My ClockworkPi uConsole CM5 Experience So Far – With Set Up Tips

If you’ve been anywhere near the darkest tech corners of the internet, or you know, on YouTube, you’ve probably heard about the uConsole by ClockworkPi. It’s a pocket-sized, Linux-powered device that blends nostalgia with raw tinkering potential. When I ordered mine, I braced myself for the long haul—after all, some poor souls online had been waiting over a year for theirs. In preparation, I even left a note in my will for my grandkids to check the shipping status.

So, you can imagine my shock when mine arrived after just 47 days—far less than the advertised 90, and light-years ahead of some of the horror stories I’d read.

My Order Setup

I ordered the uConsole without a CM4 compute module and without 4G. Partly, this was to avoid any additional delays, as I’d read that including a CM4 could slow things down. More importantly, dodging any unnecessary import fees seemed like a wise move. Whether it was luck or strategy, my uConsole arrived faster than I expected.

For full transparency, I ordered this as a regular customer—no reviewer perks, no sponsorships, and no affiliate links in this review. Just a guy who wanted a uConsole and got one.

Getting the CM5 to Work

Since I opted out of the CM4, I decided to use a Raspberry Pi CM5 (8GB Lite Wi-Fi model), which isn’t yet officially supported by the uConsole. Naturally, this meant a bit of extra work to get things running.

Thankfully, Rex over in the ClockworkPi forums (link) has done a fantastic job of creating a working image for the CM5. If you’re in the same boat, that’s where you’ll want to start.

He can be bought a well deserved coffee here.

Fixing Boot Issues & Powering Down Properly

After installing the image, I ran into two main problems:

1. The screen wouldn’t always start up.
2. The device wouldn’t power off properly unless I yanked the cable.

The solution? Edit the EEPROM config. Here’s how you do it:

Step-by-Step: Fixing Boot & Power Issues

1. SSH into the uConsole (or do this directly in the terminal if you prefer).
   • If using another machine, run:ssh pi@your-uconsole-ip(Replace your-uconsole-ip with your actual IP address.)
2. Edit the EEPROM config:sudo rpi-eeprom-config -e
3. Modify/add the following lines:[all] BOOT_UART=1 POWER_OFF_ON_HALT=1 BOOT_ORDER=0xf1 SD_BOOT_MAX_RETRIES=2 SD_QUIRKS=1
4. Save and exit.
5. Reboot the device:sudo reboot

Since making this change, my uConsole has booted up first time, every time.

Shoutout: Farnell’s Fast Shipping

Just a quick nod to CPC Farnell. I ordered my CM5 at 2 PM on a Friday, paid for standard shipping (£2.90), and had it in my hands the next day. That’s the kind of efficiency you wish every supplier had. Again, no sponsorship—just credit where it’s due.

Backup Your uConsole (Especially with CM5)

If you have access to a home server, I highly recommend backing up your uConsole. The CM5 setup is still a bit of a wild ride, and I’ve run into issues with RetroPie, Kali tools, and other software. Here’s a complete guide to setting up a Proxmox VM and creating a backup for your uConsole.

Step-by-Step: Setting Up a Proxmox VM for Backups

1. Log into Proxmox via the web interface.
2. Create a new VM:
   • Go to Datacenter > Create VM
   • Give it a name (e.g., uConsole-Backup)
   • Select Linux as the operating system
   • Choose the latest Debian or Ubuntu ISO (since it’s compatible with Raspberry Pi software)
   • Assign at least 2 CPU cores and 2GB RAM (more if you plan on running additional services)
   • Allocate at least 32GB of disk space (or more depending on how many backups you want to keep)
   • Ensure Network is set up properly (use a bridged adapter to allow SSH access)
   • Click Finish and start the VM
3. Install necessary backup tools:
   • SSH into the VM:ssh user@your-proxmox-vm-ip
   • Install rsync and cron for automated backups:sudo apt update && sudo apt install rsync cron -y

Step-by-Step: Creating a Backup of uConsole

1. SSH into your uConsole.
2. Create a backup directory on the Proxmox VM:ssh user@your-proxmox-vm-ip "mkdir -p /mnt/backup/uconsole"
3. Use rsync to copy the entire SD card:sudo rsync -avx / user@your-proxmox-vm-ip:/mnt/backup/uconsole
4. If you need to restore:sudo rsync -avx user@your-proxmox-vm-ip:/mnt/backup/uconsole/ /
5. Optionally, automate this with cron:crontab -eAdd this line to run a backup every day at 2 AM:0 2 * * * sudo rsync -avx / user@your-proxmox-vm-ip:/mnt/backup/uconsole

Final Thoughts

The uConsole isn’t your typical plug-and-play device. If you’re not comfortable with a bit of coding or troubleshooting, you might want to steer clear. But if you enjoy tinkering, this thing is an absolute gem. The community is already growing, and we’re seeing some fantastic software and hardware add-ons emerge. It might not be for everyone, but for those who love to experiment, the uConsole is an exciting little machine that’s full of potential.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go tweak some more settings and break—I mean, improve—my setup again.