# Using CMake @tableofcontents A more modern approach instead of using hand-crafted _Makefiles_ & _configure_ scripts to build & install software. Please note that these instructions are not needed if you have already installed the library using [these older instructions](linux_install.md) ## Installing the library You can install the library in a few different ways. - Building and installing the library from source code is preferable since it will include all the latest changes. - Installing the library (via a package manager) from a pre-built package is mostly for cross-compiling purposes, but it can be useful for environments that don't have all the build-time dependencies (namely CMake). @warning If you have previously installed the library from source code using the [the older instructions](linux_install.md), then you will need to uninstall it manually to avoid runtime conflicts. ```shell sudo rm /usr/local/lib/librf24.* sudo rm /usr/local/lib/librf24-bcm.so sudo rm -r /usr/local/include/RF24 ``` The _librf24-bcm.so_ file may not exist if you used CMake to install the library. ### Automatic Installation There is a newer automatic install script that makes use of the CMake approach. 1. Download the install.sh file from [https://github.com/nRF24/.github/blob/main/installer/install.sh](https://github.com/nRF24/.github/blob/main/installer/install.sh) ```shell wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nRF24/.github/main/installer/install.sh ``` 2. Make it executable ```shell chmod +x install.sh ``` 3. Run it and choose your options ```shell ./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](https://github.com/nRF24/RF24/issues/971) for rationale. It will also ask to install a python package named [pyRF24](https://github.com/nRF24/pyRF24). This is not the same as the traditionally provided python wrappers as 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](https://nrf24.github.io/pyRF24/). 4. Try an example from one of the libraries ```shell cd ~/rf24libs/RF24/examples_linux ``` Edit the gettingstarted example, to set your pin configuration ```shell nano gettingstarted.cpp ``` Build the examples. Remember to set the `RF24_DRIVER` option according to the one that was selected during the scripted install. ```shell mkdir build && cd build cmake .. -D RF24_DRIVER=SPIDEV make ``` Run the example ```shell sudo ./gettingstarted ``` ### Building from source code 1. Install prerequisites if there are any (PiGPIO, WiringPi, MRAA, LittleWire libraries, and enable the SPI bus(es) in the OS). CMake may need to be installed ```shell sudo apt-get install cmake ``` @note See the [MRAA documentation](http://iotdk.intel.com/docs/master/mraa/index.html) for more information on installing MRAA. 2. Make a directory to contain the RF24 library and possibly other RF24\* libraries and enter it ```shell mkdir ~/rf24libs cd ~/rf24libs ``` 3. Clone the [RF24 repo](https://github.com/nRF24/RF24) and navigate to it ```shell git clone https://github.com/nRF24/RF24.git RF24 cd RF24 ``` 4. Create a build directory inside the RF24 directory and navigate to it. ```shell mkdir build cd build ``` 5. Configure build environment @note When using these instructions to install RF24Mesh, RF24Network, or RF24Gateway, the following `RF24_DRIVER` option is only needed for the RF24 library and examples as well as the examples for RF24Network, RF24Mesh, and RF24Gateway. The `RF24_DRIVER` option is not needed when installing the libraries for RF24Network, RF24Mesh, and RF24Gateway. Instead of specifying the `RF24_DRIVER` option in the CLI, it is recommended to use a environment variable named `RF24_DRIVER`. ```shell export RF24_DRIVER=SPIDEV ``` These instructions assume you have not set an environment variable. ```shell cmake .. -D RF24_DRIVER=SPIDEV ``` Instead of using `SPIDEV` driver (recommended), you can also specify the `RPi`, `wiringPi`, `MRAA`, or `LittleWire` as alternative drivers. @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](https://github.com/nRF24/RF24/issues/971) for rationale. 6. Build and install the library ```shell make sudo make install ``` 7. Build the examples Navigate to the _examples_linux_ directory ```shell cd ../examples_linux ``` Make sure the pins used in the examples match the pins you used to connect the radio module ```shell nano gettingstarted.cpp ``` and edit the pin numbers as directed in the [linux/RPi general documentation](rpi_general.md). Create a build directory in the examples_linux directory and navigate to it. ```shell mkdir build cd build ``` Now you are ready to build the examples. ```shell cmake .. make ``` If using the `MRAA` or `wiringPi` drivers, then you may need to specify the `RF24_DRIVER` option again. ```shell cmake .. -D RF24_DRIVER=wiringPi make ``` Remember that the `RF24_DRIVER` option is needed for the RF24Network, RF24Mesh, and RF24Gateway examples if you specified that option (via CLI or environment variable) when installing the RF24 library and examples. 8. Run an example file ```shell sudo ./gettingstarted ``` ### Using a package manager The RF24 library now (as of v1.4.1) has pre-built packages (.deb or .rpm files) that can be installed on a Raspberry Pi. These packages can be found on the library's [GitHub release page](https://GitHub.com/nRF24/RF24/releases) 1. Download the appropriate package for your machine Go to the library's [GitHub release page](https://GitHub.com/nRF24/RF24/releases), and look for the latest release's assets. For all Raspberry Pi variants using the Raspberry Pi OS (aka Raspbian), you need the file marked for _armhf_ architecture. For Raspberry Pi variants using a 64-bit OS (like Ubuntu), you need the file marked for _arm64_ architecture. Notice that the filenames will include the name of the utility driver that the package was built with. This does not mean that the LittleWire, MRAA, or wiringPi libraries are included in the package (you will still need to install those yourself beforehand). 2. Install the downloaded pkg If you downloaded the file directly from your target machine using the desktop environment, then you only need to double-click the package (deb or rpm) file, and the OS should do the rest. If you downloaded the file remotely and want to copy it over ssh, then use the `scp` command in a terminal. ```shell scp pkg_filename.deb pi@host_name:~/Downloads ``` @note You do not need to do this from within an ssh session. Also, you can use the target machine's IP address instead of its host name. The `scp` command will ask you for a password belonging to the user's name on the remote machine (we used `pi` in the above example). Now you can open up a ssh session and install the copied package from the terminal. ```shell ssh pi@host_name cd Downloads dpkg -i pkg_filename.deb ``` ## Cross-compiling the library The RF24 library comes with some pre-made toolchain files (located in the _RF24/cmake/toolchains_ directory) to use in CMake. To use these toolchain files, additional command line options are needed when configuring CMake to build the library (step 5 in the above instructions to build from source). ```shell cmake .. -D CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=cmake/toolchains/armhf.cmake make ``` If you plan on using the cross-compiled library with your personal cross-compiled project, then it is advised to specify the path that your project will look in when linking to the RF24 library: ```shell cmake .. -D CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/arm-linux-gnueabihf -D CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=cmake/toolchains/armhf.cmake make sudo make install ``` Remember to also specify the `RF24_DRIVER` option (via CLI or environment variable) if not using the auto-configuration feature (see step 5 in the above instructions to build from source). ### Installing the library remotely To install remotely, you can create an installable package file using CMake's built-in program called CPack. ```shell cmake .. -D CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=cmake/toolchains/armhf.cmake make cpack ``` This will create a deb file and a rpm file in a new sub-directory called "pkgs" within the build directory. You can use either of these packages to install the library to your target machine (see the above instructions about using a package manager).