fwflash(1)

📦
version 0.5.2 · 6 versions
, in ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

💖 fwflash(1) — General Commands Manual 💖

okay bestie, so this is fwflash, living in section 1 of the manual (the General Commands Manual, aka where the cool executables hang out). Sit down, grab a strawberry, we're flashing firmware. 🍓

✨ NAME ✨

fwflash — flash firmware image to a connected NXT device 🧚

🌈 SYNOPSIS 🌈

fwflash [options]... file

fwflash (-l|-h)

👑 DESCRIPTION 👑

Lowkey iconic: the fwflash utility takes a firmware image file and yeets it over USB to a connected NXT device. That's it. That's the whole job. It takes exactly one parameter, and that parameter is the firmware file you want to send. That file usually rocks a .bin or .rfw extension and has a size of 262144 octets. Very specific. Very slay. 💅

So here's the vibe, step by step:

Plug the NXT in with a USB cable. Make sure your computer actually notices it when it's powered on — like, do a vibe check on that detection. 👀

If you run fwflash right now, it should report that the NXT is found, but not running in bootloader mode. No worries though, because fwflash can reset the NXT to bootloader for you. Helpful queen. 🫶

⚠️ bestie, heads up: the next step will erase the current firmware image! like, gone gone. ✨

If you answer "RESET", fwflash will erase the current firmware and then wait for the NXT to be detected in bootloader mode. If you can't be bothered with prompts (valid), that whole prompt can be skipped using the -y option. periodt.

Another option is to reset the NXT manually, if you're feeling main character energy. To do that: press and hold the reset button — which is hidden in the pin hole under the USB port — for at least five seconds. The brick should make a clicking noise and get detected by the computer in SAM-BA mode. Cute, right? 🦋

Then you can use fwflash to send the firmware. After a few seconds, it should announce successful flashing. we love a happy ending 😭💖

In case of problem, check your USB cable, and your device permissions. (it's always the cable. it's literally always the cable.) 💀

oh and also — the fwflash utility is part of LibNXT. family. 🌸

💅 OPTIONS 💅

  • -l — List detected devices and exit. a little census of your bricks, if you will 📋
  • -y — Allow reset to bootloader mode without prompt. heads up though: this erases the NXT memory. no takebacks, no second thoughts 🙈
  • -h — Show help message and exit. the classic. the icon. ⭐
  • -b — Select device already in bootloader mode only, ignore other NXT devices. exclusive behavior, honestly 👑
  • -s SERIAL — Select device with this serial (e.g. 00:16:53:01:02:03). ngl, this does not work in bootloader mode — devices in bootloader mode are always selected, no matter what you want. bootloader does what it wants 😤
  • -n NAME — Select device with this name (e.g. NXT). Same deal: this does not work in bootloader mode, devices in bootloader mode are always selected. fr fr 🧚

🌟 SEE ALSO 🌟

🎀 AUTHOR 🎀

Maintained by Nicolas Schodet <nico@ni.fr.eu.org>.

Originally written by David Anderson <dave@natulte.net>.

and that's the whole page bestie 💜 this was fwflash(1) from the General Commands Manual, dated 2026-02-06, and you can find it again by that exact same name. go flash something gorgeous. ✨🦋💖

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