# Picoware (Open-Source Custom Firmware) **URL:** \ **Category:** PicoCalc\ **Tags:** opensource, firmware\ **Created:** [July 11, 2025, 11:06am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536 "2025-07-11T11:06:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 46
**Author:** ![jblanked](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/jblanked/32/17438_2.png) [@jblanked](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/jblanked)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 8:40pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536/926 "2026-09-23T20:40:24Z")
Hmmm, I dont think so, because `Library -> Applications -> Custom` only loads from `picoware/apps`, and is the only current way to run external Picoware python apps. ---
**Author:** ![MikeJSTB](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/mikejstb/32/12858_2.png) [@MikeJSTB](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/MikeJSTB)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 5:33pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536/927 "2026-09-24T17:33:28Z")
gosh darn it, try as i might i just cant get this piccoware to work. Ive spent the morning setting a brand new virgin SD card but still most everything I try to do, run an app, download an app, retrieve app properties - 80% will fail. So frustrating because I really want this to work. how exactly should i run an app? for instance the app store menu? cuz i went there, downloaded all 80 some apps successfully,. but then what? I tried View Python apps, click the forecast app, get "loading app details, and that errors out with a “failed to load app details”. I hope someone can help this poor old tech dinosaur! ---
**Author:** ![MikeJSTB](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/mikejstb/32/12858_2.png) [@MikeJSTB](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/MikeJSTB)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 5:53pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536/928 "2026-09-24T17:53:32Z")
another example - I picking Applications/App Store and get “error starting view:name ‘\_app\_menu’ isnt defined” huh? ---
**Author:** ![jblanked](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/jblanked/32/17438_2.png) [@jblanked](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/jblanked)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 7:56pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536/929 "2026-09-25T19:56:18Z")
Hey Mike, glad to hear from you again. Let’s walk through these one at a time > [@MikeJSTB](#): > > retrieve app properties - 80% will fail. > [@MikeJSTB](#): > > I tried View Python apps, click the forecast app, get "loading app details, and that errors out with a “failed to load app details”. This is a reported backend issue that is being worked on. It’s not PicoCalc/Picoware related and should hopefully be fixed for the next release. > [@MikeJSTB](#): > > another example - I picking Applications/App Store and get “error starting view:name ‘\_app\_menu’ isnt defined” > huh? This issue was reported shortly after v2.4.1 was released and is fixed. The solution is included in the next release. That `Dowloaded Apps` option (within `Library -> Applications -> App Store`) simply lists the apps that were downloaded from the store. To access the actual apps refer to below 👇 > [@MikeJSTB](#): > > how exactly should i run an app? Custom/externals apps are in `Library -> Applications -> Custom`. Those are community built apps so some may have issues. You can create your own apps using the new IDE (in `Library -> Utilities -> PicoIDE`) following the [Apps guide](https://github.com/jblanked/Picoware/blob/main/guides/Apps.md) > [@MikeJSTB](#): > > for instance the app store menu? cuz i went there, downloaded all 80 some apps successfully,. but then what? Once the apps/scripts/programs are downloaded, you can use them right away. Leave the store, then scroll down and click `C` to run loaded C programs, `Custom` for python, `JavaScript` for mjs scripts, `MMbasic` for mmbasic programs, `Games` for community made python games, or `Screensavers` for community made python screensavers. ---
**Author:** ![MikeJSTB](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/mikejstb/32/12858_2.png) [@MikeJSTB](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/MikeJSTB)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 9:09pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536/930 "2026-09-25T21:09:59Z")
Thanks so much for putting up with me. Ok, so I guess the only thing that’s supposed to work is the last point. I tried all those things and none of them worked. All display the same type of thing, like I pick C and get a black screen with “C” underlined, a row of dots…then the black screen. I tried within the App Store menu there’s the same sort of list of types like C, Custom,etc. they act the same way. So I think my fresh “download all” from the AppStore menu maybe didn’t really work, so to confirm that I tried to pick the Show All that sometimes came up, and it crashes. With “Error starting view name “=app=menu” isn’t defined, then a new error “Error stopping view: name “-app-menu” isn’t defined l” BTW why do menu choices appear /dissapear randomly? Anyway I think I’ll put it down again for a while and it will all work in a few weeks. Thanks again for all your efforts ---
**Author:** ![jblanked](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/jblanked/32/17438_2.png) [@jblanked](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/jblanked)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 9:35pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536/931 "2026-09-25T21:35:59Z")
> [@MikeJSTB](#): > > I tried all those things and none of them worked. All display the same type of thing, like I pick C and get a black screen with “C” underlined, a row of dots…then the black screen. That would mean none of the apps/programs were downloaded to your SD card. > [@MikeJSTB](#): > > I tried within the App Store menu there’s the same sort of list of types like C, Custom,etc. they act the same way. So I think my fresh “download all” from the AppStore menu maybe didn’t really work, so to confirm that I tried to pick the Show All that sometimes came up, and it crashes. With “Error starting view name “=app=menu” isn’t defined, then a new error “Error stopping view: name “-app-menu” isn’t defined l” The individual options `View All C`, `View All Python`, etc, will list only those scripts available within the category. If you’re having trouble with the store, you should manually populate your SD card: [Picoware/guides/Installation.md at main · jblanked/Picoware · GitHub](https://github.com/jblanked/Picoware/blob/main/guides/Installation.md) > [@MikeJSTB](#): > > BTW why do menu choices appear /dissapear randomly? Which menu choices are appearing/disappearing randomly? ---
**Author:** ![MikeJSTB](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/mikejstb/32/12858_2.png) [@MikeJSTB](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/MikeJSTB)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 11:07pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536/932 "2026-09-25T23:07:19Z")
I think after I did an App Store Download All, when it finished the transfer, told me success…I think immediately when I hit back to back out to the menu that there was a choice of seeing or viewing all the new downloads. I may be wrong. I’m pretty tired of doing the download all thing but next time I do I’ll watch more carefully ---
**Author:** ![dzubin](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/dzubin/32/17992_2.png) [@dzubin](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/dzubin)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 11:23pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536/933 "2026-10-02T23:23:02Z")
Feature request: any chance of putting a “BOOTSEL” item into your Picoware menu (make it hard to accidentally request), that will put the PicoCalc into BOOTSEL mode? I’m doing a lot of flashing back and forth of various programs and it would be nice to have a software BOOTSEL instead of having to use a paperclip to press down the bootsel button on the Pico board while putting in the --USB connector. All of my programs use the tilde (“~”) key as a “backdoor” to get into BOOTSEL mode and it would be nice if PicoWare had an easy way to do it without the “paperclip method” haha ---
**Author:** ![jblanked](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/jblanked/32/17438_2.png) [@jblanked](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/jblanked)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 11:32pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536/934 "2026-10-02T23:32:48Z")
Hey, there’s one within Picoware currently. Go to `Library -> System -> Bootloader` 🔥 ---
**Author:** ![dzubin](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/dzubin/32/17992_2.png) [@dzubin](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/dzubin)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 11:33pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536/935 "2026-10-02T23:33:14Z")
arrrghhh… I missed that. Sorry! and thanks! Just as an FYI: I had my PicoCalc plugged into my Windows laptop running my SDCard-over-USB program and I asked Claude AI to install Picoware to my D: drive (my RP2040) and it did it completely! It made the directories… it copied over all the apps and then it asked me to put it into BOOTSEL mode and copied over the PicoWare UF2 file and it all worked without a hitch! Fantastic! ---
**Author:** ![jblanked](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/jblanked/32/17438_2.png) [@jblanked](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/jblanked)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2026, 6:53pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536/936 "2026-10-03T18:53:41Z")
NEW Picoware update v2.5.0 🥳 This release adds support for 4 new devices (POOM, PicoDuo, Elecrow’s CrowPanel 2.01", and Waveshare’s ESP32-C6 OLED Touch Watch), 2 new apps (`PGE Adventure` and `Sprite3D Editor`), and many optimizations (game engine with a reduced memory footprint, audio driver with DMA and 10-bit PWM, multiple ESP32 crash fixes, and more). Check out the full release notes here: > **[Release Picoware - v2.5.0 · jblanked/Picoware](https://github.com/jblanked/Picoware/releases/tag/v2.5.0)** > > This release adds support for 4 new devices (POOM, PicoDuo, Elecrow's CrowPanel 2.01", and Waveshare's ESP32-C6 OLED Touch Watch), 2 new apps (PGE Adventure and Sprite3D Editor), and many optimizat... ---
**Author:** ![Laurent\_Ignacel](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/laurent_ignacel/32/17868_2.png) [@Laurent\_Ignacel](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/Laurent_Ignacel)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2026, 10:41pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536/937 "2026-10-03T22:41:53Z")
You’ve convinced me to upgrade my PicoCalc and, at 55, to give up MMBasic in favor of this mini OS. My PicoCalc has a hardware problem: the screen has 4 dead lines at the top, i.e. 40 dead pixels. Which OS file should I edit so that the display starts lower (the status bar with WiFi, BT, etc. 40 pixels below 0,0)? Thanks for your help. ---
**Author:** ![Toml\_12953](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/toml_12953/32/11925_2.png) [@Toml\_12953](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/Toml_12953)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 9:44am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536/938 "2026-10-04T09:44:03Z")
Did your PicoCalc come that way or did it happen soon after you got it? If either one, email to get it replaced free. ---
**Author:** ![jblanked](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/jblanked/32/17438_2.png) [@jblanked](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/jblanked)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 11:49am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536/939 "2026-10-04T11:49:31Z")
Hey! Glad to hear you’re interested in Picoware 🔥 - change the following to `42` in [Picoware/src/MicroPython/picoware/gui/desktop.py at 566d2e59982091e3ae90f7a7bb5fc644ecf162c0 · jblanked/Picoware · GitHub](https://github.com/jblanked/Picoware/blob/566d2e59982091e3ae90f7a7bb5fc644ecf162c0/src/MicroPython/picoware/gui/desktop.py#L1151) - change the following to `42` in [Picoware/src/MicroPython/picoware/gui/desktop.py at 566d2e59982091e3ae90f7a7bb5fc644ecf162c0 · jblanked/Picoware · GitHub](https://github.com/jblanked/Picoware/blob/566d2e59982091e3ae90f7a7bb5fc644ecf162c0/src/MicroPython/picoware/gui/desktop.py#L1158) - change the `self.display.scale_y(5)` to `self.display.scale_y(45)` [Picoware/src/MicroPython/picoware/gui/desktop.py at 566d2e59982091e3ae90f7a7bb5fc644ecf162c0 · jblanked/Picoware · GitHub](https://github.com/jblanked/Picoware/blob/566d2e59982091e3ae90f7a7bb5fc644ecf162c0/src/MicroPython/picoware/gui/desktop.py#L1123) - change the `self.display.scale_y(5)` to `self.display.scale_y(45)` [Picoware/src/MicroPython/picoware/gui/desktop.py at 566d2e59982091e3ae90f7a7bb5fc644ecf162c0 · jblanked/Picoware · GitHub](https://github.com/jblanked/Picoware/blob/566d2e59982091e3ae90f7a7bb5fc644ecf162c0/src/MicroPython/picoware/gui/desktop.py#L1129) As Toml suggested, reach out to `alex@clockworkpi.com` about a screen replacement. I think you have up to 6-months for a free replacement (though I’ve seen a person get one after buying through a third-party vendor that bought in early) ---
**Author:** ![sonietje](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/sonietje/32/8745_2.png) [@sonietje](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/sonietje)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2026, 6:13pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536/940 "2026-10-06T18:13:48Z")
Hi, I started today with the latest version of the Picoware firmware on my Picocalc with the pico 2W installed. I’m still testing all the interesting functions but I’m really interested in using the picoide to create MMBasic programs. When I use the example hello.bas program and try to run in in MMBasic the screen flashes for a second and then there is nothing, only a black screen. The example clock program is working. I’m I missing something or could it be a problem with my version of the firmware I installed. ---
**Author:** ![jblanked](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/jblanked/32/17438_2.png) [@jblanked](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/jblanked)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2026, 10:23pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536/941 "2026-10-06T22:23:19Z")
Hey, thanks for checking out Picoware! Could you point to where the `hello.bas` program comes from? The only example Picoware provides is the `clock.bas` program ---
**Author:** ![sonietje](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/sonietje/32/8745_2.png) [@sonietje](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/sonietje)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 8:44am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536/942 "2026-10-07T08:44:11Z")
I found the example on your github page ‘guides/MMBasic.md’. I entered the program with the picoedi app and tried to run it with the MMBasic app. ---
**Author:** ![jblanked](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/jblanked/32/17438_2.png) [@jblanked](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/jblanked)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 11:25pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536/943 "2026-10-07T23:25:09Z")
Ohh I see now. I think `PRINT` is supposed to print to serial/REPL. This should do give the same result but show on screen: ```auto CLS COLOR RGB(white) TEXT 0, 0, "Hello from MMBasic!",cm TEXT 0, 10, "What is your name?",cm INPUT "What is your name? ", name$ TEXT 0, 40, "Hi, " + name$,cm END ``` ---
**Author:** ![sonietje](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/sonietje/32/8745_2.png) [@sonietje](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/sonietje)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 8:52am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536/944 "2026-10-09T08:52:53Z")
I tried your code but I get an error message: Error running view: memory allocation failed, allocating 32768 bytes It seems that all graphical programs are working (eg the mand.bas program). As long as no ‘cls’ command is used the print command is also working. The ‘cls’ command blanks the screen and nothing is displayed anymore. ---
**Author:** ![jblanked](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/jblanked/32/17438_2.png) [@jblanked](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/jblanked)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 10:00am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536/945 "2026-10-09T10:00:21Z")
Hmm I’m assuming you’re using the Raspberry Pi Pico that shipped with the PicoCalc? I recommend using a Pico2w (that’s what I tested the above script on) In a future release, I could look into moving some of the MMBasic buffers into PSRAM (we have about 7mb free). I did plan on moving the audio buffers into PSRAM too (which would free 32kb) [Previous page](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536.md?page=45) [Next page](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/picoware-open-source-custom-firmware/18536.md?page=47)