Newbie question no ESP32 showing up in IDE 2:1.0.5 Linux Mint

I have just discovered this software and have absolutely no background in programming or electronics. I am not even knowledgeable in computers. I have been running a version of Linux since about 1998. I am currently running Linux Mint 20.3 on an old Dell Optiplex 9020 with an I7 and 32GB of RAM.

I installed Arduino using apt and followed instructions here to add ESP32 support:

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

My problem is the ESP32 boards don't show up as an option in Arduino IDE when I navigate to Tools > Board.

I am unsure what I am missing. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

You need to install the board first, follow this video and it should be fine. It helped me too, when I started with ESP32.

This is a mistake. The 2:1.0.5 version of the IDE in the repo is obsolete and causes nothing but problems. Use apt to remove it.

I do not use the git repo version. This is for advanced developers. Install ESP32 using the Arduino IDE. Installing — Arduino-ESP32 2.0.14 documentation then stop when you see the platform.io section.

The board should show up as /dev/ttyUSB0 or /dev/ttyACM0 assuming you have exactly one board plugged in. If the board does not show up, the most common reason is the USB cable does not have data wires it. Most free USB cables do not have data wires so can only be used for charging. The only exceptions are cables included with phones and tablets. Keep trying different USB cables until you find one that works.

I don't say that it's the cause of your problem but you have installed an antique version of the IDE.

I suggest that you uninstall it and download a newer version from https://www.arduino.cc/en/software. You don't sound like the experimental type of person when it comes to PC usage so I suggest that you install version 1.8.19 (it's under legacy software).

I will reply back once I have completed the suggestions here. Thank you all for helping me.

A quick update. I followed the suggestions given here and am happy to report it is now working.

Thanks again!

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