path: root/2026-coc/pres.typ

#import "@preview/polylux:0.4.0": *
#import "@preview/metropolis-polylux:0.1.0" as metropolis

#show: metropolis.setup
#show: metropolis.setup.with(footer: [Firmware project with Meson build system])
#show raw: set text(ligatures: false, features: (calt: 0))

#slide[
  #set page(header: none, footer: none, margin: 3em)

  #text(size: 1.3em)[*Firmware project with Meson build system*]

  Community Over Code Glasgow 2026

  #metropolis.divider

  #set text(size: .8em, weight: "light")
  Karel Kočí

  13.10.2026
]

#slide[
  = The Point

  #set text(size: 0.95em)
  POSIX gives ability to run same programs on NuttX and Linux.

  Advantages:
  - Options when selecting libraries
  - Easier and faster testing (including CI/CD)
  - Possibility to test with tools such as Valgrind

  Workflow:
  - Develop on PC including libraries
  - Unit testing on PC
  - Sw/sw integration on PC
  - Sw/hw integration on real hardware

  We need a good way to build project for both targets (for NuttX flat build).
]

#metropolis.new-section[NuttX external]

#slide[
  = Standard NuttX
  ```
  .
  ├── nuttx
  │   └── ...
  └── apps
      └── ...
  ```
  \
  ```bash
  cd nuttx
  ./tools/configure.sh rv-virt:nsh
  make
  ```
]

#slide[
  = External Applications and Libraries
  ```
  ├── nuttx
  │   ├── external -> ../project-libs
  │   └── ...
  ├── apps
  │   ├── external -> ../project-apps
  │   └── ...
  ├── project-libs
  │   └── ...
  └── project-apps
      └── ...
  ```
  #text(weight: "bold")[`configure-nuttx.sh`]
  ```bash
    ln -sf ../project-libs nuttx/external
    ln -sf ../project-apps apps/external
  ```
]

#slide[
  = Apps Directory

  #text(weight: "bold")[`project-apps/Make.defs`]
  ```make
    include $(wildcard $(APPDIR)/external/*/Make.defs)
  ```

  #text(weight: "bold")[`project-apps/Makefile`]
  ```make
    MENUDESC = "Project Applications"
    include $(APPDIR)/Directory.mk
  ```
]

#slide[
  = A Project App

  #text(weight: "bold")[`project-apps/project_hello/Make.defs`]
  ```make
    CONFIGURED_APPS += $(APPDIR)/external/project_hello
  ```

  #text(weight: "bold")[`project-apps/project_hello/Makefile`]
  ```make
    include $(APPDIR)/Make.defs
    PROGNAME  = $(CONFIG_NUTTX_USBNSH_PROGNAME)
    PRIORITY  = $(CONFIG_NUTTX_USBNSH_PRIORITY)
    STACKSIZE = $(CONFIG_NUTTX_USBNSH_STACKSIZE)
    MODULE    = $(CONFIG_NUTTX_USBNSH)
    MAINSRC = project_hello_main.c
    include $(APPDIR)/Application.mk
  ```

  #text(weight: "bold")[`project-apps/project_hello/Kconfig`] ...
]

#slide[
  = A Project App: In More Depth
  #text(size: 0.9em)[
    ```make
    all:: .built
    context::
    register::
      $(call REGISTER,$(PROGNAME_$@),$(PRIORITY_$@),$(STACKSIZE_$@),$@_main)

    .built: $(AROBJS)
        $(call ARLOCK, $(call CONVERT_PATH,$(BIN)), $^)

    CFLAGS += ${DEFINE_PREFIX}main=$(addsuffix _main,$(PROGSYM_$@))
    ```
  ]
]

#slide[
  = External Board

  ```bash
  mkdir board
  cp -r nuttx/boards/risc-v/qemu-rv/rv-virt/{src,include,scripts} board/
  ```

  #text(weight: "bold")[`board/defconfig`] (replace `CONFIG_ARCH_BOARD*`)
  ```Kconfig
    ...
    CONFIG_ARCH_BOARD_CUSTOM=y
    CONFIG_ARCH_BOARD_CUSTOM_DIR="../board"
    CONFIG_ARCH_BOARD_CUSTOM_DIR_RELPATH=y
    CONFIG_ARCH_BOARD_CUSTOM_NAME="TEMPLATE"
  ```

  #text(weight: "bold")[`configure-nuttx.sh`]
  ```bash
    ...
    cp -f board/defconfig nuttx/.config
    make -C nuttx olddefconfig
  ```
]

#slide[
  = Bonus Round: Config verification
  ```bash
    while read -r line; do
      [[ "$cnf" == CONFIG_* ]] || continue
      if [[ "${line#*=}" == "n" ]]; then
        if grep -q "^${line%=*}=(y|m)$" nuttx/.config; then
            echo "Not correctly set: $line" >&2; exit 1
        fi
      else
        if ! grep -qF "$line" nuttx/.config; then
            echo "Not correctly set: $line" >&2; exit 1
        fi
      fi
    done <"board/defconfig"
  done
  ```
]

#metropolis.new-section[Meson]

#slide[
  = Requirements for Build System
  - Build libraries and applications
  - No special rules in build system for NuttX
  - Support for external projects with minimal NuttX boilerplate
]

#slide[
  = Quick Overview

  Leading build system for building libraries and executables for Linux.

  \

  #text(weight: "bold")[`meson.build`]
  ```python
    project('tutorial', 'c')
    libfoo = library('foo', files('foo.c'),
          include_directories=include_directories('.'))
    executable('demo', files('main.c'), dependencies: [libfoo],
          install: true)
  ```
  \

  Outputs ninja or other build systems.
]

#slide[
  = Compare with make and cmake
  #text(size: 0.9em)[
    #toolbox.side-by-side[
      #text(weight: "bold")[Make]
      - 🙂 Generic build system (language)
      - 😕 Can be tweaked to build almost anything
      - 😢 Good build systems are complex
      - 😢 Build targets standardization old and obsolete
      - 🫣 No standard way to set toolchain
      - 😕 No standard way to manage build time dependencies
    ][
      #text(weight: "bold")[CMake]
      - 🙂 Generic build system (language)
      - 😕 Can be tweaked to build almost anything
      - 😊 Has build target standardization
      - 😢 Build target standardization is optional
      - 😊 Toolchain.cmake
      - 😢 Alternative ways to manage toolchain
      - 😊 FetchContent
    ]
  ]
]
#slide[
  = While Meson...
  - 😊 Can build only predefined types
  - 😊 Can't be tweaked that much
  - 🙃 Not a complete language
  - 😊 crossfile.ini
  - 😍 makes it hard to not use standard way
  - 😊 subprojects with even cmake support
]

#metropolis.new-section[Meson Integration]

#slide[
  = Two Ways
  #toolbox.side-by-side[
    #text(weight: "bold")[NuttX as project's library]

    Use exported libraries and linker script from NuttX in any other build
    system.

    ```bash
    make -C nuttx export
    ```
  ][
    #text(weight: "bold")[Project as app in NuttX]

    NuttX build system deals with Firmware build.

    App integration uses our project's build system and adds results to NuttX
    linkage.
  ]
]

#slide[
  = Phase 1: crossfile
  #text(size: 0.8em)[
    #text(weight: "bold")[`project-apps/meson-apps/Makefile`]
    ```make
      crossfile.ini: .FORCE
        ./crossfile.sh '$(CC)' '$(AR)' '$(CFLAGS)'
    ```
    #text(weight: "bold")[`project-apps/meson-apps/crossfile.sh`]
    ```bash
      march="${3/*-march=/}"; march="${march/ */}"
      flags_sanit() { sed -E "s#-Wshadow##;s#\"##g; s#-I #-I#g" <<<"$1" }
      cat >crossfile.ini <<-EOF
        [binaries]
        c = '$1'
        ar = '$2'
        [built-in options]
        c_args = [$(flags_sanit "$cflags" | sed -E "s#([^ ]+)#'\1'#g; s# +#, #g")]
        c_link_args = ['-nostdlib', '-static', '-r']
        [host_machine]
        system = 'nuttx'
        cpu_family = '${1%%-*}'
        cpu = '${march}'
      EOF
    ```
  ]
]
#slide[
  = Phase 1.1: Toolchain.cmake
  #text(weight: "bold")[`project-apps/meson-apps/crossfile.sh`]
  ```bash
    cat >>crossfile.ini <<-EOF
      [properties]
      cmake_toolchain_file = '$(pwd)/Toolchain.cmake'
    EOF
    cat >Toolchain.cmake <<-EOF
      add_compile_options($(flags_sanit "$cflags"))
      add_link_options(-nostdlib -static -r)
    EOF
  ```
]

#slide[
  = Phase 2: context
  #text(weight: "bold")[`project-apps/meson-apps/Makefile`]
  ```make
    context:: build/build.ninja
    build/build.ninja: crossfile.ini meson-setup.sh
      ./meson-setup.sh
  ```
  #text(weight: "bold")[`project-apps/meson-apps/meson-setup.sh`]
  ```bash
    meson setup --default-library static -Db_staticpic=false \
      --backend ninja --cross-file crossfile.ini build ../..
  ```
]

#slide[
  = Phase 3: build / build.ninja.mk
  #text(size: 0.8em)[
    #text(weight: "bold")[`project-apps/meson-apps/meson-setup.sh`]
    ```make
      {
        meson introspect --targets "build" |
          jq -r '.[]
              | select((.type == "static library" or .type == "executable") and .installed)
              | .name, .filename[0], .type' |
          while read -r name && read -r file && read -r type; do
            target="${file#"$sdir/build/"}"
            if [[ "$type" == "executable" ]]; then
              echo "\$(eval \$(call EXECUTABLE,$target,$name,${name//-/_}_main))"
            else
              echo "\$(eval \$(call STATIC_LIBRARY,$target))"
            fi
          done
        meson introspect --buildsystem-files build | jq -r '.[]' |
          sed 's#^#build/build.ninja: #'
      } >"build.ninja.mk"
    ```
  ]
]

#slide[
  = Phase 3.1: built
  #text(weight: "bold")[`project-apps/meson-apps/Makefile`]
  ```make
    all:: .built
      @

    .built: build.ninja.mk $(BUILDS)
      touch $@
  ```
]

#slide[
  = Phase 3.2: build NINJA_TARGET
  #text(weight: "bold")[`project-apps/meson-apps/Makefile`]
  ```make
    define NINJA_TARGET

    .NOTPARALLEL: build/$(1)
    build/$(1): build/build.ninja .FORCE
      flock build ninja $$(if $$(V),,--quiet) -C build $(1)

    endef
  ```
]

#slide[
  = Phase 3.3: build STATIC_LIBRARY
  #text(weight: "bold")[`project-apps/meson-apps/Makefile`]
  ```make
    define STATIC_LIBRARY
    BUILDS += build/$(1).built
    LIBRARIES += build/$(1)
    $(call NINJA_TARGET,$(1))
    build/$(1).built: build/$(1)
      mkdir -p build/$(1).a
      $$(UNAR) --output build/$(1).a build/$(1)
      cd build/$(1).a && for f in *.o; do mv "$$$$f" "$(subst $(DELIM),.,$(1))_$$f"; done
      $$(call ARLOCK, $$(call CONVERT_PATH,$$(BIN)), build/$(1).a/*)
      $$(call DELDIR, build/$(1).a)
      touch $$@
    endef
  ```
]

#slide[
  = Phase 3.4: libsyms
  #text(weight: "bold")[`project-apps/meson-apps/Makefile`]
  ```make
    libsyms: $(LIBRARIES)
      $(NM) --quiet --just-symbols --defined-only $^ | sort -u > $@
  ```
]

#slide[
  = Phase 3.5: register EXECUTABLE
  #text(weight: "bold")[`project-apps/meson-apps/Makefile`]
  ```make
    define EXECUTABLE

    register:: $$(BUILTIN_REGISTRY)$$(DELIM)$(2).bdat

    $$(BUILTIN_REGISTRY)$$(DELIM)$(2).bdat: build/build.ninja
      $$(call REGISTER,$(2),$$(PRIORITY),$$(STACKSIZE),$(3))

    endef
  ```
]

#slide[
  = Phase 3.5: build EXECUTABLE
  #text(weight: "bold")[`project-apps/meson-apps/Makefile`]
  ```make
    define EXECUTABLE
      BUILDS += build/$(1).built
      $(call NINJA_TARGET,$(1))
      build/$(1).built: build/$(1) libsyms
        $$(NM) --quiet --just-symbols --defined-only build/$(1) \
          | sort -u | comm -2 - libsyms >build/$(1).syms
        $$(OBJCOPY) --redefine-sym main=$(3) \
          --localize-symbols=build/$(1).syms \
          --weaken-symbols=libsyms \
          build/$(1) build/$(1).o
        $$(call ARLOCK, $$(call CONVERT_PATH,$$(BIN)), build/$(1).o)
        touch $$@

  ```
]

#slide[
  #show: metropolis.focus

  Demonstration
]

#slide[
  = LTO
  With LTO we can't modify symbols.

  Workaround: add `-flinker-output=nolto-rel` to `c_link_args`

  That removes LTO from linked objects objects (executables).

  LTO not applied to calls from executables to libraries and nuttx.\
  LTO is still applied to calls between libraries and from libraries to NuttX

]

#slide[
  = Conclusion
  Demonstrated possibilities:
  - How to have project specific applications
  - How to use off-tree board
  - How to convince meson to build for NuttX
  - How to merge meson built files to NuttX

  All this without forking NuttX or Meson.

  Actual implementation provides resiliency against parameters change compared
  to the examples.
]

#slide[
  #show: metropolis.focus
  Thank you

  Karel Kočí

  #metropolis.divider

  #text(size: 0.6em)[
    https://gitlab.com/Cynerd/nuttx-meson-template/-/tree/master

    https://gitlab.com/Cynerd/nixos-personal

    https://git.cynerd.cz/presentations/tree/2026-communitycvercode
  ]
]