Install Arduino-CLI when not already present

[PeterWone]

On *nix systems the following will install the CLI

https://arduino.github.io/arduino-cli/latest/installation/#use-the-install-script

On Windows systems it is necessary to determine platform bitness and fetch one of

• https://downloads.arduino.cc/arduino-cli/arduino-cli_latest_Windows_64bit.zip
• https://downloads.arduino.cc/arduino-cli/arduino-cli_latest_Windows_32bit.zip

then unpack the file and put the executable somewhere in the filesystem, then set the extension path accordingly.

[RBM-PITT]

"put the executable somewhere on the system path" is this a requirement?

here's the basis for that question:

Does having the extension setting for the path handle locating the arduino-cli.exe vs relying on having the executable in the system path?

[PeterWone]

No, I've re-worded that now. What I meant was after you put the executable in the local file-system you have to tell the extension where it is using the setting you snapped.

If you were to put arduino-cli.exe on the system path then you could probably abbreviate the path setting to just the name of the executable for child_process.exec() but child_process.spawn() doesn't shell, it runs the exe directly so this may not work.

Thus, best to supply a fully qualified path in the path setting but as a courtesy and convenience to the user it should also be on the system path.

[PeterWone]

Node reports Windows platforms as win32 irrespective of their actual bitness but child_process.execSync("echo %processor_architecture%") returns "AMD64" for 64 bit Windows.

[PeterWone]

@RBM-PITT a note on your path, it should be the path to the executable, not the path to the folder containing the executable

/path/to/arduino-cli.exe
c:\path\to\arduino-cli.exe

[PeterWone]

@RBM-PITT These instructions are now in the wiki. Feedback?

https://github.com/PeterWone/vscode-arduino-cli/wiki/How-to-manually-install-Arduino-CLI

[RBM-PITT]

@PeterWone This is perfect - love it. I should be able to step through it later today. Do we have the ability to contribute to the Wiki? I could help out by adding in detail directly rather than having you do that.

[PeterWone]

Um... I dunno? Try!

[PeterWone]

I have made you a collaborator. This should allow you to create pages as well as edit the existing material. It probably also permits accidental destruction so take care until we understand the tools better.

As a side note, this issue wasn't intended as an instruction for use, it is a feature for implementation, that's why I didn't originally write it in a user friendly way.

[RBM-PITT]

@PeterWone I can access the Wiki to contribute - thanks, I understand the need to watch for deletions.

I think this issue can close.