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Installing Gladys Assistant on a Raspberry Pi

If you already own a Raspberry Pi, you can install Gladys Assistant in just a few minutes using our new official 64-bit image, compatible with Raspberry Pi 3, 4, and 5.

This is the easiest way to discover Gladys, without having to install Raspberry Pi OS and Docker yourself.

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For a long-term setup, I recommend a mini-PC instead (better price/performance ratio, integrated NVMe SSD, more reliable with Zigbee/Z-Wave dongles). If you're in Europe, you can also opt for our starter kit with Gladys pre-installed.

But if you already have a Raspberry Pi on hand, use it to try Gladys. That's exactly why we made this installation so simple!

What You'll Need​

  • A Raspberry Pi 3, 4, or 5 (64-bit model)
  • A USB SSD is preferred (USB 3.0 adapter + SATA or NVMe SSD). A 16 GB micro-SD card also works fine for testing.
  • An official power supply suited to your model (5V / 3A for Pi 4, 5V / 5A for Pi 5)
  • An Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi connection
  • A computer (Windows, macOS, or Linux) to flash the image

Step 1: Download Raspberry Pi Imager​

Download and install Raspberry Pi Imager on your computer. This is the official tool for flashing images onto SD cards or SSDs.

Step 2: Select Your Raspberry Pi​

Open Raspberry Pi Imager and click Choose Device (or NEXT if you're in the new step-by-step wizard).

Select your Raspberry Pi model from the list:

Select your Raspberry Pi

Step 3: Choose the Gladys Assistant Image​

Click Choose OS, then navigate through the following categories:

  1. Other specific-purpose OS
  2. Home automation
  3. Gladys Assistant

Choose "Other specific-purpose OS" category

Choose "Home automation" category

Select Gladys Assistant

Then select the Gladys Assistant (64-bit, for Rpi 3, 4 & 5) image:

Gladys Assistant 64-bit image

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The image is about 900 MB to download. Raspberry Pi Imager handles everything: download, verification, and writing to your storage device.

Step 4: Choose Storage​

Insert your micro-SD card or plug in your USB SSD, then click Choose Storage and select the corresponding device:

Select storage device

warning

Make sure you select the correct device: all data on this drive will be erased.

Before writing the image, configure your Raspberry Pi settings. This saves you from needing to connect a screen and keyboard on first boot.

Hostname​

Choose a network name for your Raspberry Pi. For example gladys, you'll then be able to access it at http://gladys.local:

Configure hostname

Localization​

Select your city, time zone, and keyboard layout:

Configure localization

User Account​

Create a username and password. This account will be used for SSH access and system login:

Configure user account

Wi-Fi (Optional)​

If you're not using an Ethernet cable, enter your Wi-Fi network name and password:

Configure Wi-Fi

Enable SSH so you can connect to your Raspberry Pi remotely. Password authentication is the simplest way to get started:

Enable SSH

Step 6: Write the Image​

Review the summary of your configuration, then click WRITE:

Summary before writing

Writing can take several minutes depending on your storage speed. Once complete, Raspberry Pi Imager automatically ejects the device:

Writing complete

Step 7: First Boot​

  1. Insert the micro-SD card (or plug in the USB SSD) into your Raspberry Pi
  2. Connect the power supply
  3. Wait about 2 minutes for the Raspberry Pi to boot

Step 8: Access Gladys Assistant​

Open your browser and go to one of these addresses:

  • http://gladys.local (if you configured the hostname as gladys)
  • http://YOUR_LOCAL_IP (for example http://192.168.1.131)

On first boot, Gladys runs its initial setup. This can take between 5 minutes and 1 hour depending on your hardware and internet connection:

Gladys initial setup

The page will reload automatically when Gladys is ready. You can then create your account and start setting up your smart home!

What's Next?​

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