# Running the Mender Server 3.7 on a Raspberry Pi 4

**URL:** <https://hub.mender.io/t/running-the-mender-server-3-7-on-a-raspberry-pi-4/6768>\
**Category:** Mender\
**Created:** [April 26, 2024, 1:20pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/running-the-mender-server-3-7-on-a-raspberry-pi-4/6768 "2024-04-26T13:20:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TheYoctoJester](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/theyoctojester/32/1444_2.png) [@TheYoctoJester](https://hub.mender.io/u/TheYoctoJester)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 1:20pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/running-the-mender-server-3-7-on-a-raspberry-pi-4/6768/1 "2024-04-26T13:20:21Z")

</div>

## Introduction

Starting with Mender release 3.7, running the management server on the `arm64` architecture is supported. This does not only enable moving to energy and cost saving instances in the cloud, but also hosting a Mender backend on low-power development boards such as the Raspberry Pi 4.

## Version notes

This tutorial has been verified on Debian 11, as of 2024-04-26.  
The setup is based on the `docker-compose` evaluation example as given in the [documentation](https://docs.mender.io/server-installation/evaluation-with-docker-compose).

## Prerequisites

To follow this tutorial, you will need:

- **A Raspberry Pi 4 (8GB)** running Debian 11 (bullseye) or a derivative OS

## Installing prerequisites and `docker`

The Mender management server is provided through the `demo` script in the [`integration`](https://github.com/mendersoftware/integration) repository. It requires the `curl` and `jq` tools, and to clone it you need to have `git` installed. Install those requirements:

```auto
apt install curl git jq

```

To use the latest and recommended version of `docker`, follow the installation instructions in the [`docker` documentation](https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/debian/).

## Getting the `integration` repository and adjusting it

Clone the `integration` repository from GitHub, selecting the latest `3.7` version:

```auto
git clone https://github.com/mendersoftware/integration -b 3.7.x

```

For making the setup work on a RaspberryPi specifically, the `docker-compose.demo.yml` file nees some minor adjustments:

- comment the following section out or delecte it, located under `minio:`

```auto
        networks:
            mender:
                aliases:
                    - minio.s3.docker.mender.io

```

- to cope with the comparatively slow CPU, add two `sleep` statements

```auto
sleep 5

```

at the end of the `start_server()` function.

```auto
sleep 30

```

at the beginning of the `create_user()` function.

## Starting the server

Change into the `integration` directory and run the server

```auto
cd integraion
./demo up

```

This will pull the required containers and spin up a Mender backend instance. If you are doing it for the first time, a user and password will be issued on the terminal. Make sure to note it down, as it will not be printed again.

### Stopping the server

You can shut down the server by pressing `Ctrl-C`. This will stop the server in a coordinated fashion and keep the data.

### Resetting the server

To wipe all accumulated data of the server, run the `./demo down` command in the `integration` directory

## Conclusion

The Mender Server being able to run on `arm64` offers additional flexibility and sustainability in the long run. While not being the recommended platform, it also enables hobbyists and tinkerers to run the full backend on an affordable and energy efficient single board computer such as the Raspberry Pi 4.

* * *

_If this tutorial was useful to you, please press like, or leave a thank you note to the contributor who put valuable time into this and made it available to you. It will be much appreciated!_