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

[VW_Kev]

Hello,

I am attempting to install the nRF Connect SDK v1.5 on a Mac Mini with Mac OS 11 with Apple M1 Silicon per the instructions:

https://developer.nordicsemi.com/nRF_Connect_SDK/doc/1.5.0/nrf/gs_assistant.html#gs-app-gsa

The "Install the toolchain" sequence fails on the very first and any subsequent steps involving "homebrew" (brew commands), I assume because the default install directory for Apple Silicon is /opt/homebrew rather than the Nordic expected /usr/local for macOS Intel silicon.

Do you have an updated or alternate toolchain installation program or instructions?

Thanks.

[VW_Kev]

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

[Øyvind]

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