Building the Digilent Agent From Source

This page describes the process of building the Digilent Agent from source.

Note: This process is recommended for advanced users only and most users should install one of the existing builds available here.

Windows

  • Install QT Creator 5.7 or newer.
  • Install QT Installer Framework 2.03 or newer.
  • Ensure the QT and QT installer framework binaries are on the system path:
    • C:\Qt\5.11.1\mingw53_32\bin
    • C:\Qt\QtIFW-3.0.4\bin
  • Clone the Digilent Agent repository.
  • Initialize and update git submodules
    • git submodule init
    • git submodule update
  • Launch the QT project 'digilent-agent.pro'.
  • Press Ctrl+R to build or F5 to build in debug mode.

Installer

  • Hard link the debug and release build outputs into the project root directory. Ex:
    • New-Item -ItemType Junction -Name debug -Value ..\build-digilent-agent-Desktop_Qt_5_11_1_MinGW_32bit-Debug\debug\
    • New-Item -ItemType Junction -Name release -Value ..\build-digilent-agent-Desktop_Qt_5_11_1_MinGW_32bit-Release\release\
  • Set the version number in agent.cpp.
  • Use QT to build a release build in the release folder at the project root.
  • Set the version number in installer/config/winConfig.xml.
  • TODO - REMOVE - Set the version number in installer/packages/com.digilent.agent/meta/winConfig.xml.
  • Use CygWin to enter the installer directory at the project root.
  • Run the build script with the following command
  • ./build.sh win <VERSION_NUMBER> <RELEASE_TYPE>


    ex. 

    ./build win 1.0.0 release
  • The installer will be created in the installer directory at the project root.

Linux

  • (Optional - provides GUI IDE and debugging) Install QT Creator 5.7 or newer.
  • Update the package feeds. 
    sudo apt-get update


  • Install QT5 
    sudo apt-get install qt5-default


  • Install QT5 serial port support
    sudo apt-get install libqt5serialport5-dev


  • Clone the Digilent Agent repository 
    git clone https://github.com/Digilent/digilent-agent.git


  • Enter the repo directory 
    cd digilent-agent


  • Initialize and update the submodules (Digilent qtSerial and pgm) 
    git submodule init
git submodule update


  • Run qmake 
    qmake


  • Build the Digilent Agent 
    make


  • Run the Digilent Agent (Read/Write permission for UART devices is required) 
    ./digilent-agent


.deb

  • Build release using qmake and make as described above.
    • This step is to confirm everything is setup correctly and can technically be omitted as the deb build script will rebuild everything form source.
  • Open a terminal in the installer directory at the project root.
  • Run the build script with the following command
  • ./build deb <VERSION_NUMBER>


    ex. 

    ./build deb 1.0.0
  • Follow the instructions in the terminal.
  • The .deb will be created in the installer directory at the project root.

Mac

Install QT Creator 5.7 or newer.

  • Clone the Digilent Agent repository.
  • Initialize and update git submodules
  • git submodule init
  • git submodule update
  • Build from command line
    • Run: 
      qmake
    • make
  • Or build from QT Creator:
    • Press Ctrl+R to build or F5 to build in debug mode.
  • Build Signed .dgm
    • Enter the installer sub directory. 
      cd installer
    • Run the build script to package dependencies, sign the .app and build the .dmg 
      ./build.sh osx <VERSION> release
      • Where <VERSION> is the release version (ex. 1.0.1).

Or

Generate an Xcode Project: 

qmake -spec macx-xcode digilent-agent.pro
  • Add images/icon.iconset to digilent-agent/Resources in Xcode

Note: If the digilent-agent.entitlements is red in Xcode you may have to delete the file and use Xcode to manually create an Poperty List file named digilent-agent.entitlements in the project root.

Build a new .dmg

  • Build a release version of the Digilent Agent using QT.
  • Use macdeployqt to build a distributable .app. 
    macdeployqt Digilent\ Agent.app/ -codesign=<ID> -always-overwrite
  • Use Disk Utility to create a new disk image.
    • Name the image digilent-agent-<VERSION>.dmg where <VERSION> is of the form #.#.# (ex. 1.0.3)
    • Set the image size to be just large enough to hold the Agent and WaveForms Live offline support (~20 MB). The size cannot be changed later.
    • Set the Image Format to read/write disk image.
  • Mount and open the disk image.
  • Click View»as Icons to ensure the disk image contents is viewed as icons.
  • Copy and paste the .app file from the QT release build folder into the mounted disk image.
  • Create a shortcut to the Apps directory in the mounted disk image.
  • Copy and paste the WaveForms-Live offline support into the mounted disk image.
  • Create a shortcut to the share directory in the mounted disk image.
  • (Optional) add a background image.
    • Copy and paste an image file into the mounted disk image.
    • With the mounted disk image active select View»Show View Options.
    • Under the Background: section click Picture
    • Drag the image from the mounted disk image to the picture box.
    • Use the terminal to hide the image file (change the name to start with a '.'). 
      cd /Volumes/<DISK_IMAGE_NAME>
      mv <FILENAME> .<FILENAME>
  • Unmount the disk image.
  • Use Disk Utility to convert the disk image into a read-only copy.
    • Images»Convert
    • Select the disk image and click Open.
    • Set the Image Format to read-only.
    • Click Save.
  • Distribute the read-only copy of the disk image.
  • Keep the read-write copy of the disk image to simplify future updates.
, ,