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Flash the image

Write the AryaOS image to a microSD card, then boot your Raspberry Pi from it. This takes a few minutes with either Raspberry Pi Imager or balenaEtcher, and both verify the write before you unplug.

Flashing erases the card

Writing an image overwrites everything on the target microSD card. Double-check the drive you select before you start.

Before you begin

  • A supported Raspberry Pi and a microSD card of at least 16 GB (32 GB recommended) — see Hardware & requirements.
  • A workstation running Windows, macOS, or Linux.
  • The AryaOS image file (next section).

Get the image

Source Where When to use
GitHub Releases github.com/snstac/aryaos/releases The stable, recommended download
CI artifacts GitHub Actions build artifacts on the repo Testing an unreleased build your team pointed you to

Download the AryaOS image (published as a compressed .img.xz). Both flashing tools below read .img.xz directly — you do not need to decompress it first.

Every release is signed and bill-of-materials'd

Each image build attaches an SPDX and CycloneDX software bill of materials (SBOM) to its GitHub Release, and all AryaOS packages install from the signed apt repository. See SBOM & supply chain.

Flash the card

Raspberry Pi Imager is the recommended tool. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

  1. Install Raspberry Pi Imager if you do not already have it.
  2. Insert the microSD card into your workstation.
  3. Open Raspberry Pi Imager.
  4. Under Choose OS, scroll to the bottom and select Use custom, then pick the downloaded AryaOS .img.xz.
  5. Under Choose Storage, select the microSD card. Confirm the device — this erases the card.
  6. Click Next, confirm, and wait for the write and verify steps to finish.

Skip the OS customization prompt

If Imager offers to apply hostname, Wi-Fi, or user settings, choose No / skip it. AryaOS personalizes its own hostname and hotspot on first boot; pre-seeding those settings can conflict.

balenaEtcher also writes AryaOS cards on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

  1. Download and install balenaEtcher.
  2. Insert the target microSD card.
  3. Open balenaEtcher.
  4. Select Flash from file and choose the AryaOS image.
  5. Select the target microSD card.
  6. Click Flash.

balenaEtcher writing an AryaOS image

When the write finishes, balenaEtcher verifies the image automatically and then ejects the card.

Boot the Pi

  1. Eject the microSD card from your workstation.
  2. Insert it into the powered-off Raspberry Pi.
  3. Attach any radios, antennas, and GPS you plan to use (see Hardware & requirements).
  4. Apply power.

Within a few seconds the AryaOS device flashes its green and red LEDs as it starts up.

First boot takes about 120 seconds

A brand-new AryaOS device spends roughly two minutes on its first boot resizing the filesystem, choosing a unique identity, and generating its own web certificate. This only happens once. See First boot & first login for exactly what happens and how to connect.

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