Linux Setup

Linux Setup

VesperApp runs on Linux (x86-64) as a self-contained AppImage — no .NET installation and no package manager required. Three things need a one-time setup that Windows does not: the AppImage itself, USB permissions, and serial port group membership.

1. Install the AppImage

1. Download VesperApp for Linux x64 from the release channel you were given. The download is a single .AppImage file — there is no installer; the file is the application.

2. Install FUSE if your distribution doesn't have it (AppImages need it):

   # Ubuntu 22.04 and newer
   sudo apt install libfuse2
   # Fedora
   sudo dnf install fuse fuse-libs

3. Put the file in a location your user can write to and make it executable:

   mkdir -p ~/Apps
   mv ~/Downloads/VesperApp*.AppImage ~/Apps/
   chmod +x ~/Apps/VesperApp*.AppImage

   A writable location matters: self-update works by replacing the AppImage file in place. Don't run it from a read-only mount (e.g. a VM shared folder) or a root-owned directory.

4. Run it — double-click it in your file manager, or launch it from a terminal.

2. USB device permissions (udev rules)

On Linux, plain users cannot open raw USB devices by default. Without these rules the docking station appears in the device picker (enumeration is allowed) but connecting to it fails, and firmware flashing cannot reach the DFU bootloader.

Install the VesperApp udev rules (docs/linux/70-vesperapp.rules in the repository):

sudo cp 70-vesperapp.rules /etc/udev/rules.d/
sudo udevadm control --reload-rules && sudo udevadm trigger

Then unplug and replug the dock and devices. The rules cover:

Device	VID:PID
Docking station (FTDI)	0403:6001
KOL / Vesper / Pipistrelle loggers	0483:a4f4 (legacy: 0483:5710, 0483:570f)
STM32 DFU bootloader (firmware flashing)	0483:df11
Nanotag bootloader	04d8:fe57

The rules also tell ModemManager (which runs by default on Ubuntu/Fedora desktops) to leave the loggers' serial port alone — without that it grabs every newly plugged CDC device for ~30 seconds of modem probing, which blocks device detection. If you installed an earlier version of this rules file, re-install it and replug.

3. Serial port access (loggers)

The loggers present a USB CDC serial port (/dev/ttyACM*), which belongs to the dialout group on Ubuntu and Fedora. Add your user and log out/in once:

sudo usermod -aG dialout $USER

4. Verify

• Plug in the dock: lsusb should list 0403:6001 Future Technology Devices.
• In VesperApp, connect to the dock — the dock controls (device power, BOOT0, reset) should activate.
• Dock a logger and enable device power: lsusb should list 0483:a4f4 and /dev/ttyACM0 should appear (ls /dev/ttyACM*); within a few seconds the device shows up in VesperApp's device list.
• Running in a VM? The logger is a separate USB device from the dock — add a USB filter (VirtualBox: Devices → USB) for 0483:a4f4 too, or the guest never sees it.
• Open Software Upgrades and press Check Updates — it should report either an update or "No updates available" (not a configuration error).

Updating

Updates work exactly like on Windows — see Software Updates and Plugins. On Linux, applying an update atomically replaces the AppImage file and relaunches the app; your settings and working directory are untouched.

Notes and troubleshooting

• "No update source is configured in this build" — you are running a development build, not an official release. Official AppImages have the update origin baked in at release time; developers can point a local build at a feed with the VESPERAPP_CDN_BASE environment variable.
• No FTDI driver is needed — the dock is driven over libusb on Linux (the Windows D2XX driver is not used). The in-kernel ftdi_sio module is detached automatically while VesperApp controls the dock.
• The AppImage won't start — check FUSE is installed (step 1.2). As a fallback, any AppImage can be unpacked and run without FUSE: ./VesperApp*.AppImage --appimage-extract && squashfs-root/AppRun (note: self-update does not apply in extracted mode).
• App data lives in ~/.local/share/VesperApp (respects $XDG_DATA_HOME); the default working directory is ~/Documents/MyVesperData.