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Just starting out

Former Member

I took the plunge and bought two Raspberry Pi units with SD cards and PSUs.  I can get keyboard/mouse and arrange video connections.  Hardware I can do, software is my weak point...

 

The other board will be for my grandson who is starting to get interested in computers and is a member of the Raspberry Pi club at his secondary school.

 

The question is, where can I find some simple programmes that he and I can input to start learning about programming and then branch out into developing and debugging other programmes please?

 

Bear in mind that a) we are both beginners (I tried Basic with a ZX81 many years ago but HTML is a closed book that I would like to open) and b) it would be nice to have something that we can both programme in and see something happening fairly quickly.  Even if it is the good old "Hello World" message scrolling across the screen.

 

Thanks

  • This website:

      http://www.w3schools.com/default.asp

    has html tutorials, and when you've got a handle on that,

    it also has programming tutorials, such as javascript that

    build on your html knowledge.

     

    You don't need to install any software, you can edit and

    run programs on that site from within your browser.

  • Hi David,

     

    Try MagPi magazine: http://www.themagpi.com/

     

    Hope you both have fun!

     

    Alan

  • in reply to alanwood

    Thanks for the replies.

     

    The MagPi suggestions was ideal.  Issue 1 gave me exactly what I was looking for in simple code programmes that we can play with, I just need to make sure that Python is available when I wrap the present for my grandson, and I've played with it prior to letting him loose so that I can at least keep up on day one. After that, all bets are off as I think he will probably romp off into the distance. ;-)

     

    The other reply will be useful, once I've got my head arround the subject a bit more.

     

    Thanks for the ideas.

     

    Dave

  • in reply to Former Member

    Good stuff! You've got a lucky grandson. Hope all goes well.

  • There are some good education/programming forums dedicated to the Raspberry Pi here

  • Thanks for all of the suggestions.

     

    I managed to get 'my' unit to work with both HD and a scart TV.

     

    I found out about the startx command (why don't they tell you about that in the initial blurb?) and I've messed about with various programs.

     

    What I've not yet worked out is how to enter simple line by line programs, like those shown in MagPi for python.

     

    It seems to assume that you will know how to start up something that will let you enter a set of program commands and then be able to run it.  I'm sorry, but I really do need a beginners guide to how to do this. I had to give up on Linux Red Hat because the books assumed that you knew what you were doing and the screen never ever fitted the monitor, nor were the colours any good, so I gave up. With the Raspberry Pi I was hoping for a "guide to what you need to do to get going" but now I'm doing a hunt and pounce on stuff across the internet to try and get going.

     

    Maybe my grandson will have a better clue and can tell me what needs to be done.

     

    AH well, onwards and upwards, as they say...

  • in reply to Former Member

    David Ackrill wrote:

     

    Thanks for all of the suggestions.

     

    I managed to get 'my' unit to work with both HD and a scart TV.

     

    I found out about the startx command (why don't they tell you about that in the initial blurb?) and I've messed about with various programs.

     

    What I've not yet worked out is how to enter simple line by line programs, like those shown in MagPi for python.

     

    It seems to assume that you will know how to start up something that will let you enter a set of program commands and then be able to run it.  I'm sorry, but I really do need a beginners guide to how to do this. I had to give up on Linux Red Hat because the books assumed that you knew what you were doing and the screen never ever fitted the monitor, nor were the colours any good, so I gave up. With the Raspberry Pi I was hoping for a "guide to what you need to do to get going" but now I'm doing a hunt and pounce on stuff across the internet to try and get going.

     

    Maybe my grandson will have a better clue and can tell me what needs to be done.

     

    AH well, onwards and upwards, as they say...

    Seriously go talk in the official raspberrypi.org forums, they are insanely helpful with questions like these.

  • in reply to Former Member

    Thanks for the advice,

     

    I've tried to sign up but the confirmation email seems to be taking a while to come through.

     

    Maybe it'll be here in the morning.  Night all.

     

    Dave

  • in reply to Former Member

    David,

      Just a suggestion, on the other forum be very careful what you say and how

    you say it.

       http://www.element14.com/community/thread/20081?start=49&tstart=0

  • in reply to Former Member

    Hi David,

     

    I just noticed I have recording capability! so here is a video explanation (might take a while for the video to be processed to the site).

    This is not using RPI but the process is similar.

    Here, I wrote some C code - but a similar method is needed for Python or most other language.

     

    Some languages have built-in interpreters, but usually the steps (as shown in the video) are:

    1. Write some code in a text editor of your choice

    2. Save file to a convenient location

    3. Open up a 'terminal'

    4. Compile the code (for some languages - some don't need this step)

    5. Run the code.

     

    I once tried to register on that other site, it didn't work, and when I read some of the comments on that site, I didn't bother to reattempt!