What You Need Before You Start
Raspberry Pi board (Pi 4 or Pi 5 recommended for most uses)
MicroSD card, 16 GB minimum (32 GB recommended), Class 10 or faster
USB-C power supply rated at 5V 3A or higher
Another computer with Raspberry Pi Imager installed
Ethernet cable or knowledge of your WiFi network name and password
Choosing the Right OS Image
Raspberry Pi OS Lite is a headless (no desktop) image ideal for servers, home automation, and any project you will control over SSH. Raspberry Pi OS with Desktop is better if you want a GUI. Both are 64-bit for Pi 4 and Pi 5 and are maintained by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. For specialized uses: Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS works well for Docker workloads. LibreELEC is the choice for a media center. Start with Raspberry Pi OS Lite unless you have a specific reason not to.
Flash the SD Card With Raspberry Pi Imager
Download Raspberry Pi Imager from raspberrypi.com/software and install it.
Flash the SD Card With Raspberry Pi Imager
Download Raspberry Pi Imager from raspberrypi.com/software and install it. Select your board, OS image, and SD card. Before writing, click the gear icon (or advanced settings) to pre-configure: set hostname, enable SSH, add your WiFi credentials, and set
First Boot and SSH Connection
Insert the flashed SD card and connect power.
First Boot and SSH Connection
Insert the flashed SD card and connect power. Wait 60 to 90 seconds for first boot to complete. Find the Pi's IP address from your router's DHCP client list, or use the hostname you set (e.g. raspberrypi.local) if your network supports mDNS. Connect via
Essential First-Boot Configuration
Run `sudo raspi-config` to access the configuration menu.
Essential First-Boot Configuration
Run `sudo raspi-config` to access the configuration menu. Set your timezone under Localisation Options. Expand the filesystem under Advanced Options so the Pi uses the full SD card capacity (a first-boot resize happens automatically with
Set Up a Static IP or Hostname
For any long-term project, give the Pi a consistent address.
Set Up a Static IP or Hostname
For any long-term project, give the Pi a consistent address. Either reserve its MAC address in your router's DHCP settings (easiest), or configure a static IP in `/etc/dhcpcd.conf`. Add these lines: `interface eth0`, `static ip_address= 192.168.1.50/24`,
SD Card Longevity SD cards wear out faster than SSDs because of how flash memory handles write cycles. Reduce writes by moving the log directory to RAM: add `tmpfs /var/log tmpfs defaults,noatime,nosuid,size=64m 0 0` to `/etc/fstab`. For projects that write data continuously (databases, home assistant), boot from a USB SSD instead of an SD card. Pi 4 and Pi 5 support USB boot natively.