> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.prescaler.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Open and build a project

> A practical first session from repository to build output.

1. Open the directory containing the native project configuration, rather than an arbitrary parent folder.
2. Review the project overview: native build system, source files, declared target and configuration issues.
3. Open **Build Setup**. Select a CMake preset, PlatformIO environment, or Zephyr SDK board as appropriate.
4. Open the entry source file and inspect its includes. Build once if generated headers or the compilation database do not exist yet.
5. Run **Build project**. Read the configure and compiler output; fix the first actionable error before proceeding.
6. Inspect the generated image and memory usage. Do not assume that an old ELF belongs to the configuration you just selected.

## What success means

A successful build establishes that the selected tools produced an image. It does not verify board wiring, physical device identity, boot configuration, or whether the image has been flashed.

To continue, configure [flash](/workflows/flash) or [debug](/workflows/debug). If the build system is not recognized, see [vendor support](/vendors/support) before attempting to force it through a generic command.