Configuring

Apache NuttX is a very configurable operating system. Nearly all features can be configured in or out of the system. This makes it possible to compile a build tailored for your hardware and application. It also makes configuring the system complex at times.

There is a configuration system that can be used on the commandline or in a GUI. I’ve found the easiest way to configured Apache NuttX is to use the menuconfig system. This is used via a terminal program and allows quick access to all of Apache NuttX’s features via a system of menus.

The Apache NuttX configuration system uses Linux’s kconfig system adapted for use with Apache NuttX. Here’s info on Linux’s kconfig menuconfig system.

After you’ve configured your board (see Compiling), you can use the menuconfig system to change the configuration. Once you’ve configured, you can compile to make a build that has your configuration options selected.

1. Initialize Board Configuration

   Here we’ll use the simulator since that’s the simplest to explain. You can do this with any board and base configuration. Note here you should be supplying configure.sh the correct flag for your build environment:

   -l selects the Linux (l) host environment.
   -m selects the macOS (m) host environment.
   -c selects the Windows host and Cygwin (c) environment.
   -g selects the Windows host and MinGW/MSYS environment.
   -n selects the Windows host and Windows native (n) environment.
   

   Select the simulator configuration for a Linux host:

   $ cd nuttx
   $ make distclean  # make a clean start, clearing out old configurations
   $ ./tools/configure.sh -l sim:nsh
     Copy files
     Select CONFIG_HOST_LINUX=y
     Refreshing...
   

2. Make

   $ make clean; make
   $ ./nuttx
   login:
   

   From another terminal window, kill the simulator:

   $ pkill nuttx
   

3. Menu Configuration

   Showing that login: is annyoing. Let’s use the menuconfig system to turn it off.

   $ make menuconfig
   

   Here’s what you should see:

   

   
   

4. Application Configuration

   The NSH Login setting is under Application Configuration > NSH Library. Use the up and down arrows to navigate to Application Configuration; hit <return> to select it. Now you’re in the Application Configuration menu. Use the arrows to go down to NSH Library and select that. Now navigate down to Console Login and use the spacebar to uncheck that setting (so that it has a blank space instead of a star in it).

   Now let’s save. Use the right and left arrow keys to select the Exit menu item at the bottom of the screen. Hit <return> to select it, hit <return> again, and again, finally hitting <return> in the Save Configuration dialog box.

5. Make the New Configuration

   $ make clean; make
   

6. Run

   $ ./nuttx
   NuttShell (NSH) NuttX-8.2
   MOTD: username=admin password=Administrator
   

   Success!

   If you find that message of the day (MOTD) annoying and want to turn that off, it’s configured in Application Configuration > NSH Library >> Message of the Day (MOTD).

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Next up is Debugging.