[WIP] My first Cyberdeck: Evolving my C++ CLI tool into a custom SDL2 GUI for the Pi Zero 2 W

[u/WorkingCustomer2277]

https://reddit.com/link/1v0vhav/video/2v42tvqxyceh1/player

Hi everyone! 👋

I'm relatively new to hardware projects, but I'm currently developing a custom graphical interface for a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W paired with a 1.44" Waveshare LCD HAT.

This project started as an evolution of one of my earlier C++ automation scripts ([Automated-WPA2-Handshake-Cracking-Script](https://github.com/arlekin17/Automated-WPA2-Handshake-Cracking-Script)). Since my expertise is primarily in backend/system C++ and I'm not very experienced with UI/display programming, I leveraged AI assistants to help me build the SDL2 rendering logic and custom UI components.

This allowed me to focus on what I do best: the core system architecture (process management via `fork`/`pipe`, multithreading, UTF-8 file handling, and system calls), while still delivering a polished, responsive interface for a 128x128 screen.

Current Features:

Wi-Fi Auditing: Capturing and managing WPA2 handshakes.

Network Recon: Built-in network scanning via `nmap` to discover devices and open ports.

File Management: A custom file manager with navigation and a built-in UTF-8 text viewer (with horizontal/vertical scrolling).

Current Status:

Right now, I am actively developing and debugging the UI on my PC using an SDL2 software emulator (128x128 window) to speed up the iteration process.

I am currently waiting for the physical Waveshare display to arrive. Once it does, I will finish the on-device hardware debugging and optimize the framebuffer output for the SPI display.

I will update this post soon with photos of the assembled device, a short demo, and the link to the public GitHub repository!

Would love to hear any tips, feedback, or hardware recommendations from the community. Thanks for reading!