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Élise OSÉlise OS

Install with a coding agent

A coding agent that works in the terminal (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Aider…) can install Élise for you. You give it a message describing your situation. It then follows public instructions written for it, checks the machine and asks for your approval before every important action.

This path suits you if you already use such an agent, or if someone comfortable with computers is helping you. It does not replace your judgement: you approve every step.

Generate my messageThe installation guide asks a few questions and writes the message for your machine, network and hardware.

Before you start

Section titled “Before you start”

Where to run the agent

Section titled “Where to run the agent”

The agent must run on the machine that does the work. Depending on your setup:

Situation Where to run the agent Path
Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 On your computer (Mac, Windows or Linux), the one with the card reader or where the SSD plugs in B — Raspberry Pi image
Mini PC running Ubuntu Server 24.04 On the mini PC, directly or over SSH A — Ubuntu installer
NAS or server that already runs Docker On the server, over SSH C — Docker Compose
A Mac or Windows PC alone, without Docker Nowhere: Élise needs a Raspberry Pi or a Linux server —

What you need

Section titled “What you need”
  • The hardware for your path: see Requirements.
  • An installed agent, with an account with its publisher. Élise needs no account.
  • Administrator rights on the machine: you will type the password yourself when the terminal asks.

1. Install an agent

Section titled “1. Install an agent”

Claude Code runs on macOS, Linux and Windows. Follow the official installation, then run claude in a terminal, in an empty folder.

2. Prepare the message

Section titled “2. Prepare the message”

The message tells the agent where to find the instructions, describes your hardware and restates the rules. The easiest way is to generate it with the installation guide, which fills it in from your answers. Here are complete examples for each situation.

You copy Élise yourself with Raspberry Pi Imager: the agent downloads and verifies the image, then guides you.

Message to copy
Install Élise OS by following the official instructions: https://eliseos.paulbreton.dev/install.md


My situation:
- Machine: a Raspberry Pi 5, which will boot from the SSD.
- You are running on: my Mac (macOS) computer, which prepares the storage.
- Path: B (Raspberry Pi image).
- Writing the storage: I do it myself with Raspberry Pi Imager. Download and verify the image, tell me where it is, then guide me through Imager.
- Network: Wi-Fi. Remind me to set it in Imager; I will type the password myself.
- TV: yes, over HDMI, with a USB webcam for video calls.
- Zigbee stick: not yet (I plan a SONOFF ZBDongle-E).


Rules:
- Explain each step in one or two sentences, in plain English.
- Ask for my approval before any sudo command, any installation and any write to a disk.
- Never ask me for a password or token: I will type them myself in the terminal.
- Only download Élise from github.com/Elise-OS/EliseOS.
- At the end, tell me how to plug in the box and which address to open (http://elise.local).

You can edit the message freely: add, for example, “my NAS is a Synology” or “port 8080 is already in use”. Keep the first line and the rules.

3. What the agent does

Section titled “3. What the agent does”

  1. It identifies your system and finds the latest published release.

  2. It downloads the image (about 1.6 GB) and its checksum, then checks the file is intact.

  3. With Raspberry Pi Imager: it tells you where the file is and guides you through Imager (hostname elise, Wi-Fi, country, time zone).

    If it writes the storage itself: it lists the disks, has you recognise yours by size and name, asks twice, then writes and ejects the storage.

  4. It explains how to plug in the box, then has you open http://elise.local.

4. Stay in control

Section titled “4. Stay in control”

The public instructions require the agent to:

  • use official sources only: github.com/Elise-OS/EliseOS and this site;
  • explain each step before doing it;
  • ask for your approval before any sudo command, any installation and any write to a disk;
  • never ask you for a password, token or key;
  • not change the firewall, SSH or network beyond what the official installer does;
  • stop and ask you if anything does not match.

5. After installation

Section titled “5. After installation”

The agent stops once Élise answers. The rest happens in the browser:

  1. First boot: create the administrator account, from home. Or, without a computer, from your phone.
  2. Remote access: link Tailscale and invite the family.
  3. Sensors and Zigbee stick: add the sensors, room by room.
  4. Mobile app: install it for the family.

Troubleshooting

Section titled “Troubleshooting”
What the agent says What to do
“Port 8080 is already in use” Another service holds the port. Ask which one, then choose: stop it, or install Élise on another machine.
“denied when pulling a Docker image” An old ghcr.io login is left on the machine. The images are public: it can suggest docker logout ghcr.io.
“Unsupported system” Élise needs Ubuntu Server 24.04 or Docker on Linux. With only a Mac or Windows PC, prepare a Raspberry Pi.
elise.local won’t open Wait a few minutes, check the phone is on the same network, or use the Élise app, which finds the box on its own.

For agent authors

Section titled “For agent authors”

The instructions are published as Markdown at /install.md, with a site summary at /llms.txt. They describe the three paths, the exact commands and the safety rules.