Flipper Devices, known for the Flipper Zero pentesting tool, is asking the open source community to help build the Flipper One, a portable ARM Linux computer designed for networking and hardware experimentation. Unlike its predecessor, which focuses on offline access control and radio technologies like NFC, RFID, and infrared, the Flipper One is built as a high-performance Linux platform capable of supporting software-defined radio (SDR) analysis and local large language models. The company emphasizes that Flipper One is not an upgrade to Flipper Zero but an entirely different project with distinct goals.
Hardware Design and Modular Capabilities
The Flipper One hardware is centered around a Rockchip RK3576 ARM system on a chip with 8 GB of RAM, paired with a Raspberry Pi RP2350 microcontroller in a dual processor architecture. The main CPU handles Linux workloads while the MCU independently manages the display, power subsystem, buttons, and boot process. This design allows the device to remain operational even when the operating system is powered off. The device is modular, supporting M.2 and GPIO interfaces, as well as PCIe, USB 3.1, SATA, UART, I2C, and SIM connections. This enables users to add SDRs, SSDs, Wi-Fi cards, AI accelerators, and 5G or satellite modems. Flipper Devices states the device can function as a router, VPN gateway, portable Linux workstation, or TV media box.
Development Challenges and Community Involvement
Flipper One has been in development for years, but the project has proven more difficult than expected. Major hurdles include achieving full mainline Linux support for the RK3576 SoC, removing proprietary components, developing the custom dual processor architecture drivers, building the Flipper OS and FlipCTL framework, and resolving hardware compatibility issues. The company describes the current state of ARM Linux as difficult to work with, citing closed boot blobs and vendor specific patches. Collabora is currently helping add full support for the Rockchip RK3576 SoC into the mainline Linux kernel, which Flipper Devices says is progressing well. The project is actively seeking engineers, software developers, designers, and enthusiastic users to participate in development and help shape the final product.
Source: BleepingComputer
