# 'GPIO not allocated' error for HyperPixel 4.0 on a raspberry pi 4B **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [July 5, 2026, 1:30pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/gpio-not-allocated-error-for-hyperpixel-4-0-on-a-raspberry-pi-4b/28950 "2026-07-05T13:30:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![acardona](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/acardona/32/12218_2.png) [@acardona](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/acardona)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 1:30pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/gpio-not-allocated-error-for-hyperpixel-4-0-on-a-raspberry-pi-4b/28950/1 "2026-07-05T13:30:11Z")
I have flashed a fresh raspbian into the SD card of a 2018 raspberry pi 4B, running: ```auto $ uname -a Linux raspberrypi 6.18.34+rpt-rpi-v8 #1 SMP PREEMPT Debian 1:6.18.34-1+rpt1 (2026-06-09) aarch64 GNU/Linux $ lsb_release -a No LSB modules are available. Distributor ID: Debian Description: Debian GNU/Linux 13 (trixie) Release: 13 Codename: trixie ``` After following the setup instructions from here: > **[Getting Started with HyperPixel 4.0](https://learn.pimoroni.com/article/getting-started-with-hyperpixel-4)** > > Learn how to connect and setup your HyperPixel 4.0! – Pimoroni Learning Portal … to setup the driver under `/boot/firmware/config.txt` like this: ```auto ... [all] dtoverlay=vc4-kms-dpi-hyperpixel4 ``` … upon reboot, the HyperPixel 4.0 touchscreen doesn’t light up. The desktop, though, adopts the dimensions and resolution of the screen, as if it was working. I can see that via remote desktop (VNC). I’ve checked the logs with `journalctl` for the `hyperpixel4-init.service` and I see this error, related to ‘GPIO not allocated’: ```auto $ journalctl -xeu hyperpixel4-init.service Jul 05 13:04:18 raspberrypi systemd[1]: Starting hyperpixel4-init.service - HyperPixel 4.0" LCD Display Initialization... ░░ Subject: A start job for unit hyperpixel4-init.service has begun execution ░░ Defined-By: systemd ░░ Support: https://www.debian.org/support ░░ ░░ A start job for unit hyperpixel4-init.service has begun execution. ░░ ░░ The job identifier is 119. Jul 05 13:04:19 raspberrypi hyperpixel4-init[825]: Traceback (most recent call last): Jul 05 13:04:19 raspberrypi hyperpixel4-init[825]: File "/usr/bin/hyperpixel4-init", line 241, in Jul 05 13:04:19 raspberrypi hyperpixel4-init[825]: setup_pins() Jul 05 13:04:19 raspberrypi hyperpixel4-init[825]: ~~~~~~~~~~ ^^ Jul 05 13:04:19 raspberrypi hyperpixel4-init[825]: File "/usr/bin/hyperpixel4-init", line 12, in setup_pins Jul 05 13:04:19 raspberrypi hyperpixel4-init[825]: GPIO.setup([CLK, MOSI, CS], GPIO.OUT) Jul 05 13:04:19 raspberrypi hyperpixel4-init[825]: ~~~~~~~~~~ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Jul 05 13:04:19 raspberrypi hyperpixel4-init[825]: File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/RPi/GPIO/ __init__.py", line 704, in setup Jul 05 13:04:19 raspberrypi hyperpixel4-init[825]: initial = _check(lgpio.gpio_read(_chip, gpio)) Jul 05 13:04:19 raspberrypi hyperpixel4-init[825]: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Jul 05 13:04:19 raspberrypi hyperpixel4-init[825]: File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/lgpio.py", line 903, in gpio_read Jul 05 13:04:19 raspberrypi hyperpixel4-init[825]: return _u2i(_lgpio._gpio_read(handle&0xffff, gpio)) Jul 05 13:04:19 raspberrypi hyperpixel4-init[825]: File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/lgpio.py", line 458, in _u2i Jul 05 13:04:19 raspberrypi hyperpixel4-init[825]: raise error(error_text(v)) Jul 05 13:04:19 raspberrypi hyperpixel4-init[825]: lgpio.error: 'GPIO not allocated' Jul 05 13:04:19 raspberrypi systemd[1]: hyperpixel4-init.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE ░░ Subject: Unit process exited ░░ Defined-By: systemd ░░ Support: https://www.debian.org/support ░░ ░░ An ExecStart= process belonging to unit hyperpixel4-init.service has exited. ░░ ░░ The process' exit code is 'exited' and its exit status is 1. Jul 05 13:04:19 raspberrypi systemd[1]: hyperpixel4-init.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'. ░░ Subject: Unit failed ░░ Defined-By: systemd ░░ Support: https://www.debian.org/support ░░ ░░ The unit hyperpixel4-init.service has entered the 'failed' state with result 'exit-code'. Jul 05 13:04:19 raspberrypi systemd[1]: Failed to start hyperpixel4-init.service - HyperPixel 4.0" LCD Display Initialization. ░░ Subject: A start job for unit hyperpixel4-init.service has failed ░░ Defined-By: systemd ░░ Support: https://www.debian.org/support ░░ ░░ A start job for unit hyperpixel4-init.service has finished with a failure. ░░ ░░ The job identifier is 119 and the job result is failed. ``` Upon checking with `raspi-config` whether any interfaces are on, neither SPI nor I2C are activated: both are off. There are 3 devices according to `/dev/i2c` : ```auto $ ls /dev/i2c-* /dev/i2c-20 /dev/i2c-21 /dev/i2c-22 ``` The `i2cdetect` command shows the screen is detected: ```auto $ i2cdetect -y 22 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 a b c d e f 00: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 10: -- -- -- -- UU -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 20: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 30: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 40: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 50: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 60: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 70: -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ``` At this point I am out of ideas. What else can I do to avoid this error? Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![acardona](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/acardona/32/12218_2.png) [@acardona](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/acardona)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2026, 3:36pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/gpio-not-allocated-error-for-hyperpixel-4-0-on-a-raspberry-pi-4b/28950/3 "2026-07-10T15:36:36Z")
More that I have tried: Install raspbian/debian bookworm instead. There were some libraries that weren’t found in trixie. The installation manual present in the HyperPixel 4.0 were 5 years old, and the errors in the script that we were running pointed at various dependency issues with bcm library, that isn’t present in trixie. Same situation though: screen seems to be detected but continues to be blank (black, no light). I’ve found the modern guide online [Getting Started with HyperPixel 4.0](https://learn.pimoroni.com/article/getting-started-with-hyperpixel-4) but I don’t know if it applies to my version of the HyperPixel 4.04 from 2021. The setup of the /boot/firmware/config.txt file there looks like mine, but the screen never turns on. ---
**Author:** ![alphanumeric](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/alphanumeric/32/2729_2.png) [@alphanumeric](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/alphanumeric)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2026, 8:37pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/gpio-not-allocated-error-for-hyperpixel-4-0-on-a-raspberry-pi-4b/28950/4 "2026-07-10T20:37:28Z")
First off, I don’t own a HyperPixel. =( But I will try to help anyway. ;) Disclaimer, I only glanced at the setup guide. You say that i2c is disabled, but then run a scan and find a device? I’m pretty sure the scan won’t run if i2c is disabled? It’s not used with a hyperpixel, even the touch versions, and those pins are repuposed. > **[Hyperpixel at Raspberry Pi GPIO Pinout](https://pinout.xyz/pinout/hyperpixel)** > > A high-resolution 3.5 If its **on** it’s going to mess things up. ---
**Author:** ![alphanumeric](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forums.pimoroni.com/alphanumeric/32/2729_2.png) [@alphanumeric](https://forums.pimoroni.com/u/alphanumeric)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2026, 8:46pm UTC](https://forums.pimoroni.com/t/gpio-not-allocated-error-for-hyperpixel-4-0-on-a-raspberry-pi-4b/28950/5 "2026-07-10T20:46:51Z")
Do you have anything else connected to that Pi’s GPIO header?