Installation Guide

Flash GhostESP with the recommended web flasher

What this does

The web flasher installs the GhostESP firmware on a compatible ESP32 board directly from your browser. It is the recommended method for most users.

Before you start

  • A compatible ESP32 board (see Supported Hardware)
  • A USB cable (Micro USB or USB-C; must be a data cable, not charge-only)
  • A modern web browser (Chrome, Brave, or Edge; Firefox doesn’t support WebSerial)

Flash with the web flasher

  1. Open ghostesp.net/flasher in Chrome, Brave, or Edge.
  2. Close any app that is using the board’s serial port.
  3. Enter bootloader mode: hold BOOT, connect USB, then release BOOT.
  4. If that does not work, hold BOOT, tap RESET, wait 1-2 seconds, then release BOOT.
  5. Select the matching ESP32 variant, click Connect, and follow the browser prompts.
  6. When flashing finishes, unplug and reconnect the board.

Expected result

GhostESP boots and creates a Wi-Fi access point named GhostNet with password GhostNet.

Troubleshooting

  • The board is not detected: Confirm the cable supports data, close other serial apps, then enter bootloader mode again.
  • The web flasher times out: Reconnect the board and repeat the bootloader steps. Clear the browser cache only if the flasher page itself fails to load correctly.
  • GhostNet does not appear after flashing: Verify the selected firmware matches your board and restart the device. Use a serial console at 115200 baud to inspect boot output.