everything working and tested on separate computer

flash_tool/.claude/settings.local.json

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  "permissions": {
+    "allow": [
+      "Bash(python:*)"
+    ],
+    "deny": [],
+    "ask": []
+  }
+}

flash_tool/ESP32_WebFlasher_Windows.spec

@@ -6,8 +6,14 @@ block_cipher = None
 import os
 import sys
 
-# Hardcode the venv esptool path since PyInstaller might run from different env
+# Find esptool installation dynamically
-esptool_dir = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(SPECPATH), 'venv', 'Lib', 'site-packages', 'esptool')
+try:
+    import esptool
+    esptool_dir = os.path.dirname(esptool.__file__)
+    print(f"Found esptool at: {esptool_dir}")
+except ImportError:
+    print("Warning: esptool not found, stub files will not be included")
+    esptool_dir = None
 
 # Build datas list - include all esptool data files
 datas_list = [
@@ -16,8 +22,10 @@ datas_list = [
 ]
 
 # Add esptool targets directory (includes stub_flasher JSON files)
-if os.path.exists(os.path.join(esptool_dir, 'targets')):
+if esptool_dir and os.path.exists(os.path.join(esptool_dir, 'targets')):
-    datas_list.append((os.path.join(esptool_dir, 'targets'), 'esptool/targets'))
+    targets_dir = os.path.join(esptool_dir, 'targets')
+    datas_list.append((targets_dir, 'esptool/targets'))
+    print(f"Including esptool targets from: {targets_dir}")
 
 a = Analysis(
     ['web_flasher.py'],

flash_tool/web_flasher.py

@@ -177,6 +177,8 @@ def flash_worker(temp_dir, port, chip, baud, flash_mode, flash_freq, flash_size)
     """Background worker for flashing firmware"""
     global flash_status
     import re
+    import io
+    from contextlib import redirect_stdout, redirect_stderr
 
     try:
         # Define file paths
@@ -194,9 +196,8 @@ def flash_worker(temp_dir, port, chip, baud, flash_mode, flash_freq, flash_size)
                 flash_status['running'] = False
                 return
 
-        # Build esptool command
+        # Build esptool command arguments
-        cmd = [
+        esptool_args = [
-            sys.executable, "-m", "esptool",
             "--chip", chip,
             "--port", port,
             "--baud", baud,
@@ -212,48 +213,88 @@ def flash_worker(temp_dir, port, chip, baud, flash_mode, flash_freq, flash_size)
             "0x8000", partition
         ]
 
-        flash_status['output'].append(f"Running: {' '.join(cmd)}")
+        flash_status['output'].append(f"Running esptool with args: {' '.join(esptool_args)}")
         flash_status['output'].append("")
 
-        # Run esptool
+        # Import and run esptool directly (works in both script and EXE)
-        process = subprocess.Popen(
+        import esptool
-            cmd,
+
-            stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+        # Fix esptool data path for PyInstaller
-            stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
+        if getattr(sys, 'frozen', False):
-            text=True,
+            # Running as compiled executable
-            bufsize=1,
+            bundle_dir = sys._MEIPASS
-            universal_newlines=True
+            esptool_targets = os.path.join(bundle_dir, 'esptool', 'targets')
-        )
+            if os.path.exists(esptool_targets):
+                # Override esptool's resource path
+                esptool.RESOURCES_DIR = bundle_dir
+
+        # Capture stdout/stderr
+        output_buffer = io.StringIO()
+
+        # Backup original sys.argv and replace with our arguments
+        original_argv = sys.argv
+        sys.argv = ['esptool.py'] + esptool_args
+
+        # Run esptool and capture output
+        return_code = 0
 
         # Regex to parse progress lines
         # Example: "Writing at 0x0011325c... (85 %)"
         # or "Writing at 0x0011325c [========================>     ]  85.3% 622592/730050 bytes..."
         progress_pattern = re.compile(r'(\d+(?:\.\d+)?)\s*%')
 
-        # Stream output
+        # Save original stdout/stderr
-        for line in process.stdout:
+        original_stdout = sys.stdout
-            line_stripped = line.rstrip()
+        original_stderr = sys.stderr
-            flash_status['output'].append(line_stripped)
+
+        try:
+            # Custom output class to capture and stream esptool output
+            class OutputCapture:
+                def __init__(self):
+                    self.buffer = []
+
+                def write(self, text):
+                    if text and text.strip():
+                        lines = text.rstrip().split('\n')
+                        for line in lines:
+                            flash_status['output'].append(line)
+                            self.buffer.append(line)
 
                             # Try to extract progress percentage
-            match = progress_pattern.search(line_stripped)
+                            match = progress_pattern.search(line)
                             if match:
                                 try:
                                     percent = float(match.group(1))
                                     flash_status['progress'] = percent
                                 except ValueError:
                                     pass
+                    return len(text)
 
-        process.wait()
+                def flush(self):
+                    pass
 
-        if process.returncode == 0:
+            capture = OutputCapture()
+
+            # Redirect stdout/stderr to our capture object
+            with redirect_stdout(capture), redirect_stderr(capture):
+                esptool.main()
+
+        except SystemExit as e:
+            return_code = e.code if e.code is not None else 0
+        finally:
+            # Restore original sys.argv and stdout/stderr
+            sys.argv = original_argv
+            sys.stdout = original_stdout
+            sys.stderr = original_stderr
+
+        if return_code == 0:
             flash_status['output'].append("")
             flash_status['output'].append("✓ Flash completed successfully!")
             flash_status['success'] = True
             flash_status['progress'] = 100
         else:
             flash_status['output'].append("")
-            flash_status['output'].append(f"✗ Flash failed with return code {process.returncode}")
+            flash_status['output'].append(f"✗ Flash failed with return code {return_code}")
             flash_status['success'] = False
 
     except Exception as e:
@@ -274,6 +315,12 @@ def open_browser(port):
 
 def main():
     """Run the web server"""
+    import logging
+
+    # Disable Flask request logging to avoid colorama issues with stdout redirection
+    log = logging.getLogger('werkzeug')
+    log.setLevel(logging.ERROR)
+
     port = get_free_port()
     print(f"Starting ESP32 Flasher on port {port}...")
     print(f"Open your browser to: http://127.0.0.1:{port}")
@@ -286,7 +333,7 @@ def main():
 
     # Run Flask server with SocketIO
     try:
-        socketio.run(app, host='127.0.0.1', port=port, debug=False, allow_unsafe_werkzeug=True)
+        socketio.run(app, host='127.0.0.1', port=port, debug=False, allow_unsafe_werkzeug=True, log_output=False)
     except KeyboardInterrupt:
         print('\nShutting down...')
     except SystemExit: