# Where do mender clients encode their device\_type? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussions\ **Tags:** yocto, sumo\ **Created:** [February 21, 2019, 9:06pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/where-do-mender-clients-encode-their-device-type/250 "2019-02-21T21:06:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DanWright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@DanWright](https://hub.mender.io/u/DanWright)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 9:06pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/where-do-mender-clients-encode-their-device-type/250/1 "2019-02-21T21:06:33Z")
I did ask this question in a chat on the main Mender site but it was suggested that I try here. The question: In an initial test I set up my embedded client with its device\_type set in **/data/mender/device\_type** (just something I copied from beaglebone). Yet the Mender server does not see this. But the rest of the inventory show up fine. How to set the device\_type in the client so that the Mender server sees this? A response from Ralph from the chat on the mender home site: “Mender does not look in /data directly, though there is a symlink from /var/lib/mender somewhere. This is automatically set up with meta-mender but if you have a custom integration you have to do this step manually.” He suggested I try here for the details of this “manual process”. Does anyone know how this can be done? ---
**Author:** ![lluiscampos](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/lluiscampos/32/112_2.png) [@lluiscampos](https://hub.mender.io/u/lluiscampos)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 8:30am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/where-do-mender-clients-encode-their-device-type/250/2 "2019-02-22T08:30:36Z")
Hi Dan, Ralph is correct, `device_type` file is expected to be located in `/var/lib/mender`, and the default Mender configuration is to have `/var/lib/mender` as a symbolic link to `/data/mender`. So first you can verify if such symbolic link is present in your system with: `ls -l /var/lib/mender` Regardless of where it is pointing, you should be able to create the `device_type` file with something like: `echo "device_type=mydevicetype" > /var/lib/mender/device_type` **Obs!** replace `mydevicetype` according to your setup. Then just restart your Mender client and it should read correctly its type. Best regards, Lluís ---
**Author:** ![DanWright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@DanWright](https://hub.mender.io/u/DanWright)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 11:35pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/where-do-mender-clients-encode-their-device-type/250/3 "2019-02-22T23:35:02Z")
Okay- thanks! It’s working now. -Dan ---
**Author:** ![eystein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e5b9ba/32.png) [@eystein](https://hub.mender.io/u/eystein)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 10:16pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/where-do-mender-clients-encode-their-device-type/250/4 "2019-02-28T22:16:44Z")
Please use the General discussions category for questions. This Board integrations category is only for sharing complete board integrations with Mender. ---
**Author:** ![eystein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e5b9ba/32.png) [@eystein](https://hub.mender.io/u/eystein)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 10:17pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/where-do-mender-clients-encode-their-device-type/250/5 "2019-02-28T22:17:15Z")
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**Author:** ![eystein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e5b9ba/32.png) [@eystein](https://hub.mender.io/u/eystein)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 10:17pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/where-do-mender-clients-encode-their-device-type/250/6 "2019-02-28T22:17:26Z")
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**Author:** ![eystein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e5b9ba/32.png) [@eystein](https://hub.mender.io/u/eystein)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 10:17pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/where-do-mender-clients-encode-their-device-type/250/7 "2019-02-28T22:17:37Z")
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**Author:** ![mirzak](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/mirzak/32/2056_2.png) [@mirzak](https://hub.mender.io/u/mirzak)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2019, 1:23pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/where-do-mender-clients-encode-their-device-type/250/8 "2019-03-01T13:23:53Z")
Moved this to [https://hub.mender.io/c/general-discussions](https://hub.mender.io/c/general-discussions) section