How To Set Up Your ESP32 On Linux

The ESP32 is a cross-platform microcontroller that fortunately supports Linux distributions. If you’re using Ubuntu or another Linux distribution, you can install your ESP32 kit on it with only a few steps.

ESP32 Feather Microcontroller
Adafruit ESP32 Feather (Huzzah 32) microcontroller.

The first step to install your ESP32 board on your Linux machine is to install the Arduino IDE. Download the Arduino IDE from the Arduino website and then extract the provided ‘.tar.gz’ file into a directory on your PC. Open up a terminal window, CD to the Arduino directory you extracted to and run ‘./install.sh‘. You may need to prefix the command with ‘sudo’ if you get a ‘permission denied’ error.

Also plug in the ESP32 board to give the operating system some time to detect it.

When installation is complete, you should see the Arduino IDE entry in your start menu equivalent or when you search for it under ‘Activities’ in Ubuntu. Launch the IDE and then go to File > Preferences > and look for the Additional Board Manager URLs field. In that field, paste the link to the board manufacturer’s (Espressif) board manager url and click OK:

https://dl.espressif.com/dl/package_esp32_index.json

Now go to Tools > Board > Boards Manager. Type ‘esp32’ in the provided search field and wait for the entry called ‘esp32’ to show up. Click ‘install’, and then click ‘close’ when installation is complete. Now go back to Tools > Board and you should now see an ‘ESP32 Arduino‘ submenu in it. Look through that submenu for the brand/model of your ESP32 kit and click it. For example: ‘Adafruit ESP32 Feather’ or ‘Firebeetle-ESP32’ (works for both the FireBeetle and the Beetle boards).