Building the Host Tools
Most users do not need this page. The Quick Start Guide works with a prebuilt Black Magic Debug App. Follow the steps here only if you want to build the host application yourself, or to match the exact revision our units were tested against.
This builds the computer application, not replacement firmware for the Prog Tool. Do not reflash the programmer as part of installing host tools.
Reference revision
The tested programmer firmware identifies as v2.0.0-rc2-69-gd5466940. The corresponding public Black Magic source revision is d5466940.
Build
Install Git, Meson, Ninja, a C compiler, pkg-config, libusb and hidapi; non-Windows builds also need libftdi1. Follow the requirements for that revision for your platform, then run:
git clone https://github.com/blackmagic-debug/blackmagic.git
cd blackmagic
git checkout --detach d54669408fcd3bc1c9017621d82c34ab5868bfc1
meson setup build
meson compile -C build
./build/blackmagic --help
The executable is named blackmagic (blackmagic.exe on Windows). The
Quick Start Guide calls it blackmagic-bmda, the name used in our tested
setup — substitute the path to your own build when running those commands. For
example, ./build/blackmagic -Rh runs the reset command from the source
directory.
Confirm that --help lists -E, -w and -R before using the flashing
procedure, and check that the tool communicates with your programmer before
erasing an ESC.
Need help with your setup? Contact us.