Working with Output Files

After building, you can view generated files in the Output Files section:

  • *.elf: Main executable file (used for debugging)

  • *.map: Memory map showing symbol addresses and memory usage

  • *.dts: Compiled device tree (Zephyr projects)

  • .config: Current Kconfig configuration

  • .config.old: Previous Kconfig configuration

Note

When both .config and .config.old are present, the Output Files view shows a dedicated diff entry. Click it to open a side-by-side comparison of the two files.

Using Menuconfig/Guiconfig (Zephyr)

To modify Kconfig values:

  1. Expand your project → Actions → KConfig Config

  2. Choose:

    • Run menuconfig: Text-based configuration

    • Run guiconfig: Graphical configuration tool

  3. Make your changes and save

  4. The extension will detect changes and update .config

Important

When you save in menuconfig or guiconfig, changes are written only to the .config file inside the build directory (e.g. build/<config>/zephyr/.config) and the previous configuration is backed up to .config.old. These changes are temporary — if you delete the build directory and reconfigure, the build system re-merges from the original input fragments (prj.conf, overlays, etc.).