The Raspberry Pi has become one of the most popular platforms for marine computing. It's small, uses little power, runs Linux, and has a huge open-source community behind it. With d3kOS you can turn a Pi into a full marine computer, with charts, engine monitoring, voice AI and cameras, without writing any code.
This guide covers what you need and how the pieces fit together.
Required
ItemWhat to look forRaspberry Pi Raspberry Pi 3B+, 4B or 5 with at least 4 GB RAM (8 GB recommended)microSD card 128 GB minimum, Class 10 or betterTouchscreen 10.1-inch, 1280×800, HDMI video with USB touch, rated for your environmentPower supply A marine-grade, isolated 12 V to 5 V DC-DC converter rated for at least 5 AGPS receiver Any standard USB GPS that works with gpsd
Optional
ItemWhat it addsUSB speakerphone Hands-free Helm voice assistantIP cameras (PoE, RTSP) Marine Vision and Forward WatchNMEA 2000 adapter (PiCAN-M HAT or USB-CAN-A) Live engine and instrument data from your NMEA 2000 networkRTL-SDR dongle AIS reception for targets on the chart and SafeHelm
Power matters. A Pi that doesn't get enough power will behave unpredictably. Use a properly rated, isolated converter, and follow your boat's wiring standards and local regulations. If you're not sure, ask a qualified marine electrician.
d3kOS installs as a complete disk image, so there's nothing to compile and no packages to configure by hand.
Download the current d3kOS image (.img.gz) from the official release page and check its SHA-256 checksum.
Install Raspberry Pi Imager on a Windows, Mac or Linux computer.
In Imager, choose Use custom, select the d3kOS image, choose your SD card, and click Write.
Insert the card into the Pi, connect the touchscreen, and power on.
After about a minute, d3kOS shows a safety disclaimer and then the setup wizard. You change the default password first, then the wizard walks through nine steps:
Vessel name
Propulsion type
Vessel length class
GPS provider
AIS provider
NMEA 2000 adapter
Signal K host
AtMyBoat.com registration (scan a QR code with your phone)
Summary
The wizard runs only on new or wiped installs. d3kOS also sets the local timezone automatically on first boot.
Signal K is pre-installed and pre-configured in d3kOS. The main things to understand:
NMEA 2000 adapter auto-detection. At boot, d3kOS detects whether a PiCAN-M HAT or a USB-CAN-A adapter is connected, brings up the CAN interface at 250 kbps, and switches on the matching Signal K data connection. Plugging in a USB adapter later re-runs the detection automatically.
GPS. Your USB GPS feeds Signal K through gpsd.
AIS. An RTL-SDR dongle running ais-catcher sends AIS targets to Signal K. Community telemetry is turned off by default.
Source priorities. When the same data (such as speed over ground) comes from two sources, d3kOS uses one authoritative source and falls back to the other only if the first stops.
Advanced users can still open the Signal K admin interface to add plugins, including Forward Watch for camera-based object detection.
The d3kOS touchscreen interface follows accessibility guidelines: all text is at least 18 px and all touch targets are at least 48×48 px, so it stays readable and usable underway, in sunlight and with wet hands. The main dashboard gives you:
AvNav charts
Live engine gauges
Weather (wind and wave map) Camera views
SafeHelm and Pi-health indicators on every page
You can choose metric or imperial units and any of 18 languages in Settings.
A marine computer is only useful if it stays healthy. d3kOS includes:
Over-the-air updates. Signed, integrity-checked packages install in the background, with automatic rollback if a health check fails.
Health monitoring. Agents watch system services and report through the Pi health indicator.
Mobile companion app. Through AtMyBoat.com you can view boat status and alerts from your phone.
Fix My Pi. Guided diagnostics and recovery from the companion app when something goes wrong.
Local network access. Open the dashboard from another device on the boat's network.
Test on the dock before you go out. Confirm GPS, NMEA 2000 data and AIS before relying on them.
Keep the Pi cool and dry. Mount it in a ventilated, protected location.
Use a speakerphone designed for voice. Wake-word detection depends heavily on microphone quality.
Which Raspberry Pi is best for d3kOS? The Pi 4B and Pi 5 with 8 GB RAM give the most headroom, especially with cameras or Forward Watch. The 3B+ is supported with a 4 GB minimum configuration.
Do I need Linux experience? No. If you can write an SD card and connect a screen, the setup wizard handles the rest.
Can I use my existing chartplotter's GPS? Yes. If your chartplotter puts GNSS data on NMEA 2000, d3kOS can read it through Signal K.