Raspberry Pi OS and Debian changes in the Bullseye → Bookworm timeline can impact older binaries and headless networking.

Raspberry Pi OS timeline summary

• Before 2020: 32-bit kernel + 32-bit userland (armhf)
• 2020–2021: hybrid build (64-bit kernel + 32-bit userland)
• 2022 onward: full 64-bit available (kernel + userland 64-bit), but hybrid images remain common

Debian 12 (Bookworm) interpreter path change

Legacy 32-bit ARM binaries compiled with the interpreter path /lib/ld-linux.so.3 may fail on Bookworm because the legacy path was removed. Common fixes include rebuilding, adding a symlink, or updating the ELF interpreter with patchelf.

Networking stack change

Bookworm images commonly use NetworkManager rather than dhcpcd. If you previously relied on /etc/dhcpcd.conf for static IPs, you may need to migrate to NM profiles.

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Use Raspberry Pi Imager to write the OS to a microSD card.

• Raspberry Pi Imager: https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/
• Select Raspberry Pi OS Lite (32-bit) (from “Other”)

Screenshot: Raspberry Pi Imager selection

Screenshot: OS options

Screenshot: Storage selection

• Option 1 (full 64-bit kernel + 64-bit userland) may not work with 32-bit-only applications.
• Option 3 is legacy but still viable. For Bullseye guidance see: Installing an SvSAN witness on Raspberry Pi (Raspbian 32bit) – StorMagic

Screenshot: OS Lite (32-bit) selection

Imager advanced options

• Set hostname (e.g. smwitness.yourdomain)
• Enable SSH
• Set username and password
• Optionally configure Wi-Fi credentials

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Set a unique hostname and ensure it resolves properly.

sudo hostnamectl set-hostname smwitness.yourdomain

• Add it to /etc/hosts
• Example mapping: 10.x.x.x hostname.FQDN hostname
• This ensures local resolution for services that rely on FQDN

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• Bookworm uses NetworkManager by default instead of dhcpcd.
• Enable and start NetworkManager (if required):

sudo systemctl enable NetworkManager
sudo systemctl start NetworkManager

Set a static IP address:

nmcli connection modify eth0 ipv4.addresses 10.10.10.100/24
nmcli connection modify eth0 ipv4.gateway 10.10.10.1
nmcli connection modify eth0 ipv4.dns "10.10.10.5"
nmcli connection modify eth0 ipv4.method manual
nmcli connection up eth0

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If you want GUI access over VNC, see: Raspberry Pi VNC: how to set up a remote desktop | RealVNC

Screenshot: Optional VNC setup

Install UI components and VNC server:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install raspberrypi-ui-mods realvnc-vnc-server

Enable VNC via raspi-config:

sudo raspi-config

Navigate to: Interface Options → VNC → Enable

Screenshot: raspi-config (VNC)

Screenshot: VNC enabled

You can now connect using a VNC viewer to the Pi’s IP address.

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• Download package: https://nextcloud.stormagic.com/index.php/s/tfokcfHLtKNW7yi
• Transfer to the device (download/unzip via GUI, or SCP if headless)

Screenshot: Download/transfer option

If using the automation toolkit, extract the bundle:

mkdir ~/svsan
cd ~/svsan
unzip ~/Downloads/SvSAN_Automation_Toolkit.zip

cd SvSAN-Automation-Toolkit
python3 nsh_gui_installer.py

Screenshot: Toolkit installer

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Install patchelf:

sudo apt install patchelf

Patch the binaries:

sudo patchelf --set-interpreter /lib/ld-linux-armhf.so.3 /opt/stormagic/bin/smdiscod
sudo patchelf --set-interpreter /lib/ld-linux-armhf.so.3 /opt/stormagic/bin/smclusterd
sudo patchelf --set-interpreter /lib/ld-linux-armhf.so.3 /opt/stormagic/bin/exlog
sudo patchelf --set-interpreter /lib/ld-linux-armhf.so.3 /opt/stormagic/bin/smc_state

Alternatively, use the provided script in the toolkit:

sudo bash scripts/fix_interpreter.sh

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Start/restart and enable the witness service:

sudo systemctl restart StorMagicNSH

Check the service status:

sudo systemctl status StorMagicNSH

You should now see smdisco and smclusterd running.

Screenshot: Service running

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Check that the service is listening on UDP ports:

sudo ss -ulpn | grep smdisc

Expected output includes lines like:

Screenshot: Expected ss output

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In SvHCI, confirm the witness appears under the Discovery tab or add it manually by IP/FQDN. If it is not already discovered, add it as an entry on both hosts.

Screenshot: Add discovery entry

Screenshot: Witness appears in discovery

On the Discovery tab, edit the cluster, select the new witness, and apply.

Screenshot: Select witness for cluster

Verify the cluster witness is the Raspberry Pi.

Screenshot: Cluster witness updated

In the Targets tab, confirm targets are monitored by this witness.

Screenshot: Targets monitored

Screenshot: Example troubleshooting view

For further information, contact support@stormagic.com.

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• https://stormagic.com/manual/
• Installing an SvSAN witness on Raspberry Pi (Raspbian 32bit) – StorMagic (pre-Bookworm)
• StorMagic Witness: Supporting SvHCI/SvSAN (deploy/install/upgrade/migrate)
• Raspberry Pi Documentation

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