mpytool 2.1.0

MPY tool - manage files on devices running MicroPython

mpytool

MPY tool - manage files on devices running MicroPython

It is an alternative to the official mpremote.

Features

• Fast file transfers - optimized chunked transfer with automatic compression
• Skip unchanged files - compares size + SHA256 hash, re-upload in <1s
• Auto-detect serial port - no need to specify -p when only one device connected
• Robust REPL handling - works reliably with USB-UART bridges (CP2102, CH340)
• Multiple reset options - soft, MCU, hardware (RTS), bootloader entry
• General-purpose serial terminal - repl and monitor work with any serial device
• Python API - suitable for IDE integration and automation
• Raw-paste mode - flow-controlled code execution with reduced RAM usage (API)
• Shell completion - ZSH and Bash with remote path completion
• Network support - connect over TCP

Installation

pip3 install mpytool

Installation from git (latest development version)

pip3 install git+https://github.com/pavelrevak/mpytool.git

Installation in virtualenv

Create a dedicated virtualenv for CLI tools (keeps your system Python clean):

# Create virtualenv (once)
python3 -m venv ~/.venv/tools

# Install mpytool
~/.venv/tools/bin/pip install mpytool

# Run directly
~/.venv/tools/bin/mpytool --help

To use mpytool command without full path, add the venv bin to end of your PATH:

ZSH (~/.zshrc):

export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.venv/tools/bin"

Bash (~/.bashrc):

export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.venv/tools/bin"

Then restart your shell (exec zsh or exec bash) and use mpytool directly.

Adding venv bin at the end of PATH keeps your system python and pip as default, while making mpytool available when not found elsewhere.

Examples:

help:

$ mpytool --help

list files:

$ mpytool -p /dev/ttyACM0 ls
$ mpytool -p /dev/ttyACM0 ls lib

tree files:

$ mpytool -p /dev/ttyACM0 tree

copy files (: prefix = device path):

$ mpytool cp main.py :/             # upload file to device root
$ mpytool cp main.py lib.py :/lib/  # upload multiple files to directory
$ mpytool cp myapp/ :/              # upload directory (creates /myapp/)
$ mpytool cp myapp/ :/lib/          # upload directory into /lib/
$ mpytool cp :/main.py ./           # download file to current directory
$ mpytool cp :/ ./backup/           # download entire device to backup/
$ mpytool cp :/old.py :/new.py      # copy file on device
$ mpytool cp -f main.py :/          # force upload even if unchanged

Unchanged files are automatically skipped (compares size and SHA256 hash). Use -f or --force to upload all files regardless.

transfer options:

$ mpytool cp -z main.py :/           # force compression (auto-detected by default)
$ mpytool cp --no-compress data.bin :/  # disable compression
$ mpytool -c 8K cp main.py :/        # set chunk size (512, 1K, 2K, 4K, 8K, 16K, 32K)

Compression is auto-detected based on device RAM and deflate module availability. Chunk size is auto-detected based on free RAM (larger chunks = faster transfer).

move/rename on device:

$ mpytool mv :/old.py :/new.py      # rename file
$ mpytool mv :/file.py :/lib/       # move file to directory
$ mpytool mv :/a.py :/b.py :/lib/   # move multiple files to directory

legacy upload/download (still available):

$ mpytool put boot.py /
$ mpytool get boot.py >> boot.py

make directory, delete files:

$ mpytool mkdir a/b/c/d xyz/abc   # create directories
$ mpytool rm mydir                # delete directory and contents
$ mpytool rm mydir/               # delete contents only, keep directory
$ mpytool rm /                    # delete everything on device

reset and REPL:

$ mpytool reset              # soft reset (Ctrl-D, runs boot.py/main.py)
$ mpytool sreset             # soft reset in raw REPL (clears RAM only)
$ mpytool mreset             # MCU reset (machine.reset, auto-reconnect)
$ mpytool rtsreset           # hardware reset via RTS signal (serial only)
$ mpytool bootloader         # enter bootloader (machine.bootloader)
$ mpytool dtrboot            # enter bootloader via DTR/RTS (ESP32 only)
$ mpytool reset monitor      # reset and monitor output
$ mpytool repl               # enter REPL mode
$ mpytool sleep 2            # sleep for 2 seconds (useful between commands)

serial terminal and monitor (general purpose):

$ mpytool repl                       # auto-detect port, 115200 baud
$ mpytool -p /dev/ttyUSB0 repl       # specify port
$ mpytool -b 9600 repl               # specify baudrate
$ mpytool -p /dev/ttyUSB0 -b 9600 monitor   # monitor at 9600 baud

Both repl and monitor can be used as general-purpose serial tools - not just for MicroPython devices. Use them to interact with any serial device (Arduino, ESP with custom firmware, GPS modules, etc.). When only one serial port is detected, it is used automatically. Default baudrate is 115200.

execute Python code on device:

$ mpytool exec "print('Hello!')"
$ mpytool exec "import sys; print(sys.version)"

show device information:

$ mpytool info
Platform:    rp2
Version:     3.4.0; MicroPython v1.27.0 on 2025-12-09
Impl:        micropython
Machine:     Raspberry Pi Pico with RP2040
Serial:      e660123456789abc
Memory:      36.4 KB / 240 KB (15.15%)
Flash:       120 KB / 1.38 MB (8.52%)

On devices with WiFi or Ethernet, MAC addresses are also shown:

MAC WiFi:    aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:01
MAC WiFi AP: aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:02

flash operations (RP2 and ESP32):

# RP2 - user flash (entire filesystem area)
$ mpytool flash                       # show flash info and filesystem type
$ mpytool flash read backup.bin       # backup entire user flash
$ mpytool flash write backup.bin      # restore from backup
$ mpytool flash erase                 # quick erase (reset filesystem)
$ mpytool flash erase --full          # full erase

# ESP32 - partitions (by label)
$ mpytool flash                       # list all partitions with filesystem info
Label        Type     Subtype       Address       Size    Block Actual FS     Flags
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
factory      app      factory       0x10000      1.94M                        running
nvs          data     nvs            0x9000      24.0K
vfs          data     littlefs     0x200000      2.00M     4 KB littlefs2

Boot partition: factory
Next OTA:       (none)

$ mpytool flash read vfs backup.bin        # backup partition to file
$ mpytool flash write nvs nvs_backup.bin   # restore partition from file
$ mpytool flash erase vfs                  # quick erase partition
$ mpytool flash erase vfs --full           # full erase partition

OTA firmware update (ESP32):

$ mpytool ota firmware.app-bin                    # flash to next OTA partition
$ mpytool ota firmware.app-bin -- mreset          # flash and reboot

multiple commands separated by --:

$ mpytool cp main.py boot.py :/ -- reset -- monitor
$ mpytool delete old.py -- cp new.py :/ -- reset

auto-detect serial port (if only one device is connected):

$ mpytool ls lib/
          uhttp/
  23.2 KB wlan.py
  4.95 KB wlan_http.py

tree view:

$ mpytool tree
   142 KB ./
  41.3 KB ├─ html/
    587 B │  ├─ index.html
  40.8 KB │  └─ wlan.html
  97.7 KB ├─ lib/
  69.6 KB │  ├─ uhttp/
     93 B │  │  ├─ __init__.py
  26.3 KB │  │  ├─ client.py
  43.2 KB │  │  └─ server.py
  23.2 KB │  ├─ wlan.py
  4.95 KB │  └─ wlan_http.py
     23 B ├─ boot.py
  3.03 KB └─ main.py

connect over network (TCP, default port 23):

$ mpytool -a 192.168.1.100 ls
$ mpytool -a 192.168.1.100:8266 tree

set baudrate (default 115200):

$ mpytool -p /dev/ttyACM0 -b 9600 ls

show version:

$ mpytool -V

Command aliases:

• dir = ls
• cat = get
• del, rm = delete
• follow = monitor

Python API

>>> import mpytool
>>> conn = mpytool.ConnSerial(port='/dev/ttyACM0', baudrate=115200)
>>> mpy = mpytool.Mpy(conn)
>>> mpy.ls()
[('lib', None), ('boot.py', 215), ('main.py', 3102)]
>>> mpy.get('boot.py')
b'import machine\nimport time\n...'
>>> mpy.put(b'print("Hello")', 'test.py')
>>> mpy.delete('test.py')

Raw-paste mode for efficient code execution (MicroPython 1.17+):

>>> mpy.comm.exec_raw_paste("print('Hello')")  # flow-controlled, less RAM
b'Hello\r\n'

See README_API.md for full API documentation.

Progress and verbose output

Progress is shown by default during file transfers:

$ mpytool cp main.py lib.py :/lib/
[1/2] 100%   1.2KB main.py -> :/lib/main.py
[2/2] 100%   3.4KB lib.py  -> :/lib/lib.py

use -v or --verbose to also show commands being executed:

$ mpytool -v rm /old.py
delete: /old.py

use -q or --quiet to disable all output:

$ mpytool -q cp main.py :/

Output Example

Complete workflow - upload changed files, reset device, and monitor output:

$ mpytool cp ~/Work/mpy/wlan/main.py ~/Work/mpy/wlan/html :/ -- cp ~/Work/mpy/wlan/wlan_http.py ~/Work/mpy/wlan/wlan.py ~/Work/mpy/uhttp/uhttp :/lib/ -- cp ~/Tmp/test0.bin :/lib/ -- reset -- monitor
COPY (chunk: 16K, compress: on)
  [1/9] 100% 3.03K ../mpy/wlan/main.py            -> :/main.py                (compressed)
  [2/9] skip  587B ../mpy/wlan/html/index.html    -> :/html/index.html        (unchanged)
  [3/9] 100% 40.8K ../mpy/wlan/html/wlan.html     -> :/html/wlan.html         (compressed)
  [4/9] skip 4.95K ../mpy/wlan/wlan_http.py       -> :/lib/wlan_http.py       (unchanged)
  [5/9] 100% 23.1K ../mpy/wlan/wlan.py            -> :/lib/wlan.py            (compressed)
  [6/9] skip 43.2K ../mpy/uhttp/uhttp/server.py   -> :/lib/uhttp/server.py    (unchanged)
  [7/9] skip 26.3K ../mpy/uhttp/uhttp/client.py   -> :/lib/uhttp/client.py    (unchanged)
  [8/9] skip   93B ../mpy/uhttp/uhttp/__init__.py -> :/lib/uhttp/__init__.py  (unchanged)
  [9/9] skip 10.0K ../../Tmp/test0.bin            -> :/lib/test0.bin          (unchanged)
  66.9K  29.7K/s  2.3s  speedup 6.5x  (3 transferred, 6 skipped)
RESET
MONITOR (Ctrl+C to stop)

starting web server...
Config file not created
AP started: ESP32 (WPA2_PSK, IP: 192.168.4.1)
Scanning...

Debug output

• -d print warnings (yellow)
• -dd print info messages (purple)
• -ddd print debug messages (blue)

For reporting bugs, please include -ddd output in the issue.

Performance

mpytool uses optimized chunked transfer with automatic compression, which allows copying files very quickly. See README_BENCH.md for detailed benchmarks.

Summary

• Large files upload: 3x - 5x faster than mpremote
• Small files upload: 2x - 3x faster than mpremote
• Skip unchanged: 1.5x - 2.5x faster than mpremote

Shell Completion

Tab completion for ZSH and Bash with support for commands, options, and remote file paths on the device.

Completion files are in completions/ directory:

• _mpytool - ZSH completion
• mpytool.bash - Bash completion

ZSH

Completion file: completions/_mpytool

Where to put it:

• ~/.zsh/completions/_mpytool (user directory, recommended)
• /usr/local/share/zsh/site-functions/_mpytool (system-wide)

Configuration in ~/.zshrc:

fpath=(~/.zsh/completions $fpath)
autoload -Uz compinit && compinit

Quick install (or update):

mkdir -p ~/.zsh/completions
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pavelrevak/mpytool/main/completions/_mpytool -o ~/.zsh/completions/_mpytool
grep -q '\.zsh/completions' ~/.zshrc || echo 'fpath=(~/.zsh/completions $fpath); autoload -Uz compinit && compinit' >> ~/.zshrc
exec zsh

Bash

Completion file: completions/mpytool.bash

Where to put it:

• /etc/bash_completion.d/mpytool (Linux system-wide, requires sudo)
• /usr/local/etc/bash_completion.d/mpytool (macOS Homebrew)
• ~/.mpytool-completion.bash (user directory)

Configuration in ~/.bashrc (only for user directory):

source ~/.mpytool-completion.bash

Quick install (Linux system-wide):

sudo curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pavelrevak/mpytool/main/completions/mpytool.bash -o /etc/bash_completion.d/mpytool && exec bash

Quick install (macOS Homebrew):

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pavelrevak/mpytool/main/completions/mpytool.bash -o /usr/local/etc/bash_completion.d/mpytool && exec bash

Quick install (user directory):

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pavelrevak/mpytool/main/completions/mpytool.bash -o ~/.mpytool-completion.bash
grep -q 'mpytool-completion' ~/.bashrc || echo 'source ~/.mpytool-completion.bash' >> ~/.bashrc
exec bash

Completion features

• Tab completion for all commands and aliases
• Remote file/directory completion (cached for 60 seconds)
• Support for -- command separator
• Works with both relative and absolute paths

Requirements

Working only with MicroPython boards, not with CircuitPython

• python v3.10+
• pyserial v3.0+

Running on:

• Linux
• MacOS
• Windows (limited support - REPL mode is disabled)

Credits

(c) 2022-2026 by Pavel Revak

License

MIT

Support

• Basic support is free over GitHub issues.
• Professional support is available over email: Pavel Revak.