Skip to content

ISO Installation Guide

This guide covers installing the CVEDIA AI Appliance software on your own compatible hardware using the ISO image.

Pre-Configured Appliance

If you received a pre-configured AI Appliance, skip this guide and follow the Quickstart Guide instead.

Built on Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS, the ISO image provides a fully automated installation process with built-in support for multiple AI accelerators. The resulting system is identical to a pre-configured appliance and can be used with VMS integrations, REST API, or as a standalone device.

System Requirements

Operating System

  • Base OS: Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS
  • Kernel: 6.14 (automatically installed)
  • Architecture: x86_64

Storage Requirements

  • Internal Storage: 32GB or more

Supported Hardware

The AI Appliance ISO supports the following hardware platforms and accelerators:

CPU Support

The AI Appliance supports any x86_64 compatible CPU, with optimal performance on recent Intel processor generations:

Optimized for:

  • Intel N-series (Alder Lake-N / Raptor Lake-N):

    • Intel N50, N97, N100, N200, N250, N305
    • All N-series processors

  • Intel Core Ultra (Meteor Lake / Lunar Lake):

    • Intel Core Ultra 5, 7, 9
    • Intel Core Ultra Series 2

General Compatibility:

  • Any x86_64 CPU (Intel, AMD, or compatible)
  • Older Intel and AMD processors will work but may not achieve optimal performance

AI Accelerators

  • NVIDIA GPUs: All GPUs with Compute Capability 7.5 or higher

    • Automatic CUDA toolkit installation
    • TensorRT support
    • See NVIDIA GPU for detailed compatibility

  • Blaize SDK 25.2.0:

    • Xplorer X1600E
    • Xplorer X600E M.2
    • Xplorer X1600P PCIe
    • Xplorer X1600P-Q PCIe
    • See Blaize for more details

  • Hailo:

    • Hailo-8
    • Hailo-8L
    • Hailo-15
    • See Hailo for more details

Installation Process

Storage Warning

The installation process will erase all data on the target storage device. Ensure you have backed up any important data before proceeding.

The AI Appliance installation is a fully automated two-stage process that requires a keyboard and display to install. The AI Appliance does not require internet connectivity during installation. All necessary packages, including hardware drivers, are pre-packaged in the ISO for offline deployment.

Internet connectivity is only needed for:

  • Activating licenses
  • Downloading AI models on initial use (once downloaded, models are cached locally)

Prerequisites

  • Compatible hardware (see Supported Hardware)
  • USB drive (16GB minimum recommended)
  • ISO image downloaded from CVEDIA

Step 1: Create Bootable USB

Flash the ISO image to a USB drive using one of the following tools:

Use one of the following tools to flash the ISO:

Use balenaEtcher to flash the ISO.

# Replace /dev/sdX with your USB device
sudo dd if=cvedia-rt-appliance.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=32M status=progress iflag=fullblock oflag=direct

Identifying the USB Device

Use lsblk or fdisk -l to identify your USB device. Be careful to select the correct device to avoid data loss.

Step 2: First Boot

  1. Insert the USB drive into the target system
  2. Boot from the USB drive (may require BIOS/UEFI configuration)
  3. The system will automatically:
    • Boot from the installation media
    • Copy the installer to a temporary location
    • Shutdown automatically (typically within 1-2 minutes)

USB Drive Safe to Remove

After the first shutdown, you can safely disconnect the USB drive. The second boot will continue from the internal storage.

Step 3: Second Boot

  1. Power on the system (USB drive can remain disconnected)
  2. The system will automatically:
    • Partition and format the storage device
    • Install Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS
    • Detect installed hardware accelerators
    • Install appropriate drivers (NVIDIA CUDA, Hailo, Blaize)
    • Install and configure CVEDIA-RT
    • Shutdown automatically when complete (typically 10-30 minutes depending on hardware)

Installation Without Display

The entire installation process is completely automated and does not require a display, keyboard, or mouse. Simply power on the system after each boot and wait for it to shutdown automatically.

Step 4: First Use

  1. Power on the system
  2. Wait for the boot process to complete
  3. Access CVEDIA-RT:
    • Web Interface: http://<system-ip>:9090
    • SSH Access: User cvedia, Password cvedia

Finding the System IP

Check your DHCP server/router for the assigned IP address, or connect a display and keyboard to run ip addr show after login.

Web-Based Configuration

The AI Appliance includes Cockpit, a web-based administration interface accessible at port 9090.

Accessing Cockpit

Navigate to http://<system-ip>:9090 in your web browser and login with the default credentials:

  • Username: cvedia
  • Password: cvedia

Change Default Credentials

For security, change the default password immediately after first login. See the Security Considerations section for instructions.

For more information on using Cockpit, see the Cockpit User Guide.

Hardware Detection and Driver Installation

The AI Appliance automatically detects and configures the following hardware during installation:

NVIDIA GPUs

When NVIDIA hardware is detected:

  • The open-source Nouveau driver is automatically blacklisted
  • NVIDIA proprietary drivers and CUDA toolkit are installed
  • TensorRT libraries are configured
  • Installation is verified with nvidia-smi

No Reboot Required

Unlike manual installations, the Nouveau driver is preemptively blacklisted during installation, eliminating the need for an additional reboot.

Hailo Accelerators

When Hailo hardware is detected:

  • HailoRT runtime is installed
  • Device firmware is verified
  • Installation is confirmed with hailortcli fw-control identify

Blaize Accelerators

When Blaize hardware is detected:

  • Blaize SDK 25.2.0 is installed
  • Required dependencies are configured
  • Multi-device support is enabled

Network Configuration

The AI Appliance uses DHCP for network configuration by default:

  • DNS Servers: Google DNS (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4) and Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1)
  • IPv4: DHCP
  • IPv6: Disabled by default

To configure a static IP after installation:

# Edit netplan configuration
sudo nano /etc/netplan/50-cloud-init.yaml

# Apply changes
sudo netplan apply

Recovery

If installation fails, simply reboot from the USB drive and repeat the installation process. The installer will automatically erase and reconfigure the storage device.

Security Considerations

Default Credentials

The default SSH credentials (cvedia/cvedia) should be changed immediately after first login:

In order to change these credentials:

  1. Navigate to the Cockpit Webpanel
  2. Click on Accounts
  3. Click on your account and use the Set Password function

Additional security features:

  • SSH disabled by default — You can enable it via Cockpit if needed
  • cvedia user with sudo privileges
  • Firewall configured with UFW

Version Information

  • Ubuntu: 24.04.3 LTS
  • Kernel: 6.14
  • CVEDIA-RT: Varies by ISO release
  • Blaize SDK: 25.2.0 (when Blaize hardware detected)

Check the ISO filename or release notes for the specific CVEDIA-RT version included.