Hardware¶
Supported devices¶
The platform targets the Raspberry Pi Zero 2W on arm64. Support for other hardware is planned but not yet on the roadmap.
The Zero 2W is small, low-power, and capable enough for a small group of users. The goal is a setup that fits in a bag with a stack of powerbanks.
Storage¶
Each device boots from a micro SD card. Minimum card size is 8 GB.
The card is partitioned as follows:
| Partition | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
/boot/firmware |
FAT32 | Shared boot partition: kernel, firmware, config |
| Root A | ext4, read-only | Primary root filesystem |
| Root B | ext4, read-only | Secondary root filesystem for A/B updates |
/data |
ext4, read-write | User data, service state, writable paths |
The /data partition is last on the card and expands to fill the remaining space on first boot.
Power¶
There are no specific watt-hour targets. The principle is to minimize consumption at every level:
- Disable services that aren't actively needed
- No background tasks, cron jobs, or periodic polling
- Clean logs at boot
- Measure and cut unnecessary CPU and memory usage
The system should run as long as possible on a standard USB powerbank.
Networking¶
Travel router¶
The recommended setup is a low-power travel router providing WiFi between nodes and, when available, upstream internet for syncing data. No specific model is required. Any device that provides WiFi and DHCP works.
WiFi¶
Devices connect to the travel router or any configured network. Credentials are loaded from the /boot/firmware partition, so WiFi can be configured by mounting the SD card on any computer. DHCP is used for IP assignment.
Mesh¶
Batman-adv mesh networking between nodes is a future goal. This could replace the travel router and reduce power consumption by removing a separate device.
USB¶
The Zero 2W's USB OTG port supports serial console access and USB networking (gadget mode). Serial is useful for debugging and configuration. USB networking lets a phone or laptop connect directly to the device's services. How to select or combine these modes is under development.