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Install the Daemon from a Specific Branch

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⚠️ For Developers and Testers Only

This guide explains how to install the Reachy Mini daemon from a specific GitHub branch before it is officially released. Use this for testing new features or bug fixes.

Prerequisites​

  • SSH access to your Reachy Mini robot ([email protected], password: root)
  • The robot must be connected to your Wi-Fi network (or accessible through its hotspot)

Option A: Local Development Setup​

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This option is intended for active development and fast debugging cycles. It allows you to safely test changes without affecting the system-wide installation.

⚠️ Avoid installing apps with this option as any changes made to the local reachy_mini version won't be propagated correctly.

Steps:​

  1. Connect to the robot via SSH:

    ssh [email protected]
    # Password: root

  2. Clone the Reachy Mini repository with the specific branch:

    git clone -b <branch-name> https://github.com/pollen-robotics/reachy_mini.git
    cd reachy_mini

  3. Set up the virtual environment:

    uv venv --python /venvs/mini_daemon/bin/python .venv
    source .venv/bin/activate
    uv sync --extra gstreamer --extra wireless-version

  4. Stop the system daemon service:

    sudo systemctl stop reachy-mini-daemon
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This step must be repeated after each reboot since the system service restarts automatically.

  1. Start the local daemon for testing: 
    reachy-mini-daemon --wireless-version

Now you can modify the code in ~/reachy_mini and test your changes without affecting the system installation.

Option B: System-Wide Custom Installation​

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This option installs a branch build of reachy-mini as the system-wide daemon. It's better suited for thorough, end-to-end testing and supports seamless app installation from Reachy Mini Control.

Steps:​

  1. Connect to the robot via SSH:

    ssh [email protected]
    # Password: root

  2. Activate the daemon's virtual environment:

    source /venvs/mini_daemon/bin/activate

  3. Install the specific branch:

    pip install --no-cache-dir --force-reinstall \
      "reachy_mini[gstreamer,wireless-version] @ git+https://github.com/pollen-robotics/reachy_mini.git@<branch-name>"

    Replace <branch-name> with the branch you want to test (e.g., develop, feature/my-feature, bugfix/issue-123).

We have to use pip here and not uv because uv pip install does not work correctly with git lfs.

  1. (Only for versions ≤ 1.2.13) Repeat steps 2 and 3 using /venvs/apps_venv.

  2. Restart the daemon service:

    sudo systemctl restart reachy-mini-daemon

  3. Verify the installation was successful:

    pip show reachy-mini | grep Version

    This should display the version corresponding to your installed branch.

Rolling Back to Factory Version​

If you encounter issues with the branch installation, you can restore the factory daemon:

  1. Trigger the SOFTWARE_RESET command via Bluetooth to reinstall the original factory daemon
  2. Refer to the Reset Guide for detailed step-by-step instructions

Important Notes​

  • Backup your work before switching between different branch installations
  • Test thoroughly in local development mode before doing system-wide installations
  • Monitor system logs after installation: journalctl -u reachy-mini-daemon -f
  • Performance impact: Some development branches may have reduced performance or stability
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