Environment Setup¶

# Core tools
choco install cmake git python

# ARM toolchain
choco install gcc-arm-embedded

# Optional: OpenOCD
choco install openocd

# Optional: Documentation tools
choco install doxygen.install

Manual Installation¶

CMake

Download from https://cmake.org/download/
Run installer and add to PATH
Verify: cmake --version

Git

Download from https://git-scm.com/download/win
Run installer with default options
Verify: git --version

Python

Download from https://www.python.org/downloads/
Run installer and check "Add Python to PATH"
Verify: python --version

ARM GCC Toolchain

Download from https://developer.arm.com/tools-and-software/open-source-software/developer-tools/gnu-toolchain/gnu-rm
Extract to C:\Program Files (x86)\GNU Arm Embedded Toolchain
Add bin directory to PATH
Verify: arm-none-eabi-gcc --version

Visual Studio Build Tools

Download from https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/
Install "Desktop development with C++" workload
Or install full Visual Studio 2019/2022

Linux Installation ¶

Ubuntu/Debian¶

# Update package list
sudo apt update

# Core tools
sudo apt install cmake git python3 python3-pip build-essential

# ARM toolchain
sudo apt install gcc-arm-none-eabi binutils-arm-none-eabi \
                 libnewlib-arm-none-eabi libstdc++-arm-none-eabi-newlib

# Optional: OpenOCD
sudo apt install openocd

# Optional: Documentation tools
sudo apt install doxygen graphviz
pip3 install sphinx breathe sphinx_rtd_theme

Fedora/RHEL¶

# Core tools
sudo dnf install cmake git python3 python3-pip gcc gcc-c++ make

# ARM toolchain
sudo dnf install arm-none-eabi-gcc-cs arm-none-eabi-binutils \
                 arm-none-eabi-newlib

# Optional: OpenOCD
sudo dnf install openocd

# Optional: Documentation tools
sudo dnf install doxygen graphviz
pip3 install sphinx breathe sphinx_rtd_theme

Arch Linux¶

# Core tools
sudo pacman -S cmake git python python-pip base-devel

# ARM toolchain
sudo pacman -S arm-none-eabi-gcc arm-none-eabi-binutils \
               arm-none-eabi-newlib

# Optional: OpenOCD
sudo pacman -S openocd

# Optional: Documentation tools
sudo pacman -S doxygen graphviz
pip install sphinx breathe sphinx_rtd_theme

macOS Installation ¶

Using Homebrew (Recommended)¶

Install Homebrew from https://brew.sh/, then:

# Core tools
brew install cmake git python

# ARM toolchain
brew install --cask gcc-arm-embedded

# Or using tap
brew tap osx-cross/arm
brew install arm-gcc-bin

# Optional: OpenOCD
brew install openocd

# Optional: Documentation tools
brew install doxygen graphviz
pip3 install sphinx breathe sphinx_rtd_theme

Xcode Command Line Tools¶

# Install Xcode Command Line Tools
xcode-select --install

# Verify
clang --version

Python Dependencies ¶

Install Python packages required for build scripts:

# Navigate to Nexus directory
cd nexus

# Install requirements
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Or install manually
pip install kconfiglib colorama

Verify Installation ¶

Check All Tools ¶

Run this script to verify all tools are installed:

# Check CMake
cmake --version

# Check Git
git --version

# Check Python
python --version
python -c "import kconfiglib; print('kconfiglib OK')"

# Check ARM toolchain
arm-none-eabi-gcc --version
arm-none-eabi-objcopy --version
arm-none-eabi-size --version

# Check native compiler
# Windows (MSVC)
cl.exe

# Linux/macOS (GCC)
gcc --version

# macOS (Clang)
clang --version

Expected Output ¶

You should see version information for each tool:

cmake version 3.22.1
git version 2.34.1
Python 3.10.4
kconfiglib OK
arm-none-eabi-gcc (GNU Arm Embedded Toolchain 10.3-2021.10) 10.3.1
gcc (Ubuntu 11.2.0-19ubuntu1) 11.2.0

Clone Nexus Repository ¶

Get the Source Code ¶

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/nexus-platform/nexus.git
cd nexus

# Initialize submodules
git submodule update --init --recursive

Verify Repository ¶

# Check directory structure
ls -la

# You should see:
# - hal/
# - osal/
# - framework/
# - platforms/
# - applications/
# - tests/
# - CMakeLists.txt
# - Kconfig
# - README.md

IDE Setup (Optional)¶

Visual Studio Code ¶

Recommended extensions:

C/C++ (Microsoft)
CMake Tools (Microsoft)
CMake (twxs)
Cortex-Debug (for ARM debugging)
Python (Microsoft)

Install extensions:

code --install-extension ms-vscode.cpptools
code --install-extension ms-vscode.cmake-tools
code --install-extension twxs.cmake
code --install-extension marus25.cortex-debug
code --install-extension ms-python.python

See IDE Integration for detailed VS Code setup.

CLion ¶

Open Nexus directory as CMake project
Configure CMake profiles for different platforms
Set up toolchains in Settings → Build, Execution, Deployment → Toolchains

Eclipse ¶

Install Eclipse IDE for C/C++ Developers
Import as CMake project
Configure ARM toolchain in Project Properties

Hardware Setup ¶

STM32F4 Discovery Board ¶

What You Need

STM32F4DISCOVERY board (STM32F407VGT6)
Mini-USB cable
Windows: ST-Link driver from https://www.st.com/en/development-tools/stsw-link009.html

Board Features

4 user LEDs (PD12-PD15)
1 user button (PA0)
ST-LINK/V2 debugger (built-in)
Arduino-compatible headers

Driver Installation

Windows:

Download ST-Link driver
Install driver
Connect board via USB
Verify in Device Manager

Linux:

# Install udev rules
sudo cp 49-stlinkv2.rules /etc/udev/rules.d/
sudo udevadm control --reload-rules

macOS:

No driver needed, works out of the box.

Test Connection

# Using OpenOCD
openocd -f interface/stlink.cfg -f target/stm32f4x.cfg

# Using ST-Link utilities
st-info --probe

Other Boards ¶

See platform-specific guides:

STM32F4 平台 Guide - STM32F4 boards
STM32H7 平台 Guide - STM32H7 boards
GD32 平台 Guide - GD32 boards

Troubleshooting ¶

Common Issues ¶

CMake not found

'cmake' is not recognized as an internal or external command

Solution: Add CMake to PATH or reinstall with "Add to PATH" option.

ARM toolchain not found

Could not find arm-none-eabi-gcc

Solution: Install ARM toolchain and add to PATH.

Python module not found

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'kconfiglib'

Solution: Install Python dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

ST-Link not detected (Windows)

Solution: Install ST-Link driver from ST website.

Permission denied (Linux)

Error: libusb_open() failed with LIBUSB_ERROR_ACCESS

Solution: Add udev rules and add user to dialout group:

sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER
# Log out and log back in

Getting Help ¶

If you encounter issues:

Check Frequently Asked Questions for common problems
Search GitHub Issues
Ask in GitHub Discussions
Review 贡献指南 for contribution guidelines

Next Steps ¶

Now that your environment is set up:

Quick Start - Build your first example
Project Structure - Understand the codebase
Build and Flash - Learn build and deployment workflows