Install the master

What this gets you

A running master: the first machine, powered on and ready for you to open its web panel and log in for the first time.

Before you start

The machine you’re using as the master, connected to your router by Ethernet.
The Buddy Cluster download for your machine (see What you need for the hardware it expects), and its matching checksum file.
A way to write a memory card, if you’re going with the recommended option below.

There are two ways to get the master running. They end up in the same place. Pick whichever suits the machine you’re starting from.

Option A — Flash the image (recommended)

Use this if you’re starting from a blank memory card.

Download the Buddy Cluster image file and its checksum file (SHA256SUMS).
Verify the download before you write it anywhere:
Terminal window
```
sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS
```
Write the image to the master’s memory card with an imaging tool such as Raspberry Pi Imager or balenaEtcher; or, from a terminal:
Terminal window
```
xz -dc buddy-cluster-<version>-arm64.img.xz | sudo dd of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress conv=fsync
```
Insert the card into the master, connect it to your router by Ethernet, and power it on. On its first boot it configures itself and starts the panel automatically, no further action needed at the machine itself.

The image ships with a default operating-system login (buddy / buddy, for console or SSH access to the machine itself). Change that password after first boot. This is separate from the web panel’s own admin account, which you set up next in Open the panel and log in.

Option B — Install on an existing Ubuntu Server machine

Use this if the machine already runs Ubuntu Server (the same release Buddy Cluster expects; see What you need). One package covers both ARM64 and x86-64 machines; the installer picks the right one for the machine it’s running on.

sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS
tar xzf buddy-cluster-<version>-linux.tar.gz
cd buddy-cluster-<version>-linux
sudo ./install.sh

Re-running the installer later is safe: it upgrades Buddy Cluster in place without touching your existing cluster.

How you know it worked

The panel becomes reachable at the master’s address over HTTPS. Continue to Open the panel and log in to confirm it.

What can go wrong

The master isn’t reachable at all after flashing (no SSH, no panel)
The panel won’t open

See these symptoms in Troubleshooting.