At the beginning of this year, I ordered a black uConsole (no-core edition) from ClockworkPi.
Five months later — it finally arrived.
I won’t go into the assembly process here. There are already plenty of great guides out there, and the included manual is clear enough that you don’t need much help.
Instead, I’ll focus on the modifications I made right after unboxing it.
Upgrading to Raspberry Pi CM5
Instead of the recommended Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4, I decided to install the newer CM5, using the eMMC version rather than the “Lite” one.
Despite a few forum posts claiming that installation could be tricky, I found the process quite straightforward.
Once everything was seated properly and the right firmware applied, it booted it without any drama.
Fixing the thermal pad problem
One thing I didn’t like out of the box was the 5 mm thermal pad included with the kit.
It felt way too thick and made the heat transfer inefficient.
My solution was to use the Waveshare CMx connector protector to lift the module slightly closer to the back shell and replace the pad with a much thinner thermal pad.
This required me to 3D-print a 1.5 mm rear shell riser, but the results were worth it — the system runs cooler.
Replacing the antenna
The included adhesive Wi-Fi antenna attached to the inner shell isn’t exactly great.
Signal quality was inconsistent, especially when I moved away from the access point.
I printed a external antenna mount that clips in place of the extension board cover.
With a proper external antenna connected, the reception improved significantly — and it looks pretty good too.
The trackball saga
The stock trackball was, frankly, awful at first.
It was scratchy, imprecise, and uncomfortable to use. I replaced it with a recommended aftermarket ball, which felt much smoother.
Interestingly, by the time the new one arrived, the original ball had broken in — or maybe I had just gotten used to it.
Either way, it’s now surprisingly usable, so I keep it as a spare.
Software setup — ParrotOS + i3wm
For the operating system, I went with ParrotOS Security Edition, paired with i3wm for that clean, “hacker-style” workflow.
The combination feels lightweight, efficient, and perfectly suited for portable pentesting, coding, and general Linux tinkering.
The dark themes, terminal-heavy UI, and tile-based layout give the whole thing a distinctly cyberpunk vibe — which matches the aesthetic of the uConsole itself.
setup avialable at ores.one
Final thoughts
After all the tweaks, my uConsole feels like a truly personal device — part retro handheld, part Linux workstation, and part hacker terminal.
The modular design makes it incredibly fun to customize, and the CM5 upgrade really brings it to life.
I still have a few ideas for future mods (like a custom battery pack and internal USB hub), but for now — I’m just enjoying it.