"pio test" does not install platform, leading to "Error: Unknown development platform"

[maxgerhardt]

What kind of issue is this?

• PlatformIO Core.
  If you’ve found a bug, please provide an information below.

You can erase any parts of this template not applicable to your Issue.

---

Configuration

Operating system: Windows 10 x64

PlatformIO Version (platformio --version): PlatformIO Core, version 5.2.0a3

Description of problem

Attempting to execute a pio test command for a platform that is not yet locally installed gives

$ pio test -e native
Verbose mode can be enabled via `-v, --verbose` option
Collected 1 items

Processing * in native environment
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Error: Unknown development platform 'native'

If one does pio platform install native and then reruns the command, it works.

Use case is per https://community.platformio.org/t/cannot-install-platform-espressif32-on-docker-ubuntu-rolling-pio-4-3-4-1/20243 in an automated CI environment where one does not want to build a native firmware but just run native unit tests.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Create an arbitrary new project (e.g. pio init -b uno)
2. Overwrite the platformio.ini with

[env:native]
platform = native

3. Create a file test\test1.cpp with content

#include <unity.h>

void TrivialTestCase(void)
{
    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL(32, 32);
}

int main() {
    UNITY_BEGIN();
    RUN_TEST(TrivialTestCase);
    UNITY_END();
    return 0;
}

4. Delete the folder C:\Users\<user>\.platformio\platforms\native
5. Run pio test -e native

Actual Results

>pio test -e native
Verbose mode can be enabled via `-v, --verbose` option
Collected 1 items

Processing * in native environment
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Error: Unknown development platform 'native'

Expected Results

Expected results are present after

>pio platform install native
Platform Manager: Installing native
Platform Manager: native @ 1.1.3 has been installed!
The platform 'native' has been successfully installed!
The rest of the packages will be installed later depending on your build environment.

>pio test -e native
Verbose mode can be enabled via `-v, --verbose` option
Collected 1 items

Processing * in native environment
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Building...
Testing...
test\test1.cpp:10:TrivialTestCase       [PASSED]

-----------------------
1 Tests 0 Failures 0 Ignored
OK
============================================== [PASSED] Took 0.99 seconds ==============================================

Test    Environment    Status    Duration
------  -------------  --------  ------------
*       native         PASSED    00:00:00.987
============================================= 1 succeeded in 00:00:00.987 =============================================

If problems with PlatformIO Build System:

The content of platformio.ini:
Per above
Source file to reproduce issue:
per above

Additional info

[mcspr]

will also resolve platformio/platform-native#12 (ref. my comment platformio/platform-native#12 (comment))
(was just about to write an issue...)

[donnm]

I'm having this issue too:

$ pio platform install atmelavr 
PlatformManager: Installing atmelavr
Error: Detected unknown package 'atmelavr'

The reason this is failing is because the HTTP request to http://dl.platformio.org/platforms/manifest.json results in HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found.

For what it's worth the error message Error: Detected unknown package 'atmelavr' could be more descriptive.

[maxgerhardt]

What is pio --version? Some 4.x version or 5.x?

[donnm]

PlatformIO, version 4.3.4 for me.

[maxgerhardt]

Mhm I have a feeling some of the stuff for the old 1-year old 4.x core was shut down :O. Is it viable for you to try and upgrade the PlatformIO core to 5.x? (pio upgrade).

But it seems that this is a seperate issue from pio test not installing the platform -- even if you try to install the platform as shown, PIO doesn't find it (in the 4.x core).

CC @ivankravets due to the importance of this issue and backwards compatibility.

[donnm]

@maxgerhardt Upgrading to 5.1.1 fixed my issue. +1 for backwards compatibility.

[donnm]

I can confirm this issue with 5.1.1 on Debian:

$ pio test -e native
Verbose mode can be enabled via `-v, --verbose` option
Collected 1 items

Processing * in native environment
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Error: Unknown development platform 'native'
$ pio --version
PlatformIO Core, version 5.1.1
$ cat platformio.ini 
; PlatformIO Project Configuration File
;
;   Build options: build flags, source filter
;   Upload options: custom upload port, speed and extra flags
;   Library options: dependencies, extra library storages
;   Advanced options: extra scripting
;
; Please visit documentation for the other options and examples
; https://docs.platformio.org/page/projectconf.html

[env:uno]
platform = atmelavr
board = uno
framework = arduino

[env:native]
platform = native
$ ls ~/.platformio/platforms/
atmelavr  espressif8266

[maxgerhardt]

And it is confirmed fixed after you've run pio platform install native right?

[donnm]

Yes.

[ivankravets]

Sorry for the issue. Please re-test with pio upgrade --dev.

@puzrin , we would be thankful if you switch your CI to PlatformIO Core Dev. We have a lot of tests and each our commit is very stable but sometime issues happen. So, could add this line

pio upgrade --dev

after pip install -U platformio? in https://github.com/speedcontrols/ac_sc_grinder/blob/master/.github/workflows/ci.yml#L19 The final code:

          pip install -U platformio
          platformio upgrade --dev          
          platformio update

[puzrin]

Tested in branch. It works https://github.com/speedcontrols/ac_sc_grinder/actions/runs/709580960.

[ivankravets]

@puzrin please keep --dev branch and report us if you encounter any issues. Thanks!