picotool by Ciro Santilli 37 2025-07-26
Tested on Ubuntu 25.04,
sudo apt install libusb-1.0-0-dev
git clone https://github.com/raspberrypi/pico-sdk
git clone https://github.com/raspberrypi/picotool
cd picotool
git checkout de8ae5ac334e1126993f72a5c67949712fd1e1a4
export PICO_SDK_PATH="$(pwd)/../pico-sdk"
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
cmake --build . -- -j"$(npro)" VERBOSE=1
and the executable is there under build/picotool so copy it somewhere in your PATH like:
cp picotool ~/bin
and then trying to use a Zephyr example:
sudo ~/bin/picotool load -f build/zephyr/zephyr.uf2
fails with:
No accessible RP2040 devices in BOOTSEL mode were found
TODO: how to avoid that? youtu.be/tRXLxrtfU_s?t=207 gives a workaround if you are using the Pico SDK by adding to CMakeLists.txt:
pico_enable_stdio_usb(blink 1)
but how to do it in Zephyr? Video description says:
make sure that your program initializes the USB code via a call to "stdio_init_all()".
but again how to do that from Zephyr? It appears that this only works if the code currently running has support for the feature:
Video 1.
Never unplug your Raspberry Pi Pico again by deltocode
. Source.

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