Updating the Telraam software by yourself

Update or install the Telraam software yourself.

This article is dedicated to users who want to update their Telraam if a new version has been released. This article is also valid for users who compose a Telraam by themselves.

Are you wondering about the evolution of your Telraam?

• Version 11c - June 2022
  • stop the hotspot after 30 minutes

• Version 11b - April 2022
  • fixed security problem where wifi password was visible on the TELRAAM hotspot webpage
  • new logo
  • small css changes

• Version 11 - August 2021
  • Improved installation interface
  • Validation of the wifi settings
  • Check on the connection with the TELRAAM hotspot
  • Forcing the telraam to the best wifi connection
  • Bugfixes

• Version 10 - August 2020 
  • Possibility to send a daily background image to verify the camera position See this article for more details: "The Telraam background image". 
  • Catch all for DNS queries so my.telraam.net (or any other url) can be used instead of 192.168.254.1
  • Do not reconnect to wifi when already connected after nightly update

• Version 9 - April 2019
  • First version of the software.

You can update your Telraam yourself, and download the latest software version on the micro SD card of your Telraam. This is only possible with a Raspberry Pi 3 (some people try to download the new software version with a Raspberry Pi 4 but it won't work).

To download the new version, follow the instructions below and use this zip link: https://telraam-api.net/telraam-sd-image.zip.

Step 1: Remove the SD card from the black box

Unplug your Telraam. Remove the micro SD card from the black box. You will probably need tweezers for this. 

Step 2: Download the Telraam software

You can download the Telraam software here: https://telraam-api.net/telraam-sd-image.zip. Note where this big ZIP file (about 4 gigabytes) has been saved on your computer. 

For info: Telraam is supplied as a compressed image file that can be written straight onto the SD card. It contains a version of Linux specially designed for the Raspberry Pi, preconfigured to run the Telraam software automatically on start-up. It therefore needs no screen, mouse or keyboard.

Step 3: Download Etcher

Etcher is a program which you can use to copy the Telraam software in step 1 from your computer to your SD card. It works on Windows, Linux and MacOS.

You can download Etcher here. Choose the right version for your operating system. Note: it is best to run Etcher as an admin for this, otherwise it may not work.

Step 4: Upload the Telraam software to the SD card

You need a micro SD card reader. Now insert the SD card into your computer's card reader. If you do not have a micro SD card reader on your computer, you can use the adapter that was provided with your Telraam.

Insert the micro card into the reader and the reader into your computer and start the Etcher program. Then click on "Select image".

Find and select the large ZIP file that you downloaded on your computer in step 1.

In Etcher, click on “Select drive".

Select your SD card from the list.

Click on "Flash!"

Etcher then starts to write the large file to your SD card and check it. Depending on the speed of your SD card reader, this can take from half an hour to several hours. Wait until Etcher has completely finished.

Step 5: Insert the micro SD card into the Raspberry Pi

Once everything is ready, you can close Etcher, remove the SD card from your computer and insert it into your Raspberry Pi. Make sure you insert the micro SD card into the Raspberry Pi the right way round, with the metal part facing up.   

Now you will simply need to reinstall your updated Telraam, to do this, simply follow the instructions in the article: "Install your Telraam software by yourself". It is not necessary to re-enter the serial number that you had registered during the first installation.