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Installation

MicroPythonOS can be installed on supported microcontrollers (e.g., ESP32) and on desktop systems (Linux, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, etc).

To simply install prebuilt software, read on!

Installing on ESP32

Just use the WebSerial installer at install.micropythonos.com.

For advanced usage, such as installing development builds without any files, see Installing on ESP32.

Running on Linux or MacOS

  1. Make sure you have the software

    Either you built your own on MacOS or Linux or you can download a pre-built executable binary (e.g., MicroPythonOS_amd64_Linux, MicroPythonOS_amd64_MacOS) from the releases page.

    Give it executable permissions:

    chmod +x /path/to/MicroPythonOS_executable_binary

  2. Make sure you have the local_filesystem/ folder

    You probably already have a local clone that contains the internal_filesystem.

    If not, then clone it now:

    git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/MicroPythonOS/MicroPythonOS.git
cd MicroPythonOS/

  3. Start it from the local_filesystem/ folder:

    cd internal_filesystem/ # make sure you're in the right place to find the filesystem
/path/to/MicroPythonOS_executable_binary -X heapsize=32M -v -i -c "$(cat boot_unix.py main.py)"

    There's also a convenient ./scripts/run_desktop.sh script that will attempt to start the latest build that you compiled yourself.

Development Workflow: Desktop vs Hardware

IMPORTANT: Understanding the difference between desktop testing and hardware deployment is critical for efficient development.

When you run ./scripts/run_desktop.sh, the OS runs directly from internal_filesystem/. This means:

  • All changes to Python files are immediately active - no build or install needed
  • Instant testing - edit a file, restart the app, see the changes
  • Fast iteration cycle - the recommended way to develop and test

DO NOT run ./scripts/install.sh when testing on desktop! That script is only for deploying to physical hardware.

Example workflow:

# 1. Edit a file
nano internal_filesystem/builtin/apps/com.micropythonos.settings/assets/settings.py

# 2. Run on desktop - changes are immediately active!
./scripts/run_desktop.sh

# That's it! Your changes are live.

Hardware Deployment (Only After Desktop Testing)

Once you've tested your changes on desktop and they work correctly, you can deploy to physical hardware:

# Deploy to connected ESP32 device
./scripts/install.sh waveshare-esp32-s3-touch-lcd-2

The install.sh script copies files from internal_filesystem/ to the device's storage partition over USB/serial.

Modifying Files

You'll notice that whenever you change a file in internal_filesystem/, the changes are immediately visible on desktop when you reload the file or restart the app.

This results in a very quick coding cycle - no compilation or installation needed for Python code changes.

Try it yourself:

  1. Edit internal_filesystem/builtin/apps/com.micropythonos.about/assets/about.py
  2. Run ./scripts/run_desktop.sh
  3. Open the About app
  4. See your changes immediately!

When you DO need to rebuild:

You only need to run ./scripts/build_mpos.sh when:

  • Modifying C extension modules (c_mpos/, secp256k1-embedded-ecdh/)
  • Changing MicroPython core or LVGL bindings
  • Testing the frozen filesystem for production releases
  • Creating firmware for distribution

For all Python code development, just edit files in internal_filesystem/ and run ./scripts/run_desktop.sh.

Next Steps