Power on the Raspberry Pi and wait. The process takes less than 5 minutes in a model 4, but in other models can take longer. You may observe some Failure messages during this process, which is normal.
Once it has reached this prompt, the Kolibri server should now be running on the Raspberry Pi and be accessible via the WiFi hotspot created. So you can connect to the WiFi network kolibri from another device and access it at http://10.10.10.10.
If you wish to access it from the Raspberry Pi itself, you will need to load into a graphical user environment and run a browser. The Lite version of the Raspbian that we use as the base does not come with a GUI installed, so you would have to follow some further instructions to do so: How to Install GUI to Raspberry Pi OS Lite Version
@richard , I am currently connected to the Kolibri server via a wifi network (Kolibri) URL(http://10.10.10.10). I can browse content from the server, but I would like to know how many concurrent wifi connections I can make and how far I can reach this wifi network. I am using a Raspberry Pi 4 as the Kolibri server.
Hello @Biswajit_De I’m afraid there’s not an exact response to this question.
WiFi hardware in the RPI is quite limited in memory and the available memory has been reduced with different upgrades. When the device was initially launched, some people could get up to 20 devices connected, while using the latest versions of the software, with all the upgrades applied, reports say that no more than 10 clients can work correctly at the same time. More info here: wifi - Maximum Wi-Fi clients on Pi 3 hotspot - Raspberry Pi Stack Exchange
If you need more than that, I’d advice you to connect the RPi to a proper Access Point using the ethernet cable, so the number of connections will depend on the specs of the AP you use.
yes, there’s a hardware guide at Kolibri translations | Learning Equality with some implementation models, but the most accurate guide will be the one of the AP you chose. You must rely on the manufacturer specs to know if it fulfills your needs
It includes some notes from implementers, which I’ve also pasted below:
We’ve heard from several organizations who use Raspberry Pi’s in their projects and compiled assorted notes below
SIL in Cameroon has used the newer RPi 400 kit, which includes a built-in keyboard, mouse, power supply, and MicroSD card with OS. This version has a large heat sink in the case, thus negating the need for a fan, and they recommend this over the RPi 4 as it has the same CPU but with more RAM than the 4.
Partners for International Development in Kenya have used a Raspberry Pi 3B+ as a server connected to a 7 inch touch screen monitor and a TP Link router. With this set-up they are able have one Pi connect to 15 tablets simultaneously (Tablets are 10 inch with 2GB+ RAM). To support an afterschool program with more students than tablets, they encourage students to pair up and share devices. They reported that the Pi was not able to support more than 15 tablets at once.
Go Dreams in India have used the Raspberry Pi 3B+. Using the built-in WiFi they were able to support 10 tablets (Lenovo Tab 7304F) with small groups of students each learning on their own tablet. They have noted that loading can sometimes be slow on the devices, but it is not prohibitive to learning.
Prakash Academy in India were able to connect one Raspberry Pi 3B+ to 12 tablets (Lenovo Tab 7 Essential) using a WiFi dongle. In this model they have pairs of students sharing each tablet. Because of high demand across different locations, technical monitors carry the Pi’s and tablets between locations every other day.
DTLJ Education Trust in Malaysia: They have been able to connect one Pi 3 to 55 tablets (Huawei Media Pad) using an ASUS High Power Router 300. Students are able to learn on their own tablets.
Turing Trust in Malawi planned to connect one Pi to 20 laptops using a TP Link router, but switched to a laptop server after finding that Kolibri would stall when connecting more than 10 devices.
Powering Potential in Tanzania has set up one Raspberry Pi 3 with 25 client desktop computers.
Overheating: Some organizations have shared that they are careful to monitor overheating of Raspberry Pi’s and SD cards and to mitigate whenever possible, such as avoiding shared power supplies (e.g, for charging cell phones) and testing housing cases with adequate fan cooling.
A group of high school motivated kids has set up a non-profit organization (501c3)) to promote education equity in underdeveloped areas of Northern California and New York. They are planning a POC in one of their libraries to promote Kolibri with Khan Academy. They are considering implementing it in rural areas if it is successful. My role is to provide a technical solution.