macOS CCS 11 TI RTOS Empty example project build fails

Hi,

Dennis Cote said:

Note, I have done the same thing on CCS 11 under Windows 10 and I am able to build the same project successfully. The makefiles under windows look substantially the same, so I suspect the problem is related to XDCtools support on macOS.

  I really don't have much knowledge on the XDCtools and macOS. 

 - Do you see the problem using an older CCS version? Can you try CCS 10? I want to know if this is CCS version dependent.

 - What other older macOS version do you have? Can you try older macOS version than what you currently have. I was told that old version of xdctools likely does not work on newer versions of macOS.

Hi Charles,

I see the same problem with CCS 10.4 as well. See build log attached.

CCS 10.4 is the only older version I have installed. I usually uninstall older versions after I try a few things with the newer version.

**** Build of configuration Debug for project empty_EK_TM4C123GXL_TI ****

/Applications/ti/ccs1040/ccs/utils/bin/gmake -k -j 7 all -O 
 
Building file: "../empty.cfg"
Invoking: XDCtools
"/Applications/ti/ccs1040/xdctools_3_32_00_06_core/xs" --xdcpath="/Users/dennis/ti/tirtos_tivac_2_16_00_08/packages;/Users/dennis/ti/tirtos_tivac_2_16_00_08/products/tidrivers_tivac_2_16_00_08/packages;/Users/dennis/ti/tirtos_tivac_2_16_00_08/products/bios_6_45_01_29/packages;/Users/dennis/ti/tirtos_tivac_2_16_00_08/products/ndk_2_25_00_09/packages;/Users/dennis/ti/tirtos_tivac_2_16_00_08/products/uia_2_00_05_50/packages;/Users/dennis/ti/tirtos_tivac_2_16_00_08/products/ns_1_11_00_10/packages;" xdc.tools.configuro -o configPkg -t ti.targets.arm.elf.M4F -p ti.platforms.tiva:TM4C123GH6PM -r release -c "/Applications/ti/ccs1040/ccs/tools/compiler/ti-cgt-arm_20.2.5.LTS" --compileOptions "-mv7M4 --code_state=16 --float_support=FPv4SPD16 -me --include_path=\"/Users/dennis/workspace_v10/empty_EK_TM4C123GXL_TI\" --include_path=\"/Users/dennis/workspace_v10/empty_EK_TM4C123GXL_TI\" --include_path=\"/Users/dennis/ti/tirtos_tivac_2_16_00_08/products/TivaWare_C_Series-2.1.1.71b\" --include_path=\"/Users/dennis/ti/tirtos_tivac_2_16_00_08/products/bios_6_45_01_29/packages/ti/sysbios/posix\" --include_path=\"/Applications/ti/ccs1040/ccs/tools/compiler/ti-cgt-arm_20.2.5.LTS/include\" --define=ccs=\"ccs\" --define=PART_TM4C123GH6PM --define=ccs --define=TIVAWARE -g --gcc --diag_warning=225 --diag_warning=255 --diag_wrap=off --display_error_number --gen_func_subsections=on --abi=eabi  " "../empty.cfg"
making package.mak (because of package.bld) ...
subdir_rules.mk:17: recipe for target 'build-881623425-inproc' failed
js: "/Applications/ti/ccs1040/xdctools_3_32_00_06_core/packages/xdc/tools/Cmdr.xs", line 51: Error: xdc.tools.configuro: configuration failed due to earlier errors (status = 139); 'linker.cmd' deleted.
gmake[1]: *** [build-881623425-inproc] Error 1
gmake: *** No rule to make target 'build-881623425', needed by 'configPkg/compiler.opt'.
gmake: *** No rule to make target 'build-881623425', needed by 'configPkg/linker.cmd'.
gmake: *** No rule to make target 'build-881623425', needed by 'configPkg/compiler.opt'.
gmake: *** No rule to make target 'build-881623425', needed by 'configPkg/compiler.opt'.
gmake: Target 'all' not remade because of errors.

**** Build Finished ****

Hi Dennis,

  Sorry, I really don't know how to help you here. I think xdctools 3_32_00_06 may be just too old for your newer macOS. If you can try with an older macOS, that might be an option to test out if the problem can be resolved. The reason I don't want to suggest upgrading to newer xdctools versions is because I'm also afraid you will run into other problems for Tiva device. 

Well, that's disappointing. The Tiva parts are the only recommended Arm M4F devices TI makes. TI claims to have an RTOS for use with these processors, but apparently, they haven't updated it for use with their current development tools for several versions. TI also claims to support the CCS development tools on macOS, but hasn't bothered to even test the example projects they provide to see if they build as expected. Non-functional example projects are pretty useless support for the tools and the processor they are trying to sell.

Hi Dennis,

  I check the release note for XDCtools 3.32.00.06 as well as the latest version 3.62.00.08 and both show the macOS versions 12.0.1 and 11.6.1 not supported. Please can you try the mentioned macOS version.

http://downloads.ti.com/dsps/dsps_public_sw/sdo_sb/targetcontent/rtsc/3_32_00_06/exports/xdctools_3_32_00_06_release_notes.html

http://downloads.ti.com/dsps/dsps_public_sw/sdo_sb/targetcontent/rtsc/3_62_00_08/exports/xdctools_3_62_00_08_release_notes.html

Hi Charles,

No, I can't try an old obsolete version of macOS. I am using my daily driver computer while working from home. I keep my mac updated to minimize security risks. I can't (and wouldn't even if I could) downgrade to macOS from 2015 or earlier. That's just a silly suggestion.

The problem is TI is only supporting obsolete versions of various operating systems. The current 3.62 release of XDCtools is supported on: Linux from 6-10 years ago, Windows 7 and Windows 8 (which even Microsoft doesn't support any longer), and macOS from 2015 or earlier. 

I have remote access to my Windows PC at work, but physical access (required to watch LEDs and push buttons) to the launchpad board connected to my mac is only available from my mac while working remotely.

We should not be downgrading our PCs to work with the TI libraries or tools. TI should be upgrading the libraries and tools to work on the current version of the operating systems. They should also be testing the example projects they are providing to speed up development using their processors. Untested, non-functional examples are worse than no examples since users waste time trying to get them to run and debugging them when they don't work. They are time sinks rather than time savers.

Why have they released a 3.62 version of XDCtools, yet they still publish example projects based on a 3.32 version of those tools released in 2015? 

Hi Dennis, 

Dennis Cote said:

Why have they released a 3.62 version of XDCtools, yet they still publish example projects based on a 3.32 version of those tools released in 2015? 

  I understand your frustration and also sorry for lack of guidance here. My expertise is mainly with the MCU and not the tooling. Really don't know what to suggest here as far as addressing the issues you have for XDCtools on the latest macOS. 

  Basically software packages like TI-RTOS are closely tied to xdctools. The reason that xdctools 3.32 is recommended is because it is the version that was used for validation of TI-RTOS 2.16.00.08/2.16.01.14 for Tiva-C. TI-RTOS 2.16.00.08/2.16.01.14 are the two latest versions for TM4C MCU. Although it is expected higher xdctools version should also work but that certainly does not look like the case. Please find below posts with comments from Todd and Ralph on similar issues. 

https://e2e.ti.com/support/microcontrollers/arm-based-microcontrollers-group/arm-based-microcontrollers/f/arm-based-microcontrollers-forum/697937/rtos-ek-tm4c1294xl-type-xdc-cfg-program-the-package-ti-sysbios-knl-is-not-compatible-with-xdctools-used-in-this-build-please-either-use-xdctools-compatible-with-that-package-or-update-the-product-containing-that-package-or-re/2572389?tisearch=e2e-sitesearch&keymatch=xdctools%2525252525252525203.32.00.06#2572389

https://e2e.ti.com/support/microcontrollers/arm-based-microcontrollers-group/arm-based-microcontrollers/f/arm-based-microcontrollers-forum/970935/tm4c123gh6pm-create-build-tirtos-project-using-command-line/3587303?tisearch=e2e-sitesearch&keymatch=xdctools%252525252525203.32.00.06#3587303

Charles Tsai said:

3.32 is recommended is because it is the version that was used for validation of TI-RTOS 2.16.00.08

Hi Charles,

That is exactly the problem! 

The TI RTOS Empty example project uses TI RTOS 2.16.00.08 and requires XDCTools 3.32.00.06. The release notes for that version of TI RTOS are dated Feb 2016. The claimed host support for that version was:

• Windows 7, Windows 8
• Ubuntu [ 10.04, 12.04, 12.10, 13.04 ]

All these were old at the time it was released.

The very next release of TI RTOS, version 2.16.01.14, released two months later in April 2016, notes the following in its description even though it still doesn't list macOS as a supported host:

         Updated CC13xx/CC26xx DriverLib and RF driver. Updated MacOS installers.

In fact, the TI RTOS page at TI-RTOS Downloads lists every version of TI RTOS as a beta for macOS.

The first problem is there was likely no validation done on any OS other than Windows. 

The second problem is there has been no effort to update these examples and tools in the intervening 5+ years. 

Surely, if TI claims to support macOS and Linux it should be validating the software on reasonably current versions of these operating systems before offering them for download to users. Versions of these operating systems from 5 to 10 years ago are obsolete. Likewise, if they claim to support TI RTOS examples in CCS 11 (through the Resource Explorer), those examples should install and build correctly using those tools. 

If they had updated the examples, libraries, and tools incrementally as new versions of CCS and operating systems were released, they likely would have made a long series of small changes to support the new environments. Instead, they left everything unchanged for so long it has basically become abandonware.