# How can I use CMake with GreenHills compiler
**URL:** https://discourse.cmake.org/t/how-can-i-use-cmake-with-greenhills-compiler/4388
**Category:** Usage
**Tags:** os:windows, gen:makefiles
**Created:** [November 1, 2021, 12:34pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/how-can-i-use-cmake-with-greenhills-compiler/4388 "2021-11-01T12:34:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
Hello,
I have been trying to use CMake to generate Makefiles for a C project compiling using GreenHills compiler. But I am getting these errors:
– The C compiler identification is GHS
– The CXX compiler identification is GHS
– Detecting C compiler ABI info
CMake Error: Generator: execution of make failed. Make command was: C:/AGL\_2005/COMPILER/ARM/GHS/V2019\_5\_4/ccarm.exe/gbuild.exe -top CMAKE\_TRY\_COMPILE.top.gpj cmTC\_dd868.tgt.gpj &&
– Detecting C compiler ABI info - failed
– Check for working C compiler: C:/AGL\_2005/COMPILER/ARM/GHS/V2019\_5\_4/ccarm.exe
CMake Error: Generator: execution of make failed. Make command was: C:/AGL\_2005/COMPILER/ARM/GHS/V2019\_5\_4/ccarm.exe/gbuild.exe -top CMAKE\_TRY\_COMPILE.top.gpj cmTC\_86df9.tgt.gpj &&
– Check for working C compiler: C:/AGL\_2005/COMPILER/ARM/GHS/V2019\_5\_4/ccarm.exe - broken
CMake Error at C:/Sources/cmake-3.21.3-windows-x86\_64/share/cmake-3.21/Modules/CMakeTestCCompiler.cmake:69 (message):
The C compiler
```
"C:/AGL_2005/COMPILER/ARM/GHS/V2019_5_4/ccarm.exe"
```
is not able to compile a simple test program.
It fails with the following output:
```
Change Dir: C:/UIDE/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeTmp
Run Build Command(s):C:/AGL_2005/COMPILER/ARM/GHS/V2019_5_4/ccarm.exe/gbuild.exe -top CMAKE_TRY_COMPILE.top.gpj cmTC_86df9.tgt.gpj && The system cannot find the file specified
Generator: execution of make failed. Make command was: C:/AGL_2005/COMPILER/ARM/GHS/V2019_5_4/ccarm.exe/gbuild.exe -top CMAKE_TRY_COMPILE.top.gpj cmTC_86df9.tgt.gpj &&
```
CMake will not be able to correctly generate this project.
Call Stack (most recent call first):
CMakeLists.txt:3 (project)
– Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
See also “C:/UIDE/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeOutput.log”.
See also “C:/UIDE/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeError.log”.
Could you please help?
---
What was the full command to CMake to receive this output?
I’m confused why the output shows `gbuild.exe`. This is the build tool for GHS project files which is a file format very different from Makefiles. You can use GHS compilers with Ninja or Make but then you need to run the appropriate generator and use the correct compiler options.
CMake can also be used to generate GHS project files for use with MULTI and `gbuild.exe`.
In this case the command line would be something like: `cmake -G "Green Hills MULTI" -T "C:\AGL_2005\COMPILER\ARM\GHS\V2019_5_4" -D GHS_PRIMARY_TARGET=arm_standalone.tgt`. `ccarm` should be the standalone target compiler for ARM. `-T` is used to specify the directory of where the tools are installed. I made a guess on what target you wanted for `GHS_PRIMARY_TARGET`. This is usually specific to the board you are targeting and should have been specified when receiving the tools from Green Hills.
---
@fdk17 Thank you so much Your input is very helpful.
Now it is generated but with another error in the linker
Green Hills MULTI: -A not specified; defaulting to “arm”
– The C compiler identification is GHS 2019.5.4
– The CXX compiler identification is GHS 2019.5.4
– Detecting C compiler ABI info
– Detecting C compiler ABI info - done
– Check for working C compiler: C:/AGL\_2005/COMPILER/ARM/GHS/V2019\_5\_4/ccarm.exe - skipped
– Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
– Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
– Check for working CXX compiler: C:/AGL\_2005/COMPILER/ARM/GHS/V2019\_5\_4/cxarm.exe - skipped
– Configuring done
CMake Error: CMake can not determine linker language for target: UIDE\_test\_1.elf
CMake Error: CMake can not determine linker language for target: UIDE\_test\_1.elf
– Generating done
CMake Generate step failed. Build files cannot be regenerated correctly.
Do you have any suggestion for that?
---
> [@AbdAllah.ElTamaly](#):
>
> CMake Error: CMake can not determine linker language for target: UIDE\_test\_1.elf
Sorry, I’ve never seen such an error.
---
I solved the problem of this error:
CMake Error: CMake can not determine linker language for target: UIDE\_test\_1.elf
by adding the following line after the line of “add\_executable”
set\_target\_properties(${PROJECT\_NAME} PROPERTIES LINKER\_LANGUAGE CXX)
---
This is usually only necessary, if you don’t have any recognized source files.
So if you have added e.g. a `main.cpp` to your executable, the language should be automatically set to `CXX`.
---
I don’t know if there are some issues with GHS generator (which I don’t have) or your cmake files.
I made a minimal example to demonstrate it. With `if(1)` it shows the “_can not determine linker language for target_” error message. And with `if(0)` the message vanishes.
```auto
cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.13)
project(x LANGUAGES C)
add_executable(x)
if(1)
target_sources(x PRIVATE "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/main.unknown")
file(GENERATE OUTPUT "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/main.unknown" CONTENT "")
else()
target_sources(x PRIVATE "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/main.c")
file(GENERATE OUTPUT "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/main.c" CONTENT "")
endif()
```
For this error message the content of `main.c` is irrelevant, because CMake only uses the file extension to decide the language.
---
> [@AbdAllah.ElTamaly](#):
>
> CMake can not determine linker language for target
I haven’t run into that issue with C and CXX code while using the GHS generator. If you could create a minimum example that demonstrates the issue that would be beneficial to understanding the problem.
---
@ClausKlein No,
I haven’t found it necessary to use one. I do use a small script to run the CMake command. For me it’s working fine. I’m using the `Green Hills MULTI` generator to use `gbuild` to parse the integrate file, generate header files, build the kernel, build the applications, and then integrate everything into a Monolith image, then a custom command to deploy image.
I’m not using `Ninja` for running the build with the GHS compilers. I pushed some changes that incorporates some of the ideas of #19743. cmake/cmake!4136 and cmake/cmake#20089 make it easy to at least compile a file with Ninja but there would be more work for archiving libraries. Then there would be the custom rules for running the `integrate` and other commands required for building a monolith image.
---
I work with Ninja and this toolchain:
```cmake
# Toolchain file for Green Hills Software MULTI environment for Integrity target
#
# Requires environment variables MULTI_ROOT, INTEGRITY_BASE, and INTEGRITY_BSP
# set to the right directories of the Integrity/PPC environment
set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME GHS-MULTI)
set(CMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR ppc)
set(CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING TRUE)
set(CMAKE_CXX_PLATFORM_ID Integrity)
# Disable Compiler tests
set(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_WORKS 1)
set(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID_RUN 1)
set(CMAKE_C_ABI_COMPILED 1)
set(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_WORKS 1)
set(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID_RUN 1)
set(CMAKE_CXX_ABI_COMPILED 1)
# Get MULTI root path from environment
file(TO_CMAKE_PATH $ENV{MULTI_ROOT} MULTI_ROOT)
message(STATUS "MULTI_ROOT: ${MULTI_ROOT}")
# Set default cmake flags variables
set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "-os_dir=$ENV{INTEGRITY_BASE} -bsp=$ENV{INTEGRITY_BSP}")
set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "-os_dir=$ENV{INTEGRITY_BASE} -bsp=$ENV{INTEGRITY_BSP}")
set(CMAKE_TRY_COMPILE_PLATFORM_VARIABLES CMAKE_C_FLAGS CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS)
# Set compilers
set(CMAKE_C_COMPILER ${MULTI_ROOT}/ccintppc.exe)
set(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER ${MULTI_ROOT}/ccintppc.exe)
# Set compilers ID
set(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID "GHS")
set(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID "GHS")
set(CMAKE_C_STANDARD_COMPUTED_DEFAULT 99)
set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_COMPUTED_DEFAULT 98)
# Set format for compiling
set(CMAKE_C_COMPILE_OBJECT " -MD -filetype.c -o