Feature Request: Enhance Mirror Support for Chinese Users (Easy Install & pip) (EIM-332)

[eMUQI]

Checklist

• Checked the issue tracker for similar issues to ensure this is not a duplicate.
• Described the feature in detail and justified the reason for the request.
• Provided specific use cases and examples.

Feature description

To improve the user experience for developers in mainland China, I'd like to suggest enhancing the mirror configuration options. Users in this region often face slow network connections to GitHub and PyPI, which can impact the installation process.

1. "Easy Installation" Mode: This mode currently defaults to GitHub for all downloads. For users in China, this can lead to very long download times. A mirror option here would greatly streamline their initial setup.
2. "Expert Installation" Mode: The existing mirrors for the IDF repository and tools are very helpful. Adding a similar option for a pip package mirror would complete the solution, as installing Python dependencies is another step where network speed is a factor.

Proposed Solution:

1. For "Easy Installation": Introduce a simple checkbox, such as "Use mirrors for faster downloads in mainland China". When enabled, it would automatically use appropriate mirrors for the repository and tools.
2. For "Expert Installation": Add a new input field for a "pip Package Mirror" URL (e.g., https://pypi.tuna.tsinghua.edu.cn/simple) within the existing "Download Mirrors" section.

Use cases

• New User: A new developer in China selects "Easy Installation" but experiences network timeouts. A mirror option would provide a smooth and successful first-time setup.
• Experienced User: An experienced developer uses "Expert Installation" and sets IDF mirrors, but the process is slow during the pip install step. An in-app pip mirror option would create a more integrated and efficient workflow.

Alternatives

The current workaround involves manually configuring mirrors for Git and pip via the command line before launching the installer. Integrating these options directly into the EIM would provide a much more seamless user experience.

Additional context

These enhancements would significantly improve the setup process for China's large ESP32 developer community and likely reduce installation issues. Thank you for considering this proposal.

The VS Code ESP-IDF extension already has a similar implementation: espressif/vscode-esp-idf-extension#1692

[eMUQI]

I just noticed that PR #242 is already adding support for setting a pip mirror, which is great news.

Building on that, it would be a significant improvement for users in mainland China if the "Easy Installation" mode also provided a simple way to enable a recommended set of mirrors (such as Espressif mirrors + aliyun pip mirror)..

This would help ensure a fast and smooth setup experience from the start.

[Hahihula]

Hi @eMUQI,
if you want more configuration options as well as the convenience of simple installation, that's exactly what installation using a config file is for!
After the #242 will be marge that too can be configured using the file.
https://docs.espressif.com/projects/idf-im-ui/en/latest/configuration.html#configuration-file-format
You do not need to supply all rows, just the ones you want to modify...
co in your case it will look like:

mirror = "https://github.com"
idf_mirror = "https://github.com"
pypi_mirror = "https://pypi.org/simple"

and you can supply this simple config on the main installation page:

using the 'load configuration button.

This way you can have the best out of both words. Simplicity of the easy install and configurability of the expert one!
Hope this will solve your issue.

[eMUQI]

That sounds great. I'll test it once the new version is released.

We've often seen online complaints about ESP-IDF installation difficulties. The EIM project shows great promise in addressing these challenges. Thank you for your excellent work on this.

[eMUQI]

Hi team,

May I ask when the new version including PR #242 is expected to be released?

[Hahihula]

Hi team,

May I ask when the new version including PR #242 is expected to be released?

I am sorry, we are currently switching certification authority and are unable to sign ( and because of that release) anything.

[Hahihula]

Hi @eMUQI
we finally released new version https://github.com/espressif/idf-im-ui/releases/tag/v0.5.6
it fixes couple of bugs and also adds the ability to select pypi mirror in the expert setup:

Hope this will fix your issue And thanks for your patience.

[eMUQI]

Hi, @Hahihula.

Thank you very much for releasing version v0.5.6 and adding support for pypi_mirror! I tested it. However, in mainland China, the installation process might get stuck before it even gets to use these mirrors.

Is it possible to fetch idf-git and idf-python from Espressif servers like the VS Code ESP-IDF extension does? Downloading git and python in mainland China may encounter network issues.

I tested installing ESP-IDF 5.5 through EIM v0.5.6 with the following configuration. The installation process got stuck at the git installation step, and after manually installing git, it got stuck again at the python installation step. Looking at the logs, I found that EIM installs these tools through scoop, but the experience is very poor in mainland China's network environment, making it almost impossible to complete the installation.

target = ["all"]
idf_versions = ["v5.5"]
mirror = "https://jihulab.com/esp-mirror"
idf_mirror = "https://dl.espressif.cn/github_assets"
pypi_mirror = "https://mirrors.aliyun.com/pypi/simple"

[eMUQI]

On a related note, I had a quick question regarding the configuration file documentation. To enhance clarity for future users, it might be beneficial to add more detailed explanations for the parameters.

For example, I found it a bit ambiguous whether mirror corresponds to the ESP-IDF Repository Mirror and idf_mirror to the ESP-IDF Tools Mirror, or vice-versa. Clarifying this would be a great help.

Would you prefer I open a new issue for this documentation suggestion? Thank you for your consideration!