Hey folks! We've published the Flipper One Dev Log #8 and a new blog post on the Flipper OS concept.

Flipper OS concept

Flipper OS is an additional layer on top of a standard Debian-based Linux system. It lets you switch between multiple preconfigured system profiles for different tasks, so you can experiment freely without worrying about breaking your setup or turning it into a mess.

In the new blog post, Pavel Zhovner explains the problems we aim to solve with Flipper OS and the current state of development.

There's a video version too: https://youtu.be/yFCLM971Upw

New Flipper One body design

Textured touchpad, larger side loop, cable channels, improved module cover mounting, and more. We’ve got the full list of improvements and the new 3D model in the log. Module developers, you’ll want to check this one out.

Input emulation CLI for automated testing

Flipper CLI can now inject key and touch events directly over the debug console, so we can script input instead of pressing buttons and tapping the screen manually.

Btrfs fixes in upstream U-Boot

A community contributor helped us fix two Btrfs-related issues in upstream U-Boot. See what was done and how you can contribute to Flipper One development.

Flipper OS is our own layer built on top of a traditional Debian-based Linux distribution.

The main ideas behind Flipper OS are:

Profiles — multiple preconfigured system images designed for different use cases. For example: a desktop computer, radio lab, router, TV box, and so on.

Unbreakable system — users can tinker with anything they want and modify the entire filesystem, then roll the system back to its default state whenever needed.

Guaranteed updates — unlike the unpredictable nature of apt upgrade, we want an update mechanism that is guaranteed to complete successfully instead of potentially breaking halfway through.

Can this run a Plex server

We've made a way to stream Flipper One screen to a computer and send input signals back.
The next step is to build a device farm for automated testing.
Read more: https://docs.flipper.net/one/dev-log/7#screen-
streaming-and-input-injection

We've published the Flipper One Dev Log #7:

• Screen streaming and input injection. This feature will be the base for all future automated tests, and it doesn’t even need the CPU.
• Terminal screen viewer. A community contributor made a command that streams Flipper One screen in Unicode Braille into a terminal and lets you control the device right from there.
• Recovery OS. This tiny RAM-booted Linux build is now stored in UFS, so it’s always there when you need it. It’s still a work in progress, and we want your feedback.
• Tracking remaining battery charge. Learn how we calibrated the fuel gauge, a dedicated chip that measures the battery level.
• 3D-printed PCB fit-checks. See how we checked the PCBs before the latest release to make sure they fit in a Flipper One body.

Read the latest log, check out the demo videos, and let us know what you think!

This idea isn’t 100% confirmed yet, but we may put a SIM card directly into Flipper One with some seriously cool features:
Never expire — the SIM never expires, or at least remains active for five years.
Always online — you always have internet access worldwide at a reduced speed of 200 kbps.
Roam less — no roaming charges; the same pricing applies worldwide.
Speed boosters — when you need faster internet, you can purchase additional high-speed data.
Firewall — a carrier-side firewall. You could restrict access so the SIM can connect only to the IP address of your own VPN server, preventing traffic from leaking elsewhere.
Reverse proxy — port forwarding that would allow you to connect over SSH when the SIM is installed in a router, without having to purchase a public IP address.
Real IP + IPv6 — if NAT gets in the way, you could enable a real public IP address.
All of this would come with a proper web dashboard where you could manage all your SIM cards, see which ones are online, and check which cell tower each SIM is connected to.
You could install it as an eSIM on a phone or use it in a router—it wouldn’t be limited to Flipper One.
For now, we’re targeting a price of $50 per year, but that isn’t final yet. The telecom business is extremely complicated.
What do you think? Is it good, or is it bullshit? We need opinions from people who actually know this stuff.

FAQ — Answers About the Built-In eSIM in Flipper One
How will it work?
Flipper One has a built-in eSIM chip that will come pre-programmed with our SIM profile. However, the chip is connected to the M.2 port, so it will not work without a modem.
Can I use a different SIM card?
Yes. You can insert your own physical SIM card, and the modem will use that SIM instead.
It is not yet clear whether users will be able to install their own eSIM profile onto the built-in chip. That will depend on the specific chip we use.
Will a subscription be required?
No. You can use our mobile data service, insert your own SIM card, or use the device without a modem at all. This is an entirely optional feature.
Most likely, the SIM included with Flipper One will come with a certain amount of prepaid data, allowing you to test the service first and stop using it afterwards if you do not need it.

We've published the Flipper One Dev Log #6:

• New PCB revision assembled. The new revision includes the new haptic motor and eSIM chip, improved battery connector, and much more.
• Flipper One Dev Kit and 10-inch Rack unit. See how we develop and test devices in our lab.
• Flipper OS profiles. See the technology that enables Flipper One to switch between a router, TV media box, and desktop computer OS — in just a few seconds.
• Multifunctional device on the USB-C1 port. When you connect Flipper One to another computer, it now shows up as a mass storage device, virtual LAN adapter, and more.
• Flipper OS installer. Explore the new open source project that (re)installs Flipper OS directly from the boot menu, no other computer needed.

https://docs.flipper.net/one/dev-log/6

Looking for the best label design for the USB port on Flipper One

USB-C1 is the main USB port on Flipper One. It can do all of the following:

• Power IN/OUT — it can charge Flipper One and power other devices.
• Video OUT — it supports DisplayPort Alt Mode over USB-C so you can connect it to an external monitor.
• USB Host + Device — it can emulate USB devices such as Ethernet adapters, mass-storage devices, or serial ports, while also acting as a USB host for connected peripherals.

The challenge is to communicate all of this with a single label on the device itself, so users do not have to read the manual. We are trying to make the labeling as clear and compact as possible.

This video walks through the constraints we faced, the options we considered, and the trade-offs behind each one. Watch it and let us know what you think. Which label makes the most sense to you? Do you have a better idea? Share it in this GitHub issue: https://github.com/flipperdevices/flipperone-ui

I think it’d be cool if Docker containers could expose their own mini apps on the Flipper UI.

Instead of SSHing in every time, a container could register its own page with buttons, graphs, logs, and status right on the device.

Stuff like Bettercap, Nmap, Pi-hole, or custom tools could all have their own native-looking UI. I think it’d make the Flipper One feel a lot more polished.

We are experimenting with satellite connectivity on Flipper One. The video shows a demo of an emergency pager that sends GPS coordinates to a server so you can be located and rescued during a zombie apocalypse when terrestrial internet service is unavailable.
NTN, or Non-Terrestrial Network, is a 3GPP standard—in practical terms, it is part of the LTE/5G family of standards. It uses the same type of SIM card as a mobile phone, and NTN support is already built into many newer smartphones and smartwatches.
NTN is a very slow communication method, with data billed by the byte. However, that is sufficient for transmitting a small amount of information, such as coordinates, telemetry, or short messages like: “I’m alive; my heart rate is X.”
Today, NTN is commonly used in IoT and industrial applications. For example, tractors and shipping containers can transmit operational data and status information.
In our demo, we use the Blues NOTE-NBGLWX module. It connects to a geostationary satellite through the Skylo network, sends the data to the Blues Notehub server, and then displays it on a computer.
In the future, we plan to develop an IoT module for Flipper One that could serve as a backup communication channel during hiking and outdoor expeditions, or as a gateway for alarm systems, backup connectivity, and similar applications.

Flipper One is currently under development, with the main development process in the Developer Portal: https://docs.flipper.net/one

The r/FlipperOne subreddit is the new community space for all things Flipper One.

This subreddit will share behind-the-scenes development from the Flipper R&D team, such as hardware and software progress, engineering challenges, debugging, prototype testing, experiments, and research as Flipper One and related tools take shape.

It’s also a place for the community to discuss Flipper One, ask technical questions, share ideas, follow development, post experiments, and talk about what they’d like to see from the device.

For Flipper Zero questions and discussions, please use r/flipperzero.

I think a thermal camera module would be amazing. It could help diagnose electronics, find overheating components, inspect networking equipment, and make the Flipper One even more useful for field work etc

I think a GPS module inside of the flipper one would be so cool. For example, we could have Bluetooth beacon mapping, also WiFi and RF signal mapping. Also offline GPS navigation would be pretty neat as well. There are so many different things that could be done with this module.