubus-2025.12.02~3cc98db1=ubus-2025.12.02~3cc98db1 -flto=auto -fno-fat-lto-objects -Wformat -Werror=format-security -DPIC -fPIC -fstack-protector -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=1 -Wl,-z,now -Wl,-z,relro -Wl,-z,pack-relative-relocs -I/home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/usr/include  -I/home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/toolchain-aarch64_cortex-a53_gcc-14.3.0_musl/usr/include -I/home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/toolchain-aarch64_cortex-a53_gcc-14.3.0_musl/include -I/home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/toolchain-aarch64_cortex-a53_gcc-14.3.0_musl/include/fortify -DNDEBUG -Wall -Werror -Wextra -Wformat -Werror=format-security -Werror=format-nonliteral -Werror=implicit-function-declaration -Os -g3 -Wmissing-declarations -Wno-unused-parameter -std=gnu99 -MD -MT CMakeFiles/ubusd_library.dir/ubusd_id.c.o -MF CMakeFiles/ubusd_library.dir/ubusd_id.c.o.d -o CMakeFiles/ubusd_library.dir/ubusd_id.c.o -c '/home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/ubus-2025.12.02~3cc98db1/ubusd_id.c'
FAILED: [code=1] CMakeFiles/ubusd_library.dir/ubusd_id.c.o 
/home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/toolchain-aarch64_cortex-a53_gcc-14.3.0_musl/bin/aarch64-openwrt-linux-musl-gcc -DUBUS_MAX_MSGLEN=1048576 -DUBUS_UNIX_SOCKET=\"/var/run/ubus/ubus.sock\"  -Os -pipe -mcpu=cortex-a53 -fno-caller-saves -fno-plt -fhonour-copts -fmacro-prefix-map=/home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/ubus-2025.12.02~3cc98db1=ubus-2025.12.02~3cc98db1 -flto=auto -fno-fat-lto-objects -Wformat -Werror=format-security -DPIC -fPIC -fstack-protector -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=1 -Wl,-z,now -Wl,-z,relro -Wl,-z,pack-relative-relocs -I/home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/usr/include  -I/home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/toolchain-aarch64_cortex-a53_gcc-14.3.0_musl/usr/include -I/home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/toolchain-aarch64_cortex-a53_gcc-14.3.0_musl/include -I/home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/toolchain-aarch64_cortex-a53_gcc-14.3.0_musl/include/fortify -DNDEBUG -Wall -Werror -Wextra -Wformat -Werror=format-security -Werror=format-nonliteral -Werror=implicit-function-declaration -Os -g3 -Wmissing-declarations -Wno-unused-parameter -std=gnu99 -MD -MT CMakeFiles/ubusd_library.dir/ubusd_id.c.o -MF CMakeFiles/ubusd_library.dir/ubusd_id.c.o.d -o CMakeFiles/ubusd_library.dir/ubusd_id.c.o -c '/home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/ubus-2025.12.02~3cc98db1/ubusd_id.c'
In file included from /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/ubus-2025.12.02~3cc98db1/ubusd_id.c:14:
/home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/toolchain-aarch64_cortex-a53_gcc-14.3.0_musl/include/fortify/stdio.h: In function 'snprintf':
/home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/toolchain-aarch64_cortex-a53_gcc-14.3.0_musl/include/fortify/stdio.h:101:9: error: format not a string literal, argument types not checked [-Werror=format-nonliteral]
  101 |         return __orig_snprintf(__s, __n, __f, __builtin_va_arg_pack());
      |         ^~~~~~
/home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/toolchain-aarch64_cortex-a53_gcc-14.3.0_musl/include/fortify/stdio.h: In function 'sprintf':
/home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/toolchain-aarch64_cortex-a53_gcc-14.3.0_musl/include/fortify/stdio.h:110:17: error: format not a string literal, argument types not checked [-Werror=format-nonliteral]
  110 |                 __r = __orig_snprintf(__s, __b, __f, __builtin_va_arg_pack());
      |                 ^~~
/home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/toolchain-aarch64_cortex-a53_gcc-14.3.0_musl/include/fortify/stdio.h:114:17: error: format not a string literal, argument types not checked [-Werror=format-nonliteral]
  114 |                 __r = __orig_sprintf(__s, __f, __builtin_va_arg_pack());
      |                 ^~~
cc1: all warnings being treated as errors
ninja: build stopped: subcommand failed.
make[3]: *** [Makefile:83: /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/ubus-2025.12.02~3cc98db1/.built] Error 1
make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/emre/openwrt/package/system/ubus'
time: package/system/ubus/compile#0.62#0.27#0.83
    ERROR: package/system/ubus failed to build.
make[2]: *** [package/Makefile:188: package/system/ubus/compile] Error 1
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/emre/openwrt'
make[1]: *** [package/Makefile:182: /home/emre/openwrt/staging_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/stamp/.package_compile] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/emre/openwrt'
make: *** [/home/emre/openwrt/include/toplevel.mk:233: world] Error 2
2
2 Likes
3

Something else came up this time. I didn't touch that part, why it tries to build 32-bit u-boot?

emre@debian:~/openwrt$ make package/boot/uboot-mediatek/compile V=s 2>&1 | tail -20
  HOSTLD  scripts/kconfig/conf
scripts/kconfig/conf  --syncconfig Kconfig
  UPD     include/config.h
  CFG     u-boot.cfg
aarch64-openwrt-linux-musl-gcc: error: unrecognized argument in option '-mabi=32'
aarch64-openwrt-linux-musl-gcc: note: valid arguments to '-mabi=' are: ilp32 lp64
aarch64-openwrt-linux-musl-gcc: error: unrecognized command-line option '-EL'; did you mean '-E'?
aarch64-openwrt-linux-musl-gcc: error: unrecognized command-line option '-G'
aarch64-openwrt-linux-musl-gcc: error: unrecognized command-line option '-mno-abicalls'
aarch64-openwrt-linux-musl-gcc: error: unrecognized command-line option '-msoft-float'
make[4]: *** [scripts/Makefile.autoconf:82: u-boot.cfg] Error 1
make[3]: *** No rule to make target 'include/config/auto.conf', needed by 'include/config/uboot.release'.  Stop.
make[3]: Leaving directory '/home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/u-boot-mt7620_mt7530_rfb/u-boot-2026.01'
make[2]: *** [Makefile:1277: /home/emre/openwrt/build_dir/target-aarch64_cortex-a53_musl/u-boot-mt7620_mt7530_rfb/u-boot-2026.01/.built] Error 2
make[2]: Leaving directory '/home/emre/openwrt/package/boot/uboot-mediatek'
time: package/boot/uboot-mediatek/mt7620_mt7530_rfb/compile#25.47#4.35#27.82
    ERROR: package/boot/uboot-mediatek failed to build (build variant: mt7620_mt7530_rfb).
make[1]: *** [package/Makefile:187: package/boot/uboot-mediatek/compile] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/emre/openwrt'
make: *** [/home/emre/openwrt/include/toplevel.mk:233: package/boot/uboot-mediatek/compile] Error 2
4

if i was to hazard a guess ... I would say the you are playing with uboot and it doesn't agree with something you are trying to do. Those errors would suggest improper configurations.

perhaps this may help --> https://docs.u-boot.org/en/latest/build/gcc.html

uboot can be tricky beast to build even trickier yet to modify

goodluck