Files on the device

Device files are the files stored on the device’s own filesystem, as opposed to the files in your project. These commands work on them directly. To copy project files onto the device, see Upload.

All of them, including writing an mp:// buffer, need the port: quit the REPL first.

files or list_files?

:MP files is a browser you can act in: open, edit, download, delete and create. :MP list_files just prints the tree in a terminal, which is quicker when you only want to look.

erase or erase_all?

:MP erase deletes one file or folder that you pick from the top of the device. :MP erase_all deletes everything. Both ask you to confirm first, and erasing never touches your project. To delete something deeper in the tree, use d in :MP files.

:MP files

Opens a browser showing the device’s filesystem as a tree, with file sizes and the free space on the device. It loads in the background, so Neovim stays responsive while the device answers.

Key	Action
<CR>	Open the file under the cursor for editing
d	Delete the file or folder under the cursor (asks first)
D	Download the file under the cursor into the project, at the same path
a	Create a folder inside the folder under the cursor
u	Upload the file you opened the browser from into the folder under the cursor (save it first)
R	Refresh
q	Close

Keys that act on a folder use the folder under the cursor, or the folder of the file under the cursor. On the header lines they use the root of the device.

Editing device files

A device file opens in an mp://<path> buffer. Edit it and :w writes it straight back to the device. You can also open one directly:

:e mp://lib/led.py

Binary files can’t be edited. If a file can’t be read, its buffer stays read-only, so :w can never replace a device file with an empty one. When you quit Neovim, it waits for writes that are still in progress.

:MP list_files

Prints every file and folder on the device as a tree (mpremote tree), in a terminal.

:MP erase

Lists the files and folders at the top of the device and erases the one you pick, once you confirm. It asks Delete <path>?, or Delete <folder>/ and everything in it? for a folder, which is deleted with everything in it. Only Yes deletes: No, or closing the picker, deletes nothing and says so. The delete runs in the background.

:MP erase_all

Erases every file and folder on the device, in a terminal. It asks Delete every file on <port>? first. Only Yes starts it: No, or closing the picker, deletes nothing and says so.

The firmware isn’t affected: MicroPython keeps running, it just has no files. On boards with custom firmware, parts of the filesystem may be read-only, and erase_all can stop with an error when it reaches them.