Updating/Downgrading Arduino-Pico core fails at file extraction

[maxgerhardt]

Versions

Arduino IDE: Latest 1.8.19 OS: Windows 11 x64, (ver: Version 10.0.22000.1219), in Oracle VirtualBox from Microsoft Arduino-Pico: 2.6.3 -> 2.6.1

Description

Per https://github.com/earlephilhower/arduino-pico/issues/976.

Users report that when upgrading or downgrading the Arduino-Pico core from 2.6.1 to 2.6.3 (or reverse), updating of the core would fail at the Python interpreter. This leaves the Python interpreter package folder without some crucial files without which it cannot start, and so users get a

Fatal Python error: initfsencoding: unable to load the file system codec
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'encodings'

when attempting to further compile something.

Reproduction

The steps I used (some may not be needed though):

1. Install the Arduino IDE from the .zip package for Windows
2. Install Arduino-Pico's latest version as described
3. Compile a blink sketch for the Pico. It should compile normally
4. Close the Arduino IDE
5. Install Python3 from https://www.python.org/downloads/, tick the checkmark for "Add python to PATH"
6. Reopen the Arduino IDE
7. Go to the board manager to downgrade the RP2040 core to 2.6.1

Expected Behavior

The downgrade is done successfully.

Actual behavior

The downgrade fails with

Exception text

 Can't extract file C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\rp2040\tools\pqt-python3\1.0.1-base-3a57aed\_ctypes.pyd, file already exists!
java.lang.RuntimeException: java.io.IOException: Can't extract file C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\rp2040\tools\pqt-python3\1.0.1-base-3a57aed\_ctypes.pyd, file already exists!
	at cc.arduino.contributions.packages.ui.ContributionManagerUI.lambda$onInstallPressed$2(ContributionManagerUI.java:179)
	at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:748)
Caused by: java.io.IOException: Can't extract file C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Arduino15\packages\rp2040\tools\pqt-python3\1.0.1-base-3a57aed\_ctypes.pyd, file already exists!
	at cc.arduino.utils.ArchiveExtractor.extract(ArchiveExtractor.java:215)
	at cc.arduino.utils.ArchiveExtractor.extract(ArchiveExtractor.java:82)
	at cc.arduino.contributions.packages.ContributionInstaller.install(ContributionInstaller.java:141)
	at cc.arduino.contributions.packages.ui.ContributionManagerUI.lambda$onInstallPressed$2(ContributionManagerUI.java:172)
	... 1 more

The Python folder is half-deleted / upgraded, with many files missing, crippling it so heavily that python3.exe cannot start anymore.

Should look like

Additional context

Additional reports

• https://forum.arduino.cc/t/modulenotfounderror-no-module-named-encodings/1194694
  • Note this user is using Arduino IDE 2.x

[maxgerhardt]

More users are running into this problem here. Any insights?

[per1234]

@maxgerhardt please check whether the problem occurs with the latest version of Arduino IDE 2.x and then comment here to let me know the result.

[NicolaP8]

Hi, I got the same error multiple times with IDE 1.8.19 and versions 2.6.x/2.7.0. I had to remove the board then reinstall.

I've Win 10 with Python 3.11 installed and added to PATH.

[AeroSynth]

I get the same error with 3.3.0 However, if I remove it and use 3.2.2, it compiles. Setup:
Windows 10 Python 3.9.5 (Path variables set and runs at command line) Arduino IDE 1.8.19

So something is broken with 3.3.0