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Install on your SBC

Debian 13 on an ASIAIR Plus (RK3568)

Swap the stock ZWO firmware on the Rockchip ASIAIR Plus for Debian 13 (Trixie) while keeping USB, Wi-Fi, DC ports, LEDs, and GPIO working, with a full rollback to stock any time.

ZWO ASIAIR Plus Rockchip
Debian 13 (Trixie)Rockchip RK3568Reversible

Prerequisites​

In this video I walk through OpenAstro Linux: a project that swaps the stock ZWO firmware on the ASIAIR Plus (RK3568) with Debian 13 Trixie, while keeping all the hardware working: USB, WiFi, DC ports, LEDs, and GPIO. You can roll back to stock at any time from your backup.

What's covered:

  • Building rk-flashtool (a maintained fork of rkdeveloptool)
  • Jailbreaking the ASIAIR over the network to enable SSH
  • Backing up the stock eMMC (~7.7 GB)
  • Flashing OpenAstro Linux
  • First boot and SSH access
  • How to restore stock firmware if you change your mind

OpenAstro Linux on ASIAIR Plus RK3568

Full step-by-step instructions

The complete, up-to-date instructions live in the open-astro/rk-flashtool repository. They cover building the tool, the automatic stock eMMC backup, flashing, and restoring stock firmware. Follow its README alongside the video above.

Fixing the Clock on ASIAIR Plus (Debian/Trixie)​

After replacing the OS, the system clock may be incorrect, causing apt update to fail with signature verification errors like "Not live until ...". Fix this by setting the correct time and installing an NTP client.

Step 1: Set the Clock Manually​

sudo date -s "2026-05-07 12:00:00"

Replace the date/time with the actual current date and time.

Step 2: Verify apt Works​

sudo apt update

This should now succeed without signature errors.

Step 3: Install an NTP Client​

Try systemd-timesyncd first:

sudo apt install systemd-timesyncd -y
sudo timedatectl set-ntp true

If that's not available, install chrony instead:

sudo apt install chrony -y
sudo systemctl enable --now chrony

Step 4: Verify​

timedatectl status

You should see System clock synchronized: yes after a moment, confirming the clock will stay accurate across reboots.

Install AlpacaBridge​

Your board is ready. Continue to Install & Configure AlpacaBridge to add the OpenAstro APT repository, install the service, and set up your devices.