Installing ProteanOS

Prerequisites

Before installing ProteanOS development tools, ensure your system meets the following requirements. The installation process assumes familiarity with command-line operations and basic software development concepts.

Host System Requirements

• Operating System: Linux distribution (Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, or similar) is recommended for development. Other Unix-like systems may work with adjustments.
• Disk Space: At least 10 GB free for the SDK and build artifacts. More space is needed for larger projects or multiple target architectures.
• Memory: Minimum 4 GB RAM recommended; 8 GB or more for faster compilation.
• Network Access: Required for downloading packages and accessing documentation.

Required Software

The following tools should be installed on your development host:

• git — Version control for accessing source repositories
• make — Build automation tool
• gcc — C compiler (host compiler, for build tools)
• tar, gzip, bzip2 — Archive utilities
• python3 — Required by some build scripts
• wget or curl — For downloading packages

sudo apt update
sudo apt install git make gcc tar gzip bzip2 python3 wget

Typical Installation Flow

The installation process involves downloading the SDK, extracting it to a working directory, and configuring your environment. Follow these steps for a standard development setup.

Step 1: Download the SDK

Obtain the appropriate SDK package from the downloads section. Select the version matching your target platform (e.g., ARM Cortex-A, ARM Cortex-M).

Step 2: Verify the Download

Before extracting, verify the downloaded file's checksum against the published value:

sha256sum proteanos-sdk-*.tar.gz
# Compare with published checksum from download page

Step 3: Extract the SDK

Create a directory for your ProteanOS development work and extract the SDK there:

mkdir -p ~/proteanos
cd ~/proteanos
tar xzf /path/to/proteanos-sdk-*.tar.gz

Step 4: Configure Environment

Add the SDK tools to your PATH by sourcing the environment setup script:

source ~/proteanos/sdk/environment-setup
# Verify installation
prokit --version

Step 5: Test the Installation

Build a simple example to verify the toolchain is working correctly:

cd ~/proteanos/sdk/examples/hello
prokit build
# Check for successful build output

Cross-Compilation Setup

ProteanOS development typically involves cross-compilation—building code on your development machine (the "host") that will run on a different target platform. The SDK includes pre-configured toolchains for supported targets.

The environment setup script configures variables like CC, CXX, and CFLAGS for the selected target. Standard build systems (Make, CMake, Autotools) will typically pick up these settings automatically.

Common Pitfalls

Avoid these frequently encountered issues during installation:

• Missing dependencies: Ensure all prerequisite packages are installed before extracting the SDK. Missing tools will cause build failures later.
• Incorrect PATH order: The SDK tools should appear before system tools in your PATH. If builds use the wrong compiler, check your environment setup.
• Stale environment: Source the environment script in each new terminal session, or add it to your shell profile for persistence.
• Insufficient disk space: Cross-compilation generates significant intermediate files. Monitor disk usage during large builds.
• Permission issues: Install the SDK in a location where you have write access. Using sudo for regular builds is not recommended.

Updating the SDK

To update to a newer SDK version:

1. Download the new SDK package
2. Verify the checksum
3. Optionally back up your current SDK directory
4. Extract the new SDK (can be to the same location)
5. Re-source the environment setup script