Go to Tools > Board > Board Manager and click this option
6)Type "ESP8266" in the text box, search, and display an option "ESP8266 by ESP8266 Community"
When I do so, I get nothing. I assume that the above URL should load a library or addon for the esp8266 but nothing happens. Is there a button or option I should press to install the board library?
Those instructions are correct. The only think I would add is that, after opening Tools > Board > Boards Manager, you need to wait until the downloads finish.
If the problem still occurs, click the "Close" button and then check the black console window at the bottom of the Arduino IDE window to see if it contains any error output. If so, copy/paste the full text here.
Arduino IDE "2:1.0.5" is extremely outdated. It came long before the Boards Manager feature was added. You get this version when you using "apt install arduino" to install the Arduino IDE. Please uninstall that horrible old thing and download the modern Arduino IDE from:
It is - apparently - a long story, but it appears no-one in the official Arduino team comprehends how to - or can be bothered with - working with the Linux repository since the version in question, and that was quite a few years ago!
Which is a great pity as Linux is a vastly superior development platform for Arduino. For example, once you have added your user to the dialout group, you will have no trouble using any of the current USB to serial adapters, unlike Windoze.
TomGeorge:
Is there any reason your are using such an old version of the IDE?
Yes, he installed it via the Linux (Mint) Software Manager which installs software accurately and effortlessly, but unfortunately as I mentioned above, manipulating the Linux repositories to update versions is apparently beyond the comprehension of the Arduino team.
Fortunately, the link I provided permits only slightly more difficult installation of the latest version.
Paul__B:
Yes, he installed it via the Linux (Mint) Software Manager which installs software accurately and effortlessly, but unfortunately as I mentioned above, manipulating the Linux repositories to update versions is apparently beyond the comprehension of the Arduino team.
Fortunately, the link I provided permits only slightly more difficult installation of the latest version.
I don't live in a LINUX world.
To much work, income from Windows based industrial systems. $$$
Tom...