By default, the extension points to the last used nRF Connect SDK and nRF Connect SDK Toolchain versions. The expression last used versions can have one of the following meanings, depending on context:
- Most recent versions used to create or edit a new build configuration from the extension UI.
- Latest versions that you installed using the extension UI in the
Manage SDKs and
Manage toolchains menus, respectively.
In some cases, last used versions can mean both most recent and latest installed. For example, when you start working with the extension and you create the very first build configuration.
The extension always looks for the most recently used SDK and toolchain versions. If for any reason they are not found, the extension checks what the latest installed SDK and toolchain versions are. For the SDK, it queries the list populated by west zephyr-export. For the latest installed toolchain, it asks nRF Util (using the bundled sdk-manager command) for the list of installed toolchains.
When needed, the extension can also check the setting sources in the following order:
- Active build configuration of the active application if the configuration refers to an SDK and Toolchain that still exist. Otherwise, the next check is performed and the build is marked stale.
- Environment variables, including
PATH.
Note
The same toolchain bundle can be reused with different toolchain version numbers. For example, the minor v2.4.1 release of the nRF Connect SDK Toolchain can share the toolchain bundle with the major v2.4.0 release of the nRF Connect SDK Toolchain.
For information about how to change SDK and toolchain versions, see How to change SDK and toolchain versions.