[Grbl_Esp32 Issue#554] Problems Compiling Firmware in VSCode with platformio

#1 – HuubBuis 于 2020-08-17

I did the same today and it worked for me!
You have to open the code as a PIO project (file platformio.ini). When building, it can take some time because the ESP32 environment has to be dowloaded and installed first.

#2 – lienbacher 于 2020-08-17

that file is detected automatically, and opening a project is more or less the same as having the project folder added to the workspace.

#3 – MitchBradley 于 2020-08-17

Try using the Devt branch.

#4 – lienbacher 于 2020-08-17

same.

I have a clue now, just had a popup in the bottom i am using the native python that ships with mac os and I should select a different one. I may have messed up my python setup since I never really actively use it. Python on mac os is a complete mess and I guess it is time to clean it up

#5 – lienbacher 于 2020-08-17

apart from the python clue, whats really weird is that no error is consistent. Every time I compile the error is slightly different. The only common thing is it always fails (i think it even succeeded once or twice) o.O

#6 – MitchBradley 于 2020-08-17

You need Python 3.something. Python 2 sort of works and sort of does not – you will get a lot of spurious recompiles and other issues with Python 2.

#7 – lienbacher 于 2020-08-17

Oh I have python3 installed, I think at least twice. I’ve probably done everything wrong when installing python on mac os in a few attempts to fix previous attempts of doing it wrong, one of them was just recently, and now it’s biting me 🗡️ . explains why my own projects work, they don’t use python

#8 – HuubBuis 于 2020-08-17

I use Python 3.8.3. 32 bit and installed as a single application, not together with programs that depend on it. I run W10

#9 – lienbacher 于 2020-08-17

it’s not this simple on macOS unfortunately, mainly because it already ships with 2.8 and it cannot be removed. This outlines the situation a bit.

#10 – lienbacher 于 2020-08-17

still busy fixing python, but i’m on a track now.

One thing I noticed, in my workspace i have a file Grbl_Esp32.ino.cpp popping up and disappearing constantly, it’s only there for a very brief moment, and then goes away. I don’t know if this is related, but if something is modifying the working directory all the time this may be another clue … This whole issue is very confusing!

#11 – lienbacher 于 2020-08-17

not everytime, but almost everytime i hit build I get a different error message
“
Building in release mode
Compiling .pio/build/release/src/Grbl_Esp32.ino.cpp.o
xtensa-esp32-elf-g++: error: GrblEsp32/GrblEsp32.ino.cpp: No such file or directory
xtensa-esp32-elf-g++: fatal error: no input files
compilation terminated.
Compiling .pio/build/release/src/src/CoolantControl.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/release/src/src/CustomCode.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/release/src/src/Eeprom.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/release/src/src/GCode.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/release/src/src/Grbl.cpp.o
Compiling .pio/build/release/src/src/I2SOut.cpp.o
* [.pio/build/release/src/Grbl_Esp32.ino.cpp.o] Error 1
Compiling .pio/build/release/src/src/Jog.cpp.o
================================================================================================================================================== [FAILED] Took 3.42 seconds ==================================================================================================================================================

Environment Status Duration
------------- -------- ------------
release FAILED 00:00:03.424
debug IGNORED
============================================================================================================================================= 1 failed, 0 succeeded in 00:00:03.424 =============================================================================================================================================
The terminal process "platformio 'run'" terminated with exit code: 1.
“

#12 – atlaste 于 2020-08-18

Grbl_Esp32.ino.cpp is basically the file that gets generated from the ino file. It is then compiled to an object file and deleted.

Either ways, I would perhaps start with a bare ino file, with an empty setup and loop method and no includes, and try to compile that first.

#13 – lienbacher 于 2020-08-18

@atlaste It makes sense to compile it at compile time. However it pops on and off all the time. Not only if I compile.
I have several esp32 projects large and small that I work on a regular basis that all compile fine. I am using platformio successfully, and this behavior is entirely new to me.
Edit: because indeed if a bare project would not work it would be a place to start, I just created a blank platformio project and it compiled fine as expected.

#14 – MitchBradley 于 2020-08-18

One thing to try is to turn off every VScode extension that you can find – or at least disable them for this project. Some extensions seem to routinely scan the tree looking for interesting things to index or syntax-check or whatever. That can interfere with compilation it the extension has a file open and it is not accessible to the compilation process during that time. When I turned off extensions, it stabilized my compilation. You can then turn on important ones one at a time to see if it starts to break again.

Unfortunately this can be time consuming since some extensions seem to be meta-packages that bring in a whole suite of other ones.

The fact that the .ino.cpp file keeps appearing when you are not explicitly trying to compile suggests that some extension is periodically triggering a compile without your input.

#15 – lienbacher 于 2020-08-29

Good input @MitchBradley! Unfortunately even with all extensions except C/C++ and PlatformIO deactivated teh behavior is the same.
The only thing that is constantly active is platformio rebuilding the intellisense every 2-3 seconds …

#16 – frankylynch 于 2020-09-04

Hi, I had v similar issues where is would build every 20 attempts .. I’m v new to this so no expert .. but … two things [1] do you have the Arduino plugin installed for vs code? [2] the Grbl_Esp32.ino.cpp was being created and deleted every few seconds as you described… I disabled the auto rebuild intelligence …. after this its building and deploying consistently

#17 – lienbacher 于 2020-09-09

Dang @frankylynch that was it!! Disabling the “Auto Rebuild Autocomplete Index” setting in VSCode seems to have solved the issue! Just in case anyone runs into it: Click the settings button in the lower left corner, choose “Settings”, type auto rebuild in the top bar and it should be the only setting left. Uncheck done. That was a hard one, I’m surprised so little other people run into this …

#18 – HuubBuis 于 2020-09-09

I have updated to the latest PIO version (5.0) and now I get the same error (missing HTTPClient.h)!

#19 – HuubBuis 于 2020-09-09

Updated the PIO ESP32 environment to 2.0.0. (i think) same error
Downloaded the last Grbl_ESP32 zip, same error.
I will try again in a few days, maybe there is an PIO update. If not, I will install the previous PIO version!

#20 – lienbacher 于 2020-09-09

you commented on the wrong issue tough

#21 – HuubBuis 于 2020-09-10

Thanks