--- name: "dfu-util" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "dfu-util" version: "0.11-3" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/dfu-util" --- # dfu-util(1) Device firmware update (DFU) USB programmer ## NAME dfu-util - Device firmware update (DFU) USB programmer ## SYNOPSIS **dfu-util** **-l** \[**-v**\] \[**-d** *vid:pid*\[,*vid:pid*\]\] \[**-p** *path*\] \[**-c** *configuration*\] \[**-i** *interface*\] \[**-a** *alt-intf*\] \[**-S** *serial*\[,*serial*\]\] **dfu-util** \[**-v**\] \[**-d** *vid:pid*\[,*vid:pid*\]\] \[**-p** *path*\] \[**-c** *configuration*\] \[**-i** *interface*\] \[**-a** *alt-intf*\] \[**-S** *serial*\[,*serial*\]\] \[**-t** *size*\] \[**-Z** *size*\] \[**-w**\] \[**-s** *address*\] \[**-R**\] \[**-D**\|**-U** *file*\] **dfu-util** \[**-hV**\] ## DESCRIPTION **dfu-util** is a program that implements the host (computer) side of the USB DFU (Universal Serial Bus Device Firmware Upgrade) protocol. dfu-util communicates with devices that implement the device side of the USB DFU protocol, and is often used to upgrade the firmware of such devices. ## OPTIONS - **-l, --list** List the currently attached DFU capable USB devices. - **-d, --device** \[*Run-Time VENDOR*\]:\[*Run-Time PRODUCT*\]\[,\[*DFU Mode VENDOR*\]:\[*DFU Mode PRODUCT*\]\] Specify run-time and/or DFU mode vendor and/or product IDs of the DFU device to work with. **VENDOR** and **PRODUCT** are hexadecimal numbers (no prefix needed), "\*" (match any), or "-" (match nothing). By default, any DFU capable device in either run-time or DFU mode will be considered. If you only have one standards-compliant DFU device attached to your computer, this parameter is optional. However, as soon as you have multiple DFU devices connected, dfu-util will detect this and abort, asking you to specify which device to use. If only run-time IDs are specified (e.g. "**--device 1457:51ab**"), then in addition to the specified run-time IDs, any DFU mode devices will also be considered. This is beneficial to allow a DFU capable device to be found again after a switch to DFU mode, since the vendor and/or product ID of a device usually changes in DFU mode. If only DFU mode IDs are specified (e.g. "**--device ,951:26**"), then all run-time devices will be ignored, making it easy to target a specific device in DFU mode. If both run-time and DFU mode IDs are specified (e.g. "**--device** **1457:51ab,:2bc**"), then unspecified DFU mode components will use the run-time value specified. Examples: - **--device 1457:51ab,951:26** Work with a device in run-time mode with vendor ID 0x1457 and product ID 0x51ab, or in DFU mode with vendor ID 0x0951 and product ID 0x0026 - **--device 1457:51ab,:2bc** Work with a device in run-time mode with vendor ID 0x1457 and product ID 0x51ab, or in DFU mode with vendor ID 0x1457 and product ID 0x02bc - **--device 1457:51ab** Work with a device in run-time mode with vendor ID 0x1457 and product ID 0x51ab, or in DFU mode with any vendor and product ID - **--device ,951:26** Work with a device in DFU mode with vendor ID 0x0951 and product ID 0x0026 - **--device \*,-** Work with any device in run-time mode, and ignore any device in DFU mode - **--device ,** Ignore any device in run-time mode, and Work with any device in DFU mode - **-p, --path** BUS-PORT. ... .PORT Specify the path to the DFU device. - **-c, --cfg** CONFIG-NR Specify the configuration of the DFU device. Note that this is only used for matching, the configuration is not set by dfu-util. - **-i, --intf** INTF-NR Specify the DFU interface number. - **-a, --alt** ALT Specify the altsetting of the DFU interface by name or by number. - **-S, --serial** \[*Run-Time SERIAL*\]\[,\[*DFU Mode SERIAL*\]\] Specify the run-time and DFU mode serial numbers used to further restrict device matches. If multiple, identical DFU devices are simultaneously connected to a system then vendor and product ID will be insufficient for targeting a single device. In this situation, it may be possible to use this parameter to specify a serial number which also must match. If only a single serial number is specified, then the same serial number is used in both run-time and DFU mode. An empty serial number will match any serial number in the corresponding mode. - **-t, --transfer-size** SIZE Specify the number of bytes per USB transfer. The optimal value is usually determined automatically so this option is rarely useful. If you need to use this option for a device, please report it as a bug. - **-Z, --upload-size** SIZE Specify the expected upload size, in bytes. Note that the value is only used for scaling the progress bar, the actual upload size is determined by the device. - **-U, --upload** FILE Read firmware from device into **FILE**. - **-D, --download** FILE Write firmware from **FILE** into device. When **FILE** is -, the firmware is read from stdin. - **-R, --reset** Issue USB reset signalling after upload or download has finished. - **-e, --detach** Request that the device re-enumerate out of run-time mode and into DFU mode as when uploading or downloading, but exit immediately after sending the request. - **-E, --detach-delay** SECONDS When uploading or downloading, wait **SECONDS** seconds for the device to re-enumerate after sending the detach request before giving up. Defaults to 5 seconds. This option has no effect with **-e**, since that causes dfu-util to immediately exit after sending the detach request. - **-w, --wait** Wait until matching device appears on the USB bus. - **-s, --dfuse-address** \[*ADDRESS*\]\[:*LENGTH*\]\[:*MODIFIERS*\] Specify target address for raw binary download/upload on DfuSe devices. Do **not** use this option for downloading DfuSe (.dfu) files. A length can be specified for uploads. Modifiers can be added after the address, separated by a colon, to perform special DfuSE commands such as "leave" DFU mode, "unprotect" and "mass-erase" flash memory. If the device can be expected to reset itself after the operation, "will-reset" should be added. The "force" modifier will override some sanity checks, and is also needed for the "unprotect" and "mass-erase" operations. - **-v, --verbose** Print more information about dfu-util's operation. A second **-v** adds more details. A third **-v** activates verbose logging of USB requests (libusb debug output). - **-h, --help** Show a help text and exit. - **-V, --version** Show version information and exit. ## EXAMPLES ### Using dfu-util in the OpenMoko project (with the Neo1973 hardware) Flashing the rootfs:\ **$ dfu-util -a rootfs -R -D /path/to/openmoko-devel-image.jffs2** Flashing the kernel:\ **$ dfu-util -a kernel -R -D /path/to/uImage** Flashing the bootloader:\ **$ dfu-util -a u-boot -R -D /path/to/u-boot.bin** Copying a kernel into RAM:\ **$ dfu-util -a 0 -R -D /path/to/uImage** Once this has finished, the kernel will be available at the default load address of 0x32000000 in Neo1973 RAM. **Note:** You cannot transfer more than 2MB of data into RAM using this method. ### Using dfu-util with a DfuSe device Flashing a **.dfu** (special DfuSe format) file to the device:\ **$ dfu-util -D /path/to/dfuse-image.dfu** Reading out 1 KB of flash starting at address 0x8000000:\ **$ dfu-util -a 0 -s 0x08000000:1024 -U newfile.bin** Flashing a binary file to address 0x8004000 of device memory and ask the device to leave DFU mode:\ **$ dfu-util -a 0 -s 0x08004000:leave -D /path/to/image.bin** ## BUGS Please report any bugs to the dfu-util bug tracker at **http://sourceforge.net/p/dfu-util/tickets/**. Please use the *--verbose* option (repeated as necessary) to provide more information in your bug report. ## SEE ALSO The dfu-util home page is **http://dfu-util.sourceforge.net/** ## HISTORY dfu-util was originally written for the OpenMoko project by Weston Schmidt \ and Harald Welte \. Over time, nearly complete support of DFU 1.0, DFU 1.1 and DfuSe ("1.1a") has been added. ## LICENCE **dfu-util** is covered by the GNU General Public License (GPL), version 2 or later. ## COPYRIGHT This manual page was originally written by Uwe Hermann \, and is now part of the dfu-util project.