Before You Begin

Let’s make sure you’ve got everything ready and know what to expect before getting started.

Smart Panel is designed to be flexible — you can run it on a Raspberry Pi with a touchscreen, a mini PC under your desk, or a Docker container on your home server. Either way, a little preparation goes a long way.

What You’ll Need

Smart Panel runs on any Linux device with systemd — from a Raspberry Pi to a mini PC, NAS, or VM. The most common setup is a Raspberry Pi with a touchscreen, but server-only and Docker deployments work on any Linux host.

Raspberry Pi (recommended for all-in-one setups)

Raspberry Pi (Zero 2 W, 3B+, 4, 5, or CM4 / reTerminal)
MicroSD card (8GB+ recommended)
Power supply
Display (HDMI or DSI, touchscreen optional)

Android tablet or wall-mounted display

Android 7.0+ device (tablet, wall panel, or dedicated smart display)
Network connectivity (Wi-Fi)
Pairs with a separate Smart Panel server on your network

Other Linux devices (server, display, or Docker)

Any Linux machine with systemd (Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, etc.)
x64 or ARM64 architecture
512 MB RAM minimum, 1 GB recommended
Network connectivity

No display? No problem — run the server only and connect display panels (Raspberry Pi, Android tablet, wall-mounted display, or Linux desktop) over the network.

Planning to embed the display into a wall or enclosure? Make sure you test everything before mounting! Wall-mounted Android panels are a great option — install the Smart Panel app and point it at your server.

Recommended Tools

You may also want:

microSD card reader
Access to a second computer (Windows/macOS/Linux)
Internet connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet)

What’s Next?

Now that you know what you need, check the Network Requirements to make sure your network is ready for Smart Panel.