# Pi Deployment Guide ## Tooling Fedora 43: ```bash sudo dnf install golang libgpiod ``` Cross-compiling roverd for Pi Zero 2 W (ARMv7): ```bash cd pi/roverd mkdir -p ../../dist make pi-build ``` The binary is placed in `dist/roverd` (relative to the repo root). ### Dummy rover build (for local testing) If you need extra “virtual” rovers on your laptop/CI box, build the dummy binary: ```bash cd pi/roverd mkdir -p ../../dist make dummy ``` Run the resulting `dist/roverd-dummy` on any machine; it will connect to the server, stream fake Group 100 sensor data, and log drive commands so you can test multi-rover features without additional hardware. ## Automated installation (recommended) Install the Raspberry Pi camera helpers (Bookworm ships them): ```bash sudo apt update sudo apt install libcamera-apps ``` Once the binary (and repo) are on the Pi, run the helper script from the repo root: ```bash cd ~/MultiRoombaRover sudo ./pi/install_roverd.sh ``` What the script does: - creates the `roverd` service account (dialout/gpio/video groups) if missing and installs `/usr/local/bin/roverd` - copies `pi/roverd/roverd.sample.yaml` to `/etc/roverd.yaml` if the file is absent (existing configs are left untouched) - installs/enables the `roverd.service` systemd unit, restarting it automatically when a config already exists - installs `/usr/local/bin/video-publisher`, drops `video-publisher.service`, and enables it so video is published automatically on boot Flags: | Flag | Purpose | |------|---------| | `-b PATH` | use a different roverd binary (defaults to `dist/roverd`) | | `-c PATH` | seed `/etc/roverd.yaml` from another template | If the script installs the sample config, it will remind you to edit `/etc/roverd.yaml` before manually restarting the service: set `name`, `serverUrl`, serial device, BRC pin, battery thresholds, and optionally override `media.publishUrl`. When left blank, roverd automatically publishes to `srt://:9000?streamid=#!::r=,m=publish…` (the host comes from `serverUrl`). Re-run `pi/install_roverd.sh` any time you pull updates—the script overwrites the roverd + video-publisher binaries and drops the latest systemd units so the only configuration you ever touch manually is `/etc/roverd.yaml`. `roverd` rewrites `/var/lib/roverd/video.env` on startup, so no other files need editing. ## Manual installation 1. Copy the binary and config: ```bash sudo useradd -r -s /usr/sbin/nologin roverd || true sudo install -o roverd -g roverd -m 0755 dist/roverd /usr/local/bin/roverd sudo install -o roverd -g roverd -m 0640 pi/roverd/roverd.sample.yaml /etc/roverd.yaml ``` Adjust `/etc/roverd.yaml` for each rover: `name`, `serverUrl` (e.g. `ws://control-server:8080/rover`), serial port path, battery thresholds, GPIO pin for BRC, and (if needed) the media `publishUrl` override. Otherwise, roverd derives `srt://:9000?streamid=#!::r=,m=publish&latency=20&mode=caller&transtype=live&pkt_size=1316` based on the `serverUrl`. 2. Install the systemd unit: ```bash sudo install -m 0644 pi/systemd/roverd.service /etc/systemd/system/roverd.service sudo systemctl daemon-reload sudo systemctl enable --now roverd.service ``` `roverd` requires access to `/dev/ttyAMA0` and `/dev/gpiochip*`; keeping it under its own user ensures the rest of the system stays isolated—just make sure the account belongs to the `dialout` and `gpio` groups so it can reach the UART and libgpiod. The video publisher needs read access to the camera devices (`/dev/media*`, `/dev/video*`), so the install script adds the `roverd` service account to the `video` group; if you created the user manually, make sure it belongs to `video`. **BRC note:** configure `brc.gpioPin` (and `brc.gpioChip` if you’re not using `gpiochip0`) and ensure the `roverd` user has permission to toggle that line—no root privileges are required anymore. If you set `media.manage: true` in `/etc/roverd.yaml`, make sure the `roverd` service account can invoke `systemctl ` (the installer wires `video-publisher.service` to run as `roverd`, so no sudo tweaks are required unless you rename it). ## Video publisher details The `video-publisher.service` unit runs `/usr/local/bin/video-publisher`, piping `rpicam-vid`/`libcamera-vid` straight into the stock FFmpeg package: ```bash rpicam-vid (or libcamera-vid) --inline --timeout 0 --width=WIDTH --height=HEIGHT \ --framerate=FPS --bitrate=BITRATE --codec h264 --profile baseline --output - \ | ffmpeg -hide_banner -loglevel warning -fflags nobuffer \ -f h264 -i pipe:0 -c:v copy -an -flush_packets 1 -f mpegts $PUBLISH_URL ``` `/var/lib/roverd/video.env` carries all tunables (`PUBLISH_URL`, resolution, FPS, bitrate). `roverd` rewrites the file whenever you restart it or hit the “Restart Camera” button so the publisher always inherits the correct rover ID + bitrate knobs. Because we now use the distro FFmpeg build with SRT enabled, the installer is much faster—no custom compile steps. Use `sudo systemctl status video-publisher` to watch logs; the unit auto-restarts whenever the connection drops or FFmpeg exits with an error. ## Server + UI From the repo root: ```bash cd server npm install npm run start ``` This launches the HTTP server (serving the barebones UI) and the rover WebSocket endpoint at `ws://:8080/rover`. The UI expects `roverd` instances to send `hello` frames so it can populate the rover list. Use the mode buttons to emit Start/Safe/Full/Passive/Dock commands (they send the raw OI opcode bytes), tap the sensor toggle to request Group 100 streaming, and use WASD for drive testing; the UI emits Drive Direct commands ~8 times per second, so the rover sees them immediately.