Ninja uses project directory as build directory instead of ./build

[brian.motusi]

I've created a project about a year ago that uses CMake only and not Ninja.

Coworkers followed instructions at https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp ... setup.html an had problems building the project. So I was able to fix the problems and build successfully with Ninja, but not with the idf.py.

Problem: can not build/flash/monitor with idf.py with Ninja
Expected: Be able to use idf.py as before with Ninja
Suspected Cause: The 'cmake -G Ninja' command does not have the correct build directory setting. The generated files are being placed in the project directory not the build directory.

Here is what I did.

1. 'brew install cmake ninja dfu-util'
2. cd project root
3. idf.py clean
4. idf.py reconfigure

Now if I try to build with the idf.py I get an error:

brian@nova:~/local/motusi/dev/obc-app/app$ idf.py build
Executing action: all (aliases: build)
Running cmake in directory /Users/brian/local/motusi/dev/obc-app/app/build
Executing "cmake -G Ninja -DPYTHON_DEPS_CHECKED=1 -DESP_PLATFORM=1 -DIDF_TARGET=esp32 -DCCACHE_ENABLE=0 /Users/brian/local/motusi/dev/obc-app/app"...
-- Component directory /Users/brian/local/motusi/esp-install-test/esp-idf/components/cmock does not contain a CMakeLists.txt file. No component will be added
-- Building ESP-IDF components for target esp32
Loading defaults file /Users/brian/local/motusi/dev/obc-app/app/sdkconfig.defaults...
** redact lots of lines **
-- Configuring done
-- Generating done
-- Build files have been written to: /Users/brian/local/motusi/dev/obc-app/app
Running ninja in directory /Users/brian/local/motusi/dev/obc-app/app/build
Executing "ninja all"...
ninja: error: loading 'build.ninja': No such file or directory
ninja failed with exit code 1

If I follow the direct build with Ninja instructions Here is what I find:
brian@nova:~/local/motusi/dev/obc-app/app$ cd build
brian@nova:~/local/motusi/dev/obc-app/app/build$ cmake .. -G Ninja
-- Component directory /Users/brian/local/motusi/esp-install-test/esp-idf/components/cmock does not contain a CMakeLists.txt file. No component will be added
-- Building ESP-IDF components for target esp32
Loading defaults file /Users/brian/local/motusi/dev/obc-app/app/sdkconfig.defaults...
-- App "obc_app" version: 4
-- Adding linker script /Users/brian/local/motusi/esp-install-test/esp-idf/components/esp_rom/esp32/ld/esp32.rom.newlib-time.ld
-- Adding linker script /Users/brian/local/motusi/esp-install-test/esp-idf/components/esp_rom/esp32/ld/esp32.rom.ld
-- Adding linker script /Users/brian/local/motusi/esp-install-test/esp-idf/components/esp_rom/esp32/ld/esp32.rom.libgcc.ld
-- Adding linker script /Users/brian/local/motusi/esp-install-test/esp-idf/components/esp_rom/esp32/ld/esp32.rom.newlib-data.ld
-- Adding linker script /Users/brian/local/motusi/esp-install-test/esp-idf/components/esp_rom/esp32/ld/esp32.rom.syscalls.ld
-- Adding linker script /Users/brian/local/motusi/esp-install-test/esp-idf/components/esp_rom/esp32/ld/esp32.rom.newlib-funcs.ld
-- Adding linker script /Users/brian/local/motusi/dev/obc-app/app/esp-idf/esp32/esp32_out.ld
-- Adding linker script /Users/brian/local/motusi/esp-install-test/esp-idf/components/esp32/ld/esp32.project.ld.in
-- Adding linker script /Users/brian/local/motusi/esp-install-test/esp-idf/components/esp32/ld/esp32.peripherals.ld
-- Components: app_trace app_update asio bootloader bootloader_support bt cbor coap common console cxx driver efuse esp-tls esp32 esp_adc_cal esp_common esp_eth esp_event esp_gdbstub esp_hid esp_http_client esp_http_server esp_https_ota esp_https_server
** redact lots of lines **
-- Configuring done
-- Generating done
-- Build files have been written to: /Users/brian/local/motusi/dev/obc-app/app
brian@nova:~/local/motusi/dev/obc-app/app/build$ ninja
ninja: error: loading 'build.ninja': No such file or directory
brian@nova:~/local/motusi/dev/obc-app/app/build$ ls ../build.ninja
../build.ninja

[brian.motusi]

Fresh clone of my project fixed this problem.

[ESP_Angus]

Hi brian,

I'm not sure what the cause of this could have been, maybe some path in the generated CMakeCache.txt file. However I'm glad you were able to fix it.