MacOS + Docker: qemu-user-static check from #685 breaking build early

[MauAbata]

I ran into an issue setting up pi-gen on MacOS Monterey 12.6 where qemu-user-static wasn't found, and it prompted me to install that package. I couldn't find any Mac equivalent, and after some digging discovered a comment on the original PR (#685) that references this issue:

This PR broke my build-docker.sh command which I've been using for years on MacOS. The Shell script exits with the error message qemu-arm-static not found (please install qemu-user-static) although the build is working fine the versions before the PR. I am using MacOS Sonoma Version 14.0 (23A344). I have not found any way to install the missing package so I moved back in time using a few tags before to git checkout 2023-02-21-raspios-bullseye.

Originally posted by @JavanXD in #685 (comment)

Rolling back to 2023-02-21-raspios-bullseye was able to generate a successful build, so I wonder if that qemu check isn't necessary on MacOS. I am not confident enough about Mac environments to be able to say for sure, so perhaps we can get some insight here.

[JavanXD]

to prevent possible problems on various distros @moh53n

The PR broke the MacOS build, could you have a look please?

I'm still interested in getting the build process working on my MacBook again.

[moh53n]

One way is to just ignore the whole registration process on non-linux environments, but there might be a better solution.
I don't have a Mac system and I'm unfamiliar with its OS.
Do you need to manually handle the qemu registration? How was the build process before this commit?

[eins78]

@MauAbata @JavanXD Are you using an Intel or Apple Silicon Mac? I do not get this error and since uname -m returns arm64 on Apple Silicon, the code in the PR you've linked should not on Apple Silicon/ARM processors.

If the build did indeed work on Intel Macs before the PR #685, then a quick fix could be to check for macOS and then skip the binfmt registration, like:
uname -o | grep Darwin && binfmt_misc_required=0

[JavanXD]

Are you using an Intel or Apple Silicon Mac?

Intel, but I just switched to M3, so I can try it soon.

[filthsystem]

uname -o | grep Darwin && binfmt_misc_required=0

Tried this on an x86 Mac, uname -s is what you're looking for but otherwise it fixed the issue for me!