Flowcode Support Board

In this topic: viewtopic.php?p=13782#p13782 Chipfryer writes that ESP IDF5.1 is the recommended version?

What's the status on that?

Hi

So far I have done numerous deletes / registry cleans / restarts / reinstalls etc and still haven't managed to get far.

One thing to note if you are brave enough to mess with something that was working, and mine was for most things (only throwing a wobbly when I started using string functions), in step 7 on WiKi it shows the third checkbox ticked to allow Windows Defender to be configured. Although present on my W8.1 machine it isn't used and this caused the install to crash.

In subsequent attempts I unchecked the box, but still no luck with it hanging at various stages.

The .pdf that was previously referenced regarding the instal seems to have been removed and I can't remember the last version I used that worked, possibly 4.2?

It's looking like I may have to try a system restore.

I'll update if I get it working again.

Regards

Hello.

MJU20 wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 29, 2023 11:58 pm

In this topic: viewtopic.php?p=13782#p13782 Chipfryer writes that ESP IDF5.1 is the recommended version?
What's the status on that?

Chipfryer is correct.
The Wiki ESP32 Toolchain instructions , shows the version as 5.1

Hi

I deeply regret attempting to update to 5.1

Every installation attempt failed, and after two system restores I still don't have a working machine. I had been running Python 3.8, Git 2.39 and esp-idf 4.2.

Now if I attempt to compile the error messages suggest that the paths may no longer be set.

>>
.
============================== Toolchain Check ==============================
Python 3.8.10
git version 2.39.0.windows.2
ESP toolchain found at "C:\esp-idf-v4.2\"
=============================================================================
.
Building: Lolin-500mS-Flash ...
.

fatal: not a git repository (or any of the parent directories): .git
IDF Version: ...
Setting IDF_PATH: C:\esp-idf-v4.2

Adding ESP-IDF tools to PATH...
Python path configuration:
PYTHONHOME = (not set)
PYTHONPATH = (not set)
program name = 'python.exe'
isolated = 0
environment = 1
user site = 1
import site = 1
sys._base_executable = 'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Python38-32\\python.exe'
sys.base_prefix = ''
sys.base_exec_prefix = ''
sys.executable = 'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Python38-32\\python.exe'
sys.prefix = ''
sys.exec_prefix = ''
sys.path = [
'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Python38-32\\python38.zip',
'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Python38-32\\Lib\\',
'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Python38-32\\DLLs\\',
'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Python38-32',
]
Fatal Python error: init_fs_encoding: failed to get the Python codec of the filesystem encoding
Python runtime state: core initialized
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'encodings'
Current thread 0x00002178 (most recent call first):
<no Python frame>
Target: esp32 ...
'idf.py' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

Build Failed

C:\ProgramData\MatrixTSL\FlowcodeV10\FCD\ESP\Batch\esp32_build.bat reported error code 0x1

Autoclose turned off


FINISHED
<<

Checking Environment Variables does seem to show the correct locations in Path for both Git and Python so unless anyone has a better idea I will uninstall everything (again) and retry with the above versions if I can still find them.

Regards

Looks like you need to update the Toolchain location in Flowcode settings. Flowcode is still pointed at 4.2

Hi Leigh

I gave up many hours ago of trying to get 5.1 running, I could not get it to install at all, failing before completion often requiring forced reboots, and I've spent over a day on this.

I have done two System Restores and I had hoped it would resolve. I believe I'm running 4.2 and the correct location appears in FC.

Regards

chipfryer27 wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 30, 2023 3:38 pm

Fatal Python error: init_fs_encoding: failed to get the Python codec of the filesystem encoding

A search for this shows up a few possibilities - a selection are below. Maybe some of these can help?
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/695 ... m-encoding
https://discuss.python.org/t/fatal-pyth ... oding/3173
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/718 ... and-prompt

Hi Steve

The first two links seem to contradict themselves and the third mentions an absence of a "module", resolved by pointing to it. Searching my drive I didn't actually have this module.

I reinstalled Python 3.8.10 without issue and also the latest Git, but the closest I found to my original idf(4.2) was 4.2.5. which should only be bug fixes from 4.2 Running this it sees the Python / Git to use and also warns that the OS is old and to use a newer one. At the very end it fails the installation with error code 2.

Really bored with this now and deeply regretting messing with it in the first place as I now have a machine running so slow that it takes perhaps two minutes to start FC and around a minute to actually open a file, suggesting a seriously messed up registry.

Regards

Sorry to hear the issues you are having with your PC.
Installing with updated Python seems to cause issues in my experience.
I have also changed the IDF version a few times and not used a registry cleaner as they can cause more trouble than they can solve.
Sounds like a clean install is required .

Hello,

Sorry to hear of the problems you're having, the ESP toolchain is a bit problematic when it doesn't work, there's so many moving parts that it's a pain to debug. As it's saying your OS is old and to use a newer one I guess there is something in the latest installation that now no longer supports windows 8. Is it possible for you to move to a newer version of Windows. I know it's a pain but Windows 8 was never the best (personnally I avoided it like the plague where possible, what were they thinking with that start menu) and it seems that support for it is dropping left right and center.

Windows 10 isn't bad and might still be a free upgrade path from 8. If not then you can probably get 10 on OEM for a reasonably low cost. https://theunitysoft.com/product/buy-wi ... e-license/

The other option is to try and find an archived version of the ESP tool installer.

This is the main Espressif page on getting installation on Windows. On the left hand side you can roll back the page to previous versions which then have different links and instructions.
https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp ... setup.html