Question 1

How to build a custom Raspberry Pi OS image with pi-gen?

Accepted Answer

Clone the repository, edit the config file to set variables like IMG_NAME and RELEASE, and run ./build.sh. Use SKIP files in stage directories to control which stages are included, as explained in the stage specification section.

Question 2

pi-gen vs Raspberry Pi Imager: which is better for custom images?

Accepted Answer

pi-gen is for building custom OS images from scratch with full control over packages and configuration, while Raspberry Pi Imager is for flashing pre-built images. Use pi-gen if you need to modify the underlying OS itself.

Question 3

Why does my pi-gen build fail with a binfmt_misc error?

Accepted Answer

This error occurs when the kernel module for ARM emulation isn't loaded. Install binfmt-support on the host, load it with modprobe, or ensure Docker is configured properly, as noted in the troubleshooting section.

Question 4

Can I use pi-gen on macOS or Windows?

Accepted Answer

Directly, no; pi-gen requires Linux. However, you can use Docker on macOS or Windows with Linux containers, but be aware of filesystem and kernel compatibility issues mentioned in the Docker build notes.

Question 5

How to speed up pi-gen builds when testing changes?

Accepted Answer

Add SKIP files to unchanged stages and set CONTINUE=1 for incremental builds. The skipping stages section details how to optimize development cycles without rebuilding from scratch.

Question 6

What's the easiest way to enable SSH in a pi-gen image?

Accepted Answer

Set ENABLE_SSH=1 in your config file. For enhanced security, also configure PUBKEY_SSH_FIRST_USER with your public key to enable key-based authentication.

pi-gen

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