nRF Connect: How to build from command line after doing automatic install

[mchartier]

I followed the instructions to install the nRF Connect SDK using the automatic method:

http://developer.nordicsemi.com/nRF_Connect_SDK/doc/latest/nrf/gs_assistant.html

That worked and I was able to build sample applications and run them on the DK. Now I would also like the ability to build from the command line. The instructions say you need to start a new shell from the toolchain manager. This also works. However I cannot build from the shell if I start the shell without using the toolchain manager. How can I do that?

It seems my build problems are fixed if I set the environment variable ZEPHYR_SDK_INSTALL_DIR. I noticed this variable is set when I start my shell from the Toolchain Manager but it is not set when I launch a shell normally. 

ZEPHYR_SDK_INSTALL_DIR=/opt/nordic/ncs/toolchains/v2.1.0/opt/zephyr-sdk

So.. If I start a regular shell (without using toolchain manager) and set this variable the builds are working. Is this a valid way to use the SDK? 

[mchartier]

I could not find one so I made my own. 

# nRF Connect
export NCS_SDK=/opt/nordic/ncs/v2.1.0
export NCS_TOOLCHAIN=/opt/nordic/ncs/toolchains/v2.1.0
export ZEPHYR_SDK_INSTALL_DIR=$NCS_TOOLCHAIN/opt/zephyr-sdk
export PATH=$PATH:$NCS_TOOLCHAIN/bin:$NCS_TOOLCHAIN/usr/bin:$NCS_TOOLCHAIN/usr/local/bin:$NCS_TOOLCHAIN:/opt/bin:$NCS_TOOLCHAIN/opt/nanopb/generator-bin:$NCS_TOOLCHAIN/opt/zephyr-sdk/arm-zephyr-eabi/bin
# source $NCS_SDK/zephyr/zephyr-env.sh

[HarjitS]

Thank you for sharing. Unfortunately, this will break if you update the SDK. I really would like to see Nordic provide a script file.

The Toolchain manager uses the Nordic script and also VSCode->Terminal->+->nRF Connect does.

I tried to find the script location but was not able to.

[HarjitS]

This is the source for Toolchain Manager v1.2.1 that launches the terminal:

github.com/.../terminal.ts

For Windows, looks like they use: nrfutil-toolchain-manager.exe in:
c:\Users\<YOUR ALIAS>>\.nrfconnect-apps\node_modules\pc-nrfconnect-toolchain-manager\resources\nrfutil-toolchain-manager\win32

There is a similar directory for Linux, Apple, etc. The "win32" changes to the appropriate name for the OS.

I really hope Nordic will provide a "nRFCmdStart" or something like that that does the equivalent of above.

[Peter Bone]

For anyone ending up here with the same need for a way to setup the environment without using the toolchain manager to launch a shell, the toolchain manager itself provides a way to export the current environment as a script:

~/ncs-lcs/nrfutil toolchain-manager env --as-script

[Kyrre Aalerud]

Wow! Thank you for noting this!

Now, if only they would allow us to just have it update the environment so different builds could actually work again that would be nice. Or am I missing something?