OONI releases Lepidopter Raspberry Pi distribution

The Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) team is happy to announce the beta release of OONI Probe’s distribution for Raspberry Pis, caĺled Lepidopter.

What is Lepidopter

Lepidopter is a Raspberry Pi distribution image with all the required dependencies and software packages in place, configured to run network measurement tests via the OONI Probe software. It is developed and designed to require no physical attendance upon first bootstrap but also allows experienced users to further configure it as they wish. The source code and the building scripts of the Lepidopter image are free and open source software.

Why use Lepidopter

Since 2012 OONI has collected millions of network measurements that show evidence of internet censorship and network tampering. OONI measurement data shows how ISPs filter and censor the internet. This wouldn’t be possible without the help of numerous volunteers that are contributing by running consistent OONI Probe network measurement tests from different vantage points. Up to now users needed to be technically savvy to maintain their own probes dealing with system configuration, software and measurement specific updates. Lepidopter makes it easier for people that have a Raspberry Pi and an SD card to be part of the OONI community and help us reveal, publish and document possible instances of network interference worldwide.

How to obtain Lepidopter

Please refer to the installation instructions where you can find a detailed guide on how to download, verify and install the latest Lepidopter image for a Raspberry Pi.

Keep in touch

We have recently created a mailing list for future and current probe operators to get in touch with us and receive regular updates regarding Lepidopter and other probe specific operations. You can subscribe to the mailing list by registering here.

Find out about our regular community meetings, other mailing lists and how you can get involved here.