StellarMate OS

For experienced users who already own a Raspberry PI 3 unit (including the newly released RPI3B+), StellarMate OS is a complete software package ready for deployment on your RPI3/RPI3B+. It is provided as an OS Image file (.img) that you can burn to an SD card and fire it up immediately to enjoy the full benefit of StellarMate software stack. The following packages are included in addition to the base OS:

• INDI
• KStars/Ekos
• Astrometry.net with index files.
• StellarMate Web Manager.
• StellarMate Network Manager.
• StellarMate Serial Port Assistant.

Requirements

• Raspberry PI 3/3B+
• 8GB MicroSD. A 16GB+ Class 10 MicroSD card is highly recommended.

Download

After your purchase, you will receieve a link in the email to download the file. Since the file size is ~2.5 GB, it is highly recommended to use a dedicated download manager to download the file. After you download the file (StellarMateOS_1.3.1.zip), you can verify its integrity by computing its hash. Use Quick Hash GUI to verify the integrity of the image file. The following are MD5 and SHA256 hashes of the zip file:

• MD5: 3ca38e36920e1d26d847d1089c917dde
  
• SHA256: 47469c63131cf7d4fd579fadc4e97d45c7ac105f738ff178d24ce24bb71ffc13
  

Installation

Etcher is a graphical SD card writing tool that works on Mac OS, Linux and Windows, and is the easiest option for most users. Etcher also supports writing images directly from the zip file, without any unzipping required. To write your image with Etcher:

• Download Etcher and install it.
• Connect an SD card reader with the SD card inside.
• Open Etcher and select from your hard drive the StellarMate .zip file you want to write to the SD card.
• Select the SD card you wish to write your image to.
• Review your selections and click 'Flash!' to begin writing data to the SD card.

Boot up

Once the image is burned to the card, insert the microSD card into Raspberry PI3 and power it up.

Note: StellarMate can take up to 2 minutes before switching to HotSpot mode on first startup.

Passwords

• The default StellarMate OS password is smate
• The default StellarMate WiFi HotSpot password is stellar@mate

Learning StellarMate

For new users, using StellarMate effectively can take a bit of a learning curve (like everything else) especially given the breadth of the features if provides. Here are some useful resources to get your started:

• First Time Setup tutorial.
• StellarMate Video tutorials.
• Ekos Video Tutorials.

Support

We are proud to offer top-notch support for our customers. Please make sure to checkout first the Frequently Asked Questions and Knowledge Base articles. To report any issues with StellarMate or Ekos, please submit a ticket and our support team should get back to you as soon as possible. Please make sure to submit the relevant logs to aid in diagnosting and resolving the issue efficiently.

Release History

• v1.3.1 Released 2018-11-23
  • Fixed uncommon bootup issue with SD card.
  • Updated to INDI Library v1.7.5 and KStars 2.9.8
• v1.3.0 Released 2018-06-10
  • Added support for RTC (Real Time Clock).
  • Updated to INDI Library v1.7.3 and KStars 2.9.6
• v1.2.9 Released 2018-04-16
  • Fixed compatibitliy issues with Raspberry PI 3B+
  • Improved networking stack
  • Updated to INDI Library v1.7.0 and KStars 2.9.4
• v1.2.8 Released 2018-03-24
  • StellarMate OS now comptabile with the newly released Raspberry PI 3B+
  • StellarMate Tools updated to provide more fuctionality.
  • Direct Ethernet works without any configuration, just Plug & Play!
  • Improved web based VNC access with modern interface.
  • Faster Boot up time.
• v1.2.7 Release 2018-02-05
  • StellarMate Web Manager bug fixes.
  • Better Support for GPS dongles.