NEPI Edge AI Platform

Get Started with NEPI

Watch this 3-minute demo to see how NEPI connects sensors, runs AI at the edge, and gets you from install to dashboard in minutes.

We would love for you to try NEPI. It is free, and the tutorials below will get you running in minutes. NEPI runs as a container, which means it installs on top of your existing system without replacing anything on your device.

Not sure which path to choose? Here is a quick guide:

Docker Demo

Familiar with Linux and Docker? This takes seconds. Just pull the container and run it. Nothing gets installed on your system.

Docker Lite

New to Linux or Docker? Start here. An automated script handles everything: Docker setup, management tools, and shortcuts. No command line expertise needed.

Docker Full

Ready for production? Full OS integration for permanent deployments. Follow Lite first, then upgrade when you are ready.

Select your install path - tutorial loads below

Familiar with Linux

Docker Demo

Pull the NEPI container and run it in seconds. Nothing is installed on your system. The fastest way to see NEPI in action.

No installation · 20 GB min · Docker required

Tutorial loaded below

New to Linux or Docker

Docker Lite

Automated setup script. Installs Docker, NEPI management tools, and shortcuts for you. No Linux expertise needed.

Automated install · 30 GB min · Ubuntu or Jetson

Tutorial loaded below

Production

Docker Full

Full OS integration for permanent production deployments. Manages network, SSH, and system services at the OS level.

Advanced · 40 GB min · back up device first

Tutorial loaded below

Docker Demo - setup tutorial

No installation · Docker must be installed · ~20 min

Resources

Ubuntu PC or NVIDIA Jetson · Docker installed · Chromium installed · 20 GB free disk space · Admin (sudo) access

This tutorial will walk you through setting up, configuring, and running a NEPI Docker Lite Installation on a supported device.

SUPPORTED DEVICES: Ubuntu PC, NVIDIA Jetson

NEPI Docker Lite Installations are recommended for PC-based installations, trial edge-compute processor installations, and NEPI Software development. With fully-automated NEPI Docker setup processes, it is also recommended for non-experienced Linux users.

After testing with the Lite installation, you can upgrade your system to a Full installation for production deployments with support for both local and remote real-time management of operating system services through User Interface and API controls. See the NEPI Docker Full Setup instructions.

Note: NEPI Docker installation will require a minimum of 30 GB of available free hard drive space on your device. See the Check Available Disk Space section at the end of these instructions for more information.

NEPI Docker Lite Setup

This step will set up NEPI Docker required user accounts on your device. Log into a user account on the device with 'Administrator' privileges, or 'nepihost' if it exists.

Open a Terminal window by right-clicking on the desktop and selecting the "Open in Terminal" option.

Make sure your system has internet access by running the following command:

ping -c 1 google.com

Update the Git application:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y git

Clone the NEPI Setup repo:

cd /home/${USER}
git clone https://github.com/nepi-engine/nepi_setup.git

Run the NEPI Docker Lite setup script:

cd /home/${USER}/nepi_setup/scripts

Then, if prompted, enter y or yes:

source ./docker_lite_setup.sh

Power cycle your system when complete.

The Docker Lite setup script will run through the following steps: NEPI Docker Lite Environment Setup, NEPI Docker Lite Config Setup, and NEPI Docker Init Setup.

NEPI Docker Lite Environment Setup

This step will configure the NEPI Docker installation using the default settings. You can change settings later in the 'NEPI Docker Customization' section.

NEPI Docker Lite Config Setup

This step will configure the NEPI Docker installation using the default settings. You can change settings later in the 'NEPI Docker Customization' section.

This process will create (if not already created) and set up the following NEPI folders:

NEPI Storage folder created at /mnt/nepi_storage, along with several user subfolders. This is where NEPI processes store user files such as: data (saved data), ai_models (AI models), nepi_images (import/export Docker images), user_cfg (user saved configurations).
NEPI Docker folder created at /mnt/nepi_docker. This is where NEPI Docker Images are stored.
NEPI Config folder created at /mnt/nepi_config, along with several config subfolders.

Note: After this process, the following changes will be made: (1) NEPI bash alias and util functions added to the nepihost user bash profile; (2) NEPI folder shortcuts added to File Manager folder bookmarks; (3) Chromium browser updated with useful NEPI browser bookmarks.

NEPI Docker Init Setup

This section will initialize and test your NEPI Docker installation. Log back into nepihost using password 'nepi'.

Check for internet connection:

ping -c 1 google.com

Run the NEPI Docker Storage Initialization script (sudo password is now 'nepi'):

source /home/nepihost/nepi_setup/scripts/docker_storage_init.sh

Run the NEPI Docker Image Initialization script (sudo password is now 'nepi'):

Note: This step can take a long time as it involves downloading several large files from the internet.

source /home/nepihost/nepi_setup/scripts/docker_image_init.sh

Run the NEPI Docker Import command (sudo password is now 'nepi'):

Note: This step imports a large NEPI image file into the system which takes several minutes to complete.

nepiimport

After the import completes, you can print the current installed NEPI Docker Image by typing:

dimg

Note: Some additional NEPI Docker command line shortcuts are:

nepistart = Start the NEPI docker container.
nepidev = Start the NEPI docker container in a dev mode with no processes running, and an OPTIONAL_RUN_COMMAND.
nepistop = Stop the running NEPI docker container.
nepilogin = Log into the running NEPI container as user 'nepi'.
nepiloginroot = Log into the running NEPI container as user 'root'.
nepiswitch = Switch to Inactive NEPI container on next boot or restart.
nepicommit = Commit the running NEPI container with provided COMMIT_DESCRIPTION, restarts nepi using new commit unless RESTART=0 is passed.
nepiinit = Reset, clear, and import new NEPI Image.
nepiimport = Import a NEPI image .tar file. Optional: Enter a file name or full file path.
nepiexport = Export the running NEPI container to a .tar file. Enter a file name or full file path.
nepiload = Import a NEPI image .archive.tar file. Optional: Enter a file name or full file path.
nepisave = Save the active NEPI Image with all commits to a .archive.tar file. Enter a file name or full file path.
nepitag = Update the Software Description field in the active NEPI container.
nepienable = Enable NEPI Docker service on next boot.
nepidisable = Disable NEPI Docker service on next boot.
nepirestart = Restart NEPI docker service.
nepistatus = Show the systemctl status for nepi_docker service.
nepilogs = Show live NEPI Docker service journal file.
nepibld = Build or Update the NEPI Docker File System from source code in ${NEPI_BUILD_REPO_FOLDER}.
nepiupdate = Run NEPI Docker bash, folders, files, and config update processes.
nepicreate = Export and Import a new NEPI Docker Image from running container.
nepiprint = Print current NEPI DOCKER and SYSTEM configuration settings.

# Type nepihelp to see all NEPI Software command line shortcuts

NEPI Docker Image Testing

This section will start and test your NEPI Docker solution. First, refresh your .bashrc file:

source ~/.bashrc

Start your NEPI container running:

nepistart

The start script will let you know if the installed NEPI Image started successfully.

Note: Newly installed NEPI Docker Images may take several attempts to start successfully the first time after installation. Try running the command several times if it fails.

Note: If you encounter any issues starting and running the NEPI Software container, see the debugging steps in the NEPI Docker Debugging section at the end of this document.

Open Chromium web browser. Check that the NEPI Resident User Interface (RUI) is running by opening the Chromium browser and entering the following in the search bar:

localhost:5003

This will take you to the NEPI RUI dashboard. Once the NEPI core software system is running, you should see a blinking green indicator and messages.

Note: RUI controls related to User, Device, Time, Network, and Software management require the NEPI Docker service running.

NEPI Docker Service Setup

If everything is working, you can enable the NEPI Docker Service which will automatically start the NEPI container and software on boot:

nepienable # You can disable the NEPI Docker Service with 'nepidisable'

Power cycle your system when complete. Log back into nepihost using password 'nepi'. Check that your NEPI container is running after reboot:

dps

#If your container is not running, try to debug NEPI Docker Service issues with the following commands:

    nepirestart
    nepistatus
    nepilogs

NEPI Docker Host Config Setup

While most NEPI device settings like static, alias, and NTP IP addresses are configurable in real time through the RUI (Resident User Interface), some settings such as User Password, Folders, and SSH Keys must be configured prior to run time. You may also want to factory reset a NEPI Docker configuration.

Run the NEPI Docker Host configuration script by typing:

nepisetup

Make any changes you want using the menu options presented, then choose 'APPLY SETTINGS' to apply changes, or 'FACTORY RESET' to factory reset your installation.

Note: The NEPI System Configuration file is located at /mnt/nepi_config/system_cfg/etc/nepi_system_config.yaml. For production environments, you can replace this file with a production-ready file, or create a custom production script that makes any required changes.

Note: If you want to set up your device to support both NEPI Docker Host mode and NEPI Remote Dev System modes, you can switch between these modes by typing nepisetup_remote and nepisetup_host respectively.

NEPI GitHub Setup

Optional. If you want to get, update, and build NEPI Software from source code, this section will walk you through the process.

Check or set up an SSH key for your GitHub account by typing the following:

nepigithub

Note: If successful, the nepi_engine_ws repo will be cloned to your home folder at ~/nepi_engine_ws.

Additional command line NEPI GitHub commands are available:

nepiclone = Clone the latest NEPI source-code repo
nepiclonedev = Clone the latest NEPI Development branch source-code repo
nepipull = Update to the latest NEPI source-code repo
nepimain = Switch to the NEPI source-code main repo branch
nepidev = Switch to the NEPI source-code develop repo branch
nepidpl = Deploy nepi source-code to nepi device
nepipush = Push current repo (or submodule repo) if you have push permissions

Other useful NEPI development command line shortcuts:

sshn = SSH into the running NEPI Software Container
sshnh = SSH into the NEPI Software Host System

Note: For instructions on deploying and building NEPI Software from source code, see the NEPI Software Build instructions.

NEPI Docker Remote PC Connections

Optional. If you want to connect to your NEPI device from a remote network-connected PC, set up and test a remote connection following these instructions.

Note: You will manually need to set your NEPI device's network adapter IPv4 settings to 'Manual' with the following values: ADDRESS = 192.168.179.103, NETMASK = 255.255.255.0. Then reboot your NEPI device and continue to the tutorials listed below.

Test that you can connect to your running container from a network-connected PC. See the tutorial at Connecting and Setup.

Note: NEPI Docker Lite Installations do not configure NEPI's Network Shared Drive support, but the NEPI Storage and NEPI Config folders can be accessed locally on the NEPI Device at /mnt/nepi_storage and /mnt/nepi_config.

Note: NEPI Docker Lite Installations do not configure NEPI Host SSH, but do support NEPI Container SSH connections. SSH into either your NEPI Host device or NEPI running container by following the tutorial at NEPI SSH Setup.

NEPI Software Tutorials

Learn more about using and configuring the NEPI software, as well as building and deploying custom AI models. See the documentation, tutorials, videos, and community forum available at nepi.com.

Check Available Disk Space

Before proceeding, make sure your device has the minimum free space (60 GB) required for NEPI Docker installation and run-time processes.

Note: If you don't have the minimum required free space to proceed, there are several options available: (1) Delete unneeded files and clean your current file system to open up additional free space; (2) Upgrade to a larger SSD by cloning your current SSD to a larger SSD hard drive using an SSD clone device that supports cloning to larger disks, such as the StarTech SSD Cloner. Then run gparted to increase your file system's available space.

NEPI Docker Debugging

If your NEPI Image failed to start, you can try to run it in dev mode without any NEPI services started:

nepidev

# Then log into the running NEPI container to check NEPI process statuses by typing:

nepilogin

# Once inside the container, start the NEPI services running:

    /nepi_start_all

    # Once inside the container, start and stop the NEPI software:

        nepistatus

        # Check if any of the NEPI services are not running in the printout. If any are not running,
        # you can examine the process messages by running one of the following status commands:

        nepistatus_engine

        nepistatus_rui

        nepistatus_license

        nepistatus_ssh

        # To debug issues with the core NEPI Engine software process, you can start and stop NEPI Engine
        # to visually look for run-time errors:

        nepistop
        nepistart

        # Some additional NEPI Software command line shortcuts are:

            nepihome = change to NEPI home dir
            nepistart = start the NEPI processes
            nepistop = stop the NEPI processes
            nepibld = Build NEPI bash, config, code repos, and RUI
            codebld = Build NEPI code repos only
            ruibld = Build the RUI only
            nepistatus = Print running status of all NEPI processes
            nepistatus_engine = Print tail of nepi_engine process
            nepistatus_rui = Print tail of nepi_rui process
            nepistatus_license = Print tail of nepi_license process
            nepistatus_ssh = Print tail of nepi_ssh process

This tutorial will walk you through setting up, configuring, and running a NEPI Docker Demo Installation on a supported device.

SUPPORTED DEVICES: Ubuntu PC, NVIDIA Jetson

NEPI Docker Demo Installations are recommended for a quick demo of the NEPI Software Container for experienced Linux users. Note: If you are not an experienced Linux user, you may want to try the NEPI Docker Lite installation which includes a fully automated setup process. See the NEPI Docker Lite Setup instructions.

Note: NEPI Docker installation will require a minimum of 20 GB of available free hard drive space on your device.

NEPI Docker Demo Env Setup

Log into a user account on the device with 'Administrator' privileges. Open a Terminal window by right-clicking on the desktop and selecting the "Open in Terminal" option.

Check that Docker is installed on your device by typing:

docker

Note: If Docker is not installed, install Docker along with any additional software required if you also need NVIDIA GPU support.

Check that a Chromium web browser is installed on your device by typing:

chromium

Note: If Chromium is not installed, install Chromium.

Create NEPI required system folders on your device, and add your user to required system groups:

sudo -v

Then run:

CONFIG_USER=$(id -un) && USER_1000=$(id -nu 1000)
sudo mkdir /mnt/nepi_config
sudo chown 1000:1000 /mnt/nepi_config
sudo mkdir /mnt/nepi_storage
sudo chown 1000:1000 /mnt/nepi_storage
sudo usermod -aG sudo $CONFIG_USER
sudo adduser ${CONFIG_USER} dialout
sudo usermod -aG dialout ${CONFIG_USER}
sudo usermod -aG tty ${CONFIG_USER}
sudo usermod -aG i2c ${CONFIG_USER}
sudo usermod -aG video ${CONFIG_USER}
sudo usermod -aG docker ${CONFIG_USER}
sudo usermod -aG ${USER_1000} ${CONFIG_USER}
exec su -l $CONFIG_USER

Install the latest NEPI Docker Image for your device.

For NO GPU or RADEON GPU support:

sudo docker pull numurusnepi/nepi:latest

Retag the image as nepi:

sudo docker tag numurusnepi/nepi:latest nepi:latest
sudo docker rmi numurusnepi/nepi:latest

For NVIDIA GPU support or NVIDIA Jetson GPU support:

sudo docker pull numurusnepi/nepi:latest-cuda

Retag the image as nepi:

sudo docker tag numurusnepi/nepi:latest-cuda nepi:latest-cuda
sudo docker rmi numurusnepi/nepi:latest-cuda

Note: NEPI Docker images are large files and will take several minutes to download and install.

Install the latest NEPI Storage Files which include sample data, AI model, and configuration files:

sudo -v

Then run:

cd /mnt/nepi_storage
storage_latest_link='https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/za3sz2q7e0pbcj6m89d8h/nepi_storage-latest.zip?rlkey=eq6u97w6qpqiqblcudqnwj8ud&st=hj0yewy3&dl=0'
storage_latest_zip=nepi_storage-latest.zip
sudo rm ${storage_latest_zip} 2> /dev/null
sudo wget ${storage_latest_link} -O ${storage_latest_zip}
sudo -v && sudo unzip -o -q $storage_latest_zip
sudo rm ${storage_latest_zip} 2> /dev/null
sudo chown -R 1000:1000 ${NEPI_STORAGE}
ls ./

NEPI Docker Software Testing

This section will start and test your NEPI Docker solution. Start your NEPI container running with the following command.

For NO GPU or RADEON GPU support:

sudo docker run -d --privileged --rm -e UDEV=1 --ipc=host --user 0:0 \
--mount type=bind,source=/mnt/nepi_storage,target=/mnt/nepi_storage \
--mount type=bind,source=/mnt/nepi_config,target=/mnt/nepi_config \
--mount type=bind,source=/dev,target=/dev \
--mount type=bind,source=/etc/udev,target=/etc/udev \
--cap-add=SYS_TIME --volume=/var/empty:/var/empty \
-v /etc/ntpd.conf:/etc/ntpd.conf -e DISPLAY=:0 \
--net=host -p 2222:22 -p 9091:9091 -p 9092:9092 -p 11311:11311 \
-p 137:137/udp -p 138:138/udp -p 139:139/tcp -p 445:445/tcp \
nepi:latest /bin/bash -c '/nepi_start_all'

For NVIDIA GPU support:

sudo docker run -d --privileged --rm -e UDEV=1 --ipc=host --user 0:0 \
--mount type=bind,source=/mnt/nepi_storage,target=/mnt/nepi_storage \
--mount type=bind,source=/mnt/nepi_config,target=/mnt/nepi_config \
--mount type=bind,source=/dev,target=/dev \
--mount type=bind,source=/etc/udev,target=/etc/udev \
--cap-add=SYS_TIME --volume=/var/empty:/var/empty \
-v /etc/ntpd.conf:/etc/ntpd.conf -e DISPLAY=:0 \
--net=host -p 2222:22 -p 9091:9091 -p 9092:9092 -p 11311:11311 \
-p 137:137/udp -p 138:138/udp -p 139:139/tcp -p 445:445/tcp \
--gpus all --runtime nvidia -v /tmp/.X11-unix/:/tmp/.X11-unix
nepi:latest /bin/bash -c '/nepi_start_all'

For NVIDIA Jetson GPU support:

sudo docker run -d --privileged --rm -e UDEV=1 --ipc=host --user 0:0 \
--mount type=bind,source=/mnt/nepi_storage,target=/mnt/nepi_storage \
--mount type=bind,source=/mnt/nepi_config,target=/mnt/nepi_config \
--mount type=bind,source=/dev,target=/dev \
--mount type=bind,source=/etc/udev,target=/etc/udev \
--cap-add=SYS_TIME --volume=/var/empty:/var/empty \
-v /etc/ntpd.conf:/etc/ntpd.conf -e DISPLAY=:0 \
--net=host -p 2222:22 -p 9091:9091 -p 9092:9092 -p 11311:11311 \
-p 137:137/udp -p 138:138/udp -p 139:139/tcp -p 445:445/tcp \
--gpus all --runtime nvidia -v /tmp/.X11-unix/:/tmp/.X11-unix
-v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock -v /tmp:/tmp
-v /usr/bin/nvargus-daemon:/usr/bin/nvargus-daemon
nepi:latest /bin/bash -c '/nepi_start_all'

Note: If you encounter any issues starting and running the NEPI Software container, you may consider running the NEPI Docker Lite Installation which includes debugging tools. See the NEPI Docker Lite Setup instructions.

Open Chromium web browser. Check that the NEPI Resident User Interface (RUI) is running by opening the Chromium browser and entering the following in the search bar:

localhost:5003

This will take you to the NEPI RUI dashboard. Once the NEPI core software system is running, you should see a blinking green indicator and messages.

Note: RUI controls related to User, Device, Time, Network, and Software management are not enabled for NEPI Demo installations.

You can also access the NEPI admin page for managing NEPI software configurations by entering the following in the search bar:

localhost:5003/admin

The default admin password is: nepiadmin

Note: If you save any camera or AI detection data, you can access it at:

cd /mnt/nepi_storage/data

NEPI Software Support

To learn more about using, configuring, and building NEPI software, see the documentation, tutorials, videos, and community forum available at nepi.com.

This tutorial will walk you through setting up, configuring, and running a NEPI Docker Full installation on a supported device.

SUPPORTED DEVICES: Ubuntu PC, NVIDIA Jetson

NEPI Docker Full Installations are recommended for embedded edge-compute processor installations, production deployments, and NEPI Software development.

Note: NEPI Docker Full installation will make significant changes to your device's operating system configuration and set up NEPI management of operating system services (i.e. HOSTNAME, NETWORK, WIFI, SSH, DOCKER ...) that support both local and remote real-time management of these services through User Interface and API controls.

If you want to first try a Lite installation with no NEPI managed operating system services but all of the other functionality, see the NEPI Docker Lite Setup instructions.

If you choose to proceed, make sure you have a way to reflash the device, or back up and restore your device's existing file system if needed.

Note: NEPI Docker installation will require a minimum of 40 GB of available free hard drive space on your device. See the Check Available Disk Space section at the end of these instructions for more information.

Phase 1 - User Setup

This phase sets up the NEPI Docker required user accounts on your device. Log into a user account on the device with 'Administrator' privileges.

Open a Terminal window by right-clicking on the desktop and selecting the "Open in Terminal" option.

Note: If you already have a 'nepihost' account created during a NEPI Docker Lite installation, you will want to delete the 'nepihost' account using the Settings/User panel.

Make sure your system has internet access by running the following command:

ping -c 1 google.com

Update the Git application:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y git

Clone the NEPI Setup repo:

cd /home/${USER}
git clone https://github.com/nepi-engine/nepi_setup.git

Run the NEPI Docker user setup script (sudo password is #Nsetup4You):

cd /home/${USER}/nepi_setup/scripts
sudo su

Then run:

./docker_full_user_setup.sh

Power cycle your system when complete.

Phase 2 - Environment Setup

This phase sets up the NEPI Docker required software environment. Log into the nepihost user using password 'nepi'.

Make sure your system has internet access by running the following command:

ping -c 1 google.com

Clone the NEPI Setup repo:

cd /home/${USER}
git clone https://github.com/nepi-engine/nepi_setup.git

Run the NEPI Docker environment setup script (sudo password is now 'nepi'). If prompted, enter y or yes:

/home/nepihost/nepi_setup/scripts/docker_full_env_setup.sh

Note: If you get a popup window 'System program problem detected', just click 'Cancel'.

Scroll up through the process messages looking for any errors and correct them. Rerun the script if needed.

Power cycle your system when complete.

Phase 3 - Configuration

This phase will configure the NEPI Docker installation using the default settings. You can change settings later in the 'NEPI Docker Customization' section. Log into the nepihost user using password 'nepi' (sudo password is 'nepi').

This process will create (if not already created) and set up the following NEPI folders:

NEPI Storage folder created at /mnt/nepi_storage, along with several user subfolders. This is where NEPI processes store user files such as saved data, AI models, import/export Docker images, and user saved configurations.
NEPI Docker folder created at /mnt/nepi_docker. This is where NEPI Docker Images are stored.
NEPI Config folder created at /mnt/nepi_config, along with several config subfolders.

Note: After this process, the following changes will be made: (1) Desktop background and sidebar applications menu updates; (2) NEPI bash alias and util functions added to the nepihost user bash profile; (3) NEPI folder shortcuts added to File Manager folder bookmarks; (4) Chromium browser updated with useful NEPI browser bookmarks.

Note: After this process, network IP addresses, internet connections, and clock sync processes are managed by NEPI processes. If you need to connect to the internet you can run the command line shortcut ninet.

Test that you can reconnect to the internet and sync clocks:

ninet

Check for internet connection:

pingi

Note: Some additional NEPI utility command line shortcuts are:

pingi = ping internet test
nipa = Echo NEPI set IP address
naipa = Echo NEPI set IP alias addresses
nnipa = Echo NEPI set NTP IP addresses
nnet = Restart the network
ndhcp = Enable DHCP Internet Client
nclock = Sync clock
ninet = Restart network, connect to internet, and sync clock
cuda_version = Echos Cuda version number if cuda available or 0
fix_chromium = Fix any Chromium config issues
sbrc = Source the current user's bashrc files

# Type nepihelp to see all NEPI Docker command line shortcuts

Power cycle your system when complete.

Phase 4 - Init and Testing

This phase will initialize and test your NEPI Docker installation. Log back into nepihost using password 'nepi'.

Check for internet connection:

ping -c 1 google.com

Run the NEPI Docker Storage Initialization script (sudo password is now 'nepi'):

source /home/nepihost/nepi_setup/scripts/docker_storage_init.sh

Run the NEPI Docker Image Initialization script (sudo password is now 'nepi'):

Note: This step can take a long time as it involves downloading several large files from the internet.

source /home/nepihost/nepi_setup/scripts/docker_image_init.sh

Run the NEPI Docker Import command (sudo password is now 'nepi'):

Note: This step imports a large NEPI image file into the system which takes several minutes to complete.

nepiimport

After the import completes, you can print the current installed NEPI Docker Image by typing:

dimg

Note: Some additional NEPI Docker command line shortcuts are:

nepistart = Start the NEPI docker container.
nepidev = Start the NEPI docker container in a dev mode with no processes running, and an OPTIONAL_RUN_COMMAND.
nepistop = Stop the running NEPI docker container.
nepilogin = Log into the running NEPI container as user 'nepi'.
nepiloginroot = Log into the running NEPI container as user 'root'.
nepiswitch = Switch to Inactive NEPI container on next boot or restart.
nepicommit = Commit the running NEPI container with provided COMMIT_DESCRIPTION, restarts nepi using new commit unless RESTART=0 is passed.
nepiinit = Reset, clear, and import new NEPI Image.
nepiimport = Import a NEPI image .tar file. Optional: Enter a file name or full file path.
nepiexport = Export the running NEPI container to a .tar file. Enter a file name or full file path.
nepiload = Import a NEPI image .archive.tar file. Optional: Enter a file name or full file path.
nepisave = Save the active NEPI Image with all commits to a .archive.tar file. Enter a file name or full file path.
nepitag = Update the Software Description field in the active NEPI container.
nepienable = Enable NEPI Docker service on next boot.
nepidisable = Disable NEPI Docker service on next boot.
nepirestart = Restart NEPI docker service.
nepistatus = Show the systemctl status for nepi_docker service.
nepilogs = Show live NEPI Docker service journal file.
nepibld = Build or Update the NEPI Docker File System from source code in ${NEPI_BUILD_REPO_FOLDER}.
nepiupdate = Run NEPI Docker bash, folders, files, and config update processes.
nepicreate = Export and Import a new NEPI Docker Image from running container.
nepiprint = Print current NEPI DOCKER and SYSTEM configuration settings.

# Type nepihelp to see all NEPI Software command line shortcuts

Note: This process downloads the Lite AI models, AI training scripts, sample data files, and user configurations to folders in /mnt/nepi_storage.

Note: This process downloads the latest NEPI Docker Image for your system's architecture to NEPI Docker's import folder at /mnt/nepi_storage/nepi_images.

Start your NEPI container running:

nepistart

The start script will let you know if the installed NEPI Image started successfully.

Note: If you encounter any issues starting and running the NEPI Software container, see the debugging steps in the NEPI Docker Debugging section at the end of this document.

Open Chromium web browser. Check that the NEPI Resident User Interface (RUI) is running by opening the Chromium browser and entering the following in the search bar:

localhost:5003

This will take you to the NEPI RUI dashboard. Once the NEPI core software system is running, you should see a blinking green indicator and messages.

Note: RUI controls related to User, Device, Time, Network, and Software management require the NEPI Docker service running.

Phase 5 - Service Setup

If everything is working, you can enable the NEPI Docker Service which will automatically start the NEPI container and software on boot:

nepienable

Power cycle your system when complete. Log back into nepihost using password 'nepi'. Check that your NEPI container is running after reboot:

dps

#If your container is not running, try to debug NEPI Docker Service issues with the following commands:

    nepirestart
    nepistatus
    nepilogs

NEPI Docker Host Config Setup

Run the NEPI Docker Host configuration script by typing:

nepisetup

Make any changes you want using the menu options presented, then choose 'APPLY SETTINGS' to apply changes, or 'FACTORY RESET' to factory reset your installation.

NEPI Docker Remote PC Connections

Set up and test a network-connected PC connection to your NEPI device following these instructions.

Note: For Linux and Mac PCs, run through the NEPI Dev PC Setup first following the instructions at NEPI Remote Dev Setup.

Note: For Windows PCs, just follow the instructions provided in the tutorial links below.

Test that you can connect to your running container from a network-connected PC. See the tutorial at Connecting and Setup.

Note: If you skipped setting up separate mounted partitions for the NEPI Folders in the NEPI Docker Config Setup section, then the NEPI Storage and NEPI Config drives will only be available locally on the NEPI Device at /mnt/nepi_storage and /mnt/nepi_config.

Test that you can connect your PC to the NEPI device's nepi_storage folder using your PC's File Manager application. See the tutorial at Accessing the User Storage Drive.

SSH into either your NEPI Host device or NEPI running container by following the tutorial at NEPI SSH Setup.

NEPI Software Tutorials

Learn more about using and configuring the NEPI software, as well as building and deploying custom AI models. See the documentation, tutorials, videos, and community forum available at nepi.com.

NEPI Software Customization

You can update or customize the NEPI software running in a NEPI Docker Container from source code, then export it as a new shareable NEPI Docker Container. See the NEPI Container Customization instructions.

NEPI Container Build

If you need to build a NEPI Docker Container from scratch for a particular installation environment, you can do so starting with a suitable Ubuntu container for the device's environment. See the NEPI Container Build instructions.

NEPI Docker Installation Notes

The NEPI Docker system provides a full-featured AI and automation software environment that installs on top of your host device's native operating system. To achieve this, the NEPI Docker solution interacts with the device's configuration. While the NEPI Docker installation provides functions for reverting back to your original system configurations, it is recommended that you create a backup of your current device's hard drive to a separate backup SSD card to ensure you are able to recover your original system if issues arise. This can be done using a low-cost SSD cloning device such as the Rosewill SSD Cloner as long as you are cloning to the same SSD card type.

Check Available Disk Space

Before proceeding, make sure your device has the minimum free space (60 GB) required for NEPI Docker installation and run-time processes.

NEPI Docker Debugging

If your NEPI Image failed to start, you can try to run it in dev mode without any NEPI services started:

nepidev

# Then log into the running NEPI container to check NEPI process statuses by typing:

nepilogin

# Once inside the container, start the NEPI services running:

    /nepi_start_all

    # Once inside the container, start and stop the NEPI software:

        nepistatus

        # Check if any of the NEPI services are not running in the printout. If any are not running,
        # you can examine the process messages by running one of the following status commands:

        nepistatus_engine

        nepistatus_rui

        nepistatus_license

        nepistatus_ssh

        # To debug issues with the core NEPI Engine software process, you can start and stop NEPI Engine
        # to visually look for run-time errors:

        nepistop
        nepistart

        # Some additional NEPI Software command line shortcuts are:

            nepihome = change to NEPI home dir
            nepistart = start the NEPI processes
            nepistop = stop the NEPI processes
            nepibld = Build NEPI bash, config, code repos, and RUI
            codebld = Build NEPI code repos only
            ruibld = Build the RUI only
            nepistatus = Print running status of all NEPI processes
            nepistatus_engine = Print tail of nepi_engine process
            nepistatus_rui = Print tail of nepi_rui process
            nepistatus_license = Print tail of nepi_license process
            nepistatus_ssh = Print tail of nepi_ssh process

Want a full install with management tools? Docker Lite runs an automated script that sets up everything for you, including Docker shortcuts and built-in NEPI management tools. Select Docker Lite above.

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