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How the pieces fit
Understand the host tools, AROS source tree, compiler, and generated build before choosing a workflow.
Four inputs to a build
Section titled “Four inputs to a build”| Piece | What it contains | Where it belongs |
|---|---|---|
| AROS tools | The aros frontend, seven companion programs, and the embedded CMake engine |
A separate tools checkout or installation |
| AROS source | Operating-system code, MetaMake recipes, and optional target overrides | Your chosen upstream or AROS-NX checkout |
| Cross-toolchain | A compiler, linker, target runtime, headers, and collector drivers | A verified release store or explicitly selected local prefix |
| Build tree | Generated CMake, SDK outputs, objects, packages, and boot evidence | <AROS checkout>/build/<preset> |
Your host is the computer running these tools. Your target is the AROS
system being built. For example, an Apple-silicon Mac can build the
pc-x86_64 target. A host archive and a target profile are different choices.
Upstream AROS or AROS-NX?
Section titled “Upstream AROS or AROS-NX?”Pristine upstream works with source initialization, synchronization and standalone components. Its target defaults are embedded in the tools. Full product builds still require source compatibility work and an explicit cross-toolchain choice.
AROS-NX carries reviewed source integration and consumer metadata for the integrated build workflow. It is the source used by the current qualification contract. The tools do not require that directory name; discovery inspects the source layout.
What a preset selects
Section titled “What a preset selects”The four built-in target profiles are pc-x86_64, arm-raspi,
rpi-aarch64 and opensbi-riscv64. An aros-targets.toml in the selected
checkout replaces that default configuration in full.
A profile describes target selectors; it does not prove that a release archive, working driver, or bootable board image exists. See platform support for those distinctions.
Host compiler or cross-toolchain?
Section titled “Host compiler or cross-toolchain?”aros setup with no preset selects the managed host LLVM compiler.
aros setup --preset pc-x86_64 selects an AROS cross-toolchain.
They are separate installation operations. The host installer requires an
explicit archive digest; the embedded host defaults alone do not supply one.
Released cross-toolchains are selected by the AROS checkout’s
aros-toolchains.lock.toml. An explicitly supplied local AROS-built prefix
is also supported, but does not acquire release provenance by passing a probe.
Generated output and source updates
Section titled “Generated output and source updates”The CMake engine is embedded in the tools and materialized under
build/<preset>/cmake-engine. It consumes the source tree as input.
Changing tools can therefore change the engine even if the AROS commit stays
the same.
Build output lives inside the checkout’s build/ directory.
aros source sync requires a clean tree, including ignored files.
Preserve any outputs or boot evidence you need before preparing a checkout
for synchronization.
Continue with installation or the first build.