ReadyToFlash

ReadyToFlash is an open-source toolkit designed to streamline the creation and deployment of flashable firmware images for embedded devices. It provides a standardized workflow for assembling bootloaders, kernels, root filesystems, and data partitions into a single package that can be flashed onto hardware. The goal is to reduce fragmentation in flashing workflows for development boards, production devices, and over-the-air update scenarios.

Key features include input artifact handling, a manifest-driven partition layout, and validation of images prior to packaging. ReadyToFlash can generate signed, integrity-checked bundles and accompanying flash scripts or instructions tailored to target hardware. It supports multiple flash targets such as eMMC, NAND, NOR, and SPI flash, and can output both raw images and vendor-specific flash scripts. The tool emphasizes reproducibility, offering deterministic builds and configurable verification steps.

Implementation and usage: ReadyToFlash is a cross-platform command-line utility, commonly implemented with a Python core and optional native extensions for performance-critical tasks. It uses JSON or YAML manifests to describe image composition, partition maps, and flash targets. Typical usage involves creating a manifest, running a build command to produce a ready-to-flash bundle, and then applying the bundle with standard flashing tools on the target device.

History and licensing: The project emerged from collaboration among embedded developers seeking to unify flashing workflows. It is released under the MIT license and welcomes community contributions through a public repository.

See also: firmware flashing, embedded Linux, image packaging, hardware bring-up.