Raspberry Pi OS install with Mac/Windows/Linux

Updated 2024-12-13 !

When starting up a new project with Raspberry Pi I like to start up fresh and with a minimal OS. Therefore i always use Raspberry Pi OS(ROS) Lite and then adding what I need. 

Doing it right You don't have to use an external display, keybord and mouse, just a "ssh" client.

Flash to a SSD ? Check this post.

Node-Red quick install

Updated 2024-11-06 !

Node-Red(NR) is Flow-based programming for the Internet of Things

This post isn't made as a complete install guide, there are several, just some links to the best information I have found.

The best thing is that even if you don't are a skilled programmer, but like logic flows, you can make really advanced things. It's pre-installed on some Raspberry Pi(RPi) distributions.

Running Node-Red with multiple instances ?

Raspberry Pi OS Lite with GUI, RDP, VNC, Chromium

Updated 2024-07-01 !

I like the Raspberry Pi(RPi), with Raspberry Pi OS Lite (no Desktop is included), headless operation, and then adding the software You need. Until now I haven't had a use case where I needed a Desktop but now was time. 

Why don't use the Raspberry Pi OS with Desktop ?? In that package there is a lot of software I don't need and I really want to optimize the RPi. I think that the less software You install the happier RPi will be...

😉

Raspberry Pi 2, 3, 4, 5 USB SSD or USB drive boot

Updated 2024-06-06 !

After having tested several methods creating a bootable USB SSD, or other USB drive, for Raspberry Pi(RPi) 3 4 and 5, I finished with this simple method

• Create the setup you want on a ordinary SD card(Or use existing)
• Make a bootable backup/clone of the SD card saving it to the USB SSD
• Remove the SD card and boot from the USB SSD

Having a RPi 4, 5 ? Use this post on how to write the OS direct to the SSD.

 

Raspberry 4,5 USB SSD boot in 60 seconds !

Updated 2024-06-05 !

Yes, it's really true ! Thats the maximum time it takes to write the Raspberry Pi(RPi) OS to a bootable USB SSD and maybe read this post ?

If you have a RPi 4, 5 and a USB SSD or other USB drive, that works as a boot media, just use the RPi imager which can write the image direct to the USB  storage.

Having an older RPi ? Use this post instead.

If you already have a SD card with working applications and you want to "transfer", copy/clone, them to a bootable SSD use this post.

Clone the Raspberry boot disk

Updated 2024-02-20 !

A very nice way to fix a backup is to make a copy, bootable, of the actual SD card You are using on the Raspberry Pi(RPi). This will be done even when the RPi is up and running !

This application can also be used to make a bootable SSD or USB drive !!

You clone from the command line so You don't need the standard GUI, Pixel, and the "SD card copier" function.

It is also possible to set up a a scheduled job, cronjob explained later, which for example makes a clone every night at 1 o'clock.

RPi install Apache/PHP WEB-server

Updated 2024-01-07 ! OK with Bookworm & PHP 8.2 !

As a part of one of my project, the ultimate Weather site ? Weather34, I needed a WEB-host with PHP.

I started up with a fresh Raspberry OS Lite SD Card with Samba installed.

Log on, with ssh/terminal to the RaspberryPi(RPi), in this case hostname "pws01", and update the OS with

sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade -y
sudo apt clean

go on and install the Apache server with

sudo apt install apache2

Samba, RPi as Windows file/print server

Updated 2024-01-05 OK with Bookworm !

If You want that the Raspberry Pi(RPi), shall appear in MS File Explorer or Mac Finder, as a File server, the easiest way is to install Samba.

This also makes it much easier if You want to edit files on the RPi with editors from Your MS/Apple device. Or maybe moving files from/to the RPi.

Raspberry Pi watchdog made simple

Updated 2023-11-08 for Bookworm !

The purpose of a watchdog timer(WD) is very well described here but a more practical answer is;

If your Raspberry Pi(RPi) "freezes", or hangs, it will automagically reboot within a very short time.

This is made with a combination of hardware and software which is all ready available, on the RPi, and just have to be enabled.

After some hours Googling and testing these are my findings !

Raspberry headless install with WiFi

Updated 2023-10-17 !

To make a headless, without monitor, keyboard and mouse, install of Raspberry Pi OS on a Raspberry Pi(RPi) with built in WiFi and no LAN cable connection, please follow the instructions below.

For example the RPi Zero and Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ don't have any LAN cable port so the setup is quite usable.

To make an active WiFi connection at first boot You have to use the "Advanced options" in Raspberry Pi Imager or create, old way, a configuration file called "wpa_supplicant.conf".

NetworkManager on Raspberry, easy start

Updated 2023-10-13 !

There is a "new kid in the block" called NetworkManager(NM), configuration of network interfaces, which in OS "Bookworm", Debian 12, is replacing the former used dhcpcd.

NM isn't really new since the first public release was made 2004.

In this post I will write down some NM hints for an easy start since I didn't find any myself.

NetworkManager UI and access point, hotspot

Updated 2023-10-12 !

In a former post I shared some thoughts about how to start using NetworkManager (NM), on a Raspberry, and here I will continue with additional examples that can help with network setup.

• NMTUI is NetworkManager text UI which can handle the most common tasks in a easy way.
• An access point or hotspot will be configured.
• "sudo nmcli connection edit xxxx" is a command that guides you throw a change of parameters.

Bluetooth Beacon and Raspberry

Updated 2023-10-02 !

The latest models of Rasberry Pi, (RPi), comes with built in Bluetooth, (BT), so how to receive data from Your Bluetooth devices ?

A Bluetooth Beacon, could be a RuuvuTag, is a device that You don't have to pair with, You just scan and receive the data that they are transmitting.

Start with checking that Your BT interface is working, in a terminal window, typing

hciconfig 

Bluetooth and Node-Red

Updated 2023-07-12 !

There are some Node-Red nodes, (NRN), that are dependent on the old Noble package which don't work on Node > v8. 

One nice and simple NRN is the node-red-contrib-noble which have the same problem. I picked up the freshest source, dependent on @abandonware/noble, forked it and added install instructions. It works with Node <= v18. 

Raspberry/Linux print server Windows/Apple, CUPS

Updated 2023-03-12 !

When we upgraded our WiFi to a Mesh solution, TP-link Deco M9, our old printer, WiFi connected, didn't want to "play" with us anymore. This was due to stronger encryption which wasn't supported. Since the printer just have WiFi or USB connection, no standard Ethernet, I was looking for another solution.

We have no computer running 24/7 except a Raspberry Pi, RPi, which is handling our home automation, Homebridge. So the solution was to use CUPS on that RPi.

On the web there are several posts/manuals how to install CUPS on a RPi so this post will refer to one of these and then some additional hints regarding, Apple AirPrint, Windows Network Printer, scanning....

NTP server on Raspberry & Linux(Offline)

Uppdated 2023-02-01 !

The use case, creating an offline NTP, was that I'm on our boat sometimes don't have an Internet connection but always have a connected GPS. The GPS updates time on a Raspberry(RPi) running Signal K.

The actual issue is that there are other devices on the LAN that needs to be updated and then you need an NTP server.

Of course this setup is also valid for a RPi/server, with a RTC, acting as a NTP server in an isolated LAN.  

Speedtest LAN and Internet/WAN, iperf3

Updated 2022-11-06 !

Sometimes I'm a little confused if it's the local network that is the bottleneck or if the ISP, Internet Service Provider, is slow.

In a former post I used 2 applikations to get the information, from both the local LAN and Internet, but on the other hand it maybe hade been nice with a more lightweight approach. 

From this post I got inspiration and discovered a nice little application "iperf3" which is available for several OS.

Read & write Linux, ext4, volumes with Windows & Mac

In an other post I explained how to access and edit the data on an USB attached drive with the Linux "standard" ext4 filesystem. 

In this post I will explain how to read, write or add files using Windows, File explorer, or Mac, Finder, without third party software !

You "just" need a Linux machine, but since you want to access an ext4 filesystem there probably are a machine in the surroundings ?

In this post I will use a "simple" Raspberry Pi(RPi) and the ext4 media attached to one of the USB ports.

Raspberry, edit config or add files before boot

The actual use case was that I have a Raspberry Pi(RPi) sourcing Vesselfinder with AIS data from nearby. I wanted to change/test a new configuration but on the other hand I didn't want to take the RPi down, during a longer period, since it's an online service.

So the solution was to make a bootable clone of the actual application and test with a second RPi. The major obstacle was that I then would have 2 hosts, with the same hostname, which will mess up the local network.

So how to change the host name on the cloned SD card before I'm using it in the second RPi ?

Another post on how to read and write Linux drives with Windows/MacOS

Raspberry and external storage/disk

There is a post, link will follow below, from the Raspberry Org site which is very informativ and handles how to connect your external hard disk, SSD, or USB stick to any of the USB ports on the Raspberry Pi(RPi), and "mount" the file system to access the data stored on it. 

So there is no need for a rewrite and this post will therefore continue with how to connect to a Windows server, (Other SMB or Samba servers will also work), both temporary and automagically at boot. 

Check this post RPi booting from an USB drive !