Developer Setup

Clone Frothy, build its CLI, install ESP-IDF, and produce firmware or editor packages.


This is the source checkout path for firmware and Frothy contributors. Most users should start with the browser flasher instead; it needs no local compiler or ESP-IDF installation.

Requirements

  • macOS or Linux
  • Go 1.22 or newer
  • git, make, and a C compiler
  • an ESP32 development board with USB serial

Windows is not a supported local CLI build path yet.

Build The CLI

git clone https://github.com/nikokozak/FrothyRewrite
cd FrothyRewrite
make cli
frothy --help

make cli prints the directory containing frothy if it is not already on your PATH.

Install The Firmware Toolchain

Firmware development uses Espressif’s ESP-IDF. Install it once under ~/.froth/:

frothy bootstrap
frothy doctor

Use frothy bootstrap --force only when you intentionally want to replace the local toolchain installation.

Build And Flash A Board

With one supported board connected:

frothy flash esp32_devkit_v1
frothy connect

When several serial devices are connected, pass the board explicitly:

frothy flash esp32_devkit_v1 --port /dev/cu.usbserial-0001

The browser flasher’s release bundle is built from every official board manifest and each ESP-IDF build’s own flash addresses:

tools/build-flasher-bundle.sh ../app/priv/static/firmware

Local Projects

mkdir my-sketch
cd my-sketch
frothy init
frothy send main.fr

VS Code Development

Ordinary users can install Frothy from the VS Code Marketplace. To test a local extension build instead:

make vsix
code --install-extension editors/vscode/frothy-0.4.0.vsix

Set frothy.binaryPath when the extension cannot find your locally built CLI. The editor reference describes the commands and shortcuts.