This chapter focuses on installation instructions and related information.

General information​

Since the 3.2 release of ModusToolbox™ software, the Setup program provides the easiest method to install the various packages and packs you need to create, build, and debug applications for various Infineon devices. It also helps you manage all these pieces, learn about new packages and install them, and keep them up to date.

  • During initial installation, it allows you to select the pieces of ModusToolbox™ software that interest you. This includes platform tools, patches, packs and programming tools.

  • During development, it gives you an easy way to track versions and update/install/uninstall content as needed.

  • If you attempt to create an application or add a library that requires content not currently installed, the associated tools (including Project Creator and Library Manager) will inform you of the required packages.

This section covers a few general aspects of installing ModusToolbox™ software.

System requirements​

The ModusToolbox™ tools package consumes approximately 2 GB of disk space. Like most modern software, it requires both free disk space and memory to run effectively. We recommend a system configuration with a PassMark CPU score > 2000 (

cpubenchmark.net

), at least 25 GB of free disk space, and 8 GB of RAM. The product will operate with fewer resources; however, performance may be degraded.

ModusToolbox™ software is supported on the following 64-bit operating systems:

Host OS

Supported

Recommended

Windows

10 *, 11

11

macOS

Ventura, Sonoma, and Sequoia (Intel processors and Arm® processors via Rosetta)

Sonoma

Linux

Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, 22.04 LTS, and 24.04 LTS

24.04 LTS

Note:

ModusToolbox™ software is not supported on 32-bit operating systems.

  • The following older versions of Windows 10 are not supported. If you encounter an issue, contact technical support.

    • Windows Server 2016

    • Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 1607

    • Windows 10 1607

Prerequisites​

The ModusToolbox™ Setup program depends on the Infineon Developer Center Launcher Service. This service is automatically installed by the ModusToolbox™ Setup installer.

On Ubuntu Linux, the Setup program depends on the “sudo” and “apt” utilities to perform the automated installation of the ModusToolbox™ packages. Additionally, the “gnome-terminal” application is used to perform the interactive uninstallation of the packages and self-update of the tool. These are standard tools provided in Linux.

On macOS, the Setup program depends on the “sudo” and “Installer” utilities to perform the automated installation of the packages. Additionally, “osascript” utility is used to perform the uninstallation. These utilities are provided as part of default macOS installation.

Spaces or illegal characters in home directory​

Because the ModusToolbox™ build system is based on GCC make, you cannot have spaces or illegal characters in your home directory name. Various commands will fail. If you have such a home directory, you need to follow instructions described in

Installing in non-default user home directory

.

Python​

Several types of ModusToolbox™ applications require Python such as those including MCUBoot, CySecureTools, and OPTIGA™ Trust M. Python is not included in the ModusToolbox™ tools package. Refer to

KBA239118

for information about downloading and installing Python.

If you plan to use the SEGGER J-link debugger, you must download and install the appropriate software pack for your OS. It is not included with the ModusToolbox™ tools package. Use version 6.98 or later. For Linux, if you install this using the tar.gz file, make sure you install J-Link in a common location. Otherwise, you must configure the Eclipse IDE to specify the location, as follows:

Window > Preferences > MCU > Global SEGGER J-Link Path

  • Executable

    :

    JLinkGDBServerCLExe

  • Folder

    :

    <J-Link_extracted_location>

Installing with Setup program​

The easiest way to install ModusToolbox™ software is to use the ModusToolbox™ Setup program. After you install it, you need to launch Setup program to view and select various ModusToolbox™ packages to install. As packages are updated to new versions over time, you can then use the Setup program to update your system, and the Setup program will even check to update itself. This section contains the following steps:

Note:

The Setup program version is separate from the versions of the tools packages and various other packages. Each different program and package will likely be updated at different times instead of all at the same time.

Installing the Setup program​

When the download completes, follow the instructions for your operating system.

macOS​

On macOS, launch the installer and follow the wizard. The default is to install for all users in

Applications

.



Linux​

On Linux, open a terminal and run

sudo apt install <package-name>.deb

. The Debian package doesn’t provide a user option and installs for all users in

/opt/Tools

.

Note:

If you see a message similar to this:

"N: Download is performed unsandboxed as root as file '/home/(username)/Downloads/ModusToolboxSetupInstaller_1.X.Y.Z_linux_x64.deb' couldn't be accessed by user '_apt'. - pkgAcquire::Run (13: Permission denied)",

Simply disregard it, as this message is not an error, but a notice informing you that 'apt' tool accesses the package file under the "root" user instead of "_apt" user having restricted rights. This does not affect the installation process of the tool.

Windows​

On Windows, launch the installer, and select

Install for me only (recommended)

in most cases.



Launching the Setup program​

On the final screen of the installer, there will be an option to launch the Setup program and to open the release notes. If you select the options, they will open automatically when you click

Finish

.

If you choose to launch the Setup program later, you can do so as applicable for your operating system, or you can launch it from the Dashboard:



As you use various ModusToolbox™ tools such as Project Creator or Library Manager, if your application does not have a required asset, follow the prompt to launch the Setup program and install the required package.

Installing the minimum required software packages​

When the Setup program opens, it will show you all the packages available to install.

Refer to the

Setup program GUI description

section for more details.

To install the minimum required software:

  1. Select the ModusToolbox™ Tools Package version you want to install. This will also select dependencies: Eclipse, GCC, Edge Protect Security Suite, and Programming tools.



    Note:

    Beginning with version 3.4.0, Eclipse is a separate install item. There is also a link to download Visual Studio Code. If either IDE is already installed, the Setup program provides a button to launch it. See

    Installing IDEs

    for more details.

    Note:

    Installing Programming tools and some other packages may require an Administrator user name and password to proceed.

  2. Click

    Next >

    .

    This screen shows the packages that will be installed, with links to the release notes, license, and custom installation options for each package. We recommend using the default installation options. See

    Choose the customize installation option

    if you need to install in a non-default location.



  3. Select the

    I agree to the licenses …

    check box and click

    Start

    .

    The Setup program will download and install the selected packages.



    Note:

    Clicking the

    Cancel

    button will not affect install operations that have already started; only pending install operations will be stopped.

  4. When all packages are installed, the Setup program shows options to run various tools. Click

    Run

    for the tools you wish to start..



  5. Click

    Finish

    to return to the select packages window, or click

    File > Exit

    to close the Setup program.

Installing IDEs​

You can use the Setup program to install the Eclipse IDE as a separate package. Just select it from the list.

You can also use the Setup program to download Microsoft Visual Studio Code to install it separately.

Click on the "Download MS VS Code" link, in the opened browser window download the installation package suitable for your system and install it manually following platform-specific guides on

https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/setup/setup-overview

.

On Ubuntu Linux, the recommended packages are "deb" or "snap". On macOS, download and extract the .zip archive content and drag "Visual Studio Code.app" to the Applications folder.

After the installation is complete, return to the ModusToolbox™ Setup window and click the

Refresh

button to update the UI.

Installing packs​

After installing the minimum required software packages, you are ready to begin developing your application using the ModusToolbox™ ecosystem. Our devices and software support multiple technologies. Review these webpages to learn more. You can use the Setup program to install additional packs as needed.

Refer also to the

tools package user guide

for a complete description of the ModusToolbox™ ecosystem, information about the build system, manifest, and BSPs, as well as instructions about how to get started creating and building an application.

There are two kinds of packs:

  • Technology packs - long term packs that provide extended technology software and tools as noted above.

  • Early access packs - short term packs to provide selected customers access to newer devices and technology that is still being developed.

Installing technology packs​

To install a particular technology pack, you can just select it in the Setup program. There are no special requirements to install and use these types of packs, other than having the base tools package and dependencies already installed.

Installing early access packs​

To install an early access pack, you must be given access. This may include signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Once you have permission, you will be able to see available early access packs when you log in to the Setup program. Then, you can select it and download/install it the same as any pack or package.

In order to use an early access pack, you must set the

MTB_EARLY_ACCESS_PACK

environment variable. The value for this variable can be found in the early access pack release notes or quick start guide after installation. If you cannot find it, look in the early access pack

resources

folder for the

tools-details.json

file. The

featureId

property contains the value to use.

Installing in non-default user home directory​

If your default user home directory contains spaces or illegal characters, or if you need to install for all users, the Customization dialog prevents you from installing into that directory or warns you about needing to set the

CY_TOOLS_PATHS

variable.

If possible, create a new user account and user home directory that doesn’t contain spaces or illegal characters. Then, you can just use the default process for that account. If you cannot create a new user home directory, then you must perform some extra manual installation steps.

The same is true if you install for all users in a non-default user home directory.

Choose the customize installation option​

If your default installation directory contains spaces or illegal characters, or if you want to install the ModusToolbox™ tools package in a non-default location, select the

Customize installation

option on the verify page:



This opens the Customization Installation dialog to change the scope of the install (all users or current user) and the installation path. If you specify a non-default location, a message displays as a reminder to set the

CY_TOOLS_PATHS

environment variable. You will also have to specify a few other variable when the installer completes.



Specify an alternate installation path that does not include spaces. For example:

C:\Infineon\ModusToolbox

Any path without spaces or illegal characters will work.

Create directories​

When installing in a non-default location, you should create a couple directories. You can choose any path as long as it doesn’t contain spaces. :

  1. Create a hidden "dot" directory named ".modustoolbox" for variable locations described later in this section. For example:

    C:\MyPath\

    .

    modustoolbox

  2. Also, create a directory to store your workspaces. For example:

    C:\MyPath\mtb-projects

Create variable to specify the path to Tools​

Because you are installing ModusToolbox™ into a non-default location, you need to specify the path to your "tools" directory using an Environment Variable. Open the Environment Variables dialog, and create a new System or User Variable, depending on your installation type (current user or all users). For example:

CY_TOOLS_PATHS = C:/MyPath/ModusToolbox/tools_3.4

Note:

Use a Windows-style path (not Cygwin-style, like /cygdrive/c/). Also, use forward slashes.

Create variable to specify the global path​

You also need to specify the global path using an Environment Variable. Open the Environment Variables dialog, and create a new System or User Variable, depending on your installation type (current user or all users). For example:

CY_GETLIBS_GLOBAL_PATH = C:/MyPath/.modustoolbox/global

Note:

Use a Windows-style path (not Cygwin-style, like /cygdrive/c/). Also, use forward slashes.

Specify the custom path to use for Local Content Storage​

If you use Local Content Storage (LCS) to enable work without access to the Internet, set this variable to specify where the content will be stored. For example:

MTB_LOCAL_CONTENT_PATH = C:/MyPath/.modustoolbox/lcs

Advanced installation instructions​

These sections contain additional instructions for various cases.

Installing with previous versions​

The ModusToolbox™ tools package installs alongside previous versions of the software (version 3.2, 3.0, 2.4, 2.3, etc.); therefore, all versions can be used independently. However, be aware that various programs including the Eclipse IDE and the build system will detect and use the most current version of the "tools" directory by default. For example, if you have both versions 3.4 and 3.3 installed, and if you launch the Project Creator from the Eclipse IDE for version 3.3, it will open the version from the "tools_3.4" directory instead of the "tools_3.3" directory.

To control this behavior, use the environment variable

CY_TOOLS_PATHS

as described in the "Product Versioning" section in the

tools package user guide

. This variable applies to all versions of the ModusToolbox™ tools package, so you will have to update it as you work with different versions. You can add this variable as an environment variable for all applications, or add it to a specific application only in the

Makefile

.

Installing with firewall or lack of web access​

After the ModusToolbox™ software is installed, you will need access to the web to create applications, which download libraries from GitHub.com. If your site is behind a firewall, you can set up proxy information using the Project Creator tool. If GitHub.com is blocked for your site, you can use the Manifest DB Settings to point to a mirror or custom site. Refer to the

Project Creator user guide

for more information.

If you have no access to the web at all, you can use the Local Content Storage (LCS) Manager feature to create a copy of the database on your system. You will need one-time web access to set it up. Refer to the

LCS Manager CLI user guide

for more information.

Installing without the Setup program (offline installation)​

ModusToolbox™ software consists of many packages and packs that can be downloaded and installed individually. In some cases, you may not want to use the Setup program to install the ModusToolbox™ software. We refer to this as "offline installation." You need to download and install the packages you want, or install them with the Infineon Developer Center (IDC) locally or on the web. Just be aware that some ModusToolbox™ packages have dependencies on others. So, you’ll have to install dependencies as well.

For detailed instructions about how to install without the Setup program, refer to

https://community.infineon.com/t5/Knowledge-Base-Articles/Installing-ModusToolbox-software-without-the-Setup-program/ta-p/945668

.

Run the Dashboard (optional)​

The ModusToolbox™ tools package includes an optional Dashboard tool. To run the Dashboard select the option on the final page of the Setup program after installation has complete. You can also run the Dashboard as follows:

  • Windows

    : Select the "dashboard" item from the Windows

    Start

    menu.

  • Linux

    : Navigate to

    /<install-path>/ModusToolbox/tools_<version>/dashboard

    and run the executable.

  • macOS

    : Run the "dashboard" app.



The Dashboard provides links to various sources of documentation and training materials. It also contains starting points: create a new application, create/edit a BSP, install or launch the ModusToolbox™ Setup program. For more details, refer to the

Dashboard user guide

.