bsp-create-settings --type spl error

Yes it looks like bsp-create-settings is missing the spl type. what do you get when you execute

bsp-create-settings --type \? 

(with the question mark)? For me it says

Available BSP types are: 

It could be that your environment is not set up correctly. I don't think that setting the PATH is enough, Altera provides a script that sets up the environment for you. I don't remember where it comes from, but on my installation I've copied it to /usr/local/bin. Here are the contents:

#!/bin/bash
# ###########################################################
#                                                          # 
#  Altera SoC Embedded Command Shell                       # 
#                                                          # 
#                                                          # 
#  Copyright (c) 2016 Altera Corporation                   # 
#  All Rights Reserved.                                    # 
#                                                          # 
# ###########################################################
_SOCEDS_ROOT="/usr/local/intelFPGA/16.1/embedded"
export SOCEDS_DEST_ROOT="${_SOCEDS_ROOT}"
source "${_SOCEDS_ROOT}/env.sh"
# ###########################################################
unset _SOCEDS_ROOT

(just replace _SOCEDS_ROOT with wherever your Quartus version is installed). Has you see it defines a root path for the SOC EDS and executes a script there. This script sets up a bunch of environment variables that are required by some tools.

I have never created a preloader configuration from the command line myself though, I've always used the bsp editor (type bsp-editor from your command line)