question

carry2web avatar image
carry2web asked

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 OSVictronConnect
1 comment
2 |3000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

carry2web avatar image carry2web commented ·

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

0 Likes 0 ·
6 Answers
Kevin Windrem avatar image
Kevin Windrem answered ·

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.

2 |3000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

Kevin Windrem avatar image
Kevin Windrem answered ·

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.

5 comments
2 |3000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

carry2web avatar image carry2web commented ·

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 :-(

0 Likes 0 ·
carry2web avatar image carry2web commented ·
So: You were you able to connect over BlueTooth and phone VictronConnect app?
0 Likes 0 ·
Kevin Windrem avatar image Kevin Windrem carry2web commented ·
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.

0 Likes 0 ·
carry2web avatar image carry2web Kevin Windrem commented ·
SD image on a Windows system shows only boot segment
0 Likes 0 ·
Kevin Windrem avatar image Kevin Windrem carry2web commented ·

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.

0 Likes 0 ·
Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) avatar image
Thiemo van Engelen (Victron Energy staff) answered ·

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

4 comments
2 |3000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

carry2web avatar image carry2web commented ·
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
0 Likes 0 ·
mvader (Victron Energy) avatar image mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ carry2web commented ·

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.

0 Likes 0 ·
Kevin Windrem avatar image Kevin Windrem mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ commented ·
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.

0 Likes 0 ·
Show more comments
carry2web avatar image
carry2web answered ·

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.

1 comment
2 |3000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

Kevin Windrem avatar image Kevin Windrem commented ·

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.

0 Likes 0 ·
alan-falck avatar image
alan-falck answered ·

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

1 comment
2 |3000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

Kevin Windrem avatar image Kevin Windrem commented ·

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.

0 Likes 0 ·
ludo avatar image
ludo answered ·

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


2 |3000
Toggle Comment visibility. Current Visibility: Viewable by all users

Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

Related Resources

Victron Venus OS Open Source intro page

Venus OS GitHub (please do not post to this)

VictronConnect Manual

Download for iOS / Android / Mac / Windows