[New] Side project: ChibiToolchain

[Giovanni]

Hi,

Just a note, I am playing with Eclipse Juno and it looks good, apparently even faster than its predecessors, or at least it feels faster.

I just had an idea to pack it with the newest ARM toolchain, all the usual plugins, do all the boring settings, add ChibiOS, import some projects into a workspace nicely arranged in Working Sets and finally zip the whole thing and slap a "ChibiToolchain 1.0" label on it.
A lot of people is still having problems in setting up the Eclipse toolchain and a pre-configured package would make life easier for them.

The current ChibiToolchain is composed of:

Code: Select all

- Eclipse Juno 4.2 classic (http://www.eclipse.org) with the following
  optional components installed:
  - Eclipse CDT 8.1.0.
  - C/C++ GDB Hardware Debugging 7.0.0.
  - Target Management Terminal 3.3.0.
    - Serial Connector plugin (http://rxtx.qbang.org/eclipse).
  - ChibiOS debug plugin 1.0.8.
  - Embedded Systems Register View plugin 0.2.1.90
    (http://sourceforge.net/projects/embsysregview/).
- GCC ARM toolchain (https://launchpad.net/gcc-arm-embedded)
  gcc-arm-none-eabi-4_6-2012q2-20120614.
- YAGARTO Tools (http://www.yagarto.de).
- ChibiOS/RT 2.4.1.

This is a screenshot of how it looks so far:

ChibiTC.jpg (181.13 KiB) Viewed 11477 times

I have to find a way to place a pre-configured OpenOCD in it.

The only problem is that I don't know if my hosting will forgive me this 400MB download, it is supposed to be "unlimited" but...

Giovanni

[jscott]

Oh please yes!! I got my board a month or so ago and spent half that time getting tools running that I could use.

I am still not using eclipse or any debugger other then a scope and a flashing led ( works quite well when you
have been using them for 15 years).

Two points to consider:

1. Chibios 1.5 instead of 2.4.1?

2. You may become VERY Popular with the growing popularity of STM32 ( look for a PM )...

-John

[Giovanni]

ChibiOS is a directory inside there, it can be replaced. From a "normal user" point of view probably the latest stable makes more sense. Advanced user will just put there the SVN checkout and update at will.

Giovanni

[mabl]

Hi Giovanni,

sounds like a nice idea (and summary of useful plugins too ). This could really give ChibiOS even further reach!

If you run into issues with your provider, we could also set up a torrent and I'm sure we will find some more webspace.

[Giovanni]

It is shaping up nicely, probably in the evening I will upload a first version for review.

This is also an chance for me to do all the small improvements I already wanted to do to my environment and never had time to do.

Another advantage should be less effort in support if everybody is using the same "certified" stuff.

I have one doubt however, I am setting up everything for a 32bits Windows OS, will it work also in 64bits setups? I am unable to test this because my idea is to stay with WinXP as long as possible.

Giovanni

[Tectu]

Nice work Giovanni! Maybe even I as vi + gdb user will give it a try

I would be open for torrent sharing.


~ Tectu

[mabl]

I have one doubt however, I am setting up everything for a 32bits Windows OS, will it work also in 64bits setups? I am unable to test this because my idea is to stay with WinXP as long as possible.

Hi Giovanni,

I'd be willing to give it a test under my x64 Windows 7 virtual machine. But I don't think that there will be too much trouble with it.

BTW: While I do not use Windows regularly, I think Windows 7 is a nice Windows version and you will have to migrate to it anyway since you'll never be happy with Windows 8

[Giovanni]

That's something I was thinking to do, migrate to W7 before W8 is out, I did the same last time with XP, I bought it soon after Vista release... I just had to replace Win2000 because compatibility issues. I believe W8 will fail harder than Vista.

I was about to migrate to Ubuntu, but that was before they went insane with that Unity thing.

Giovanni

[Badger]

I was about to migrate to Ubuntu, but that was before they went insane with that Unity thing.

Install gnome-shell and select it at the login and your problems will go away

[Giovanni]

I was about to migrate to Ubuntu, but that was before they went insane with that Unity thing.

Install gnome-shell and select it at the login and your problems will go away

It is not like Gnome3 is any better. Too bad, Ubuntu 10.10 almost convinced me. Mint Linux is nice but it is going through and instability phase, both Mate and Cinnamon are not yet mature.

Giovanni