Reinstalling Operating System | Industrial Raspberry Pi

In the following cases, it may be necessary to flash your RevPi base module, i.e. to reinstall the entire operating system:

If a version upgrade is required, e.g. from RevPi Bookworm to RevPi Trixie.
If the system has become unstable due to numerous manual changes.
In case of dependency problems that cannot be resolved.
If the system is no longer bootable, e.g. in case of critical system errors (kernel panic) after failed updates.

Use the command cat /etc/revpi/image-release to find out which image version is currently installed on your RevPi, see Query Device Information.

The Release Notes contain breaking changes, bug fixes, security patches, and system requirements that are relevant for the migration and compatibility of your existing installation.

Prerequisites #

You require:

✓ RevPi base module

✓ Host PC (Windows or Linux)

✓ Access to the RevPi is established.

✓ USB 2.0 data cable:

For RevPi Connect 5: Type-A to USB-C
For all other RevPi base modules^[1]: Type-A to Micro-USB

✓ Direct access to your RevPi base module, because the image file is transferred from your PC to the RevPi via the USB cable. It is not possible to install the operating system image remotely.

Required Software

Windows
Linux

✓ an imager program, e.g. Raspberry Pi Imager (from Windows 10) or
Win32 Disk Imager (allows backups to be saved directly)

✓ a verification tool, e.g. gpg4win with Kleopatra

✓ the USB boot utility rpiboot

✓ an imager program, e.g. Raspberry Pi Imager

✓ a verification tool, e.g. GPG

✓ the USB boot utility rpiboot

1. Starting RevPi in Bootloader Mode #

▷ If necessary, deactivate the watchdog.

Applicable to the devices RevPi Connect 5, RevPi Connect 4, RevPi Connect S and RevPi Flat S.

▷ Shut down the RevPi and disconnect it from the power supply.

▷ Connect the RevPi to your PC via the Micro-USB or USB-C socket.

▷ Start rpiboot on your PC.

▷ Reconnect the RevPi to the power supply.

❯ rpiboot recognizes the device and loads the required files until the RevPi is displayed as a removable storage device, e.g. as D:\.

2. Creating a Backup #

▷ Save a backup of your existing system installation as an image, see Creating a Backup.

3. Downloading and Verifying New Image #

▷ Download the new operating system image.

▷ Unzip the image package (.zip).

The package contains, among other things:

the image in a disk image file (.img)
the MD5 file (.md5sum.txt)
the image signature file (.img.asc)

Windows
Linux

▷ Install the verification tool gpg4win and start the Kleopatra application.

▷ Create a new key pair if one does not already exist.

▷ Download the RevPi GPG release key.

▷ Unzip, import, and certify the key (.asc) in Kleopatra.

▷ Select Decrypt/Verify.

▷ Select the image signature file (.img.asc) from the image package.

❯❯ The signature is verified.

Valid signature indicates that KUNBUS has been successfully verified as the publisher.
If The files could not be verified is displayed, the image package must be downloaded and verified again.

▷ Install the GPG verification tool on your PC:

sudo apt install gnupg

▷ Download the RevPi GPG release key.

wget https://revolutionpi.com/fileadmin/downloads/gpg/revpi-public-key.zip

▷ Import the public RevPi key from KUNBUS with:

gpg --import revpi-public-key.asc

▷ Verify the signature with:

gpg --verify <.img.asc> <.img>

❯❯ The signature is verified.

Good signature indicates that KUNBUS has been successfully verified as the publisher.
If Bad signature is displayed, the image package must be downloaded and verified again.

4. Installing New Image #

Windows
Linux

▷ Start the imager program (here:Raspberry Pi Imager).

▷ Select the appropriate Raspberry Pi model, e.g. Raspberry Pi 5 for the RevPi Connect 5.

▷ Select Custom image as the operating system.

❯ The file selection dialog opens.

▷ Select the new image file (.img) and confirm with NEXT.

▷ Select the RevPi as the storage medium, [D:\] in this example, and confirm with NEXT.

▷ Check all details again in the Write image dialog and confirm with WRITE.

▷ Confirm the write operation once more with I UNDERSTAND. ERASE AND WRITE.

❯ The write operation starts. The new image is installed on the RevPi. This process can take several minutes. The message Write Successful! appears.

▷ Confirm the message with CONTINUE.

▷ Start the Raspberry Pi Imager on your PC:

rpi-imager

❯ The Linux GUI opens.

▷ Select Choose OS.

▷ Select Use custom.

▷ Select the new image file (.img).

▷ Under Choose Storage, select the RevPi as the storage medium.

▷ Select Write.

❯ The write operation starts. The new image is installed on the RevPi. This process can take several minutes.

5. Starting Initial Device Setup #

▷ Disconnect the RevPi from the power supply.

▷ Remove the USB cable.

Note	As long as the micro-USB/USB-C cable is connected, the RevPi is in bootloader mode and cannot be started in operating mode.

▷ Reconnect the power supply to the RevPi.

❯ The RevPi boots for the first time after reinstallation^[2].

You now need access to the device again. Possible options are:

via Cockpit
via SSH
via Desktop Mode

▷ Open revpi<serial>.local in a web browser^[3].
Alternatively, you can enter the IP address of the RevPi in the web browser.

❯ A security warning may appear in the browser.

▷ Accept the security exception to continue with the login.

❯ The Cockpit login screen appears.

▷ Log in initially with:

Default user: pi
Default password: revolutionpi (until RevPi Bookworm: raspberry)

❯ Device setup starts automatically^[4].

▷ Select Restart.

▷ Establish the SSH connection againfootnote:hostname:

ssh pi@revpi<serial>.local

▷ Log in initially with:

Default user: pi
Default password: revolutionpi (until RevPi Bookworm: raspberry)

❯ Device setup starts automatically^[4].

▷ Restart the RevPi with:

sudo reboot

▷ Log in initially with:

Default user: pi
Default password: revolutionpi (until RevPi Bookworm: raspberry)

❯ Device setup starts automatically^[4].

▷ Restart the RevPi with:

sudo reboot

▷ Log in with user name pi and the device password.

❯❯ The new image has now been installed successfully.

▷ Install all updates promptly to close security vulnerabilities.

Possible Sources of Error #

Error	Cause	Remedy
RevPi is not recognized as a drive on the PC.	Wrong order of steps	The order of the steps must be correct: 1. Disconnect the power supply from the RevPi. 2. Connect the Micro-USB cable. 3. Start rpiboot on the PC. 4. Reconnect the power supply to the RevPi.
	Wrong USB cable	Use a USB cable that can transfer data. Do not use a charge-only cable.
	rpiboot is not up to date.	Always use the latest version of rpiboot to ensure that the current hardware versions are supported.
rpiboot cannot be installed.	Trusted Publisher error	Deactivate driver signature enforcement.

Error

Cause

Remedy

RevPi is not recognized as a drive on the PC.

Wrong order of steps

The order of the steps must be correct:

1. Disconnect the power supply from the RevPi.
2. Connect the Micro-USB cable.
3. Start rpiboot on the PC.
4. Reconnect the power supply to the RevPi.

Wrong USB cable

Use a USB cable that can transfer data. Do not use a charge-only cable.

rpiboot is not up to date.

Always use the latest version of rpiboot to ensure that the current hardware versions are supported.

rpiboot cannot be installed.

Trusted Publisher error

Deactivate driver signature enforcement.

1. The RevPi Flat was designed as a tamper-proof device. Therefore, there is no micro USB port for flashing the image.[RevPi Flat

2. As of RevPi Trixie, the device setup starts automatically for devices with HAT EEPROM. After the device setup, log in using the username pi and the device password.

3. Until RevPi Bookworm and for devices without HAT EEPROM the hostname is revpi.local.

4. For devices without HAT EEPROM, initial setup must be started manually, see RevPi Devices with and without HAT EEPROM.