Install uPyCraft IDE – Linux Ubuntu Instructions

There are different firmwares that you can use to program the ESP32 and ESP8266 boards. If you want to program the ESP32 or ESP8266 board using the MicroPython firmware, we recommend using uPyCraft IDE. uPyCraft IDE runs in any major operating system. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to install the uPyCraft IDE for MicroPython on a computer with Linux Ubuntu 16.04.

If you’re using a different operating system, make sure you follow the right guide:

After installing uPyCraft IDE in your computer, we recommend reading: Getting Started with MicroPython on ESP32 and ESP8266.

Installing Python 3.X – Linux Ubuntu

Before installing the uPyCraft IDE, make sure you have Python 3.X installed in your computer. If you don’t, follow the next instructions to install Python 3.X. Run this command to install Python 3 and pip:

$ sudo apt install python3 python3-pip

Installing uPyCraft IDE – Linux Ubuntu 16.04

As mentioned before, for this tutorial we’ll be using uPyCraft IDE to program the ESP32 or ESP8266 boards using the MicroPython firmware. In our opinion, uPyCraft IDE is the easiest way of programming ESP based boards with MicroPython at the moment.

You can learn more about uPyCraft IDE on their GitHub repository or explore the uPyCraft IDE source code.

IMPORTANT: at the time of writing this guide, uPyCraft IDE is only tested on Linux Ubuntu 16.04. If you want to run it on a different Ubuntu version or Linux distribution, we recommend using  uPyCraft IDE source code and compile the software yourself.

Downloading uPyCraft IDE for Linux Ubuntu 16.04

Click here to download uPyCraft IDE for Linux Ubuntu 16.04 or go to this link https://randomnerdtutorials.com/uPyCraftLinux.

Open your Terminal window, navigate to your Downloads folder and list all the files:

$ cd Downloads
$ ls -l
  uPyCraft_linux_V1.X

You should have a similar file (uPyCraft_linux_V1.X) in your Downloads folder. You need to make that file executable with the following command:

$ chmod +x uPyCraft_linux_V1.X

Then, to open/run the uPyCraft IDE software, type the next command:

$ ./uPyCraft_linux_V1.X

We’ll be using this software to flash our ESP based boards with MicroPython firmware as well as to program the boards.

Follow the next tutorial to flash your ESP boards with the MicroPyhton firmware:

Wrapping Up

We hope you’ve found this tutorial useful. This is a quick guide that shows how to install uPyCraft IDE on Linux Ubuntu. If you have a different operating system, read one of the following guides:

Learn more about MicroPython with our eBook: MicroPython Programming with ESP32 and ESP8266



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Learn how to build a home automation system and we’ll cover the following main subjects: Node-RED, Node-RED Dashboard, Raspberry Pi, ESP32, ESP8266, MQTT, and InfluxDB database DOWNLOAD »

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17 thoughts on “Install uPyCraft IDE – Linux Ubuntu Instructions”

  1. > ./uPyCraft_linux_V1.0
    Traceback (most recent call last):
    File “uPyCraft.py”, line 2, in
    File “/usr/local/lib/python3.5/dist-packages/PyInstaller/loader/pyimod03_importers.py”, line 714, in load_module
    ImportError: /tmp/_MEIz6zimz/libz.so.1: version `ZLIB_1.2.9′ not found (required by /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpng16.so.16)
    [10228] Failed to execute script uPyCraft

    I don’t know, how to fix this error 🙁

    Reply
    • Hi Robert.
      At the moment, uPyCraft IDE is only tested on Linux Ubuntu 16.04. If you want to run it on a different Ubuntu version or Linux distribution, we recommend using uPyCraft IDE source code and compile the software yourself.
      If it doesn’t work, I recommend following the suggestions on the following article and try a modified version:
      longervision.github.io/2018/09/15/Embedded/uPyCraft_PyQt5/
      Let me know if it helped.
      Regards,
      Sara

      Reply
      • I am currently working on uPyCraft on Linux because I will need it for a workshop. I started off with the PyQt5 version I found on github. Unfortunately nothing much was working. In the meantime I can edit, save files, upload them to the micro-controller and start them…
        However, there are still a few bugs to be ironed out. I think that in a month or so I should have a working version. Are you interested to test it?

        Reply
        • Hi Uli.
          Are you developing a new version of uPyCraft IDE for Linux?
          If it works properly, we’ll be glad to share it with our readers.
          Regards,
          Sara

          Reply
  2. I’m sorry, Sara and Rui,
    but I can’t install uPyCraft on Ubuntu 16.4
    I receive the same error for the old (0.30) and the new (1.0) version of uPyCraft:
    _________________________________________
    ~/Downloads$ chmod +x uPyCraft_linux_V1.0
    ~/Downloads$ ./uPyCraft_linux_V1.0
    bash: ./uPyCraft_linux_V1.0: cannot execute binary file: Exec format error
    ———————————————————-
    I have downloaded the file from different sites, but the result is the same.
    Can you help me, please?
    I’m not able to compile the source and to try the other solution proposed.
    Now I use Thonny, but i’d like to try uPyCraft.
    Thanks a lot
    Roberto Pangallo
    Graz
    Austria

    Reply
  3. I’m sorry, Sara and Rui,
    but I can’t install uPyCraft on Ubuntu 16.4
    I receive the same error for the old (0.30) and the new (1.0) version of uPyCraft:
    _________________________________________
    ~/Downloads$ chmod +x uPyCraft_linux_V1.0
    ~/Downloads$ ./uPyCraft_linux_V1.0
    bash: ./uPyCraft_linux_V1.0: cannot execute binary file: Exec format error
    ———————————————————-
    I have downloaded the file from different sites, but the result is the same.
    Can you help me, please?
    I’m not able to compile the source and to try the other solution proposed.
    Now I use Thonny, but i’d like to try uPyCraft.
    Thanks a lot
    Roberto Pangallo
    Graz
    Austria

    Reply
    • Maybe I have understood that I have an Ubuntu 32bit and the software isn’t compatible.
      I try to find the 32bit version, if exist. I use for Arduino and ESP an old but useful notebook 32bit.
      Thanks, Sara and Rui.
      Roberto

      Reply
  4. uPyCraft V1.1 working on Ubuntu 18

    create a virtual env:
    1. CD to the location where you want to create your virtual environment
    [RUN]: python3 -m venv myVirtEnv

    2. To activate the environment

    [RUN]: source myVirtEnv/bin/activate

    2.a If you don’t create a virtual environment, the uPyCraft v1.0 will break a libz package that is old. Seems there is more risk in breaking your OS by downgrading that package.

    3. Follow the steps here:
    github.com/jiapei100/uPyCraft_PyQt5

    Reply
    • Hello nebulous,
      I’m quite new on ubuntu , I’m using 18.04 and follow your instruction which I was struck on running ~/uPycraft$ pyinstaller -F uPyCraft.py , please see below error message. Could you please help suggest more?

      (myVirtEnv) wr300000@Dell-E6430:~/uPycraft$ pyinstaller -F uPyCraft.py
      Traceback (most recent call last):
      File “/home/wr300000/.local/bin/pyinstaller”, line 6, in
      from pkg_resources import load_entry_point
      File “/home/wr300000/uPycraft/myVirtEnv/lib/python3.6/site-packages/pkg_resources/__init__.py”, line 3088, in
      @_call_aside
      File “/home/wr300000/uPycraft/myVirtEnv/lib/python3.6/site-packages/pkg_resources/__init__.py”, line 3072, in _call_aside
      f(*args, **kwargs)
      File “/home/wr300000/uPycraft/myVirtEnv/lib/python3.6/site-packages/pkg_resources/__init__.py”, line 3101, in _initialize_master_working_set
      working_set = WorkingSet._build_master()
      File “/home/wr300000/uPycraft/myVirtEnv/lib/python3.6/site-packages/pkg_resources/__init__.py”, line 574, in _build_master
      ws.require(__requires__)
      File “/home/wr300000/uPycraft/myVirtEnv/lib/python3.6/site-packages/pkg_resources/__init__.py”, line 892, in require
      needed = self.resolve(parse_requirements(requirements))
      File “/home/wr300000/uPycraft/myVirtEnv/lib/python3.6/site-packages/pkg_resources/__init__.py”, line 778, in resolve
      raise DistributionNotFound(req, requirers)
      pkg_resources.DistributionNotFound: The ‘PyInstaller==3.4’ distribution was not found and is required by the application
      (myVirtEnv) wr300000@Dell-E6430:~/uPycraft$

      Reply
  5. hello dear all – i did all you aviced me to do – on a MX-Linux-System.

    but at the end i cannot see any port!?

    what goes on here!? What can i doi?!

    any and all advices will be greatly appreciated

    Reply
  6. hi there – while i tried to create a virtual environment i get the error.

    root@MartinsMX-Rechner:/home/martin# python3 -m venv myVirtEnv
    The virtual environment was not created successfully because ensurepip is not
    available. On Debian/Ubuntu systems, you need to install the python3-venv
    package using the following command.

    apt-get install python3-venv

    You may need to use sudo with that command. After installing the python3-venv
    package, recreate your virtual environment.

    Failing command: [‘/home/martin/myVirtEnv/bin/python3’, ‘-Im’, ‘ensurepip’, ‘–upgrade’, ‘–default-pip’]

    root@MartinsMX-Rechner:/home/martin#

    Reply
  7. hello dear all – i am workin on MX-Linux which is a Debian based version of Linux. At the moment i am facing issues on this version.

    does any body can confirm that
    – /uPyCraft is running on ubuntu
    – but not on other linux-systems /(even if they are also debian based like ubuntu is!?

    love to hear from you

    Reply
  8. It didn’t run on Raspian Buster (Raspberry Pi) neither.
    Download en compile the sourcecode, all steps are described !
    easy peasy, it did take me less then 15 minutes to get it up and running on RPI4 🙂
    (I’m used to it, by using it on my mac with LiliGo TTGO T8 boards, so this was an obvious choice for me)

    Reply

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