Unable to build ELF2UF2 when CMake Toolchain is not on PATH

[t0rr3sp3dr0]

Environments like CLion bundle building tools and use them in CMake by setting the CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM variable, but this variable is not propagated to subprojects by default. ELF2UF2 and PIOASM are subprojects of the Pico SDK and they are not configured to propagate CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM. When the toolchain is not installed or not in the PATH, the build fails.

====================[ Build | blink | Debug ]===================================
"/Users/pedro/Library/Application Support/JetBrains/Toolbox/apps/CLion/ch-0/221.5921.27/CLion.app/Contents/bin/cmake/mac/bin/cmake" --build /Users/pedro/repos/pico-examples/cmake-build-debug --target blink -j 3
[8/59] Performing configure step for 'ELF2UF2Build'
FAILED: blink/elf2uf2/src/ELF2UF2Build-stamp/ELF2UF2Build-configure /Users/pedro/repos/pico-examples/cmake-build-debug/blink/elf2uf2/src/ELF2UF2Build-stamp/ELF2UF2Build-configure 
cd /Users/pedro/repos/pico-examples/cmake-build-debug/elf2uf2 && "/Users/pedro/Library/Application Support/JetBrains/Toolbox/apps/CLion/ch-0/221.5921.27/CLion.app/Contents/bin/cmake/mac/bin/cmake" -GNinja /Users/pedro/repos/pico-examples/cmake-build-debug/_deps/pico_sdk-src/tools/elf2uf2 && "/Users/pedro/Library/Application Support/JetBrains/Toolbox/apps/CLion/ch-0/221.5921.27/CLion.app/Contents/bin/cmake/mac/bin/cmake" -E touch /Users/pedro/repos/pico-examples/cmake-build-debug/blink/elf2uf2/src/ELF2UF2Build-stamp/ELF2UF2Build-configure
CMake Error: CMake was unable to find a build program corresponding to "Ninja".  CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM is not set.  You probably need to select a different build tool.
CMake Error: CMAKE_C_COMPILER not set, after EnableLanguage
CMake Error: CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER not set, after EnableLanguage
-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
See also "/Users/pedro/repos/pico-examples/cmake-build-debug/elf2uf2/CMakeFiles/CMakeOutput.log".
[9/59] Generating bs2_default_padded_checksummed.S
ninja: build stopped: subcommand failed.

This is what happens when you try to build the blink example (https://github.com/raspberrypi/pico-examples/tree/master/blink) with CLion. It uses Ninja as the CMake Generator, but Ninja is not installed on the computer and it uses the version shipped with the IDE. But when the build process reaches ELF2UF2, it fails because CMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM is unset and Ninja is not in the PATH.

[t0rr3sp3dr0]

Related:

• https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/-/issues/23355

[kilograham]

Ha; thanks... i had never noticed this, even though I use CLion, because i have cmake and ninja installed locally too!

[kilograham]

merged into develop

[jtiscione]

I got a Raspberry Pi 4 to avoid troubles with setting up the toolchain, but that didn't do me any good; the instructions in the "getting started" tutorial are still broken. I can't get pico-examples to build in visual studio code.

[main] Building folder: pico-examples
[build] Starting build
[proc] Executing command: /usr/bin/cmake --build /home/pi/pico/pico-examples/build --config Debug --target blink --
[build] [1/51 1% :: 0.041] Performing configure step for 'ELF2UF2Build'
[build] FAILED: blink/elf2uf2/src/ELF2UF2Build-stamp/ELF2UF2Build-configure
[build] cd /home/pi/pico/pico-examples/build/elf2uf2 && /usr/bin/cmake -GNinja /home/pi/pico/pico-sdk/tools/elf2uf2 && /usr/bin/cmake -E touch /home/pi/pico/pico-examples/build/blink/elf2uf2/src/ELF2UF2Build-stamp/ELF2UF2Build-configure
[build] CMake Error: Error: generator : Ninja
[build] Does not match the generator used previously: Unix Makefiles
[build] Either remove the CMakeCache.txt file and CMakeFiles directory or choose a different binary directory.
[build] ninja: build stopped: subcommand failed.
[proc] The command: /usr/bin/cmake --build /home/pi/pico/pico-examples/build --config Debug --target blink -- exited with code: 1
[build] Build finished with exit code 1

[kilograham]

try deleting your /home/pi/pico-examples/build directory and starting again.

[lurch]

[build] CMake Error: Error: generator : Ninja

Looks like you missed the part in https://datasheets.raspberrypi.com/pico/getting-started-with-pico.pdf that warns about "If you do not change the "Cmake: Generator" Visual Studio will default to ninja and the build might fail as GCC outputs dependency-information in a slightly-incorrect format that ninja can’t understand." ?

[jtiscione]

That was what I was doing wrong, I think.
But now what's stopping me is this message that appears whenever I try to run anything:
"Error: A serious error occurred with gdb, unable to continue or interrupt. We may not be able to recover from this point. You can try continuing or ending session. Must address root cause though."