Linux Installation

@tableofcontents

Generic Linux devices are supported via SPIDEV, PiGPIO, MRAA, RPi native via BCM2835, or using LittleWire.

@note The SPIDEV option should work with most Linux systems supporting spi userspace device.

Automatic Installation (New)

Using CMake: (See the instructions using CMake for more information and options)

1. Download the install.sh file from https://github.com/nRF24/.github/blob/main/installer/install.sh

   wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nRF24/.github/main/installer/install.sh

2. Make it executable

   chmod +x install.sh

3. Run it and choose your options

   ./install.sh

   @warning SPIDEV is now always selected as the default driver because all other Linux drivers are being removed in the future. See RF24 issue #971 for rationale.

   It will also ask to install a python package named pyRF24. This is not the same as the traditionally provided python wrappers because the pyRF24 package can be used independent of the C++ installed libraries. For more information on this newer python package, please check out the pyRF24 documentation.

4. Try an example from one of the libraries

   cd ~/rf24libs/RF24/examples_linux

   Edit the gettingstarted example, to set your pin configuration

   nano gettingstarted.cpp

   Build the examples. Remember to set the RF24_DRIVER option according to the one that was selected during the scripted install.

   mkdir build && cd build
   cmake .. -D RF24_DRIVER=SPIDEV
   make

   Run the example

   sudo ./gettingstarted

See the instructions using CMake for more information and options

Automated Install (Deprecated - 32 bit only)

Designed & Tested on RPi - Defaults to SPIDEV on devices supporting it

1. Install prerequisites if there are any (pigpio, MRAA, LittleWire libraries, setup SPI device etc)

2. Download the install.sh file from http://tmrh20.github.io/RF24Installer/RPi/install.sh

   wget http://tmrh20.github.io/RF24Installer/RPi/install.sh

3. Make it executable

   chmod +x install.sh

4. Run it and choose your options

   ./install.sh

   @warning SPIDEV is now always selected as the default driver because all other Linux drivers are being removed in the future. See RF24 issue #971 for rationale.

5. Run an example from one of the libraries

   cd rf24libs/RF24/examples_linux

   Edit the gettingstarted example, to set your pin configuration

   nano gettingstarted.cpp
   make
   sudo ./gettingstarted

Manual Install (Deprecated - 32 bit only)

1. Install prerequisites if there are any (pigpio, MRAA, LittleWire libraries, setup SPI device etc) @note See the MRAA documentation for more info on installing MRAA

2. Make a directory to contain the RF24 and possibly RF24Network lib and enter it

   mkdir ~/rf24libs
   cd ~/rf24libs

3. Clone the RF24 repo

   git clone https://github.com/tmrh20/RF24.git RF24

4. Change to the new RF24 directory

   cd RF24

5. Configure build environment using the command:

   ./configure

   It automatically detects device and build environment.

   @warning SPIDEV is now always selected as the default driver because all other Linux drivers are being removed in the future. See RF24 issue #971 for rationale.

   For overriding automatic detections, use command-line arguments, see

   ./configure --help

   for description.

6. Build the library, and run an example file

   make
   sudo make install

   cd examples_linux

   Edit the gettingstarted example, to set your pin configuration

   ano gettingstarted.cpp
   make
   sudo ./gettingstarted

Build using SPIDEV (Deprecated - 32 bit only)

1. Make sure that spi device support is enabled and /dev/spidev<a>.<b> is present
2. Manual Install using SPIDEV:

   ./configure --driver=SPIDEV
   make
   sudo make install

3. See the gettingstarted example for an example of pin configuration