Suggestion for integration and addition of a feature - Customize device name

[morteerror404]

I have a social project and I wanted to customize the device name. I had two options:

• 1 - Fork the project and change 2 lines of C code.

• 2 - Create new Python code to rename the device.

I chose the first option, but it made me think, "If the code is open source, and I can modify the firmware at will, why so much work to choose the hardware name?"

I suggest adding a select menu to the website to give the user the option to choose whether they want the default firmware or to customize it.

Default - Remains the same.

(New) Customized - Two more input boxes. Example:

Device Runtime name: "Placeholder"
Device Boot Mode name: "Placeholder"

Note: I don't know how your infrastructure is set up, so I opened an insured thread before getting my hands on the code.

Since the endpoint changes for each "device family," the implementation would only look for the latest stable version of the project and check the input fields to see if there was a change. If so, we could create logic to retrieve the information to be "exchanged," perform the change, compilation, and delivery to the user.

My example:

https://circuitpython.org/board/waveshare_rp2040_zero/

:/firmware/ports/raspberrypi/boards/raspberry_pi_pico/mpconfigboard.h

I have a social project and I wanted to customize the device name. I had two options:

1 - Fork the project and change 2 lines of C code.

2 - Create new Python code to rename the device.

I chose the first option, but it made me think, "If the code is open source, and I can modify the firmware at will, why so much work to choose the hardware name?"

I suggest adding a select menu to the website to give the user the option to choose whether they want the default firmware or to customize it.

Default - Remains the same.

(New) Customized - Two more input boxes. Example:

Device Runtime name: "Placeholder"
Device Boot Mode name: "Placeholder"

Note: I don't know how your infrastructure is set up, so I opened an insured thread before getting my hands on the code.

Since the endpoint changes for each "device family," the implementation would only look for the latest stable version of the project and check the input fields to see if there was a change. If so, we could create logic to retrieve the information to be "exchanged," perform the change, compilation, and delivery to the user.

My example:

https://circuitpython.org/board/waveshare_rp2040_zero/

C:\firmware\ports\raspberrypi\boards\raspberry_pi_pico\mpconfigboard.h

# 1. Enter the directory of the RP2040 family boards (Raspberry Pi Pico)
cd ports/raspberrypi/boards/

# 2. Rename the "Board Name" in all mpconfigboard.h files of the family
find . -name "mpconfigboard.h" -exec sed -i 's/"Raspberry Pi Pico"/"NOT So Bad USB - 0x29 VHC"/g' {} +

# 3. Rename the "OBJ Name" (Boot Mode Name) in all mpconfigboard.h files
find . -name "mpconfigboard.h" -exec sed -i 's/"RP2040"/"NotSoBadUSB-BootMode"/g' {} +

# 4. Return to the root port to compile
cd ../..

# 5. Clear old builds (important to avoid keeping old names in cache)
make clean

# 6. Compile the new UF2 firmware (using the default Pico profile as a base)
make BOARD=raspberry_pi_pico

[morteerror404]

Before:

#define MICROPY_HW_BOARD_NAME "Raspberry Pi Pico"
#define MICROPY_HW_OBJ_NAME "RP2040"

after:

#define MICROPY_HW_BOARD_NAME "NOT So Bad USB - 0x29 VHC"
#define MICROPY_HW_OBJ_NAME "NotSoBadUSB-BootMode"

[tannewt]

Are you looking to change the USB name only? What exactly do you want to change?

For USB you can do: https://docs.circuitpython.org/en/latest/shared-bindings/supervisor/index.html#supervisor.set_usb_identification

[morteerror404]

I want to change the name the operating system uses when it "recognizes" the hardware, in this case as CYCUITPY. And also how the hardware is recognized when it enters "configuration" mode via the IDE.

I managed to make the change, but using reverse engineering with Ghidra, so I wondered, if the software is open source and I can directly modify the C code, wouldn't it be possible to automate this change? My expectations increased when I forgot that Windows is terrible when it comes to CMake and C Code.

Here are the memory registers that I needed to path to make the change:

001714f8		ds "Waveshare RP2040-Zero with rp2040"	s_Waveshare_RP2040-Zero_with_rp204_001714f8
001716a4		ds "Adafruit CircuitPython 10.1.4 on 2026-03-09; Waveshare RP2040-Zero with rp2040"	s_Adafruit_CircuitPython_10.1.4_on_001716a4

Regarding the feature you showed me, yes, in theory it works, but it didn't work correctly for me. Don't get me wrong, but we have a situation and we can resolve it in a more robust way.

Again, don't misunderstand me. But I'm using the KISS methodology in Linux.

Why should I do a git clone of the firmware, find the relevant hardware snippet, prepare the build environment, and compile it?

Just to change the device name and how it "presents" itself in the IDE?

import supervisor
import os
import time

# 1. Configuração Única (Roda assim que o chip liga)
try:
    supervisor.set_usb_identification(
        manufacturer="IDONTNO",
        product="So-BAD-USB",
        vid=0x2E8A,
        pid=0x0005
    )
except Exception as e:
    print(f"Erro ao definir USB: {e}")

def main():
    print("--- Dispositivo Iniciado ---")
    print(f"Placa: {os.uname().machine}")
    print(f"Versão: {os.uname().release}")
    
    # Aqui você colocaria o código que quer que rode continuamente
    while True:
        # Exemplo: piscar o LED ou aguardar comandos
        time.sleep(1)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

Outsorce:
(Brazilian Portuguese 4 translate)

>>> %Run -c $EDITOR_CONTENT

reinicialização soft
--- Dispositivo Iniciado ---
Placa: rp2040 Not So Bad USB 0x29VHC
Versão: 10.1.4

[todbot]

Just FYI, supervisor.set_usb_identification() needs to be done in boot.py, not in code.py (which is what it looks like you're doing above). And the change only happens after a full reset of the board. You cannot just press "Run" in Thonny.

Also note that depending on your OS, you may not see the change immediately. You may need to use a different USB port or power cycle your computer.

[morteerror404]

Thank you for your contribution, but it was created correctly following the documentation. I also didn't understand why it didn't work, regarding the code above. Its purpose is to show in the terminal how it was being interpreted, that is, it's merely illustrative.

The points are:

1. I have a complex language for creating the firmware, and the device depends on it for name configuration.

2. The solutions you showed me have already been tested and didn't work (at least not for me).

3. Can we encourage the use of reverse engineering?

4. Can we provide a simple solution integrated with the development environment, without requiring the user to "reinvent the wheel?"

As I said before, I don't know if it would be feasible.

If (feasible = True):
    Print("let's work on it")
Else: 
    Print("good thing we tried.")

[morteerror404]

Let's shift our focus from the past to the future.

Wouldn't it be extremely simple to add two input boxes where I could enter this information, and the site would return the already modified code to me?

[morteerror404]

I'll bring up another interesting point.

We wouldn't need to mark or add stickers to our hardware when participating in events anymore, just a notebook. Simply plug it in and read the TXT file, or the output of IDE.

I know people might insert Command Controllers or something similar, but that would already create a problem between the hardware owner and the notebook.

[dhalbert]

supervisor.set_usb_identification() changes the values (at run-time) that are defined in mpconfigboard.mk. For example:

USB_VID = 0x239A
USB_PID = 0x80F4
USB_PRODUCT = "Pico"
USB_MANUFACTURER = "Raspberry Pi"

These are the USB string values that are presented to host, over USB, to identify the device. They are not the strings printed when the REPL starts up, etc.

What is your goal here? Do you want the host to see the device identified as something else, or are you trying to change the REPL startup-strings? What is the use case?

https://circuitpython.org does not have anything behind it that builds versions of CircuitPython. That is done when a release is made, when PR's are merged, etc. circuitpython.org simply points to those release.

Wouldn't it be extremely simple to add two input boxes where I could enter this information, and the site would return the already modified code to me?

This is actually rather complex, since we need to do a build dynamically, etc.

[tannewt]

The CIRCUITPY name is the fat filesystem label that can be changed with mklabel IIRC. If CircuitPython creates the FS then it sets the label to CIRCUITPY. If it is changed, then CircuitPython will still work and not change it. (Unless you prompt CP to recreate the FS.)

[todbot]

I usually use dosfslabel as it comes with Ubuntu. I use it like this (assuming your drive is mounted at /dev/sda1):

umount /dev/sda1              
sudo dosfslabel /dev/sda1 BOOP

unplug and replug device and the automounter picks up the new name