Par

3. Determine which files have changed since last push

Compare files in the dependency tree against .claude/par_manifest.json, which stores the mtime of each file at the time it was last pushed to the Pico.

• If a file's current mtime differs from the manifest (or the file is not in the manifest), it needs pushing.
• Always include the target file itself regardless of mtime.
• If the manifest doesn't exist yet, push everything in the dependency tree.

4. Push files to the Pico

Build a single mpremote command that copies all files in the push list. Use PID tracking:

mpremote connect COM11 cp file1.py :file1.py + cp file2.py :file2.py & echo "MPREMOTE_PID:$!"; wait $!

Report which files were pushed.

After a successful push, update .claude/par_manifest.json with the current mtime of every pushed file. Use os.path.getmtime() to read mtimes.

5. Run the target on the Pico

Run the target file with mpremote in the background with PID tracking:

mpremote connect COM11 run <target_file> & echo "MPREMOTE_PID:$!"; wait $!

Run this as a background task so output streams. Report the PID to the user so they know what's running. Read and display output after a reasonable delay.

Important

• Always use the PID tracking pattern: & echo "MPREMOTE_PID:$!"; wait $!
• Before any mpremote command, check if there's a previously running mpremote PID that needs killing.
• The target file is pushed as-is (same name on the Pico), NOT renamed to main.py.
• Dependencies are pushed to the Pico root with their original filenames.