The time has come to upgrade some computer and I installed MplabX, the
latest version, JSE7, not having the courage to install 8, just in case. An=
d
almost immediately regretted it. I also installed by hand the xc compilers
in free mode for now, 8, 16, 32.

While trying to get the mx32 blinky, which is shipped with MplabX, to
compile I had to locate with difficulty, using the web, not Mchip, the
relevant 'legacy' peripheral library, log in to Mchip to download it, and
even after that there were warnings (not the ones related to the 'legacy' l=
ibs).

When I finally got to test the simulator in MplabX I noticed that:
- MplabX comes with default sample projects configured for C32 etc not XC32=
,
one has to edit the properties to set it on the right track.
- There is no walkthrough I could find anywhere even for a simple blinkenle=
d
example shipped with the MplabX.
- There is no way to start the program in single step mode. Have to set a
breakpoint in valid code (C), the disasm window is not available before
starting the program.
- There is no key shortcut for stepping through program code in either C or
disasm, only step over has one (F8).
- There is no trace of sim control buttons in the toolbars, right clicking
and selecting with mouse is the only option.
- The sim seems to 'lose' it even in the disasm window being single stepped
with breakpoints set elsewhere to 'catch' an escaped thread should it come
to that (interrupt etc). Iow: one steps through 2-3 instructions, then the
disasm window vanishes (!) the C window shows nothing (only red lines for
breakpoints), and the activity monitor shows the code is running. There was
at least one uncaught Java Null ptr exception during this time, but not
reproductible.
(I am seriously tempted to use xspim instead of this!)
- The Logic Analyzer works about 1 time out of 5 tries on RA0 etc (we are
talking about the blinky program above all the time). There is no pattern I
can discern in what makes it work.
- The ide editor lights up warnings with abandon in the code, with F1 /
Ctrl-F1 having no effect. MIPS asm instructions bring up unknown symbol
messages. Clicking on the little lightbulbs to the left of the code brings
up popups which say 'Configure Warnings' or such in every line, there can b=
e
5 lines of that. The warnings are configured, one is taken to the config
screen, and then they still popup as configure warnings and not the warning
itself, taking one back to the same configure warnings form.
- Note: I installed on linux x64, so the apparent non-determinism cannot be
ascribed to the usual causes.

Just exactly what is this hell, and does anyone use it in reality? Also,
assuming it's just me having bad luck, can someone please say a version
which works out of the box? I am not an alpha or beta tester, I need to get
things done soon.

I spent about 4 hours on this Sunday evening. It seems to generate a valid
hex which cannot be stepped through or simulated at either C or asm level.
Am not going back to that before reading much more about how it is really d=
one.


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