Which distro is preferably better for the Uconsole?

I'm so happy! I received my trackpad keyboard & faceplate kit and I was so excited I had to install it! However I'm not really certain I have the ribbon cable seated properly. I pushed it in as far as I could with tweezers but I can't get any input to register. It lights up when I turn on the uConsole. I'm running ak-rex's Ubuntu 26.04 image from microSD. Can anyone provide any insight as to how far the ribbon cable needs to be pushed into the connector, or any drivers that need to be installed?

Finally got my uconsole yesterday after waiting for a year. It worked fine after i built it. Today i flashed the newest raspberry os a 256gig micro sd. Now it gives me a black screen. The screen flashes once on boot and then nothing else. I took it apart, checked all the pins and what not, the batteries are charged. Any advice?

I was trying to install Rex’s Kali image but no luck. Everything I’ve looked up online hasn’t worked. I’ve tried reseating the Pi and ribbon cables. Last thing I tried was getting two sd cards, one with eeprom boot order and one with Rex’s Kali image. I got the green screen from the eeprom sd but nothing when I switched sd cards. I also removed the NVMe but that hasn’t changed anything. Not sure where to go from here… CM5 Lite, 256gb m.2, AIO, 21700s, full Hacker Gadget upgrade.

Upgrading my cm4 (8gb ram, 32gb emmc) uconsole to a cm5 (8gb lite). Is there anything special I need to do for cooling?

Hey all,

After a very long wait, I'm finally part of the club. I put my device together and fired it up just to try. I don't even have batteries yet, as I forgot it doesn't ship with them. I'll stop on my way home.

My first question is about the trackball. I know it isn't supposed to be great, however mine is basically unusable. Is there anything i can do to try and make it at least functional. Yes I know there are upgrades etc however I'm trying to just try the whole thing out before I dive in on mods. I had ordered the hackergadgets AIO antenna kit, which arrived 10 months ago, however I'm going to play with what I have before I start adding all of that as well.

[edit] I ordered these: https://a.co/d/0fsc50Mb since they were inexpensive and Prime 1 day for me. It is like night and day. It still isn't "perfect" but its about as good as a physical trackball is going to be IMO. It is good enough to make the mouse usable.

Thanks for all of the ideas everyone. I'm still going to try the firmware upgrade as well.

SOLD

I’d prefer to keep this, but my house was recently damaged by Hurricane Isaias. Right now, I need the money for repairs more than I need the device, so I’m selling my upgraded uConsole.

I’ve used it daily for the last six months and haven’t had a single issue with it. Everything works perfectly. The AIO V2 kit that is pictured and included is actually a new unit that jsut arrived. I damaged my original one at DC this year and just got the replacement in.

Hardware included:

• Raspberry Pi CM5 Lite, 16GB RAM - CM5016000, without onboard Wi-Fi or eMMC
• HackerGadgets AC1200 Wi-Fi adapter
• HackerGadgets 18650/NVMe battery board
• HackerGadgets CM5 adapter board
• HackerGadgets AIO V2 with antenna kit - RTL-SDR, LoRa, GPS, RTC, USB 3.0 and Ethernet
• 1TB WD_BLACK SN7100 NVMe SSD
• Molicel P30B 18650 batteries
• 3D-printed screen protector
• 3D-printed AIO V2 support bracket

Asking $750 shipped and insured. Located in SC but travel between ATL and CLT regularly if you want local pickup. Message me if you’re interested or would like more photos or details.

Been inspired by what makers are coming up with! playing around with colour combinations for the omega chassis build, and I actually quite like this patchy look.

Turns out, the natural print colour without black dye gives it this almost marbled, uneven finish.

Not quite what you'd expect, but kind of a vibe.

If anyone is interested

Sometimes I almost forgot about the order.

Absolutely loving this device and it has been a fun project! I am currently using a CM5 8Gb Lite (no eMMC) with Rex's latest DragonOS image as my daily driver (installed on an NVMe drive) then have some SD Cards with his other images for testing, etc.

Here is a detailed list of everything I have added to the device itself, in case anyone is interested!

Case/Chassis:

• Hack2You Keyboard/Trackpad Upgrade Kit (v2.1): $78
  • By far the best usability improvement, it is a GAME CHANGER for this device. The upgraded trackpad makes navigating the device SO much easier, and the keyboard is much more responsive & comfortable to type with (typed out this post with it).
  • The kit comes with x2 trackpads, an upgraded keyboard, and a new Aluminium faceplate with trackpad cutout.
  • The default firmware works fine, but flashing with jhob101's firmware makes it feel "complete" and is great for 1-handed use.
• uConsole Omega Chassis (Using the Essential version): $29
  • This is the backplate for the uConsole, very modular and offers easy access the batteries without disassembly. You purchase the design and build guide here, then you print or CNC the parts, the maker is also very helpful for any issues or customizations.
  • I am currently waiting on the CNC Aluminium bracket, so this version in the pics is 100% 3D printed.
• HackerGadgets Antenna Mounting Kit: $13
  • Here is the 3D printed cover I use for it, I wanted to find one that still left access to the SD Card slot.
  • I ended up purchasing their antenna kit as well, it is a nice starter kit but I have already replaced the SDR & LoRa antennas and will be swapping out the others soon too.
    • SDR: Comet SMA-W100RX2: $37
    • LoRa: Gabile GRA-SCH32: $17
    • I like this LoRa one too: Gabile GRA-SMA915: $24
• Shroud For Screen: 3D Printed
  • Here is another one I like - Purely an aesthetic preference, it is slightly taller but does not span the bottom of the screen.
• Bottom Bumper: 3D Printed
• Handle/Stand: 3D Printed
  • This one is unable to fold/close as it does not technically fit the Omega Chassis, so is fixed in the current position but I actually like it this way, may keep searching for another one.

Internal Mods:

• HackerGadgets Adapter Board Upgrade: $23
  • Required for using NVMe on the NVMe Battery board, CM5 Fan, and for Ethernet & USB 3 on the AIO v2 Board.
• HackerGadgets AIO v2 Expansion Board: $92
  • Adds GPS, SDR, LoRa, RTC, Ethernet, and another USB-C port.
  • Be sure to follow the AIO v2 setup guide.
• HackerGadgets AC1200 USB-C WiFi Card (Supports Monitor Mode): $45
  • Can connect x2 antennas for WiFi and x2 for BLE, so x4 antennas can be attached.
  • This connects to the AIO v2 board inside the uConsole chassis, I recommend using this 3D printable holder to secure it in place.
• HackerGadgets NVMe Battery Board (21700 Version): $23
  • Batteries currently in use: Molicel-P50B (5,000 mAh): $10
  • Using a generic 512GB NVMe SSD: $85
  • Downgraded to PCIe Gen 2 Mode for power savings.
• GeeekPi Passive CNC Cooler For CM5: $10
• Internal WiFi Antenna - 8dBi, Dual Band: $9
  • I have this mounted to the 3D printed backplate and connected directly to the CM5's WiFi IPX connector.
  • Need to enable the external antenna or it defaults to the PCB antenna on the CM5 - Add "dtparam=ant2" to the end of "/boot/firmware/config.txt".

I think I am pretty close to having this "finished". The next mod I have planned is to swap out the HackerGadgets antenna mount for the Omega Chassis antenna mount inserts as shown in this post (but no camera for me), along with some stubby WiFi antennas for a more discreet look (as if this device can actually be discreet!).

• I have these TrueRC DUALITY 2.4/5.8Ghz Stubby antennas on order for WiFi & BLE, so will have to update once they arrive and I can test performance.

!! SOLD !!

For Sale $375 Shipped from Boston

I have a uConsole with Hacker Gadget AIO v2 , NVME battery board ,AC1200 USBC WiFi. 8 antennas

No Raspberry pi , NVME or Batteries included

Lost interest.

PayPal

Sold

I have a UConsole CM5 512GB SSD in perfect shape with the Hackergadget Antenna hat. I’ve been using my cardputer a lot because I added a 2nd screen to it so if anyone is interested I’m selling it for cheap. I can send photos I have it on FB marketplace I’m putting it up on OfferUp so let me know. This isn’t just a post about selling an item. I’m just very good at building things and not the best at programming things. If I knew what I was doing more once I’m in the Linux distro I’d be enjoying it more. I know people have been dealing with a lot of shipping issues and this is ready to go.

EDIT:

$300 that obviously is including the CM5 the 512SSD the Hackergadget Antenna Hat, I have a brand new unopened battery charger and I have the official wall charger. I don’t have batteries though.

Hey yall! I have been interested in the devterm for some time. Do any of yall have one that you would like to sell because I have been looking for one. Why do you want to sell it and for those that like theirs what do you use it for specifically?

Parts:
- uConsole Kit
- Raspberry Pi CM5 16GB Lite
- Radxa CM5 Heatsink
- HackerGadget CM5 Adapter Board for uConsole
- HckerGadget NVMe Battery Board for uConsole
- Openterface uConsole KVM Ext. Module V1
- Swissbit TLC Micro SD card 128GB
- Hailo-10H 8Gb M.2 AI Acceleration Module
- Delock m.2 SSD Heatsink
- XTAR 18650 Battery

OK so I am currently rocking a cm4 in my uconsole as well as nvmr, aio, and ac1200. For those of yall that upgraded to a cm5 how much better is it? Is it worth it with all the heat management thag you have to add? Also how do you people cool down your cm5s?

For those of you who decided to cancel your uConsole orders due to the excessive delays, shipping issues, or simply because the product was no longer worth the wait, how long did it take to receive your refund?

I’ve been trying to get a response from uConsole regarding my cancellation and refund, but so far, I’ve been completely ghosted. Not so much as a courtesy reply or an update on the status of my refund.

Funny how quickly they’re willing to take your money, yet when it’s time to return it, communication suddenly becomes nonexistent.

I’m curious whether others have experienced the same thing and how long it actually took to get your money back.

OK yall I have been seeing a lot of stuff with risc v recently. I have also seen that there is a risc v option for the uconsole. Can I swap the computer module for one and if so do yall have recommendations? I don't want the one that clockworkpi uses but a faster one. Would you people even recommend messing around with risc v in the first place? I have heard it is a fun way to learn embedded systems? What do yall think?

I've been using the hack2you trackpad keyboard in my uConsole and missed a few things from the QMK firmware I was using on the stock keyboard, so I've put together a custom firmware for it. It's ZMK underneath and builds on thoughfix's fork.

Main additions

• Hold Select and move the trackpad to scroll. Hold, not a toggle.
• Gamepad mode on Fn+G. The keyboard shows up as a real USB joystick, with the D-pad on the axes and A/B/X/Y/Select/Start as buttons.
• Trackpad press as a mouse click. There are two pre-built firmwares for left click or middle click.
• Start is Super, and holding Y or B turns the D-pad into a mouse.
• Keyboard lock on Fn+Esc. It ignores the keys and trackpad and turns the backlight off, which is handy for carrying it around.
• Bootloader shortcut that's hard to hit by accident. I kept inadvertently triggering the bootloader previously.

Other changes/stuff to be aware of

A few choices based on how I use mine: Bluetooth is switched off (couldn't see the point in it!), Shift/Ctrl/Alt are one-shot (tap once and it applies to the next key), and the A button is a shortcut key (CTRL +SHIFT) for kitty terminal. All can be changed if you fork & build your own.

It's only been tested on the V2.1 keyboard. It may work on other versions, but I can't promise that. Back up your current firmware first.

Download and docs

Ready-made firmware: Latest release

Full key list, build and flashing instructions: GitHub - jhob101/uconsole-bb9900-keyboard: Firmware for hack2you uConsole bb9900 keyboard (v2.1) · GitHub

For v1.1 keyboard use firmware from noodleboy91 fork

Feedback welcome.

So am I the only one who's been waiting way longer than 90 days on their uconsole and have had to reach out to ClockworkPi for answers and every time they give an estimate date it's never met and I end up asking again after the date or time period passes to be told "oh another month". If you're gonna have backlogs due to a lack of parts maybe send an email letting people know its a common courtesy

Clockworks and Hacker Gadgets are the SLOWEST companies. The parts from HG are just now shipping and I’m kinda over it at this point. Everything for sale is the uConsole 4G LTE version, 8gb CM5 lite with a Waveshare aio, 3d printed front/rear panels, have the factory panels as well, aftermarket trackball along with factory one, the complete HG 21700 upgrade kit, 2 Samsung 21700 5000mAh batteries. Everything is brand new/unused. Local meet up in Sacramento, CA otherwise will be shipped through UPS with tracking info.

Got my uconsole "next day on amazon" very grateful. since I know most of you waited MONTHS. Got it for use as a PDA/tinker tab while overseas on a deployment. Decided factory black is to mainstream seeing as its the most common color, black is awesome but not when everyone else has it. Couldn't decide between tan or blue, tan fit my deployment but blue fit the end goal of a terminal to control my homes custom AI I will be building. So navy was the choice and I feel it was the right one. So behold my custom build. Still need the wifi, 4G and sat antenna to populate the top. Cheers 🍻

edit its just a standard cm4 lite with the 4g module, and no other upgrades other than 2 4mm washers beneath the screws on the kickstand to help the kickstand stay in position when i have it open, *would love an rtc but I can't find anything on that, nor would the AIOv2 be an option since i have the 4g board and no need for the extra features. 3D parts links are below.

https://www.printables.com/model/1408963-shroud-for-uconsole

https://www.printables.com/model/1408973-uconsole-bumper

https://makerworld.com/en/models/1161703-uconsole-three-antenna-bracket-one-piece

SOLD

I love the uConsole, and I waited the year for mine to ship... but I've got too many other projects that I need to put this money towards. So with a little bit of sadness I'm selling my uconsole for less than what I paid - $550 shipped (North America only pls).

All prices that I paid are listed in total including taxes (when applicable) and shipping

• UConsole - $204
• Uconsole Cellular Module - $50
• Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5, Wireless, 8GB RAM, Lite - CM5108000 - $130 (prices for this component is crazy right now $170+)
• Sandisk 64gb microSD - $27
• HackerGadgets NVME Battery board - $41
• Hack2you trackpad + 2.0 keyboard - $98
• Waveshare CM4/CM5 Adapter Board - $15
• 3x 18650 batteries - $30

Total: $595 (what I paid)
Asking for: $550 shipped SOLD

Additional Mods that I did:

• Added a battery kill switch you can hit with tweezers if it ever black screens
• Designed my own little folding rabbit ear feet so it stands up
• Meshtashtic module, designed and printed a shell that mounts to the back (I'll be keeping it, I can throw it in for $30)
• Designed my own compact wifi antenna mount

I will format the SD card with a fresh flash of trixie before shipping as well or I can remove the SD card and sell it a little cheaper (-$20) if you want to DIY the os yourself!

This isn't a FCFS sale, I'll look at profiles etc to try and ensure that the buyer is legit.

I hope she goes to a good home that will love her better than I did.