Troubleshooting Compilation Errors

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 65 views

Introduction

LVGL (Light and Versatile Graphics Library) is a popular open-source graphics library for embedded systems. It provides a wide range of features, including widgets, graphics, and animation. In this article, we will guide you through the process of integrating LVGL in your project, specifically on a Linux platform using the LVGL version 9.2.2.

Troubleshooting Compilation Errors

We successfully compiled lv_port_linux-9.2.2 using CMake and obtained the main program, which runs normally on our Linux platform. We also obtained the include and lib directories through make install. However, when we tried to integrate the program from main.c into our project, we encountered the following compilation errors.

Compilation Errors

The compilation errors are likely due to the incorrect inclusion of the LVGL library and its dependencies. To troubleshoot this issue, we need to ensure that the include and lib directories are correctly copied to our project.

Reproducing the Issue

To reproduce the issue, we copied the include and lib directories to our project as follows:

project/include/lvgl/...
project/lib/liblvgl.a
project/lib/liblvgl_examples.a
project/lib/liblvgl_demos.a
project/lib/liblvgl_thorvg.a

We then modified the Makefile file to include the LVGL library and its dependencies:

INCLUDES   += -I./include/lvgl
MPI_LIBS_PATH = $(shell pwd)/lib

LIBS     += $(MPI_LIBS_PATH)/liblvgl.a
LIBS     += $(MPI_LIBS_PATH)/liblvgl_examples.a
LIBS     += $(MPI_LIBS_PATH)/liblvgl_demos.a
LIBS     += $(MPI_LIBS_PATH)/liblvgl_thorvg.a

main.c File

The main.c file is the entry point of our program. It includes the necessary headers and defines the lv_init function, which initializes the LVGL library.

#include "lvgl/lvgl.h"
#include "lvgl/demos/lv_demos.h"

static const char *getenv_default(const char *name, const char *dflt)
{
    return getenv(name) ? : dflt;
}

static void lv_linux_disp_init(void)
{
    const char *device = getenv_default("LV_LINUX_FBDEV_DEVICE", "/dev/fb0");
    lv_display_t * disp = lv_linux_fbdev_create();

    lv_linux_fbdev_set_file(disp, device);
}

int main(void)
{
    lv_init();

    /*Linux display device init*/
    lv_linux_disp_init();

    /*Create a Demo*/
    lv_demo_widgets();
    lv_demo_widgets_start_slideshow();

    while (sample_get_exit()) {
        lv_timer_handler();
        usleep(5000);
    }
}

Troubleshooting Steps

To troubleshoot the compilation errors, we need to follow these steps:

Verify the Include Directories: Ensure that the include directories are correctly copied to our project. We can verify this by checking the Makefile file and the main.c file.
Verify the Lib Directories: Ensure that the lib directories are correctly copied to our project. We can verify this by checking the Makefile file and the main.c file.
Verify the Library Dependencies: Ensure that the library dependencies are correctly included in the Makefile file.
Verify the Compilation Flags: Ensure that the compilation flags are correctly set in the Makefile file.

Conclusion

In this article, we guided you through the process of integrating LVGL in your project, specifically on a Linux platform using the LVGL version 9.2.2. We also provided troubleshooting steps to resolve compilation errors. By following these steps, you should be able to successfully integrate LVGL in your project.

Additional Resources

For more information on LVGL, please refer to the official LVGL documentation:

LVGL Documentation

For more information on CMake, please refer to the official CMake documentation:

CMake Documentation

For more information on Linux, please refer to the official Linux documentation:

Linux Documentation

FAQs

Q: What is LVGL? A: LVGL is a popular open-source graphics library for embedded systems.

Q: What is the purpose of the Makefile file? A: The Makefile file is used to specify the compilation flags and library dependencies for our project.

Q: How do I troubleshoot compilation errors? A: To troubleshoot compilation errors, we need to verify the include directories, lib directories, library dependencies, and compilation flags.

Q: What is LVGL and why do I need it?

A: LVGL (Light and Versatile Graphics Library) is a popular open-source graphics library for embedded systems. It provides a wide range of features, including widgets, graphics, and animation. You need LVGL if you want to create a graphical user interface (GUI) for your embedded system.

Q: What are the benefits of using LVGL?

A: The benefits of using LVGL include:

Easy to use: LVGL has a simple and intuitive API that makes it easy to use.
Highly customizable: LVGL allows you to customize the appearance and behavior of your GUI.
Cross-platform: LVGL can be used on a variety of platforms, including Linux, Windows, and macOS.
Open-source: LVGL is open-source, which means that you can modify and distribute it freely.

Q: What are the system requirements for LVGL?

A: The system requirements for LVGL are:

Operating System: Linux, Windows, or macOS.
Processor: Any processor that supports the C programming language.
Memory: At least 1 GB of RAM.
Storage: At least 100 MB of free disk space.

Q: How do I install LVGL?

A: To install LVGL, you need to follow these steps:

Download the LVGL source code: Download the LVGL source code from the official LVGL website.
Extract the source code: Extract the source code to a directory on your computer.
Run the installation script: Run the installation script to install LVGL.
Configure the build system: Configure the build system to build LVGL.
Build LVGL: Build LVGL using the build system.

Q: How do I integrate LVGL with my project?

A: To integrate LVGL with your project, you need to follow these steps:

Include the LVGL header files: Include the LVGL header files in your project.
Link the LVGL library: Link the LVGL library to your project.
Use the LVGL API: Use the LVGL API to create a GUI for your project.

Q: What are the common issues that I may encounter when using LVGL?

A: The common issues that you may encounter when using LVGL include:

Compilation errors: Compilation errors can occur if you have not installed LVGL correctly or if you have not included the necessary header files.
Linking errors: Linking errors can occur if you have not linked the LVGL library correctly.
Runtime errors: Runtime errors can occur if you have not used the LVGL API correctly.

Q: How do I troubleshoot issues with LVGL?

A: To troubleshoot issues with LVGL, you need to follow these steps:

Check the LVGL documentation: Check the LVGL documentation to see if there are any known issues or solutions.
Check the LVGL forums: Check the LVGL forums to see if there are any other users who have encountered the same issue.
Check the LVGL source code: Check the LVGL source code to see if there are any issues or bugs.
Use a debugger: Use a debugger to debug your code and identify the issue.

Q: What are the best practices for using LVGL?

A: The best practices for using LVGL include:

Use the LVGL API correctly: Use the LVGL API correctly to avoid runtime errors.
Include the necessary header files: Include the necessary header files to avoid compilation errors.
Link the LVGL library correctly: Link the LVGL library correctly to avoid linking errors.
Use a debugger: Use a debugger to debug your code and identify issues.

Q: Can I use LVGL with other libraries?

A: Yes, you can use LVGL with other libraries. LVGL is designed to be highly customizable and can be used with other libraries to create a GUI for your project.

Q: Is LVGL free to use?

A: Yes, LVGL is free to use. LVGL is open-source, which means that you can modify and distribute it freely.

Q: Can I use LVGL for commercial purposes?

A: Yes, you can use LVGL for commercial purposes. LVGL is open-source, which means that you can use it for commercial purposes without any restrictions.

Q: What is the future of LVGL?

A: The future of LVGL is bright. LVGL is a popular open-source graphics library that is widely used in the embedded systems industry. The LVGL community is active and continues to develop and improve the library.