how to compile OpenNi and SensorKinect on arm processors

I got a small Arm architecture pc few days ago and wanted to use it to control a Kinect (which is still not completely working).

The first step I took was to compile the OpenNi and SensorKinect which took me a while to figure out 

I started here http://www.20papercups.net/programming/kinect-on-ubuntu-with-openni/

here a quick log of what worked for me : 

first the needed packages

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install gcc-multilib libusb-1.0.0-dev git-core build-essential
sudo apt-get install doxygen graphviz default-jdk freeglut3-dev libopencv-dev}

 Install OpenNi

cd ~/
mkdir kinect
cd kinect
git clone git://github.com/OpenNI/OpenNI.git
cd OpenNI 

check the version in the README file (if it's 1.5.2.X you need to use the unstable to avoid  XnListT fault error when recompiling)

git checkout unstable

emacs -nw /Platform/Linux/Build/Common/Platform.Arm
and delete the `-mfloat-abi=softfp`.

cd ~/kinect/OpenNI/Platform/Linux/CreateRedist
./RedistMaker.Arm

(if you get an error on the Returning Values of cale_jobs_number)

emacs -nw Redist_OpenNI.pysearch for 'MAKE_ARGS += ' -j' + calc_jobs_number()` and change to `MAKE_ARGS += ' -j1′`

cd ~/kinect/OpenNI/Platform/Linux/Redist/OpenNI-Bin-Dev-Linux-Arm-v1.5.4.0
If the verson is lower than 1.5.4.0 and you swithced to the unstable recheck what you did when executing 'git checkout unstable'.

sudo ./install.sh

So far so good, now the driver:

cd ~/kinect git clone git://github.com/avin2/SensorKinect.git
emacs -nw ~/kinect/SensorKinect/Platform/Linux/Build/Common/Platform.Arm

and remove `-mfloat-abi=softfp`

emacs -nw ~/kinect/SensorKinect/Platform/Linux/CreateRedist/RedistMakerand if you are getting the same error as before modify

  make -j$(calc-jobs_number) -C ../Build into make -j1 -C ../Build 
cd ~/kinect/SensorKinect/Platform/Linux/CreateRedist
./RedistMaker

cd ~/kinect/SensorKinect/Platform/Linux/Redist/Sensor-Bin-Linux-Arm-v5.1.2.1
sudo ./install.sh
cd ~/kinect/OpenNI/Platform/Linux/Redist/OpenNI-Bin-Dev-Linux-Arm-v1.5.4.0/Samples/Bin/Arm-Release

./Sample-NiSimpleRead

if you get the following error : 

~/kinect/OpenNI_unstable/Platform/Linux/Redist/OpenNI-Bin-Dev-Linux-Arm-v1.5.4.0/Samples/Bin/Arm-Release$ ./Sample-NiSimpleRead 

Reading config from: '../../Config/SamplesConfig.xml'

Warning: USB events thread - failed to set priority. This might cause loss of data...

Open failed: USB interface is not supported!

cd ~/kinect/SensorKinect/Platform/Linux/Redist/Sensor-Bin-Linux-Arm-v5.1.2.1/Config/
sudo vi GlobalDefaultsKinect.ini
modify`;UsbInterface=2` into `UsbInterface=1`

then install the driver (thanks kai franke for the comment)
cd ~/kinect/SensorKinect/Platform/Linux/Redist/Sensor-Bin-Linux-Arm-v5.1.2.1
sudo ./install.sh

Now in principle one should see the depth data

I see data coming out 

Frame 37 Middle point is: 3659. FPS: 0.000000

Frame 38 Middle point is: 3864. FPS: 0.000000

Frame 39 Middle point is: 3907. FPS: 0.000000

Frame 40 Middle point is: 3907. FPS: 0.000000

Frame 41 Middle point is: 2252. FPS: 0.000000

Frame 42 Middle point is: 2281. FPS: 0.000000

Frame 43 Middle point is: 2297. FPS: 0.000000

Frame 44 Middle point is: 2252. FPS: 0.000000

Frame 45 Middle point is: 1287. FPS: 0.000000

Frame 46 Middle point is: 3821. FPS: 0.000000

Frame 47 Middle point is: 3864. FPS: 23.233110

Frame 48 Middle point is: 3907. FPS: 23.364748

Frame 49 Middle point is: 3907. FPS: 23.113655

Frame 50 Middle point is: 2478. FPS: 22.716246

Frame 51 Middle point is: 2496. FPS: 22.822172

Frame 52 Middle point is: 2496. FPS: 22.725554

but if I try with a GUI no depth map appearing

java -jar org.OpenNI.Samples.SimpleViewer.jar
Warning: USB events thread - failed to set priority. This might cause loss of data...
#
# A fatal error has been detected by the Java Runtime Environment:
#
#  Internal Error (os_linux_zero.cpp:270), pid=3814, tid=1090290800
#  fatal error: caught unhandled signal 11
#
# JRE version: 6.0_24-b24
# Java VM: OpenJDK Zero VM (20.0-b12 mixed mode linux-arm )
# Derivative: IcedTea6 1.11.1
# Distribution: Ubuntu precise (development branch), package 6b24-1.11.1-4ubuntu2
# An error report file with more information is saved as:
# /home/miniand/kinect/OpenNI/Platform/Linux/Redist/OpenNI-Bin-Dev-Linux-Arm-v1.5.4.0/Samples/Bin/Arm-Release/hs_err_pid3814.log
#

Hope someone find this first step useful and if someone already solved the depth image mistery let me know... 

alex barchiesi