User Guide

Raspberry Pi Guide

This guide walks you through setting up a Raspberry Pi with a small screen to run Glucogaze as a dedicated Nightscout display. You’ll create a simple, always-on display for your Nightscout data that’s easy to view at a glimpse, whether on a desk, bedside table, or wall-mounted screen.

Raspbery Pi Information

This user guide walks you through setting up a dedicated Nightscout display on a Raspberry Pi. The setup has only been tested on Raspberry Pi. While it may work on other single-board computers, this is not guaranteed. Future guides may cover additional devices.

1. Set up Raspberry Pi OS

Install Raspberry Pi OS (with desktop) using Raspberry Pi Imager. Use the standard 64-bit or 32-bit desktop image. Complete first-run setup (language, network, user).

2. Get Glucogaze on the Pi

Choose one:

From the web — If Glucogaze is hosted somewhere, open that URL in Chromium and add it to the bookmarks bar. Then enter your Nightscout URL and token in Settings.
Run it locally — Copy the Glucogaze files (HTML, CSS, JS) onto the Pi, e.g. into /home/pi/glucogaze/. Serve them with a simple local web server so the app can load without file:// restrictions. For example, from that folder run:
```
python3 -m http.server 8080
```
Then open http://localhost:8080/index.html in Chromium. In Settings, enter your Nightscout URL and API token.
From a NAS (Synology / Ugreen) — Put the Glucogaze files in a shared folder on your Synology or Ugreen NAS. On Synology, use Web Station or run a small Docker container (e.g. nginx or httpd) serving that folder. On Ugreen, use its file-sharing and web/server app or a Docker container if available. Then on the Pi, open http://your-nas-ip/glucogaze/ (or the path you set) in Chromium and add your Nightscout URL in Settings. Your Nightscout can be hosted on the same NAS — see the Requirements section for Synology/Ugreen options.

3. Fullscreen or kiosk mode

Kiosk mode gives the easiest dedicated-display setup: one app, no browser chrome, and optional auto-start on boot. To run Chromium in fullscreen when the Pi boots:

Open Preferences → Main → under "Open these web pages", add the Glucogaze page (e.g. http://localhost:8080/index.html or your hosted URL).
Use Preferences → Appearance to start in fullscreen, or create a desktop shortcut that runs chromium-browser --kiosk --app=YOUR_GLUCOGAZE_URL.

To auto-start on boot, add a desktop entry or use autostart so the session launches Chromium in kiosk/fullscreen on the Glucogaze URL.

4. Optional: disable screen blanking

For a display that stays on, turn off screen blanking and power saving:

Raspberry Pi OS: Preferences → Screen configuration (or Raspberry Pi Configuration) and set «Screen blanking» to off, or use xset s off; xset -dpms in the session.

5. Configure Glucogaze

On the Pi, open the Glucogaze app, go to Settings, and enter your Nightscout URL and API token (if required). The display will then show your live data. Theme and layout can be adjusted in the app’s theme/layout settings.

To run Nightscout on the same Pi, see the official guide for building Nightscout on Raspberry Pi. You can then use http://localhost (or your Pi’s IP) as the Nightscout URL in Glucogaze.

Troubleshooting

Blank or “No data” — Check Nightscout URL and token, and that the Pi can reach the Nightscout site (test in Chromium).
Wrong resolution — Use the Raspberry Pi display/HDMI settings to set the correct resolution for your screen.
Touch not working — For official small touchscreens, follow Raspberry Pi’s display and touch setup docs.