Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Setting up an SD card
The Raspberry Pi uses SD cards to contain its operating system and main storage space. A
Raspberry Pi SD card contains two partitions, which are explained as follows:
• The first one, is the boot partition. This space contains the Linux kernel, required
boot up files, and most importantly, the config.txt file. This file allows you to
change the boot time parameters and customize some of the functions of the Rasp-
berry Pi. These options include over-clocking the device, changing monitor set-
tings, and the memory split between CPU and GPU, among numerous other op-
tions.
• The second partition contains a Linux partition, which holds all of your applica-
tions, configurations, and operating system files.
Preloaded SD card images are available, which make it quick and easy to get your Rasp-
berry Pi up and running.
Choosing an SD card is an important step. There are many different combinations of card
sizes and card speeds. 4 GB is the minimum size required for many of the operating sys-
tems ( OS ). I recommend that you start out with an 8 GB card. You will also see cards
marked with Class 4, Class 6, and Class 10. This is the speed at which the card can be read
and written to. I have found that the best bang for the buck is a Class 6 card, but don't
worry too much about which one you choose.
Before we begin, you will need to download a suitable Raspberry Pi OS. We will be using
the official operating system called Raspbian. You can download it from
http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads .
Note
Warning! dd and Win32DiskImager can be used to overwrite your computer's own hard
drive or other drives connected to your computer. Double and triple check that the drive
you select is your SD card.
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