| name | build |
| description | Configure and build ArduPilot firmware. Use when the user asks to compile, build, or configure for a board/vehicle. |
Build ArduPilot Firmware
Build the requested vehicle/target. Parse $ARGUMENTS for the vehicle and optional board.
Argument parsing
Common patterns:
/build copter — build ArduCopter for current board config/build plane --board sitl — configure for SITL then build Plane/build copter --board CubeOrange — configure and build for CubeOrange/build sitl — shorthand for configure sitl + build the last vehicle/build check — build and run changed unit tests/build --board sitl --debug copter — debug build
Workflow
Step 1: Configure (if board specified or not yet configured)
./waf configure --board <board>
Add --debug if requested.
Skip if no board specified and waf is already configured (check if build/ exists for current board).
Step 2: Build
Map vehicle names to waf targets:
| Argument | Command |
|---|
copter | ./waf copter |
plane | ./waf plane |
rover | ./waf rover |
sub | ./waf sub |
heli | ./waf heli |
tracker | ./waf antennatracker |
blimp | ./waf blimp |
periph | ./waf AP_Periph |
check | ./waf check |
check-all | ./waf check-all |
tests | ./waf tests |
clean | ./waf clean |
For specific targets:
./waf --targets bin/arducopter
./waf --targets tests/test_math
Step 3: Report results
- Report success/failure
- Show binary size if successful
- Show first few errors if build fails
- Suggest fixes for common errors (missing dependencies, wrong board, etc.)
Common issues
- "The project was not configured" — need to run
./waf configure --board <board> first
- Flash overflow — binary too large for target board, need to disable features
- Missing submodules — run
git submodule update --init --recursive
