Installing from the Ubuntu PPA (Launchpad)

Prerequisites: fresh Ubuntu Server 26.04 (Resolute), sudo access, Internet connection.

This method uses the official Launchpad PPA — ostserver-complete is installed via apt and updates automatically with apt upgrade.

22.04 / 24.04?

The PPA currently only publishes for Ubuntu 26.04 — on 22.04 (Jammy) or 24.04 (Noble), use the manual .deb procedure instead.

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, and most cameras (ZWO, QHY, PlayerOne and others) need their driver from indi-3rdparty-drivers.

sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:mutlaqja/ppa
sudo add-apt-repository -y universe
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y libindi1 indi-bin gsc indi-3rdparty-libs indi-3rdparty-drivers

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 -nc -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4214.fits
sudo wget -nc -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4213.fits
sudo wget -nc -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4212.fits
sudo wget -nc -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4211.fits
sudo wget -nc -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4210.fits
sudo wget -nc -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4209.fits
sudo wget -nc -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 -nc -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-4207-00.fits
#...
#sudo wget -nc -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 -nc -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-${idx}.fits
done
for idx in 4206 4207; do
    for i in $(seq -w 0 11); do
        sudo wget -nc -P /usr/share/astrometry http://data.astrometry.net/4200/index-${idx}-${i}.fits
    done
done

-nc (no-clobber) skips a file already downloaded — re-run this section safely to top up a partial set.

4. System dependencies

The ostserver-complete package requires several Qt6, GSL, cfitsio, libnova and StellarSolver libraries, plus nginx. 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 package — no Qt6 version has been published independently yet.

5. Install ostserver-complete

Add the official OST PPA and install ostserver-complete — backend, every module, the web UI and the nginx wiring between them, all in one package:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gehelem/ostserver -y
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y ostserver-complete

apt resolves all dependencies automatically, nginx included.

The package installs:

/usr/bin/ostserver — the main binary
/usr/lib/libost*.so — the modules (focus, guider, sequencer, navigator, planner, polar, inspector, indipanel, allsky)
the web UI’s static files, with an nginx site already wired to serve them

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. 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

7. 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 web UI	80
`indiserver`	INDI hardware driver layer	7624

Update

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

ostserver-complete updates via apt upgrade like any system package — nginx and the web UI’s static files come along with it.

Uninstall

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