PlatformIO on Windows 10 and vsCode: why does it have to be such a bad experience?!

[update 2] I leave what I have written for Windows 10 and vsCode…
After I wrote update 1 (at the end) I did some investigating which pointed to vsCode. sine I have no specific need for vsCode, I uninstalled the lot: vsCode, python, PlatformIO, and started again: this time with ATOM as an editor. Guess what? Within 15 minutes ATOM, PlatformIO and Clang was installed, and the Arduino blink was uploaded successfully. Now I am happy! :slight_smile:

[update 3] After some more research, I am reading three guys are behind PlatformIO; incredible!
I apologise for my whining… 14,000 downloads I read somewhere in post from 2016; if each would have paid $1… I hope the world looks much better for this team now.


Windows 10 and vsCode…

I am not sure what is going on … [now I know, it is a Microsoft issue]

I was looking for a new Arduino IDE… the original is primitive; Sloeber wants to throw in the towel, so I did some research; PlatformIO came out on top.
OK, I need vsCode; installed it. Fine.
Installed PlatformIO → no home page (Clean install: vCode plus Platform.io -> no menu / home page on Windows 10 - #11 by MaxG)
– OK, home screen sorted.

Next create an Arduino blink project by the book.

Well, I have 5 Arduinos connected to my USB ports; how do I select the right one.
Check the Internet… I have to write the upload_port = COM[2] into PlatformIO.ini for the project. Right.
How do I compile this thing?
Check the Internet.
Click the tick box.
Yeah, it compiled the thing.
Now upload it…
The previous information pointed to the icon explanation, hence, click arrow pointing right.
Red messages… right.

[03/11/18 13:16:08] Processing uno (platform: atmelavr; board: uno; framework: arduino)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PackageManager: Installing tool-avrdude @ ~1.60300.0
Downloading  [#-----------------------------------]    3%
Error: Please read http://bit.ly/package-manager-ioerror
Warning! Package Mirror: [Errno 0] Error
Looking for another mirror...
Downloading  [------------------------------------]    1%
Error: Please read http://bit.ly/package-manager-ioerror
Warning! Package Mirror: [Errno 0] Error
Looking for another mirror...
Error: Could not install 'tool-avrdude' with version requirements '~1.60300.0' for your system 'windows_amd64'.

Please try this solution -> http://bit.ly/faq-package-manager
The terminal process terminated with exit code: 1

Terminal will be reused by tasks, press any key to close it.

Also, why it sounds great to ‘talk to’ 400 boards; is there a way to reduce that list to the boards I actually use? I am glad Arduino starts with ‘A’.

I sort of can see that a lot of work went into this program, but what a dog it is from a usability perspective.

I thought for a moment to go to the paid version, but could not imagine it would work any better, other than some support… but I am done with using stuff that needs more than an hour to get the blink program successfully loaded on an UNO.

Happy to listen and be ‘informed’… but this can take a while to arrive anywhere.
Looks like I have to continue using Sloeber for a while.

So, my initial question stands: why does it have to be such a bad experience?!

[update 1] Is my issue related to this IOError: PackageManager is unable to install tool · Issue #61 · platformio/platformio-vscode-ide · GitHub
If this is the case, I just looked up Atom to understand what it is; since I see no need to go with vsCode, I am happy to go down the Atom route.