Cannot find esp8266 via boardmanager

Projects General Guidance
1

What it says...
I found an old thread which is just about as unhelpful to me as I guess it was to the OP, but I did go further through the motions.

I went to github and ensured I had the right address.
https://arduino.esp8266.com/stable/package_esp8266com_index.json

I then went to board manager and, yes indeed, it complained about invalid libraries. One, I didn't use and happily threw it out, the other was ESP32 master that I had only recently installed, but it went too. On my next go-round, I found a bazillion ESP boards that I had never seen before so I guess that means the ESP32 installation I had done earlier today has come good. On the next go-round there is no complaint about invalid libraries but I still get

Error downloading https://arduino.esp8266.com/stable/package_esp8266com_index.json

So I'm now stuck...

2

When i copy and paste my list it looks like this (there is a few more boards in there)

http://arduino.esp8266.com/stable/package_esp8266com_index.json
https://mcudude.github.io/MicroCore/package_MCUdude_MicroCore_index.json
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/damellis/attiny/ide-1.6.x-boards-manager/package_damellis_attiny_index.json
http://drazzy.com/package_drazzy.com_index.json
http://www.leonardomiliani.com/repository/package_leonardomiliani.com_index.json
https://dl.espressif.com/dl/package_esp32_index.json
https://mcudude.github.io/MiniCore/package_MCUdude_MiniCore_index.json

I think one of them should be removed since it is no longer maintained but that is a different matter.
The screeshot

Screenshot (447)
Screenshot (447)826×358 72.3 KB

Close the IDE and re-open it.
Go to boards manager and wait until the updating of the list is complete. Just scroll down until you find the boards that you are looking for. (no typing in the search bar)

3

The ESP32 platform package is quite separate from the ESP8266 platform package. Platform packages and libraries don't just go bad, especially if they are already installed and have been previously working. Is the installation on hard disk or SSD? The ESP32 library platform is rather large and takes a while to download and install and yes, it does contain a lot of board definitions.

I just removed then re-installed the ESP8266 library platform package without any trouble, so the ESP8266 repository itself appears to be good. If your storage is a hard disk, I am wondering whether it has a corruption problem (cross-linked clusters) - in which case run a disk check - or perhaps an unreliable internet connection?

For reference, the URL for the ESP32 platform package did change a while back. This is the URL I now have:

https://espressif.github.io/arduino-esp32/package_esp32_index.json

This is as indicated by Espressif in their documentation:

https://docs.espressif.com/projects/arduino-esp32/en/latest/installing.html

4

For the avoidance of any confusion, the files being referred to are not libraries, rather they are board files

1 Like
5

Hi @Nick_Pyner. Which version of Arduino IDE are you using (e.g., "2.3.6")? The version is shown on the window title bar and also in the dialog that opens when you select Help > About (or Arduino IDE > About Arduino IDE for macOS users) from the Arduino IDE menus.

I ask for this information so that we might give you the appropriate instructions for the IDE version you are using.

You are absolutely right to point out that the use of the incorrect term "library" is going to be confusing, but in place of that incorrect term we should use the correct term "platform".

And to be clear, although @BitSeeker was indeed referring to a platform, it is worth mentioning that the file that is not able to be downloaded by @Nick_Pyner's system is a "package index", not a platform.

6

One day I might actually get that terminology correct! :smiley:

1 Like
7

Arduino does not make it easy. Everything related to boards refers to board. Boards Manager, Additional Boards Manager URLs. Nowhere at that level in the IDE is a mention of platform :wink:

1 Like
8

I forgot to mention I'm on IDE 1.8.3.
The ESP32 stuff came up on offer on the Board Manager, so I grabbed it. The IDE compained about it when I tried to get ESP8266. I'm happy to let it go for the moment.
I have only one address in my additional board manager URL list - the one that doesn't work.

I have done manual scan on two drives, both were declared kosher.

9

If you want to stick to IDE 1.x.x, i do recommend you update to 1.8.19 since only at the very end the OTA updates started to work properly (IDE 2.x.x still doesn't show up the network ports for ESP8266)

pretty sure the http version for the ESP8266 does work

http://arduino.esp8266.com/stable/package_esp8266com_index.json
10

Thanks. I was just wondering about changing the IDE. I will give that a go today. I will also try doing it on a laptop. I don't know what IDE is on there - or if there is one..

11

If you go for the 1.8.19, download the zip and unpack; in the unpacked directory, create a directory called portable at the at the same level as the arduino.exe.

This will give you a fully independent installation that has no dependencies on other installations that you might have.

12

I wish I had seen that as it came in. I have just transferred my entire Arduino, 1.7Gb, to an off-board drive. I'm going for 1.8.19 now. More anon....

13

Thank you, Gentlemen, all!

I have installed 1.8.19 and everything has gone smoothly with "Generic ESP8266" in the box, which I understand works for my little ESP-01.

14

Yes it should do. You can set the Flash Size to 1MB if the PCB is black, and assume that the builtin LED is on GPIO 1 (tx)

15

This topic was automatically closed 180 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.