V6.0, the EIM and the legacy installation - for how long?
Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2026 6:27 pm
Hi everybody, and especially to anyone working for Espressif,
Today I spent nearly the entire day installing, for the first time, the ESP-IDF V6.0 using the EIM (on Linux Mint 21.3).
I managed to get it done (3 times), but the result was always a nightmare for me. Here is why:
I have been working with the ESP-IDF for nearly a decade now, starting with one of the early versions, V3.? (I don't remember which one exactly). Over this long, happy, and prosperous period, I have set up a workflow that has made working with all ESP-IDF versions always a smooth ride.
Not so with the EIM installation: suddenly everything is incompatible, wants to be different, and is not where it has always been.
Now, shall I throw my entire, long-established workflow in the bin only because someone at Espressif had a wacky idea?
Of course not.
Luckily for now, I managed to use the legacy installation to get the ESP-IDF V6.0 running the same as all the other versions before. In case you have the same problem, here is how to do it:
My question, of course:
How long will there be a compatible legacy installation for future ESP-IDF versions?
I really would like not to be forced into using the EIM with its new way of installation.
Please reach out to me.
Today I spent nearly the entire day installing, for the first time, the ESP-IDF V6.0 using the EIM (on Linux Mint 21.3).
I managed to get it done (3 times), but the result was always a nightmare for me. Here is why:
I have been working with the ESP-IDF for nearly a decade now, starting with one of the early versions, V3.? (I don't remember which one exactly). Over this long, happy, and prosperous period, I have set up a workflow that has made working with all ESP-IDF versions always a smooth ride.
Not so with the EIM installation: suddenly everything is incompatible, wants to be different, and is not where it has always been.
Now, shall I throw my entire, long-established workflow in the bin only because someone at Espressif had a wacky idea?
Of course not.
Luckily for now, I managed to use the legacy installation to get the ESP-IDF V6.0 running the same as all the other versions before. In case you have the same problem, here is how to do it:
Code: Select all
mkdir -p ~/esp
cd ~/esp
git clone -b v6.0 --recursive https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf.git
# After that, call the installer:
cd esp-idf
./install.sh
#Before calling the idf.py, always execute:
./export.sh
My question, of course:
How long will there be a compatible legacy installation for future ESP-IDF versions?
I really would like not to be forced into using the EIM with its new way of installation.
Please reach out to me.