Cannot see custom board in the NRF-Connect for VSC

[mcisek-th]

Hi, I got a problem with the NRF Connect plugin for VSC.

I have a project which has that structure:

workspace
├── app
│ ├── src
│ │ └── main.c
│ ├── CMakeList.txt
│ └── prj.conf
├── boards
│ └── arm
│   └── my_custom_board
│     ├── board.cmake
│     ├── Kconfig.board
│     ├── Kconfig.defconfig
│     ├── pre_dt_board.cmake
│     ├── my_custom_board_defconfig
│     ├── my_custom_board-pinctrl.dtsi
│     ├── my_custom_board.dts
│     └── my_custom_board.yml
└── west.yml

I'm using Zephyr SDK 0.16.5 with west 2.6.2 and running the whole thing in the dev container on docker.
When I'm opening the app in /workspace/app I cannot pick my board from the list of available boards (if I list boards in the terminal using 'west boards' I can see my custom board there). I tried adding BOARD_ROOT to the CMake to point to the correct directory, I tried adding it as a setting in .vscode/settings.json, I tried also adding its path in the settings of the NRF-Connect (Ctrl+, nrf-connect board root) - everything without any significant success. 

I thought that maybe that custom board is somehow broken (however manually running west build -b my_custom_board is working fine), so I decided to create a new dummy board using nrf-connect plugin. So in the application from above, I picked "Create a new board" option, type a "test" as a name, picked one of the Nordic SoCs etc.... then I refreshed the applications -> no custom board available. Reload window - the same outcome - no custom board available (no list available - only Nordic SoC and all lists are there).

At this point I don't know what might be the issue? In general all the files seems to be in correct places, the SDK validation returns no issues, the plugin is in the newest version, BOARD_ROOT I tried to set to almost everything at this point, used relative paths, absolute paths.... what else should I checked?!? I'm lost at this point and lack of any feedback from the plugin doesn't really help me to determine why the custom boards are not listed as they should be?

[Amanda Hsieh]

Hi, 

You can refer to this guide: How to add a new board or tutorial to create the custom board.  

Reload window - the same outcome - no custom board available (no list available - only Nordic SoC and all lists are there).

How do you reload windows? Could you try to create a new build configuration by clicking on Add build configuration? Do you see it shows the Custom category?

Regards,
Amanda H.

[mcisek-th]

The procedure in the guide is exactly what I've done.

Reloading windows in VSC: F1 -> Developer: Reload Window.

No, I cannot see the Custom category, the newly created boards are available in All category (and only there), my custom board is nowhere to be found (but again, if I list in bash terminal "west boards" I can see it there). 

[mcisek-th]

Tried that, the same - no Custom category. My board is not pickable. 

[Amanda Hsieh]

What is your path? Does it have a space? Try a path without spaces. 

[mcisek-th]

no spaces in the path

[Amanda Hsieh]

Please provide the support information by the top right icon.

[mcisek-th]

I cannot unfortunately share the support information publicly since it will reveal name of my customer, the project and since its name is quite descriptive - its purpose. That I cannot share. 

Maybe I will search and replace all the sensitive data, but will that file be useful to you then?

Also I manage to get my_custom_board in the All boards list, the problem was that there were in fact 2 .yml files in the board directory: my_custom_board.yml and board.yml. Now I can at least pick it from All boards list and build the project, but still no Custom boards list available :( 

For me its okay that way, since I can build my project, but clearly still there is some sort of bug there, because why I cannot see Custom boards?!? 

[Amanda Hsieh]

The team said Devcontainers is not supported yet.  It might in the future.

[mcisek-th]

Hmmm, ok. But in fact you are very close, beside that problem with boards not being listed in Custom list, the rest seems to work just fine. Ofc I had to bind USB with WSL to see the board in VSC, but I'm using it with success now.