Getting Started

In order to get your Raspberry Pi up and running, you will need at least the following:

The following are optional, but can be very useful:

Power supply

The Raspberry Pi requires a Micro-USB connection capable of supplying at least 700mA at 5V. Most power supplies have their capabilities written on them, so you can check.

Most standard mobile phone chargers are suitable. Do not attempt to power your Pi from a USB port of another computer or hub - they are often not capable of supplying the required current.

SD card

The SD card should be at least Class 4, and hold at least 4GB. It should also have a reputable brand-name, as this tends to increase compatibility.

The SD card will need to have an operating system installed on it from another computer. This can be done from Windows, Mac and Linux, and detailed instructions and downloads can be found here.

For these tutorials, we make use of some additional software to access external devices. Please make sure you have the necessary software libraries on your Raspberry Pi from the downloads page.

Screen

The screen should be a monitor or television with HDMI or DVI input. It is also possible to connect to an older monitor with VGA, but the required HDMI-to-VGA adapter is expensive. Finally, it is possible to connect to an old television using a composite connection.

If you are having problems with the image being displayed, see here.

Keyboard and mouse

USB peripherals should be low-power – less than 0.1A each. Most keyboards and mice are fine, but a small number (particularly those with bright LEDs) may need to be plugged into a separate powered USB hub, which is in turn plugged into the Pi.