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Workspace Configuration

Unconfigured Workspace Panel

Click the Workspace card to configure your west workspace. You have several options for setting up your Zephyr development environment.

Workspace Setup Methods

1. Import from Git (Zephyr IDE workspace)

Clone a repository that contains a pre-configured Zephyr IDE workspace setup. This is useful when working with a team project that already has Zephyr IDE configured.

2. Import from Git (West workspace)

Clone a west-based Zephyr repository from Git. This allows you to start with an existing west project.

3. New Standard Workspace

Create a fresh workspace in the current folder with:

  • Python virtual environment setup
  • West installation
  • Zephyr repository initialization
  • Optional: Choose between minimal or full Zephyr installation (minimal is recommended for faster setup)

4. Initialize Current Directory

Use the current folder as a west workspace if it already contains a west configuration. This is useful when you've manually set up west or are working with an existing project.

Workspace Setup Process

When setting up a new workspace, the extension will:

  1. Setup West Environment - Create a Python virtual environment and install west
  2. West Init - Initialize the workspace with a west.yml manifest file
  3. West Update - Clone Zephyr and its dependencies into the workspace

The folder structure after setup will typically look like:

workspace/
+-- .west/              # West configuration
+-- .venv/              # Python virtual environment
+-- zephyr/             # Zephyr RTOS source
+-- modules/            # Zephyr modules and dependencies
+-- your-app/           # Your application folder (with west.yml)

Workspace Setup Options

During workspace initialization, you can choose:

  • Installation type: Minimal (recommended, faster) or Full (all features)
  • Board support: Select specific board vendors (e.g., STM32, Nordic, ESP32, Raspberry Pi Pico)
  • Path prefix: Where Zephyr and modules will be installed relative to your application

The west.yml file controls what gets installed. A minimal configuration only includes Zephyr and essential HALs, while a full installation includes all available modules.

Configured Workspace

Once configured, the workspace panel will display your workspace information and allow you to directly update the west.yml file:

Configured Workspace Panel

Next Steps