Download Pimeleon

"Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." — Murphy's Law

That's why we provide checksums, signatures, and multiple download methods.

Download the latest Pimeleon router images for your Raspberry Pi hardware.

Quick Downloads

Stable Release (Recommended)

Latest production-ready release with full testing and long-term support.

• Version: 1.0.0 (coming soon)
• Release Date: TBD
• Image Size: ~2.5 GB compressed
• Supported Hardware: Raspberry Pi 3B+, Pi 4 (all RAM variants)
• Download: Stable Image (coming soon)
• Checksum: SHA256 (coming soon)

Beta Release

Latest features and improvements for community testing.

• Version: 1.0.0-beta.1 (coming soon)
• Release Date: TBD
• Image Size: ~2.5 GB compressed
• Supported Hardware: Raspberry Pi 3B+, Pi 4 (all RAM variants)
• Download: Beta Image (coming soon)
• Checksum: SHA256 (coming soon)

Development Builds

Bleeding-edge daily builds for testing and development only.

• Updated: Daily
• Stability: Unstable, for testing only
• Download: Dev Builds (coming soon)

Release Channels

Stable (Production)

Recommended for: Home networks, production deployments, first-time users

Production-ready releases with comprehensive testing:

• Released monthly or when critical fixes available
• Full regression testing on all supported hardware
• Long-term support (LTS) with security updates
• Stable feature set with minimal breaking changes
• Comprehensive release notes and upgrade guides

Support Period: 12 months from release date

Beta (Testing)

Recommended for: Advanced users, testers, those wanting latest features

Pre-release versions for community testing:

• Released weekly when new features ready
• Tested by core team and early adopters
• May contain known minor issues
• New features not yet in stable
• Community feedback drives improvements

Support Period: Until next beta or stable release

Development (Experimental)

Recommended for: Developers, contributors, bleeding-edge testers

Automated daily builds from development branch:

• Built automatically from main branch
• Minimal testing, may not boot or function correctly
• Breaking changes without notice
• For development and testing only
• Not for production use

Support Period: None - use at your own risk

Hardware-Specific Images

Raspberry Pi 4 (Optimized)

Optimized for Raspberry Pi 4 hardware with Gigabit Ethernet and increased RAM:

• Full Gigabit routing performance
• Supports 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB RAM variants
• USB 3.0 support for storage and additional network interfaces
• Hardware video decode (future feature)
• Download: Pi 4 Image (coming soon)

Recommended For: Home networks, small offices, best performance

Raspberry Pi 3B+ (Compatible)

Compatible image for Raspberry Pi 3B+ with optimizations for lower-power hardware:

• 300 Mbps routing performance
• Reduced memory footprint
• Thermal throttling management
• Power-efficient operation
• Download: Pi 3B+ Image (coming soon)

Recommended For: Edge deployments, low-power setups, budget builds

Universal Image (All Hardware)

Single image supporting all Raspberry Pi models (3B+, 4):

• Auto-detection and optimization on first boot
• Slightly larger image size
• Convenience for multi-device deployments
• Download: Universal Image (coming soon)

Download Methods

Direct Download (HTTPS)

Fast, resumable downloads via HTTPS:

1. Click download link for desired release
2. Save .img.xz file to your computer
3. Verify checksum (see Verification below)
4. Proceed to flashing guide

Pros: Simple, fast for most users Cons: Single source, no built-in verification

Torrent Download

Distributed downloads via BitTorrent protocol:

1. Download .torrent file or use magnet link
2. Open with BitTorrent client (qBittorrent, Transmission, etc.)
3. Download completes with automatic verification
4. Proceed to flashing guide

Pros: Distributed bandwidth, built-in verification, helps the community Cons: Requires torrent client, slower for small files

Torrent Links: Stable Torrent (coming soon)

Mirror Network

Community-hosted mirrors for redundancy:

• Primary: https://downloads.pimeleon.com/ (coming soon)
• Mirror 1: https://mirror1.pimeleon.com/ (coming soon)
• Mirror 2: https://mirror2.pimeleon.com/ (coming soon)

All mirrors carry identical checksums for verification.

Verification

Why Verify Downloads?

Verification ensures your downloaded image is:

• Complete: No corruption during download
• Authentic: Officially released by Pimeleon project
• Secure: Not tampered with or modified

Always verify downloads before flashing to SD card.

SHA256 Checksum Verification

On Linux/macOS

# Download image and checksum file
wget /downloads/stable/pimeleon-stable.img.xz
wget /downloads/stable/pimeleon-stable.img.xz.sha256

# Verify checksum
sha256sum -c pimeleon-stable.img.xz.sha256

# Should output: pimeleon-stable.img.xz: OK

On Windows (PowerShell)

# Calculate checksum of downloaded file
Get-FileHash pimeleon-stable.img.xz -Algorithm SHA256

# Compare output with published checksum manually

GPG Signature Verification

For additional security, verify GPG signatures:

# Import Pimeleon signing key (one-time setup)
gpg --keyserver keys.openpgp.org --recv-keys PIMELEON_KEY_ID

# Verify signature
gpg --verify pimeleon-stable.img.xz.sig pimeleon-stable.img.xz

# Should output: Good signature from "Pimeleon Release Team"

GPG Key Fingerprint: (coming soon)

Installation After Download

After downloading and verifying your image:

1. Flash to SD Card - Write image using Raspberry Pi Imager or balenaEtcher
2. Hardware Setup - Connect cables and prepare Raspberry Pi
3. First Boot - Power on and complete initial configuration
4. Quick Setup - Configure network and services

See the complete Installation Guide for detailed instructions.

Release Notes

Latest Stable Release

Version 1.0.0 (coming soon)

• Initial stable release
• Complete feature set for home routing
• Network-wide DNS filtering
• DNSCrypt privacy enhancement
• Squid proxy caching
• Comprehensive web interface

Full changelog: Release Notes v1.0.0 (coming soon)

Previous Releases

View all release notes and changelogs:

• All Release Notes (coming soon)
• Upgrade Guides (coming soon)

Archive (Previous Versions)

Download previous releases for compatibility or rollback:

• All Versions Archive (coming soon)

Note: Only the latest stable release receives security updates. Upgrade to the latest version for best security.

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

• Raspberry Pi 3B+ or newer
• 16GB microSD card (Class 10 minimum)
• 2.5A power supply
• Ethernet cable for WAN connection

Recommended Requirements

• Raspberry Pi 4 (2GB or 4GB RAM)
• 32GB microSD card (UHS-I, high-endurance)
• Official Raspberry Pi power supply (3A for Pi 4)
• Gigabit Ethernet cables
• Active cooling (heatsink + fan)

For Best Performance

• Raspberry Pi 4 (4GB or 8GB RAM)
• 64GB microSD card (UHS-I or UHS-II, A2 rated)
• USB 3.0 Gigabit Ethernet adapter (for dual-port setup)
• Quality case with active cooling
• UPS or reliable power source

See Hardware Selection for detailed comparisons.

Troubleshooting Downloads

Download Corrupted or Incomplete

Symptoms: Checksum verification fails, image won't flash, boots but unstable

Solutions:

• Re-download using different method (direct vs torrent)
• Try different mirror
• Check available disk space before downloading
• Disable antivirus temporarily during download
• Use download manager with resume capability

Cannot Access Download Server

Symptoms: Download links not working, connection timeouts

Solutions:

• Try alternative mirror from Mirror Network
• Check internet connection and DNS resolution
• Verify firewall not blocking downloads.pimeleon.com
• Try different network (mobile hotspot, etc.)

Flashing Image Fails

Symptoms: Flash process fails, SD card not recognized after flashing

Solutions:

• Verify checksum before attempting flash
• Try different SD card (SanDisk or Samsung recommended)
• Use official Raspberry Pi Imager instead of third-party tools
• Format SD card using SD Card Formatter before flashing
• Check SD card for physical damage

See Flashing Guide for detailed flash troubleshooting.

License Information

Pimeleon router images include:

• Base System: Debian GNU/Linux (various open-source licenses)
• Pimeleon Components: AGPLv3
• Bundled Services: Various open-source licenses (DNSCrypt, etc.)

Full license information included in image at /usr/share/doc/pimeleon/copyright.

See Community License for details on AGPLv3 and contributing.

Build Your Own Image

Advanced users can build custom images from source:

• Source Code: GitHub Repository (coming soon)
• Build Instructions: Build Guide (coming soon)
• Customization: Image Customization (coming soon)

Support and Community

Need help with downloads or installation?

• Community Forum - Get help from community members
• Installation Guide - Step-by-step setup instructions
• FAQ - Common questions and answers
• Troubleshooting - Solve common problems

Related Documentation

• Installation Guide - Complete setup instructions
• Flashing Guide - Write image to SD card
• Hardware Selection - Choose right Raspberry Pi
• First Boot Setup - Initial configuration
• Deployment Scenarios - Integration patterns

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