Raspberry Pi 4 for Imaging Rigs

[stash_old]

2 hours ago, Gina said:

Here's hoping that provide Ubuntu support soon!

Just Maybe but no timeline 😞 https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2019/07/01/confirmed-ubuntu-mate-is-coming-to-the-raspberry-pi-4/

[-Joe_]

My pi4 arrived today -going to try raspbian and compiling kstars/ekos..

[han59]

On 01/07/2019 at 20:34, -Joe_ said:

My pi4 arrived today -going to try raspbian and compiling kstars/ekos..

Did you make any progress?

My Pi4 will arrive in about 2 weeks, but in preparation, I installed the binaries of LibINDI, CCDCiel and PHD2 on a Pi3 with Raspbian Buster. This should also work on a Pi4.

 https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/337128-updated-pis/page/4/?tab=comments#comment-3673195

Han

Edited July 2, 2019 by han59

[-Joe_]

Not yet - will get some free time later this week to give it a go.

[StarDodger]

I have got INdI and Kstars on the rpi4 compiled from Source..on raspbian buster, but Kstars has some errors, not sure what yet.. 🤔

[StarDodger]

On 01/07/2019 at 19:23, stash_old said:

Just Maybe but no timeline 😞 https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2019/07/01/confirmed-ubuntu-mate-is-coming-to-the-raspberry-pi-4/

Check out this thread, last post,  and you will see that there is not much that Wimpress guy can do to move forward..... ☹️

https://ubuntu-mate.community/t/support-for-raspberry-pi-4/19757

[stash_old]

8 hours ago, StarDodger said:

Check out this thread, last post,  and you will see that there is not much that Wimpress guy can do to move forward..... ☹️

https://ubuntu-mate.community/t/support-for-raspberry-pi-4/19757

Nothing new I am afraid to say - it took almost 1yr for Mate to come out with an image for 3b+ - and that was just a Beta and has problems. Hence some people ,including myself ,keep pushing Indi for full Raspbian support. Dont hold you breathe on that either !

Have you tried installing Indigo via APT as per Indigo instructions http://www.indigo-astronomy.org/downloads.html That would give a working RPI4 with Kstars/Ekos on another device (laptop etc). On the RPI3b+ it was a simple process which I think you have already tried.

Hence my original statement about RPI4 it's too early for people wanting simple Mate install - unless Jasem comes up with something.

I am updating my Indi to Odroid N2 as it comes with Ubuntu 18.04 🙂 - even it  has a few problems

Good luck with your Indi install on RPI4.

[StarDodger]

17 minutes ago, stash_old said:

Nothing new I am afraid to say - it took almost 1yr for Mate to come out with an image for 3b+ - and that was just a Beta and has problems. Hence some people ,including myself ,keep pushing Indi for full Raspbian support. Dont hold you breathe on that either !

Have you tried installing Indigo via APT as per Indigo instructions http://www.indigo-astronomy.org/downloads.html That would give a working RPI4 with Kstars/Ekos on another device (laptop etc). On the RPI3b+ it was a simple process which I think you have already tried.

Hence my original statement about RPI4 it's too early for people wanting simple Mate install - unless Jasem comes up with something.

I am updating my Indi to Odroid N2 as it comes with Ubuntu 18.04 🙂 - even it  has a few problems

Good luck with your Indi install on RPI4.

Yes, I think the way forward for me ATM with the rpi4, is just to have INdI installed and use Kstars on LP Kubuntu laptop, I have got it all installed on the rpi4 now, but there are issues with Kstars, and Jasem does not seem keen to help getting  it to work on Raspbian, I have asked him a few times..he does not like the lack of PPA on raspbian...so I won’t hold my breath with that one as you say..

[stash_old]

On 03/07/2019 at 09:18, StarDodger said:

but there are issues with Kstars, and Jasem does not seem keen to help getting  it to work on Raspbian, I have asked him a few times..he does not like the lack of PPA on raspbian...so I won’t hold my breath with that one as you say..

Yes I have tried again but all you get is Compile/build it and quiet when things are not working correctly.

Perhaps Hans has got further with a "all in one" RPI4 approach using CCDCiel etc - he has been asking on the Indi Forum and progressing i think.

Must be me I find the attitude sometimes very off putting especially if I was totally non Linux - but as I say it must be me (blame it on the straight talking Yorkshire side of family) 🙂

[-Joe_]

On 02/07/2019 at 22:40, han59 said:

Did you make any progress?

 

I sat down today and got it up and running with raspbian. I prefer debian to Ubuntu, so happy with that. 

I compiled indilib from the master repo, went all ok, and installed indi Web Manager, that all seems to be good, it starts, report everything is good with the drivers I need.

That's as far as I need right now - I want to run Ekos from my MacBook inside, connecting remotely. Will play more this weekend.

I did try installing kstars from the debian repo, as this is the latest, and it installs and runs, but looks buggy - mainly interface issues, and missing drivers. I do like Ekos, just wish it were seperate from kstars.
 

One question, for someone who knows: If I run against a remote indi server, how much is being done locally, and how much on the indi server? For example, if I queue a set of 20 L,R,G, & B frames, and then lose connection, what will happen at the server/telescope?
 

[stash_old]

32 minutes ago, -Joe_ said:

I do like Ekos, just wish it were seperate from kstars

Dont we all brother 🙂

32 minutes ago, -Joe_ said:

For example, if I queue a set of 20 L,R,G, & B frames, and then lose connection, what will happen at the server/telescope?

You would ,I suspect, have to start again as the requests are coming from you Mac Kstars/Ekos - try it 🙂

 

34 minutes ago, -Joe_ said:

I compiled indilib from the master repo

including 3rd party drivers ? - e.g. EQMOD    

Plus what Master Repos - Indi's ?

 

36 minutes ago, -Joe_ said:

I prefer debian to Ubuntu

Ubuntu is based on  Debian ! - is it just the Desktop ?

Good to get more info and reporting progress - thanks.

[-Joe_]

Debian vs Ubuntu: I never really got on with the Unity interface.. Mint is certainly an improvement, and has all the ppa goodness. I did try Kubuntu for about 6 months as my main work laptop, but ending up killing it in a fit of rage as it just wasnt as stable as mainline Ubuntu (I like to hate Ubuntu, but normally use it as it is the nearest to a MacOS of 'Just works')

Trying it: Yes, I'll pull the plug one night when I'm not sp desperate for imaging time...

Building: There is a script on the indi forums that I used, just cloned the master indi repo and ran the script... seemed to work, but I need to test it over the weekend, actually hooked up to my rig.

script: https://www.indilib.org/forum/development/5379-update-for-indi-drivers-for-raspberry-pi.html , 3rd post

indi repo: https://github.com/indilib/indi

Edited July 5, 2019 by -Joe_
sp

[stash_old]

it seems indigo now supports rpi4 - image for raspbian on web site download - thanks to Copella for the pointer - it wasn't so a couple of days ago 🙂 Then use cdc and ccdciel instead of kstars/ekos if you want - should be good to go - maybe 🙂

Must say CCdciel is pretty good at being the glue in ascom/indi/indigo - just tried ccdciel and cdc on windows using synscan all running on a small gigabyte brix win 10 - using my dslr which was connected to rpi(not 4) and indiserver - works very nice so far love the sequencer. 

http://www.indigo-astronomy.org/indigo-sky.html

Edited July 5, 2019 by stash_old

[-Joe_]

Nice, will give it a try.

Do any of the Ekos alternatives do polar alignment ?

[stash_old]

2 hours ago, -Joe_ said:

Nice, will give it a try.

Do any of the Ekos alternatives do polar alignment ?

As you are a Mac user I think the answer is yes - but it does cost - most of Cloudmakers software is based or can connect to Indigo server. http://www.cloudmakers.eu 

[discardedastro]

Right - got my Pi4, sacrificed a spare USB-C supply so I could attach the USB-C port to the 5V feed from a 12V-to-5V step-down box, and hooked everything up. And it looks promising!

I grabbed the libindi source and tried using the CI scripts to build the packages, which works, plus the make_deb_pkgs script in the 3rdparty folder. Basically you do the usual raft of dependency installs, then:
 

# deps
sudo apt install cdbs libcfitsio-dev libnova-dev libusb-1.0-0-dev libjpeg-dev libusb-dev libtiff5-dev libftdi1-dev fxload libkrb5-dev libcurl4-gnutls-dev libraw-dev libgphot
o2-dev libgsl-dev dkms libboost-regex-dev libgps-dev libdc1394-22-dev python3-pip
# personally I'd disable systemd's built-in ntp client and slap chrony in there, but this is wholly optional
sudo timedatectl set-ntp false
sudo nano -w /etc/chrony/chrony.conf # setup the UK pool, enjoy stratum 2
sudo systemctl start chrony
sudo systemctl enable chrony
# build
cd indi-1.7.9
.circleci/build-deb-packages.sh
cd 3rdparty
nano -w make_deb_pkgs # edit DRV_LIST to include the packages you need - note for zwo you need asi-common as well as indi-asi
./make_deb_pkgs
sudo dpkg -i *.deb
sudo dpkg -i ../build/*.deb

This probably isn't fantastic but it does work and keeps everything installed through dpkg, so any cock-ups can be reverted by simply removing the packages when the official release is out.

I've also set up indi-web (just pip3 install indi-web and optionally drop in the systemd unit file from the indi-web repo) and it works fine.

My only gotcha was GSC for indi_ccd_simulator - there's no packaging but you can get going with:

mkdir /opt/gsc
cd /opt/gsc
wget -O bincats_GSC_1.2.tar.gz http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/nph-Cat/tar.gz?bincats/GSC_1.2
tar -xvzf bincats_GSC_1.2.tar.gz
cd src
make
mv gsc.exe gsc
# there's Fun to be had with the GSCDAT env var not being set properly - so you might get away with this alone:
sudo cp gsc /usr/local/bin/gsc
sudo ln -s /opt/sc /usr/share/GSC # /usr/share/GSC is where gsc looks by default, so we just point it over to the catalogue

# test by running "gsc -c 175.0+59.0 -r 10 -m 0 20 -n 3000"
# otherwise, put the gsc binary in /usr/local/bin/gsc_bin, make a file /usr/local/bin/gsc which just has:

#!/bin/sh
GSCDAT=/opt/gsc /usr/local/bin/gsc_bin $@

# chmod +x and away you go - this avoids problems where GSCDAT doesn't get set right by things calling gsc within a shell within an app

After this, a full simulator setup in indi-web looks to be working properly. I've also set up gpsd and that looks fine. I've hooked up everything except my guide camera (still on the scope outside) and mount (same) and written udev rules for the lot. Everything looks okay.

Performance is great - building indi from scratch takes minutes. Very promising indeed.

Edited July 7, 2019 by discardedastro

[StarDodger]

10 hours ago, discardedastro said:

Right - got my Pi4, sacrificed a spare USB-C supply so I could attach the USB-C port to the 5V feed from a 12V-to-5V step-down box, and hooked everything up. And it looks promising!

I grabbed the libindi source and tried using the CI scripts to build the packages, which works, plus the make_deb_pkgs script in the 3rdparty folder. Basically you do the usual raft of dependency installs, then:
 

# deps
sudo apt install cdbs libcfitsio-dev libnova-dev libusb-1.0-0-dev libjpeg-dev libusb-dev libtiff5-dev libftdi1-dev fxload libkrb5-dev libcurl4-gnutls-dev libraw-dev libgphot
o2-dev libgsl-dev dkms libboost-regex-dev libgps-dev libdc1394-22-dev python3-pip
# personally I'd disable systemd's built-in ntp client and slap chrony in there, but this is wholly optional
sudo timedatectl set-ntp false
sudo nano -w /etc/chrony/chrony.conf # setup the UK pool, enjoy stratum 2
sudo systemctl start chrony
sudo systemctl enable chrony
# build
cd indi-1.7.9
.circleci/build-deb-packages.sh
cd 3rdparty
nano -w make_deb_pkgs # edit DRV_LIST to include the packages you need - note for zwo you need asi-common as well as indi-asi
./make_deb_pkgs
sudo dpkg -i *.deb
sudo dpkg -i ../build/*.deb

This probably isn't fantastic but it does work and keeps everything installed through dpkg, so any cock-ups can be reverted by simply removing the packages when the official release is out.

I've also set up indi-web (just pip3 install indi-web and optionally drop in the systemd unit file from the indi-web repo) and it works fine.

My only gotcha was GSC for indi_ccd_simulator - there's no packaging but you can get going with:

mkdir /opt/gsc
cd /opt/gsc
wget -O bincats_GSC_1.2.tar.gz http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/nph-Cat/tar.gz?bincats/GSC_1.2
tar -xvzf bincats_GSC_1.2.tar.gz
cd src
make
mv gsc.exe gsc
# there's Fun to be had with the GSCDAT env var not being set properly - so you might get away with this alone:
sudo cp gsc /usr/local/bin/gsc
sudo ln -s /opt/sc /usr/share/GSC # /usr/share/GSC is where gsc looks by default, so we just point it over to the catalogue

# test by running "gsc -c 175.0+59.0 -r 10 -m 0 20 -n 3000"
# otherwise, put the gsc binary in /usr/local/bin/gsc_bin, make a file /usr/local/bin/gsc which just has:

#!/bin/sh
GSCDAT=/opt/gsc gsc $@

# chmod +x and away you go - this avoids problems where GSCDAT doesn't get set right by things calling gsc within a shell within an app

After this, a full simulator setup in indi-web looks to be working properly. I've also set up gpsd and that looks fine. I've hooked up everything except my guide camera (still on the scope outside) and mount (same) and written udev rules for the lot. Everything looks okay.

Performance is great - building indi from scratch takes minutes. Very promising indeed.

Nice one, I too have full INdI, with GSC fully working on rpi4 but did it all from git which seems a tad easier than your method, also I have full Kstars / Ekos up and running too on raspbian buster, also works well..

[discardedastro]

14 minutes ago, StarDodger said:

Nice one, I too have full INdI, with GSC fully working on rpi4 but did it all from git which seems a tad easier than your method, also I have full Kstars / Ekos up and running too on raspbian buster, also works well.. 

From git and just doing make/make install is fine until you need to upgrade, update, or swap things out - keeping things installed as packages is much easier in the long run and it's only a few extra steps. Uninstalling after a "make install" is tricky!

I'm running this headless and using my desktop PC to drive it - my intent is to put a full-time PC in my observatory when I get that built, but there'll be a server in there for the "main" INDI server driving the obsy, with the drivers accessed remotely on the Pi for imaging/scope/mount control. To be honest, with the Pi this fast and supporting dual monitors, it might just be a scattering of Pi4s - one as a desktop for control, one for the obsy, one for the scope!

[stash_old]

4 minutes ago, discardedastro said:

From git and just doing make/make install is fine until you need to upgrade, update, or swap things out

Just make a backup copy (as of course you do - right) and then hack away or just use another SD card (they are cheap enough) and do the same again. But I agree its a pain at the moment.

[discardedastro]

Just now, stash_old said:

Just make a backup copy (as of course you do - right) and then hack away or just use another SD card (they are cheap enough) and do the same again. But I agree its a pain at the moment.

I'm an old sysadmin at heart, I still treat my boxes like pets, not cattle I find this much simpler, in any case, and going through the "proper" packaging route also means that any OS-specific quirks the maintainers build into the packaging process get properly enacted/called, like amending group memberships/user ownerships, etc. Been burnt plenty of times before on that sort of thing. And SD cards aren't that cheap (not decent ones, at least)...

[StarDodger]

6 minutes ago, discardedastro said:

From git and just doing make/make install is fine until you need to upgrade, update, or swap things out - keeping things installed as packages is much easier in the long run and it's only a few extra steps. Uninstalling after a "make install" is tricky!

I'm running this headless and using my desktop PC to drive it - my intent is to put a full-time PC in my observatory when I get that built, but there'll be a server in there for the "main" INDI server driving the obsy, with the drivers accessed remotely on the Pi for imaging/scope/mount control. To be honest, with the Pi this fast and supporting dual monitors, it might just be a scattering of Pi4s - one as a desktop for control, one for the obsy, one for the scope!

When i need to update I will run these two commands..

<strong>git pull</strong>  from the projects Kstars directory

and 

<strong>sudo make install</strong>   from the build/Kstars directory...

 

[discardedastro]

Just now, StarDodger said:

When i need to update I will run these two commands..

<strong>git pull</strong>  from the projects Kstars directory

and 

<strong>sudo make install</strong>   from the build/Kstars directory...

 

Yes - which will install new files, like it says on the tin. It will not clean up old files, remove things that should be removed, or alter things that should be altered (outside of complete replacement of files if their content has changed). Upgrading the packages thusly, a 30-second job:

wget http://new-indi-url
tar zxf new-indi-package
cd new-indi-package
.circleci/build-deb-packages.sh
cd 3rdparty
nano -w make_deb_pkgs # adjust DRV_LIST
./make_deb_pkgs
sudo dpkg -i *.deb
sudo dpkg -i ../build/*.deb

... will correctly clean up anything now unneeded, remove anything that should be gone, amend permissions that might need adjusting, call any OS-specific hooks, and so on

[david_taurus83]

I would love to have a mini PC on the mount that could be controlled wirelessly but the above is just gobbeldegook to me!

[newbie alert]

37 minutes ago, david_taurus83 said:

I would love to have a mini PC on the mount that could be controlled wirelessly but the above is just gobbeldegook to me!

Join the normies club

[StarDodger]

1 hour ago, david_taurus83 said:

I would love to have a mini PC on the mount that could be controlled wirelessly but the above is just gobbeldegook to me!

Trust me using an raspberry PI with INdI, is very simple, I a complete numpty when it’s comes to software and especially Linux, and I found it easy to set up if you use the superb Stellarmate OS, which is an all in one solution, and has all the hard work done, you just burn the image file to an SD card, put in the raspberry PI and power up and away you go, have a look here..you can buy your own rpi and the Stellarmate OS you don’t need to buy the whole package from here, the OS alone is $49 but it really makes it simple, and just works...

There are also free offerings of similar set ups such as Astroberry...

www.stellarmate.com