Advanced Configuration

Optional configurations for enhanced performance and development workflows.

These are optional configurations. PiTrac works fine without them. Only proceed if you need these specific features.

What’s covered:

  • NVMe SSD boot for faster performance
  • NAS drive mounting for safer development
  • Samba server for file sharing between Pis
  • SSH key authentication for passwordless login
  • Git configuration for shared drives

NVMe Boot Setup

Boot from an NVMe SSD for significantly faster performance compared to SD cards.

Benefits:

  • 5-10x faster read/write speeds
  • More reliable than SD cards
  • Larger storage capacity

Requirements:

  • Raspberry Pi 5 (Pi 4 requires USB boot, not NVMe)
  • NVMe HAT or adapter board
  • NVMe M.2 SSD drive
  • Already have working Pi with OS on SD card

Time Required: ~30 minutes

Installation Steps

1. Install Hardware

With Pi powered off:

  • Install NVMe HAT/adapter per manufacturer instructions
  • Insert NVMe SSD into M.2 slot
  • Ensure secure connections

2. Enable PCIe Interface

Boot the Pi from SD card and enable PCIe:

cd /boot/firmware/
sudo cp config.txt config.txt.ORIGINAL
sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt

Add before the last [all] section:

# Enable the PCIe External Connector
dtparam=pciex1

Alternative (more memorable):

dtparam=nvme

For non-HAT+ adapters, add PCIE_PROBE=1 on the first non-commented line.

Save and reboot:

sudo reboot now

3. Verify NVMe Detection

After reboot:

lsblk

You should see nvme0n1 listed:

NAME        MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTS
mmcblk0     179:0    0  29.7G  0 disk
|-mmcblk0p1 179:1    0   512M  0 part /boot/firmware
`-mmcblk0p2 179:2    0  29.2G  0 part /
nvme0n1     259:0    0 238.5G  0 disk

4. Configure Boot Order

Use raspi-config for easiest setup:

sudo raspi-config

Navigate to:

  • Advanced Options → Boot Order
  • Select NVMe/USB Boot (boots from NVMe first)
  • Exit and don’t reboot yet

5. Copy OS to NVMe

Desktop version (GUI):

  • Open: Applications → Accessories → SD Card Copier
  • Source: SD card
  • Destination: NVMe drive
  • Click “Start”
  • Wait 10-15 minutes

Lite version (command line):

# Use dd or similar tool - see online guides
# Or temporarily boot Desktop to use SD Card Copier

6. Boot from NVMe

sudo poweroff

Remove power, remove the SD card, then power on.

Pi should boot from NVMe - much faster!

Troubleshooting:

  • If it doesn’t boot, reinsert SD card and check boot order
  • Verify NVMe was detected in step 3
  • Check Geekworm NVMe guide

NAS Drive Mounting

Mount a remote NAS drive for safer development and easier file sharing.

Benefits:

  • Keep important files off the Pi (Pis can be fragile)
  • Easy file access from multiple computers
  • Centralized backup location

Requirements:

  • NAS or file server with NFS or CIFS/SMB
  • Network connectivity between Pi and NAS
  • NAS credentials (username/password)

NFS is simpler and faster for Linux-to-Linux connections.

1. Create Mount Point

sudo mkdir /mnt/PiTracShare

2. Backup fstab

cd /etc
sudo cp fstab fstab.original
sudo chmod 600 /etc/fstab

3. Edit fstab

sudo nano /etc/fstab

Add at the end:

<NAS_IP_ADDRESS>:/<NAS_SHARE_NAME> /mnt/PiTracShare nfs _netdev,auto 0 0

Example:

10.0.0.100:/NAS_Share_Drive /mnt/PiTracShare nfs _netdev,auto 0 0

4. Mount

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo mount -a

5. Verify

ls -la /mnt/PiTracShare

Should show NAS contents.

Setup CIFS/SMB Mount (Windows NAS)

For Windows file servers or Samba shares.

1. Install CIFS utils

sudo apt install cifs-utils

2. Create Mount Point

sudo mkdir /mnt/PiTracShare

3. Edit fstab

sudo nano /etc/fstab

Add at the end:

//<NAS_IP>/<SHARE_NAME> /mnt/PiTracShare cifs username=<USERNAME>,password=<PASSWORD>,workgroup=WORKGROUP,users,exec,auto,rw,file_mode=0777,dir_mode=0777,user_xattr 0 0

Security Warning: Storing passwords in fstab is insecure. Only do this on private networks. For better security, use credentials file.

4. Mount

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo mount -a

Samba Server Setup

Set up Samba to share directories between Pis or with other computers.

Use case: Share images/data between two-Pi setups (legacy configurations).

Requirements:

  • Two Raspberry Pis on same network
  • Designated “server” Pi (faster Pi recommended)

On the Server Pi

1. Install Samba

sudo apt-get install samba samba-common-bin
sudo systemctl restart smbd
sudo systemctl status smbd

Should show “active (running)”.

2. Create Shared Directory

mkdir -p ~/LM_Shares/WebShare
mkdir ~/LM_Shares/Images

3. Configure Samba

sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

Add at the bottom:

[LM_Shares]
path = /home/<PiTracUsername>/LM_Shares
writeable = Yes
create mask = 0777
directory mask = 0777
public = no

4. Set Samba Password

sudo smbpasswd -a <PiTracUsername>

Enter your Pi user password.

5. Restart Samba

sudo systemctl restart smbd

On the Client Pi

1. Create Mount Point

mkdir ~/LM_Shares

2. Edit fstab

sudo nano /etc/fstab

Add:

//<SERVER_PI_IP>/LM_Shares /home/<PiTracUsername>/LM_Shares cifs username=<USERNAME>,password=<PASSWORD>,workgroup=WORKGROUP,users,exec,auto,rw,file_mode=0777,dir_mode=0777,user_xattr 0 0

3. Mount

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo mount -a

4. Verify

ls -la ~/LM_Shares

Should show Images and WebShare directories from server Pi.

SSH Key Authentication

Set up passwordless SSH login using SSH keys.

Benefits:

  • No password typing for every login
  • More secure than password authentication
  • Required for some automation scripts

Security Note: Only use this on your private network with a secure computer.

Setup SSH Keys

1. On Your Computer (Not the Pi)

Generate SSH key pair:

Windows (using PuTTY):

  • Launch PuTTYgen
  • Click “Generate”
  • Move mouse to generate randomness
  • Save private key (keep secure!)
  • Copy public key text

Mac/Linux:

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096
# Press Enter for default location
# Optional: Enter passphrase for extra security

2. On the Pi

Create SSH directory:

install -d -m 700 ~/.ssh

Edit authorized keys:

nano ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

Paste your public key (starts with ssh-rsa).

Set permissions:

chmod 644 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

3. Test Connection

From your computer:

ssh <PiTracUsername>@pitrac.local

Should log in without password!

Git Configuration

Configure Git for shared drive development.

Only needed if:

  • Using Git with NAS/shared drives
  • Experiencing “unsafe repository” warnings
  • Using Git Desktop or Visual Studio

Setup:

git config --global --add safe.directory "*"

This tells Git to trust all repositories.

Only use this on drives you fully control. Not for public/shared systems.

Next Steps

Advanced Configuration Complete!

Continue to:

Return to:

Troubleshooting

NVMe not detected:

  • Check HAT is properly seated
  • Verify M.2 SSD is inserted fully
  • Check /boot/firmware/config.txt has dtparam=pciex1
  • Try different boot order settings

NAS mount fails:

  • Verify NAS IP is correct: ping <NAS_IP>
  • Check NAS share exists and is accessible
  • For NFS: Ensure NFS is enabled on NAS
  • For CIFS: Verify username/password
  • Check /var/log/syslog for mount errors

Samba connection fails:

  • Verify Samba is running: sudo systemctl status smbd
  • Check firewall isn’t blocking port 445
  • Verify server Pi IP in client fstab
  • Test connection: smbclient -L //<SERVER_IP> -U <USERNAME>

SSH key not working:

  • Verify public key is in ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
  • Check permissions: ls -la ~/.ssh/
  • Ensure key format is correct (starts with ssh-rsa)
  • Try verbose SSH: ssh -v <PiTracUsername>@pitrac.local

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Page last modified: Jan 4 2025 at 12:00 AM.