---
id: tockloader
version: "1.17.0"
license: unclear
license_treatment: unclear
maintenance: active
---

# tockloader — Tockloader is a tool for installing Tock applications.

License: unclear · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 122.4K/mo

## What it is and what it does

Tockloader is a Python CLI tool for flashing and managing Tock applications and kernels on embedded microcontroller boards. It abstracts the complexity of different communication protocols—serial bootloader, JTAG via JLink or OpenOCD, and STLink—into a unified command interface, allowing developers to install, update, uninstall, and inspect applications on supported boards without learning board-specific toolchains.

The tool supports a wide range of operations: loading and updating applications, managing app lifecycle (enable/disable/sticky flags), inspecting board state and flash contents, listening to UART output, manipulating TBF (Tock Binary Format) metadata, and interacting with on-board key-value storage. It includes built-in parameters for known boards and allows custom configuration via command-line flags for unsupported hardware. Installation is straightforward via pip, and the package depends on common utilities like pyserial, colorama, and questionary for user interaction.

Use it for:

- Flash Tock applications onto development boards during embedded software development and testing cycles.
- Update running applications on deployed Tock boards without re-flashing the kernel.
- Inspect and manage board state, app metadata, and flash memory for debugging and diagnostics.
- Automate firmware deployment in CI/CD pipelines for Tock-based embedded projects.
- Listen to UART debug output from boards via serial or Segger RTT for real-time troubleshooting.
- Configure board attributes and key-value storage for application-specific persistent data.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Tockloader is a command-line tool for installing, updating, and managing Tock applications and kernels on embedded hardware boards via serial, JTAG, or other communication interfaces.

Yes, if you are developing or deploying Tock applications on supported embedded boards. The tool is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, and low install friction. However, verify the license status before use in proprietary contexts, and confirm your board and communication interface are supported or can be configured via command-line flags.

## Install

pip install tockloader
uv add tockloader
poetry add tockloader

## Installing tockloader

Before you install: Low install friction with a pure Python wheel and 12 common dependencies. Actively maintained with a recent release 56 days ago and ongoing commits. No known vulnerabilities.

License in practice: License status is unclear—no SPDX identifier or raw license text is available in the package metadata. Verify the actual license in the repository before adopting in proprietary or restricted-license projects.

Quickstart:

pip install tockloader
tockloader list
tockloader install path/to/app.tbf --board <board_name>

Requires Python >=3.9 and a compatible Tock board with bootloader or JTAG/OpenOCD/JLink interface; serial port or debugger hardware must be connected and properly configured.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package is licensed under an open-source or proprietary license—metadata does not declare it.
- Whether tab completion setup (via argcomplete) is required or optional for typical workflows.
- Compatibility matrix for specific board types and communication interfaces beyond the documented examples.

## Package facts

- License: not declared (unclear)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 122.4K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

embedded firmware flashing tool, tock os application installer, microcontroller programming utility, jtag serial bootloader interface, embedded board management cli, tock kernel deployment, hardware flashing automation, embedded-systems, firmware-flashing, jtag-serial

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/tockloader) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/tockloader/)