(Guide) installing INDI and Kstars/Ekos on Raspberry pi 5 the proper way

[murjo]

Hello all,

 

after buying a pi 5 for imaging, I've realized just how awful the indi ecosystem is to install. Sure, you can use `apt` for everything, but then you'll get indi 1.9.9, which is not enough for phd2. This guide aims to solve that, by at least seeing if what worked for me, works for you.

 

Get a fresh install of raspberry pi os: self explanatory, there are a million other guides for this, I won't be covering it here.

 

First, run

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

This will update your system and may take some time.

 

Next, install the indi dependencies (source: https://astroisk.nl/raspberry-pi-5-indi/):

sudo apt install -y git cdbs dkms cmake fxload libev-dev libgps-dev libgsl-dev libraw-dev libusb-dev zlib1g-dev libftdi-dev libjpeg-dev libkrb5-dev libnova-dev libtiff-dev libfftw3-dev librtlsdr-dev libcfitsio-dev libgphoto2-dev build-essential libusb-1.0-0-dev libdc1394-dev libboost-regex-dev libcurl4-gnutls-dev libtheora-dev

!!! IMPORTANT !!!

If you, at any point, get an error that a library wasn't able to be installed, just remove it from the install command. I'll try my best only to include libraries that still exist, but I can't be certain. The installation will likely work just fine without the library.

 If it doesn't work, leave a comment here and I'll look into it. It may also be necessary for you to add Mr. Mutlaq's repository:

sudo apt install software-properties-common python3-launchpadlib && sudo apt-add-repository ppa:mutlaqja/ppa

 

Next, you'll need to decide where you want to store the uncompiled applications. I chose the ~/astro folder, you can choose anything else, just replace ~/astro with your folder path.

mkdir ~/astro
cd ~/astro

Get the repository and install indi:

cd ~/astro
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/indilib/indi.git
mkdir -p ./indi/tmp
cd ./indi/tmp
cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug ~/astro/indi
make -j4
sudo make install

Now you should have the latest version of indi on your system (at the time of writing this that is 2.0.8)

 

Moving on to Kstars/Ekos:

sudo apt install build-essential cmake git libstellarsolver-dev libeigen3-dev libcfitsio-dev zlib1g-dev libindi-dev extra-cmake-modules libkf5plotting-dev libqt5svg5-dev libkf5xmlgui-dev libkf5kio-dev kinit-dev libkf5newstuff-dev libkf5doctools-dev libkf5notifications-dev qtdeclarative5-dev libkf5crash-dev gettext libnova-dev libgsl-dev libraw-dev libkf5notifyconfig-dev wcslib-dev libqt5websockets5-dev xplanet xplanet-images qt5keychain-dev libsecret-1-dev breeze-icon-theme libqt5datavisualization5-dev
cd ~/astro
git clone https://github.com/KDE/kstars.git
mkdir ./kstars/tmp
cd ./kstars/tmp
cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo ~/astro/kstars
make -j4
sudo make install

This will be (by far) the longest part of the installation, just let it do its thing. Another way of installing Kstars (but I'm unsure if it's good or not, it's a bit ugly) is to use apt:

sudo apt install kstars
cd ~/astro/indi/tmp
sudo make install

You have to install the latest version of indi back, because apt installs indi 1.9.9 along with Kstars (I think I also got a bad installation of Kstars like this, the Ekos button was missing)

 

 

You are now (hopefully) done!

 

Clear skies

Edited July 21 by murjo

[Avocette]

An alternative approach to installing KStars/Ekos/Indi is provided by a script created bu ‘nou’ (https://gitea.nouspiro.space/nou/astro-soft-build) You can choose to install the Stable version, which at the moment is KStars 3.7.1 with Indi 2.0.8, or the Latest development which today is 3.7.2 beta. This will likely become finalised as the next Stable version at the beginning of August.

I suggest you make sure to use the July 2024 update of Raspberry Pi OS 64 bit and in sudo-raspi-config choose ‘labwc’ as the GUI option, rather than WayFire which installs as standard. 

[TiffsAndAstro]

I'm hoping to use scope mounted windows pc, but if I can't this is my plan b.

Thanks for this, not used Linux in many years so it is a bit intimidating.

[murjo]

4 hours ago, Avocette said:

An alternative approach to installing KStars/Ekos/Indi is provided by a script created bu ‘nou’ (https://gitea.nouspiro.space/nou/astro-soft-build) You can choose to install the Stable version, which at the moment is KStars 3.7.1 with Indi 2.0.8, or the Latest development which today is 3.7.2 beta. This will likely become finalised as the next Stable version at the beginning of August.

I suggest you make sure to use the July 2024 update of Raspberry Pi OS 64 bit and in sudo-raspi-config choose ‘labwc’ as the GUI option, rather than WayFire which installs as standard. 

I agree this is a good script, but it didn't work for installing phd2 for me. I also somewhat prefer manually installing everything I can, since I wish to have as much control over everything as possible, especially after all the struggles with indi and ekos. Even the eqmod driver has to be compiled from the indi-3rdparty repository to work with a rpi 5. I know astro-soft compiles everything from source as well, but considering that compiling this yourself doesn't take too long, if you know what you're doing, I think it is worth trying.

 

But yes, I agree, trying this script before anything else is likely the simplest solution for most people, if it works, great, you just saved a lot of time.

[NoCloud]

Hello,

I get an error after adding the repository "sudo apt-add-repository ppa:mutlaqja/ppa"

Err:6 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/mutlaqja/ppa/ubuntu bookworm Release
  404  Not Found [IP: 185.125.190.80 443]
Reading package lists... Done
E: The repository 'https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/mutlaqja/ppa/ubuntu bookworm Release' does not have a Release file.
N: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
 

I'm using a fresh install of 2024-07-04 raspios arm64 and updated, upgraded of course.

Any ideas? Thanks!

 

[StevieDvd]

Have you run the apt-get update command after adding the new repository?

 

[CedricTheBrave]

On 02/09/2024 at 11:05, NoCloud said:

Hello,

I get an error after adding the repository "sudo apt-add-repository ppa:mutlaqja/ppa"

Err:6 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/mutlaqja/ppa/ubuntu bookworm Release
  404  Not Found [IP: 185.125.190.80 443]
Reading package lists... Done
E: The repository 'https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/mutlaqja/ppa/ubuntu bookworm Release' does not have a Release file.
N: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
 

I'm using a fresh install of 2024-07-04 raspios arm64 and updated, upgraded of course.

Any ideas? Thanks!

 

I get the same response

installed KStars ok but no ekos

[CedricTheBrave]

I have ekos now! will give is test run and connect to equipment

[Rallemikken]

On 16/07/2024 at 15:41, murjo said:

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:mutlaqja/ppa

If you are building from source, you don't add Jasem's repo???  AFAIK ppa's are not supported in Debian and Debian-based distro's. Maybe I'm wrong and things have changed, but ppa's used to be for Ubuntu and Ubuntubased distros. Like Mint. Raspios is based on debian.

That said, all distro's based on Debian 12 Bookworm HAS THE MOST COMMON INDI-DRIVERS IN THEIR REPO's ALREADY! INCUDING THE ONES FOR ASI! You just have to add 'contrib and 'non-free'. Some are missing and have to be buildt from source, mainly the ToupTek-derived cameras.

Armbian has images for RPi5 based on Ubuntu Jammy (22.04 LTS).

https://fi.mirror.armbian.de/archive/rpi5b/archive/

With these images you just add Jasem's repo and install as usual. No building from source. But be aware: I've had mixed experiences with this approach.  Jasem's repo is in many ways a moving target. On a bad day you can have driver chrashes and connection problems. Not nnecessary the repo's fault, more the fact that the family of these distro's starts to get big, and the variations between them starts to show. The ONLY distro based on Jammy that gives me consistent installs is Bodhi 7. Mint 20 and 21 has been my daily drivers for years, but lately I've had trouble with both my EQMOD and TOUPCAM drivers on Mint  21.3. 

[NoCloud]

On 02/09/2024 at 07:51, StevieDvd said:

Have you run the apt-get update command after adding the new repository?

 

Yes.

I repeated 'sudo apt-get update' and got the same error.

[Rallemikken]

On 06/09/2024 at 21:05, NoCloud said:

I repeated 'sudo apt-get update' and got the same error.

As you should do. On Debian-based systems there are four main types of installing packages:

1: From the distro's main repos. The recommended way. Sometimes you have to engage parts of the repo in /apt/sources.list or files in /apt/sources.list/d due to non-free software or software with binary blobs. This is the case with the indi-asi-driver in Debian stable. Neverthelsess, what you install in this way works 100% in 98% of the cases. Tested and trusted.

2: From repos you add yourself. You add a line in /etc/apt/sources.list or a file in /etc/apt/sources.list/d. Often done in order to use stellarmate's repo onto Debian-based systems. If the external repo is based on the same distro, this also works well most of the time. In the example of stellarmate, the newest version is compiled against Debian Bullseye. This means that if you use this on an original RaspiOS for RPi5 you might face problems, it's based on Bookworm,  but it's worth a try. If it doesn't work, you just uninstall and remove the access to the repo.

3: From PPA's. This works only on Ubuntu-based systems (which in turn are based on Debian). Jasem Mutlaq's PPA for KStars and INDI is a good example. This works well in most cases, but as the Ubuntu family widens out this approach is starting to crack up. If you stick to Ubuntu, you'r good, but if you use Mint, Armbian or another member of this family you might face problems. Two or three drivers can work well, but if just one crashes you're out.  Also a safe way, you can always uninstall and your system is pristine again. The PPA can be unhinged.

4: From source. This is the most complicated way, and you have to know what you are doing. You can make your install unbootable. Been there, done that. There are plenty of scripts to help you in this endevour, but it doesn't take much effort to learn the basics. The guide on https://github.com/indilib/indi-3rdparty  is very good and holds your hand on the way. Take one command at a time, learn what it does. Read error messages, use google, and keep on until everything is in place.

Number 1 and 4 should give you stable and solid installs. Recently, especially on arm-based hardware, I've had problems with all four methods. You should troubleshoot any driver that causes problem BEFORE you wipe or reinstall. Just a few commands can give insight in what's happening. Sometimes it's just a small detail.

* Open the directory /usr/share/indi  Here there are .xml-files for different hardware groups. Open the one that matches the defect driver, i.e. indi_asi.xml  in a text editor.

* Look for the right hardware and the driver assignment, i.e. indi_asi_ccd if you have just one ASI-camera and it causes problems.

* Start your computer, don't touch any software. Turn on the device (camera), and open a terminal.

* Type in this:  indiserver -vvv indi_asi_ccd   No sudo, and replace the name of the server in question.

* Read the output. See if anything means sense. Terminate with Control + C

* If you run a remote indiserver, SSH into it and pull the same commands. The directory structure should be the same, unless you are using something really special. If you get a message that says something like "bind: Address already in use -- good bye" the server is already running. Stop it with  killall indiserver  and start it from fresh.

 

 

Edited September 7 by Rallemikken

[Steve Eng]

On 03/09/2024 at 13:24, CedricTheBrave said:

I have ekos now! will give is test run and connect to equipment

I've the same problem. Can you remember how you got EKOS to show up?

 

Cheers

 

[CedricTheBrave]

21 minutes ago, Steve Eng said:

I've the same problem. Can you remember how you got EKOS to show up?

 

Cheers

 

no sorry I scrapped the project as it was sucking too much time