View source for DESK-MX-L-AN-0007: Getting Started With QT Creator

{{InfoBoxTop}}
{{AppliesToAxel}}
{{AppliesToAxelEsatta}}
{{AppliesToAxelLite}}
{{Applies To Yocto}}
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{{WarningMessage|text=This application note was validated against specific versions of the kit only. It may not work with other versions. Supported versions are listed in the ''History'' section.}}
=History=

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
!Version
!Date
!XELK version
!Notes
|-
|1.0.0
|March 2018
|[[Axel_Embedded_Linux_Kit_(XELK)#XELK_software_components|XELK 3.0.0]]
|First release
|}

= Introduction =

This application note details QT Creator setup and configuration in [[Axel_Embedded_Linux_Kit_(XELK)|XELK]] [[Managed Virtual Machine (MVM)|MVM]]

= Setting up Qt Creator to build for XELK =

== Qt Creator Installation ==

To install Qt Creator inside your toolchain launch a terminal emulator and run 

<pre>
dvdk@vagrant-ubuntu-trusty-64:~$ cd axel/
</pre>
<pre>
dvdk@vagrant-ubuntu-trusty-64:~/axel$ ./qt-creator-opensource.run
</pre>

An installation wizard will appear. Clik '''Next''' to proced with the installation.

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 01.png|400px|border|center]]

Select '''Skip'''.

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 02.png|400px|border|center]]

Select '''Next'''.

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 03.png|400px|border|center]]

Select the install directory or click '''Next'''.

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 04.png|400px|border|center]]

Select '''Next'''.

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 05.png|400px|border|center]]

Click '''Next''' again.

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 06.png|400px|border|center]]

And then click '''Install''' and complete the installation.

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 07.png|400px|border|center]]

Then '''Finish''' to exit the setup wizard.

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 08.png|400px|border|center]]

== Automatic configuration ==

Now it is necessary to add the definition of your board before developing and compiling your applications.

In order to add the device information automatically, DAVE provides a simple setup script.

<!-- 

User just need to run the following commands inside your terminal emulator:

<pre>
dvdk@vagrant-ubuntu-trusty-64:~$ cd axel/
dvdk@vagrant-ubuntu-trusty-64:~/axel$ ./qt-post-install.sh
</pre>

If the installation process complete successfully, you should see inside the <code>Tools -> Options -> Kits</code> a ''kit'' named XELK, as in the following screenshot:

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 09.png|400px|border|center]]

Select the Kits tab and make sure that your configurations matches the one displayed below:
 
[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 10.png|400px|border|center]]

-->

== Manual configuration ==

If you don't want to use the automatic setup or want to customize the configuration, in this section we details all the step required.

=== Devices ===

Go to <code>Tools -> Options</code> menu 

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 09.png|400px|border|center]]

Select <code>Devices</code> and click '''Add'''

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 22.png|400px|border|center]]

Choose the ''Generic Linux device''

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 23.png|400px|border|center]]

Insert the IP address of your device, ''root'' as username and leave password empty (this is the default configuration of XELK root file systems). Make sure that the device is connected to the network and your virtual machine networking is correctly configured (see [[VirtualBox Network Configuration|this]] article for more details).

Then click '''Next'''.

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 24.png|400px|border|center]]

If everything went ok you should see a dialog like the image below.

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 25.png|400px|border|center]]

And finally this is how the <code>Devices</code> window should look like.

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 26.png|400px|border|center]]

=== GCC & Cross Compilation ===

Next you need to configure the cross compilation tool inside <code>Build & Run -> Compiler</code>.

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 27.png|400px|border|center]]

Click <code>Add -> GCC</code> and add the compiler path.

<pre>
/home/dvdk/axel/sdk/latest/sysroots/x86_64-pokysdk-linux/usr/bin/arm-poky-linux-gnueabi/arm-poky-linux-gnueabi-gcc
</pre>

And click '''Apply'''.

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 29.png|400px|border|center]]

Do the same for the C++ cross compilation tool.

<pre>
/home/dvdk/axel/sdk/latest/sysroots/x86_64-pokysdk-linux/usr/bin/arm-poky-linux-gnueabi/arm-poky-linux-gnueabi-g++
</pre>

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 28.png|400px|border|center]]

=== Debugger GDB ===

Now it is necessary to add a debugger. In order to do this go to the <code>Debuggers</code> tab and click '''Add'''

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 30.png|400px|border|center]]

And then select the GDB debugger at the location

<pre>
/home/dvdk/axel/sdk/latest/sysroots/x86_64-pokysdk-linux/usr/bin/arm-poky-linux-gnueabi/arm-poky-linux-gnueabi-gdb
</pre>

and click '''Apply'''. 

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 31.png|400px|border|center]]

=== Qt Version ===

Next you need to add the Qt Version installed on your device. Go to <code>Qt Version</code> click '''Add''' and select the following qmake file.

<pre>
/home/dvdk/axel/sdk/xelk-3.0.1/sysroots/x86_64-pokysdk-linux/usr/bin/qt5/qmake
</pre>

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 32.png|400px|border|center]]

=== Kits ===

The last step is to add a new kit. Go to <code>Kits</code> and click '''Add''' and complete the information as shown below.

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 33.png|400px|border|center]]

Pay attention that in <code>Qt mkspec</code> you need to write 

<pre>
linux-oe-g++
</pre>

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 34.png|400px|border|center]]

After this your setup is complete and you can proceed and create your Qt applications.

== Qt application example ==

Now that the setup is finished, you can create your first application

Open a new terminal and source the environment variables with the command.

<pre>
dvdk@vagrant-ubuntu-trusty-64:~$ source env.sh
</pre>

In the same terminal type the following command (we assume you didn't change the default installation directory)

<pre>
dvdk@vagrant-ubuntu-trusty-64:~$ ./qtcreator-4.3.0/bin/qtcreator
</pre>

{{ImportantMessage|text=It is important to repeat the previous two step every time you start QTCreator}}

Now click on <code>New Project</code>

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 11.png|400px|border|center]]

Select Application Qt Widgets Application and click '''Choose...'''

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 12.png|400px|border|center]]

Now call the Project ''Test'' and press '''Next'''.

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 13.png|400px|border|center]]

Select the ''XELK Kit'' and click '''Next'''.

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 14.png|400px|border|center]]

Choose the ''class'' name for your application.

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 15.png|400px|border|center]]

Click '''Finish''' to conclude the setup.

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 16.png|400px|border|center]]

To add a clickable button to your application, select  the <code>Edit</code> window and select <code>Test -> Forms -> mainwindow.ui</code>

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 17.png|400px|border|center]]

Click on Push Button in the Buttons tab and drag it to the main window view. In order to edit the text displayed by the label, double click it and write ''"Hello World!"''.

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 18.png|400px|border|center]]

After that, you need to insert the following two line inside the ''Test.pro'' file

<pre>
target.path = /tmp/Test # path on device
</pre>
<pre>
INSTALLS += target
</pre>

Where <code>/temp/Test</code> is the path in which your application will be downloaded inside the device.
 
[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 19.png|400px|border|center]]

The last step before running the application inside the device is to configure Qt backend into application command line arguments: open the <code>Project</code> window and select the <code>Run</code> configuration, then type <code>-platform eglfs</code> into <code>Arguments</code>

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 20.png|400px|border|center]]

After these changes you are ready to debug your application inside your board with the <code>Run/Debug</code> command [[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 35.png|30px]]

[[File:QtCreator XELK 3 0 0 21.png|400px|border|center]]