Using your own computer

If you wish to do this lab on your own computer, it must be running a Unix-like system such as Linux or macOS. You may be able to do the lab in Microsoft Windows but do not expect help from the teachers (you're welcome to provide a step-by-step guide that would be included here).

The Zephyr web site contains instructions to install Zephyr.

You will have perform the following steps:

  • Install the required packages on your computer (such as cmake).
  • Decide where you will install Zephyr (for example $HOME/zephyrproject).
  • Create a virtual Python 3 environment (for example in $HOME/zephyrproject/venv):
$ mkdir $HOME/zephyr
$ python3 -mvenv $HOME/zephyr/venv
  • Activate this environment by sourcing the activate file:
$ source $HOME/zephyr/venv/bin/activate
  • Install west, Zephyr toolbox utility:
$ pip install west
  • Get Zephyr source code from git using west and update its dependent git repositories:
$ cd $HOME/zephyrproject
$ west init
$ west update
  • Register Zephyr location for cmake:
$ west zephyr-export
  • Install Zephyr Python requirements:
$ pip install -r zephyr/scripts/requirements.txt
  • Install Zephyr SDK (see the instructions to install the SDK).
  • Register Zephyr SDK location for cmake by running setup.sh found inside the SDK directory.
  • Install udev rules as per the instructions page.

Keep in mind the following points:

  • Zephyr and its SDK might take up to 25GB on your computer. Please ensure that you have enough room available.
  • Do not forget to activate the virtual Python environment in any terminal where you wish to use Zephyr.
  • You need to set the ZEPHYR_BASE environment variable to the zephyr directory created by west init (for example $HOME/zephyrproject/zephyr).