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You can copy any pieces that you like from the old apps/directory to your custom apps directory as necessary. This is documented in nuttx/boards/README.txt, in the NuttX Porting Guide and Build options, and in the apps/README.txt file.

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If you like the random collection of stuff in the apps/ directory but just want to expand the existing components with your own, external sub-directory then there is an easy way to that too: You just create a sympolic link in the apps/ directory that redirects to your application sub-directory (or copy your code into a sub-directory of apps/).

http://www.nuttx.org/Images/Extended-apps.jpg?400Image RemovedImage Added

Makefile and Make.defs. In order to be incorporated into the build, the directory that you link under the apps/ directory should contain (1) a Makefile that supports the clean and distclean targets (see other Makefile}}s Makefiles for examples), and (2) a tiny {{Make.defs make file fragment that simply adds the build directories to the variable ''{{ CONFIGURED_APPS like:

  CONFIGURED_APPS += my_directory1 my_directory2

Automatic Sub-directoy Inclusion. The }}apps/Makefile{{ will always automatically check for the existence of sub-directories containing a }}Makefile{{ and a }}Make.defs{{ file. The }}Makefile{{ will be used only to support cleaning operations. The }}Make.defs{{ file provides the set of relative pathes paths to directories to be built; these directories must also contain a }}Makefile{{. That }}Makefile{{ that can build the sources and add the object files to }}apps/libapps.a{{ archive (see other }}Makefile{{s Makefiles for examples). It should support the }}all{{, }}install{{, }}context{{, and }}depend{{ targets.

}}apps/Makefile{{ does not depend on any hard-coded lists of directories. Instead, it does a wildcard search to find all appropriate directories. This means that to install a new application, you simply have to copy the directory (or link it) into the }}apps/{{ directory. If the new directory includes a }}Makefile{{ and a }}Make.defs{{ file, then it will be automatically discovered and included in the build at make time.

Kconfig. If the directory that you add also includes a }}Kconfig{{ file, then it will automatically be included in the NuttX configuration system as well. }}apps/Makefile{{ uses a tool at }}apps/tools/mkkconfig.sh{{ that dynamically builds the }}apps/Kconfig{{ file at pre-configuration time.

NOTE: The native Windows build is will use a corresponding tool called }}apps/tools/mkconfig.bat{{.

Install script. You could, for example, create a script called install.sh that installs a custom application, configuration, and board specific directory:

• Copy }}MyBoard{{ directory to }}boards/MyBoard{{.
• Add a symbolic link to }}MyApplication{{ at }}apps/external{{
• Configure NuttX:

  tools/configure.sh MyBoard:MyConfiguration

Special }} apps/external Directory{{. Use of the name }}apps/external{{ is suggested because that name is included in the .gitignore file and will save you some nuisance when working with GIT.

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A simple, minimally invasive approach would be to contain the }}apps/{{ GIT clone within your custom application directory. In this case }}apps/{{ would appear as a directory under your custom application directory instead of your application directories being kludged in as sub-directories of }}apps/{{. It may even be implemented as a sub-module of your custom application directory.

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Kconfig and Makefile. There are only a few minimal requirements of your custom application directory. It needs to have only its own }}Makefile{{ and }}Kconfig{{ file. That }} Kconfig {{ would need to include the }}apps/Kconfig{{. The }}Makefile{{, would similarly need to invoke the }}apps/Makefil{{e Makefile for all of the relevant build targets. For example, the clean target:

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Library Issues. The contained directory will create and install a static library called }}libapps($LIBEXT){{ in the }}nuttx/staging{{ directory. Your custom logic must also appear in the }}nuttx/staging{{ directory. Here are two ways that you might do that:

1. Merge with }} libapps($LIBEXT)''. The custom application directory's Makefile could create and install the final libapps($LIBEXT) in the nuttx/staging directory. The <custom-dir>/apps/libapps($LIBEXT) could merge its custom object files with <custom-dir>/libapps($LIBEXT) and then re-install the library at nuttx/staging.
2. Use the EXTRA_LIBS Feature. The build system supports two special Make-related variables call EXTRA_LIBS and EXTRA_LIBPATHS. These may be defined in your board-specific Make.defs file. EXTRA_LIBS provides the name of you custom library. If you create <custom-dir>/libcustom.a, then the value of EXTRA_LIBS would be -lcustom and the value of EXTRA_LIBPATHS would be -L <custom-dir> (assuming the GNU ld linker).

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