Can Victron OS on Raspberry Pi be configured for Wifi via config file on SD?

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carry2web asked Sep 8, '21

Can Victron OS on Raspberry Pi be configured for Wifi via config file on SD?

I'm trying this setup Victron's Venus OS on a Raspberry Pi, install and configuration - Panbo

I cannot use a network cable (only have Mifi router available), I cannot hook up (yet) via GPIO pins and serial cable, so hoping to ssh to IP address of running device once connected via WiFi.

A Raspberry PI can be configured for WiFi via a file called wpa_supplicant.conf on the root of the SD card containing SSID and password. Raspberry Pi Documentation - Configuration

1. Can Victron OS be configured similar way?

2. Also question on ssh - to enable is it possible to just touch ssh file on root to enable ssh access or is ssh already on by default on Victron OS? - answer yes, see comment

3. Shouldn't the Raspberry PI with Victron OS (and a bluetooth dongle) also be detected/appear on the Victron Connect mobile app? @Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) would you know?

Venus OS VictronConnect

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carry2web commented · Sep 08, 2021 at 08:39 PM

Answer to 2 already found: https://community.victronenergy.com/comments/29184/view.html check.

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Kevin Windrem answered · Sep 10, 2021 at 09:54 PM

I just went though this again and found a way. With no ethernet or Wi-Fi connection, VictronConnect discovers the RPI running Venus OS (v2.80~16 in my case). This is a bluetooth connection.

Tap on the gear upper right, then Network. From there you can set up a Wi-Fi connection.

Returning to the main page for the PI, it now has an IP address and you can connect to the remote console from there.

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Answer 1 · 2021-09-08T23:40:49Z

Kevin Windrem answered · Sep 08, 2021 at 11:40 PM

I was able to get a RPI running Venus OS to show up in VictronConnect on my phone and get to it's remote console from there. This unit has not been set up on VRM so it doesn't show up there but it looks like that's not necessary to get to the remote console. From there you should be able to set up root password and Wi-Fi so you can log in.

I found a wpa_supplicant.conf in /etc. It contains no network info even though I connected via wi-fi.

I found wi-fi info in /data/var/lib/connman that seem to relate to previous Wi-Fi connections.

Note this is for v2.80~16. Versions prior to v2.80xxx could have files in different locations.

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carry2web commented · Sep 09, 2021 at 08:37 AM

Thank you @Kevin Windrem but your answer already assumes I can get onto the device using ssh. I would be able to do so once I get the wifi connection up and running.

Putting a wpa_supplicant.conf in root directory on SD works for many distro's, question is will it work for Victron OS.

My experience it is not successful yet :-(

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carry2web commented · Sep 09, 2021 at 08:39 AM

So: You were you able to connect over BlueTooth and phone VictronConnect app?

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Kevin Windrem carry2web commented · Sep 09, 2021 at 03:29 PM

Sorry, it worked because I was already connected to my network. Once I disconnected the Wi-Fi I could no longer get to the remote console.

My other suggestions were maybe something that could be done by mounting the SD card on a computer that can read and write ext4 file systems.

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carry2web Kevin Windrem commented · Sep 10, 2021 at 11:18 AM

SD image on a Windows system shows only boot segment

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Kevin Windrem carry2web commented · Sep 10, 2021 at 03:13 PM

Windows doesn't support ext4 partitions natively. I also have an ext4 extension on my Mac and also run Ubuntu under Parallels. You could also mount the Venus OS SD card on the PI running Raspberry PI OS.

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Answer 2 · 2021-09-09T09:54:21Z

Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) answered · Sep 09, 2021 at 09:54 AM

Hi @carry2web

I am unable to test it, but I would expect it to work with a USB bluetooth dongle. This does require that the USB bluetooth dongle supports at least bluetooth 4.0 and bluetooth low energy. When you have a very old USB bluetooth dongle, it might only support bluetooth 2.1.

Kind regards,

Thiemo van Engelen

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carry2web commented · Sep 10, 2021 at 11:14 AM

Why is a BT dongle required with onboard BT? I tried both with dongel and without to no avail. Pi does not show up in VictronConnect. I know I have seen it show up in the past

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mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ carry2web commented · Sep 10, 2021 at 09:27 PM

Hi, @carry2web what raspberrypi do you have?

and what version of the image did you install?

As far as I know, the onboard bluetooth works on the pi. Both for the rpi3 as well as the 4. For complete details, see our document: https://github.com/victronenergy/venus/wiki/raspberrypi-install-venus-image

But it can be that it does not anymore: we don’t test Pi’s when making a new version.

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Kevin Windrem mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented · Sep 10, 2021 at 09:49 PM

Onboard bluetooth works on my RPI 4 v1.1 and 1.2 boards with v2.80~16.

Bluetooth connectivity is not the OP's issue. He's just looking for a way to set up Venus OS without a local keyboard and display.

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mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ Kevin Windrem commented · Sep 11, 2021 at 04:43 AM

Yes, and you can do that with bluetooth; :-)

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Answer 3 · 2021-09-10T11:02:47Z

carry2web answered · Sep 10, 2021 at 11:02 AM

The wifi steps works voor Raspberry PI OS, can be configured headless, just by adding the wpa_supplicant.conf (with wifi details) and empty ssh file to root (on a fresh install)

Unfortunately I cannot say the same for Venus OS(latest version), it fails to connect. Bummer!

Leaves me no other choice than to find me a HDMI screen, cable, USB keyboard and mouse to setup the Pi with Venus OS.

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Kevin Windrem commented · Sep 10, 2021 at 03:10 PM

There are many inexpensive HDMI displays that should work with Venus OS. You may need to set the frame buffer size to match the display.

I used this 7" touchscreen and even the touch works out of the box:

https:/amazon.com/gp/product/B077PLVZCX

There are also other displays without touch for a little less money.

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Answer 4 · 2022-01-07T10:07:42Z

alan-falck answered · Jan 07, 2022 at 10:07 AM

Im trying to connect a Pi 3a+ (wifi only) I tried the wpa_supplicant.conf with my WiFi settings and no Joy. Ive tried to login to the Pi via a USB keyboard and HDMI but can't find user (pi?) or Password (ZZZ) any ideas ?

Alan

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Kevin Windrem commented · Jan 07, 2022 at 04:12 PM

There is no user pi in Venus OS. login as root. However you first need to set the access level to Superuser but that needs to be done via the GUI --- which you can't get to.

Most likely, you'll need to temporarily connect an HDMI display and mouse to the PI to set things up.

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Answer 5 · 2022-09-08T14:58:38Z

ludo answered · Sep 08, 2022 at 02:58 PM

I connect my Pi to my phone and enable Bluetooth-tethering.........works great

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