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Raspberry Pi Setup · Lesson 3 of 17

Raspberry Pi OS

Step 1: Choosing the Correct Operating System

Choose the version that fits your device and whether you need a desktop interface.

The available options of Raspberry Pi OS are:

  • Desktop Full: This is the full version with a graphical interface.
  • Desktop and recommended software: Includes additional software packages useful for education and development.
  • Lite: A minimal operating system without a graphical interface, suitable for advanced users who prefer a command-line interface.

Note: For the Raspberry Pi Zero 2W we recommend you to install the 64-bit Lite version without the desktop as in our tests the desktop version was lagging.

Step 2: Installing the OS

You need to flash the downloaded operating system image to the microSD card. In our guide we will cover two possible ways to do this.

First way: Raspberry Pi Imager

Visit the official Raspberry Pi website and download the Raspberry Pi Imager.

  1. Insert the microSD card into your computer using a microSD card reader.
  2. Open Raspberry Pi Imager
  3. Select your Raspberry Pi
  4. Choose OS you want to use
  5. Select the microSD card

Second way: balenaEtcher

  1. Download and install balenaEtcher.
  2. Insert the microSD card into your computer using a microSD card reader.
  3. Open balenaEtcher, select the Raspberry Pi OS image you downloaded, select the microSD card as the target, and click "Flash".
  4. Wait for the process to complete. Once done, safely eject the microSD card from your computer.

Step 3: Finishing the setup

  1. Insert the flashed microSD card into the microSD card slot on your Raspberry Pi.
  2. Connect the Raspberry Pi to a monitor using the HDMI cable.
  3. Plug in the keyboard and mouse into the Raspberry Pi USB ports (you may need a USB hub if you have limited ports).
  4. Attach the power supply to the Raspberry Pi.
  5. Power up the Raspberry Pi and wait for it to boot into the Raspberry Pi OS.
  6. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the initial setup, including setting up your Wi-Fi connection.
  7. If you need detailed instructions for configuring Wi-Fi, please follow our Wi-Fi Configuration Tutorial.