Ndless Docker

This repository provides a Docker development environment for the Ndless SDK. It builds C and assembly programs for TI-Nspire calculators without installing the cross compiler on the host.

Requirements

• Linux
• Docker Engine
• Docker Compose plugin
• Docker Buildx
• Git

Build

Clone this repository and run the build script:

git clone https://github.com/stepney141/ndless-docker
cd ndless-docker
./builder.sh

The script resolves the current Ndless master commit, builds that revision, and writes the build output to log/. The first build compiles the ARM toolchain and can take a long time. Later builds reuse the local BuildKit cache when the toolchain sources have not changed, even if the Ndless commit has changed.

Usage

Place the program source in src/, then open an ephemeral development shell:

docker compose run --rm ndless-dev

The shell starts in /workspace, which is the mounted src/ directory. The container uses the directory owner's UID and GID, so generated files retain the host user's ownership.

To create and build a program:

nspire-tools new program-name
nspire-tools main
make

You can also run a command without opening a shell:

docker compose run --rm ndless-dev make

The resulting .tns files remain in src/ on the host.

To show the Ndless commit included in the image:

docker compose run --rm ndless-dev cat /opt/ndless-sdk/REVISION

Reference

Ndless SDK: C and assembly development introduction