Start a Project on Windows from Command Line

This guide helps you to start a new project on the {IDF_TARGET_NAME} and build, flash, and monitor the device output on Windows.

.. _get-started-set-up-env:

Activate the Environment

.. note::

This section describes the default and recommended procedures to activate the environment from ESP-IDF v6.0. If you use the :doc:`legacy method for updating ESP-IDF tools <windows-setup-update-legacy>`, skip this section.

Before using ESP-IDF tools in the terminal, you must activate the ESP-IDF environment. You can do this either via the GUI or CLI.

Activate Using EIM GUI_
Activate Using EIM CLI_

Activate Using EIM GUI


.. include:: eim-gui-activate-env.rst

Activate Using EIM CLI

Upon successful installation of ESP-IDF, the EIM places shortcuts on your desktop to launch a terminal with activated ESP-IDF environment.

For example, click the IDF_v5.4.2_Powershell shortcut to open a PowerShell session with the environment set up.

Once done, you have successfully activated the ESP-IDF environment in your terminal. All subsequent ESP-IDF commands should be run in this activated terminal.

Start a Project

Now you are ready to prepare your application for {IDF_TARGET_NAME}. You can start with :example:get-started/hello_world project from :idf:examples directory in ESP-IDF.

.. important::

The ESP-IDF build system does not support spaces in the paths to either ESP-IDF or to projects.

Copy the project :example:get-started/hello_world to ~/esp directory:

.. code-block:: batch

cd %userprofile%\esp
xcopy /e /i %IDF_PATH%\examples\get-started\hello_world hello_world

.. note:: There is a range of example projects in the :idf:examples directory in ESP-IDF. You can copy any project in the same way as presented above and run it. It is also possible to build examples in-place without copying them first.

.. _get-started-connect:

Connect Your Device

Now connect your {IDF_TARGET_NAME} board to the computer and check under which serial port the board is visible.

Serial port names start with COM in Windows.

If you are not sure how to check the serial port name, please refer to :doc:establish-serial-connection for full details.

.. note::

Keep the port name handy as it is needed in the next steps.

.. _get-started-configure:

Configure Your Project

Navigate to your hello_world directory, set {IDF_TARGET_NAME} as the target, and run the project configuration utility menuconfig.

Windows


.. code-block:: batch

    cd %userprofile%\esp\hello_world
    idf.py set-target {IDF_TARGET_PATH_NAME}
    idf.py menuconfig

After opening a new project, you should first set the target with ``idf.py set-target {IDF_TARGET_PATH_NAME}``. Note that existing builds and configurations in the project, if any, are cleared and initialized in this process. The target may be saved in the environment variable to skip this step at all. See :ref:`selecting-idf-target` for additional information.

If the previous steps have been done correctly, the following menu appears:

.. figure:: ../../_static/project-configuration.png
    :align: center
    :alt: Project configuration - Home window

    Project configuration - Home window

You are using this menu to set up project specific variables, e.g., Wi-Fi network name and password, the processor speed, etc. Setting up the project with menuconfig may be skipped for "hello_word", since this example runs with default configuration.

.. only:: esp32

    .. attention::

        If you use ESP32-DevKitC board with the **ESP32-SOLO-1** module, or ESP32-DevKitM-1 board with the **ESP32-MIN1-1/1U** module, please enable single core mode (:ref:`CONFIG_FREERTOS_UNICORE`) in menuconfig before flashing examples.

.. note::

    The colors of the menu could be different in your terminal. You can change the appearance with the option ``--style``. Please run ``idf.py menuconfig --help`` for further information.

.. only:: esp32 or esp32s2 or esp32s3

    If you are using one of the supported development boards, you can speed up your development by using Board Support Package. See `Additional Tips <#additional-tips>`__ for more information.

.. only:: esp32s2

    To use the USB for flashing the {IDF_TARGET_NAME}, you need to change the channel for the console output to USB. For the {IDF_TARGET_NAME}, the default console output channel is the UART.

    1. Navigate to the option ``Channel for console output``.

        ``Component config  --->  ESP System Settings  ---> Channel for console output``

    2. Change to the option (the default is always UART):

        ``USB CDC``

    3. Save the new configuration and exit the ``menuconfig`` screen.

.. include:: start-project.rst