PicoCalc SD Card Formatter

A GUI tool for formatting SD cards for use with the PicoCalc device. This tool creates the correct partition layout required by the PicoCalc operating system.

This project was developed with the assistance of Cursor IDE's AI capabilities. The code has been:

• Generated and refined using AI pair programming

• Validated for functionality and security

• Reviewed and tested by human developers

Features

• User-friendly GUI interface

• Automatic device detection

• Safe device validation

• Progress tracking

• Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux)

• Safety checks to prevent accidental system drive formatting

Partition Layout

The tool creates two partitions on your SD card:

1. Main FAT32 partition for user data

2. 32MB system partition for firmware storage

Prerequisites

Prerequisites for Users

• Windows 10/11, macOS 10.15+, or Linux with Python 3.8+

• SD card reader

• Administrator/sudo privileges for device access

Prerequisites for Developers

• Python 3.8 or higher

• pip (Python package installer)

• Git (for version control)

Installation

Installation for Users

1. Download the latest release for your platform from the GitHub Releases page

2. Extract the zip file

3. Run the executable:

   • Windows: Double-click PicoCalc-SD-Formatter.exe

   • macOS: Double-click PicoCalc-SD-Formatter.app

   • Linux: Run ./PicoCalc-SD-Formatter from terminal

For Developers

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/picocalc-sd-formatter.git
   cd picocalc-sd-formatter

2. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Run the tool:

   python sd_formatter.py

4. Build the executable (optional):

   python build.py

Usage

1. Insert your SD card into your computer's card reader

2. Launch the application

3. Select your SD card from the dropdown menu

   • Use the "Show All Disks" button if your card isn't automatically detected

   • Use the "?" button for help with device selection

4. Click "Format SD Card" to begin the process

5. Follow the on-screen instructions and warnings

Safety Features

• System drive detection and protection

• Removable media validation

• Write-protection checks

• Clear warning messages before destructive operations

• Partition alignment validation for optimal performance

Building for Different Platforms

Windows

python build.py

macOS

python build.py

Note for macOS users: The application is signed with an ad hoc signature for basic security. When first running the app:

1. Right-click (or Control-click) the app and select "Open"
2. Click "Open" in the security dialog that appears
3. After the first run, you can open the app normally

The ad hoc signature provides a basic level of code signing without requiring an Apple Developer account. While you'll still see Gatekeeper warnings, this approach allows you to run the application while maintaining a basic level of security validation.

Linux

python build.py

Contributing

1. Fork the repository

2. Create a feature branch

3. Commit your changes

4. Push to the branch

5. Create a Pull Request

Disclaimer

This software:

• May contain code snippets or patterns that were AI-generated

• Could include uncredited code from public sources

• Is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind

• Should be reviewed for security and functionality before use in production environments

Please review the code thoroughly and use at your own discretion. While efforts have been made to ensure quality and security, AI-generated code should always be validated for your specific use case.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• PyQt6 for the GUI framework

• PyInstaller for creating standalone executables

• The PicoCalc community for feedback and support

• Cursor for AI-assisted development

• All unidentified code sources that may have contributed to this project