ESP-IDF Installation Manager

The ESP-IDF Installation Manager (EIM) is a unified tool that simplifies the setup process for ESP-IDF and integrated development environments (IDEs) across multiple platforms. This cross-platform installer facilitates the installation of prerequisites, ESP-IDF itself, and essential tools, offering a consistent and user-friendly experience on macOS, Linux, and Windows.

💡 Quick Install: For most users, we recommend installing EIM using one of the package managers below — they make updates and maintenance easier:

• Windows Installer (recommended for Windows)
• Homebrew (macOS) 🧭 recommended
• APT (Debian-based Linux) 🧭 recommended

If you prefer a manual installation, you can download standalone installers for all platforms and ESP-IDF versions directly from the 👉 Espressif Download Page.

Features

Cross-Platform Support

• Windows (x64)
• macOS (x64, arm64)
• Linux (x64, arm64)

Multiple Interfaces

• Graphical User Interface (GUI): User-friendly interface with simplified and expert installation modes, now including visual version management and offline installation capabilities.
• Command Line Interface (CLI): Full functionality available through command line for automation and headless environments

Advanced Capabilities

• Multiple ESP-IDF version management: Easily view, manage, and switch between multiple installed ESP-IDF versions from a centralized dashboard.
• Configurable installation paths: Choose where your ESP-IDF environment is installed.
• Mirror selection for downloads: Select a preferred mirror for downloading ESP-IDF and tools.
• Prerequisites auto-detection and installation: EIM can automatically detect and install missing prerequisites on supported platforms (installation of prerequisities is supported only on windows).
• Configuration import/export: Save and share your installation configurations with others in your team.
• Headless operation support: Automate installations without user interaction.
• Offline installation support: Install the entire ESP-IDF environment without an active internet connection using a single archive.
• Utilize Existing ESP-IDF Repositories: EIM can use an already existing ESP-IDF Git repository on your filesystem to install all necessary tools, which is particularly useful for ESP-IDF development.

Integration Support

• CI/CD pipeline integration
• Docker container support
• GitHub Actions compatibility
• Configuration sharing between team members

User Experience

• Interactive wizards for guided installation
• Progress tracking and detailed logging
• Error recovery options
• Multiple language support
• Integrated issue reporting: Easily generate and report issues directly to GitHub.

Getting Started

1. Choose your installation method based on your operating system.

Windows Installation

On Windows, the recommended way to get EIM is to download the latest installer directly:

• From Espressif download page
• or from github releases GitHub Releases

After downloading, simply run the .exe installer. It will automatically detect and install any missing prerequisites and guide you through the setup process.

You can also launch the GUI or use the CLI directly after installation:

eim install

macOS Installation (via Homebrew)

If you’re using macOS, the recommended method is via Homebrew — this ensures EIM stays up to date automatically and integrates seamlessly with your system.

brew tap espressif/eim

# for GUI app runnable from apps
brew install --cask eim-gui

# for CLI app runnable from terminal
brew install eim

🧩 Alternative: You can also download macOS .dmg or .tar.gz installers from the Espressif Download Page. This page contains versions for Windows, macOS, and Linux, as well as all supported ESP-IDF releases — useful if you prefer manual setup or offline installation.

Debian-Based Linux Installation (via APT Repository)

If you’re using a Debian-based Linux distribution (e.g. Ubuntu), the recommended installation method is through the official Espressif APT repository:

# Add repository
echo "deb [trusted=yes] https://dl.espressif.com/dl/eim/apt/ stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/espressif.list

sudo apt update

# Install CLI only
sudo apt install eim-cli

# Install GUI (includes CLI)
sudo apt install eim

🧩 Alternative: You can also download .deb or .tar.gz packages for Linux from the Espressif Download Page. The download page includes packages for all platforms and ESP-IDF versions — ideal for offline or custom deployments.

Note: The GUI application includes full CLI capabilities and can be invoked directly from the command line (eim <command>). The standalone CLI (eim-cli) is statically linked and works on most Linux systems without additional dependencies.

2. Launch the GUI for a visual installation experience or use the command line for automation.

3. The welcome page will adapt based on your environment:

   • No previous installation or offline archive: The installer will present options for a New Installation.
   • Offline archive detected: The installer will offer to Install from Archive or proceed with a New Installation from online sources.
   • Previous installation detected: The installer will offer to Manage Installations from the dashboard or start a New Installation.

4. Follow the installation steps for your chosen method.

For detailed instructions, see:

• Simplified Installation for GUI-based quick setup
• Expert Installation for advanced GUI configuration
• Command Line Installation for CLI usage
• Headless Usage for automated installations

Architecture

EIM is built with a modular architecture that separates the core functionality from the user interfaces. This allows both the GUI and CLI to provide the same capabilities while catering to different use cases.

┌─────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐
│   GUI Frontend  │    │   CLI Frontend   │
└────────┬────────┘    └────────┬────────┘
         │                      │
         v                      v
┌────────────────────────────────────────┐
│           Core Installation            │
│            & Configuration             │
└────────────────────────────────────┬───┘
                                     │
                                     v
┌────────────────────────────────────────┐
│        ESP-IDF & Tools Manager         │
└────────────────────────────────────────┘

Contributing

EIM is an open-source project, and contributions are welcome. Visit our GitHub repository for:

• Source code
• Issue tracking
• Feature requests
• Pull requests

Support

If you need help with EIM:

• Check the FAQ for common questions
• Visit the ESP32 forum for community support
• Open an issue on GitHub for bug reports

Privacy and Data Collection

To help us improve the ESP-IDF Installation Manager, we collect some anonymous usage data. We are committed to transparency and want you to be fully informed about what data we collect and how to opt-out.

What data do we collect?

We collect the following information to understand how the installer is used and to identify areas for improvement:

• Environment / System Info
  • OS & version (Windows, macOS, Linux)
  • Architecture (x64, ARM, etc.)
  • App version (EIM version)
• User Flows
  • Online Installation
  • Offline Installation
• Usage Tracking
  • Which ESP-IDF version was selected for installation
  • Time taken for the installation
• Error & Failure Tracking
  • Installation step that failed
  • Error message related to the failure

This data is completely anonymous and does not contain any personal information.

How to disable data collection?

You have full control over data collection.

• GUI: On the welcome page of the installer, you will find a checkbox to disable telemetry. Unchecking this box will completely prevent any data from being sent.
• CLI: When using the command-line interface, you can use the --do-not-track true flag to disable telemetry for that session.