DeskPi Pro (DP-0001)
The internal adapter board routes through an onboard USB 3.0-to-SATA bridge and supports M.2 SATA SSDs ONLY (B+M Key). It does NOT support M.2 NVMe SSDs (M-Key). Standard 2.5" SATA HDD/SSDs are also supported.
Description​
The DeskPi Pro (DP-0001) is a flagship aluminum-alloy set-top case for the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, with ICE Tower cooling, safe shutdown logic, front USB 2.0 ports, full-size HDMI conversion, and M.2 SATA / 2.5" SATA storage.
Key Features​
- Aluminum Set-Top Chassis: Premium brushed-aluminum case with ventilation slots.
- ICE Tower Cooler: Aluminum fin-stack + copper heat-pipes + PWM fan.
- Safe Shutdown: Built-in MCU supports software safe-cutoff via
/dev/ttyUSB0. - M.2 SATA SSD Mount: Internal M.2 SATA slot for fast storage (NVMe not supported).
- 2.5" SATA Bay: Separate bay for additional HDD/SSD.
- Front USB 2.0 Ports: Two front-panel USB ports for thumb drives and peripherals.
- Full-Size HDMI: Micro-HDMI to full-size HDMI adapter cables included.
Technical Specifications​
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Model SKU | DP-0001 |
| Target Board | Raspberry Pi 4 Model B |
| Chassis Material | Brushed aluminum alloy |
| Overall Dimensions | 154 × 122 × 40 mm (6.06 × 4.80 × 1.57 in) |
| Cooler | ICE Tower (aluminum fins + copper heat-pipes + PWM fan) |
| M.2 Slot | 1× M.2 SATA SSD (B+M Key, 2230 / 2242 / 2260 / 2280) |
| 2.5" Bay | 1× 2.5" SATA HDD/SSD |
| Front I/O | 2× USB 2.0 Type-A, power button with status LED |
| Rear I/O | 2× full-size HDMI, 1GbE Ethernet, 2× USB 3.0, USB-C power, 3.5 mm audio |
| IR Receiver | Built-in, configurable via lirc |
| Power Button | Front; software safe-cutoff via /dev/ttyUSB0 |
| Anti-Slip Base | Rubber feet |
Gallery​
Compatible Operating Systems​
| Operating System | Architecture | Verification Status |
|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi OS (Legacy) | 32-bit | ✓ Tested |
| Raspberry Pi OS | 64-bit | ✓ Tested |
| Ubuntu MATE 20.04 LTS | 32-bit | ✓ Tested |
| Ubuntu 20.04 / 22.04 LTS | 64-bit | ✓ Tested |
| Manjaro ARM XFCE | 32-bit | ✓ Tested |
| Manjaro ARM | 64-bit | To be tested |
| Kali Linux ARM | 32-bit | ✓ Tested |
| Kali Linux ARM | 64-bit | To be tested |
| Twister OS 2.0.2 | 32-bit | ✓ Tested |
| DietPi | 64-bit | ✓ Tested |
| Volumio 2021-04-24-Pi | 32-bit | ✓ Tested |
| RetroPie | 32-bit | ✓ Tested |
| Windows IoT | — | Unsupported (testing tier only) |
Driver Installation​
The unified installer auto-detects your operating system and configures the safe-cutoff daemon and PWM fan controller:
cd ~
git clone https://github.com/DeskPi-Team/deskpi.git
cd ~/deskpi/installation/
sudo ./install.sh
32-bit OS images are deprecated by the upstream driver. The modern 64-bit fan daemon pwmFanControl64V2 is deployed automatically. Ensure your Pi has internet access before running the installer.
Per-distribution install scripts​
If the unified installer doesn't auto-detect, run the distro-specific script directly:
| OS | Command |
|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) | sudo ./RaspberryPiOS/64bit/install-raspios-64bit.sh |
| Ubuntu (64-bit) | sudo ./Ubuntu/install-ubuntu-64.sh |
| DietPi (64-bit) | sudo ./DietPi/install-dietPi-64bit.sh |
| Manjaro ARM | sudo ./Manjaro/install-manjaro.sh |
| Kali Linux | sudo ./Kali/install-kali.sh |
| Raspberry Pi OS (32-bit Legacy) | sudo ./install.sh (same as unified installer) |
Uninstall​
cd ~/deskpi/installation/
sudo ./uninstall.sh
# or, after install:
sudo Deskpi-uninstall
Volumio (2021-04-24-Pi)​
- Download Volumio from volumio.com/en/get-started/ and flash to SD.
- Boot the Pi, configure Wi-Fi via
nano /etc/network/interface, runvolumio internet on. - Install the DeskPi driver:
sudo ./install.sh. - After reboot, run
sudo deskpi-configand select4to verify fan + front USB.
GitHub Repository​
All DeskPi Pro driver code, fan daemon, and example scripts live at:
The repository includes deskpi_v1 driver sources, installation/ scripts for every supported distro, Python reference scripts for safe-cutoff and PWM fan control, and IR remote configuration examples.
FAQs​
Why are my front USB ports not working?​
Make sure /boot/config.txt contains:
dtoverlay=dwc2,dr_mode=host
Then reboot. The dwc2 overlay selects the dwc2 USB controller driver, and dr_mode=host enables host mode for the front ports.
Why does my SSD disappear when I plug in a Logitech wireless dongle?​
The 2.4 GHz radio in Logitech Unifying receivers interferes with the DeskPi USB-SATA bridge bus. Replace wireless keyboard/mouse with wired or non-2.4 GHz wireless peripherals.
Does DeskPi Pro support M.2 NVMe SSDs?​
No. The internal adapter routes through a USB 3.0-to-SATA bridge (B+M Key only). Standard 2.5" SATA HDDs/SSDs work. For NVMe, pick the Lite NAS Case (DP-0020).
My screen is black on boot. What do I do?​
Try the following in order:
- Swap the HDMI cable to the second full-size HDMI port (HDMI1, beside the 3.5 mm audio jack).
- Add
hdmi_force_hotplug=1,hdmi_group=2,config_hdmi_boost=4to/boot/config.txtand reboot. - In Raspberry Pi OS, open Preferences → Screen Configuration → Screens → HDMI-1 / HDMI-2 → Resolution and pick your display's native resolution.
Why does USB-SATA boot feel slow?​
The DeskPi Pro uses a USB 3.0-to-SATA bridge, which can be slower than native SATA on some SSDs. Once BOOT_ORDER=0xf416 is set, subsequent boots are normal. For native SATA performance pick the Lite NAS Case (DP-0020).
How do I change audio output?​
Right-click the speaker icon in the system tray and pick Analog, HDMI-1, or HDMI-2. The two full-size HDMI ports map to HDMI-1 (primary) and HDMI-2 (secondary) in Raspberry Pi OS.
For more product information, visit DeskPi Home.