How can I add a device into an application?

Product support
1

From the doc: https://www.balena.io/docs/learn/welcome/primer/#device-provisioning

“Unless someone downloads the OS from your dashboard (or via the CLI), a device cannot enter your application.”

Is it impossible to force my device to enter my application using balena sdk?
I found register function in Python SDK - https://www.balena.io/docs/reference/sdk/python-sdk/#function-registerapp_id-uuid

But how can I configure my RPi device to be linked to my application?

Cheers.

2

Hi,

Registering to an application should be possible using the CLI:
https://www.balena.io/docs/reference/cli/#device-register-application

Regards!

3

Thanks for your quick reply, @spanceac

Yeah, I already checked that, but once registered, the device is still OFFLINE on my balena cloud dashboard.

How can I configure my RPi to communicate with the registered application?
(I downloaded the image file from https://www.balena.io/os/, not from my balena cloud dashboard)

Cheers,
Shane.

4

Hi,

The easiest way is to download the image from the dashboard and flash it on your board.

Another way would be to download the config.json from the dashboard(Add Device -> Advanced -> Download configuration file only) and replace the config.json file from your boot partition with the downloaded file.

Regards!

5

Hi, @spanceac

I need to register my device without dashboard, but using a code.

So when we press Download Config button on dashboard, it will just call a API to compose config.json?
Could you please share the details of how config.json is created?

And do I have to reboot my RPi after replacing config.json in /boot/ directory?

Cheers,
Shane.

6

Hi,

The downloaded <app_name>.config.json file will instruct the device to register onto that application.

I’m not familiar with how the <app_name>.config.json is created, but I know that it works.

I usually do this step when I’m doing my own custom builds for development and not downloading them from the dashboard.

So download the <app_name>.config.json and replace config.json from the resin-boot partition of SD card before putting the card into the board.
It’s important that the name on the partition will be config.json and not <app_name>.config.json.

Boot the board and you will see it appear in the dashboard.

Note: this partition is mounted in the /mnt/boot path on the board and not /boot.

I’m assuming you use a RPi device. Please let us know what device you are actually using.

Regards!

9

Hi, @spanceac
Yeah, I am using an RPi 3B! :slight_smile:

Okay, I will give it a try tomorrow morning early. Thanks!

Cheers,
Shane.