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Getting Started with the Raspberry Pi 4 Computer

 

Using the New Raspberry Pi 4 Model B as a Computer.

The new Raspberry Pi 4 Model B is perfect for a cheap and light PC replacement. As it runs on linux the list of supported Open Source (and mostly free) software is endless.

 

So... you have a Raspberry Pi 4, now what do you do? Well, Let me show you.

 

 

 

Raspberry Pi 4 Quick Start:

 

1) Pick up your new Raspberry Pi

 

Product NameManufacturer
RASPBERRY PI 4 MODEL B, 1GBRaspberry PiBuy NowBuy Now
RASPBERRY PI 4 MODEL B, 2GBRaspberry PiBuy NowBuy Now
RASPBERRY PI 4 MODEL B, 4GBRaspberry PiBuy NowBuy Now

 

2) Pick up any Accessories you will need

  • A compatible MicroSD Card.
  • New Compatible USB C Power Supply
  • New Micro HDMI to HDMI Converter
  • New Case

 

Cases for previous Raspberry Pi will not fit the new Raspberry Pi 4 Model B. For guidance, please check out our blog:

Which accessories are compatible with the New Raspberry Pi 4 Model B

 

If you order an SD Card with the new version of NOOBs on it, you can skip to step 6

 

3)  Download the newest Version of Raspbian.

Raspbian for the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B

https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/

 

I recommend the "Raspbian Buster with desktop and recommended software". This version will include all of the desktop favorites you need to get started including a web browser and an open source office suite.

 

4) Download Software which will burn your Raspbian Image to your SD Card

 

I recommend using Etcher, although you can use WIN32DiskImager or other programs.

This will not only copy the software onto your SD card but help partition and format your SD card correctly for the Raspbian / Linux file system.

Download here https://www.balena.io/etcher/

 

5) Flash Raspbian onto your SD Card with etcher.

Once you have downloaded your Raspbian Image, it will be saved in your downloads folder as a .zip or a .img file.

 

  • Insert your MicroSD card into your computer,
      (if you don't have an SD card reader you can buy external USB SD Card readers)
  • Open Etcher
  • Select the Raspbian Image (Etcher can handle .zip or .img files)
  • Select your MicroSD Card from the list of drives.
Be very careful to select the right drive and SD Card!
  • Review your selections of Image and Micro SD Card and then click FLASH! on Etcher.
  • Once this has flashed the image, safely remove the MicroSD Card

 

6) Plug it in

  • Connect your Screens to the Micro HDMI sockets, Start with the one Marked HDMI-0
  • Keyboard & Mouse
  • Plug in your Ethernet Cable if you are using wired internet.
  • Insert your MicroSD Card with Raspbian
  • FINALLY Plug in your Power THEN turn on the power at the switch

 

Do not power off your Raspberry Pi without shutting it down in software first.

 

 

7) First Boot

If everything has gone OK, your Raspberry Pi will "boot" to its first screen in a minute or two. The first boot always takes longer than normal, so don't rush it.

Your Raspberry Pi will ask you to do a few things on your first boot:

  • Change your Admin Username and Password.
    - Every Raspberry Pi comes out of the factory with the same username as password. If you connect your Pi to the internet it could be vulnerable to attack. Please change your username and password to something you will remember.
  • Set up your WiFi options.
    - You can skip this if you want to use wired internet.

If you have a NOOBS card, once you have selected an operating system, you will have to let some components download and install at first boot.

8) Update your Pi

This is a VITAL part of any computer. For your safety online do not skip this step.

 

First, Go to "Terminal"

 

Then, you want to update the list of packages on your device by typing the following command into Terminal.

 

sudo apt-get update

After process has signalled it is finished in terminal, you want to update all the software on the device its self with the following command in Terminal

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Once this process is done you can close Terminal, rest assured that your Raspberry Pi is fully up to date!

 

9) Position your Dual 4K Monitors on the Raspberry Pi

If you are using Dual 4k Screens, the new Raspberry Pi 4 comes with a handy program in accessories called ARandR which allows you to reposition your screens in relation to the real world.

 

10) Enjoy your Raspberry Pi

You are now all set up!

You can click around the Start menu and have a look at what programs you have access to.

 

 

Want to know more?

Meet The New Raspberry Pi 4 Model B - element14 Presents

Raspberry Pi 4 Model B - Technical Specifications

Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Benchmarking the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B

Which accessories are compatible with the New Raspberry Pi 4 Model B?

Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Default GPIO Pinout with PoE Header

Do You Know Your Pi from Pie? Raspberry Pi Quiz!

Eben Upton talks about the new Raspberry Pi 4 Model B

 

Want to buy the new Raspberry Pi 4 Model B?

 

Product NameManufacturer
RASPBERRY PI 4 MODEL B, 1GBRaspberry PiBuy NowBuy Now
RASPBERRY PI 4 MODEL B, 2GBRaspberry PiBuy NowBuy Now
RASPBERRY PI 4 MODEL B, 4GBRaspberry PiBuy NowBuy Now
Anonymous

  • Wow any space for more stickers ther?

    lol

     

    i Only run pi3s and zeros thus far it may be good to see this working first hand as a desktop proper or just to be predictable, a games console

    cheers for the vid

     

    Rory

  • in reply to bwelsby

    Brian wrote:

    >...I connected two USB3 HDD and immediately had problems with them ... due to over current.

     

    Oh that's good advice, thanks! - and frustrating to still have power limitations causing failures. So we will still need a powered USB hub for these sorts of things I guess?

     

    -Nico

  • in reply to shabaz

    Yes, correct about the pricing - the usb enclosure costs as much as the small ssd module.

    So by the time you get things worked out the price quickly runs into around $70+ USD for the Pi and storage (not counting cost of display, keyboard, mouse). Even $50 nowadays will buy a nice little reliable Android tablet for the average user.

     

    I guess there's still a bit of work to be done on that front - incremental steps

     

    -Nico

  • in reply to ntewinkel

    My first experience I connected two USB3 HDD and immediately had problems with them,  A quick check of /var/log/syslog showed that the ports were shutting down due to over current. I read the USB spec on the Pi4 as 900mA in total across all ports not 900mA per USB3 port and the HDD I were using were taking > 600mA at times. Using one HDD worked fine and I got similar performance to my PC.  I also have a USB3 SSD and that can take 450-500 mA.

  • in reply to ntewinkel

    Hi Nico,

    It's a real pain, for those of us who want ultra-high reliability. Adding the USB 3 adaptor, plus a SSD, will more than double the solution cost, more likely treble it with decent parts. The cheapest option for hi-rel could be to use a SLC micro-SD card. They're not too bad for a 16GB card (about $30), not really feasible for higher capacity, but even 16GB is fantastic for a lot of uses.

    In some respects, the 4GB Pi 4 is more great for reliability (hehe awful grammar), it means more can be written to RAM, saving needing to write so often to micro SD.

    So, the cheapest option for high reliability could be 4GB Pi 4 plus SLC micro SD card. I think it works out lower-cost than USB 3 + mSATA or M.2.

    I too hope eMMC (not just on Pi Compute) or on-board SSD connection is available in future. eUSB Flash seems really pricey too, otherwise that could have been an option.

  • Also, I've noticed that the Pi4 marketing now heavily promotes its use as a stand-alone tiny computer.

    I see it has overall more speed, more RAM, faster connections, better power supply... but it still uses an SD card.

    And I hear SD cards are slow and have a habit of wearing out quickly with use (or has that been cleared up in the meantime?)

     

    Although, with USB 3 and better overall USB support - are we foreshadowing the official support of external SSD drives soon?

    I use a tiny little M.2 sized external drive with my (non-upgradable Mac Mini. Grrrr. Apple.), and it looks like sizes are available that would fit the RaspberryPi format nicely.

     

    edit: by tiny I mean physical size, not drive space. On Amazon I see I can buy a 32 GB m.2 ssd drive for only about $20 CAD - similar to SD card pricing.

    I'm hoping a future Pi revision will include support for these tiny drives directly.

     

    -Nico

  • Very cool, Phil!

     

    And I agree with Shabaz - impressive stickering!

     

    Also impressive fire extinguisher - does the new Pi give off that much more heat?

     

    -Nico

  • Hi Phil,

     

    Very useful information! Great video, and impressive amount of stickers on the laptop : )

    If (like me) you didn't plan well enough to get a Micro HDMI cable or adaptor, then it's possible to install without using a display. I tried the old Pi 3 instructions, and they worked with the Pi 4 :

    I used the "Installing Raspbian" instructions section at the link below (Etcher can be used as in your video - I just used Win32DiskImager because I already had it on my PC, and can confirm it works for Pi 4 too), there's a link in that section on how to get SSH functioning, and how to log into the pi without a display (requires an Ethernet cable plugged into the router, until wireless is set up):

    Before You Start Coding the Pi

    And then I enabled the remote desktop using these instructions (in the section "Remote Desktop (Accessing your Pi from a PC)":

    Accessing and Controlling the Pi

    and then enabled Wireless from the remote desktop. Then it was possible to disconnect the wired Ethernet and just remotely log in using wireless using either the Remote Desktop Connection, or SSH.