PicoHub – CLI tool for Raspberry Pi Pico file management and device control

[ColorFlowStudios]

Hi,

I built PicoHub because managing files on larger Pico projects through Thonny became frustrating.

PicoHub is a terminal-based CLI tool for file management, uploads, backups and device control – built on mpremote, tested on Pico 2W only so far.

Looking for honest feedback and testers.

https://github.com/ColorFlowStudios/PicoHub

[peterhinch]

According to the doc a prime design aim is to enable remote management of a Pico via SSH. How do you install an SSH client on a Pico?

[ColorFlowStudios]

Hi, thanks for the question – and fair point, I can see how the documentation could be misleading there. To clarify: PicoHub does not use SSH on the Pico itself. The connection is handled via mpremote over USB. The CLI design was a deliberate choice based on my own workflow – I work heavily over SSH on remote servers, so a GUI-based tool wouldn’t fit. That same terminal-first approach carried over into PicoHub.

[Josverl]

Danke for sharing , and happy that it works for you , and possibly others

Like Peter: : False advertising makes me ignore things fast ( Tailscale on a Pico - I Wish ) .

Trying to read beyond that :

• I mostly see a different TUI that I think I could also implement with a justfile and then work across platforms.
• for broader adoption the clone then run install.sh seems a bit old school in the days of pipx and uvx
• linux-only does not meet de minimum bar for me personally.

[ColorFlowStudios]

Thanks for the honest feedback – that’s exactly what helps improve things.

On the SSH tip: Fair point, and already addressed – the README now makes clear that SSH runs on the PC/server, not on the Pico.

On the TUI comparison: I understand why it might look that way at first glance. Beyond the menu, PicoHub includes automatic backups on upload, edit and reset, device detection, error handling and a staging workflow. It’s not just a wrapper around mpremote commands – though I get that a justfile approach works well for simpler setups and has the cross-platform advantage that PicoHub currently lacks.

On pipx/uvx: Good point, you’re right. install.sh is functional but not the modern standard. Worth considering for a future version.

On Linux only: That’s a known limitation and a fair reason to pass. Windows support is on the roadmap – no timeline yet.

[peterhinch]

To chuck in a personal view.

All the new IDE's and alternative ways to interact with MicroPython targets have to compete with the extraordinary brilliance of

$ mpremote mount . exec "import my.test.script"

I urge everyone to think through the implications of this, because overnight it caused me to abandon my way of working with MP (honed over years).

My workshop is littered with various PCB's featuring MicroPython targets connected to displays and other hardware. In many cases one PCB supports several published projects. The MP target holds no code except for a bunch of hardware configuration files, one per project.

A query arises: I move to the project directory, plug in the board, chant the above incantation and I'm running. No faffing with directories, deleting and moving files around. With certainty that I'm running the latest version. As for backup and version control my only files are on the PC: PC based tools suffice.