GoMips
Introduction
Go programs can be cross-compiled e.g., on x86/x86_64 build systems to run on MIPS target machines.
Supported architectures
Go supports the following MIPS architectural families. (Are there more?)
| Architecture | Status | GOMIPS value | GOARCH value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big endian (e.g., ar71xx) | supported | GOMIPS=softfloat | GOARCH=mips |
| Little endian | supported | n/a | GOARCH=mipsle |
Supported operating systems
- MIPS on Linux. Tested with an ar71xx based OpenWrt device.
Recommended Go version
The tested version for running Go on MIPS systems is Go 1.13.
Tips and tricks
Building for ar71xx OpenWrt
This builds a Go program, strips unneeded strings and symbols to minimize its size, and compresses it to further minimize its size:
env GOOS=linux GOARCH=mips GOMIPS=softfloat go build -trimpath -ldflags="-s -w" 'server.go'
upx -9 server
Success stories
MIPS hardware comes in a myriad of shapes and sizes. If you've had a success story building and running Go on your Arm system, please detail your results here.
D-Link DIR-505 Mobile Companion
Architecture: ar71xx
Operating System: OpenWrt
The D-Link DIR-505 Mobile Companion comes with an Atheros AR1311 processor, 8 MB flash and 64 MB RAM. This space is limited but allows us to load Go applications, e.g., from network into /tmpfs and execute them from there.
Further information about the device can be found at https://openwrt.org/toh/d-link/dir-505.
Teltonika RUT955
Architecture: ar9344
Operating System: RutOS (based on OpenWrt)
The Teltonika RUT955 has a Atheros Wasp MIPS 74Kc CPU running at 550 MHz with 16 MB flash 128 MB RAM. Inbuilt flash will be insufficient for most applications but a Micro SD or USB stick can be added (running application directly from SD was unreliable but copying to /tmpfs and running from there works OK). The inbuilt IO, GPS etc can be accessed via Modbus TCP and the RS232/RS485 ports worked without issue. Tested with Go 1.14.6, 1.15.3 & 1.21.1 (GOARCH=mips, GOMIPS=softfloat).
Further information about the device can be found at https://teltonika-networks.com/product/rut955/.
Teltonika RUT956
Architecture: MediaTek MT7628AN ver:1 eco:2
Operating System: RutOS (based on OpenWrt)
The Teltonika RUT956 has a Mediatek MIPS 24KEc CPU running at 580 MHz with 16 MB flash 128 MB RAM. Inbuilt flash will be insufficient for most applications but a USB stick can be added. The inbuilt IO, GPS etc can be accessed via Modbus TCP and the RS232/RS485 ports worked without issue. Tested with Go 1.21.1 (GOARCH=mipsle, GOMIPS=softfloat). Note that illegal instruction is output if GOMIPS is not set.
Further information about the device can be found at https://teltonika-networks.com/product/rut956/.
TP-Link Archer A6 WiFi Router
Architecture: ath79 (same hardware as ar71xx, but with native kernel support)
Operating System: OpenWrt
The TP-Link Archer A6 comes with an Atheros QCA9563 MIPS 24K classic processor, 16 MB flash, and 128 MB RAM. Flash storage is limited and no USB ports are available for storage expansion, so programs are loaded from the network into /tmpfs and executed.
Further information about the device can be found at https://openwrt.org/toh/hwdata/tp-link/tp-link_archer_a6_us_tw.
Belkin F7D7302 WiFi Router
Architecture: mipsel_74kc
Operating System: DD-WRT
The Belkin F7D7302 comes with a Broadcom BCM4716 little-endian MIPS 74K classic processor, 8 MB flash, and 64 MB RAM. Flash storage is severely limited, but there is a USB port available so programs can be loaded onto a flash drive and executed.
Further information about the device can be found at https://openwrt.org/toh/belkin/f7d3302.
AVM FRITZ!Box 7362 SL
System type: xRX200 rev 1.2
CPU model: MIPS 34Kc V5.6
Operating System: OpenWrt 21
Further information about the device can be found at https://openwrt.org/toh/avm/avm_7362_sl.