Linux flashing instructions for the V4 Expansion Kit

[tangles-0]

Can we please have clearer instructions for flashing the firmware of the V4 touch screen expansion kit, especially under Linux? The Wiki page only links to a Windows flashing tool.

The product page, under FAQ > "Meshtastic firmware for touch sreen" is also unclear about the firmware. It says this:

Starting from version 2.7.15 or newer, the firmware for the touchscreen version has been merged. Therefore, you can download them from the Releases section on Meshtastic’s GitHub.

Releases · meshtastic/firmware
Note that the file name should be “firmware-heltec-v4-tft-X.X.X.XXXX”. “tft” stands for the touch screen.

however that releases list looks like this:

debug-elfs-esp32-2.7.17.9058cce.zip
debug-elfs-esp32c3-2.7.17.9058cce.zip
debug-elfs-esp32c6-2.7.17.9058cce.zip
debug-elfs-esp32s3-2.7.17.9058cce.zip
debug-elfs-nrf52840-2.7.17.9058cce.zip
debug-elfs-rp2040-2.7.17.9058cce.zip
debug-elfs-rp2350-2.7.17.9058cce.zip
debug-elfs-stm32-2.7.17.9058cce.zip
firmware-2.7.17.9058cce.json
firmware-esp32-2.7.17.9058cce.zip
firmware-esp32c3-2.7.17.9058cce.zip
firmware-esp32c6-2.7.17.9058cce.zip
firmware-esp32s3-2.7.17.9058cce.zip
firmware-nrf52840-2.7.17.9058cce.zip
firmware-rp2040-2.7.17.9058cce.zip
firmware-rp2350-2.7.17.9058cce.zip
firmware-stm32-2.7.17.9058cce.zip
meshtasticd-2.7.17.22584.local9058cce-src.zip
platformio-deps-native-tft-2.7.17.9058cce.zip

I don't see any files with 'heltech' in the name as described.

I've also been unable to flash using https://flasher.meshtastic.org/ - I can select the Heltech v4 but there's no option for the touch screen version, and flashing the Heltech v4 firmware results in the node booting up (I can see normal messages in the serial console) but the touch screen is blank. Flashing the firmware-heltec-v4-tft-2.7.15.567b8ea.bin file from here using that tool works but results in the device not booting at all - the serial monitor spams this block on repeat:

entry 0x403c98d0
ESP-ROM:esp32s3-20210327
Build:Mar 27 2021
rst:0x3 (RTC_SW_SYS_RST),boot:0x8 (SPI_FAST_FLASH_BOOT)
Saved PC:0x403cdb0a
SPIWP:0xee
mode:DIO, clock div:1
load:0x3fce3808,len:0x4bc
load:0x403c9700,len:0xbd8
load:0x403cc700,len:0x2a0c

The Meshtastic Android app also doesn't work. "the firmware for the touchscreen version has been merged" has me confused about whether I should expect normal v4 firmware (non-tft specific version) to be possible or not. It seems that isn't the case.

I'm new to meshtastic and this product entirely so I'm not sure what I might be missing, but this is confusing, and right now my device is unusable.