The ExoUmbra Is a Compact, Easily-Portable Raspberry Pi 5 Pen-Testing Setup in an Upcycled Dice Case
Running Kali Linux, this Raspberry Pi 5 lives in a dice case that has been repurposed as the housing for a practical clamshell cyberdeck.
Pseudonymous maker "ShaiMind" has put together a compact yet practical cyberdeck build, using off-the-shelf components and a carry case originally designed for dice: the ExoUmbra.
"I've always enjoyed seeing the builds in [Reddit's] r/cyberdeck, but many builds I've seen lean more toward aesthetics than function," ShaiMind explains of the inspiration behind the project. "I wanted something portable, capable, and actually useful in the field — so I put together ExoUmbra."
The ExoUmbra itself is, as many modern cyberdecks are, powered by a Raspberry Pi 5 single-board computer — with the twist of using an M.2 adapter and Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) solid-state drive for storage, providing improved performance over the usual microSD Card. There's a 5" display in the upper half of the clamshell design, and an off-the-shelf wireless keyboard, trackpad, and gamepad in the bottom half — removable for remote operation.
Where most cyberdecks either repurpose vintage electronics' housings or 3D print something new, ShaiMind's approach is considerably simpler: the components are mounted in a zippable case originally designed for transporting gaming dice. On the software front, the system runs Kali Linux — a distribution that provides easy access to a range of reverse-engineering and security analysis tools.
"This isn’t meant to be a powerhouse or a daily driver," ShaiMind adds of the build, which can be seen in full on Reddit, "but rather a practical, mobile setup that balances performance and portability."