Initial Setup
Install Operating System
Download Raspberry Pi OS (or another compatible OS) and use Raspberry Pi Imager or balenaEtcher to write it to a microSD card.
Access via SSH
If you don’t have a screen connected, enable SSH by creating an empty file named ssh in the /boot partition of the microSD card.
bash
touch /media/boot/ssh
Configure Wi-Fi
Create a wpa_supplicant.conf file in the /boot partition to configure the Wi-Fi connection:
country=US
ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev
network={
ssid="Your_SSID"
psk="Your_Password"
key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
}
Basic Raspberry Pi Commands
Update System
Update the system and installed packages.
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
Reboot and Shutdown
Reboot or shut down your Raspberry Pi from the command line.
sudo reboot
sudo shutdown -h now
Expand Filesystem
To take advantage of all the available space on the microSD.
sudo raspi-config --expand-rootfs
Configure System
Open the configuration menu to change options like language, keyboard, hostname, etc.
sudo raspi-config
GPIO Management
Install GPIO Libraries
Install the library to control the GPIO pins of the Raspberry Pi.
sudo apt install python3-rpi.gpio
Control GPIO from Python
Basic example to turn on and off an LED connected to a GPIO pin.
import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
import time
GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)
GPIO.setup(18, GPIO.OUT)
GPIO.output(18, GPIO.HIGH) # Turn on LED
time.sleep(1)
GPIO.output(18, GPIO.LOW) # Turn off LED
GPIO.cleanup()
Read GPIO Input
Example to read the state of a button connected to a GPIO pin.
GPIO.setup(17, GPIO.IN, pull_up_down=GPIO.PUD_UP)
while True:
if GPIO.input(17) == GPIO.LOW:
print("Button pressed")
Remote Access and Administration
Access via VNC
Enable VNC on the Raspberry Pi for remote graphical access.
sudo raspi-config
# Navigate to "Interfacing Options" > "VNC" and enable it.
Connect using a VNC client like RealVNC Viewer.
Remote Connection via SSH
Connect to your Raspberry Pi using SSH from another machine.
If the hostname is different, replace raspberrypi.local with the correct IP or name.
Package and Software Management
Install Additional Software
Use apt to install additional software like Node.js, Python, or web servers.
sudo apt install package-name
Service Management
Control services like Apache, MySQL, or SSH.
sudo systemctl start service-name
sudo systemctl stop service-name
sudo systemctl enable service-name # Start on boot
System Monitoring
Check CPU and Memory Usage
Get a summary of system resource usage.
htop
Monitor Temperature
Check the CPU temperature.
vcgencmd measure_temp
Peripheral Access
Camera
Enable Camera
Enable the camera module from raspi-config.
sudo raspi-config
# Navigate to "Interfacing Options" > "Camera" and enable it.
Capture Image with Camera
Use raspistill to take a photo.
raspistill -o image.jpg
Record Video
Use raspivid to record video with the camera.
raspivid -o video.h264 -t 10000 # Record for 10 seconds
I2C and SPI
Enable I2C and SPI
Enable the I2C and SPI interfaces in raspi-config.
sudo raspi-config
# Navigate to "Interfacing Options" > "I2C" or "SPI" and enable them.
Check Connected I2C Devices
Check the devices connected to the I2C interface.
sudo i2cdetect -y 1
Automation and Scripts
Configure Scripts at Startup
Add scripts to /etc/rc.local or create a systemd service to run them at startup.
sudo nano /etc/rc.local
# Add your command before the line "exit 0"
Create Scheduled Tasks with Cron
Use cron to run tasks automatically at regular intervals.
crontab -e
# Example: run a script every day at 3 AM
0 3 * * * /path/to/script.sh