Setup and SSH

Hardware You Need

Raspberry Pi 5 (4 GB is fine for most projects) or Pi 4. MicroSD card (32 GB minimum, 64 GB recommended — use a Class 10 / A2 rated card for good performance). USB-C power supply (5V/5A for Pi 5, 5V/3A for Pi 4 — don't cheap out, underpowering causes random crashes). Optional: a case with a fan for the Pi 5 (it runs hot).

Flash Raspberry Pi OS

Download and install Raspberry Pi Imager (free, from raspberrypi.com). Select your Pi model, choose Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit, Lite for headless). Click the gear icon to pre-configure: set hostname, username/password, enable SSH, configure WiFi SSID and password. Flash to the microSD. This pre-configuration means you never need a monitor — the Pi boots and connects to WiFi automatically.

SSH and First Configuration

Insert the SD card, connect power. Wait 60–90 seconds for first boot. Find the Pi's IP address in your router's DHCP table, or use ping raspberrypi.local (mDNS). Connect: ssh [email protected]. Run sudo raspi-config: expand filesystem (important!), set locale/timezone, enable I2C and SPI interfaces (needed for sensors), update the tool. Run sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y.

#!/bin/bash
# First-boot setup script for Raspberry Pi
# Run after SSH login: bash setup.sh

set -e
echo "Raspberry Pi first-boot setup..."

# Update everything
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Install useful tools
sudo apt install -y git vim htop tree curl wget tmux

# Install Python tools
sudo apt install -y python3-pip python3-venv python3-dev
pip3 install --upgrade pip

# Install GPIO and sensor libraries
pip3 install RPi.GPIO gpiozero smbus2 adafruit-blinka
pip3 install adafruit-circuitpython-dht

# Enable I2C and SPI via raspi-config (non-interactive)
sudo raspi-config nonint do_i2c 0   # 0 = enable
sudo raspi-config nonint do_spi 0
sudo raspi-config nonint do_camera 0

# Set up SSH key authentication (paste your public key)
mkdir -p ~/.ssh
chmod 700 ~/.ssh
# echo 'your-public-key-here' >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

# Check hardware
echo ""
echo "=== Hardware Info ==="
vcgencmd get_throttled  # 0x0 = no throttling
vcgencmd measure_temp   # should be < 50°C at idle
free -h
df -h /

echo ""
echo "Setup complete! Reboot: sudo reboot"