La Raspberry Pi Foundation published a very interesting, if not essential, new tool a few months ago. Forget SD Card Format or even balenaEtcher, the operating system for nano-computers with ARM processors has never been easier to install with the new program Raspberry Pi Imager.
In addition to being able to install the Raspberry Pi OS distribution, you can also install Home Assistant in a few clicks, create a Homebridge home automation box, or why not opt for a Kodi media center with LibreELEC.
Raspberry Pi Imager: simply install an OS on your nano-computer
- install Raspberry Pi Imager (latest version here)
- Open the program then select the Raspberry Pi OS of your choice. Here we have opted for Raspberry Pi OS Lite (32-BIT), a Debian-based distribution which has the advantage of only doing 0.4 GB and which will be more than enough for our home automation projects DIY, but you can of course install the version of your choice ...
- Select thestorage location. Here, it is obviously our microSD card ...
- Press Ctrl+Shift+X under Windows like Linux or Cmd+Shift+X under macOS to access Advanced options by RPi Imager.Well hidden, this menu is particularly interesting because it will allow us to do some operations in advance such as:
- Define a hostname : this will be the name of the system on your home network. Here we have chosen les alexiens.local, original, right?
- Enable SSH : no more need to create an ssh file at the root of our support, just check the box and define a password (the default is r)
- Configure your Wi-Fi network : just enter your login details
Access the advanced settings of Raspberry Pi Imager - © Les Alexiens - Click on " To write " and wait ...
Install Raspberry Pi OS - © Les Alexiens - There you are Raspberry Pi OS is installed !
You are going to tell us, why this Raspberry Pi OS Lite installation tutorial? Quite simply because this very light OS will allow us to do new things in our connected homes and it's a bit THE basis for getting started in the automation DIY… We will come back to the subject very soon with a project using this installation, but you can also get started today with these few tutorials.
Our Raspberry Pi home automation tutorials
Although the procedure is now simplified, you can follow the next steps in our Home Assistant OS installation tutorial on Raspberry Pi.
Less simple but more durable, theinstalling Home Assistant on an SSD is a solution to take into account:
And for those who prefer a home automation software Made in France, you can turn to Jeedom:
The necessary equipment
Here is all the equipment you need to get started ...
For further :
Cheap Raspberry Pi packs:
Packs are great solutions because they include pretty much everything you need to get started (Raspberry Pi, power supply, fan, heatsinks, micro-SD card, and adapter) for a generally lower price than retail purchase:
