S32CT Distributions

S32 Configuration Tools (S32CT) ships in two interchangeable forms on the same host: the standalone desktop product and the S32DS-integrated Eclipse plugin set. Both speak the same headless CLI grammar, but the launcher binary, the launcher .ini, and the mandatory-argument shape differ. The MCP auto-discovers both at startup and emits the correct prefix transparently, so most agents never have to think about it. This skill is the canonical reference for the underlying behaviour.

When to use

Use this skill when:

• The user asks which S32CT distribution is active or installed.
• A raw command line hangs, exits with code 13, or fails without an error message.
• Hand-building a headless invocation outside the typed MCP wrappers.
• Writing host-portable recipes that must survive on either variant.

Do not use this skill for:

• Running a code-generation workflow - use s32ct-generate-code.
• Probing the installed version - use s32ct-get-version.
• Bootstrapping a GTM use-case - use s32ct-gtm-create-from-usecase.

The two distributions

Attribute	desktop (standalone)	integrated_s32ds (Eclipse plugin)
Typical install path	C:/NXP/S32ConfigTools.<release>	C:/NXP/S32DS.<x>.<y>
Launcher	toolsc.exe	s32dsc.exe
Launcher .ini	tools.ini	s32ds.ini
MCU data root	%ProgramData%/NXP/mcu_data_<release>	<install>/eclipse/mcu_data
-data <workspace>	optional (auto-retry on error)	mandatory
Shipped as	the S32CT product itself	part of S32 Design Studio

Both ship every documented headless tool (Pins, Clocks, Peripherals, DCD, IVT, eFUSE, GTM, QuadSPI, FFC) and accept the same -HeadlessTool, -Load, -EmptyConfig, -MCU, -SDKVersion, -ExportAll, -ApplyUseCase, -SetValue, -GetValue arguments.

The MCU data package shipped with each distribution may differ in content - for example, some MCU folders carry GTM use-case .mex templates only in the desktop variant. Always discover use-cases via nxp_s32ct_execute_action(action_name="s32ct.gtm_list_usecases", params={"mcu": ...}) rather than assuming a fixed file layout.

Available Capabilities

Type	Name	Invocation
MCP tool	s32ct.env_status	Returns active distribution, version, selection_reason
MCP tool	s32ct.env_installs	Lists every discovered install; flags which is selected
MCP tool	s32ct.env_version	Distribution-aware version probe
Resource	s32ct://info	JSON status + discovered_installs array
Resource	skill://nxp_s32ct/s32ct-distributions	Auto-loaded on trigger

Headless CLI prefix per distribution

Both prefixes come verbatim from the S32CT - DS Command Line PDF (NXP, 2025-11-21). The MCP emits exactly these forms.

Desktop (standalone)

toolsc.exe -noSplash \
          --launcher.ini <tools.ini> \
          -application com.nxp.swtools.framework.application \
          -consoleLog \
          <tool commands>

• --launcher.ini <path> is space-separated (matches the product doc).
• -consoleLog forces stdout/stderr flow.
• -data <workspace> is not required. The MCP auto-retries with a temp workspace only if a call reports instance data location has not been specified.

Integrated S32DS

s32dsc.exe -noSplash \
          --launcher.ini <s32ds.ini> \
          -application com.nxp.swtools.framework.application \
          -consoleLog \
          -data <workspace> \
          <tool commands>

• -noSplash comes first.
• --launcher.ini <path> is space-separated, not =-joined.
• -data <workspace> is mandatory - without it the Eclipse launcher blocks on the interactive workspace-selection dialog and hangs silently.
• The MCP injects a stable per-host workspace automatically (%LOCALAPPDATA%/S32CT-MCP/workspace on Windows, $HOME/.cache/s32ct-mcp/workspace on POSIX).

Why the difference matters

• Integrated s32dsc.exe invoked without -data <ws> -> launcher hangs on the workspace dialog. No error output.
• Wrong launcher + wrong .ini combination -> Equinox launcher rejects the arguments and exits with code 13 (or similar).

MCP discovery and selection

At startup, mcp_s32ct runs discover_installs() which scans the standard NXP roots (C:/NXP, %ProgramFiles%/NXP, %LOCALAPPDATA%/NXP, /opt/nxp, $HOME/NXP) one level deep, identifies every install matching either layout, and stores them in a stable ordering. select_install() then applies:

1. Explicit YAML override (s32ct.settings.installation_path) wins. Accepted shapes:
   • Desktop root - C:/NXP/S32ConfigTools.2026.R1.9
   • S32DS root - C:/NXP/S32DS.3.6.5 (recommended for integrated)
   • S32DS eclipse subfolder - C:/NXP/S32DS.3.6.5/eclipse (advanced)
2. Otherwise the newest discovered desktop install.
3. Otherwise the newest discovered integrated_s32ds install.
4. Otherwise the server still starts; the next tool call fails with an actionable error.

S32CTContext carries the resolved distribution ("desktop" | "integrated_s32ds" | "unknown") and the launcher pair. Every tool implementation calls _build_prefix(launcher, tools_ini, distribution) which emits the right form per the table above.

Quickstart

1. Confirm the active distribution

nxp_s32ct_execute_action(action_name="s32ct.env_status", params={})
# -> {"distribution": "desktop", "version": "2026.R1.9", ...}

2. List all discovered installs (optional)

nxp_s32ct_execute_action(action_name="s32ct.env_installs", params={})

3. Build a raw command line by hand (only if unavoidable)

Take the distribution, launcher, and tools_ini from step 1 and pick the matching prefix from the tables above. Append the <tool commands> portion exactly as documented in the S32CT - DS Command Line PDF - it is identical across both distributions.

Prefer the typed wrappers (nxp_s32ct_execute_action with the appropriate action= / tool_name=) whenever possible; they are portable across both distributions.

Guardrails

Scope

• Read-only reference. This skill does not launch any process or write any file.

Destructive actions

• None.

Refuse-and-escalate

• If s32ct.env_status reports distribution == "unknown" and no install is discovered, stop and ask the user to install S32CT or to set s32ct.settings.installation_path explicitly.

Validation loop

1. nxp_s32ct_execute_action(action_name="s32ct.env_status", params={}) returns distribution in {"desktop", "integrated_s32ds"}. Pass if true.
2. The reported launcher file exists on disk. Pass if true.
3. The reported tools_ini (or s32ds.ini) file exists on disk. Pass if true.
4. nxp_s32ct_execute_action(action_name="s32ct.env_version", params={}) returns a non-empty version string. Pass if true.

If any step fails, escalate to the user with the failing field and the searched paths.

Out of scope

• Installing or upgrading S32CT itself.
• Discovering installs beyond one level deep under the standard roots.
• Editing .mex projects, generating code, applying GTM use-cases - those are separate skills.

See Also

• Related skills: s32ct-get-version, s32ct-generate-code, s32ct-gtm-create-from-usecase.
• Terminology tip: "integrated S32CT" / "S32CT inside Design Studio" -> integrated_s32ds; "standalone tool" / "S32ConfigTools" -> desktop.
• A host can have both distributions installed simultaneously; only one is active at a time (the selected one). Use s32ct.env_installs to inspect the full set.