How to get started?
Want to give Mycroft a try? Mycroft is open source software that runs where you want it to, whether it’s on your own hardware or one of our dedicated devices.
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Get Mycroft
Download
You can download Mycroft and run it on your own hardware.
Picroft
Picroft is specifically packaged to run on a Raspberry Pi 3 or 4. It is built on top of the official Raspbian Buster Lite and is available as a disk image ready to be burned to a microSD card. For complete instructions see Getting started with Picroft.
For Mycroft to hear you and respond to you, just connect a speaker and a USB microphone to your Pi. See here for a rundown of which components have been found to work best.
Linux
If you are a technical user, run Mycroft on your favorite Linux distro, including Ubuntu/Debian, Arch, and Fedora. Clone the repository and run the included setup script:
Or install the Alpha release of the Mycroft Snap package:
Buy
Get a voice assistant device with no hassle. Plug in, connect to WiFi and go.
Mark I
Mark I is a no-fuss way to get started. It has been designed specifically to work with Mycroft’s capabilities as a standalone device. Great for those who aren’t super technical, but it can be easily extended, altered, modified, and hacked.
Sold out. If you already own a Mark 1 and want a fast update to the latest release, you can download the latest SD card image here.
Mark II
Mark II is the next incarnation of Mycroft. It sports a 4-inch display to accompany the voice interaction with a visual interface. Microphone and speaker components have also been updated. Best for those who want a ‘works out of the box’ solution.
Community Releases
Our open-source Community have contributed and maintain new ways to use Mycroft.
Android
Build Mycroft in Android Studio and deploy to your Android devices. We have source code available if you’re comfortable with Android Studio and have the skill set to compile this into an .apk and load onto an Android device. Strictly for geeks.
Windows and macOS
We’re not quite ready to release Mycroft natively for Windows and macOS. If you are keen to help and have technical experience on these platforms, please let us know!
However you can run Mycroft on MacOS and Windows inside a virtual machine using VirtualBox.
KDE Plasmoid
If your Linux OS runs the KDE Plasma desktop environment, you can install the Mycroft Plasmoid – a graphical extension for Plasma.
Docker
Run Mycroft in a Docker container. This can be installed using our pre-built image from Docker Hub, or by building the image manually.
Setup
You have a device, now let’s set it up! In case you need help, check the Troubleshooting section below or search our Documentation.
Chances are someone has run into a similar problem before so you may also find your solution on the Forum, or just ask in our Chat.
1. Create Account
To create an account, visit home.mycroft.ai. Mycroft Home is where you manage your devices and install new Skills.
2. Install and Pair
A. To install Mycroft on your own hardware, follow the instructions for Picroft, Linux, or Android.
B. If you have Mark I or Mark II, follow the instructions in the booklet that was included in your box. The guide for Mark I is also available here in PDF.
Mycroft devices need to be paired with your Mycroft Home account to work. During the device setup, your Mycroft should give you a 6-letter pairing code. Pairing your account gives your device details such as your general location – for Skills like weather – and your preferences for measurements such as temperature. It also lets you install new Skills and connect to 3rd party services securely and privately.
3. Use
To talk to Mycroft, just say Hey Mycroft followed by your request. For instance Hey Mycroft, what time is it? You can try asking things like:
- Hey Mycroft, what’s the weather like?
- Hey Mycroft, tell me about dinosaurs.
- Hey Mycroft, play Beck on Pandora.
- Hey Mycroft, set a timer for 5 minutes.
- Hey Mycroft, play the news.
- Hey Mycroft, what’s a conundrum?
To stop Mycroft, just say Hey Mycroft, stop.
4. Add New Skills
Skills for Mycroft are like apps for your phone. They are programs that do a specific job, like telling you the weather. Mycroft comes with a set of pre-installed skills like music, timer, or Wikipedia. You can extend Mycroft’s functionality by adding new skills built by our Community. Check what’s available on the Marketplace.
To add a new skill using voice, just say e.g. Hey Mycroft, install Speedtest.
5. Contribute
Mycroft is a collaborative project and we want your help to shape it! There are many ways you can contribute depending on your skills, interests, and availability.
Troubleshooting
Why does my device keep giving me the wrong weather or time?
Check your Geographical Location setting in Mycroft Home > Devices.
I’ve made changes to my settings on home.mycroft.ai, but these are not reflected on my Device
All Devices pull down a local copy of configuration settings from home.mycroft.ai. You may need to instruct your Device to pull down your configuration again. To do this, say Hey Mycroft, configuration update.
Connecting the device to the internet via ethernet cable doesn’t work, causes a Pairing error
Plug in the network cable before plugging in the power supply.
HDMI output is not displayed
If you connect Mark I or Picroft to an HDMI output and nothing is showing on the HDMI screen, reboot the device. The HDMI cable may need to be plugged in before the device boots up.
Mark I has yellow eyes
Yellow eyes indicate an update is in progress. If the device gets stuck on yellow eyes for too long, try rebooting.
During setup, did Mycroft pause or do you need him to repeat the previous step?
Give him a moment and he will start talking again. If that doesn’t work, reboot the device.
How do I reset Mark I to factory settings?
Long press the top button on the device. Rotate the button to RESET. Press the top button to select. Rotate the button to WIPE. Press the button to confirm.
This thing just doesn’t work, is frozen
Try turning your device off and on again.
You can find more help like this in our searchable Documentation. Feel free to search the Forum too or ask in our Chat.