Beginners Guide to Installing Raspberry Pi OS on a Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi OS is the official Operating System of the Raspberry Pi Foundation.
Raspberry Pi OS is an open-source operating system specifically designed and built for the Raspberry Pi. The latest version, May 2020 as of today, is based on Debian 10. Debian is a popular open-source Linux distribution.
Note: This guide was written in June 2020. Changes to version numbers will occur over time and every attempt will be made to keep this guide accurate.
This guide will be based on installing Raspberry Pi OS from a blank microSDHC card. There is a beginner-friendly installation called NOOBS that can be used as an alternate installation that will not be covered in this guide.
Prerequisites:
- Raspberry Pi — any version
- microSDHC card (with SD adapter)— at least 8GB although 32GB can be used which allows for more software to be loaded.
- Micro HDMI to HDMI cable — you can also use a Micro HDMI to HDMI adapter with a regular HDMI cable.
- 5V DC via USB-C connector — this is for power.
- Keyboard
- Mouse
- Monitor
- A way to write from your computer to your microSDHC card
- Basic technology knowledge
Kits can be found on Amazon that includes all of the Raspberry Pi essentials.
Once you meet all of the prerequisites you are ready to move on to installing Raspberry Pi OS.
Step 1 — Download and Install Raspberry Pi Imager
The first step is to download the Raspberry Pi Imager from the official Raspberry Pi website. This tool will allow you to choose an OS, have it downloaded automatically, and write it to the SD card of your choice.
Do not download files from third-party websites as they may be malicious. Only use trusted sources.
The imager tool is available on Windows, macOS, and Ubuntu. Images shown will be from a Mac, but the tool will work the same across the supported platforms.
Download the Raspberry Pi Imager for your operating system and follow the installation instructions.
Launch Raspberry Pi Imager
Step 2: Choose OS
Several operating systems are available for selection within the Raspberry Pi Imager, but we will focus on Raspberry Pi OS.
There are 3 versions of Raspberry Pi OS available. We will briefly touch on each one but we will be using Raspberry Pi OS (32-bit) for this guide.
Select CHOOSE OS
Raspberry Pi OS (32-bit) Lite: This version provides the bare essentials to get you up and running. There is no Graphical User Interface (GUI) with this image and the size is around 0.4 GB.
Raspberry Pi OS (32-bit): This version includes a GUI and has basic software installed. The size of this image is around 1.1 GB.
Raspberry Pi OS Full (32-bit): This version includes a GUI and more software installed than the non-full version. The size of this image is around 2.5 GB
Select Raspberry Pi OS (32-bit)
Step 3: Choose SD Card
You’ll now need your SD card connected to your computer to copy over the OS you chose.
Select CHOOSE SD CARD and select the SD card you have connected to your computer.
You’re now ready to begin writing the OS to your SD card.
Step 4: Write to SD Card
This step will write the selected OS to the SD card and run a verification that the copy was successful.
Select WRITE
The writing process will vary depending on the OS you selected. Typically, this will only take a few minutes.
The verify process only takes about a minute to complete.
The OS has now been copied to your SD card. You are now ready to move on to booting your Raspberry Pi.
Select CONTINUE
Step 5: Booting Your Raspberry Pi
Insert your microSDHC card into your Raspberry Pi. Then, hook up your Raspberry Pi to power, keyboard, mouse, and monitor.
Note: There is a way to configure the Raspberry Pi OS with only power and a network connection. This is called a headless install and is a more advanced technique that will not be covered in this guide.
You should be brought directly into the Raspberry Pi OS with a Welcome to Raspberry Pi dialog on the display.
We’ll step through this quick setup and then you will be on your way!
Select Next
The next screen will be to set your country.
Choose Your Country
Choose Your Language
Choose Your Timezone
Select the checkboxes if you are using the English language and an English keyboard
Click Next
The next screen will prompt you to change your password. The default username is “pi” and the default password is “raspberry”
It is best practice to enable strong passwords for your accounts.
Enter a new password
Confirm the new password
Press Next
The next screen will ask you if there is a black border around the desktop. The desktop should take up the entire screen. If it doesn’t, Raspberry Pi OS can make the adjustment to fill the black space. This change will take effect when the Raspberry Pi is restarted.
Select the checkbox if the screen shows a black border around the desktop.
Press Next
The next screen will prompt you to connect the Raspberry Pi to a wireless network. If no internet connection is available you can press the skip button to proceed past this step. If you have a wired connection you will not see this step.
Select a Wireless Network
Press Next
The next screen will prompt you to enter the wireless network password. You can uncheck “hide characters” to see the characters you are typing.
Enter Wireless Network Password
Press Next
The next screen will ask you if you’d like to have the operating system and applications checked and updated if necessary. An internet connection is required to complete this step. Press “Skip” if you’d like to continue without checking.
Note: The time to complete this step will vary based on your internet connection and specs of your Raspberry Pi.
Press Next
A popup will indicate when your system is up to date.
The last screen will let you know that setup is complete and your Raspberry Pi is good to go. Feel free to restart your Raspberry Pi for any system changes to take effect.
Wrapping Up
Congratulation! You now have a Raspberry Pi running Raspberry Pi OS with a GUI (unless you went Lite!) and the latest patches.
Having this OS is foundational to move on to other fun and technical projects on the Raspberry Pi. Be on the lookout for other Raspberry Pi guides that will give you simple, yet detailed, instructions.
If you have any questions feel free to Tweet or PM me @mrkmety
