Looking Under The Hood Of The Arduino IDE

Did you ever wonder what happens between the time you click on "Upload" and your sketch starts running? Here's how you can find out...

Jan 7, 2017

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Components and supplies

1

Arduino UNO

Tools and machines

1

none

Apps and platforms

1

Arduino IDE

Project description

Comments

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Anonymous user

2 years ago

Well, I tried the project and nothing was printed out even after closing the IDE and restarting it. I changed the preference file to: build.verbose=true and saved the file. I even re-opened the file to make sure that it was saved properly. Still nothing happened on the IDE console. There were no compiler and linker commands, nor were any pathways displayed. Cannot figure what went wrong. I even tried twice with no luck. So what now???

Anonymous user

2 years ago

I'm running Arduino IDE 1.6.12 on a Windows laptop running Windows 7--I tried Windows 10 and did not like it so I switched back to Windows 7. I ran XP for so long on my old Sony VAIO that when my wife bought the laptop it came with Windows 7 installed and it's very much like the old XP. The 2 lines before the build.verbose=true are: board uno boardsmanager.additional.urls= The 2 lines after the build.verbose=true are: build.warn_data_percent=75 compiler.warning_level=none

Anonymous user

2 years ago

Okay. I've tried what you suggested. board=nano boardsmanager.additional.urls= build.verbose=false build.warn_data_percentage=75 I see in the original file for the uno board that there is no "=" between the board uno. I'll next edit that preference file to include the "=" between board=uno and see if that resolves the problem. Thank you so very much for helping a really NOOB at coding. I'm not that familiar with C language. In college in 1977 we only had 2 IBM 360's physically tied together. Yeah, batch mode processing. I first learned BASIC and then we moved on to PL1 for the IBM machine. The computer was so large that it took up a whole room. What a change today--a credit sized computer (Raspberry PI 3) that I'm in the process of getting up and running. I want the Arduino Uno board to control relays that will eventually change the polarity on the turnout frogs for my HO scale train layout. I use electrofrogs instead of the insulated ones because I have a few really short wheel based engines that stall on an insulated frog. I've watched several videos on YouTube on how to interface the Raspberry PI A model with the 8 inline relays, but I want that job delegated to the Arduino Uno board. Again thank you for your prompt responses and help!

rdpoor

2 years ago

Well, the *biggest* problem is that your preference.txt says "build.verbose=false" -- that needs to say "build.verbose=true" before anything will happen. At the risk of merely repeating the original article: * Quit the Arduino IDE (very important!) * With your plain-text editor, open the preferences.txt file. * In preferences.txt, find the line that says build.verbose=false and change it to build.verbose=true * Save the file and re-start the Arduino IDE Give that a whirl and see if that makes a difference.

rdpoor

2 years ago

It appears that you did mention editing the preference file in your first comment: > I changed the preference file to: build.verbose=true and saved the file. ... but I'd still like to see what happens when you change the board type as I suggested in my previous comment. Thanks in advance!

rdpoor

2 years ago

@WRustyLane: Well, that's a poser. I was admittedly bit lax in specifying any OS-specific details -- you can help get to the bottom of things by answering a few questions: * What version of the Arduino IDE are you running? * What operating system are you running (and version)? * What was the filename of the preferences file? * Can you paste a couple of lines before and after the "build.verbose=true" line, just as a reality check? Thanks in advance!

rdpoor

2 years ago

@WRustyLane: It's a little troublesome that there's no '=' in the first line ("board uno") -- that could be a sign of a messed up preferences file (or maybe just a copy and paste error). Not to make you jump through too many hoops, but could you try this for me: * Close the preferences.txt file * Open the Arduino IDE * Under the Tools => Board menu item, choose "Arduino Nano" * Quit the Arduino IDE * Open the preferences.txt file and copy its first four lines * Paste those four lines into your e-mail reply here. (This isn't just busy work -- it will prove whether or not the Arduino IDE is accessing this particular preferences.txt file. Later, you can go back into the IDE and reset your board type to "Uno".) Thanks in advance!

WRustyLane

8 years ago

Well, I tried the project and nothing was printed out even after closing the IDE and restarting it. I changed the preference file to: build.verbose=true and saved the file. I even re-opened the file to make sure that it was saved properly. Still nothing happened on the IDE console. There were no compiler and linker commands, nor were any pathways displayed. Cannot figure what went wrong. I even tried twice with no luck. So what now???

rdpoor

2 years ago

Well, the *biggest* problem is that your preference.txt says "build.verbose=false" -- that needs to say "build.verbose=true" before anything will happen. At the risk of merely repeating the original article: * Quit the Arduino IDE (very important!) * With your plain-text editor, open the preferences.txt file. * In preferences.txt, find the line that says build.verbose=false and change it to build.verbose=true * Save the file and re-start the Arduino IDE Give that a whirl and see if that makes a difference.

rdpoor

2 years ago

@WRustyLane: It's a little troublesome that there's no '=' in the first line ("board uno") -- that could be a sign of a messed up preferences file (or maybe just a copy and paste error). Not to make you jump through too many hoops, but could you try this for me: * Close the preferences.txt file * Open the Arduino IDE * Under the Tools => Board menu item, choose "Arduino Nano" * Quit the Arduino IDE * Open the preferences.txt file and copy its first four lines * Paste those four lines into your e-mail reply here. (This isn't just busy work -- it will prove whether or not the Arduino IDE is accessing this particular preferences.txt file. Later, you can go back into the IDE and reset your board type to "Uno".) Thanks in advance!

rdpoor

2 years ago

It appears that you did mention editing the preference file in your first comment: > I changed the preference file to: build.verbose=true and saved the file. ... but I'd still like to see what happens when you change the board type as I suggested in my previous comment. Thanks in advance!

rdpoor

2 years ago

@WRustyLane: Well, that's a poser. I was admittedly bit lax in specifying any OS-specific details -- you can help get to the bottom of things by answering a few questions: * What version of the Arduino IDE are you running? * What operating system are you running (and version)? * What was the filename of the preferences file? * Can you paste a couple of lines before and after the "build.verbose=true" line, just as a reality check? Thanks in advance!

WRustyLane

2 years ago

I forgot to mention I edited the preferences.txt file

WRustyLane

2 years ago

Okay. I've tried what you suggested. board=nano boardsmanager.additional.urls= build.verbose=false build.warn_data_percentage=75 I see in the original file for the uno board that there is no "=" between the board uno. I'll next edit that preference file to include the "=" between board=uno and see if that resolves the problem. Thank you so very much for helping a really NOOB at coding. I'm not that familiar with C language. In college in 1977 we only had 2 IBM 360's physically tied together. Yeah, batch mode processing. I first learned BASIC and then we moved on to PL1 for the IBM machine. The computer was so large that it took up a whole room. What a change today--a credit sized computer (Raspberry PI 3) that I'm in the process of getting up and running. I want the Arduino Uno board to control relays that will eventually change the polarity on the turnout frogs for my HO scale train layout. I use electrofrogs instead of the insulated ones because I have a few really short wheel based engines that stall on an insulated frog. I've watched several videos on YouTube on how to interface the Raspberry PI A model with the 8 inline relays, but I want that job delegated to the Arduino Uno board. Again thank you for your prompt responses and help!

WRustyLane

2 years ago

I'm running Arduino IDE 1.6.12 on a Windows laptop running Windows 7--I tried Windows 10 and did not like it so I switched back to Windows 7. I ran XP for so long on my old Sony VAIO that when my wife bought the laptop it came with Windows 7 installed and it's very much like the old XP. The 2 lines before the build.verbose=true are: board uno boardsmanager.additional.urls= The 2 lines after the build.verbose=true are: build.warn_data_percent=75 compiler.warning_level=none