Getting Started

Set up your first Hedge Apple Pi system in 4 easy steps.

What You'll Need

  • A Raspberry Pi (3B+, 4B, 5, or Zero 2W)
  • A micro SD card (8GB or larger)
  • A computer running Linux to prepare the system (your Pi works too, just slower)
  • About 10GB of free disk space
  • An internet connection

Step 1: Pick Your Options

Use the Get Started page to choose your Pi model and pick the features you want.

  1. Go to the Setup Wizard page
  2. Select your Raspberry Pi model
  3. Turn on or off the features you want (WiFi, remote access, sound, etc.)
  4. Give your device a name
  5. Click Create My Setup Files
  6. Download all four files to your computer

Step 2: Prepare Your Computer

On your Linux computer, create a folder for the project and run the preparation tool:

mkdir hedgeapple-build && cd hedgeapple-build

# Copy your downloaded files into this folder
# Then make them runnable:
chmod +x setup_buildroot.sh build.sh flash.sh

# Run the preparation tool (downloads what's needed, about 7MB)
./setup_buildroot.sh
What does this actually do?

This script downloads Buildroot, an open-source tool that compiles a complete operating system from source code. It sets up the directory structure and prepares everything needed for the build step. Buildroot is about 7MB and handles all the complexity of cross-compiling for the Raspberry Pi's ARM processor.

Step 3: Build Your System

Run the build tool. This creates your entire custom system from scratch:

# This takes 30-90 minutes -- grab a coffee!
./build.sh
Building on a Raspberry Pi? It'll work, but takes longer (2-4 hours). Make sure you have at least 10GB free space on your SD card.
What's happening during the build?

The build tool compiles a Linux kernel, creates a minimal root filesystem using BusyBox, and packages everything into a single SD card image file. It cross-compiles everything for the Pi's ARM architecture, so the resulting system is optimized for your specific Pi model.

Step 4: Copy to SD Card and Boot

Insert your SD card into your computer and run the SD card writer:

# Copy your custom system to the SD card
./flash.sh

The tool will show you the available drives and ask you to pick the right one. Make sure you pick the SD card, not your computer's main drive!

Put the SD card into your Pi and plug it in. Your Hedge Apple Pi should start up in under 5 seconds!

What if I want to do this manually?

You can use the dd command directly:

sudo dd if=buildroot/output/images/sdcard.img of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress

Replace /dev/sdX with your actual SD card device (use lsblk to find it).

Your First Time Using It

When your Pi starts up, you'll see a login prompt. Log in as root (no password needed the first time).

Here are the first things you should do:

# Set a password (so others can't access your Pi)
passwd

# Connect to WiFi (if you enabled it)
ha-wifi setup

# Check for available add-ons
hamod update

# Install your first add-on
hamod install bluetooth
You're all set! Your Pi is now running a fast, lightweight system. Add features anytime by typing hamod install <name>.