Building the SDK

This section covers building the MAVLink SDK from source.

Prerequisites

Before building the SDK, ensure you have the following installed:

C++17 compatible compiler (GCC 7+ or Clang 5+)
CMake 3.1.0 or higher
MAVLink C library (c_library_v2)

On Ubuntu/Debian systems, install the build tools:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential cmake

MAVLink C Library

The SDK requires the MAVLink C library (c_library_v2). It should be placed at ../c_library_v2 relative to the SDK directory.

Download the MAVLink C library:

# Navigate to the parent directory of mavlink_sdk
cd path/to/droneengage_mavlink

# Clone the MAVLink C library
git clone https://github.com/mavlink/c_library_v2.git

This should create the following structure:

droneengage_mavlink/
├── c_library_v2/              # MAVLink C library
└── mavlink_sdk/               # MAVLink SDK
    ├── src/
    ├── CMakeLists.txt
    └── build.sh

Building the SDK

Using the Build Script

The SDK includes a convenient build script:

cd mavlink_sdk
./build.sh

Manual Build

If you prefer to build manually:

cd mavlink_sdk
mkdir build
cd build
cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RELEASE ..
make

Build Outputs

The build produces both static and shared libraries in the bin/ directory:

libmavlink_sdk.a - Static library
libmavlink_sdk.so - Shared library

Build Types

DEBUG Build (default)

./build.sh

Includes debug symbols (-g3, -Og)
Suitable for development and debugging

RELEASE Build

./build.sh RELEASE

Optimized build (-O2)
Increments version number
Suitable for production use

With Additional Debug Options

./build.sh DEBUG DDEBUG=ON

Enables detailed debug output
Useful for troubleshooting

Version Management

The SDK uses automatic version management:

Format: MAJOR.MINOR.BUGFIX.BUILD
BUILD number auto-increments on RELEASE builds
Version file stored in .version in project root
Current version: 5.6.8.x

To change major or minor versions, edit the version variables in CMakeLists.txt.

Troubleshooting

MAVLink library not found

Ensure the c_library_v2 is located at ../c_library_v2 relative to the SDK directory.

CMake version too old

Install a newer version of CMake (3.1.0 or higher):

sudo apt install cmake

Or download from the CMake website if your distribution’s version is too old.

Compiler not C++17 compatible

Ensure you have GCC 7+ or Clang 5+ installed:

gcc --version
clang --version

On older systems, you may need to install a newer compiler or use a toolchain.