Running OpenOCD without root privileges

Accessing USB devices on Linux requires root privileges by default. To be able to run OpenOCD without root, execute following steps.

NixOS Linux

Add following lines to your /etc/nixos/configuration.nix:

{
  users.extraGroups.plugdev = { };
  users.extraUsers.<username>.extraGroups = [ "plugdev" "dialout" ];

  services.udev.packages = [ pkgs.openocd ];
}

Other Linux distros

1. Add user to plugdev group:

   sudo useradd -G plugdev $(whoami)
   

2. Create file /etc/udev/rules.d/99-openocd.rules (you will require root privileges to create this file) with following content:

   # Copy this file to /etc/udev/rules.d/
   
   ACTION!="add|change", GOTO="openocd_rules_end"
   SUBSYSTEM!="usb|tty|hidraw", GOTO="openocd_rules_end"
   
   # Please keep this list sorted by VID:PID
   
   # opendous and estick
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="03eb", ATTRS{idProduct}=="204f", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # Original FT232/FT245 VID:PID
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0403", ATTRS{idProduct}=="6001", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # Original FT2232 VID:PID
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0403", ATTRS{idProduct}=="6010", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # Original FT4232 VID:PID
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0403", ATTRS{idProduct}=="6011", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # Original FT232H VID:PID
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0403", ATTRS{idProduct}=="6014", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # DISTORTEC JTAG-lock-pick Tiny 2
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0403", ATTRS{idProduct}=="8220", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # TUMPA, TUMPA Lite
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0403", ATTRS{idProduct}=="8a98", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0403", ATTRS{idProduct}=="8a99", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # XDS100v2
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0403", ATTRS{idProduct}=="a6d0", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # Xverve Signalyzer Tool (DT-USB-ST), Signalyzer LITE (DT-USB-SLITE)
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0403", ATTRS{idProduct}=="bca0", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0403", ATTRS{idProduct}=="bca1", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # TI/Luminary Stellaris Evaluation Board FTDI (several)
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0403", ATTRS{idProduct}=="bcd9", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # TI/Luminary Stellaris In-Circuit Debug Interface FTDI (ICDI) Board
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0403", ATTRS{idProduct}=="bcda", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # egnite Turtelizer 2
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0403", ATTRS{idProduct}=="bdc8", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # Section5 ICEbear
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0403", ATTRS{idProduct}=="c140", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0403", ATTRS{idProduct}=="c141", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # Amontec JTAGkey and JTAGkey-tiny
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0403", ATTRS{idProduct}=="cff8", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # TI ICDI
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0451", ATTRS{idProduct}=="c32a", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # STLink v1
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0483", ATTRS{idProduct}=="3744", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # STLink v2
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0483", ATTRS{idProduct}=="3748", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # STLink v2-1
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0483", ATTRS{idProduct}=="374b", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # Hilscher NXHX Boards
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0640", ATTRS{idProduct}=="0028", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # Hitex STR9-comStick
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0640", ATTRS{idProduct}=="002c", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # Hitex STM32-PerformanceStick
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0640", ATTRS{idProduct}=="002d", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # Amontec JTAGkey-HiSpeed
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="0fbb", ATTRS{idProduct}=="1000", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # IAR J-Link USB
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="1366", ATTRS{idProduct}=="0101", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="1366", ATTRS{idProduct}=="0102", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="1366", ATTRS{idProduct}=="0103", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="1366", ATTRS{idProduct}=="0104", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # J-Link-OB (onboard)
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="1366", ATTRS{idProduct}=="0105", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # Raisonance RLink
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="138e", ATTRS{idProduct}=="9000", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # Debug Board for Neo1973
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="1457", ATTRS{idProduct}=="5118", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # Olimex ARM-USB-OCD
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="15ba", ATTRS{idProduct}=="0003", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # Olimex ARM-USB-OCD-TINY
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="15ba", ATTRS{idProduct}=="0004", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # Olimex ARM-JTAG-EW
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="15ba", ATTRS{idProduct}=="001e", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # Olimex ARM-USB-OCD-TINY-H
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="15ba", ATTRS{idProduct}=="002a", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # Olimex ARM-USB-OCD-H
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="15ba", ATTRS{idProduct}=="002b", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # USBprog with OpenOCD firmware
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="1781", ATTRS{idProduct}=="0c63", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # TI/Luminary Stellaris In-Circuit Debug Interface (ICDI) Board
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="1cbe", ATTRS{idProduct}=="00fd", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # Marvell Sheevaplug
   ATTRS{idVendor}=="9e88", ATTRS{idProduct}=="9e8f", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   # CMSIS-DAP compatible adapters
   ATTRS{product}=="*CMSIS-DAP*", MODE="664", GROUP="plugdev"
   
   LABEL="openocd_rules_end"
   

# Restart udev.

• Ubuntu: sudo udevadm trigger
• ArchLinux: sudo udevadm control --reload && sudo udevadm trigger