Linux install Clone SDK tagged release fails

[KevinA]

Using the current nRF connect v3.6.1 Getting Started Assistant I've managed to get everything installed to the point of using west to install the complete nRF Connect SDK tree but the next step is setting the SDK for a tagged release.

When I usethe direction from Getting Started Assistant

git cd ~/nrf/ncs
git checkout v1.4.2
fatal: not a git repository (or any of the parent directories): .git

of course it is not a git, west built it?

There needs to be documentation on setting the PATH after installing cmake and west and the DTC directions no longer work, Ubuntu has lost it, I found it at another location

wget  https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/device-tree-compiler/1.4.7-1/+build/15279267/+files/device-tree-compiler_1.4.7-1_amd64.deb

sudo apt install ./device-tree-compiler_1.4.7-1_amd64.deb

[KevinA]

Here is my write up from the install attempt:

pip3 install --user west appeared to have failed, everything run without errors but west from the command prompt did nothing.
I found ~/.local/bin/west and it ran but the path to it was like the path to cmake, you have to add it to PATH.
export PATH=$HOME/cmake/cmake-3.13.1-Linux-x86_64/bin:$PATH
export PATH=$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH
add those to ~/.bashrc

Why not tell the users about the path issue?

I was able to use west to download the entire nrf_sdk, everything. Later (much later) I found how to just get the branch I needed.
Next was "Decide if you want to work with a tagged release" yep, anyone dealing with network operators will be working on 'old' SDK's.
The catch here was "To work with a tagged release, check the Release Notes for that release to find out the corresponding tag." There is a link to a page that has all the release notes, click it. For v1.4.2 the tag is v1.4.2 :(
And finally I am at a dead stop:
cd ~/nrf/ncs
git checkout v1.4.2
fatal: not a git repository (or any of the parent directories): .git

[Marte Myrvold]

Hi,

I'm confused by what you're doing, as you're saying that Zephyr creates a subdirectory called ncs, which it doesn't. The west init ... command should create a folder called nrf, not ncs, and you shouldn't create the nrf folder yourself. So you should create ncs, and inside that folder, you should run the west init ... command, which creates nrf. Following that, you should go into the nrf folder, not ncs, and there you can run west update to get the other folders and git checkout v1.4.2 to checkout to that tag. You can also choose a tag when you use the west init command by adding --mr NCS_revision such as this:

west init -m github.com/.../sdk-nrf --mr v1.4.2

You can also check out the guide on how to install NCS manually, as the commands are the same as in the Getting Started application, you just don't have the checks. The information about how to get the SDK can be found here.

Best regards,

Marte

[KevinA]

After I remove everything I start with Getting Started Assistant Install the toolchain down to where I install west:
---------------------

To manage the combination of repositories and versions, the nRF Connect SDK uses west.

Install it by entering the following command:

pip3 install --user west

--------------------------The problem Clone the nRF Connect SDK -------------------------------
Initialize west and clone the nRF Connect SDK manifest repository
nrf:

Note: If you already cloned the nRF Connect SDK repositories and want to continue using these clones, skip this step and see Updating your existing clones to use west instead.

cd <sourcecode_root>
mkdir ncs
cd ncs
west init -m github.com/.../sdk-nrf
west update
west zephyr-export

So I look at nrf and cd sourcecode root and think that is what they want so:
mkdir -p nrf/ncs
cd nrf/ncs
then continue with the scripts
------------------------------
That put my sourcecode root as nrf

Perhaps a little guidance
Note: sourcecode root is generally the users home as in /home/username so the mkdir ncs would be
mkdir /home/username/ncs
cd ~/ncs
Then finish.
Doing the install from ncs fixed it, git works now.

The nRF9160-DK arrived and the nRF9160 Feather along with a TC2030 probe should be here tomorrow, time to go to work.

Thanks for your patience!

[Marte Myrvold]

Hi,

Great to hear that it works now, and good luck developing!

Best regards,

Marte