Platforms
Applies to SynapseOS builds from 2026-10-09 (20261009-141152 and later). See What changed.
The same system everywhere; the way in differs.
Every platform runs the same SynapseOS: the same commands, the same configuration, the same update mechanism. What differs is how you reach the console, which network interface answers first, and what the firmware beneath it does.
| Unit | Console |
|---|---|
| Cerebrum Max | The BMC: serial over LAN, or the BMC's web console |
| Cerebrum Edge | A serial port on the unit, over USB; see Serial console |
| A server of your own | Its BMC |
| A VM | Its serial port |
Cerebrum Max
The 2U sensor, on an NVIDIA Grace host with a BlueField-3 card. SynapseOS runs on the host; the card is managed from it.
How to reach it. The unit's BMC carries the console: connect to the BMC's address
over the management network and open serial-over-LAN (IPMI sol activate, or the
BMC's web console). The console shows the whole boot and works whatever state the
system is in. The BMC's address and credentials are delivered with the unit.
First network path. Every interface named en* or eth* runs DHCP until it is given
a static address; see Configuring the appliance.
Cerebrum Edge
The 1U sensor, on one or two NXP LX2160A systems. There is no BMC: the console is a serial port on the unit, reached over USB from a laptop.
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Serial console | ttyAMA0, 115200 baud, 8N1; see Serial console |
| Firmware | UEFI (EDK2), in the board's SPI flash; the OS does not update it |
| System disk | The on-board eMMC |
| Kernel | NXP's vendor kernel, which drives the board's SD and eMMC controllers |
The firmware is selected by the board's boot switches, which are set at delivery: the board boots from SPI flash and leaves the eMMC to the OS.
Servers and virtual machines
x86-64 and arm64 servers boot SynapseOS through UEFI. A VM runs the same image as a disk file.
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Console | The server's BMC or the VM's serial port |
| First network path | Every interface named en* or eth* runs DHCP until it is given a static address |
| First credential | Delivered with the unit, or from your cloud-init seed on a VM |
See Logging in for the seed and Configuring the appliance for addressing.
NVIDIA BlueField-3
On a BlueField-3, SynapseOS runs on the card's own Arm cores, as a separate system from the host the card is installed in. Two things differ from a server.
How to reach it. The card's out-of-band 1 GbE port is the network path: it runs DHCP like any other interface, so cable it. Do not rely on the virtual link between the host and the card that NVIDIA's own system uses; whether it is available depends on the build the unit runs. The card's BMC also exposes the card's serial console, which shows the whole boot and works whatever state the system is in.
Secure Boot. On this platform the card's firmware does not currently enforce the signature on the SynapseOS kernel image, so units are delivered with the card's Secure Boot off. The integrity check on the system itself does not depend on it and holds as on every other platform; see Security model.
A unit that manages a BlueField-3 from an arm64 host runs SynapseOS on the host instead, with the tools for the card included.
What is the same
synapseos-ab-update, channels and rollback: see Updating.synapseos-synapse: see Synapse versions.- The base firewall, logs and Synapse's configuration: see Configuring the appliance.
One thing to know on any platform: a service that a future update introduces arrives installed but not enabled. See Known limitations.