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FAQ & Troubleshooting

As a first step we recommend carefully reading our documentation on GitHub. Most steps to successfully set up your Pi-KVM are already described there. If you run into any issues you can check this page which will list common errors. If that still doesn't help you you're welcome to raise an issue ticket or join our Discord for further help.

Common questions

Can I connect multiple servers to a single Pi-KVM?
  • Yes, but it will require additional work to set up. See this page.
Can I use Pi-KVM with non-Raspberry Pi boards (Orange, Nano, etc)?
  • Yes, but you will have to prepare the operating system yourself. As for the Pi-KVM software, you will need to replace some config files (such as UDEV rules). If you are a developer or an experienced system administrator, you will not have any problems with this. In addition, we are open to patches. If you need help with this, please contact us via Discord.

First steps

What is the default password? How do I change it?

  • There are two types of accounts: OS and Pi-KVM (web interface) accounts. The system account root can be used for SSH/UART access and has the password root. The web interface account is called admin and has the password admin. The Pi-KVM account cannot be used for SSH access and vice versa.

    To change passwords, use the following commands (under root):

    su -  # If you're in the webterm
rw  # Switch filesystem to read-write mode
passwd root  # Change OS root password
kvmd-passwd set admin  # Change web ui admin password
ro  # Back to read-only
How do I get root access in the web terminal?
  • The web terminal works with the account kvmd-webterm. This is a regular user with no administrator privileges. In addition, sudo is disabled for this user for security reasons. To get root access, you need to use the su - command (minus is important) and enter the root password.
Where is the Pi-KVM configuration located?

  • Almost all KVMD (the main daemon controlling Pi-KVM) configuration files located in /etc/kvmd. You can also find nginx configs and SSL certificates there. KVMD configs use YAML syntax. The specific platform parameters can be found in the file /etc/kvmd/main.yaml and you should never edit it. Use /etc/kvmd/override.yaml to redefine the system parameters.

    Another files that are also not recommended for editing have read-only permissions. If you edit any of these files, you will need to manually make changes to them when you upgrade your system. You can view the current configuration and all available KVMD parameters using the command kvmd -m.

I can't edit any file on Pi-KVM. Why is the system in read-only mode?
  • The Pi-KVM file system is always mounted in read-only mode. This measure prevents it from being damaged by a sudden power outage. To change the configuration you must first switch the filesystem to write mode using the command rw from root. After the changes, be sure to run the command ro to switch it back to read-only.
How do I update Pi-KVM with the latest software?

  • Pi-KVM OS is based on Arch Linux ARM and is fully updated from the repository by a regular package manager. Connect to your Pi-KVM via ssh and run:

    rw
pacman -Syu
reboot

    ❗ Pacman saves all installed packages in a compressed format so that you can roll back to the old version if something goes wrong. After you've updated and made sure everything works, it makes sense to clear the package cache so that it doesn't take up space on the SD card: rw; rm -rf /var/cache/pacman/pkg; ro.