RaspOVOS

January 23, 2025 · View on GitHub

Using dtcooper/rpi-image-modifier, we download a raspios_lite_arm64 image and modify it to install OVOS on top. The customized images are then uploaded to GitHub Releases. 🎉

📋 Notes:

Default user: ovos
Default password: ovos
Default hostname: raspOVOS
OVOS services run under the ovos user, with autologin enabled.

🛠️ Getting Started:

Check out the Getting Started Guide for instructions.

📂 Latest Images:

The image versions below are considered the latest stable versions

Are you a developer?

Find the latest developer builds on the Releases page.

⚠️ These builds are semi-automated and might not be well tested in comparison to the versions listed above

Language Specific Image Comparison

🌟 Best: Fully offline (STT, TTS, wake words).
✅ Good: Online STT + Offline TTS.
⚡ Usable: Online STT + Online TTS.
🛠️ Work in Progress: Missing key functionality or early-stage development.

Language	STT	TTS	Wake Word	"Wake Up" Hotword	Notes	Rating
English	`ovos-stt-plugin-server` Whisper Turbo public servers	`ovos-tts-plugin-piper` voice-en-gb-alan-low	`ovos-ww-plugin-precise-lite` "hey mycroft"	`ovos-ww-plugin-vosk` "wake up"	- STT relies on public servers	✅ Good
Catalan	`ovos-stt-plugin-citrinet` AINA Citrinet model	`ovos-tts-plugin-matxa` MatxaTTS	`ovos-ww-plugin-precise-lite` "hey mycroft"	`ovos-ww-plugin-vosk` "desperta"	- Fully offline; supports Catalan-specific models for STT and TTS. - 🚧 Skills translation is a work in progress	🌟 Best
Portuguese	`ovos-stt-plugin-server` MyNorthAI public servers	`ovos-tts-plugin-edge-tts` pt-PT-DuarteNeural	`ovos-ww-plugin-precise-lite` "hey mycroft"	`ovos-ww-plugin-vosk` "acorda"	- STT relies on public servers - Edge TTS is temporary (not privacy respecting). - 🚧 Skills translation is a work in progress	🛠️ Work in Progress
Spanish	`ovos-stt-plugin-citrinet` NVIDIA Citrinet model	`ovos-tts-plugin-ahotts` spanish	`ovos-ww-plugin-precise-lite` "hey mycroft"	`ovos-ww-plugin-vosk` "desperta"	- 🚧 Skills translation is a work in progress	✅ Good
Galician	`ovos-stt-plugin-server` Whisper Turbo public servers	`ovos-tts-plugin-server` NOS TTS public servers	`ovos-ww-plugin-precise-lite` "hey mycroft"	`ovos-ww-plugin-vosk` "acorda"	- STT and TTS rely on public servers - NOS TTS planned for local use once ONNX support is available. - ⚠️ "wake up" does not have dedicated galician vosk model - ⚠️ might be hard to get out of sleep mode! (using portuguese model) - 🚧 Skills translation is a work in progress	🛠️ Work in Progress
Basque	`ovos-stt-plugin-server` Whisper Turbo public servers	`ovos-tts-plugin-ahotts` basque	`ovos-ww-plugin-precise-lite` "hey mycroft"	❌	- STT relies on public servers - HiTz STT remote servers support planned - "wake up" does not have dedicated basque vosk model - ⚠️ won't be able to get out of sleep mode! - 🚧 Skills translation is a work in progress	🛠️ Work in Progress
Dutch	`ovos-stt-plugin-citrinet` Nemo Citrinet model	`ovos-tts-plugin-piper` mls_5809-low	`ovos-ww-plugin-precise-lite` "hey mycroft"	`ovos-ww-plugin-vosk` "wakker worden"	- 🚧 Skills translation is a work in progress	🌟 Best
German	`ovos-stt-plugin-citrinet` Nemo Citrinet model	`ovos-tts-plugin-piper` thorsten-low	`ovos-ww-plugin-precise-lite` "hey mycroft"	`ovos-ww-plugin-vosk` "aufwachen"	- Citrinet is not very good - 🚧 Skills translation is a work in progress	⚡ Usable

🚀 OVOS Raspberry Pi Optimizations

Here is an overview of non-OVOS specific changes to the base raspios-lite image

Change	Description	Benefit for Hardware Performance
Base raspiOS image runing	Reduces GPU memory, enables i2c/spi, enables autologin, change user name...	optimizes the base system to run OVOS
Install Pipewire	Installs PipeWire for sound server management, configures user permissions for audio groups, and sets up `.asoundrc` for default audio handling.	Provides a low-latency audio server for audio management, ensuring smooth and high-quality sound handling.
Install KDEConnect	Installs KDEConnect to enable integration with your phone	Easy file and clipboard sharing
Tune fstab	Updates `/etc/fstab` to include `noatime` and `nodiratime` options, reducing disk I/O by not updating access times on reads.	Reduces unnecessary disk operations, leading to faster system performance and reduced wear on SD cards.
Passwordless nmcli	Configures NetworkManager settings to disable Wi-Fi power-saving and grants the "network" group permission to change settings.	Ensures consistent network connectivity and performance, avoiding interruptions or delays that may affect latency.
Tune sysctl	Configures kernel tuning parameters for improved network and memory performance, optimizing system responsiveness for real-time tasks.	Improves network and memory performance: Faster network response, better memory management for smoother operation.
	- `net.ipv4.tcp_slow_start_after_idle=0`: Disables slow start for idle TCP connections.	Reduces latency when establishing new connections, enhancing real-time communication
	- `net.ipv4.tcp_tw_reuse=1`: Enables reuse of TIME_WAIT sockets.	Reduces time delays for connections by allowing reuse of sockets, benefiting long-running services
	- `net.core.netdev_max_backlog=50000`: Increases the maximum number of packets that can be queued for processing.	Improves network packet processing, reducing latency during high network activity.
	- `net.ipv4.tcp_max_syn_backlog=30000`: Increases the maximum backlog of pending TCP connections.	Ensures the system can handle more incoming TCP connections, improving network stability for real-time tasks.
	- `net.ipv4.tcp_max_tw_buckets=2000000`: Increases the maximum number of TCP connections in TIME_WAIT state.	Helps manage a higher number of concurrent connections, reducing connection delays in a busy network environment.
	- `net.core.rmem_max=16777216`, `net.core.wmem_max=16777216`: Increases maximum buffer sizes for receiving and sending data.	Optimizes network throughput by allocating more memory for buffer handling.
	- `net.core.rmem_default=16777216`, `net.core.wmem_default=16777216`: Sets default buffer sizes for receiving and sending data.	Ensures better performance in network communication, reducing potential lag.
	- `net.ipv4.tcp_rmem="4096 87380 16777216"`, `net.ipv4.tcp_wmem="4096 65536 16777216"`: Configures TCP buffer sizes for receiving and sending data.	Fine-tunes the memory allocation for TCP, enhancing network efficiency.
	- `net.core.optmem_max=40960`: Sets maximum size for socket options memory.	Reduces delays in setting socket options, improving responsiveness for real-time communication.
	- `fs.inotify.max_user_instances=8192`, `fs.inotify.max_user_watches=524288`: Increases the number of file system watches.	Optimizes system performance by allowing more file monitoring, which can benefit real-time data processing tasks.
udev rules	Configures udev rules for setting I/O scheduler for MMC and USB devices to "none", minimizing latency for disk and removable storage.	This can reduce latency and improve performance for flash-based storage like MMC and USB devices. Flash storage does not require complex scheduling algorithms because it has no moving parts (like hard drives), so a simpler, more direct I/O approach is more efficient.
Disable Wi-Fi power-saving	Copies the `wlan0-power.service` systemd service file to `/etc/systemd/system/` and enables it to manage Wi-Fi power consumption.	Reduces power consumption by disabling Wi-Fi power-saving features, which is important for maintaining stable network performance.
Setup ZRAM	Installs and configures ZRAM to create compressed swap space in RAM, improving system performance by reducing disk swap usage.	Enhances system performance by reducing reliance on slower disk-based swap and utilizing faster RAM for swap, which is especially useful on limited-resource devices like Raspberry Pi.
	`vm.swappiness=100`	Increases the system's tendency to use swap space (even if there is available RAM), which helps with memory management and reduces disk I/O.
	`vm.page-cluster=0`	Lowers the number of pages to swap at once, making memory swapping more granular and efficient in cases of memory pressure.
	`vm.vfs_cache_pressure=500`	Reduces pressure on the VFS cache, ensuring more data stays in memory for faster file access, which is important for real-time applications.
	`vm.dirty_background_ratio=1`	Reduces the amount of memory that can be used before data is written to disk, ensuring data is written more frequently and preventing memory overload.
	`vm.dirty_ratio=50`	Controls the threshold at which dirty pages (pages that need to be written to disk) trigger writes. A higher value means more data is kept in memory before writing to disk.

🛠️ Build Scripts

Base System:

build_base.sh
- Tunes the base system (see below).
- Installs pipewire.
- Changes user, enables SSH, and more.

OVOS Builds:

build_raspOVOS.sh
Installs OVOS on the base system, including the "hey mycroft" wake word.
🚧 build_raspOVOS_gui.sh 🚧
Installs the OVOS GUI on top of the base system. (work in progress)

Language-Specific Builds:

build_raspOVOS_en.sh
Configures OVOS to English, installs the Vosk English model ("wake up" wake word), and adds PiperTTS (voice-en-gb-alan-low).
build_raspOVOS_ca.sh
Configures OVOS to Catalan, downloads AINA citrinet STT model, and installs MatxaTTS.
🚧 build_raspOVOS_pt.sh
Configures OVOS to Portuguese, adds the Vosk Portuguese model ("acorda" wake word), sets STT to MyNorthAI public servers, and adds PiperTTS (tugao-medium).
🚧 build_raspOVOS_es.sh
Configures OVOS to Spanish, adds the Vosk Spanish model ("desperta" wake word), and installs AhoTTS.
🚧 build_raspOVOS_gl.sh
Configures OVOS to Galician, adds the Vosk Portuguese model ("desperta" wake word) and configures TTS to use NOS TTS Public servers.
🚧 build_raspOVOS_eu.sh
Configures OVOS to Basque and installs AhoTTS.

📦 Additional Notes

🎨 Custom Builds: Create your own language or feature-specific builds by extending the scripts!
🔗 Contribute: Found a bug or have an idea? Open an issue or submit a PR!
💬 Community: Join us on Matrix to discuss and get support.