ALPON X5 AI OS

ALPON X5 AI · Operating System · Reference · Updated 2026-05-07

ALPON X5 AI ships with a pre-installed, Sixfab-maintained Linux image tuned for the Raspberry Pi CM5 and the DEEPX DX-M1 NPU. This page covers what's included in the image, how to access the device on first boot, and how to keep it up to date in production.

What operating system does ALPON X5 AI run?

ALPON X5 AI runs ALPON X5 AI OS, a Sixfab-maintained 64-bit Debian image based on Raspberry Pi OS (Debian Trixie) for the Raspberry Pi CM5 and DEEPX DX-M1 NPU. The image is factory-flashed and includes the DEEPX dxrt-runtime, the Sixfab Connect agent for remote management, and the cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity stack. ALPON X5 AI OS targets the arm64 architecture.

Overview

ALPON X5 AI OS is a minimal, hardened Debian image maintained by Sixfab. It builds on Raspberry Pi OS, so the familiar apt package manager and the broader Raspberry Pi ecosystem work out of the box on this industrial edge AI computer. A future Yocto-based image is planned for long-term support; until then, the current image is the stable production target for every shipping ALPON X5 AI.

Base image

Raspberry Pi OS

Debian Trixie · 64-bit

Architecture

arm64

aarch64 · 64-bit ARM

Compute module

Raspberry Pi CM5

Built on Raspberry Pi

AI runtime

dxrt-runtime

DEEPX DX-M1 · 25 TOPS

What's pre-installed

The image is ready to boot and register with Sixfab Connect without additional setup. Every shipping ALPON X5 AI carries the following components:

Sixfab Connect agent for fleet management, OTA, and the browser-based remote terminal.
DEEPX DX-M1 runtime (dxrt-runtime, dxrt-cli, dxtop) and the kernel driver for the NPU.
ModemManager & NetworkManager with the Quectel 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.
Hardware watchdog for automatic recovery on a system hang.

ALPON X5 AI OS does not ship with Docker or any container runtime. If your workflow requires containers, install Docker yourself (sudo apt install docker.io docker-compose-plugin), or deploy applications through Deploy Applications on ALPON Cloud, which manages the container layer for you.

Uninstalling the Sixfab Connect agent, the DEEPX dxrt-runtime, or the alpon system user will break remote management, AI inference, and OTA updates. Install and remove your own packages freely, but leave the Sixfab-maintained components in place.

Architecture compatibility

ALPON X5 AI 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.

If you install a container runtime, prefer multi-arch images or pin the platform explicitly: docker pull --platform linux/arm64 <image>. Most official images on Docker Hub publish arm64 variants.

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 DEEPX runtime. From there, set up user access for day-to-day administration before deploying the device.

Default credentials

Every ALPON X5 AI ships with a factory-configured system user. Use these credentials for initial login only, then change the password before deploying to production.

Default username

alpon

Default password

sixfab

The default alpon / sixfab pair is shared across all devices. Change the password (or add a separate admin user, see Step 4) before connecting the device to any untrusted network. Do not delete the alpon account itself, as it is used by Sixfab Connect and other system services.

Device hostname

Each ALPON X5 AI has a unique hostname derived from its primary MAC address:

alpon-[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

Provision the device in Sixfab Connect

Before reaching the device remotely, register it to your Sixfab Connect organization. If you haven't done this yet, complete the ALPON X5 AI Quickstart first.

Open a shell on the device

Pick the access method that fits your situation. The remote terminal is fastest on first boot because it works from any browser without LAN access.

Recommended

Remote terminal

Open Sixfab Connect, select the device, and click Open Remote Terminal.

SSH over LAN

If the device is on your local network, connect over mDNS (see Step 5).

HDMI + keyboard

Attach an HDMI display and a USB keyboard to the device for local login.

Change the default alpon password

Run passwd on the device shell. You will be asked for the current password (sixfab), then prompted for the new password twice.

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

Do not delete the alpon account — Sixfab Connect and the system services depend on it.

Create a separate admin user Recommended

For production fleets, create a dedicated admin account alongside the alpon service user, and add it to the sudo group:

# 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>

Replace <username> with your chosen account name (for example, ops).

Connect via SSH

Once the user exists, connect from any machine on the same network using mDNS, or fall back to the device IP:

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

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

Username

Your created user, or alpon for the default account.

Hostname

alpon-<MAC>.local — the MAC address is printed on the device label.

Port

22 (default SSH).

Network

Same LAN as the device, or use the Sixfab Connect remote terminal from anywhere.

The .local suffix uses mDNS (Bonjour / Avahi). If your network blocks mDNS, use the IP address directly. The current IP is visible on the Sixfab Connect device page.

Connect a local display Optional

Plug an HDMI display and a USB keyboard into the device to log in locally. The HDMI 2.0 port supports up to 4Kp60 output. Connect the display before powering on.

System updates

ALPON X5 AI OS uses standard Debian package tooling. Apply security patches with apt, and manage deployed applications separately through Deploy Applications on ALPON Cloud.

Update ALPON X5 AI 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

When updating multiple devices, do not update them all at once. Reboot one device, confirm it comes back online in Sixfab Connect, then proceed to the next. This protects you from regressions in upstream packages.

Update deployed applications

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

Containers via ALPON Cloud Recommended

Push a new image tag from the Deploy Applications dashboard. Sixfab Connect orchestrates the pull, restart, and rollback across your fleet.

Manually-installed containers

If you installed Docker yourself, pull the new tag and recreate the container with your tooling (for example, docker pull followed by docker compose up -d).

Individual system packages

Upgrade a single package without touching others: sudo apt install --only-upgrade <package>.

Firmware and modem updates

Modem firmware, the DEEPX dxrt-runtime, and the Sixfab Connect agent 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.

Avoid apt autoremove on Sixfab packages

If autoremove lists sixfab-*, dxrt-*, or modemmanager as removable, cancel the operation. Removing these packages disconnects the device from ALPON Cloud and breaks AI inference.

Quick command reference

The most common ALPON X5 AI OS administration commands, in one place. Run them in the device shell over SSH or in the Sixfab Connect remote terminal.

Task	Command
Change the current user's password	`passwd`
Create a new system user	`sudo useradd -m -s /bin/bash <username>`
Set a password for a user	`sudo passwd <username>`
Grant sudo privileges	`sudo usermod -aG sudo <username>`
Refresh package lists	`sudo apt update`
Apply available upgrades	`sudo apt upgrade -y`
Reinstall a broken package	`sudo apt install --reinstall <package>`
Reboot the device	`sudo reboot`
One-shot NPU status	`dxrt-cli -s`
Live NPU monitor	`dxtop`
View recent system logs	`journalctl -xe`

OS image & recovery

The ALPON X5 AI 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 AI 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.

Many "broken OS" symptoms are recoverable from a working shell:

Use the Sixfab Connect remote terminal. It works even if LAN or SSH is misconfigured, as long as the cellular link is alive.
If a recent upgrade broke something, run journalctl -xe for diagnostics, then sudo apt install --reinstall <package> on the offending package.

Need to recover the OS? Contact Sixfab support.

Have your device serial number ready. Support will verify the fault and provide the recovery procedure.

Contact support