Overview

ALPON X4 OS is a minimal, hardened Debian image maintained by Sixfab. It builds on Raspberry Pi OS Lite, so the familiar apt package manager and the broader Raspberry Pi ecosystem work out of the box on this industrial edge computer. The image is the stable production target for every shipping ALPON X4 and is updated through Sixfab's package channel without re-flashing.

What's pre-installed

The image is ready to boot and register with Sixfab Connect without additional setup. Every shipping ALPON X4 carries the following components:

• Sixfab Connect agent for fleet management, OTA, and the browser-based remote terminal.
• Docker & Docker Compose pre-installed and enabled, ready for container deployments through ALPON Cloud or your own tooling.
• ModemManager & NetworkManager with the LTE Cat 4 cellular and dual-band Wi-Fi 5 stack pre-configured.
• OpenSSH server for local and remote shell access on port 22.
• mDNS / Avahi so the device is reachable as alpon-<MAC>.local on the local network.
• VPN client for the always-on tunnel between the device and ALPON Cloud services.
• Hardware watchdog for automatic recovery on a system hang.

Architecture compatibility

ALPON X4 runs on a 64-bit ARM architecture (arm64 / aarch64). All custom binaries, container images, and third-party packages must target arm64. x86 / amd64 binaries are not supported.

First boot & setup

The device is ready the moment it powers on. On first boot it brings up networking, registers with Sixfab Connect when the device is provisioned, and starts the Docker service. From there, set up user access for day-to-day administration before deploying the device.

Default credentials

Every ALPON X4 ships with a factory-configured system user. Use these credentials for initial login only, then change the password before deploying to production.

Device hostname

Each ALPON X4 has a unique hostname derived from its primary MAC address:

The MAC address is printed on the device label. This guarantees no hostname collisions on the same network and lets you reach the device over mDNS as alpon-<MAC>.local without needing the IP address.

Set up user access

# 1. Change the password for the current user (alpon)
passwd

# 1. Create the new user (you will be prompted for a password)
sudo useradd -m -s /bin/bash <username>
sudo passwd <username>

# 2. Grant sudo (administrative) privileges
sudo usermod -aG sudo <username>

# 1. Connect by hostname (mDNS)
ssh <username>@alpon-<MAC>.local

# 2. Or by IP address
ssh <username>@<DEVICE_IP>

System updates

ALPON X4 OS uses standard Debian package tooling. Apply security patches with apt, and manage deployed applications separately through Deploy Applications on ALPON Cloud.

Update ALPON X4 OS

Refresh the package index and apply available upgrades:

# 1. Refresh package lists
sudo apt update

# 2. Apply available upgrades
sudo apt upgrade -y

# 3. Reboot if a kernel or firmware package was upgraded
sudo reboot

Update deployed applications

Application updates are independent of OS updates. Pick the path that matches how the application was deployed:

Firmware and modem updates

Modem firmware, the Sixfab Connect agent, and the cellular stack are delivered through apt and, where applicable, through Sixfab Connect OTA. You don't need to manage them manually — apt upgrade picks up Sixfab-maintained packages automatically.

Quick command reference

The most common ALPON X4 OS administration commands, in one place. Run them in the device shell over SSH or in the Sixfab Connect remote terminal.

OS image & recovery

The ALPON X4 OS image is pre-installed at the factory and is not distributed as a public download. Shipping the OS on the device avoids the hardware-specific edge cases that come with end-user flashing of an industrial edge computer image.

If you believe your device needs to be re-flashed (for example, after a failed upgrade or a recovery-blocking misconfiguration), contact Sixfab support. Support will confirm whether a re-flash is actually needed and provide the recovery procedure for your device's serial.