Build Tools

The cube:evk provides a complete development environment for compiling, testing, and deploying custom applications. Developers can either build software directly on the device or cross-compile on a host system using the provided SDK.

1. On-Device Development

The cube:evk ships with a fully equipped Linux development environment, making it possible to compile software directly on the board without any external setup.

Preinstalled Tools

All essential development packages are already available, including:

• gcc / g++ — GNU C and C++ compilers
• cmake — build configuration and project management
• make — build automation tool
• git — version control system
• build-essential — common build dependencies and libraries

You can verify the toolchain by running:

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cube:~$ gcc --version
cube:~$ cmake --version
cube:~$ git --version

This setup allows rapid development and testing directly on the EVK — ideal for smaller projects, proof-of-concepts, or quick prototyping.

Example: Building a Simple Application

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cube:~$ git clone https://github.com/example/myapp.git
cube:~$ cd myapp
cube:~/myapp$ mkdir build && cd build
cube:~/myapp/build$ cmake ..
cube:~/myapp/build$ make
cube:~/myapp/build$ ./myapp

2. Cross-Compilation on the Host

For larger projects or faster builds, applications can also be compiled on a host PC using a cross-compilation SDK. This approach significantly reduces build times and allows developers to use their preferred desktop IDE or CI/CD environment.

SDK Overview

The cube:evk SDK provides:

• Cross-compilation toolchains targeting the i.MX8M Plus architecture
• Preconfigured environment setup scripts
• Header files and libraries matching the cube:evk’s system image
• CMake toolchain files for seamless integration

Once configured, developers can build applications on their host just as they would for a native Linux target, and then transfer the compiled binaries to the EVK via ssh or scp.

Example:

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host:~/app$ mkdir build && cd build
host:~/app/build$ cmake -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=/opt/cube-sdk/cmake/toolchain.cmake ..
host:~/app/build$ make
host:~/app/build$ scp myapp cube@<evk-ip>:/home/cube/

On the EVK:

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cube:~$ ./myapp

Obtaining the SDK

The SDK is provided by us upon request. If you require the cross-compilation toolkit for integration into your build environment, please contact us directly.

3. Development Workflow Comparison