WinAVR install destroys PATH env var?!?

[thompsop]

I just ran the WinAVR Installer "WinAVR-20100110-install.exe" from SourceForge. It "adjusted" my machine's PATH environment variable by overwriting it, not appending to it. Basically it wiped out my existing PATH (47 different directories) temporarily making my primary development machine unusable. I was eventually able to recover my full path with procexp.

I just started evaluating teensy for a project. While the rancid behavior of WinAVR is not PJRC's fault, it is not a promising first step.

UPDATE:
Further research reveals that:
1. The WinAVR installer fjnorking up the PATH is a known problem.
2. WinAVR is dead, buried and fossilized. And I'm going to use this for a new project??? Great. This just keeps getting better and better.

 

[Frank B]

Why don't you tell this the Winavr devs?
For Teensy, the right first step is to use Arduino with the Teensyduino addition.
You will see no path problems.

 

[KurtE]

As Frank mentioned,

I am not sure what that has to do with Teensy or Arduino in general?


As you mentioned, the Winavr you installed is from 2010 and there have not been any updates since then. If you need an AVR compiler and don't wish to use Arduino, there are other alternatives, like I believe it is still called AVR studio...

And you did not mention anywhere in this message if your new project is using a Teensy? If so which one? If you are using a 3.x or LC they are not AVR based processors and as such again WinAVR does not at all apply to them. The installation of Arduino will download a complete GCC version of the AVR compiler (like winavr). The installation of Teensyduino, will install a GCC Arm based compiler for the other Teensy boards.

 

[thompsop]

As Frank mentioned,

I am not sure what that has to do with Teensy or Arduino in general? ...

At this point I'm evaluating the development environments. The goal is something to control LEDS, possible WS2812 arrays, for lighting a glass art installation. Not just on/off. Need luminosity and color fading and dynamic patterns emulating motion. It's a spare time project for a friend and needs to be done asap. I don't think I'm not looking for a new hobby but who knows....

From this page, I see the section

Software Development Tools
WinAVR C compiler.
Teensyduino, add-on for Arduino IDE.
...


So I was thinking I at least needed the WinAVR C compiler. Did I misunderstand?

I've talked to a couple different people about the goals and they both suggested the Teensy controller and neoPixel LEDs. At this point, I'm thinking of using a Teensy 3.5 or maybe 3.6. No need for any optional IDE add-ons, as far as I know. Is the add-on required? Do I need to buy an Arduino and the IDE add-on too? I was under the impression the Teensy was a stand-alone single-board computer ("The Teensy is a complete USB-based microcontroller development system...").

 

[Frank B]

Teensy 3.x use ARM CPUs - so WinAVR, which is for AVR processors is pretty useless.
I'd use Arduino - The software called "Arduino", you can download it, it is free. Install it, then download Teensyduino and install it.
Done.

You don't need to buy a "Arduino".

But yes... it is not a consumer thing - there's not a "klick 3 times" and it works. You have to find your own solution for your goal and have to learn some things. At least basic programming and a little knowlage about different cpu types. And basic electronics.
An aproach "oh", i just read something, let's try it" like you did with "WinAVR", and without any knowlage, at least basic knowlage, will not help you and leads to frustating experiences.
And yes.. an simple "Blink" can be very useful to learn basics. It does not help you to fast-forward und jump over the most basic things.

It's a spare time project for a friend and needs to be done asap. I don't think I'm not looking for a new hobby but who knows....

Good luck.
Might be better to buy a ready to use consumer product ?

 

[KurtE]

yep - As mentioned elsewhere, the PJRC web pages are in serious need of updates! Hopefully they will get to it at some point... (Hopefully soon)

In the old days probably back to Teensy 1.0 and possibly 2.0 you might have used the AVR gcc compiler that was installed by Winavr (on windows).

These days for all Teensy boards, you typically do this by first installing the Arduino IDE, which you can install from: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software

This will install an IDE, plus the GCC tools for AVR 8 based boards, such as used by Arduino Uno or Mega or ...

You can then download Teensyduino, which you can get from: https://www.pjrc.com/teensy/td_download.html

This will install the all of the stuff necessary to build both the Teensy AVR based boards (2 and 2 plus) as well as the Arm based boards (3.x LC). It will also optionally install lots of libraries that you can use, like the ones needed to use do things like neopixels.

You do not need to purchase any other Arduino boards or software for this. Simply Teensyduino is setup to install as a set of boards in the Arduino IDE. So you can simply edit your program in the IDE and use the compile and download commands to program the teensy.

 

[thompsop]

Teensy 3.x use ARM CPUs - so WinAVR, which is for AVR processors is pretty useless.
I'd use Arduino - The software called "Arduino", you can download it, it is free. Install it, then download Teensyduino and install it.
Done.

You don't need to buy a "Arduino".

But yes... it is not a consumer thing - there's not a "klick 3 times" and it works. You have to find your own solution for your goal and have to learn some things. At least basic programming and a little knowlage about different cpu types. And basic electronics.
An aproach "oh", i just read something, let's try it" like you did with "WinAVR", and without any knowlage, at least basic knowlage, will not help you and leads to frustating experiences.
And yes.. an simple "Blink" can be very useful to learn basics. It does not help you to fast-forward und jump over the most basic things.

Ok so use the Arduino software, not Arduino hardware. Check. And isn't it "click your heels together 3 times"? Just kidding ;-)

Definitely not a consumer product. I've done real-time software (asm lang) for 8048, 8051 and 68HC11 based systems (mostly r/w & interface control for PC disk drives). The entire Teensy boards are physically smaller than those microcontroller chips (48 pin DIPs). How cool is that? I've used HP, Nohau and Intel in-circuit emulators and logic analyzers. Obviously not recently if those number ring a bell. Pre-JTAG, stone knives and bear skin days.

Going forward I will assume that the PJRC website may not be entirely accurate or up-to-date.

Good luck.
Might be better to buy a ready to use consumer product ?

Ya why sure you betcha. We got us some blinking lights ok then?

And (even more off-topic but a fun video anyway) fricking blinkin lights oh my. ;-)


Did I mention that this will be for custom glass installations? Here's a example by someone else (Dave Gappa for the Brain Health center in TX). Just for a high-end reference point.