Something still a bit off with our Kicad setup...

[theopensourcerer]

@beetecservices

I just did a pull to my local machine and opened Kicad. I still get the warning about two missing libraries when I try to load the schematic (it does let me once I click OK):

The following libraries were not found: ESP8266 Microchip

But I also get this message - which I have seen before when I tried to edit the hidden (VCC) pin on a 74LS14 hex component package. I wanted to route the vcc pin to a GPIO on the ESP rather than direct to the VCC plane of the board). But either way the message and what you are, or are not supposed to about it makes no sense to me whatsoever.

[beetecservices]

I can't help feeling this may be library order and search paths. I'll check how I'm set up when I get home tonight.

On 12 Apr 2017 8:52 p.m., "Alan Lord" notifications@github.com wrote:

@beetecservices https://github.com/beetecservices

I just did a pull to my local machine and opened Kicad. I still get the warning about two missing libraries when I try to load the schematic (it does let me once I click OK):

The following libraries were not found: ESP8266 Microchip

But I also get this message - which I have seen before when I tried to edit the hidden (VCC) pin on a 74LS14 hex component package. I wanted to route the vcc pin to a GPIO on the ESP rather than direct to the VCC plane of the board). But either way the message and what you are, or are not supposed to about it makes no sense to me whatsoever. [image: screenshot from 2017-04-12 20-46-58] https://cloud.githubusercontent.com/assets/3414988/24976546/d462c106-1fc1-11e7-9243-737211ecc83a.png

— You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/theopensourcerer/esp8266-programmer/issues/8, or mute the thread https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AFwE6yIyE-TRxxY5mJSl310lx5A3B0edks5rvSt6gaJpZM4M75Ci .

[beetecservices]

OK, now I'm not sitting on a bus (damn difficult writing a meaningful email or even SMS text on a 5in phone screen) - and I'm sitting in front of my PC with Kicad open...

When I cloned your envmonitor project from github just to take a look and get a feel for Kicad, I saw instances like what your seeing with...

The following libraries were not found: ESP8266 Microchip

...although a lot more as there are libraries for the switches, connectors etc that you used for that project. I also saw that exact Project Rescue Helper dialog for GND and PWR_FLAG. I thought it was no big deal as I was only tinkering, expected not to have all the same libraries etc and the rescue process sorted it enough to let me have a look at envmonitor.

Now...moving on....when I did the basics of the esp8266-programmer schematic (vreg circuitry, push switches, resistors etc) I used generic parts just to get a feel for it. When you added in the ESP-12 and the MCP2221, when I sync'd it, I got the "The following libraries were not found:" message for ESP8266 and Microchip plus others (again to be expected) BUT I also saw that Rescue message again for GND and PWR_FLAG and that's confusing me the most as I use GND from the stock 'power' labrary as I expect you do. Looking at /usr/share/kicad/library directory all of the files are dated 5th Dec 2016 what about yours?

As for you seeing a problem with ESP8266 and Microchip being missing that's also confusing although perhaps kicad / eeschema don't save an exact user preferences profile in the projects.

Some screenshots of my setup to compare. There are three with the top list scrolled to show my exact order.

[beetecservices]

Further...I did some tests last night....

It seems if I add either GND or PWR_FLAG to esp8266-programmer or to my clone of your envmonitor schematic I get the symbols to the left of the Project Rescue Helper, i.e., the same as the Cached Part you're seeing.

IF, however, I create a brand new test project I see the symbols to the right, i.e., the Library Part. For example the GND with the vertical stalk and '1' showing rotated on its side. Similar for PWR_FLAG, where I see a diamond instead of a flat top.

When you get the helper, if you leave the Accept checkboxes ticked and then click OK, the schematic will open with the cached GND and PWR_FLAG symbols (try right clicking one of the GND symbols then select Edit in Library Editor - you'll see the cached symbol). If you uncheck the Accept checkboxes then click OK or simply click Cancel you'll see a dialog saying "No symbols were rescued". You'll see the PWR_FLAG as a diamond and if you use Edit in Library Editor for a GND symbol you'll see the vertical stalk and rotated '1'.

So what to do about it? It's basically trivial but bloody annoying (OCD, OCD, OCD.... :D ). It seems locked in at some point but I'm not sure when it happened with the esp8266-programmer project - I still think it may have been when you added the ESP-12 and MCP2221 and I accepted the cached parts - not sure. I tried deleting the ...cache.lib from the project but that hasn't worked for existing symbols. If I've got the time I'll delete all the GND symbols and the PWR_FLAG, save and add them again to see if I get the proper / current library parts.

[theopensourcerer]

Here's my Component Library settings screen:

[theopensourcerer]

And here's my about screen - in case it's a version issue...

[beetecservices]

WRT your Component Libraries settings screen - I don't have the esp8266-programmer-rescue library. I think I did at one time but I've removed it and actually deleted the rescue lib itself in an attempt to resolve things.

I've also deleted the cache library file from the project this morning - the really annoying thing though is I then deleted every GND symbol and the PWR_FLAG symbol from the schematic, saved and closed then closed Kicad but when I re-opened and added a GND symbol it still showed as the same symbol for the Cached Part (just the triangle) rather than the Library Part (triangle with stalk and rotated '1') despite the fact I don't get the Project Rescue Helper dialog.

Something seems to have been embedded at some point but I don't know what. I've tried using Atom to open the .pro file (which also shows all of the project files) and there are references to rescue and cache. Basically Kicad could really do with a 'Clean' comand to weed out the old.

On the whole I think we should just live with the GND / PWR_FLAG Project Rescue Helper issue if / when it comes up and either accept or decline the rescue offer - as long as everything connects OK I think things should be OK - it's not like it's a 200 pin CPU after all so as long as it can match GND and PWR_FLAG where it needs to it should be fine.

As for the ESP8266 and Microchip libraries not being found - for the latter I notice in your 'User defined search path' section you don't have '../kicad_extras/kicad-schlib/library' in there. If you add that and close everything then re-open and in the top box use Add to add in the Microchip library (note capital M) then that should fix the MCP2221 issue (although if we go with a CH340G that's a moot point). Similarly make sure the ESP8266 library is added to the top box from kicad_extras/kicad-ESP8266.

It seems Kicad might not save everything to the project directory which is disappointing and a bit of a PITA - either that or it could do with a 'Clean' command as I said above.

As for version info - slightly newer than yours, my screenshot is below. When I originally installed I just followed the kicad installation instructions which basically said to use 'sudo apt-get install kicad'.

[theopensourcerer]

@beetecservices I've not read this yet, but thought it might contain some useful tips:

http://hackaday.com/2017/05/18/kicad-best-practises-library-management/

[beetecservices]

@theopensourcerer Thanks. I've skim read it but will look further tomorrow when I have time to compare things.

[theopensourcerer]

Randomly I started thinking about why it seems hard to use KiCAD as a collaborative dev tool on GitHub so I asked Google... There are some interesting titbits in here:

https://jnavila.github.io/plotkicadsch/

[theopensourcerer]

A few more words on the page where I got the above from:

https://forum.kicad.info/t/using-git-to-manage-kicads-projects/4651/5