Since the very first model came out almost a decade ago, the Raspberry Pi tempted and tormented me in equal measure.
As someone with almost no programming Neither expertise nor engineering, the elaborate creations that people come up with (like this one Raspberry Pi Pip Boy or this GLaDOS voice assistant) have made the Pi feel completely inaccessible.
I was also paralyzed by the possibilities these tiny single-board computers open up. As a journalist, I know all too well the tyranny of the white page and the blinking cursor, and the Raspberry Pi is the technologist’s equivalent: a blank canvas.
Not even at the height of lockdown, when I had nothing to do with my evenings but twiddle my thumbs, could I find the courage to take the plunge. The question was always: Where do I even start?
However, with the help of some online resources, a little advice and a “can-do” attitude, 2022 will be the year I conquer the Raspberry Pi.
But which Raspberry Pi?
Unfortunately, I’ve decided to buy a Raspberry Pi at the worst possible time, in the middle of a worldwide chip shortage and after the holiday season.
At the end of December we reported that the latest Pi models are currently very hard to come by, with some retailers assuming they won’t be able to ship them Raspberry Pi 4B with 4GB RAM (one of the most popular SKUs) until 2023.
The combination of chip shortages and supply chain bottlenecks limited production to seven million units last year, and Raspberry Pi was also forced to make its first-ever price increase, taking the cost of the 2GB Raspberry Pi 4 from $35 to $45. dollars rose.
However, I do not allow myself to use cost or availability as an excuse. An overpriced, used Pi will have to do (although we’d recommend readers to buy firsthand Approved Resellers only).
I don’t need an integrated keyboard, so the Raspberry Pi 400 has no competition, and I’m after more oomph than the Pi Zero can offer. I also like the ability to connect multiple monitors, making the Raspberry Pi 4B the only sensible choice.
As a beginner, I’m not after the top model with 8GB RAM. So that means I’ll go with either the 4GB or 2GB model, whichever is fastest and available at the fairest price.
i need one too MicroSD card for loading Raspbian, NOOBS or another operating system, a compatible power adapter and a micro HDMI to HDMI cable. But I’m already equipped with everything else: a display, mouse, keyboard and personal computer with SD card reader.
What do I do with it?
After I have equipped myself with the necessary hardware, I have to ask myself what is probably the biggest question: What do I do with my new Raspberry Pi? After all, it’s easy to get lost in a world of possibilities.
Although Raspberry Pis can be used as the basis for all sorts of weird and wonderful creations, an easier first project would be to create a private cloud, mesh server, VPN or NAS System. Something like this will be my first port of call.
The beauty of turning a Raspberry Pi into a VPN server or NAS is that no real coding is required, just a few command line prompts (and a hard disk, in the latter case) which can easily be found online. The same goes for using the Pi as Retro game console or voice assistant.
However, I can only go so far without getting my hands dirty python, the programming language behind many custom Pi projects. All Raspberry Pis come with a built in IDE for Python, so they are an ideal tool for the learner (this is where the concept originated).
Of course not have to a Pi to learn how to program in Python; It’s a cross-platform language, so any computer will do. But sometimes a new gadget provides the perfect motivation, and the usually cheap Pi is ideal for that purpose.
Once someone masters Python, the possibilities are almost endless, especially when combined with a little electrical engineering knowledge. A lot of fun surrounds the Pi’s GPIO pins, which can be used to integrate sensors, motors, switches, lights, and other peripherals into a custom build.
Using Python to program these pins, the Pi can be turned into an LED clock, a smart home control system, a pirate radio station, and hundreds of other useful (and not-so-useful) creations.
The original mission
At its worst, technology can be exclusive and intentionally esoteric. Anyone who is not a member of the club is not allowed to play.
The whole point of the Raspberry Pi was to counteract this effect and make programming more accessible. Ironically, this mission was to some extent hijacked by hobbyists and computer enthusiasts (through no fault of their own) whose intimidating creations have driven some people off.
It speaks volumes that even I, a so-called technology journalist, took so long to get up the courage to jump in. If you received a Raspberry Pi as a gift in the past or during the last Christmas holidays, you might have found yourself in the same boat.
However, it’s high time we all remembered what the Raspberry Pi was originally about. It’s not that important What I do with it, but more what I’ve been trying to do something.
I don’t expect my first Raspberry project to win any awards or even work as intended, but we all have to start somewhere.
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