Output user friendly message when platform installation from CLI fails due to missing package index entry

[patrickelectric]

arduino --install-boards esp8266:esp8266
Picked up JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS: 
Loading configuration...
Initializing packages...
Preparing boards...
Downloading platforms index... 
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java.lang.NullPointerException
	at java.util.Collections.sort(Collections.java:175)
	at processing.app.Base.<init>(Base.java:310)
	at processing.app.Base.main(Base.java:144)
make: *** [deps] Error 255

This running on travis.

[per1234]

Fixed by IBEXcps/HaLiO-sw#23

[matthijskooijman]

Shouldn't the Arduino IDE give a proper error message instead of a NullPointerException? IMHO content (e.g. platform definitions) should never cause (these kinds of) exceptions... @facchinm, @cmaglie, what would you think?

[facchinm]

I agree, a more meaningful error (like platform esp8266:esp8266 is unknown) would be nice