Install tools on the command line using vcpkg
Introduction
Install vcpkg
Initialize vcpkg
Create a vcpkg-configuration.json file
Use vcpkg
Activate a license
Remove vcpkg
Review
Next Steps

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Use vcpkg

The following commands help you to work with vcpkg. The most important one is activate as this activates all tools specified by the configuration file.

Activate vcpkg

Activate tools specified by vcpkg-configuration.json

    

        
        vcpkg activate
__output__
__output__warning: vcpkg-artifacts is experimental and may change at any time.
__output__Artifact                                Version Status    Dependency Summary                                             
__output__arm:tools/open-cmsis-pack/cmsis-toolbox 2.0.0   installed            Arm distributed Open-CMSIS-Pack cli tools           
__output__arm:compilers/arm/armclang              6.20.0  installed            Arm Compiler for Embedded                           
__output__microsoft:tools/kitware/cmake           3.25.2  installed            Kitware's cmake tool                                
__output__microsoft:tools/ninja-build/ninja       1.10.2  installed            Ninja is a small build system with a focus on speed.

Deactivate artifacts specified by vcpkg-configuration.json

    

        
        vcpkg deactivate
__output__
__output__warning: vcpkg-artifacts is experimental and may change at any time.
__output__Deactivating: /Users/myuser/projects/myproject

Activating tools without vcpkg-configuration.json

    

        
        vcpkg use cmsis-toolbox
__output__
__output__warning: vcpkg-artifacts is experimental and may change at any time.
__output__Artifact                                Version Status    Dependency Summary                                  
__output__arm:tools/open-cmsis-pack/cmsis-toolbox 2.0.0   installed            Arm distributed Open-CMSIS-Pack cli tools

Retrieve all available versions of a tool

    

        
        vcpkg use open-cmsis-pack
__output__
__output__warning: vcpkg-artifacts is experimental and may change at any time.
__output__error: Unable to resolve artifact: open-cmsis-pack
__output__Possible matches:
__output__  arm:tools/open-cmsis-pack/cmsis-toolbox-2.0.0
__output__  arm:tools/open-cmsis-pack/cmsis-toolbox-2.0.0-dev3
__output__  arm:tools/open-cmsis-pack/cmsis-toolbox-2.0.0-dev2
__output__  arm:tools/open-cmsis-pack/cmsis-toolbox-2.0.0-dev1
__output__  arm:tools/open-cmsis-pack/cmsis-toolbox-2.0.0-dev0
__output__  arm:tools/open-cmsis-pack/ctools-2.0.0-dev0
__output__  arm:tools/open-cmsis-pack/ctools-1.7.0
__output__  arm:tools/open-cmsis-pack/ctools-1.6.0
__output__  arm:tools/open-cmsis-pack/ctools-1.5.0

List available artifacts

For example, tools

    

        
        vcpkg find artifact tools
__output__
__output__warning: vcpkg-artifacts is experimental and may change at any time.
__output__Artifact                                    Version    Summary                                             
__output__microsoft:tools/kitware/cmake               3.25.2     Kitwares cmake tool                                
__output__microsoft:tools/ninja-build/ninja           1.10.2     Ninja is a small build system with a focus on speed.
__output__microsoft:tools/arduino/arduino-cli         0.18.3     Arduino IDE                                         
__output__microsoft:tools/microsoft/openocd           0.12.0     Free and open on-chip debugging                     
__output__arm:tools/arm/cmsis-core-tools              5.2.0      Arm CMSIS Core Tools                                
__output__arm:tools/open-cmsis-pack/cmsis-toolbox     2.0.0      Arm distributed Open-CMSIS-Pack cli tools           
__output__arm:tools/open-cmsis-pack/ctools            2.0.0-dev0 Arm distributed Open-CMSIS-Pack cli tools           
__output__arm:tools/arm/uv2csolution                  v1.0.0     *.uvprojx/*.uvmpw to csolution/cproject converter

For example, compilers

    

        
        vcpkg find artifact compilers
__output__
__output__warning: vcpkg-artifacts is experimental and may change at any time.
__output__Artifact                                                         Version        Summary                              
__output__microsoft:compilers/arm-none-eabi-gcc                            10.3.1-2021.10 GCC compiler for ARM CPUs.           
__output__arm:compilers/arm/llvm-embedded                                  16.0.0         LLVM Embedded Toolchain for Arm CPUs.
__output__arm:compilers/arm/arm-none-eabi-gcc                              12.2.1-mpacbti GCC compiler for ARM CPUs.           
__output__arm:compilers/arm/armclang                                       6.20.0         Arm Compiler for Embedded

Working with the vcpkg-configuration.json file

Create a new vcpkg-configuration.json file

    

        
        
            vcpkg new --application

Add artifact to vcpkg-configuration.json file

    

        
        
             vcpkg add artifact cmake

Remove artifact to vcpkg-configuration.json file

    

        
        
             vcpkg remove microsoft:tools/kitware/cmake

Update a registry

For example, the arm registry:

    

        
        
            vcpkg x-update-registry arm

Before using the Arm Compiler, you need to activate a license. The next step shows how to do that.

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