uo-equip-items

name	uo-equip-items
description	Equip or unequip items on the headless UO character, including opening the backpack so its contents are visible. Use whenever the user asks to wear/equip/unequip/remove gear, check inventory, or move items to/from the backpack.

Equipping and unequipping items

Requires a logged-in character with the map loaded (see the uo-login skill).

1. Open the backpack before trusting inv

UO never sends a container's contents automatically — the server only sends them (packet 0x3C) after the container is actually opened (double-clicked). Until you do that, the client's local item list has no idea what's inside the backpack, and inv will report Backpack [...] contents (0): even when it's full.

Find the backpack's serial from the inv equipped list (layer 15), then open it:

echo "inv" >> /tmp/cuocmd            # shows equipped items, including the backpack's own serial (layer 15)
sleep 1
echo "use <backpack-serial>" >> /tmp/cuocmd   # double-click = open
sleep 2
echo "inv" >> /tmp/cuocmd            # now contents will actually populate
sleep 1
tail -20 /tmp/cuolog

The inv command prints each backpack item's graphic, hue, and (once tiledata-name lookup is in place) its resolved Layer and Name — use those to figure out what a raw graphic ID actually is instead of guessing.

2. Know the real layer numbers

Layers are not what you'd guess from casual naming. This is the actual enum (src/ClassicUO.Client/Game/Data/Layers.cs) — a common trap is assuming 0x0B is a ring or a robe; it's actually Hair, and hair can't be moved to a backpack (it isn't a real removable item), so trying to unequip it will silently do nothing forever.

Hex	Layer	Hex	Layer
0x01	OneHanded	0x0F	Face
0x02	TwoHanded	0x10	Beard
0x03	Shoes	0x11	Tunic
0x04	Pants	0x12	Earrings
0x05	Shirt	0x13	Arms
0x06	Helmet	0x14	Cloak
0x07	Gloves	0x15	Backpack
0x08	Ring	0x16	Robe
0x09	Talisman	0x17	Skirt
0x0A	Necklace	0x18	Legs
0x0B	Hair (not ring/robe!)	0x19	Mount
0x0C	Waist
0x0D	Torso
0x0E	Bracelet

If unsure what's actually equipped where, don't assume from the layer number alone — cross-check the item's Graphic against tiledata (the inv output's Name column) before deciding it's junk or a real removable item.

3. Unequip an item

echo "unequip <serial>" >> /tmp/cuocmd   # alias: topack — moves the item to the backpack
sleep 2
echo "inv" >> /tmp/cuocmd
sleep 1
tail -10 /tmp/cuolog   # confirm it actually moved — see caveat below

Always verify with a follow-up inv. The command logs "Moving X to backpack" unconditionally the moment it's sent — that's just an echo of intent, not confirmation the server accepted it. If the item is still listed under "Equipped" afterward, it didn't actually move (commonly because it's not a real wearable at that layer — see the Hair trap above — or because of network lag; retry once before concluding something's wrong).

4. Equip an item from the backpack

echo "wear <serial> <layer_hex>" >> /tmp/cuocmd
sleep 2
echo "inv" >> /tmp/cuocmd

The layer you pass is a hint, not gospel — the server places the item on whatever layer its own item data says it belongs to. For example, requesting layer 01 (OneHanded) for a bow gets silently corrected to 02 (TwoHanded) server-side. Always confirm the actual placement with inv afterward rather than trusting the layer you requested.

Typical full workflow

echo "inv" >> /tmp/cuocmd; sleep 1
echo "use <backpack-serial>" >> /tmp/cuocmd; sleep 2   # open it so contents show up
echo "inv" >> /tmp/cuocmd; sleep 1                     # now see what's actually in there
echo "unequip <old-item-serial>" >> /tmp/cuocmd; sleep 2
echo "wear <new-item-serial> <layer_hex>" >> /tmp/cuocmd; sleep 2
echo "inv" >> /tmp/cuocmd; sleep 1                     # confirm final equipped state
tail -20 /tmp/cuolog