pxt deploy reports Error: cannot find any drives

[lobodpav]

Describe the bug
pxt deploy reports Error: cannot find any drives to deploy to even though the micro:bit is connected and working well in MakeCode online.

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Follow the official instructions to setup a project. I.e.:

   npm install -g pxt
   mkdir makecode
   cd makecode
   pxt target microbit

2. Pull your Git code to ./projects/microbit-christmas-tree
3. Connect the board to your Mac
4. Run cd ./projects/microbit-christmas-tree
5. Run pxt deploy
6. You'll get the output below

   Using target microbit with build engine yotta
     target: v7.1.15 /Users/pavel/Microbit/makecode/node_modules/pxt-microbit
     pxt-core: v11.3.3 /Users/pavel/Microbit/makecode/node_modules/pxt-core
   building /Users/pavel/Microbit/makecode/projects/microbit-christmas-tree
   INTERNAL ERROR: Error: cannot find any drives to deploy to
       at /Users/pavel/Microbit/makecode/node_modules/pxt-core/built/buildengine.js:562:23

Expected behavior
The program shall be deployed to micro:bot.

micro:bit version (please complete the following information):

V2.21

Desktop (please complete the following information):

• Computer: MacBook Pro M2 Max
• OS: macOS Sequoia 15.1.1
• pxt-core: v11.3.3

[martinwork]

I think this will be because it's looking for a drive named MICROBIT,

pxt-microbit/pxtarget.json

Line 74 in d1c862a

"deployDrives": "(MICROBIT|MBED)",

but currently on Sequoia the drive is named NO NAME
ARMmbed/DAPLink#1082

[lobodpav]

I think this will be because it's looking for a drive named MICROBIT,
but currently on Sequoia the drive is named NO NAME

Thanks for the hint! I have renamed the volume to MICROBIT and pxt deploy went well.

However, right after deployment, the volume name was reverted back to NO NAME 😢

Any clue what could cause the name changes?

[martinwork]

Good idea - I didn't think of renaming the volume! The micro:bit resets and remounts, so the name would revert (see the DAPLink issue for the cause). I don't know how to override the default name. Maybe a script to rename the volume then pxt deploy?

[lobodpav]

Good idea - I didn't think of renaming the volume! The micro:bit resets and remounts, so the name would revert (see the DAPLink issue for the cause). I don't know how to override the default name. Maybe a script to rename the volume then pxt deploy?

Yep, a custom pxt shell alias would do the trick. I just hope I won't rename some other flash drive by accident 😊

[tballmsft]

Thanks for the resolution!

[lobodpav]

Anyway, it would be nice if this could be fixed properly so that the drive is not renamed every time after the deployment.

[lobodpav]

For reference, I used these commands to rename the flash drive:

MICROBIT_DEVICE=$(diskutil list external physical "/Volumes/NO NAME" | awk '/NO NAME/ {print "/dev/" $NF}')
diskutil rename "$MICROBIT_DEVICE" "MICROBIT"

When running

pxt build --deploy

It ends successfully and outputs:

Using target microbit with build engine yotta
  target: v7.0.54 /Users/pavel/Microbit/microbit-christmas-tree/node_modules/pxt-microbit
  pxt-core: v11.1.10 /Users/pavel/Microbit/microbit-christmas-tree/node_modules/pxt-core
building /Users/pavel/Microbit/microbit-christmas-tree
copying binary.hex to /Volumes/MICROBIT/

However, in a short while, the device:

1. Displays error 504
2. The drive is unmounted and re-mounted
3. The drive name is changed back to NO NAME
4. There is a file called FAIL.TXT which says

   error: The transfer timed out.
   type: transient, user