Check for a License before Build starts

[ReinhardKeil]

Type: Feature Request

For a first time installation (that by default has no license activation - at least on Code Spaces), the following error appears:

 *  Executing task: cmsis-csolution.build: Build 

🔄 Execute: cbuild /workspaces/vscode-get-started/get_started.csolution.yml --active Corstone-300-FVP --packs
+-----------------------------------------------------
(1/1) Building context: "hello.debug+Corstone-300-FVP"
Using AC6 V6.24.0 compiler, from: '/home/codespace/.vcpkg/artifacts/2139c4c6/compilers.arm.armclang/6.24.0/bin/'
FAILED: [code=1] hello.debug+Corstone-300-FVP/src/hello.debug+Corstone-300-FVP-stamp/hello.debug+Corstone-300-FVP-configure /workspaces/vscode-get-started/tmp/hello.debug+Corstone-300-FVP/src/hello.debug+Corstone-300-FVP-stamp/hello.debug+Corstone-300-FVP-configure 
cd /workspaces/vscode-get-started/tmp/1 && /home/codespace/.vcpkg/artifacts/2139c4c6/tools.kitware.cmake/3.31.5/bin/cmake -P /workspaces/vscode-get-started/tmp/hello.debug+Corstone-300-FVP/src/hello.debug+Corstone-300-FVP-stamp/hello.debug+Corstone-300-FVP-configure-.cmake && /home/codespace/.vcpkg/artifacts/2139c4c6/tools.kitware.cmake/3.31.5/bin/cmake -E touch /workspaces/vscode-get-started/tmp/hello.debug+Corstone-300-FVP/src/hello.debug+Corstone-300-FVP-stamp/hello.debug+Corstone-300-FVP-configure
CMake Error at /workspaces/vscode-get-started/tmp/hello.debug+Corstone-300-FVP/src/hello.debug+Corstone-300-FVP-stamp/hello.debug+Corstone-300-FVP-configure-.cmake:37 (message):
  Command failed: 1

   '/home/codespace/.vcpkg/artifacts/2139c4c6/tools.kitware.cmake/3.31.5/bin/cmake' '-G' 'Ninja' '-S' '/workspaces/vscode-get-started/tmp/hello.debug+Corstone-300-FVP' '-B' '/workspaces/vscode-get-started/tmp/1' '-DSOLUTION_ROOT=/workspaces/vscode-get-started' '-DCMSIS_PACK_ROOT=/home/codespace/.cache/arm/packs' '-DCMSIS_COMPILER_ROOT=/home/codespace/.vscode-remote/extensions/arm.cmsis-csolution-1.64.2-linux-x64/tools/cmsis-toolbox/etc'

  See also

    /workspaces/vscode-get-started/tmp/hello.debug+Corstone-300-FVP/src/hello.debug+Corstone-300-FVP-stamp/hello.debug+Corstone-300-FVP-configure-*.log


-- stdout output is:
-- The C compiler identification is unknown
-- The ASM compiler identification is ARMClang
-- Found assembler: /home/codespace/.vcpkg/artifacts/2139c4c6/compilers.arm.armclang/6.24.0/bin/armclang
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info - failed
-- Check for working C compiler: /home/codespace/.vcpkg/artifacts/2139c4c6/compilers.arm.armclang/6.24.0/bin/armclang
-- Check for working C compiler: /home/codespace/.vcpkg/artifacts/2139c4c6/compilers.arm.armclang/6.24.0/bin/armclang - broken
-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!

-- stderr output is:
CMake Error at /home/codespace/.vcpkg/artifacts/2139c4c6/tools.kitware.cmake/3.31.5/share/cmake-3.31/Modules/CMakeTestCCompiler.cmake:67 (message):
  The C compiler

    "/home/codespace/.vcpkg/artifacts/2139c4c6/compilers.arm.armclang/6.24.0/bin/armclang"

  is not able to compile a simple test program.

  It fails with the following output:

    Change Dir: '/workspaces/vscode-get-started/tmp/1/CMakeFiles/CMakeScratch/TryCompile-RQkBpB'
    
    Run Build Command(s): /home/codespace/.vcpkg/artifacts/2139c4c6/tools.ninja.build.ninja/1.13.2/ninja -v cmTC_9b855
    [1/2] /home/codespace/.vcpkg/artifacts/2139c4c6/compilers.arm.armclang/6.24.0/bin/armclang   --target=arm-arm-none-eabi -mcpu=Cortex-M55 -mfloat-abi=hard -o CMakeFiles/cmTC_9b855.dir/testCCompiler.c.obj -c /workspaces/vscode-get-started/tmp/1/CMakeFiles/CMakeScratch/TryCompile-RQkBpB/testCCompiler.c
    FAILED: [code=1] CMakeFiles/cmTC_9b855.dir/testCCompiler.c.obj 
    /home/codespace/.vcpkg/artifacts/2139c4c6/compilers.arm.armclang/6.24.0/bin/armclang   --target=arm-arm-none-eabi -mcpu=Cortex-M55 -mfloat-abi=hard -o CMakeFiles/cmTC_9b855.dir/testCCompiler.c.obj -c /workspaces/vscode-get-started/tmp/1/CMakeFiles/CMakeScratch/TryCompile-RQkBpB/testCCompiler.c
    armclang: error: Failed to check out a license.
    The license file could not be found. Check that ARMLMD_LICENSE_FILE is set correctly.
    armclang: note: 
ARMLMD_LICENSE_FILE is not set. You must set this to the path to your license.
    armclang: note: 
Information about this error is available at https://developer.arm.com/support/lic87/m1
     General licensing information is available at https://developer.arm.com/support/licensing/
     If you need further help, provide this complete error message to your supplier or to Arm via https://services.arm.com/support/s/contactsupport
     - ARMLMD_LICENSE_FILE: unset

This UX is not that great.

Proposal:

Can we check for a license first, before Build is accepted. Ensure that this license check is quick and does not add to build time.

[ReinhardKeil]

There are enough popups, but I have ignored them. So this is not a top priority.

[jkrech]

Can we make the assumption that the "Arm Environment Manager" extension which also manages the UBL license is active? If I have AC6 in my vcpkg-configuration.json file and no license enabled it flags in "PROBLEMS"

In the status bar it clearly reads "No Arm License"

Alternatively we could just check whether armclang is "operational"

In a first step we would need to check the toolchain being used in the active target-set. In case of AC6 we could see already the version check failing.

armclang --version
armclang: error: Failed to check out a license.

If it fails we print an error instead of starting the build or we disable the build button and commands.

We could also implement that in cbuild