Name is confusing ... suggests that this is actually a BusPirate

[henrygab]

First, I think this project is outstanding, and I appreciate that it says in the readme "inspired by" the BusPirate.

Unfortunately, this project is absolutely NOT an official "Bus Pirate", and certainly not one of the most recent versions (e.g., BusPirate 6 or BusPirate 5, as can be found at BusPirate.com). For example, the real BusPirate 5/6 has buffers, controllable voltage, software-controlled current limiter, and a whole lot more ... not to mention a great community and support forums.

You also describe your flasher as "BusPirateFlasher", which is similarly confusing, since it won't flash a real BusPirate device.

To avoid confusion, please (PLEASE) consider changing the name of this project (and its flashing utility) to something that doesn't cause confusion for folks looking for a real BusPirate device. For example, here's a few that I came up with:

• ESPirate / ESPirateFlasher
• ESPirate32 / ESPirate32Flasher
• ESP(irate)32 / ESP(irate)32Flasher

Each of those keeps the "Pirate", while keeping the name far enough away from "BusPirate" to avoid confusion when folks are looking for the real thing.

Thank you!

[yashikada]

It's an alternative version of Bus Pirate, so it's a Bus Pirate.
There's no confusion, except for those who don't know what a BusPirate is.
It's not a children's toy.
There's nothing to buy here, you have to build it yourself as you see fit.
For example if you want buffers you can see this issue.

[geo-tp]

If the original author expresses concerns, we are open to discussing it and reconsidering the name. However, we do not plan to change direction based on general opinions.

Additionally, this project is intentionally non-commercial and focuses on firmware and software, interfacing with existing Bus Pirate hardware rather than creating alternative hardware that could cause confusion.

Renaming the project would also change its positioning, as it could open the door to developing independent hardware, effectively making it a direct competitor. It is not clear whether that outcome would be more beneficial for the original Bus Pirate project

If there is ambiguity around the use of the name, it would ultimately be up to the original author to clarify expectations and protect it if necessary.

[hed0rah]

henrygab is a large contributor to the BusPirate firmware and knows the creator, so it is slightly more than a general opinion. I genuinely love what you guys are doing with this project, so I want this discussion to remain positive.

But in response to yashikada's assertion that this is an alternate version of the Bus Pirate, it is simply not.. It does not share the same hardware or firmware. There are other hardware hacking multi-tool projects that share functionality (Tigard / HydraBus just off top of head), but they do not claim to be "Alternate versions of the Bus Pirate". You could design a BP plank adapter for many platforms. If this was a fork of the BP firmware it would make more sense.

I agree with Henry that it is confusing for someone to search for Bus Pirate and be pointed to an unrelated project, with a different codebase/flasher/etc

I think ESP Pirate would have been a great name. A nod to the original, and enough alike that the adapter makes sense. The Bus Pirate has over 15+ years of history. None of us can speak for Ian, but it can't feel good to see your brand's identity usurped like this.

Truly wish you guys the best. Cheers

[henrygab]

If the original author expresses concerns, we are open to discussing it and reconsidering the name.

As I said, I think this is a great project! And thank you for being willing to discuss it with Ian (the original author).

I am in fairly regular contact with Ian. Would you like me to ask him to respond here, or would you prefer to discuss with him at forum.disparate.com?

[therealdreg]

Renaming the project would also change its positioning, as it could open the door to developing independent hardware, effectively making it a direct competitor. It is not clear whether that outcome would be more beneficial for the original Bus Pirate project

Exactly, using the Bus Pirate name benefits your project as a marketing element. What worries me is that people who don’t know much will mix up the two projects. Could you add a disclaimer at least, stating that this project has nothing to do with the original and modern Bus Pirate v5 and later, and asking people not to open issues related to this?

Thx @geo-tp

[geo-tp]

If the original author expresses concerns, we are open to discussing it and reconsidering the name.

As I said, I think this is a great project! And thank you for being willing to discuss it with Ian (the original author).

I am in fairly regular contact with Ian. Would you like me to ask him to respond here, or would you prefer to discuss with him at forum.disparate.com?

Yes, he can reply here if he wants.

Renaming the project would also change its positioning, as it could open the door to developing independent hardware, effectively making it a direct competitor. It is not clear whether that outcome would be more beneficial for the original Bus Pirate project

Exactly, using the Bus Pirate name benefits your project as a marketing element. What worries me is that people who don’t know much will mix up the two projects. Could you add a disclaimer at least, stating that this project has nothing to do with the original and modern Bus Pirate v5 and later, and asking people not to open issues related to this?

Thx @geo-tp

I don't know if we can talk about marketing for a project without a product to sell, more about visibility, but the point here is that if the name changes, then the ESP32 version will have the ability to create its own competing hardware, which I'm currently limiting to avoid confusion due to the name