buildsystem.debug.build fails to build in multiple platforms (undefined reference to `stderr')

[aescolar]

Describe the bug

The test buildsystem.debug.build fails to link in multiple platforms with the error undefined reference to `stderr'

It can be seen failing in weekly CI in these 7 platforms:

• actinius_icarus_bee/nrf9160/ns
• actinius_icarus_som/nrf9160/ns
• actinius_icarus_som_dk/nrf9160/ns
• ctcc/nrf9161/ns
• octopus_io_board/nrf9160/ns
• octopus_som/nrf9160/ns
• thingy53/nrf5340/cpuapp/ns

Regression

• This is a regression.

Steps to reproduce

1. mkdir build && cd build
2. cmake -GNinja -DBOARD=actinius_icarus_bee/nrf9160/ns ../tests/misc/test_build/ -DCONF_FILE=debug.conf
3. ninja
4. see error

Relevant log output

FAILED: bin/bl2.axf 
: && zephyr-sdk/zephyr-sdk-0.17.4/arm-zephyr-eabi/bin/arm-zephyr-eabi-gcc -mcpu=cortex-m33+nofp -g -mcpu=cortex-m33+nofp --entry=Reset_Handler -specs=picolibc.specs -nostartfiles -u main -mthumb -Wl,-check-sections -Wl,-fatal-warnings -Wl,--gc-sections -Wl,--no-wchar-size-warning -Wl,--print-memory-usage -Wl,-Map=/scratch/zephyrproject/zephyr/build/tfm/bin/bl2.map -mfloat-abi=soft -T /scratch/zephyrproject/zephyr/build/tfm/platform/target/nrf91/nrf_common/CMakeFiles/bl2_scatter.dir/./__/__/__/__/common/gcc/tfm_common_bl2.ld bl2/CMakeFiles/bl2.dir/src/flash_map.o bl2/CMakeFiles/bl2.dir/src/security_cnt.o bl2/CMakeFiles/bl2.dir/src/default_flash_map.o bl2/CMakeFiles/bl2.dir/src/provisioning.o bl2/CMakeFiles/bl2.dir/__/platform/ext/common/picolibc.o bl2/CMakeFiles/bl2.dir/__/platform/ext/common/syscalls_stub.o bl2/CMakeFiles/bl2.dir/ext/mcuboot/bl2_main.o bl2/CMakeFiles/bl2.dir/ext/mcuboot/keys.o bl2/CMakeFiles/bl2.dir/ext/mcuboot/flash_map_extended.o bl2/CMakeFiles/bl2.dir/ext/mcuboot/flash_map_legacy.o bl2/CMakeFiles/bl2.dir/__/platform/ext/target/nordic_nrf/common/core/startup.o bl2/CMakeFiles/bl2.dir/__/platform/ext/target/nordic_nrf/common/core/startup_nrf91.o -o bin/bl2.axf  bl2/ext/mcuboot/bootutil/libbootutil.a  bl2/libbl2_crypto.a  bl2/libbl2_fallback_rng.a  platform/libplatform_bl2.a  bl2/libbl2_crypto.a  platform/libplatform_bl2.a && :
zephyr-sdk/zephyr-sdk-0.17.4/arm-zephyr-eabi/bin/../lib/gcc/arm-zephyr-eabi/12.2.0/../../../../arm-zephyr-eabi/bin/ld: 
zephyr-sdk/zephyr-sdk-0.17.4/arm-zephyr-eabi/bin/../lib/gcc/../../picolibc/arm-zephyr-eabi/lib/thumb/v8-m.main/nofp/
libc.a(libc_stdlib_assert_no_arg.c.o): in function `__assert_no_args':
assert_no_arg.c:(.text.__assert_no_args+0x10): undefined reference to `stderr'

https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/actions/runs/20403530595

Impact

Functional Limitation – Some features not working as expected, but system usable.

Environment

• OS Linux, Ubuntu 24.04 (CI)
• Zephyr SDK 0.17.4
• main as of now af171d4

Additional Context

Note in 15edf55 several similar platforms were excluded, but the commit message mentions lack of space.

[aescolar]

CC @tomi-font

[keith-packard]

Looks like enabling debug ends up enabling assert, and that is required to output a message to stderr, and yet this portion of tf-m builds without any uart support. Where would you like the messages to go?

[aescolar]

(I'm hardly a TFM expert) better if @tomi-font , @d3zd3z , @Vge0rge , @wearyzen , @valeriosetti @ithinuel could chip in