Cannot install newer SDK with nRF Connect or VS Code on macOS

[alnyland]

Task: trying to install nRF SDK v2.7.0 on an M3 Pro Macbook Pro.

Methods attempted:

1. Install via nRF extension in VS Code. It will let me select which SDK to install and appears to silently fail - the SDK is not available for selection even after multiple attempts to install it.
2. Install via Toolchain Manager v1.5.1 - various errors are shown (listed below). Only a "First steps" (even though the SDK is not installed), "Open VS Code", and dropdown buttons are shown. 

Results:

1. in VS Code - no new SDKs are ever shown for usage. No error popups or indication of failure.
2. in nRF Connect (Toolchain Manager) -
   1. The "Open VS Code" button opens VS Code, the app asks for permission to open "/opt/nordic/ncs/v2.7.0/", then another popup opens with "

      The path '/opt/nordic/ncs/v2.7.0' does not exist on this computer."

   2. "Open Terminal" does nothing.
   3. "Open SDK directory" does nothing.
   4. "Open toolchain directory" does nothing.
   5. "Update SDK" opens a popup with "Failed to clone the repositories: Error: EACCES: permission denied, mkdir '/opt/nordic/ncs/v2.7.0'".
   6. "Update Toolchain" flashes a line on that GUI item for the version and then does nothing.
   7. "Remove" asks "Are you sure you want to remove v2.7.0 environment?" then when confirmed, reports "Failed to remove /opt/nordic/ncs/v2.7.0, no such file or directory. Please close any application or window that might keep this environment locked, then try to remove it again." despite no other apps using or accessing that directory.

[rajeev]

My suggestion would be the following:

1. Install the latest version of nRF Connect for Desktop on your macOS
2. Install the SDK 2.7.0 toolchain using the nRF Connect for Desktop App instead of VSCode extension.
3. Make sure your nRF extension in VS Code is also latest.
4. Now everything should work as expected as I am successfully  running nRF SDK v2.7.0 on my M3 Pro Macbook Pro.
   
   Hope this helps.

[alnyland]

I've done steps 1 and 2 successfully, but I was still having the permissions/other issues after.

I am on the latest stable release of the nRF extension for VS Code (v2024.7.13). Thanks anyways.

[Einar Thorsrud]

Hi,

Are you doing this with a user that has administrator priveliges? If not, can you test again with an admin user?

[alnyland]

Yes, I am and have tried that, but this was not the issue. Somehow that directory became chowned to another user, and as far I as I know I never personally did that. I'm reasonably experienced with sudo and use it as minimally as possible, and only if I understand the outcome, and I would not have run a command to change that. Changing it back does require sudo.

So I'm not sure how that happened but with all the recent weirdness of some of the nRF software recently I wouldn't be too surprised if some weird bug came up somehow.