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macOS / Linux Command Line

On macOS and Linux, FreeRTOS applications build with make -C, or with build_freertos.sh, which chains build, flash and monitor in one line. This page is the reference for both: build directories and outputs, alternate configurations, cleaning, and the actions, options, environment variables and limits of build_freertos.sh, with examples for the IPRO7AI Reef EVK. Tool installation is on Set Up Your Host.

Prerequisites

Directory structure

Path Contents
apps/<category>/<app>/ applications: .config, alternate defconfig_* files, CMakeLists.txt, Makefile, sources; categories ai, bluetooth, multimedia, platform, test
bsp/ board settings and linker scripts, SoC drivers, HAL
components/ FreeRTOS, BLE, networking, audio, AI, USB, file systems and more; some as prebuilt libraries
cmake/ toolchain and build macros
tools/ serial_monitor.py, create_ota.py, teach_web/, zephyr/, bundled CMake (Linux x86-64)
zephyr/ Zephyr module (IPRO7 EVB and IPRO7AI EVK boards)
build_freertos.sh, project.build, VERSION.txt build front end, make-to-CMake glue, version information

The components are described in Architecture.

Build with make

make -C apps/<category>/<app>                            # build .config into build/
make -C apps/<category>/<app> DEFCONFIG=defconfig_<name>  # build an alternate configuration into build_<name>/
  • Build directory: with DEFCONFIG= it is build_ plus the file name without its defconfig_ prefix, for example defconfig_reef → build_reef/ and defconfig_wifi_ipro6s → build_wifi_ipro6s/. The alternate file is copied to build_<name>/.config; the application's own .config is left alone. Edit the original file in the application directory, not the copy.
  • Outputs: <build dir>/build_out/<app>_IPRO7.bin (to flash), .elf (with debug symbols), .map (memory map); <build dir>/include/generated/autoconf.h holds the macros generated from the configuration. Every build also copies compile_commands.json to the SDK root for editor indexing.
  • Toolchain: make -C … CROSS_COMPILE=<dir>/bin/riscv64-unknown-elf-, or the environment variable of the same name, overrides CONFIG_CROSS_COMPILE in .config.
  • Parallel build: the inner CMake build always runs with -j4.
  • BOARD=: used only by ipro_agora_sentino (default reef) and ipro_pdm_mic_demo; other applications choose the board with DEFCONFIG=.

Building ipro7ai_reef_demo prints (excerpt):

[INFO] Build Path: <SDK>/apps/platform/ipro7ai_reef_demo/build
CPU: intelpro_ipro7
...
-- [toolchain] Vendor toolchain detected - enabling xxldsp and mtune=intelpro-ipro7
-- Generated autoconf header: <SDK>/apps/platform/ipro7ai_reef_demo/build/include/generated/autoconf.h
...
-- [board] IPRO7AI Reef: CONFIG_IPRO7_XTAL_CAPCODE=95 (board default)
-- IPRO7 flash: 1M (default, on-chip)
-- AI disabled: OCRAM=256KB
...
Memory region         Used Size  Region Size  %age Used
           flash:      249944 B         1 MB     23.84%
           psram:       45376 B         8 MB      0.54%
           ocram:       32144 B       256 KB     12.26%
          hbnram:        2460 B         4 KB     60.06%
Generate <SDK>/apps/platform/ipro7ai_reef_demo/build/build_out/ipro7ai_reef_demo_IPRO7.bin
[100%] Built target ipro7ai_reef_demo_IPRO7.elf

The [board] IPRO7AI Reef line confirms that the build targets the Reef. Without it, the configuration is for another board.

Reef build configurations

These configurations target the Reef. Where the table shows DEFCONFIG=, a plain make builds the application's .config for another board.

Application Build command Build directory Console
ipro7ai_reef_demo make -C apps/platform/ipro7ai_reef_demo build/ 115200
ipro7ai_reef_demo + Wi-Fi make -C apps/platform/ipro7ai_reef_demo DEFCONFIG=defconfig_wifi_ipro6s build_wifi_ipro6s/ 115200
ipro_reef_teach make -C apps/ai/ipro_reef_teach build/ 115200
ipro_ble_remote make -C apps/bluetooth/ble/ipro_ble_remote DEFCONFIG=defconfig_reef build_reef/ 115200
ipro_throughput_test make -C apps/bluetooth/ble/ipro_throughput_test DEFCONFIG=defconfig_reef build_reef/ 115200
ipro_le_audio_headset make -C apps/bluetooth/le_audio/ipro_le_audio_headset DEFCONFIG=defconfig_reef build_reef/ 115200
ipro7_uvc_cam webcam make -C apps/multimedia/ipro7_uvc_cam DEFCONFIG=defconfig_reef_ov5640 build_reef_ov5640/ 115200
ipro7_uvc_cam rock-paper-scissors make -C apps/multimedia/ipro7_uvc_cam DEFCONFIG=defconfig_reef_rps build_reef_rps/ 115200
ipro7_jpeg_decode make -C apps/multimedia/ipro7_jpeg_decode DEFCONFIG=defconfig_reef build_reef/ 921600
ipro_ai_link make -C apps/test/ipro_ai_link DEFCONFIG=defconfig_reef build_reef/ 115200
ipro_agora_sentino make -C apps/multimedia/ipro_agora_sentino build/ 115200

Which partition table each application flashes with, and which need boot2 or mfg data: Flashing & Serial Console: Partition tables.

Clean

make -C apps/platform/ipro7ai_reef_demo clean                                   # removes build/
make -C apps/platform/ipro7ai_reef_demo DEFCONFIG=defconfig_wifi_ipro6s clean   # removes build_wifi_ipro6s/

clean removes only the matching build directory. After changing .config or an alternate configuration, clean before building.

build_freertos.sh

./build_freertos.sh [actions...] [options] <project>

Actions chain and run in order; the first failure stops the rest, and with more than one action a summary lists each result at the end. Without an action, build runs. The project is a name (ipro7ai_reef_demo) or a path under apps/ (platform/ipro7ai_reef_demo).

Actions

Action Does
build runs make -C <app> [DEFCONFIG=…]. The full output goes to <build dir>/build.log; on success it prints ✓ Build succeeded, the Binary: path and size, on failure the last 30 lines of the log
clean runs make -C <app> clean, removing the build directory
flash sends reboot_dl, then flashes the built image with IntelProCube; see Flashing & Serial Console
monitor opens the port at the application's console baud rate, sends reboot first and reads for -t seconds; output only, no typing
size prints the total and per-section sizes of the .elf with riscv64-unknown-elf-size
test builds, flashes, sends reboot and waits for ALL TESTS PASSED or SOME TESTS FAILED; exit code 0 pass, 1 fail, 2 timeout

Options

Option Meaning
-p, --port PORT serial port; defaults to IPRO_SERIAL_PORT, else the only USB serial port present
-t, --timeout SEC read time of monitor and test, 30 s by default; 0 runs until Ctrl+C
-w, --wait-for PAT monitor stops when this regular expression matches; it counts as success only if the matched text contains PASSED
-d, --defconfig FILE alternate configuration, built in build_<name>/; flash and size also look for the image there
-c, --chip-variant V --chip-variant for flashing; defaults to IPRO_CHIP_VARIANT, else IPRO7AI for IPRO7AI EVK and Reef configurations and IPRO7 for the rest
-P, --pt TABLE partition table for flashing: a .toml path, or a file name under the tool's chips/ipro7/partition/; defaults to IPRO_FLASH_PT, else no --pt
-j, --jobs N parallel jobs of the outer make (the inner build always uses -j4)
-v, --verbose show the full build output on screen
-l, --list list every project by category
-h, --help help

Environment variables

Variable Effect
IPRO_FLASH_TOOL path of the IntelProCube command-line tool; when unset, ipro_iot_tool_macos / ipro_iot_tool_linux is looked up on PATH
IPRO_SERIAL_PORT default serial port (-p wins)
IPRO_CHIP_VARIANT default --chip-variant (-c wins)
IPRO_FLASH_PT default partition table (-P wins)
CROSS_COMPILE passed to make; overrides the toolchain prefix in .config

List the projects

./build_freertos.sh -l

Lists the projects under apps/ by category, with the first line of each .config as a description (excerpt):

ai
  ipro7ai_evk_person_detect           IPRO7AI EVK person detection: SC101IOT camera -> ISP -> NPU (YOLOv8) with
  ipro7ai_evk_rps                     IPRO7AI EVK rock-paper-scissors: SC101IOT camera -> ISP -> NPU classifier,
  ipro_reef_teach
  ipro_speaker_recog

bluetooth/ble
  ipro_ble_hid_keyboard
  ipro_ble_remote
  ipro_ble_transparent
  ipro_throughput_test
...
platform
  ...
  ipro7ai_reef_demo                   IPRO7AI Reef carrier board demo.

The list covers the applications of every board; the configurations for the Reef are those in the table above.

Reef examples

Set the environment once (macOS shown):

export IPRO_FLASH_TOOL=<IntelProCube>/ipro_iot_tool_macos
export IPRO_SERIAL_PORT=/dev/cu.usbserial-XXXX
PT2M=<IntelProCube>/chips/ipro7/partition/partition_cfg_2M.toml

# out-of-box firmware: build, flash, watch the boot messages for 30 s
./build_freertos.sh -P $PT2M build flash monitor ipro7ai_reef_demo

# clean rebuild of the Wi-Fi variant
./build_freertos.sh -d defconfig_wifi_ipro6s clean build ipro7ai_reef_demo

# USB webcam: build and flash
./build_freertos.sh -d defconfig_reef_ov5640 -P $PT2M build flash ipro7_uvc_cam

# a 921600-baud application: monitor uses the baud rate from the configuration
./build_freertos.sh -d defconfig_reef build flash monitor ipro7_jpeg_decode

# build only (the first flash needs boot2; run the tool directly)
./build_freertos.sh -d defconfig_reef build size ipro_ble_remote

A successful build prints:

Project: ipro_ble_remote  (bluetooth/ble/ipro_ble_remote)
Defconfig: defconfig_reef

→ Building ipro_ble_remote...
✓ Build succeeded (19s)
  Binary: <SDK>/apps/bluetooth/ble/ipro_ble_remote/build_reef/build_out/ipro_ble_remote_IPRO7.bin (561 KB)
  Log: <SDK>/apps/bluetooth/ble/ipro_ble_remote/build_reef/build.log

Limits

  • IPRO7 only: flash always passes --chipname ipro7, so it cannot flash IPRO6S images.
  • No --boot2, --mfg or --skip-ota: run IntelProCube directly for the first flash of ipro_ble_remote and the mfg data of ipro_reef_teach; see Flashing & Serial Console.
  • The tool runs in the current directory: give -P the full path of the .toml.
  • reboot_dl needs a shell: with firmware that has no shell or has hung, enter download mode with the buttons first.
  • monitor is not an interactive terminal: use a terminal program to type commands; see Interactive terminal. A timeout (exit 2) or a match without PASSED (exit 1) counts as a failure and stops later actions, so put monitor last.
  • size uses the default toolchain path: it always calls /opt/toolchain/riscv_ipro7/bin/riscv64-unknown-elf-size.
  • No BOARD= option: choose alternate configurations with -d.
  • macOS and Linux only: the script needs bash, and port autodetection only knows /dev/* names.

Verify

./build_freertos.sh -l                      # lists the projects
./build_freertos.sh ipro7ai_reef_demo       # prints ✓ Build succeeded and the Binary: path
ls apps/platform/ipro7ai_reef_demo/build/build_out/ipro7ai_reef_demo_IPRO7.bin

macOS notes

  • Use /dev/cu.* serial ports (for example /dev/cu.usbserial-XXXX), not /dev/tty.*: the latter waits for carrier detect and hangs.
  • The CMake bundled in tools/cmake/ is a Linux binary; the build prefers the cmake on PATH, so Homebrew's CMake is all macOS needs.
  • tools/serial_monitor.py uses only the Python standard library (termios), no pyserial; it sets high baud rates such as 921600 on macOS itself, so they work as is.

Troubleshooting

Symptom Cause Fix
✗ Project '…' not found. Did you mean: incomplete name use the full name from -l
✗ Multiple projects match '…': the same name in several categories use the path, for example platform/ipro7ai_reef_demo
✗ Build failed with No cmake found in the last 30 lines no cmake on PATH install CMake 3.15 or later
The build log cannot find riscv64-unknown-elf-gcc the toolchain is not at /opt/toolchain/riscv_ipro7/ set CROSS_COMPILE
No [board] IPRO7AI Reef line in the build output the configuration is for another board add DEFCONFIG= or -d as in Reef build configurations
After a build with -d, flash or size reports Binary not found or ELF not found without -d the script looks in build/ add the same -d
✗ Flash tool not found: ipro_iot_tool_macos IntelProCube not found set IPRO_FLASH_TOOL
Several serial ports, pass -p PORT or set IPRO_SERIAL_PORT more than one USB serial port name it with -p or IPRO_SERIAL_PORT
size fails to find riscv64-unknown-elf-size the toolchain is not at the default path run <toolchain dir>/bin/riscv64-unknown-elf-size <elf> directly

Next steps