I need to compile a number of drivers for the Pi OS, for a Pi 3 and Pi Zeros. However the compile per driver can take 40 minutes to over an hour per driver on a Pi Zero, for example. Can I use a Pi 5 to build the Pi OS image for the Pi Zero? I want to say 'yes' if I follow some basic rules. Can anyone tell me if the following works as a strategy for cross compiling on the Pi OS for different Pi hardware? Of course this is not classic 'cross' compiling because I am staying with in ARM 32 bit architecture, in the same processor family (per se, i.e. all Pi hardware).
Thinking process would be...
1) Using Pi 5, load the 32bit Lite OS image
2) Compile each driver
3) Pull MicroSD card from Pi 5, and install in Pi Zero
4) Boot Pi Zero, everything should work
Even though the processors on the Pi 5 and Pi Zero are different, does the Pi OS not recognize this and dynamically adjust?
If everything is based on Pi OS lite, and explicitly 32 bit, should work no?
What processor specific optimization will be lost? if any?
What other impact(s) or issue(s) am I not considering when do thing?
Thinking process would be...
1) Using Pi 5, load the 32bit Lite OS image
2) Compile each driver
3) Pull MicroSD card from Pi 5, and install in Pi Zero
4) Boot Pi Zero, everything should work
Even though the processors on the Pi 5 and Pi Zero are different, does the Pi OS not recognize this and dynamically adjust?
If everything is based on Pi OS lite, and explicitly 32 bit, should work no?
What processor specific optimization will be lost? if any?
What other impact(s) or issue(s) am I not considering when do thing?
Statistics: Posted by Schorschi — Thu Feb 19, 2026 5:07 am