Pi Finder

Take me back to the Pi Finder!

Introduction

What is the Pi Finder for?

Often you plug in your Raspberry Pi in a network where you get a random IP from the DHCP server. In the best situation you have access to the DHCP server / router and find the IP address.

But what if you ...

• ... don't have access to the DHCP server / router?
• ... don't know the MAC address of your Pi?
• ... see multiple Rasperrys in the network?
• ... don't want to do that work every time?

The Pi Finder is here to solve all of these problems if you...

• ... dynamically get an IP address in this network (DHCP).
• ... have a internet connection.

How does it work?

After the initial installation your Pi will notify this site with it's current IP address and a name you choose.

Do I have to start the Pi Finder every time?

No, the Pi Finder starts automatically with your Pi.

What happens if the IP changes?

Even if the ip address changes, it will update automatically.

How long do I see my Rasperry Pi on this site?

As long as your Pi is running and has access to the server. After you shut down your Pi, it will be removed after 15 minutes.

But I do have an Arduino, Ubuntu, ..., does it work for me?

It should work on any Unix based system. However, it's only tested on Raspbian and OSX 10.10. If you have problems, just create an Issue or even better a Pull Request.

Installation

You need to run all these commands on your Rasberry Pi.

1. Run the installer

$ wget http://bit.ly/pi-finder_installer -O - | sudo bash

Run this command only if the first failed!

If you haven't wget installed, try the curl command:

$ curl -fsSL http://bit.ly/pi-finder_installer | sudo bash

2. Configure

Open the configuration file config.js (config directory can differ from system to system)...

$ sudo nano $(npm config get prefix)/lib/node_modules/pi-finder/config.js

...and change the name from My Awesome Pi to a name you'll recognise.

module.exports = {
    // ...
    name: "Manuel's Pi",
    // ...
}

3. Start Pi Finder

Add the pi finder to the start up

$ sudo service pi-finder start

4. Reboot (optional)

To test the configuration, restart your Pi and check the Pi Finder!

$ sudo reboot

Usage Linux

Start Pi Finder

$ sudo service pi-finder start

Stop Pi Finder

$ sudo service pi-finder stop

Restart Pi Finder

$ sudo service pi-finder restart

Status of the Pi Finder

$ sudo service pi-finder status

Usage OS X

Start Pi Finder

$ sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/xyz.pi-finder.plist

Stop Pi Finder

$ sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/xyz.pi-finder.plist

Restart Pi Finder

$ sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/xyz.pi-finder.plist
$ sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/xyz.pi-finder.plist

Status of the Pi Finder

$ sudo launchctl list | grep xyz.pi-finder

If you see any output, the pi finder is running

If you are using an old Pi Finder installation on OS X

Start Pi Finder

$ sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/ch.strebl.pi-finder.plist

Stop Pi Finder

$ sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/ch.strebl.pi-finder.plist

Restart Pi Finder

$ sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/ch.strebl.pi-finder.plist
$ sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/ch.strebl.pi-finder.plist

Status of the Pi Finder

$ sudo launchctl list | grep ch.strebl.pi-finder

If you see any output, the pi finder is running

Take me back to the Pi Finder!