Update build environment / build docs

docs/dev/build_env.rst

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ LSL build environment
 =====================
 
 liblsl and most apps use :ref:`buildenvcmake` and C++.
+Most apps also use Qt for a graphical user interface.
 
 Recommended compiler toolchain
 ------------------------------
@@ -20,18 +21,41 @@ OS / Compiler             Supported Versions
 ------------------------- ------------------
 Name                      Min    Max
 ========================= ====== ===========
-Windows                   XP     10 (1909)
-Visual C++                2008   2019 (16.3)
+Windows                   XP     10 (20H2)
+Visual C++                2015   2019 (16.6)
 OS X                      10.9   10.14 ?
 XCode                     9.3    ?
-Ubuntu                    16.04  19.10
-CentOS                    5      ?
+Ubuntu                    16.04  20.10
+CentOS                    6      ?
 Clang                     3.5    9.0.0
 g++                       6.2    9.0
-Alpine Linux              <3.6   3.10
-:ref:`buildenvcmake`      3.12   3.15
+Alpine Linux              <3.6   3.12
+:ref:`buildenvcmake`      3.12   3.18
 ========================= ====== ===========
 
+Some apps may have higher requirements while liblsl works on very old
+(e.g. Windows XP) and tiny (e.g. Raspberry Pi, some microcontrollers,
+Android) systems.
+
+`Qt5 <http://qt.io>`__
+----------------------
+
+For compatibility with Ubuntu 16.04, Qt5.5 is the oldest supported
+version.
+
+Qt5 is the recommended toolkit to create graphical user interfaces.
+To build apps using Qt, install it and if CMake doesn't find it automatically
+tell it where to find it, either by adding the compiler specific base path to
+the :envvar:`PATH`
+(:samp:`set {PATH}=C:\Qt\<version>\<compiler_arch>;%PATH%`
+on the same command line you call cmake from) or add the path to the Qt5 CMake
+configuration to the cmake parameters
+(:samp:`-D{Qt5_DIR}=C:/path_to/Qt/<version>/<compiler_arch>/lib/cmake/Qt5/`).
+
+
+Installation: Windows
+---------------------
+
 To get a minimal Visual Studio installation, copy this block into a file and
 use “Import configuration” in the
 `Visual Studio 2019 <https://visualstudio.com/downloads>`_
@@ -47,79 +71,33 @@ installer:
        ]
    }
 
-Some apps may have higher requirements while liblsl works on very old
-(e.g. Windows XP) and tiny (e.g. Raspberry Pi, some microcontrollers,
-Android) systems.
-
-Note: MacOS users are expected to have `homebrew <https://brew.sh/>`__ installed.
-
-CMake
------
-
-See :ref:`CMake <buildenvcmake>`.
-
-.. _Boost:
-
-`Boost <https://boost.org>`__
------------------------------
-
-`liblsl <https://github.com/labstreaminglayer/liblsl/>`__ already
-includes Boost, so you only need it to build some apps.
+Visual Studio (2017 and newer) includes CMake.
+For a system wide CMake installation, download the
+`.msi installer <https://cmake.org/download/>`__
+and check the :guilabel:`Add to the path (for all users)` box.
 
-Boost libraries come in two flavors: header-only and compiled libraries.
+Qt can be installed with the
+`official Qt installer <http://download.qt.io/official_releases/online_installers/qt-unified-windows-x86-online.exe>`__
 
-For the header-only libraries you can download the source archive unpack it to
-your local disk.
+Installation: OS X
+-------------------
 
-For compiled libraries, you either have to compile it yourself (not recommended)
-or download precompiled binaries *that have to match your compiler version
-and processor architecture!*
-For newer apps, you should use the C++11 standard library (e.g. for threads and
-regular expressions).
-
-Afterwards, point CMake to it (:samp:`-D{BOOST_ROOT}=path/to/boost`).
+Note: MacOS users are expected to have `homebrew <https://brew.sh/>`__ installed.
 
-Each app's build instructions should tell you exactly which boost
-libraries you need.
+- :command:`brew install cmake`
 
--  Windows: install the `precompiled
-   binaries <https://sourceforge.net/projects/boost/files/boost-binaries/>`__
+- :command:`brew install qt` (not necessary for liblsl)
 
-   -  Choose the version that matches your compiler and target
-      architecture (probably 64-bit). You can find the mapping between
-      visual studio number and compiler version
-      `here <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Visual_C%2B%2B#Internal_version_numbering>`__.
+Installation: Debian / Ubuntu
+-----------------------------
 
--  Debian / Ubuntu Linux: install the ``libboost-all-dev`` package
--  OS X: install Boost via `Homebrew <https://brew.sh/>`__
+- :command:`apt install build-essentials g++ cmake`
 
-MacOS
-^^^^^
+- :command:`apt install qt5-default` (not necessary for liblsl)
 
-If you are using MacOS and homebrew, then install an old version of
-boost with (e.g.) :command:`brew install boost@1.60`.
-Then the cmake argument will be
-:samp:`-D{BOOST_ROOT}=$(brew --prefix boost@1.60)`.
-Try :command:`brew search boost` to see which older versions of boost are available.
+`PyPI <https://pypi.org/project/cmake/>`_ has newer precompiled CMake binaries
+for some architectures, you can install those via
+:command:`python -m pip install cmake`.
 
 .. _Qt5:
 
-`Qt5 <http://qt.io>`__
-----------------------
-
-For compatibility with Ubuntu 16.04, Qt5.5 is the oldest supported
-version.
-
-Qt5 is the recommended toolkit to create graphical user interfaces.
-To build apps using Qt, install it and if CMake doesn't find it automatically
-tell it where to find it, either by adding the compiler specific base path to
-the :envvar:`PATH`
-(:samp:`set {PATH}=C:\Qt\<version>\<compiler_arch>;%PATH%`
-on the same command line you call cmake from) or add the path to the Qt5 CMake
-configuration to the cmake parameters
-(:samp:`-D{Qt5_DIR}=C:/path_to/Qt/<version>/<compiler_arch>/lib/cmake/Qt5/`).
-
--  Windows: use the
-   `installer <http://download.qt.io/official_releases/online_installers/qt-unified-windows-x86-online.exe>`__
--  Debian / Ubuntu Linux: :command:`apt install qt5-default`
--  OS X: :command:`brew install qt`

docs/dev/lib_dev.rst

@@ -1,21 +1,26 @@
 Library Development
 ###################
 
-Follow this guide if you are...
+.. note:: Stop reading if you just want to...
 
-- trying to build liblsl for a platform that does not already have a release
+  - stream data from one of the :doc:`../info/supported_devices` or record data with the
+    LabRecorder. You can download pre-built releases for the apps and LabRecorder from each
+    repositories release page.
 
-  - Please check the `liblsl release page <https://github.com/sccn/liblsl/releases>`_ first.
-  - Please let us know so we can add the platform to the list of automated builds, if possible.
+  - create or use a program to stream or receive data via the LabStreamingLayer. You can
+    download a precompiled liblsl binary from the
+    `liblsl release page <https://github.com/sccn/liblsl/releases>`_
 
-- trying to use liblsl in a language that does not already have an interface
+Follow this guide if you are...
 
 - want to add / modify core liblsl
 
   - Please create a `GitHub issue <https://github.com/sccn/liblsl/issues>`__
     first to ask for advice and to get pre-approval if you would like your
     modification to be included in the official library.
 
+- build liblsl for a device / OS with no official release (e.g. an embedded Linux device)
+
 Building liblsl
 ***************
 
@@ -32,7 +37,7 @@ Getting the source
 
 Open a Terminal / Developer Command Prompt and cd to a convenient location to download and build the library.
 
-:samp:`git clone https://github.com/sccn/liblsl.git`
+:samp:`git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/sccn/liblsl.git`
 
 The resulting folder structure is as follows.
 
@@ -60,17 +65,16 @@ Configuring the liblsl project
 .. code:: bash
 
     cd liblsl
-    mkdir build && cd build
-    cmake .. -G <generator name>
+    cmake -S . -B build -G <generator name>
 
 Note: call :samp:`cmake -G` without a generator name to get a list of available
 generators.
-I use :samp:`cmake .. -G "Visual Studio 16 2019" -A x64`
+I use :samp:`cmake -S . -B build -G "Visual Studio 16 2019" -A x64`
 
 If you used a generator, you can now open the IDE project file. Then build the install target.
 
 Alternatively, you can build directly from command line:
-:samp:`cmake --build . --config Release --target install`
+:samp:`cmake --build build -j --config Release --target install`
 
 In either case, this will create an ``install`` folder in your build folder.
 This ``install`` folder is your :doc:`LSL_INSTALL_ROOT` that you might use in when