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qortector_walkthrough

QORTector Walkthrough

Please note: this guide is for setting up your QORTector after it has been imaged. This video can be used for both those who purchased from https://crowetic.com or built on using the Raspberry Pi 4 help guide!

Setting Up Your QORTector

Important: Do NOT run the QORTector if fan isn’t running after powering the device! The fan needs to be running to prevent the board from overheating.

Step by step direction are below. Here is a setup walkthrough video made by G Factor - a new video will be made soon (for the UI, it will auto update when opened as the screenshots on this page show below):

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PLEASE NOTE, IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE LOCALIZATION BEFORE CHANGING YOUR PASSWORD, PLEASE DO THAT FIRST, SCROLL DOWN ON THIS PAGE TO SEE GUIDE FOR LOCALIZATION. IF YOU DO NOT DO LOCALIZATION FIRST, YOU COULD LOCK YOURSELF OUT OF THE DEVICE.

Basically plug everything in (monitor, mouse, keyboard, power, HDMI, Ethernet), configure WiFi if you’re not using Ethernet, let it sync. Please note: Crowetic Hardware Development (CHD) is now selling QORTectors with optional power adapters with a USB-C cable seen in the picture below for easy reference of how to setup properly:

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Login is username: pi

Default password: dmax911e

Setup QORTector Timezone

1. Open terminal and enter this below:

sudo raspi-config

2. Use the down arrow on your keyboard to highlight the fifth option for 'Localisation Options' and press enter:

3. Use the down arrow on your keyboard to highlight the second option for 'Timezone' and press enter:

4. Use the down arrow on your keyboard to highlight the country you are in and press enter:

5. Use the down arrow on your keyboard to highlight the city or region in your timezone and press enter:

6. Then press the right arrow key to highlight 'Finish' and press enter:

7. You will then see the Timezone setting has been successfully configured:

Change The Password

Open MATE Terminal (often referred to as terminal). Below is a picture of the terminal icon you will see on the taskbar:

1. Type 'passwd' then press enter:

2. Enter the current password 'dmax911e' then press enter (you will not see the keys being entered, they are hidden):

3. Enter your new password then press enter (you will not see the keys being entered, they are hidden). You will then be asked to enter again. It will then say 'password updated successfully':

4. Open the Qortal UI which is already on your screen background titled 'Qortal-UI.sh'

5. Add your account with your backup file, or if you haven’t made an account yet, BE SURE TO SAVE A BACKUP FILE. See Account Setup & Recovery for more info.

Important Notes

1. Always tell QORTector to shut down the Qortal Core prior to turning off or rebooting the device to avoid corrupting the database. Below are the commands for you to be aware of, but not necessary for you to enter at this point in the guide:

To shutdown the device in the terminal:

sudo shutdown

To reboot the device in terminal:

sudo reboot

Do not use the power switch. Power switch should only be shut off after the device powers down to protect it from surges, but with that said, you should consider a surge protector or UPS (battery power supply) regardless as the QORTector is intended to stay running 24/7.

2. The QORTector is setup to automatically start the Qortal Core in the background. On the QORTector, you will not see the Qortal icon on the system tray when you start the device. The device was configured this way so that the Qortal core will start whether the user connects a monitor or not. Simply stop the core, then start the core again, and the icon will display in the system tray.

3. The QORTector must be setup for your specific country locale for wifi and timezone, if you wish to use wireless communications. Follow the instructions above in order to configure the device for your locale. The default setting for these devices is USA - Pacific Standard Time (so if you're in this timezone, then skip this step).

4. Enter the command below to update all of the typical software components on your device (unrelated to Qortal). You can enter this command as frequently as you'd like to ensure your device is up to date:

sudo apt update && sudo apt -y upgrade

5. The HDMI cable must be connected BEFORE you power on the device, otherwise it will not display on the monitor. If you are disconnecting the HDMI cable for whatever reason, be sure to power off the device BEFORE you disconnect the cable.

6. If you have ANY issues whatsoever, please reach out in the Qortal Tech Support Official Telegram channel or Discord #qortector-pi-support channel!

Start & Stop QORTector

The QORTector is setup to automatically start the core when you turn on the device. You should always command the core to shut down within the Terminator (also referred to as the Terminal) prior to turning off the device to avoid corrupting the database. Make sure to cancel all trade within the Trade Portal before doing so.

To stop the core: open Terminator and enter the following separately:

 cd qortal
./stop.sh

It will then say 'Qortal ended gracefully' in green. You can then close the Terminator. Below is a screenshot of the entire process:

To start the core: open Terminator and enter the following separately:

 cd qortal
./start.sh

It will then say 'qortal running as pid xxxxx. You can then close the Terminator. Below is a screenshot of the entire process:

You will then see the Qortal Core startup indication:

To stop and start the core in one window: open Terminator and enter the following separately:

 cd qortal
./stop.sh
./start.sh

Below is a screenshot of the entire process:

You will then see the Qortal Core startup indication:

How To Update The Core and UI Versions

When your device arrives, you can let it sync naturally and it will auto update the Core and UI if there was an update during shipment of your QORTector. You can also manually update the core and UI to expedite this process (which may be best or international orders that take longer to be delivered). Refer to the Qortal Status Updates (old page) page to check the latest Core and UI version.

To manually update the Core and database, open Terminal. Copy and paste this, then press the enter key (this will also delete the existing database “db” and bootstrap. A bootstrap is a download of a database that is updated every 12 hours so that you only have to sync the remaining blocks from the latest bootstrap creation. You will notice several 0-100% processes during the popup screen, then you will need to wait for it to finish synchronizing which will continue after the popup has closed:

cd && cd qortal && rm qortal.jar && rm -R db && curl -L -O https://github.com/Qortal/qortal/releases/latest/download/qortal.jar && ./start.sh

To update the UI, open the UI. If there is an update available, you'll see a notification like the screenshot below:

Followed by the screenshot below, where you'll have the option to restart now or update upon closing the UI:

How To Change The Search Engine & Browser

The QORTector comes with Chromium web browser. For privacy-focused individuals, you may want to change it to Brave. Unfortunately Brave does not have a 32-bit option for the QORTector but we can change the settings on Chromium. Brave is actually built off Chromium for the record.

  1. Open Chromium
  2. Click the three dots in the top right corner of the Chromium window
  3. Click on 'Settings'
  4. On the left hand side, click on 'Search engine'.
  5. As you see, Brave is not an option already on Chromium, so click 'Add'.
  6. In the Search engine field, enter
    Brave
  7. In the Keyword field, enter:
    brave.com
  8. In the URL field, enter:
    https://search.brave.com/search?q=%s

    Then click 'Save'.

  9. Now click on the three dots next to the Brave search engine option and set as default.
  10. On the left hand side, click on 'Default browser'.
  11. Click on the dots next to startpage.com and click 'Remove'.
  12. Now click on 'Add a new page' and enter
    www.search.brave.com

    Then click 'Save'.

  13. That's it. You now have Brave set as the search engine and browser on Chromium!

Accessing Your QORTector Remotely

The QORTector can be connected to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse - making it a stand-alone desktop. It is also possible to access your QORTector from another computer. For example, you could avoid connecting the monitor, keyboard, and mouse and simply remote into the QORTector from your laptop. How To RDP page is a guide from a MacBook but should be the same process for any computer. For QORTectors with SinclairMATE (not Plumbus), you can use VNC instead of RDP which is already installed on the device.

Be sure to read the Remote Access Security Risks page as well!

Account Setup & Recovery

This is the most important thing to cover! Please be sure to setup your account correctly with backup files as only you can recover your account. The DevTeam is not able to assist you with recovering an account as Qortal is truly decentralized: Account Setup & Recovery

Port Forwarding

If you have admin access to your router, you should configure port forwarding for the QORTector. Refer to the Port Forwarding page on how to do so.

Adjusting json Settings For Low Bandwidth

Go to the How To Reduce Bandwidth page.

qortector_walkthrough.txt · Last modified: 12/13/2022 19:56 by gfactor