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Projects

Getting started with Raspberry

Pi
Set up your Raspberry Pi and explore what it can do

Step 1 Introduction

In this project you will connect up a Raspberry Pi computer and �nd out what it can do.

Note: this guide is an introduction to the Raspberry Pi computer, there are also detailed guides to Setting up your
Raspberry Pi (https://rpf.io/setting-up) and Using your Raspberry Pi (http://rpf.io/using).

What you will make

The Raspberry Pi is a small computer that can do lots of things. You plug it into a monitor and attach a keyboard and
mouse.

What you will learn

This project covers elements from the following strands of the Raspberry Pi Digital Making Curriculum (http://rpf.io
/curriculum):

• Use basic digital, analogue, and electromechanical components (https://curriculum.raspberrypi.org/physic

al-computing/creator/)

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Step 2 What you will need

Hardware

• A Raspberry Pi computer with an SD card or micro SD card

• A monitor with a cable (and, if needed, an HDMI adaptor)

• A USB keyboard and mouse

• A power supply

• Headphones or speakers (optional)

• An ethernet cable (optional)

Software

• Raspberry Pi OS, installed using the Raspberry Pi Imager (https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/)

Installing Raspbian using the Raspberry Pi

Install Rasperry Pi OS on your SD card with the Raspberry Pi Imager

Many vendors sell SD cards with a simple Rasperry Pi OS installer called NOOBS preinstalled but you can really
easily install Rasperry Pi OS yourself using a computer that has an SD card port or using an SD card reader.

Using the Raspberry Pi Imager is the easiest way to install Rasperry Pi OS on your SD card.

Note: More advanced users looking to install a particular operating system should use this guide to installing
operating system images (https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/installation/installing-images/REA
DME.md).

Download and launch the Raspberry Pi Imager

• Visit the Raspberry Pi downloads page (https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads).

• Click on the link for the Raspberry Pi Imager that matches your operating system.

• When the download �nishes, click on it to launch the installer.

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Using the Raspberry Pi Imager

All data stored on the SD card will be overwritten during formatting and lost permanently, so make sure that you
back up the card or any �les you want to keep before running the installer.

When you launch the installer, your operating system may try to block you from running it. For example, Windows
may give the following message:

• If you get this, click on More info and then Run anyway.

• Insert your SD card into the computer or laptop’s SD card slot.

• In the Raspberry Pi Imager, select the OS that you want to install. The �rst option, Rasperry Pi O, is the
recommended OS.

• Select the SD card you would like to install it on. Di�erent platforms will display the drives in di�erent ways. Mac
OS, for example, will show you all drives including you main operating sysytem.

Note: Make sure you are selecting the correct drive. The drives memory capacity can be a useful indication of
which drive you are selecting.

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Once you have selected both the OS and the SD card, a new WRITE button will appear.

• Then simply click the WRITE button.

• Wait for the Raspberry Pi Imager to �nsh writing.

• Once you get the following message, you can eject your SD card.

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Step 3 Meet Raspberry Pi

You are going to take a �rst look at Raspberry Pi! You should have a Raspberry Pi computer in front of you for this. The
computer shouldn’t be connected to anything yet.

• Look at your Raspberry Pi. Can you �nd all the things labelled on the diagram?

• USB ports — these are used to connect a mouse and keyboard. You can also connect other components, such as
a USB drive.

• SD card slot — you can slot the SD card in here. This is where the operating system software and your �les are
stored.

• Ethernet port — this is used to connect Raspberry Pi to a network with a cable. Raspberry Pi can also connect to
a network via wireless LAN.

• Audio jack — you can connect headphones or speakers here.

• HDMI port — this is where you connect the monitor (or projector) that you are using to display the output from the
Raspberry Pi. If your monitor has speakers, you can also use them to hear sound.

• Micro USB power connector — this is where you connect a power supply. You should always do this last, after
you have connected all your other components.

• GPIO ports — these allow you to connect electronic components such as LEDs and buttons to Raspberry Pi.

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Step 4 Connect your Raspberry Pi

Let’s connect up your Raspberry Pi and get it running.

• Check the slot on the underside of your Raspberry Pi to see whether an SD card is inside. If no SD card is there,
then insert an SD card with Raspbian installed (via NOOBS).

Note: Many microSD cards come inside a larger adapter — you can slide the smaller card out using the lip at the
bottom.

Installing Raspbian using the Raspberry Pi

Install Rasperry Pi OS on your SD card with the Raspberry Pi Imager

Many vendors sell SD cards with a simple Rasperry Pi OS installer called NOOBS preinstalled but you can really
easily install Rasperry Pi OS yourself using a computer that has an SD card port or using an SD card reader.

Using the Raspberry Pi Imager is the easiest way to install Rasperry Pi OS on your SD card.

Note: More advanced users looking to install a particular operating system should use this guide to installing
operating system images (https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/installation/installing-images/REA
DME.md).

Download and launch the Raspberry Pi Imager

• Visit the Raspberry Pi downloads page (https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads).

• Click on the link for the Raspberry Pi Imager that matches your operating system.

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• When the download �nishes, click on it to launch the installer.

Using the Raspberry Pi Imager

All data stored on the SD card will be overwritten during formatting and lost permanently, so make sure that you
back up the card or any �les you want to keep before running the installer.

When you launch the installer, your operating system may try to block you from running it. For example, Windows
may give the following message:

• If you get this, click on More info and then Run anyway.

• Insert your SD card into the computer or laptop’s SD card slot.

• In the Raspberry Pi Imager, select the OS that you want to install. The �rst option, Rasperry Pi O, is the
recommended OS.

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• Select the SD card you would like to install it on. Di�erent platforms will display the drives in di�erent ways. Mac
OS, for example, will show you all drives including you main operating sysytem.

Note: Make sure you are selecting the correct drive. The drives memory capacity can be a useful indication of
which drive you are selecting.

Once you have selected both the OS and the SD card, a new WRITE button will appear.

• Then simply click the WRITE button.

• Wait for the Raspberry Pi Imager to �nsh writing.

• Once you get the following message, you can eject your SD card.

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• Find the USB connector end of your mouse’s cable, and connect the mouse to a USB port on your Raspberry Pi (it
doesn’t matter which port you use).

• Connect the keyboard in the same way.

• Make sure your screen is plugged into a wall socket and switched on.

• Look at the HDMI port(s) on your Raspberry Pi — notice that they have a �at side on top.

• Use a cable to connect the screen to the Raspberry Pi’s HDMI port — use an adapter if necessary.

Raspberry Pi 4

Connect your screen to the �rst of Raspberry Pi 4’s HDMI ports, labelled HDMI0.

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You could connect an optional second screen in the same way.

Raspberry Pi 1, 2, 3

Connect your screen to the single HDMI port.

Note: nothing will display on the screen, because the Raspberry Pi is not running yet.

• If you want to connect the Pi to the internet via Ethernet, use an Ethernet cable to connect the Ethernet port on
the Raspberry Pi to an Ethernet socket on the wall or on your internet router. You don’t need to do this if you want
to use wireless connectivity, or if you don’t want to connect to the internet.

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• If your screen has speakers, your Raspberry Pi can play sound through these. Or you could connect headphones
or speakers to the audio port.

• Plug the power supply into a socket and then connect it to your Raspberry Pi’s USB power port.

You should see a red light on your Raspberry Pi and raspberries on the monitor.

Your Raspberry Pi then boots up into a graphical desktop.

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Step 5 Finish the setup

When you start your Raspberry Pi for the �rst time, the Welcome to Raspberry Pi application will pop up and guide
you through the initial setup.

• Click Next to start the setup.

• Set your Country, Language, and Timezone, then click Next again.

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• Enter a new username and password for your Raspberry Pi and click Next.

• Set up ypur screen or screens.

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• Connect to your WiFi network by selecting its name, entering the password, and clicking Next.

Note: if your Raspberry Pi model doesn’t have wireless connectivity, you won’t see this screen.

• Click Next let the wizard check for updates to Raspbian and install them (this might take a little while).

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• Click Restart to �nish the setup.

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Step 6 A tour of Raspberry Pi

Now it’s time to take a tour of your Raspberry Pi.

• Do you see the raspberry symbol in the top left-hand corner? That’s where you access the menu: click on it to �nd
lots of applications.

• Click on Accessories, and then click on Text Editor.

• Type I just built a Raspberry Pi computer in the window that appears.

• Click on File, then choose Save, and then click on Desktop and save the �le as rp.txt.

• You should see an icon named rp.txt appear on the desktop.

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Your �le has been saved to your Raspberry Pi’s SD card.

• Close the text editor by clicking the X in the top right-hand corner of the window.

• Return to the menu, click on Shutdown, and then click on Reboot.

• When Raspberry Pi has rebooted, your text �le should still be there on the desktop.

• Raspberry Pi runs a version of an operating system called Linux (Windows and macOS are other operating
systems). This operating system allows you to make things happen by typing in commands instead of clicking on
menu options. To try this out, click on the Terminal symbol at the top of the screen:

• In the window that appears, type:

ls

and then press Enter on the keyboard.

You can now see a list of the �les and folders in your home directory.

• Now type this command to change directory to the Desktop:

cd Desktop

You have to press the Enter key after every command.

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Then type:

ls

Can you see the text �le you created?

• Close the terminal window by clicking on the X.

• Now drag rp.txt to the Wastebasket on the desktop so the Raspberry Pi will be tidy for the next person using it.

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Step 7 Browsing the web

You might want to connect your Raspberry Pi to the internet. If you didn’t plug in an ethernet cable or connect to a
WiFi network during the setup, then you can connect now.

• Click the icon with red crosses in the top right-hand corner of the screen, and select your network from the drop-
down menu. You may need to ask an adult which network you should choose.

• Type in the password for your wireless network, or ask an adult to type it for you, then click OK.

• When your Pi is connected to the internet, you will see a wireless LAN symbol instead of the red crosses.

• Click the web browser icon and search for raspberry pi.

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Step 8 Challenge: explore your Raspberry Pi

Take a tour of the menu — can you �nd:

• A version of Scratch?

• A Python game to play?

• A version of Minecraft that you can program?

Published by Raspberry Pi Foundation (https://www.raspberrypi.org) under a Creative Commons license (ht

tps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).
View project & license on GitHub (https://github.com/RaspberryPiLearning/raspberry-pi-getting-started)

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