Start Here: Your Beginner’s Guide to Raspberry Pi

If you just got your Raspberry Pi or are thinking about buying one, I know how you feel: “WTF, I’m lost!”. Yes, it’s a whole new world, with many options, new things to learn, and endless potential projects.

Hopefully, you came to the perfect site to figure this out, but with over 500 tutorials here, many of you have told me that finding the right guide at the right time for your current needs is still quite a challenge.

I wrote this article to guide you as best I can and to point you to the next article you need to read to make progress.

If you’re feeling lost in all the Raspberry Pi jargon, I’ve got something to help you out. I’ve created a free glossary that explains all the essential terms and abbreviations in a way that’s easy to understand. It’s a great resource to have by your side. Get your free copy here.

What Is Raspberry Pi and Why Should You Care?

A Raspberry Pi is not magical or mystical, but sometimes it looks that way when you read about it. Simply put, it’s a tiny computer, or rather a motherboard, as there’s no built-in storage.

What makes it fascinating is:

• Its price: Originally priced around $35, it’s often the cheapest computer you can get. Prices have increased since then, but it’s still very affordable in most countries.
• Its versatility: You can use it as an entry-level computer, as a server, or add lots of accessories to use it for more advanced projects.
• Its purpose: Originally launched by a non-profit foundation to help young students become more familiar with computers and coding, the main company (now a public company) has stayed close to that line since its first model in 2012.
• Its community: Over the years, the Raspberry Pi has gained a cult following, which means it’s easy to find tutorials and help online (like here, on RaspberryTips!).

If you are a bit nerdy, have some kind of interest in operating systems, electronics, programming, or just want to test various IT projects at home, the world of Raspberry Pi is definitely something you should be interested in.

I created RaspberryTips to help you dip your toes into this world. It might seem a bit daunting at first, but you might enjoy this new hobby, so I think it’s worth investing some time in learning more about the Raspberry Pi (even if you ultimately decide not to get one, that’s OK!).

If you don’t know much about it, here are a few articles I suggest you start with:

• An introduction to Raspberry Pi for beginners. See it as your go-to guide to getting started.
• The history of the Raspberry Pi, from the original idea to the goals and major improvements since then.
• A summary of Raspberry pricing, and why it might be more expensive than you think.
• Things to know before buying your first Raspberry Pi, so you’ll understand what to expect.
• A list of projects you can do with a Raspberry Pi: don’t get lost in the details (yet), get a better overview of what’s possible.

Once done (or if you already have a minimum of knowledge), check the next sections for more ;-).

By the way, if you get lost in the technical jargon and abbreviations while reading this, I have a free glossary (PDF format) that you can download here. You’ll also get my new tutorials sent to your email, so you can keep an eye on what’s possible with a Raspberry Pi.

Raspberry Pi Models Explained: Find the Right One for You

Are you excited about getting your first Raspberry Pi? Well, not so fast. There are many Raspberry Pi models to choose from, and you’ll probably need additional accessories if this is your first one. So let me try to clarify what you need.

Raspberry Pi Models: Families, Versions and Formats

First, Raspberry Pi has been around for years, with new versions being released regularly, and different variants of products with different purposes. So you need to get an overview of all the options so you can choose the right one for you.

It’s a bit like video game consoles or car models. Raspberry Pi comes in different series (A, B, Zero, Pico, …), and versions (3, 4, 5) and some even get upgraded over time. You may also need to check the memory available on some models.

It’s a bit overwhelming. I won’t explain everything here, but I highly recommend starting with my Raspberry Pi buying guide here, so you can understand your options.

Raspberry Pi Accessories

Then you need to understand that a Raspberry Pi is a bit like the motherboard of a traditional computer. You can’t do anything with just the Raspberry Pi.

Here’s what you’ll typically need in addition to the Raspberry Pi board to get started:

• A power supply: Most Raspberry Pi models can be powered with a USB cable, but you need enough juice to make it work at its best, so an official power supply is recommended instead of your phone charger (like this one).
• A storage method: Usually a micro-SD card, since there’s no hard drive slot or connector. I have reviewed the best options here if you want to buy some. It’s also possible to use USB drives or even M.2 SSDs for a performance boost, but that’s probably not something you’ll try for your first setup.
• A display solution: For your first installation, you can use your TV or PC monitor, but it’s often a good idea to get a dedicated display for your Pi. I like this one, but there are many options, depending on your needs and budget. You may need cables to connect it. Newer Pi models use micro-HDMI, which you probably don’t have at home unless you have fancy cameras (here is the cable I’m talking about).
  If you’re more advanced, a display is not mandatory (that’s what we call “headless setup“), but I recommend starting with one.
• Keyboard & Mouse: I’ve tested some great keyboards here that are perfect for the Raspberry Pi, but hopefully any USB keyboard will work, so you can use the one from a traditional computer if you have one, rather than buying a brand new one.

And I’m not even talking about a case, a cooling solution and other goodies that aren’t essential for getting started (you can find all my recommendations on this page, if you’re interested).

But here’s my tip: If you’re getting started, don’t buy everything separately. Once you’ve decided which Raspberry Pi model you want, find a starter kit with everything in it.

It’s too easy to make mistakes and buy things that aren’t compatible with your Raspberry Pi model. Kits only include compatible accessories, and are often cheaper than buying them separately. So don’t overcomplicate things, here are some good starter kits if you want to see what I’m talking about:

• Raspberry Pi 5 kit: The latest and most powerful Raspberry Pi available, with everything you need to get started.
• Raspberry Pi Zero 2W kit: A budget alternative that is good enough to get you started, in a compact format and with fewer ports, but a decent start for Linux and home server discovery.
• Raspberry Pi 400 computer kit: Good for desktop usage, it’s plug and play. The Pi 400 is great for kids or to start with the Linux world. Not as expandable as the traditional board, but easier to begin with.

If you’re still a little lost with all these options, maybe you need a more gentle approach. I have written a beginner guide, “Master Raspberry Pi in 30 days“, which will not only help you get the right hardware for you but also show you how to get started the right way (system introduction and installation, first simple projects, etc.).

You’ve Got a Raspberry Pi! Here’s What to Do First

After figuring out what a Raspberry Pi can do and going through the hardware maze of choosing the right model and accessories, you finally got your Raspberry Pi. Now how do you get this thing to work as expected? Well, I’m here to help :-).

The tons of projects and options you have with a Raspberry Pi is the real trap. Sure, you can do plenty of things with it, but I highly recommend starting with the basics before you try to run this exotic operating system, plug in this fancy accessory, or think you can do everything in command lines.

The operating system: start simple

As I told you, the main purpose of the Raspberry Pi is for young people to use in schools. To achieve this goal, they created their operating system (creatively named “Raspberry Pi OS“), which is 100% compatible will all models and pretty intuitive, as long as you have used a computer before. You should start there.

Most of the time, the Raspberry Pi comes without a pre-installed operating system, so this is your first challenge. Hopefully, I’ve laid out all the steps in simple terms here: How to install the Raspberry Pi OS on your Raspberry Pi.

Use a micro-SD card for your first installation. It may seem old-school, but it’s meant to be the default. The Raspberry Pi company has even created an installation tool (Raspberry Pi Imager), to make this process as easy as possible.

Don’t use other storage devices or operating systems until you understand how this process works. You’ll probably be doing this regularly if you break something, want to start over, or just want to switch between different SD cards (that’s one of the advantages of using cheap SD cards instead of traditional hard drives).

Wiring: start with the minimum

Once the SD card is ready, you need to figure out how to plug everything into your kit so you can start using the Raspberry Pi.

In brief, here are the main steps:

• Insert the SD card: I assume you used another computer to prepare the SD card, so now you can insert it into the slot underneath the Raspberry Pi.
• Connect the monitor: Use the HDMI cable to connect a Raspberry Pi display port to your monitor.
• Add the main accessories: Keep it simple, but you’ll probably need at least a keyboard and mouse. Use the USB ports, it should be plug-and-play like any other computer.
• Plug in the power supply: Only do this after everything else is connected, as the Raspberry Pi will probably boot as soon as you plug it in.

You don’t have to use the case to get started, you can use Wi-Fi first to keep the cabling as simple as possible. Plug in an Ethernet cable if it’s available or your only option, but it’s not mandatory.

If all goes well, your monitor should light up, show some weird text messages, reboot a few times, and finally show you a more friendly graphical interface.

Depending on your installation, this may be a welcome wizard that asks you to set up your system’s main configuration (as shown below), or it may be directly the full interface.

And if you don’t get any of that, it’s troubleshooting time! Here are some guides to help you figure out what’s wrong:

• Raspberry Pi Not Booting? 13 usual causes & solutions listed
• Connecting Your Raspberry Pi to a Monitor: A Complete Guide
• How to Power a Raspberry Pi: Pro Tips for Every Use

If you need help from me or other experienced Raspberry Pi users, we have a private community at RaspberryTips. It has forums where you can ask questions and get quick answers to whatever obstacles you’re facing. Tutorials are great, but they’re pretty generic, so they may not always be useful. Join here if you are interested.

Welcome to Raspberry Pi OS: Your First Look

At this point, you have everything you need, it’s booting and you can see the graphical interface on your monitor: great! But it’s probably very different from what you’re used to, so this is just the beginning of your adventure!

Different doesn’t mean complicated. The Raspberry Pi Foundation tries to keep things as simple as possible. It’s not the most fancy or beautiful interface, but it should be intuitive. You should easily find what you need in the applications and tools that come pre-installed by default.

System configuration

If you need to change your configuration after the Welcome Wizard, you’ll find most things in the main menu under Preferences (System Configuration, Display, etc.). You can also use the shortcut in the upper-right corner to connect to a Wi-Fi network or use Bluetooth devices.

If you need more help, I have some guides on the website that you might find useful:

• Change the system language
• Adjusting time for your time zone
• Changing the keyboard layout

Installing applications

Well, the default applications are pretty sparse, so you’ll quickly be limited in what you can do on your new system. And if you are coming from Windows, installing new applications is a bit different.

There are several ways to install new applications. As a beginner, always start by checking the “Recommended Software” tool in the main menu (under Preferences), as you can install any application listed here by checking a box.

But in most cases, you’ll either have to use the Add/Remove Software tool, or install them manually. I won’t go into all the details here, but you can check out this guide to learn how to install applications on Raspberry Pi.

Look & style

It’s probably a bit early to customize your system, but as I said, the default look on Raspberry Pi OS isn’t that great. If you don’t like it, you can experiment by trying a few things to make it look better.

You can start by changing the background and colors, maybe try a different theme, or completely change the desktop environment to use something else (not recommended if you’re new here).

Here are a few links you might want to check out:

• How to Change The Desktop Appearance on Raspberry Pi?
• Best Desktop Environment on Raspberry Pi (Tests & pictures)

Note: Want to learn how to customize your Pi with themes and make your desktop pop? I have a video on this topic just for community members. Join here to watch, and get access to 30+ other lessons for Raspberry Pi along with many other benefits!

Ultimately, you’ll probably try other Linux distributions for your Raspberry Pi until you find the one that works for you, but that might be a project for another day :-).

Troubleshooting Tips for Raspberry Pi Beginners

If everything goes as planned, your system is ready, the configuration is done, and you’re ready to move forward, maybe spend time learning the system, or even start your first project.

But like anything with computers, things don’t always go as planned. So here are a few guides to help you troubleshoot the most common problems:

• Raspberry Pi Not Booting? 13 usual causes & solutions listed
• 5 Common Mistakes Most Raspberry Pi Beginners Make
• 7 Reasons Your Raspberry Pi is Slowing Down (With Fixes)
• How To Avoid “Under-voltage Detected” Errors On Raspberry Pi
• 27 Essential Raspberry Pi Tips Every Beginner Should Know

And if you have a problem not covered here, jump into the community forums and ask your question. I’m there daily, as are many other experienced Raspberry Pi users, and we’ll probably be able to help.

Taking the Next Step with Your Raspberry Pi

Well done, you did it! I hope you now have a better understanding of what Raspberry Pi is all about, maybe you even got your first device and installed Raspberry Pi OS on it.

Once you’re familiar with the hardware and the interface, I recommend starting with a simple project so you can see the potential of Raspberry Pi firsthand. Keep things simple, try using your Pi as a desktop computer, and install an application that you might find useful (like a text editor for example).

Take it one step at a time, as you have done by reading this page. If you try to go too fast, you may become overwhelmed and demotivated. If you need inspiration, you can get free access to my list of 75+ Raspberry Pi projects here, sorted by difficulty and hardware required.

Whenever you’re ready, here are other ways I can help you:

Test Your Raspberry Pi Level (Free): Not sure why everything takes so long on your Raspberry Pi? Take this free 3-minute assessment and see what’s causing the problems.

The RaspberryTips Community: Need help or want to discuss your Raspberry Pi projects with others who actually get it? Join the RaspberryTips Community and get access to private forums, exclusive lessons, and direct help.

Master your Raspberry Pi in 30 days: If you are looking for the best tips to become an expert on Raspberry Pi, this book is for you. Learn useful Linux skills and practice multiple projects with step-by-step guides.

Master Python on Raspberry Pi: Create, understand, and improve any Python script for your Raspberry Pi. Learn the essentials step-by-step without losing time understanding useless concepts.

You can also find all my recommendations for tools and hardware on this page.