Configuring my custom board throws errors

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

Jennifer Gibbs — Mon, 19 May 2025 16:55:29 GMT

Are you able to share the build output for the 'display_hello_world' project using the nRF5340dk as the board target? Please include the build command as well, if possible.

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

jm_solar — Fri, 16 May 2025 23:07:51 GMT

The CMakeFile at the root in fact has "cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.20)" at the top of it while getting this error (before where find package is called).

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

lcj — Fri, 16 May 2025 19:17:26 GMT

I have one project and two boards: a custom board and a dk. For the custom board I do not get the error. For the nrf5340dk board (only an overlay in my project) I do get the error. They are both using the same CMakeLists.txt file. This is my CMakeLists.txt:

# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0

cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.20.0)

find_package(Zephyr REQUIRED HINTS $ENV{ZEPHYR_BASE})
project(display_hello_world)

target_sources(app PRIVATE src/main.c)

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

Jennifer Gibbs — Wed, 14 May 2025 23:37:31 GMT

The error you provided in your latest message is directly tied to the fact that the CMakeLists.txt file didn't include the following:

CMake Warning (dev) in CMakeLists.txt:
No cmake_minimum_required command is present. A line of code such as

cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.21)

should be added at the top of the file. The version specified may be lower
if you wish to support older CMake versions for this project. For more
information run "cmake --help-policy CMP0000".
This warning is for project developers. Use -Wno-dev to suppress it.

I cannot see what application sample/example you tried to build that gave you the above error but I would feel fairly confident that cmake errors you provided in the latest message are directly tied to the above given the wording of the error and the files if you go through the call list.

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

jm_solar — Wed, 14 May 2025 18:24:55 GMT

I have moved on from this and do not wish to put my project back in this state.

But I continue to believe that this error message should be impossible for the user to get. If the user configures something invalid then Zephyr/Nordic should provide such an error message explaining that rather than presenting an error from CMake due to unknown invalid arguments

This warning is for project developers.  Use -Wno-dev to suppress it.
CMake Error at /workdir/zephyr/cmake/modules/FindDeprecated.cmake:40 (if):
  if given arguments:
    "CROSS_COMPILE" "IN_LIST" "Deprecated_FIND_COMPONENTS"
  Unknown arguments specified
Call Stack (most recent call first):
  /workdir/zephyr/cmake/modules/python.cmake:16 (find_package)
  /workdir/zephyr/cmake/modules/user_cache.cmake:30 (include)
  /workdir/zephyr/cmake/modules/extensions.cmake:5 (include)
  /workdir/zephyr/share/sysbuild/cmake/modules/sysbuild_default.cmake:8 (include)
  /workdir/zephyr/share/zephyr-package/cmake/ZephyrConfig.cmake:75 (include)
  /workdir/zephyr/share/zephyr-package/cmake/ZephyrConfig.cmake:92 (include_boilerplate)
  /workdir/zephyr/share/sysbuild-package/cmake/SysbuildConfig.cmake:8 (include)
  CMakeLists.txt:10 (find_package)

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

Jennifer Gibbs — Tue, 13 May 2025 18:04:14 GMT

If you are getting the exact same error as originally reported then there is an issue with the CMakeLists.txt file and you need to add the following at the top, as stated in the error message:

cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.21)

If, as you mentioned, this line absolutely exists then the error message you are receiving when building some other application is not the same as the one originally posted. If you attempt to build a sample application using your custom board as the target, what is the build output?

I cannot concur that it is a syntax/usage error without seeing the error you are experiencing and it can't be the same as the original one above if your CMakeLists.txt file really matches my earlier message.

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

jm_solar — Tue, 13 May 2025 16:53:36 GMT

Yes I've read that. My project does not check any of the boxes where a CMakeLists.txt is necessary in board folder. And I am still yet to find any documentation about a <board_name>INIT_PRIORITY macro anywhere on the internet.

Regardless, I've got around the root issue of this by just starting over on my changes and somehow avoiding getting into the state.

I don't think this changes the fact that this is a bug in the CMake files provided by Zephyr/Nordic. The reported CMake error is a syntax/usage error and those files trigger multiple CMake developer warnings that should be resolved by Zephyr/Nordic. A user config error should not be able to cause this type of error and ultimately this is masking the cause of the actual error and not helpful in resolving it.

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

Jennifer Gibbs — Mon, 12 May 2025 22:47:58 GMT

As I mentioned, it is in the Board Porting guide but you have to really read between the lines and then verify that the result from the script is what is required. The following is listed in the 'Create your board directory section':

Basically, there may be things outside the script that are needed and the only way to know would be to read through all the sections carefully :) ...which sucks for us engineers but is a necessary evil.

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

jm_solar — Mon, 12 May 2025 22:36:54 GMT

Ah yes, I do remember this when moving to v2.7. We used the conversion script and have been running v2.7 for many months successfully on hundreds of pieces of hardware. We've also been running v2.9 for a month or so on dozens of hardware as well. The issue is just coming up when trying to edit the configuration and memory layout for the product

Did the Zephyr provided conversions script not actually migrate this correctly? I see no mention of a CMakeLists file nor a *INIT_PRIORITY* macro in the script.

The CMakeLists is listed as optional in the documentation you linked and <board>_INIT_PRIORITY is not mentioned at all.

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

Jennifer Gibbs — Mon, 12 May 2025 22:15:40 GMT

As if nRF Connect SDK v2.7 we adopted Zephyr's v2 Hardware Model as noted in this link: https://docs.nordicsemi.com/bundle/nrf-connect-vscode/page/guides/bd_work_with_boards.html#how-to-add-a-new-board

You can then get more information on porting your board to this new Hardware model via the link in the picture above: Board Porting Guide

Here you will find all the information about the new model including the file structure for the board file and how to convert your board files from v2.6 to the new format.

I believe we may have accepted the old model up through v2.8 but started enforcing it in v2.9. I also have not found reference to this yet in the migration guide but will be sure to provide this feedback to the teams.

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

jm_solar — Mon, 12 May 2025 17:55:03 GMT

We do not have these. The board was created with the VSCode tools on nrf Connect v2.6 and has been working fine for months until upgrading to v2.9 (from v2.7). Are these a new requirement? We didn't see any mention of them in the migration guides for v2.8 or v2.9.

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

Jennifer Gibbs — Mon, 12 May 2025 17:42:37 GMT

Hello,

I apologize for the frustrations. I have another customer with a similar issue and it came down to a missing a CMakeLists.txt file in the custom board directory and a KConfig value <board>_INIT_PRIORITY in the prj.conf file. Are you able to check that your custom board directory contains this CMakeLists.txt file and prj.conf has the required KConfig for the project to be able to compile in your board.c?

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

jm_solar — Fri, 09 May 2025 18:04:01 GMT

I am also getting this same error when adjusting the build setup (static partitions, bootloader config, etc) of an existing project on NCS v2.9.

I think there is an error in the provided CMake file which is masking whatever mistake/error I have made in these changes. This is making it difficult to debug where I messed up because CMake fails at this error in the provided build system files from Nordic/Zephyr

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

greenleaf — Thu, 08 May 2025 04:26:57 GMT

This is my second question on this forum regarding some really basic things, only to be led to multi-day back and forths with no real purpose. I think maybe Nordic products are not the way to go for me.

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

greenleaf — Fri, 02 May 2025 22:06:08 GMT

Hi,

Yes, as I said in the original question I managed to get to the point where I

generated a board correctly
build the app using that board

The error happened when I changed those two configuration files, and I pressed build again. The second time I pressed "build" I got the error I originally reported. No other change was done to the project apart from what are in the original question.

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

Jennifer Gibbs — Fri, 02 May 2025 20:28:23 GMT

Have you followed the instructions for adding a custom board into your project? I would review the following links to get everything linked and ported in correctly:

How to work with boards and devices

Board Porting Guide

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

greenleaf — Fri, 02 May 2025 19:19:22 GMT

the command you gave me produces a different error this time:

CMake Error at /home/user/ncs/v2.9.0/zephyr/cmake/modules/boards.cmake:228 (message):
  Invalid BOARD; see above.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
  cmake/modules/sysbuild_default.cmake:15 (include)
  /home/user/ncs/v2.9.0/zephyr/share/zephyr-package/cmake/ZephyrConfig.cmake:75 (include)
  /home/user/ncs/v2.9.0/zephyr/share/zephyr-package/cmake/ZephyrConfig.cmake:92 (include_boilerplate)
  /home/user/ncs/v2.9.0/zephyr/share/sysbuild-package/cmake/SysbuildConfig.cmake:8 (include)
  template/CMakeLists.txt:10 (find_package)


-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
See also "/NordicTests/ZanaValve/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeOutput.log".
FATAL ERROR: command exited with status 1: /home/user/ncs/toolchains/b77d8c1312/usr/local/bin/cmake -DWEST_PYTHON=/home/user/ncs/toolchains/b77d8c1312/usr/local/bin/python3.12 -B/NordicTests/ZanaValve/build -GNinja -DBOARD=ZanaBoard_Valve/nrf52833 -S/home/user/ncs/v2.9.0/zephyr/share/sysbuild -DAPP_DIR:PATH=/NordicTests/ZanaValve

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

Jennifer Gibbs — Fri, 02 May 2025 16:06:39 GMT

The screenshot you sent is showing the Explorer view instead of the NCS extension view. Can you show me the view from your NSC extension tab?

You could also open an nRF Connect terminal from VSC and run

west build -b ZanaBoard_Valve/nrf52833 -d /NordicTests/testproject/build -p

Before running this command, I would delete the current build folder and artefacts to prevent it from trying the same thing again.

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

greenleaf — Thu, 01 May 2025 23:13:21 GMT

Apart from changing to the new board, I didn't do anything special on the build configuration.

I created a new project through the "create new application" button from the extension, no other files were dropped in.

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

Jennifer Gibbs — Thu, 01 May 2025 19:06:36 GMT

Yes, but that isn't what is being built or attempting to build, it is attempting to build from the folder I highlighted below. Can you take a screenshot of your build configuration? Did you add your project folder as an application inside the VS Code NCS extension?

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

greenleaf — Thu, 01 May 2025 17:59:55 GMT

I just created a new app. Not even from a template just a basic main.c that returns 0.

Created a new board, and build configuration. Confirmed that everything built fine on my new board, then just edited the files above to progressively add some more functionality. When trying to build again I got the message you see above. I'm building through the vscode extension that provides a "pristine build" or "build" button.

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

Jennifer Gibbs — Thu, 01 May 2025 17:44:18 GMT

What are you attempting to build exactly? I just checked the source directory from your build command and that isn't an application it's a CMakeLists.txt template I'm fairly certain.

west build --build-dir /NordicTests/testproject/build /home/user/ncs/v2.9.0/zephyr/share/sysbuild/template --pristine --board ZanaBoard_Valve/nrf52833 -- -DNCS_TOOLCHAIN_VERSION=NONE -DBOARD_ROOT=/NordicTests/testproject

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

greenleaf — Thu, 01 May 2025 16:42:40 GMT

That's almost exactly how my CMake looks like. I didn't change it and the project was building fine. The only thing I changed were the files above on the custom board!

RE: Configuring my custom board throws errors

Jennifer Gibbs — Thu, 01 May 2025 16:12:30 GMT

Hello,

The errors are due to something in you CMakeLists.txt file which should look something like the attached. I would take a look at this file in your project and verify it is correct for your board/project.devzone.nordicsemi.com/.../7853.CMakeLists.txt

Thank you,

Jennifer Gibbs