nRF Connect SDK - Getting Started Assistant - fails on Mac OS 11 with Apple M1 Silicon

RE: nRF Connect SDK - Getting Started Assistant - fails on Mac OS 11 with Apple M1 Silicon

Øyvind — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 18:55:10 GMT

Hi Kevin,

Can you please provide full log outputs from when builds fail? This way we can see what build system failed with e.g. create_nordic_project.py failed (1) usually gives an error further up in the build log.

As the M1 Silicon is fairly new on the market, not everyone has the resources to move SW over to an Arm based processors that fast. That said, our SW team are working to port our solutions over to this system, however, I do not have a timeline. Please contact your local RSM for questions regarding SW roadmap.

Kind regards,
Øyvind

RE: nRF Connect SDK - Getting Started Assistant - fails on Mac OS 11 with Apple M1 Silicon

VW_Kev — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 16:54:14 GMT

Hi Øyvind,

Yes, initially I tried using the toolchain manager for Windows, but the example for nRF52840 Thread CLI would not build. There was a "ninja" error and cmake error. I then tried to follow the manual toolchain install process. Along the way I needed to install Windows Subsystem for Linux V2, cmake 3.19.4, Cygwin "base" files, and Jlink v6.94. Not sure why, or if, all those were required, but that I what I eventually needed to install manually to get the project to build.

FYI:

Over the last week I managed to install the nRF Connet SDK on a MacBook with the Intel Silicon (returned the Mac with M1 silicon to Apple). The recommended manual toolchain install and Getting Started Assistant failed and would not build the example project due to a "create_nordic_project.py failed (1)" cryptic message. I then used the "experimental" Toolchain Manager to install the SDK and was successful in building the CLI example for nrF52840-DK.

You may want to add a BOLD note to the MacOS instructions / system requirements that M1 Silicon is NOT supported by Nordic at this time - in order to avoid developers purchasing the wrong Apple MacOS product as I did.

Regards,

Kevin

RE: nRF Connect SDK - Getting Started Assistant - fails on Mac OS 11 with Apple M1 Silicon

Øyvind — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 07:00:27 GMT

Kevin,

Thank you for taking you time to report these issues, it is highly valuable to us. I will forward this to our technical writes and developers to have them verify the steps.

You mention that none of the OS installations are successful, can you please provide more information on what fails? On Windows, did you try the Toolchain Manager?

We will find the work-around for you to start developing.

Kind regards,
Øyvind

RE: nRF Connect SDK - Getting Started Assistant - fails on Mac OS 11 with Apple M1 Silicon

VW_Kev — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 00:05:58 GMT

Hi Øyvind,

Yes I intend to work with CHIP project and Apple Homekit.

After some searching the internet, I realize wget is available through "brew" command, however, "Homebrew" / brew does not install correctly (at least not to where Nordic is expecting), in the first place, on newer Apple with M1 silicon. So, there is a chicken and egg issue.

Regarding the .bashrc issue, the Nordic instructions (in step 2 of the Manual install) would have the user make changes to the .bashrc file. On Linux that would be correct. On the Apple (at least with M1 silicon), those changes should be made in the .bashrc_profile file instead to have effect in the command prompt window when opened.

See: https://superuser.com/questions/244964/mac-os-x-bashrc-not-working

Sorry if this sounds like griping, but I am just trying to let you know there are issues.

I have attempted to install nRF Connect SDK for Windows, Linux and Apple now - so I was a pretty good test subject. None were successful following the Nordic instructions. The Linux install was pretty close. There were several serious omissions on the Windows instructions. With MacOS I could not get past step #1.

That is why I suggested you have a newbe go through the existing instructions on a clean install of Windows, Linux and MacOS, find all the errors and omissions and update the documentation.

Ideally I would just like to spend time writing the application for our product, rather than battle with setting up the development tools and getting example apps to work.

For now, I plan to procure an older Apple computer with Intel Silicon. Hopefully that install will go more smoothly.

Regards,

Kevin

RE: nRF Connect SDK - Getting Started Assistant - fails on Mac OS 11 with Apple M1 Silicon

Øyvind — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 07:11:16 GMT

Hi,

[quote user="VW_Kev"]The manual install fails on the first step as well.[/quote]

Do you intend to work with a CHIP project?

If not, please skip this step.

[quote user="VW_Kev"]"wget" does not exist on MacOS in step 1.[/quote]

wget is available through brew.

brew install wget

[quote user="VW_Kev"]Also the step 2 instructions are incorrect as path variables should be added to .bash_profile rather than .bashrc.[/quote]

Can you please elaborate on why this is not correct? This will help our technical writers know what to look for when they go through the steps they are writing.

RE: nRF Connect SDK - Getting Started Assistant - fails on Mac OS 11 with Apple M1 Silicon

VW_Kev — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 15:43:16 GMT

Hi Øyvind,

The manual install fails on the first step as well.

"wget" does not exist on MacOS in step 1.

Also the step 2 instructions are incorrect as path variables should be added to .bash_profile rather than .bashrc.

It might be helpful if someone (like a newly hired person) at Nordic actually went through the existing instructions on a clean install of Windows, Linux and MacOS, found all the errors and omissions and updated the documentation.

RE: nRF Connect SDK - Getting Started Assistant - fails on Mac OS 11 with Apple M1 Silicon

Øyvind — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 09:11:04 GMT

Hello,

I'm not sure what the status of the Apple M1 support is, but I believe this is currently not supported in nRF Connect for Desktop.

Have you tried following the "Installing the nRF Connect SDK manually"?

Kind regards,

Øyvind