Raspberry Pi Setup Guide: From Unboxing to Running

Quick Answer: Download Raspberry Pi Imager, flash Raspberry Pi OS to a microSD card (set username/password during imaging), insert it, power on. SSH in: ssh [email protected]. Update: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade.

Choosing a Raspberry Pi

For most people: Get a Pi 4B (4GB) or Pi 5. They can run Pi-hole, VPN, media server, Docker, and more.

What You Need

Step 1: Flash the Operating System

Using Raspberry Pi Imager (Recommended)

1. Download Raspberry Pi Imager on your PC/Mac
2. Insert your microSD card
3. Open Imager and select:

• Device: Your Pi model
• OS: Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) — or Lite for headless server
• Storage: Your microSD card

1. Click Edit Settings when prompted (or Next → Edit Settings):

• Set hostname: raspberrypi
• Enable SSH: Yes, with password authentication
• Set username/password: pi / your password
• Configure Wi-Fi: Enter your SSID and password
• Set locale: Your timezone and keyboard layout

1. Click Write

Which OS to Choose

For servers: Use Raspberry Pi OS Lite or Ubuntu Server.

Step 2: First Boot

With Monitor

1. Insert microSD into Pi
2. Connect HDMI, keyboard, mouse
3. Connect power — Pi boots automatically
4. Follow on-screen setup wizard

Headless (No Monitor — SSH Only)

1. Insert microSD into Pi
2. Connect Ethernet (or rely on Wi-Fi configured in Imager)
3. Connect power
4. Wait 1-2 minutes for first boot
5. SSH in:

ssh [email protected]
# or if .local doesn't work, find the IP:
# Check your router's DHCP client list
# or scan your network:
nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24

Step 3: Initial Configuration

# Update everything first
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Run the configuration tool
sudo raspi-config

raspi-config Options

Set a Static IP

On Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm and newer (NetworkManager):

# Find your connection name
nmcli con show

# Set static IP
sudo nmcli con mod "Wired connection 1" ipv4.addresses 192.168.1.100/24
sudo nmcli con mod "Wired connection 1" ipv4.gateway 192.168.1.1
sudo nmcli con mod "Wired connection 1" ipv4.dns "1.1.1.1 8.8.8.8"
sudo nmcli con mod "Wired connection 1" ipv4.method manual
sudo nmcli con up "Wired connection 1"

Full guide: How to Set Up a Static IP

Step 4: Essential Setup

Set Up SSH Keys (Disable Password Login)

# On your PC/Mac:
ssh-keygen -t ed25519
ssh-copy-id [email protected]

# On the Pi — disable password login:
sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config
# Set: PasswordAuthentication no
sudo systemctl restart ssh

Full guide: SSH Keys Setup

Enable Firewall

sudo apt install ufw -y
sudo ufw allow ssh
sudo ufw enable

Full guide: UFW Cheat Sheet

Install Docker

curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
sudo usermod -aG docker pi
# Log out and back in

Now you can run any service in Docker. Full guide: Docker Cheat Sheet

Step 5: Monitor Your Pi

# CPU temperature
vcgencmd measure_temp

# CPU/memory usage
htop

# Disk usage
df -h

# System info
neofetch    # Install: sudo apt install neofetch

# Uptime
uptime

# Running services
systemctl list-units --type=service --state=running

Overclock (Pi 4/5 only)

Edit /boot/firmware/config.txt:

# Pi 4 mild overclock
over_voltage=2
arm_freq=1800

# Pi 5 mild overclock
arm_freq=2600

Make sure you have cooling (heatsink or fan) before overclocking.

Popular Pi Projects

Network-Wide Ad Blocker (Pi-hole)

curl -sSL https://install.pi-hole.net | bash

Blocks ads for every device on your network. Guide: Pi-hole Setup

VPN Server (WireGuard)

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SamNet-dev/wg-orchestrator/main/install.sh | sudo bash

Access your home network from anywhere. Guide: WireGuard Setup

Media Server (Jellyfin)

docker run -d --name jellyfin \
  -p 8096:8096 \
  -v /media:/media \
  -v /config/jellyfin:/config \
  jellyfin/jellyfin

Stream your movies and music to any device.

Home Automation (Home Assistant)

docker run -d --name homeassistant \
  --privileged --restart=unless-stopped \
  -v /opt/homeassistant:/config \
  -p 8123:8123 \
  ghcr.io/home-assistant/home-assistant:stable

Network Monitor (Uptime Kuma)

docker run -d --name uptime-kuma \
  -p 3001:3001 \
  -v uptime-data:/app/data \
  louislam/uptime-kuma

DNS Server

# Pi-hole doubles as a DNS server
# Or run your own recursive resolver with Unbound
sudo apt install unbound -y

Troubleshooting

Boot from USB (More Reliable Than SD)

SD cards wear out. For always-on servers, boot from USB SSD:

# Update bootloader
sudo rpi-eeprom-update -a

# Use Raspberry Pi Imager to flash OS to USB drive
# Select the USB drive as storage instead of SD card
# Remove SD card, plug in USB drive, boot

Quick Reference

Related Guides

• Complete Self-Hosting Guide — server basics
• Docker Cheat Sheet — run services in containers
• WireGuard Setup — VPN on your Pi
• UFW Cheat Sheet — firewall
• How to Set Up a Static IP — fixed IP address
• How to Enable SSH — remote access
• How to Set Up a Cron Job — automate tasks
• Server Hardening Guide — secure your Pi