NCS Bare Metal - Build images separately

RE: NCS Bare Metal - Build images separately

Amanda Hsieh — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 17:50:27 GMT

Our support is based on NCS Bare Metal.

RE: NCS Bare Metal - Build images separately

rbence — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 14:20:16 GMT

I'm trying to do the same thing except my application is bare metal in the traditional way, not Nordic style. That is: build MCUboot + SoftDevice + Firmware Loader with NCS bare metal and build application with normal GCC + CMake.

I'm not yet sure if it's easy to do or not.

RE: NCS Bare Metal - Build images separately

tdfilip — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 07:04:33 GMT

Hello,

Yes, it is based on NCS Bare Metal.

RE: NCS Bare Metal - Build images separately

rbence — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 18:15:52 GMT

Hi,
Is your application based on NCS Bare Metal, or a completely different toolchain?

RE: NCS Bare Metal - Build images separately

Amanda Hsieh — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 14:59:20 GMT

Hi Filip,

This could lead to version conflicts and other potential problems.

Please ensure the NCS Bare Metal versions are consistent for the mcuboot+Sofdevice, firmware loader, and the application.

I will be out of the office for the next two weeks and will not be able to answer the case. If you need urgent support, please create a new support case.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Amanda H.

RE: NCS Bare Metal - Build images separately

tdfilip — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 14:11:56 GMT

That would work if I wanted to build an application with a custom firmware loader together. However, I want to build them separately:
1. MCUBoot + SoftDevice
2. Firmware Loader
3. Application
and then merge it manually because I want to be able to use different NCS Bare Metal versions for the firmware loader and the application.

Regards,
Filip

RE: NCS Bare Metal - Build images separately

Amanda Hsieh — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 20:29:32 GMT

[quote user="td_filip"]So you suggest to build the sample application samples/boot/mcuboot_recovery_entry and use its firmware loader for merging with custom applications?[/quote]

You can refer to that example to enable the required configs to build the firmware loader as a sub-image.

[quote user="td_filip"]I want to have a repository with firmware loader (based on the nrf-bm/applications/firmware_loader/ble_mcumgr but with my custom changes) and use it as bootloader submodule for various applications. I want to be able to build this firmware loader separately from the application. Then, I want to build the application itself and merge it with the firmware loader, mcuboot and softdevice into one hexfile. Is it possible?[/quote]

You can use nrf-bm\applications\firmware_loader\ble_mcumgr as a base to customize for your requirements, and use SB_CONFIG_BM_FIRMWARE_LOADER_IMAGE_PATH to set your custom ble_mcumgr in the sysbuild.conf.

RE: NCS Bare Metal - Build images separately

tdfilip — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 07:45:01 GMT

So you suggest to build the sample application samples/boot/mcuboot_recovery_entry and use its firmware loader for merging with custom applications?

Maybe I should describe what I want to achieve.
I want to have a repository with firmware loader (based on the nrf-bm/applications/firmware_loader/ble_mcumgr but with my custom changes) and use it as bootloader submodule for various applications. I want to be able to build this firmware loader separately from the application. Then, I want to build the application itself and merge it with the firmware loader, mcuboot and softdevice into one hexfile. Is it possible?

Regards,
Filip

RE: NCS Bare Metal - Build images separately

Amanda Hsieh — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 20:52:28 GMT

Please use samples/boot/mcuboot_recovery_entry and refer to MCUboot: Recovery entry to build. Then, you will find the installer_softdevice_firmware_loader.bin file under the build folder.

RE: NCS Bare Metal - Build images separately

tdfilip — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:23:41 GMT

Okay. Could you guide me how to build this <build_dir>/installer_softdevice_firmware_loader.bin without having an application? I need a standalone firmware loader which can be then merged with an external application.

I tried west build -b bm_nrf54l15dk/nrf54l15/cpuapp/s115_softdevice/mcuboot nrf-bm/applications/firmware_loader/ble_mcumgr but this builds the firmware loader as firmware loader and as application. I would like to build this nrf-bm/applications/firmware_loader/ble_mcumgr as standalone firmware loader.

Regards,
Filip

RE: NCS Bare Metal - Build images separately

Amanda Hsieh — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 13:55:28 GMT

You can use <build_dir>/installer_softdevice_firmware_loader.bin for Installer Update image (DFU) with SoftDevice and firmware loader updates.

RE: NCS Bare Metal - Build images separately

tdfilip — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 08:43:19 GMT

I went through that example but that's not the case.

I want to build Firmware Loader with MCUBoot and SoftDevice, without even having an application. Then I want to be able to merge the output image with an application developed separately. How can I build the nrf-bm/application/firmware_loader/ble_mcumgr so in build output I have Firmware Loader image, SoftDevice image and MCUBoot image without having the main application?

Regards,
Filip

RE: NCS Bare Metal - Build images separately

Amanda Hsieh — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 14:48:23 GMT

Hi Filip,

[quote user=""]Is there a possibility to build MCUBoot, SoftDevice, Firmware Loader and Application separately and then merge it manually? Or to build MCUboot + SoftDevice + Firmware Loader and separately Application, and merge them manually?[/quote]

When DFU is enabled in the application, the build system outputs build files (image files):

[quote user=""]could you guide me on how to do it e.g. on mcuboot_recovery_entry sample?[/quote]

Please refer to the steps in MCUboot: Recovery entry/Testing.

Regards,
Amanda H.