Set-up: Build Scripts on RP

Step-by-step set-up for command-line builds of RTK programs for RP2040 and RP2350

Overview

This is the first of two set-up stages for RP targets. It gets command-line builds working – enough to compile and link single-image and S/NS programs from a terminal, and to load the result via UF2. The debugger toolchain (GDB, OpenOCD, VS Code + Cortex-Debug) is added in the second stage, Set-up: Debugging on RP.

If you only build via the Astrobe IDE and load via drag-and-drop UF2, no set-up is needed – see Your First Build.

For STM32, see Set-up: Build Scripts on STM32.

This guide configures the [SHIPPED] tier of <repo>/tools/setup/set-rtk-env.cmd (Windows) or set-rtk-env.sh (macOS / Git Bash); the script's header documents the same tier structure from a different angle.

Prerequisites

A checkout of the oberon-rtk repository.
Python 3 (3.9 or later) – runs the framework's Python tools (make-uf2, make-elf, gen-rdb, etc.). Install per External Tools § Python 3.
Astrobe – one or both IDE/toolsets, matched to your target(s):
- Astrobe for RP2040 (the M0+ IDE/tools) – for RP2040 targets.
- Astrobe for RP2350 (the M33 IDE/tools) – for RP2350 targets.
picotool (optional, but useful) – command-line loader for RP boards. Install per External Tools § picotool.

The ARM GNU toolchain (GDB, objdump, readelf) is not required at this stage – it belongs to the debug set-up.

Steps

1. Note Your Repo Install Location

Note the absolute path to your oberon-rtk checkout. You will set RTK_REPO_ROOT to this in step 3.

Example: %USERPROFILE%\Projects\oberon\dev\oberon-rtk.

Also note your Astrobe folder value, which is the substitution base for %AstrobeRP2350% and %AstrobeRP2040% tokens in .ini library search paths.

For more information, see Framework Installation.

2. Note Your Astrobe Install Paths

Astrobe's installer embeds the version number in the install path, eg.:

C:\Program Files\Astrobe RP2350 v10.0.2
C:\Program Files\Astrobe RP2040 v9.0.0

Note the exact paths – they go into RTK_ASTROBE_* in step 3, and will need updating when you upgrade Astrobe.

3. Edit `set-rtk-env.cmd`

Open <repo>/tools/setup/set-rtk-env.cmd (Windows) in a text editor. The file ships configured for the build-scripts tier. Adjust the example paths in the [EDIT] sections to match your setup:

RTK_REPO_ROOT – your oberon-rtk checkout.
For RP2350:
- RTK_ASTROBE_FOLDER_2350
- RTK_ASTROBE_BUILD_2350
- RTK_ASTROBE_LINK_2350
For RP2040:
- RTK_ASTROBE_FOLDER_2040
- RTK_ASTROBE_BUILD_2040
- RTK_ASTROBE_LINK_2040

If you only build for one of the two RP products, comment out the unused set – both the set line and the corresponding setx line at the bottom of the script.

RTK_ARM_ATTR_CFG and RTK_BOOT2 are derived from RTK_REPO_ROOT and rarely need changes.

On macOS or Git Bash, use set-rtk-env.sh and source it from ~/.bashrc (or ~/.zshrc on macOS zsh). The variable layout is the same; the script also wires up RTK_EXERUN=mono for Mono-based Astrobe invocations (see Astrobe on macOS).

For the meaning of each variable, see Environment Variables.

4. Run the Script

Open a cmd window (not admin) and run:

tools\setup\set-rtk-env.cmd

The script uses setx to persist the values to HKCU\Environment, so they survive across cmd sessions, VS Code, and any tool launched from the Start menu.

5. Verify

In a freshly launched cmd window:

set RTK_

The list should include RTK_REPO_ROOT, the RTK_ASTROBE_* set(s) you enabled, RTK_ARM_ATTR_CFG, and RTK_BOOT2. Spot-check that RTK_REPO_ROOT points to an existing directory and that the RTK_ASTROBE_BUILD_* paths point to existing .exe files.

Next Steps

To build a program from the command line: see Compile and Link: RP2040 or Compile and Link: RP2350, then Build & Load: RP2040 / Build & Load: RP2350 for the load step.
To add debugging on top of this stage: Set-up: Debugging on RP.