How do I Build, Flash, and Validate an Edge OS?

[biapalmeiro]

Learn how to go from cloning the repo to flashing your first Edge AI node. By the end of this guide, you’ll have:

• Built a USB installer from source (or used a prebuilt ISO)

• Flashed and installed Edge Microvisor Toolkit (EMT) on hardware

• Validated your system post-install with a quick check

Let's get started.

---

Step 1: Clone the Toolkit

First, clone the stable version of the toolkit from GitHub:

git clone --branch <stable_tag_name> https://github.com/open-edge-platform/edge-microvisor-toolkit.git
cd edge-microvisor-toolkit/toolkit

🔍 You can find the latest stable tag on the repo. Avoid using main unless you're actively contributing.

---

Step 2: Build the ISO Installer (Optional)

If you want to build the ISO from source instead of using a published release:

1. Install dependencies (Ubuntu example):

   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get install make gcc rpm qemu-utils git python3-pip
   

2. Build the toolchain:

   sudo make toolchain REBUILD_TOOLS=y
   

3. Create the ISO image (without real-time extensions):

   sudo make iso -j8 CONFIG_FILE=./imageconfigs/edge-image.json
   

⚡ Tip: Use REBUILD_PACKAGES=n to speed up the process if you're using prebuilt RPMs.

---

Step 3: Flash ISO to USB

Now you’ll write the ISO to a USB stick for bare-metal installation.

1. Insert your USB stick (8GB+ recommended), and identify the device:

   lsblk
   

2. Flash the image using dd:

   sudo dd if=./build/iso/EdgeMicrovisorToolkit-*.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress oflag=sync
   

   Replace /dev/sdX with your actual USB device (⚠️ double-check to avoid wiping other drives!).

3. Once complete:

   sudo sync
   eject /dev/sdX
   

---

Step 4: Install EMT on Edge Node

1. Insert the USB into your edge device (Intel-based system recommended).

2. Boot into the USB via BIOS/UEFI menu.

3. Follow the installer UI (graphical or terminal):

   • Choose disk

   • Optional: skip disk encryption for dev testing

   • Set username/password (root/root for testing works)

   • Start installation

4. Reboot after installation completes. The USB should automatically eject.

---

Step 5: Post-Install Validation

After booting into your new EMT system:

1. Log in:

   Username: root
   Password: root
   

2. Verify OS Version:

   cat /etc/os-release
   

   You should see something like:

   NAME="Edge Microvisor Toolkit"
   VERSION="3.0"
   
   

3. Check kernel and partitioning:

   uname -r
   mount | grep root
   

4. Verify update system (if A/B enabled):

   EMT supports atomic updates via dual-root partitioning. To check:

   findmnt /
   

   Confirm you are running on a read-only or LABEL=rootA style setup.

---

What’s Next

With your base OS installed, you can now:

• Deploy container-based AI workloads using Docker/K3s

• Install OpenVINO™, PyTorch, or your inference stack

• Use EMT's real-time image if your model is latency-sensitive

• Explore toolkit/SPECS to create custom RPMs for agents/models

---

You can find the complete step by step at the Install Edge Microvisor Toolkit - Developer Guide