https://github.com/flintwave/flintwave-kdh-flasher
Cross-platform firmware flasher for BTECH, Baofeng, Radtel, and other KDH bootloader radios. GUI + CLI. Linux, macOS, Windows.
https://github.com/flintwave/flintwave-kdh-flasher
baofeng btech firmware flasher ham-radio radio
Last synced: 9 days ago
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Cross-platform firmware flasher for BTECH, Baofeng, Radtel, and other KDH bootloader radios. GUI + CLI. Linux, macOS, Windows.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/flintwave/flintwave-kdh-flasher
- Owner: FlintWave
- License: gpl-3.0
- Created: 2026-03-26T23:58:24.000Z (4 months ago)
- Default Branch: master
- Last Pushed: 2026-07-17T06:21:15.000Z (10 days ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-07-17T06:21:18.505Z (10 days ago)
- Topics: baofeng, btech, firmware, flasher, ham-radio, radio
- Language: Python
- Size: 781 KB
- Stars: 1
- Watchers: 1
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- License: LICENSE
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README
# FlintWave Flash
[](https://github.com/FlintWave/flintwave-kdh-flasher/actions/workflows/tests.yml)
A cross-platform tool for flashing `.kdhx` firmware to radios that use the KDH bootloader — BTECH, Baofeng, Radtel, and others. Works on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Maintained by [FlintWave Radio Tools](https://github.com/FlintWave). Contact: flintwave@tuta.com
## Status
**Tested** — successfully flashed BF-F8HP Pro (V0.53) on Linux. Community testing reports for other radios welcome — please open an issue.
## Download
### Installers (recommended)
Download from [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/FlintWave/flintwave-kdh-flasher/releases/latest):
| OS | Download | Install |
|----|----------|---------|
| Linux (Debian/Ubuntu/Pop!_OS/Mint) | [flintwave-flash_amd64.deb](https://github.com/FlintWave/flintwave-kdh-flasher/releases/latest/download/flintwave-flash_26.05.6_amd64.deb) | `sudo dpkg -i *.deb` |
| Linux (Fedora/RHEL/openSUSE) | [flintwave-flash.x86_64.rpm](https://github.com/FlintWave/flintwave-kdh-flasher/releases/latest/download/flintwave-flash-v26.05.6-1.x86_64.rpm) | `sudo rpm -i *.rpm` |
| Windows | [FlintWave-Flash-Setup.exe](https://github.com/FlintWave/flintwave-kdh-flasher/releases/latest/download/FlintWave-Flash-Setup.exe) | Run the installer |
| macOS | [FlintWave-Flash.dmg](https://github.com/FlintWave/flintwave-kdh-flasher/releases/latest/download/FlintWave-Flash.dmg) | Drag to Applications |
### Portable (no install)
| OS | Download | How to run |
|----|----------|-----------|
| Linux | [FlintWave-Flash.AppImage](https://github.com/FlintWave/flintwave-kdh-flasher/releases/latest/download/FlintWave-Flash-x86_64.AppImage) | `chmod +x` and double-click |
| Windows | [FlintWave-Flash.exe](https://github.com/FlintWave/flintwave-kdh-flasher/releases/latest/download/FlintWave-Flash.exe) | Double-click to run |
### Install from source
#### Linux (one-liner)
```
curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/FlintWave/flintwave-kdh-flasher/master/install.sh | bash
```
This installs dependencies, clones the repo, adds a desktop launcher, and sets up serial port access.
#### Linux (manual)
```bash
sudo apt install python3-wxgtk4.0 python3-serial python3-requests python3-rarfile unrar git
git clone https://github.com/FlintWave/flintwave-kdh-flasher.git
cd flintwave-kdh-flasher
python3 flash_firmware_gui.py
```
Add yourself to the `dialout` group for serial port access:
```
sudo usermod -aG dialout $USER
```
Log out and back in for the group change to take effect.
#### macOS
```bash
brew install python wxpython unrar
pip3 install pyserial requests rarfile
git clone https://github.com/FlintWave/flintwave-kdh-flasher.git
cd flintwave-kdh-flasher
python3 flash_firmware_gui.py
```
#### Windows
1. Install [Python 3.10+](https://python.org) — **check "Add Python to PATH" during install**
2. Open Command Prompt and run:
```
py -m pip install pyserial wxPython requests rarfile
```
3. Download and extract the [ZIP](https://github.com/FlintWave/flintwave-kdh-flasher/archive/refs/heads/master.zip)
4. Run:
```
py flash_firmware_gui.py
```
Or download and run `install.bat` for an automated setup.
## Supported Radios
| Radio | Manufacturer | Firmware Download | Tested |
|-------|-------------|-------------------|--------|
| BF-F8HP Pro | BTECH | Automatic | Yes |
| UV-25 Plus / UV-25 Pro | Baofeng | Automatic | No |
| RT-470 | Radtel | Automatic (live) | No |
| RT-490 | Radtel | Automatic (live) | No |
| Other KDH Radio | Generic | Manual (browse) | — |
The "Other KDH Radio" option works with any radio that uses the KDH bootloader — browse for a `.kdhx` file and flash it. Many radios from Abbree, Hamgeek, Socotran, JJCC, and other manufacturers use this bootloader.
Radio definitions live in `radios.json`. Firmware URLs are also tracked in `firmware_manifest.json`, which is fetched at runtime from GitHub — new firmware URLs can be published via PR without an app update. Radtel radios additionally get live firmware discovery by scraping the manufacturer's download page.
## Features
- **GUI and CLI** interfaces
- **Multilingual UI** — English, 中文 (Simplified Chinese), Français, Deutsch, Italiano, Español, العربية (with RTL layout), Русский. English ships bundled in the binary; other languages download on demand from this repo and are cached locally
- **Three-column workflow** — BalenaEtcher-style Firmware → Handset → Flash layout with workflow gating; each column unlocks as you complete the previous step
- **Radio selector** with per-model bootloader instructions, connector type, tested status, and freeform notes from `radios.json`
- **Firmware download** from manufacturer websites with version tracking
- **Remote firmware manifest** — new firmware URLs published without app updates
- **Version comparison** — warns before flashing same or older firmware
- **Inline handset list** — multi-select USB serial ports with `CMD_HANDSHAKE` probing; PC03 / FTDI / CH340 / Prolific / CP2102 cables auto-detected, hot-plug auto-refresh
- **Batch flash** — check multiple handsets and flash them sequentially with per-port status and progress
- **Dry run mode** — verify firmware files without touching the radio
- **Serial diagnostics** — test cable and radio communication
- **Catppuccin themes** — Mocha (dark) and Latte (light), with a one-click ☀ / ☾ toggle in the status bar; the initial theme follows the OS color scheme
- **Adjustable font sizes** for accessibility (9 / 11 / 12 / 14 / 16 pt)
- **Update notifications** — background check on launch surfaces an "Update Available" link in the status bar when a newer release ships; clicking it opens the releases page (no in-app auto-apply)
- **Test report submission** after flashing
- Cross-platform: Linux, macOS, Windows
## Languages
Pick a language from the dropdown in the title bar. Available locales:
| Code | Native name |
|-------|------------|
| en | English (bundled) |
| zh-CN | 中文 |
| fr | Français |
| de | Deutsch |
| it | Italiano |
| es | Español |
| ar | العربية (RTL layout) |
| ru | Русский |
Translation files live in `translations/.json`. When you pick a non-English language for the first time the app downloads that file from the GitHub repo and caches it under `~/.flintwave-flash/translations/`; subsequent runs load the cached copy. The non-English catalogs are initial machine-translated stubs (`_meta.reviewed: false`) — community review PRs welcome.
## CLI Usage
### Flash firmware
```
python3 flash_firmware.py /dev/ttyUSB0 firmware.kdhx
```
### Dry run
```
python3 flash_firmware.py --dry-run none firmware.kdhx
```
### Diagnostics
```
python3 flash_firmware.py --diag /dev/ttyUSB0
```
## Protocol
The KDH bootloader uses a packetized serial protocol at 115200 baud (8N1).
### Packet format
```
[0xAA][cmd][seed][lenH][lenL][data...][crcH][crcL][0xEF]
```
CRC-16/CCITT (poly 0x1021, init 0x0000) over cmd+seed+len+data.
### Manual download sequence
| Step | Command | Byte | Payload |
|------|---------|------|---------|
| 1 | Handshake | 0x01 | `"BOOTLOADER"` (10 bytes) |
| 2 | Announce chunks | 0x04 | 1 byte: total 1024-byte chunks |
| 3 | Send data (repeat) | 0x03 | 1024 bytes per chunk |
| 4 | End | 0x45 | (none) |
### Error codes
| Code | Meaning |
|------|---------|
| 0xE1 | Handshake code error (fatal) |
| 0xE2 | Data verification error (retryable) |
| 0xE3 | Incorrect address error (fatal) |
| 0xE4 | Flash write error (fatal) |
| 0xE5 | Command error (fatal) |
## Contributing
- **Test reports** — flash your radio and submit a report (the app offers this after flashing)
- **New radios** — add your radio to `radios.json` and submit a PR
- **Firmware URLs** — found a new firmware version? Update `firmware_manifest.json` and submit a PR. The app fetches this file at runtime, so users get the new URL immediately
- **Bug fixes** — always welcome
## License
GNU General Public License v3.0 — see [LICENSE](LICENSE) for the full text.
This is a copyleft license: you are free to use, modify, and redistribute this software, but any derivative work you distribute must also be released under the GPL v3.0 (or a later compatible version) and must include source code.