FAQ

Software Updates

How do I update my Mark II?

By default your Mark II will automatically update itself when new software is available.

How do I enable/disable automatic updates?

1. Head to your Mycroft account at: https://home.mycroft.ai/devices 2. Find your Mark II device and click edit 3. Here you can turn automatic updates on or off

How do I change the frequency of updates?

There are three update channels available:

Beta - receives very regular updates as soon as they are available.
Stable - receives multiple updates each year.
LTS - receives only major updates and security hotfixes.

By default, your Mark II checks for updates on a regular basis. When an update is available, it will apply it after a preset delay.

When requesting an update your device will fetch this directly from Pantacor’s servers. As we've always done, connections are initiated by the Mycroft Mark II. The server cannot initiate a connection with a device.

Software

Why is the software on a USB drive?

We opted to use a USB drive rather than a Micro SD card for a few reasons. The Micro SD card slot is harder to access, and USB drives tend to be faster and last longer. Using a USB drive also makes it really easy to change your Mark II software image: just swap USB drives on the back of your Mark II.

Why can't skills be installed via voice?

The Mark II ships with a custom version of Mycroft Core, known as "Dinkum". We focused on reliability, which required reworking some of the skill API. Not all skills in the marketplace are compatible yet, but the device does ship with these skills pre-installed:

Alarm
Date and Time
Home Assistant
Home screen
IP Address
News
Jukebox (local music from a USB drive)
Radio (online music)
Wikipedia/DuckDuckGo/WolframAlpha
Timer
Volume
Weather

If you are interested in porting other skills to the Mark II, see here for details.

Where are MSM, MSK, or other Mycroft utilities?

The Mark II ships with a custom version of Mycroft Core, known as "Dinkum". We focused on reliability, which required reworking some of the foundational code that MSM, MSK and other packages rely on. Skills can be ported to the Mark II manually; some instructions are here.

Where is ________ package?

The Mark II is intended to be a device for consumers. As such we try to keep the system as lean as possible. How lean? "ping: command not found" lean!

The mycroft container however is based on Ubuntu 20.04 so all of your standard tooling is available via the apt package manager.

WiFi

How do I connect to a WPA2-enterprise network?

Unfortunately WPA2-enterprise this isn't yet supported by the Wifi Connect application. However the great thing about the Mark II is that it's all Linux under the hood! So if you can get a linux computer connected to that network then you should be able to connect the Mark II.

The Wifi Connect application uses NetworkManager, and the system will first try any connection profiles that exist on the system. Only after finding that it can't connect to the internet will it run the normal WiFi setup process. Hence we can take advantage of this by manually adding an nmconnection profile.

Ideally you have another computer running Linux that also uses NetworkManager that has been setup to connect to the target WiFi network. If this is the case you can copy the connection profile from your primary machine to the Mark II. On your main machine this would be stored at /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/your-ssid.nmconnection. If you don't have an existing nmconnection file to use, this will be slightly harder as you will need to modify an example connection with all of the relevant settings and credentials.

So assuming we have a Network Manager nmconnection file. You must:

First boot the Mark II to allow the squashfs filesystem to expand and populate.
After Wifi Connect reports that it has setup a Mycroft network, unplug your Mark II from power.
Remove the USB drive containing the Mark II OS and plug that into your computer.
Two partitions will be mounted - pvboot and pvroot
Copy your nmconnection file to pvroot/disks/perm/awconnect/docker--etc-NetworkManager-system-connections/
This file should be owned by root and have a permissions set of 600.
Now eject the USB and plug it back into the Mark II. Re-attach the power and it should automatically connect to that network.

If you have success with this method we would love to share examples of working nmconnection files, with confidential content redacted of course. Please drop us a line in the Mark II channel on Mycroft Chat.

How do I disconnect from a WiFi network?

Unfortunately there's not yet a simple mechanism to forget a WiFi network, or change to a new network if the previous network is available. Your Mark II will first attempt to connect to any existing WiFi networks that have been configured, and if it cannot connect will start the WiFi setup process.

However you can do this manually by logging into the awconnect container.

First setup SSH access, then login to the awconnect container:

ssh -p 8222 awconnect@YOUR_IP

Navigate to the following directory:

cd /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections

and here you will find one file for each WiFi network configuration, for example:my-wifi.nmconnection

To remove a network connection, you can remove the file associated with it:

rm my-wifi.nmconnection

Here are all the wifi connection details - each is a file called YOUR_SSID.nmconnection

If you delete the file corresponding to the network connection you want to stop using it will no longer have those credentials.

Orders

Where is my order?

Thank you for supporting Mycroft with your order! If you have not received any emails confirming your order or confirming your shipping, please check your SPAM folder. You should have received a tracking number in the email confirming that your order has shipped. However, if your order has not yet shipped, you may need to verify your shipping address. Please do that here or your order is at risk of being canceled: https://mycroft.ai/mark-ii-address-confirmation/

Customers who placed a pre-order between December 21st, 2021 and September 21st, 2022 were sent emails with their particular shipping week - if you have not, we ask you to again to check that pesky SPAM folder. You can follow our shipping progress at https://mycroft.ai/mark-ii-status/

How do I make changes to an order I’ve already placed?

To let us help you quickly, please include your order number and use the same email address that the order was created with. If these aren't included, we will need to confirm those details for any changes to your order. Please note that for security purposes, we can not change the credit card information you used to place your order nor can we add items to your cart.

Can I cancel my order and receive a refund?

Yes, you can cancel your order up until we ship it. Please contact us via the Support portal to request any cancellations.

Shipping

How do I update my postal address?

You can verify your shipping address for the Mark II at https://mycroft.ai/mark-ii-address-confirmation/. If you have already verified your address and need to change it please contact us as soon as possible through the Support portal.

Please note that changing the shipping address in your web store profile only applies to future orders.

Are there any international taxes, duties, etc. that I have to pay?

Yes there are for most countries. The customer is responsible for all taxes and duties. You will be contacted by either the shipping company or your customs to make payment arrangements.

When will I receive my order?

Check your email for an update from our CEO, Michael Lewis, detailing the week of your projected shipping. You may also check your order confirmation for the projected ship date. We will send you another confirmation when your order ships that will include a tracking number.

What do I do if I never received my order?

Please contact us through the Contact Us portal to report that you did not receive your Mark II. Before contacting support, please check the status of your order by using the Tracking Number in your shipping confirmation email. For international shipments, please allow at least 4 weeks for delivery, and check tracking status. If your shipment is at your customs, please contact them directly for a status.

Note for Kickstarter and Indiegogo Backers:

Mark II fulfillment will be a longer process. Please be aware that 10% of Mark II's assembled will be shipped to Kickstarter and Indiegogo backers. If you have not received your reward/perk, it is still in the queue awaiting assembly.

Are VAT or other country-specific taxes pre-paid?

No, as stated on the Mark II product page - "shipping fees do not include VAT or import duties. These are the responsibility of the purchaser".

How much VAT or other country-specific taxes will I be charged?

There are too many different jurisdictions for us to answer this question here. However any purchased Mark II's will have the purchase price, including any discounts, clearly listed.

For backers, the EU VAT Committee has had extensive discussions about VAT charges on crowdfunding rewards. Their determination is that contributions to a crowdfunding campaign should be charged VAT if a good or service is provided as a reward, except where that reward has only symbolic value. So for all Mark II backer rewards, we are reporting the amount of US dollars that each person backed for the campaign.

Can you label my Mark II package as a free gift or commercial sample?

No. Most simply, this is quite literally fraud.

I'm having trouble with my local customs office can you help?

If you have trouble with customs and import processes please get in touch and we will do what we can to assist. There is however only so much we can do, and you likely know more about the legislative frameworks of your country than we do. Your government has the final say on the amount of import taxes and fees into your country.

Hardware

Can I self repair my Mark II

Yes, absolutely! We are firm believers that your hardware is yours.

However if your Mark II arrived with a problem, or the problem arose out of normal expected use of the product, then please reach out to us. If you damage your Mark II whilst tinkering, that does unfortunately void your warranty.

How do I get a replacement part?

Mycroft fully supports the Right to Repair movement. You may request the part information and supplier information via our Contact Us portal. We will supply you with the information so that you can then contact the supplier for the needed part and repair your device. If the product is in warranty, follow the "What do I do if I think my Mark II is defective" process.

What do I do if I think my Mark II is defective?

Please report the issue on our Contact Us portal. We will then contact you to troubleshoot your Mark II. If we cannot get it working properly, we will provide you with a Return Authorization Number and address to send the defective unit. See our Limited Two-Year Hardware Warranty for full information on returns.

What warranty is provided with the Mark II?

Mycroft warrants that the Product will be free from defects in workmanship and materials for a period of two (2) years from the date of sale of the Product (“Warranty Period”) unless Your jurisdiction requires otherwise. For more information, please see Mycroft’s Limited Two-Year Hardware Warranty.

Is the Mark II FCC compliant?

Yes, Mark II has been tested and is in compliance with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. See Declaration of Conformity.

How is the product made? Where do the materials come from?

All the product design was done in the United States and Australia by a talented, dedicated team of professionals who are passionate about consumer privacy rights and open source.

The Mark II is assembled, tested, and shipped from Missouri, USA.

The custom audio hat (SJ201) is fabricated and assembled in China.

The materials come from several suppliers. The suppliers are primarily located in China, U.S.A., and Great Britain. Most parts are procured via distributors.

I used a different Raspberry Pi and it won't boot!?!

First, we recommend using the Pi that ships with your device.

If you need to switch this out, please note that there are some revision 1.4 Raspberry Pi's that ship with firmware that does not support USB boot. You may need to update this firmware before your Raspberry Pi will boot from a USB drive.

Please note that this is not needed for the Raspberry Pi that ships with your Mark II. If you're experiencing any trouble with a Mark II you received directly from Mycroft please contact us for help.

Which GPIO pins are available?

The 10 pin adapter on the rear of your Mark II provides easy access to the Raspberry Pi GPIO pins 1, 7, 14, 15, as well as the I2C bus on GPIO 2 & 3. There is also a ground, a +3V3, and two +5V pins. The connector is pin compatible with Raspberry Pi extension modules using I2C or UART. We’re excited to see what the community comes up with for innovative uses of this port.

Mycroft Account

Currently there are five accounts that you might have with Mycroft:

https://mycroft.ai/my-account is the web store used to make purchases.
https://home.mycroft.ai is for Mycroft device management and pairing.
https://chat.mycroft.ai is our Mattermost instance for real-time chat.
https://community.mycroft.ai is our Community Forums.
https://translate.mycroft.ai is our community translation platform.

You would not be surprised to hear that we are looking to integrate the logins for these different services into a single Mycroft Account. However at the moment they each use different login credentials.

How do I change the email address or password on my account?

Each of the 5 platforms listed above have their own login credentials. But in each case, to change your email address or password, first login to the service - then navigate to the following pages:

Web store: https://mycroft.ai/my-account/edit-account/
Device management: https://account.mycroft.ai/profile
Chat: In the top right of the screen, click your profile picture, then select "Profile"
Forums: https://community.mycroft.ai/u/gez-mycroft/preferences/account
Translate: In the top right of the screen, click your profile picture, then select "Settings"

How do I update my subscription/credit card information?

Mycroft members can update or cancel their subscription options including credit card information on their profile at: https://account.mycroft.ai/profile

If you have any trouble with your membership please reach out through https://mycroft.ai/support

Customization

How do I change the language of my Mark II?

English is the only officially supported language at this time. The community has created many resources for the use of other languages. However it does require some amount of technical skill to utiliize these.

See https://mycroft-ai.gitbook.io/docs/using-mycroft-ai/customizations/languages

Pantacor

Who are Pantacor?

The Mycroft Mark II uses Pantacor to provide system updates.

Mycroft has partnered with Pantacor to provide a comprehensive and robust software life-cycle management solution. It is an open source solution that uses container technologies to securely and reliably maintain edge services on Linux devices.

For the Mark II this provides a very stable and resilient operating system and update service. If something goes wrong on your Mark II, the device will automatically roll back to a previously working state.

The team at Pantacor share our commitment to open source, privacy and security. Pantacor’s co-founders also have a strong reputation to back that up. Furthermore, as they are constituted in Europe, they must also meet the EU’s strict regulatory guidelines including the GDPR.

Do I need an account with Pantacor?

No, your Mycroft account handles everything and is the only account you need.

What is pantavisor?

Pantavisor is open source software from Pantacor that manages the containers on your device and handles the update processes. You can find the source code for it here on Pantacor’s Gitlab.

In more technical terms, Pantavisor is a device-side initrd base system which assembles a userland made up of one-to-many containers. On the Mark II, it starts the awconnect container, providing networking and connectivity, and the mycroft container that contains everything that runs the Mycroft application including mycroft-core, mycroft-gui, Skills and all the dependencies for these.

For further information on Pantacor check out:

What is device cloning?

Pantacor provides a method of cloning the configuration or “factory state” of a device, or any pristine update state that is available for a device. This is the configuration and other static assets used to generate or update an image. It does not, and cannot, clone the contents of your device. It cannot read your filesystem. A “clone” does not contain any of your Skills, Skill settings, data or other files.

Device cloning would not be useful to perform on any end-users device. It is only useful during development to share modified system configurations with other developers.

General Questions

Where are you located?

Mycroft company headquarters are in Kansas City, Missouri. Our team works throughout the US with a few members in Australia, Canada, and Europe.

Can I use my Mark II in a health care setting

Healthcare products require different licensing, taxes, and testing than products for the general marketplace. Please contact us with more details about your needs so that we can provide the most accurate information.

Are you monitoring my usage?

By default Mycroft does not retain your usage data. Unlike some other companies that we won't bother to name, you don't need to search through application settings to turn off data collection. If you haven’t explicitly opted-in to share your data with us, then we do not keep it. Any queries sent to our back end services are processed and then deleted immediately.

General usage statistics, such as how many unique devices have connected to our servers in a given day are collected and kept in aggregate. This allows us to see general user trends, but again, if you haven’t opted-in we would not know whether any device from a specific account was even turned on any previous day.

Our privacy policy outlines in greater detail how and when we collect and store your information.