pikvm/docs/flashing_os.md

Flashing the OS image

!!! warning "Micro-SD Card Requirements" * Minimum 16 Gb * Class 10 is strongly recommended

Download the image

Download the appropriate SD card image. Select it based on the board, platform, and the video capture device you are using:

• PiKVM v3 HAT (Raspberry Pi 4) _{- sha1}
• DIY - Raspberry Pi 4, v2 platform:
  • For HDMI-CSI bridge _{- sha1}
  • For HDMI-USB dongle _{- sha1}
• DIY - Raspberry Pi ZeroW, v2 platform:
  • For HDMI-CSI bridge _{- sha1}

Pre-compiled images are only available for the Raspberry Pi 4 and ZeroW. For all other cases, you will need to build the operating system yourself. But don't worry, it's very simple.

Flash the image

!!! tip Choose the most suitable method for you

Using Linux CLI

Decompress and flash the image. Be careful when choosing your device path:

# bzip2 -d v2-hdmi-rpi4.img.bz2
# dd if=v2-hdmi-rpi4.img of=/dev/mmcblkX

Using balenaEtcher (Linux, MacOS and Windows)

1. Download and install balenaEtcher.

2. Decompress the image file using your favorite archive software. If you don't have one that supports .bz2 files (on Windows for example) - 7-Zip is a great and free tool. Do not try to flash a compressed image: either it will not work, or it will take a very long time.

3. Run balenaEtcher:

   

4. Press Flash from file and select a decompressed image (a file with .img suffix):

   

5. Insert the memory card into the card reader. Press Select target and choose your memory card:

   

6. Press Flash! button.

   

7. Wait for the process to finish. Get yourself a coffee or do some stretching :) If an error occurs during flashing, repeat the process:

   

!!! tip If balenaEtcher does not work for you and you continue to get failed bootup's, download the Raspberry Pi Imager and use that instead. The general algorithm of actions is exactly the same: use a decompressed image, run Imager, select a device and flash the image there.