Python Forum

Hi I am new to python, my reason for trying it is to backup the flash memory on my esp8266. I have installed python 3.6.2 and eventually esptools.py. being a newbie I rely on google to find the info I need. The first attempt to install esptool i used the code

$ pip install esptool

which didnt work came back with syntax error. Some more searching suggested

import pip
package_name-'esptool'
pip.main(['install', package_name])

which worked But if I then try

esptool -h

I get NameError esptool not defined. Further searching suggested I needed PySerial.py so I installed that too, but I am still getting syntax and not defined errors
this is the code to copy the memory

python.exe esptool.py --port COM5 --baud 115200 read_flash 0x000 524288 backup.bin

which returns SyntaxError: invalid syntax

Any help would be great, I imagine its something simple that I am not doing right

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Screen shot

I saw your screenshot, you are using esptool -h in Python interpreter which won't work, for using it in python use import esptool. This esptool -h command is for cmd.

Output:
C:\WINDOWS\system32>esptool -h
usage: esptool [-h] [--chip {auto,esp8266,esp32}] [--port PORT] [--baud BAUD]
               [--before {default_reset,no_reset}]
               [--after {hard_reset,soft_reset,no_reset}] [--no-stub]
               {load_ram,dump_mem,read_mem,write_mem,write_flash,run,image_info,make_image,elf2image,read_mac,chip_id,flash_id,read_flash_status,write_flash_status,read_flash,verify_flash,erase_flash,erase_region,version}
               ...

esptool.py v2.0.1 - ESP8266 ROM Bootloader Utility

positional arguments:
  {load_ram,dump_mem,read_mem,write_mem,write_flash,run,image_info,make_image,elf2image,read_mac,chip_id,flash_id,read_flash_status,write_flash_status,read_flash,verify_flash,erase_flash,erase_region,version}
                        Run esptool {command} -h for additional help
    load_ram            Download an image to RAM and execute
    dump_mem            Dump arbitrary memory to disk
    read_mem            Read arbitrary memory location
    write_mem           Read-modify-write to arbitrary memory location
    write_flash         Write a binary blob to flash
    run                 Run application code in flash
    image_info          Dump headers from an application image
    make_image          Create an application image from binary files
    elf2image           Create an application image from ELF file
    read_mac            Read MAC address from OTP ROM
    chip_id             Read Chip ID from OTP ROM
    flash_id            Read SPI flash manufacturer and device ID
    read_flash_status   Read SPI flash status register
    write_flash_status  Write SPI flash status register
    read_flash          Read SPI flash content
    verify_flash        Verify a binary blob against flash
    erase_flash         Perform Chip Erase on SPI flash
    erase_region        Erase a region of the flash
    version             Print esptool version

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  --chip {auto,esp8266,esp32}, -c {auto,esp8266,esp32}
                        Target chip type
  --port PORT, -p PORT  Serial port device
  --baud BAUD, -b BAUD  Serial port baud rate used when flashing/reading
  --before {default_reset,no_reset}
                        What to do before connecting to the chip
  --after {hard_reset,soft_reset,no_reset}, -a {hard_reset,soft_reset,no_reset}
                        What to do after esptool.py is finished
  --no-stub             Disable launching the flasher stub, only talk to ROM
                        bootloader. Some features will not be available.

Hi thanks I tried what you said I think but still get stuck at esptool -h
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1Dk0B...WpqR2xBWjg

Ok, so you may not have esptool installed.
Make sure you have pip check by pip --version.
Since pip install esptool didn't work for you. Try downloading it from LINK, extract it and then install via setup.py.
python setup.py install.

This should install it correctly.
BTW can you post the error you get when using pip install esptool

Hmm still nothing, do I have to tell windows what esptool is? I think I read something about windows sometime not recognising python in the cmd and something needed to be done in windows settings?
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1Dk0B...mFjb2x4ems

thanks

(Aug-20-2017, 07:18 AM)jon65 Wrote: [ -> ]something needed to be done in windows settings?

You need to add the python36\Scripts folder path to environment variable.

pretty sure thats already done
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1Dk0B...DJ1ZWY3ZFE

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https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1Dk0B...El4dDhWamM

So you have \python\scripts in user variables but if you open cmd as admin the user variables won't work.
You can add scripts to system variable path.
alternatively, you can use the complete path to esptool.
eg-
\python\scripts\esptool -h

hi again, still no luck so I reinstalled python in c:/program files and did the pip install esptool successfully but still no good, this time I used windows powershell administrator, see image
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1Dk0B...2s5d3UyMlk

(Aug-20-2017, 09:42 AM)jon65 Wrote: [ -> ]this time I used windows powershell administrator.

(Aug-20-2017, 08:15 AM)hbknjr Wrote: [ -> ]if you open cmd as admin the user variables won't work.

You misread it.

Troubleshoot with following steps.
1- Check is esptool is accessible with \fullpath\to\python\scripts\esptool -h.
2- open cmd(without admin) and try esptool -h. Make sure the path variable has script folder.