New to INDI/Ekos, but not new to AP. I started out with ASIAir, moved to NINA, and am now going to try INDI / Ekos. My equipment is: HEM27EC Mount, ASI2600MC Camera, ASI120MM Guide camera (OAG), and the ZWO focuser. All connected to a RedCat51 scope. All worked well with the ASIAir, so I know that INDI drivers are compatible with this equipment.

I currently have an Rpi-5 on order from Sparkfun, and am using the Rpi-4 out of the ASIAir to test out INDI/Ekos on my workbench until the 5 arrives. My plan is to install Ubuntu Server on the Rpi-5 along with the INDI drivers and other needed software. Of course, this plan could change after chatting with the experienced folks here. . .

I do the bulk of my imaging from my back yard, so I'd like to be able to set up the system so I can do the P.A., then go inside the house (good WiFi out there) to make sure it is taking good subs. Then go to bed and wake up with a parked mount and thumb drive (or my NAS) full of subs. (Yes, I know that this isn't going to happen 100% of the time, but that is the goal).

I am familiar enough with Linux (also have a gray beard mentor) and understand that the Rpi is capable of running just the INDI drivers from the command line. One of my questions is if an Rpi running the INDI servers is capable of unattended operation, or does it always have to have Ekos issuing commands and collecting the subs? What happens to the scope if either the network goes down or the remote PC running Ekos goes down? Will the mount keep taking subs, or will it just stop? Do I need to plan on having Ekos run on the Rpi-5 for unattended operation?

I am familiar with using Remote Desktop - doing so with NINA now - but I really like the idea of a lightweight software running on the scope.

Thanks in advance for your help with this. . .

I personally prefer to run all the software on the telescope computer and remote desktop in to it. Your RPi5 should have no issues doing that (your RPi4 shouldn't either). You might get slower than ideal response time on the RPi4 desktop due to the remote-desktop processing, but (with no experience) I'd expect that to be much better on the RPi5.

Re your question, if you run Ekos remotely and INDI on your telescope, then if the network goes down your imaging will stop. Ekos controls the session. You last capture would complete, but that's it. You can safeguard things like the mount continuing to move and eventually hitting your tripod by using an INDI watchdog www.indilib.org/aux/watchdog.html

There certainly are folks on this list who do image all night (while sleeping) running remote Ekos, I'll let them comment on that. As I said, the approach I take (running "everything" on the telescope computer) works well for me and I do go to sleep and wake-up with a pile of images on my fast thumb drive.

Hy

OK, thanks!! That makes my planning much easier. Early reports are that the Rpi-5 can run a desktop environment easily, so RDP should work. I also know a graybeard Linux guy who can strip out all the unnecessary bits once I get the system working.
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I am also going to wire up two Rpi Proto boards to handle DC power distribution and dew heater controls. I was able to find a DC -> USB-C PD converter on Amazon for $8, so I"ll be able to power the Rpi-5 from my field battery and get the higher powered USB ports. Hopefully with this setup, I'll be removing about a pound from above the DEC plate and simplifying my setup and wiring.
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My current NINA setup uses two WiFi networks, main WiFi for my home network and a small WiFi dongle to control the mount. The HEM27EC handset WiFi also functions as a router, so I can RDP into the Rpi-5 thru that (in theory anyway).
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I'm doing it in exactly the same way as Hy, Keith. And yes, I start the session in the evening, go to bed and wake up with the scope in park position and CCD cooling off. Running your entire equipment on a RPi4 is easy. The only limitation is the USB and disk speed if you do EAA. For classical imaging, even big sensors are working fine.

Regarding the network, INDI has one disadvantage: the connection between INDI client and INDI server is through socket connections. If the connection gets lost, you need to reconnect. Quite often it happens that your entire EKOS session stops, when the client is running remotely.

Therefore I would always recommend having KStars/EKOS on the same machine as the INDI server, as long as your INDI server is connected through WiFi. With a wired network, it should be no problem, but WiFi is not stable enough for such setups.

For the connection to my RPi I typically use RDP. Linux has a good RDP server implementation and RDP clients are available on all major platforms (including MacOS as in my case). It also works nice on mobile phones, which I typically have beside my bed and peek from time to time if everything is running fine.

HTH
Wolfgang

Wolfgang and Hy . . .thanks!!
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Having everything on the scope should shallow out my learning curve quite a bit. I'm currently running NINA on an Intel NUC13 and using the HEM27EC handset WiFi for RDP and scope control, so it sounds like this new setup will be very similar.
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Currently awaiting shipment of the Rpi-5 and other parts for the power distribution. The Rpi-4 is going back into the ASIAir once the Rpi-5 gets here.
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Hopefully I'll have something to post in a couple weeks.

You can install Linux on that NUC13 and run it from there.

Is this forum the best place to contact other Ekos / INDI users, or is there a Slack chat somewhere?

Hi,

I am running Indi/Ekos on a RPI4 from 5 years now. First with Nafabox (a french solution), then Astroberry, then Stellarmate. Recentely, I came back to Windows and NINA for some tries. Luckily it was only for some tries !

All I can say I spent many nights, only launching the session and then going to bed. I add just a wifi repeater, or CPL plug, a wifi power outlet.
So I can use either wifi or a local-link to connect with my laptop. The Ekos scheduler at the end of the session, parks the mount, colds the camera and closes Ekos.
A command in crontab stops the system and then the wifi power outlet cuts the power. On the morning, a Filezilla session copies all the frames from my RPI4 SSD to my laptop. Perhaps it would be possible to automatize this transfer but I am only a basic user of Linux and it is not a critical point for me.

M.2 SSD hard drives coming to the Rapsberry Pi 5 next year. . .

www.tomshardware.com/news/raspberry-pi-5-nvme-boot

SO, I am just a little bit in advance ! It is a 500Go NVEM SSD.

How is guiding with Ekos vs. PHD2? I've only used PHD2 for guiding. Has anyone here used both and have a preference?

I use the internal guiding of Ekos from the begenning and I had have no problem