Arduino AVR Program with default ATMEGA32U4 bootloader instead

Question

I’m working an Arduino program that uses the FastLED library and is all coded in the Arduino IDE (not my choice, just a result of this OOS library).

However, I don’t want to run this on an "Arduino" board. Instead, I want to flash this to a factory fresh ATMEGA32U4 as an MCU for the project. However, the ATMEGA32U4 doesn’t come with the Arduino boot loader, but instead, DFU. I have flashing procedures designed for the DFU boot loader already and I don’t want to go swapping bootloaders.

Would the Arduino program work fine without swapping to the Arduino bootloader? My understanding is yes since the bootloader only controls the boot sequence, and has nothing to do with runtime.

• hcheung: You are using an Arduino Library (in C++), and even an Arduino IDE, so whether you like it or not, you are running the code under the Arduino framework as an "Arduino" board. So what is the issue of trying to avoid the boot loader? Even you set you your programming using {DFU programmer](support.arduino.cc/hc/en-us/articles/…), you are still running as an Arduino board under the Arduino framework!
• the busybee: Please try this: Export the compiled sketch as hex file and flash it with DFU.

Answer 1

Would the Arduino program work fine without swapping to the Arduino bootloader?

Yes, the bootloader is only there for conveniently changing program memory via serial instructions.

Whatever method you use to put the "main" code there, it will be the same code and will operate the same.