FlockFlasher App
The FlockFlasher is a cross-platform desktop application for creating bootable, pre-configured flash drives for IronFlock devices.
Download
| Platform | Link |
|---|---|
| Windows | flockflasher-setup.exe |
| macOS (Apple Silicon) | flockflasher-arm64.dmg |
| macOS (Intel) | flockflasher-x64.dmg |
| Linux | flockflasher.AppImage |
FlockFlasher is also offered as a download when you add your first device on IronFlock.
Main Panel
The main panel shows a list of devices to flash. Add a device by clicking the + icon or by double-clicking any .flock file.
If a flash drive is detected, it is automatically assigned. Otherwise, select an available drive from the dropdown.
You can also set a WiFi network here — the device will use it for its initial internet connection.
The WiFi network must be available where the device will boot. You can add more WiFi networks later through IronFlock. If the device connects via Ethernet or mobile, WiFi setup is optional.
Drive Management
Open the left drawer to see all attached external flash drives. Each drive can be individually enabled or disabled.
Never select a drive containing important data. The flashing process completely erases the target drive. FlockFlasher hides internal drives by default, but verify your selection before flashing.
Click the refresh button if you insert a drive after opening FlockFlasher.
Settings
The right drawer provides:
- Theme — Switch between light and dark mode.
- Block sizes — Customize read/write block sizes for the flashing process. Higher values are faster but may cause more errors depending on the drive.
Flashing Process
- Click Flash on an individual device or Flash All to flash all listed devices simultaneously.
- Your OS will ask for elevated privileges (admin/sudo password) to access the raw flash drive.
- The process runs in three stages:
- Writing — The OS image is written to the drive.
- Validation — The written image is verified for integrity.
- Configuration — Device credentials from the
.flockfile are applied.
FlockFlasher supports parallel flashing of multiple devices, limited only by available card readers and USB hubs.
Your admin password is used only to acquire drive access permissions and is not stored.
Feature Comparison
FlockFlasher is the only tool that runs on all three major operating systems and offers parallel flashing, image validation, and automatic device configuration. Alternatives like balenaEtcher, Raspberry Pi Imager, or dd can prepare bootable drives but lack native IronFlock integration.