Install on your SBC

Debian 13 on an iOptron iMate

Flash the ready-made OpenAstro image to a microSD card, boot the iMate once, and it installs itself to the internal eMMC. Pull the SD card and it runs from internal storage as a networked gear-control server. No SSH, no scripts, no configuration.

memoryDebian 13 (Trixie)developer_boardAllwinner H6saveInstalls to internal eMMC

Flash the image

1. Download the latest openastro-imate.img.xz from the releases page.

2. Write it to a microSD card (8 GB or larger) with balenaEtcher, Raspberry Pi Imager, or from a terminal:

   xzcat openastro-imate.img.xz | sudo dd of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress conv=fsync

   Replace /dev/sdX with your microSD device.

Full details, build scripts, and hardware documentation live in the openastro-imate repository.

ZWO EAF/EFW ready

The image's kernel ships with HIDRAW enabled, and a udev rule granting device access is baked in, so ZWO EAF focusers and EFW filter wheels should work out of the box.

Easy to undo

Want the stock iMate back later? iOptron publishes the factory image and a reload guide. See Restore the stock iOptron image below.

First boot: install to eMMC

Insert the SD card, power on the iMate, and watch the status LED:

LED	Meaning
🔴🟢 Red and green blinking	Booting from the SD card. Do not remove the SD.
🔴 Solid red	Installing to eMMC. Do not remove the SD.
🟢 Solid green	Install complete. Power off and remove the SD card.

When the LED turns solid green, power off, remove the microSD, and power back on. The iMate now boots OpenAstro from its internal eMMC and the SD card is no longer needed. During normal operation the LED blinks red and green while booting, then stays solid red while powered on.

Connect to the iMate

The image comes up with these defaults:

Setting	Value
Hostname	openastro
Username / password	astro / astro
WiFi access point	OpenAstro-XXXX (5 GHz), password 12345678
WiFi AP address	172.24.1.1
Ethernet	DHCP

XXXX is the last 4 hex digits of the iMate's WiFi MAC address, set automatically on first boot so multiple devices at the same site each get a unique hotspot name.

Connect over Ethernet or join the OpenAstro-XXXX WiFi network. If you want a terminal, SSH in with one of the following clients depending on your operating system:

• Linux: Terminal (built-in)
• macOS: Terminal (built-in)
• Windows: MobaXterm (or PuTTY, or Windows Terminal)

ssh astro@openastro

Change the default password right away, then update the operating system:

passwd
sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade -y && sudo reboot

Join your own WiFi network (optional)

Everything is done from the WiFi card in the AlpacaBridge web UI (Server Info tab): scan for networks, join one with its password, and manage the Personal Hotspot. No command line needed.

One iMate-specific limitation: the WiFi chip runs either the hotspot or a client connection, never both at the same time. In practice:

• While joined to your home network, the OpenAstro-XXXX hotspot is off. Reach the device through your network instead at http://openastro.lan:6800/ (or http://<device-ip>:6800/, find the address on your router).
• When your network is out of range, for example at a dark site, the hotspot comes back automatically. No action needed.
• To force the hotspot back while your network is in range, toggle Personal Hotspot on in the AlpacaBridge WiFi card. This disconnects the iMate from your network.

AlpacaBridge Comes Preinstalled

The image ships with AlpacaBridge 3.5.1 already installed from the OpenAstro APT repository and running as a systemd service, so the iMate works at a dark site straight from the flash. No internet required and nothing to install.

The web portal listens on port 6800: http://openastro.lan:6800 from your LAN, or http://172.24.1.1:6800 when joined to the hotspot.

The iMate PowerBox works immediately too: add it in the AlpacaBridge web UI as a Switch → iOptron → iMate PowerBox to switch the DC1 and DC2 power ports (DC3 is a hardwired pass-through that is always on).

Keep AlpacaBridge up to date

Updates arrive through apt from the OpenAstro repository. Check apt.openastro.net to see the latest AlpacaBridge version and whether your iMate needs an update. Whenever the iMate has internet access, pull the latest release with:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install alpacabridge

This upgrades AlpacaBridge to the newest version even if the image bundled an older one. Running sudo apt full-upgrade as shown above also picks it up along with the rest of the operating system.

Continue to Configure AlpacaBridge to set up your devices. If you ever need to reinstall the service manually, the steps are in Install AlpacaBridge.

Restore the stock iOptron image

Want to go back to the factory iMate software? OpenAstro lives on the eMMC, so restoring is just a reflash. iOptron publishes the stock image and a step-by-step reload guide on their support site: iMate IMG file and reload instructions.

In short:

1. Download the iMate IMG Reload/Upgrade Instruction PDF from the page above and read it first.
2. Download the stock iMate IMG file. It is large (about 30 GB), so use a fast, stable connection.
3. Download the USB Imager Writer tool from the same page and use it to write the image back to the iMate, following the PDF.

After restoring, the stock login is imate / imate and the WiFi password is 12345678. If you would rather not reflash it yourself, iOptron also offers to restore the unit for you through their service department.