Installation from .deb packages

Prerequisites: fresh Ubuntu Server 22.04 (Jammy), 24.04 (Noble) or 26.04 (Resolute), sudo access, Internet connection.

1. System update

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y curl wget gnupg2 ca-certificates lsb-release apt-transport-https

2. Install INDI

INDI is the hardware abstraction layer driving cameras, mounts, focusers and filter wheels. ostserver depends on libindi1 — this PPA provides the correct version.

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:mutlaqja/ppa -y
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y libindi1 gsc

Ubuntu 26.04: gsc not yet available in the PPA

The gsc package (Global Star Catalog) has not yet been published for Ubuntu 26.04 in the mutlaqja/ppa PPA. Install libindi1 without gsc, then fetch the package manually from the 25.04 build:

sudo apt install -y libindi1
wget "https://launchpad.net/~mutlaqja/+archive/ubuntu/ppa/+files/gsc-data_1.3+202411060910~ubuntu25.04.1_all.deb"
wget "https://launchpad.net/~mutlaqja/+archive/ubuntu/ppa/+files/gsc_1.3+202411060910~ubuntu25.04.1_amd64.deb"
sudo dpkg -i gsc-data_1.3+202411060910~ubuntu25.04.1_all.deb gsc_1.3+202411060910~ubuntu25.04.1_amd64.deb

gsc is essentially a star catalog data package — the 25.04 builds work without modification on 26.04.

3. Install Astrometry.net indexes

Required for plate solving (Navigator and Polar modules).

sudo apt install -y astrometry.net

Index files are not available via apt — download them manually from http://data.astrometry.net/.

Choosing the right indexes

Only download indexes suited to your setup. As a starting point: indexes 4208–4210 cover wide fields. Add 4206–4207 for longer focal lengths. Each index is several hundred MB.

Uncomment the lines matching your setup:

# --- Wide field > 5° (wide-angle, short focal length) ---
sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4214.fits
sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4213.fits
sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4212.fits
sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4211.fits
sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4210.fits
sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4209.fits
sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4208.fits

# --- Medium field 1°–5° (long focal length) — 12 files per index ---
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4207-00.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4207-01.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4207-02.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4207-03.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4207-04.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4207-05.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4207-06.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4207-07.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4207-08.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4207-09.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4207-10.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4207-11.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4206-00.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4206-01.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4206-02.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4206-03.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4206-04.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4206-05.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4206-06.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4206-07.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4206-08.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4206-09.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4206-10.fits
#sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4206-11.fits

To download all indexes at once (several GB):

for idx in 4208 4209 4210 4211 4212 4213 4214; do
    sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-${idx}.fits
done
for idx in 4206 4207; do
    for i in $(seq -w 0 11); do
        sudo wget -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-${idx}-${i}.fits
    done
done

4. System dependencies

The ostserver package requires several Qt6, GSL, cfitsio, libnova and StellarSolver libraries. apt will resolve them automatically, but make sure the universe repository is enabled:

sudo add-apt-repository universe -y
sudo apt update

libstellarsolver is bundled directly in the ostserver package — no Qt6 version has been published independently yet.

5. Install the back-end: ostserver

Download the latest release from the OST GitLab according to your Ubuntu version:

Ubuntu 22.04 / 24.04:

wget https://gitlab.ostserver.fr/api/v4/projects/1/packages/generic/latest/latest/ostserver_latest_amd64.deb

Ubuntu 26.04:

wget https://gitlab.ostserver.fr/api/v4/projects/1/packages/generic/latest/latest/ostserver_latest_2604_amd64.deb

Install the package:

sudo apt install -y ./ostserver_latest_amd64.deb        # 22.04 / 24.04
# or
sudo apt install -y ./ostserver_latest_2604_amd64.deb   # 26.04

apt resolves all dependencies automatically.

The package installs:

/usr/bin/ostserver — the main binary
/usr/lib/libost*.so — the modules (focus, guider, sequencer, navigator, planner, polar, inspector, indipanel, allsky)

systemd service included

The package automatically installs and enables the ostserver service. The service runs as the user who invoked sudo apt install, and the /var/lib/osterix/media directory is initialized.

WebSocket port

ostserver listens for WebSocket connections on port 9624.

6. Install the front-end: osterix

Download the latest release from the OST GitLab:

wget https://gitlab.ostserver.fr/api/v4/projects/6/packages/generic/latest/latest/osterix-front_latest.deb

Install the package (nginx will be installed automatically):

sudo apt install -y ./osterix-front_latest.deb

The package automatically installs:

Angular static files in /var/www/osterix/
Nginx config in /etc/nginx/sites-available/osterix
Symlink /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/osterix
Reloads Nginx

Nginx config deployed by the package:

server {
    listen 80;
    root /var/www/osterix;
    index index.html;
    server_name _;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.html;
    }

    location /ostmedia/ {
        alias /var/lib/osterix/media/;
        autoindex on;
    }
}

7. Verify the installation

# Service status
sudo systemctl status ostserver
sudo systemctl status nginx

# Listening ports
ss -tlnp | grep -E '80|9624|7624'

# Live ostserver logs
sudo journalctl -u ostserver -f

# Test Nginx config
sudo nginx -t

8. First start

From a browser on the local network: http://<machine-ip>/

Start the INDI server with your drivers
Open the OST interface → http://<ip>/

Modules are accessible from the main menu.

Services summary

Service	Role	Port
`ostserver`	C++/Qt back-end, astrophoto orchestration	9624 (WebSocket)
`nginx`	Serves the Angular front-end	80
`indiserver`	INDI hardware driver layer	7624

Update

Ubuntu 22.04 / 24.04:

wget https://gitlab.ostserver.fr/api/v4/projects/1/packages/generic/latest/latest/ostserver_latest_amd64.deb
wget https://gitlab.ostserver.fr/api/v4/projects/6/packages/generic/latest/latest/osterix-front_latest.deb
sudo apt install -y ./ostserver_latest_amd64.deb ./osterix-front_latest.deb
sudo systemctl restart ostserver

Ubuntu 26.04:

wget https://gitlab.ostserver.fr/api/v4/projects/1/packages/generic/latest/latest/ostserver_latest_2604_amd64.deb
wget https://gitlab.ostserver.fr/api/v4/projects/6/packages/generic/latest/latest/osterix-front_latest.deb
sudo apt install -y ./ostserver_latest_2604_amd64.deb ./osterix-front_latest.deb
sudo systemctl restart ostserver

Nginx reloads automatically via the osterix package postinst script.

Uninstall

sudo apt remove ostserver osterix-front
sudo systemctl disable --now ostserver
sudo rm /etc/systemd/system/ostserver.service
sudo systemctl daemon-reload