Error: Detected unknown package

[LightIsLife]

I have just tried to install platformIO on Atom and on VSCode, as well as just the core (all on a MAC) without success. Not sure whether this is the right forum, but just the core installation following the manual results in permission errors (despite using sudo and having verified that I indeed have python 2.7) and VScode and Atom both report back the error: Error: Detected unknown package ..... with any of the packages (nodemcu, nodemcu2, huzzaah, etc) [I actually tried them all]; searching the wisdom of the internet revealed that this is an error for which there is a bounty; I have also checked that no updates are available; "pio platform lists" does not reveal any info, here the complete output:

espressif8266 ~ Espressif 8266
==============================
Espressif Systems is a privately held fabless semiconductor company. They provide wireless communications a
nd Wi-Fi chips which are widely used in mobile devices and the Internet of Things applications.

Home: http://platformio.org/platforms/espressif8266
Frameworks: arduino, esp8266-nonos-sdk, esp8266-rtos-sdk, simba
Packages: framework-esp8266-rtos-sdk, toolchain-xtensa, framework-simba, tool-esptool, tool-mkspiffs, tool-
espotapy, framework-arduinoespressif8266, sdk-esp8266, framework-esp8266-nonos-sdk
Version: 1.5.0

(just as some posts where recommending to find a number that would allow to specify the package in terms of nodemcuv2@XXXXX)
what am I missing? Any and all help will be appreciated

[puuu]

I did not saw any error like this, but I have no possibility to test it with a Mac. I tested with Linux and Atom (you can also check the travis-ci logs). Please try again with the current master branch (with web frontend support) and the latest version of platformio.