Another Pre-compiler can't find, or install custom library issue

Projects Programming
21

First of all, please immediately halt all the other efforts that are in progress. They are all pointless and will only result in additional problems and confusion.

This is the sole problem:

This is not a valid location for the sketchbook. Windows has strict security controls on the C:\Program Files (x86)\ folder, which is what caused this "AccessDeniedException" error when you tried to install libraries to a path under it:

Please do this:

  1. Select File > Preferences... from the Arduino IDE menus.
  2. Click the Browse button to the right of the Sketchbook location field.
  3. Select some normal folder.
    The default one is this:
    C:\Users\jimsn\Documents\Arduino
    It is not required to use that though.
  4. Click the OK button.
  5. Select Sketch > Include Library > Manage Libraries... from the Arduino IDE menus.
  6. Wait for the update to finish.
  7. In the "Filter your search" field, type fastled.
  8. Press Enter.
  9. Scroll down through the list of libraries until you see "FastLED by Daniel Garcia". Click on it.
  10. Click the Install button.
  11. Wait for the installation to finish.
  12. If you need any other libraries, you can install them now also.
  13. Click the Close button.

Now try compiling your sketch again.

22

Good catch. I wonder how it got changed from the default? (Maybe when the Windows Library version was installed?)

23

Yes I agree that is a good catch.. did all this below just now and still see the same "no such file exists error" I want to completely start from scratch and rebuild all from the ground up .. hence my latest thread request..

my new lib pref setting
my new lib pref setting861×592 114 KB

Re-INstalled the FastLED by Garcis got this
Re-INstalled the FastLED by Garcis got this3000×1788 338 KB

Still get this same no such file error
Still get this same no such file error2967×1720 180 KB

Uploading: This is my documents arduino libruary.gif...

I sincerely appreciate your assist but want to throw in the towel .. btw I had similar issues with a makebot mBot Mega's code on this same PC.. I thin switching between the Windows IDE, the RC2 IDE and this 1.8.19 is what may have messed it up.. not sure

24

This is not technically wrong, but having the libraries in the path will end up causing you and the people trying to help you confusion.

The sketchbook is a folder for storing sketches and libraries. The libraries are automatically installed to the libraries subfolder under the sketchbook location. So with this setting your sketches would be here:

C:\Users\jimsn\Documents\Arduino\libraries

and your libraries would be here:

C:\Users\jimsn\Documents\Arduino\libraries\libraries

Do you see how that can be very confusing?

So please change the location again to something that won't cause confusion.

It is still trying to install the libraries under the old sketchbook location. This is why you are still having the same problem.

Please try this:

  1. Select File > Quit from the Arduino IDE menus.
  2. Select File > Preferences... from the Arduino IDE menus.
  3. Check to be sure that the "Sketchbook location" preference is set to the new location, not still to the old bad C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\libraries\.
  4. If all is well, click the Cancel button.
  5. Follow my instructions above to install FastLED library again. Hopefully this time it will be installed to the correct location.
25

Humm.. I posted a reply with the action taken but it does not seem to me here so I'll try again..one screen grab at a time

my new lib pref setting
my new lib pref setting861×592 114 KB

26

Re-INstalled the FastLED by Garcis got this
Re-INstalled the FastLED by Garcis got this3000×1788 338 KB

27

Still get this same no such file error
Still get this same no such file error2967×1720 180 KB

28

This is my documents arduino libruary
This is my documents arduino libruary1800×1118 101 KB

That's it.. I still have the "No Such File" issue .. it can't find the FastLED.h

29

Still the same problem.

Please try this:

  1. Select File > Quit from the Arduino IDE menus.
  2. Delete this folder:
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\libraries\libraries\
    :warning: Please be very careful when deleting things from your computer. When in doubt, back up!
  3. Start the Arduino IDE and try installing the FastLED library once again using Library Manager.

I don't know why this C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\libraries\libraries\ thing would cause problems, but it is definitely unusual so maybe the IDE doesn't know how to handle it.

These won't be recognized because they are in C:\Users\jimsn\Documents\Arduino\libraries, but with your current weird sketchbook location the libraries must be installed at C:\Users\jimsn\Documents\Arduino\libraries\libraries.

Do you see how confusing this gets?

30

@jims123

Your other topic on the same subject (How to delete ALL previously used libraries and start from scratch) has been closed

31

Yes . I've already deleted the library in Programs X86, and am goin to make a backup of all the lib files in Documents now then delete the libraries/libraries one .. Thanks

32

Ok, that's fine.. but I would like to know the answer if the work in this thread isn't successful..

33

You would have been better off asking the question in this topic. As you will see from my answer in the other topic I was assuming that you only had one sketchbook folder. However, in this topic @in0 has pointed out that you have libraries in two locations, one of which is invalid

Can you see how important not to start new topics with only partial information ?

34

Yes I'm confused , that's normal for me.. but I had already deleted the (x86) Arduino/library and any sub folders under it.. and I re-checked the documents/Arduino/Library you sent an image of just now too and it had not changed.. and I still get the same compile error.. I'm ready to backup all my shetches and throw in the towel and try simply undeleting everything and startiing from scratch with the best guide on what to do or not do during a new IDE 1.8.19 install from a .zip or a .exe .. Thanks jimS

35

Bob,
frankly I never did see a second sub-library folder in the (x86) area.. I'm not debating your guidance or his.. but "How to do a Clean install from scratch" ... and "how to eliminate my quirky pre-compiler errors" on a specific project are in my mind any way .. two completely different topics..

36

OK. So there are three directories used by the Arduino IDE. If you remove all three and then install the IDE again, you will have a clean environment.

I'll give my standard warning once more:

:warning: Please be very careful when deleting things from your computer. When in doubt, back up!

Installation folder

This is the location where the Arduino IDE executable and all other associated files is located.

Presumably you know where that is.

It may be in the default location used by the installer:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino

but it is possible to install it anywhere, so that isn't guaranteed.

If you used the installer to install the IDE, then you should use the uninstaller to remove the IDE installation. If you used the "Windows ZIP File" version of the Arduino IDE, then you can just delete the folder it was unzipped to.

Sketchbook folder

The fresh installation will have all the preferences reset, so it will use the default sketchbook location here:

C:\Users\jimsn\Documents\Arduino

So delete or rename your current C:\Users\jimsn\Documents\Arduino so that there will only be an empty folder there for the next installation.

Data directory

You preferences and boards platforms installed via Boards Manager are stored here:

C:\Users\jimsn\AppData\Local\Arduino15\

This folder persists through the IDE uninstallation process. So you must delete that folder if you want a clean start.

By default, the Windows File Explorer hides C:\Users\jimsn\AppData.
You will need to check the box next to the File Explorer View > Hidden items setting before you will be able to see it.

37

Just as in fyi, and a recap, this is what was in that (x86) library several days ago when I 1st encountered the issues with various differrnt pre-compiler not found errors.. I deleted these 4 lib folders since) per the mrf's guidance) I had MANUALLY copy/pasted these /zip files in there and was told this technique is a NO-NO on another site's forum so I deleted them but now I can not re-add them using the Add-Zip option since that process and option says they already exist.. Bear in mind AddZip worked perfectly fine and I can compile this big V4 system's .ino just fine on another machine .. my laptop. As to the (x86) Arduino /library/library folder I don't see it.. in any case that entire (x86) Arduino /library is now gone.

Backing these out of the IDE
Backing these out of the IDE1704×1108 319 KB

38

Hey guess what! I just earned my "Editor" badge so I must be doing something right :grinning: :cowboy_hat_face:

39

Thanks , I will try to follow this very carefully.. and will let you know soonest if it resolves these issues..

40

Understood. but since I have installed it both ways and also installed the RC2 variant too I will try to do BOTH a Win10 application UNinstall and delete the folders too.