Grbl Library and Windows 11

I am having problems installing the GRBL library!

Details:

Windows 11 64bit.

Arduino IDE Version: 2.3.2

Library to install – grbl (“grbl-master.zip”)

I am trying to use the following steps, found on-line:

  • Open the grbl-master.zip file and extract the files
  • Open the Arduino IDE, navigate to Sketch > Include Library > Add .ZIP Library…
  • Add new library to Arduino IDE
  • Navigate to the extracted folder “grbl-master”, in there select the “grbl folder” and click the open file.

At step 4, I cannot open the “grbl” folder as it is not a zip file (in the online tutorials they show that a folder OR a zip file can be used) so I selected “grbl-master.zip” instead.

I then get - “Error: INTERNAL: Library install failed: moving extracted archive to destination dir: library not valid”

I created a new sketchbook folder and changed the sketchbook location in preferences. I then moved “grbl-master.zip”, and also its extracted components (“grbl folder”), into that folder. I tried using the zip file and the folder, but I got the same error!

When I go to File-Examples, grbl is not shown in the dropdown list options?

Maybe it’s a Windows 11 issue as my old computer was Windows 10 and I got the grbl library installed.

Any help would be appreciated.

When installing from a ZIP, in the IDE goto Sketch/Include Library/Add ZIP. NO need to extract, the IDE does all the work.
Try to clean up the files you manually moved around, it might cause you trouble down the line otherwise.

OR if this is the library, just click install.

Thanks, sonofcy. I did try your second method and loaded "Module_GRBL_13.2" and got it loaded. But when I uploaded it to my UNO I got "Compilation error: PWMServo.h: No such file or directory".

And if I wanted "to clean up the files manually moved around" what would I do?

Hi @gsandy. If your goal is to install the Grbl firmware on your UNO then please forget about this "Module_GRBL_13.2" library as it is something distinctly different from the standard GRBL firmware.

To install the Grbl firmware, follow the official Grbl installation instructions here:

https://github.com/gnea/grbl/wiki/Compiling-Grbl#if-you-are-using-arduino-ide-2x

Make sure to follow those instructions very carefully and precisely.

If there is anything you don't understand in the instructions, or if you encounter any problems while following the instructions, come back here and post a reply with a detailed description of the trouble you are having and we'll help out.

The tutorial you found was written for Arduino IDE 1.x. Unfortunately due to a technical limitation it is not possible to install Grbl via this procedure when using Arduino IDE 2.x. The Grbl installation instructions at the link I shared above are specifically written for Arduino IDE 2.x users

It's not a library, so you're going the wrong way with that.

That is the way to go. In the extracted ZIP you will find a directory called grbl. Copy that directory to the libraries directory in your sketchbook directory.

Next, in the IDE, you can open the grbl/examples/grblUpload/grblUpload.ino.

@ptillisch, I missed your reply, sorry.

Thanks guys, it's getting late over here so I will try tomorrow.

Arduino Forum.pdf (120.4 KB)
Attached is the procedure I have followed.

@gsandy in the future please post things directly to the forum thread. The volunteer helpers should not be forced to download a PDF just to get an explanation of what you did. And some can't or won't do that so you are harming your chances of getting effective assistance by doing that.

I'm forced to make a significant effort to transcribe the content from that PDF to my forum post just so that I can effectively respond. I shouldn't have to do that. Help us to help you!!!

It is a bad idea to name your sketchbook folder "Arduino Libraries" The sketchbook is a place where two things are stored:

  • sketches
  • libraries

When you name it "Arduino Libraries", you are indicating that it is only a folder where libraries are installed, which is misleading.

First of all, it clearly shows that it is under a path that contains Arduino\Libraries. That is not the same as the path you have in your "Sketchbook location" preference:

c:\Users\Grant\Documents\Arduino Libraries

Do you see that in the preference you have a folder named "Arduino Libraries" (note this is a single folder with a space in the name, giving this structure:

c:/
└── Users/
    └── Grant/
        └── Documents/
            └── Arduino Libraries/
                │
                ...

whereas the folder structure shown in your Windows File Explorer screenshot is a subfolder named Libraries under a folder named Arduino, giving a structure like this:

<unknown>/
└── Arduino/
    └── Libraries/
        └── grbl/
            ├── grbl.h
            ...

They are not the same!!!

Another thing that is not the same, is you named the folder Libraries, while the instructions clearly state that the folder name is libraries. Note the case of the first letter is l, not L. You can sometimes get away with this type of sloppiness when using Windows because it usually treats paths in a case insensitive manner, but it is really a bad idea.

You must pay close attention to details and be very precise if you are to have any success in Arduino and CNC endeavors.

Note that your Windows File Explorer screenshot does not give us all the information we need because it only shows a fragment of the full path under which you installed the grbl library. You might know the full path, but the only information we have to work with is what you give us here on the forum so we have no way of knowing what the parent path is above the Arduino folder we see in the screenshot.


So go back and set your "Sketchbook location" Arduino IDE preference to an appropriately named folder, then start from the beginning of the instructions once again. This time read them extremely carefully and follow them exactly.

As before, if there is anything in the instructions that is unclear to you, you are welcome to come back here and ask specific questions about the instructions. We are happy to help with that, but otherwise we can only tell you to follow the instructions. If you follow them correctly then you will achieve a successful installation of the library and be able to open and compile the Grbl sketch in Arduino IDE.

Thank you ptillisch for your reply (and patience). Being new to Arduino I didn't realize the implications of not taking great care with paths, directories, and folder names. Your explanation was most helpful.
I have now got grbl working as it should.
Next time I will not attach pdf files but insert screenshots directly into a post. Cheers Sandy

You are welcome. I'm glad it is working now. Nice job of persevering through this complex endeavor to achieve success!

Regards, Per