eLinux.org - User contributions [en]

Talk:RPi Hub

2013-04-13T13:43:10Z

Ghans:

<del>The RPi administration is headed by the [[Project:RPi Council|RPi Council]] now. </del> 
:The RPi Council is now defunct and i hope that it gets replaced by open , collaborative and fair 
:discussion between Wiki editors instead. Therefore i believe this page might be used as the central 
:place for discussions around the Raspberry Pi Wiki articles again. 
:Here are some things i'd like to address :
:* 1. What happens to the RPi_Council page ? Shall we merge it with this one ?
:* 2. I want to start a thread on the raspberrypi.org forums with updates on "cleaning up the Wiki" and a call for volunteers. 
::This is of paramount importance IMHO. Perhaps we can interested helpers from the beta RaspberryPi Stackexchange , too. 
::I believe that by communication via and presence on the forum we can make this Wiki much more useful for everyone. 
::What do you think ?
:* 3. Does anyone have a overview who translates Wiki articles and how this is managed ?
::I'd like to talk to MagPi translators , other volunteers and eLinux.org admins if we can do anything improve 
::the situation or work together better. 
:Regards , [[User:Ghans|Ghans]] ([[User talk:Ghans|talk]]) 14:09, 8 April 2013 (UTC)

The Big-8 approved usenet unmoderated newsgroup [news:comp.sys.raspberry-pi news:comp.sys.raspberry-pi] and began propagating 2013.04.01 among newsservers.
Is this better organized under [[RPi Community|Supporting Communities]] or [[RPi Education|Schools, Universities, Clubs & Groups]]?
I put it under [[RPi Community|Supporting Communities]] for now. [[User:DisneyWizard|DisneyWizard]] ([[User talk:DisneyWizard|talk]]) 21:50, 4 April 2013 (UTC)
: I think that makes the most sense. Did you announce this somewhere else ? [[User:Ghans|Ghans]] ([[User talk:Ghans|talk]]) 14:13, 8 April 2013 (UTC)
:: Hey there, if there's anything I can add to elinux.org to make things easier for the RPi community, please let me know. Send email to [[User:Wmat]]. --[[User:Wmat|Wmat]] ([[User talk:Wmat|talk]]) 20:07, 8 April 2013 (UTC)
::: Hi Wmat , thank you for dropping by. Are there any methods which could help with translation of 
:::individual pages into several languages ? Are they currently enabled or could be enabled in the future ? 
:::I have to admit that i don't have any overview who does translation work on the wiki and how , but if 
:::any of our diligent translators read this , please drop a note if and how you could be assisted by a technical solution. [[User:Ghans|Ghans]] ([[User talk:Ghans|talk]]) 13:36, 13 April 2013 (UTC)

Talk:RPi Hub

2013-04-13T13:36:11Z

Ghans:

<del>The RPi administration is headed by the [[Project:RPi Council|RPi Council]] now. </del> 
:The RPi Council is now defunct and i hope that it gets replaced by open , collaborative and fair 
:discussion between Wiki editors instead. Therefore i believe this page might be used as the central 
:place for discussions around the Raspberry Pi Wiki articles again. 
:Here are some things i'd like to address :
:* 1. What happens to the RPi_Council page ? Shall we merge it with this one ?
:* 2. I want to start a thread on the raspberrypi.org forums with updates on "cleaning up the Wiki" and a call for volunteers. 
::This is of paramount importance IMHO. Perhaps we can interested helpers from the beta RaspberryPi Stackexchange , too. 
::I believe that by communication via and presence on the forum we can make this Wiki much more useful for everyone. 
::What do you think ?
:* 3. Does anyone have a overview who translates Wiki articles and how this is managed ?
::I'd like to talk to MagPi translators , other volunteers and eLinux.org admins if we can do anything improve 
::the situation or work together better. 
:Regards , [[User:Ghans|Ghans]] ([[User talk:Ghans|talk]]) 14:09, 8 April 2013 (UTC)

The Big-8 approved usenet unmoderated newsgroup [news:comp.sys.raspberry-pi news:comp.sys.raspberry-pi] and began propagating 2013.04.01 among newsservers.
Is this better organized under [[RPi Community|Supporting Communities]] or [[RPi Education|Schools, Universities, Clubs & Groups]]?
I put it under [[RPi Community|Supporting Communities]] for now. [[User:DisneyWizard|DisneyWizard]] ([[User talk:DisneyWizard|talk]]) 21:50, 4 April 2013 (UTC)
: I think that makes the most sense. Did you announce this somewhere else ? [[User:Ghans|Ghans]] ([[User talk:Ghans|talk]]) 14:13, 8 April 2013 (UTC)
:: Hey there, if there's anything I can add to elinux.org to make things easier for the RPi community, please let me know. Send email to [[User:Wmat]]. --[[User:Wmat|Wmat]] ([[User talk:Wmat|talk]]) 20:07, 8 April 2013 (UTC)
::: Hi Wmat , thank you for dropping by. Are there any methods which could help with translation of 
:::individual pages into several languages ? Are they currently enabled or could be enabled in the future ? 
:::I have to admit that i don't have any overview who does translation work on the wiki and how , but if you're 
:::one of them , please drop a note if and how you could be assisted by a technical solution. [[User:Ghans|Ghans]] ([[User talk:Ghans|talk]]) 13:36, 13 April 2013 (UTC)

Talk:RPi Hub

2013-04-08T14:13:06Z

Ghans:

Talk:RPi Hub

2013-04-08T14:09:29Z

Ghans:

<del>The RPi administration is headed by the [[Project:RPi Council|RPi Council]] now. </del> 
:The RPi council is now defunct and i hope that it gets replaced by open , collaborative and fair 
:discussion between Wiki editors instead. Therefore i believe this page might be used as the central 
:place for discussions around the Raspberry Pi Wiki articles again. 
:Here are some things i'd like to address :
:* 1. What happens to the RPi_Council page ? Shall we merge it with this one ?
:* 2. I want to start a thread on the raspberrypi.org forums with updates on "cleaning up the Wiki" and a call for volunteers. 
::This is of paramount importance IMHO. Perhaps we can interested helpers from the beta RaspberryPi Stackexchange , too. 
::I believe that by communication via and presence on the forum we can make this Wiki much more useful for everyone. 
::What do you think ?
:* 3. Does anyone have a overview who translates Wiki articles and how this is managed ?
::I'd like to talk to MagPi translators , other volunteers and eLinux.org admins if we can do anything improve 
::the situation or work together better. 
:Regards , [[User:Ghans|Ghans]] ([[User talk:Ghans|talk]]) 14:09, 8 April 2013 (UTC)

The Big-8 approved usenet unmoderated newsgroup [news:comp.sys.raspberry-pi news:comp.sys.raspberry-pi] and began propagating 2013.04.01 among newsservers.
Is this better organized under [[RPi Community|Supporting Communities]] or [[RPi Education|Schools, Universities, Clubs & Groups]]?
I put it under [[RPi Community|Supporting Communities]] for now. [[User:DisneyWizard|DisneyWizard]] ([[User talk:DisneyWizard|talk]]) 21:50, 4 April 2013 (UTC)

Talk:RPi Hub

2013-04-08T14:07:57Z

Ghans:

<del>The RPi administration is headed by the [[Project:RPi Council|RPi Council]] now. </del> 
:The RPi council is now defunct and i hope that it gets replaced by open , collaborative and fair 
:discussion between Wiki editors instead. Therefore i believe this page might be used as the central 
:place for discussions around the Raspberry Pi Wiki articles again. 
:Here are some things i'd like to address :
:* 1. What happens to the RPi_Council page ? Shall we merge it with this one ?
:* 2. I want to start a thread on the raspberrypi.org forums with updates on "cleaning up the Wiki" and a call for volunteers. 
::This is of paramount importance IMHO. Perhaps we can interested helpers from the beta RaspberryPi Stackexchange , too. 
::I believe that by communication via and presence on the forum we can make this Wiki much more useful for everyone. 
::What do you think ?
:* 3. Does anyone have a overview who translates Wiki articles and how this is managed ?
::I' like to talk to MagPi translators , other volunteers and eLinux.org admins if we can do anything improve 
::the situation or work together better. 
:Regards , 14:04, 8 April 2013 (UTC)

The Big-8 approved usenet unmoderated newsgroup [news:comp.sys.raspberry-pi news:comp.sys.raspberry-pi] and began propagating 2013.04.01 among newsservers.
Is this better organized under [[RPi Community|Supporting Communities]] or [[RPi Education|Schools, Universities, Clubs & Groups]]?
I put it under [[RPi Community|Supporting Communities]] for now. [[User:DisneyWizard|DisneyWizard]] ([[User talk:DisneyWizard|talk]]) 21:50, 4 April 2013 (UTC)

Talk:RPi Hub

2013-04-08T14:06:03Z

Ghans:

<del>The RPi administration is headed by the [[Project:RPi Council|RPi Council]] now. </del> 
:The RPi council is now defunct and i hope that it gets replaced by open , collaborative and fair 
:discussion between Wiki editors instead. Therefore i believe this page might be used as the central 
:place for discussions around the Raspberry Pi Wiki articles again. 
:Here are some things i'd like to address :
:* 1. What happens to the RPi_Council page ? Shall we merge it with this one ?
:* 2. I want to start a thread on the raspberrypi.org forums with updates on "cleaning up the Wiki" and a call for volunteers. 
:This is of paramount importance IMHO. Perhaps we can interested helpers from the beta RaspberryPi Stackexchange , too. 
:I believe that by communication via and presence on the forum we can make this Wiki much more useful for everyone. 
:What do you think ?
:* 3. Does anyone have a overview who translates Wiki articles and how this is managed ?
:I' like to talk to MagPi translators , other volunteers and eLinux.org admins if we can do anything improve 
:the situation or work together better. 
:Regards , 14:04, 8 April 2013 (UTC)

The Big-8 approved usenet unmoderated newsgroup [news:comp.sys.raspberry-pi news:comp.sys.raspberry-pi] and began propagating 2013.04.01 among newsservers.
Is this better organized under [[RPi Community|Supporting Communities]] or [[RPi Education|Schools, Universities, Clubs & Groups]]?
I put it under [[RPi Community|Supporting Communities]] for now. [[User:DisneyWizard|DisneyWizard]] ([[User talk:DisneyWizard|talk]]) 21:50, 4 April 2013 (UTC)

Talk:RPi Hub

2013-04-08T14:04:49Z

Ghans:

<del>The RPi administration is headed by the [[Project:RPi Council|RPi Council]] now. </del> 
:The RPi council is now defunct and i hope that it gets replaced by open , collaborative and fair 
discussion between Wiki editors instead. Therefore i believe this page might be used as the central 
place for discussions around the Raspberry Pi Wiki articles again. 
Here are some things i'd like to address :
:* 1. What happens to the RPi_Council page ? Shall we merge it with this one ?
:* 2 : I want to start a thread on the raspberrypi.org forums with updates on "cleaning up the Wiki" and a call for volunteers. This is of paramount importance IMHO. Perhaps we can interested helpers from the beta RaspberryPi Stackexchange , too. 
I believe that by communication via and presence on the forum we can make this Wiki much more useful for everyone. 
What do you think ?
:* 3 : Does anyone have a overview who translates Wiki articles and how this is managed ?
I' like to talk to MagPi translators , other volunteers and eLinux.org admins if we can do anything improve 
the situation or work together better. 
:Regards , 14:04, 8 April 2013 (UTC)

The Big-8 approved usenet unmoderated newsgroup [news:comp.sys.raspberry-pi news:comp.sys.raspberry-pi] and began propagating 2013.04.01 among newsservers.
Is this better organized under [[RPi Community|Supporting Communities]] or [[RPi Education|Schools, Universities, Clubs & Groups]]?
I put it under [[RPi Community|Supporting Communities]] for now. [[User:DisneyWizard|DisneyWizard]] ([[User talk:DisneyWizard|talk]]) 21:50, 4 April 2013 (UTC)

RPi Hub

2013-04-08T13:36:50Z

Ghans: /* Admins/Contributors */

:'''''Notice:''' The Raspberry Pi Wiki pages on this site is collaborative work - the Raspberry Pi Foundation is '''not''' responsible for content on these pages.''
{{TOC right}}
{{Hub Flags}} 



== Now shipping to customers ==

'''Update on lead times as of 22nd March 2013:''' The lead time is around 2 weeks from Farnell and 4 weeks from RS.


See the [[RPi Buying Guide|Buying Guide]] on how to order one, or visit the [http://www.raspberrypi.org Raspberry Pi Foundation Home Page]

== About ==
[[File:RpiFront.jpg|300px|thumb|right|The Raspberry Pi production board (model B Rev 2.0)]]

The Raspberry Pi (short: RPi or RasPi) is an ultra-low-cost ($25-$35) credit-card sized Linux computer which was conceived with the primary goal of teaching computer programming to children. It was developed by the [http://www.raspberrypi.org Raspberry Pi Foundation], which is a UK registered charity (Registration Number [http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithoutPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=1129409&SubsidiaryNumber=0 1129409]). The foundation exists to promote the study of computer science and related topics, especially at school level, and to put the fun back into learning computing. The device is expected to have many other applications both in the developed and the developing world ([[RPi_Philosophy|Read more]]).

Raspberry Pi is manufactured and sold in partnership with the worldwide industrial distributors [http://www.farnell.com/ Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com/ RS Components], and the Chinese distributor [http://www.egoman.com.cn/ Egoman Technology Corp]<ref>http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/3195</ref>.

* You can get the latest news from the [http://www.raspberrypi.org Foundation Home Page], the [http://twitter.com/intent/user?screen_name=Raspberry_Pi Twitter Feed] or in the [http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum/general-discussion/news-articles-and-blog-posts-about-raspberry-pi forums].
* For Raspberry Pi frequently asked questions see the [[RPi FAQ|FAQ section]] or the [http://www.raspberrypi.org/?page_id=8 Raspberry Pi Foundation's FAQ] page.
* Both manufacturing partners provide community areas for more technically focused discussions, articles, FAQs and related information:
:* Premier Farnell: [http://www.element14.com/community/groups/raspberry-pi?view=discussions Element 14 Raspberry Pi Group]
:* RS-Components: [http://www.designspark.com/theme/raspberrypi DesignSpark - Raspberry Pi]
* Products are RoHS, CE, FCC, CTick, CSA and WEEE compliant<ref>http://www.element14.com/community/docs/DOC-44828/l/raspberry-pi-safety-data-sheet</ref>. In common with all Electronic and Electrical products the Raspberry Pi should not be disposed of in household waste. Please contact the distributor from whom you purchased your Raspberry Pi device for details regarding WEEE in your country.
* Price: 25USD Model A, 35USD for Model B, excluding taxes, postage and packaging. For information about availability and shipping see the [[RPi Buying Guide | Buying Guide]].

=== History ===

If you are interested in why the Raspberry Pi was created, and why it is what it is, check the [[RPi General History|General History]] page, which highlights relevant events in its history. It is not intended to be a detailed history, so it can be read quickly. You could also check the [[Rpi_HardwareHistory | design changes]] page for how the Raspberry Pi has evolved, and the [[RaspberryPi_Boards | manufacturing differences]] page that may help if you are having problems with your board.

== Getting Started ==
{| border="1" style="background:transparent;"
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=== [[Buying RPi|Buying Guide]] ===

----
Where can I get one and for how much?
* The Raspberry Pi can no longer only be purchased via their official distribution partners - detailed information can be found on the [[Buying RPi | RPi Buying Guide]] page.

* Additional accessories, peripherals and merchandise are available through the [http://www.raspberrypi.com/ Raspberry Pi Shop], as well as [http://modmypi.com/ ModMyPi's Store], [http://thepihut.com/ The Pi Hut's Store], [http://easyaspistore.com/ the EasyAsPi Store], and many others on Amazon [http://www.amazon.co.uk/ Amazon UK] and eBay [http://www.ebay.co.uk/ eBay UK] websites.

* You can find out which peripherals and such are tested to work with the PI in the [[RPi_VerifiedPeripherals]] section

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=== [[RPi Hardware Basic Setup|Basic Setup]] ===
----
First little Raspberry Pi Steps...
* Ensure you have all the [[RPi Hardware Basic Setup#Typical_Hardware_You_Will_Need |equipment]] you need to go with your Raspberry Pi.
* Become familiar with the [[RPi Hardware Basic Setup#Connecting_Together | board layout and connect]] it ready for power up.
* If you have not been provided with a pre-setup SD card you will need to prepare one with your chosen [[RPi_Easy_SD_Card_Setup | Operating System distribution]]
* Note: On the Debian OS after you log in you need to type '''startx''' at the prompt to get a graphic desktop.
* Particularly after first boot its important to do a clean shutdown with the command '''sudo halt'''

* '''Having problems? Try the [[R-Pi_Troubleshooting | Troubleshooting]] page.'''

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=== [[RPi Beginners|Beginners Guide]] ===
----
You've just got your new Raspberry Pi device - what now?
* [[RPi Beginners|Beginners Guide]]

* Learn about the basics with the [http://h2g2.com/dna/h2g2/A13735596 H2G2 - Introducing the Raspberry Pi] entry.

* Read a small book for the Raspberry Pi Beginner [http://bitkistl.blogspot.co.at/2013/01/raspberry-pi-e-book.html]

* Get started with some basic projects and tutorials:
**[http://www.youtube.com/user/RaspberryPiTutorials Raspberry Pi YouTube Tutorials] 
**[http://www.pibeginners.com Raspberry Pi IV Beginners] 
**[http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyU3jNA6VjS3ij6ZXbb2x4GdEP3bAWzO My First Raspberry Pi Game]
**[http://files.nathanbookham.com/raspberry-pi Guides, tutorials, tools and distribution downloads]

*[[RPi Tutorial Easy GPIO Hardware & Software|Easy GPIO Hardware & Software]] - in-progress at the moment

* Take a look through the [[#Community|Community]] section, which contains a range of beginner and advanced tutorials and guides, as well as groups to help you find like-minded developers.

|}

== Resources ==
{| border="1" style="background:transparent;"

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=== [[RPi Hardware|Hardware]] & [[RPi VerifiedPeripherals|Peripherals]] ===
----

* The Model B is more advanced than the Model A - see [[RPi Hardware]].
* The RPi can be plugged into a [[RPi Screens|suitable TV or monitor]].
* The unit will support a range of [[RPi VerifiedPeripherals|devices, peripherals and accessories]].
* The [[Rpi Low-level peripherals|Low-level interfaces]] allow the use of optional [[RPi Expansion Boards|Expansion Boards]] in a wide range of projects.
* For more advanced issues including see [[RPi Advanced Setup|Advanced Setup]].
* [[RPi Peripherals|Setting up peripherals - examples/HowTos]]
* [[RaspberryPi Boards|List of boards and user feedback]]
* [[RPi 5V PSU construction|Power Supply construction - HowTo]]
* [[RaspberryPi_Comparison|Comparison]] to other hardware
| style="width:33%; vertical-align:top; border:1px solid #aaa; padding-left:5px;" |

=== [[Rpi_Software|Software]] & [[RPi_Distributions|OS Distributions]] ===
----
The Raspberry Pi will run a range of OS Distributions and run a variety of software.
* See [[RPi Software|Software]] for an overview, and [[RPi Distributions|OS Distributions]] for supported operating system and pre-configured 'images'.
*Officially supported OS distributions include [[RPi Distributions#Raspbian | Raspbian]], [[RPi Distributions#Arch | Arch Linux]] and [[RPi Distributions#RISC OS | RISC OS Open]].
*Many unofficial distributions are available on the [[RPi Distributions | Distributions page]].
*Advice is also available if you want to [[Rpi_kernel_compilation|compile a kernel]], [[RPi_U-Boot|boot from the network using U-Boot]], or [[RPi_Performance|test the Pi's performance]].
*The Raspberry Pi supports a wide range of [[RPi Programming|programming languages]], with many tutorials available.
*Information about installing. specific [[RPi_applications|applications]] is available through the link.
*Extensive (boot) configuration info (config.txt) is available [[RPi_config.txt|here]].
*Monitor your Raspberry Pi with Raspcontrol [[Raspcontrol|here]]

| style="width:33%; vertical-align:top; border:1px solid #aaa; padding-left:5px;" |

=== [[RPi Documentation|Documentation]] ===
----
=== Datasheets ===

[[RPi Documentation|IC Datasheets and schematics]] links page.

[[RPi DatasheetCategories|Datasheets organised by category]] from the Frambozenier.org project.

=== RPi Troubleshooting ===

Head over to the [[R-Pi Troubleshooting|troubleshooting page]] for help fixing common problems.

=== RPi Bugs ===

Head over to the [[RPi_Bugs|bugs page]] for a list of known bugs.

=== RPi Model B 3D CAD files ===
Theses are various 3D CAD Versions in both RAR and ZIP.

* CATIA V5 RAR http://sdrv.ms/JqdhMb
* CATIA V5 ZIP http://sdrv.ms/LjyLGD
* ProE RAR http://sdrv.ms/KCv1hZ
* ProE ZIP http://sdrv.ms/KCvhxq
* STEP RAR http://sdrv.ms/KCvv7T
* STEP ZIP http://sdrv.ms/JMhv18
* SketchUp http://scc.jezmckean.com/item/581
* SketchUp8 http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=327d6b1d8bd6130d6fbd6b70c7f1d3e0
* Eagle 5 http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=4457
|}

== Community ==
{| border="1" style="background:transparent;"
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=== [[RPi Projects|Projects]], [[RPi Guides|Guides]] & [[RPi Tutorials|Tutorials]] ===
----
*An important source of information and guides is the [http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum Official Forum].
*Get started by following some of the many [[RPi Tutorials | Tutorials]].
*Common tasks and useful tips are available through the [[RPi Guides | Guides page]].
*Projects can be found, and added to, on the [[RPi Projects |Projects page]].
*Raspberry Pi Datasheets can be found on the [[RPi DatasheetCategories |DataSheets page]].
*Knowledgeable users may want to review and help out with project wishlist items on the [[RPi Tasks |Tasks page]].

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=== [[RPi Education|Schools, Universities, Clubs & Groups]] ===
----
*The Raspberry Pi Foundation's aims include encouraging education. Several groups including [http://www.computingatschool.org.uk/ Computing At School] aim to bring Computing Science back into schools.
*Go to the [[Rpi Education|Education Page]] to add your project and find helpful links.
*Raspberry Jams are a great way to meet other Raspberry Pi users, share ideas and tips and learn more. To find a Raspberry Jam near you, see the [http://raspberryjam.org.uk/ Raspberry Jam] page.

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=== [[RPi Community|Supporting Communities]] ===
----
The [[RPi Community|Raspberry Pi Community]] is steadily growing:
* [http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum The Official Raspberry Pi Forum]
* [http://www.element14.com/community/groups/raspberry-pi?view=discussions Element 14 Raspberry Pi Group], community site of Premier Farnell
* [http://www.designspark.com/theme/raspberrypi DesignSpark], community site of RS-Components
* [http://www.frambozenbier.org/index.php/ 'Frambozenbier' (Raspberry Pi Homebrew)]
* [http://raspberrypi.stackexchange.com/ Stack Exchange Forum]
* [http://www.raspberrypiforums.com/forum RaspberryPiForums] Un-Official Raspberry Pi Discussion Board
* [http://www.raspberrypi-spanish.es Non-official community of Raspberry Pi in spanish language]
* [http://www.worldofpi.com/ World Of Pi] A forum based on all things Raspberry Pi.
* [[RPi Community Magazine]] - User contributed eMagazine, get involved!
* [[RaspberryPi Osdev]] - Hardware specific OS-development community, sitting in freenode.net#raspberrypi-osdev.
* [news:comp.sys.raspberry-pi news:comp.sys.raspberry-pi] - Usenet newsgroup
|}

== About the RPi Wiki ==
'''Do not be afraid to add your bit, content is vital for the wiki to function.'''

[[File:Rasp_turn_around.gif|200px|thumb|right|A 3D rendering of the Raspberry Pi logo]]


=== Translations ===

The wiki is being translated into several languages, some of which can be seen on the hub banner above. Current languages include:

* English: [[R-Pi Hub]]
* Français: [[FR:R-Pi Hub]]
Any help translating would be greatly appreciated. Thank you to those who have already contributed!

=== Admins/Contributors ===
<del>The wiki is governed by the [[Project:RPi_Council|Raspberry Pi Wiki Council]].</del>

:NOTE - This wiki is NOT governed by the [[Project:RPi_Council|Raspberry Pi Wiki Council]]. The whole of elinux.org is community driven. It always has been. If you have any questions, contact [[User:Wmat]].

Please join the discussion on the newly reinstated [[Talk:RPi_Hub | talk page]] !

= References =
<references/>

{{Template:Raspberry Pi}}
[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

eLinux.org:RPi Council

2013-03-23T13:17:14Z

Ghans: /* If you are interested edit here */

{{Hub Flags}}
{{Clear}}
Because of the messed up stuff on the Raspberry Pi wiki, I have found it necessary to create a governing council for the RPi wiki. Please edit the below section if you'd like to become a member (alderman) of the council.

Note: This is official and is ok with the administration of eLinux.

== Supplemental guidelines ==
''If anything is wrong with these guidelines please feel free to edit them. Thank you.''
=== Guidelines are made from consensus ===
All supplemental guidelines and decisions will now be made by the RPWC and eLinux administration.

== Current council aldermen ==
* President - [[User:Jeff|Jeff]]
* <s>[[User:TrevorGowen|Trevor Gowen]]</s>

== Current issues ==
=== Users ===
==== Mahjongg ====
<s>As he is not answering my requests for identity, he may be impersonating Mahjongg on the forums. I propose the account be blocked indefinitely because it clearly is copying the RPi forum mod's user name.</s> --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 12:26, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
:Verified thru PM. Case closed. :) --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 21:16, 5 October 2012 (UTC)

==== Ghans ====
I propose that since he ruined a lot of formatting that he is not to edit the Raspberry Pi Wiki's formatting for 1 month. You can see clearly [[RPi Wiki Best Practice|here]]. He, in fact, misguided everyone in best practices! I want you to go to Wikipedia and take a hard stare and compare the articles! They are misleading! He clearly cannot go on with this! Anyone else agree? --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] 02:15, 2 October 2012 (UTC) '''Edit: and also add a block of 1 month if he does not comply.''' --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] 22:39, 2 October 2012 (UTC) 
(Note: This decision must be concluded by Wednesday, October 3, 2012.)
:Having compared [[RPi Wiki Best Practice|Ghans' "Best Practice"]] with which, I believe, are the equivalent areas of Wikipedia and parts of the Help sections here I can see what you mean. However, using Wikipedia as a guide, one also has to assume that he was writing with the best of intentions. Unfortunately he does not reveal much about his background, experience etc. on his user page. However, having had the experience of encouraging "best practice" within a mixed group of programmer's of different backgrounds (scientific, computational) and training (formal, informal, none), I am well aware that when considering adopting such from a related area, one also has to consider the needs etc. of the intended users ie. adopt as much as is appropriate, adapt or reject the remainder. An analogy would be that when preparing a presentation one may end up with several versions depending upon the expected audience. Hence, whilst I am prepared to support your proposal, it is on the understanding that this is done so to allow us to begin to formulate more suitable guidelines, given that, eventually, hopefully, there will be younger, enthusiastic but less experienced contributers whom I would not wish to discourage. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 14:40, 2 October 2012 (UTC)
::So you're a support? --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] 22:32, 2 October 2012 (UTC)
:::Assuming I'm interpreting your update above correctly, to mean that he is requested to refrain from edits that change formatting aspects of the Raspbery Pi sections of the Wiki for one month and ignores that request, yes. Hopefully such a request will generate a response, therebye opening up a dialogue, which may resolve matters such that a formal block need not be imposed. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 12:09, 3 October 2012 (UTC)
I guess I will close this with a warning to Ghans. Block not implemented. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 12:39, 3 October 2012 (UTC)

=== Content ===
==== Shutdown of most other language "hubs" ====
'''Due to the importance of this topic, ''everyone'' is invited to post their opinions, even users that are not a council member.''' 
These hubs serve no purpose but to point the respective language speakers to English pages. This is utterly useless. If I only spoke Greek, I would be able to understand the hub, but the hub's purpose is to link to other pages. Unfortunately I would ask a Greek community for help because the links are to ENGLISH pages! Why don't we just tell everyone a bold message: THIS IS AN ENGLISH WIKI! I propose to redirect all these pages to the English page; as for the template Hub Flags, I propose it be renamed as the RPi Hub header, or something like so. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 01:27, 11 October 2012 (UTC) 
'''This shall be concluded on Friday, October 12, 2012 at 9:00pm (21:00) Eastern Standard Time, or whenever an obvious consensus closes.'''
:Is this for real?... it goes against the actions of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, see http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/1715. If they want to spread their Forum into multiple languages, then so should the wiki. [[User:Simon Small|SimonSmall]] 20:31, 11 October 2012 (UTC)
::'''THIS IS NEITHER CONTROLLED BY NOR SANCTIONED BY THE RASPI FOUNDATION'''. Unless YOU want to make all the different language pages, you really need to knock some sense into yourself. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 22:57, 11 October 2012 (UTC)
:Whilst it is my understanding that this section of the eLinux Wiki was created by members of the Raspi Foundation's forum (who, presumably, were already active contributors here), most of the non-english language pages appear to have been created in the early part of 2012 '''before''' the Raspberry Pi was generally available. As the number of active RasPi users grew, it was somewhat inevitable that contributions to this wiki area would increase. Unfortunately this has been at such a pace that, even where there had been significant translation effort in the early stages, at present, there appear to be too few people with the necessary skills to maintain those pages. I certainly don't have them (my French skills learned some 45 years ago are far too "rusty"). From the RPWC's president's comments above, I assume he's in a similar position. Hence, until such time that there are enough RPWC members with sufficient skills and "spare" time to properly check/moderate any translated pages, I agree that it is probably necessary to "shut them down". However, out of respect for the effort put into those early pages, I hope that such a shutdown will not result in complete deletion (where there has been significant effort), just in case their restoration becomes viable. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 17:52, 12 October 2012 (UTC)
::Yes, I will only redirect them. Very well. I guess we have finally reached consensus. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 02:50, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

Well, yes the dictator reach a consensus. FR:RPi-Hub was maintained, I did some change as well as other during the last few months. Now what will happend when french speaking people go the this site. They will see an english only site and move on. Well Done!!

Papillon

If the non-English "hubs" have been shutdown/redirected/whatever, maybe the list at http://elinux.org/RPi_Hub#Translations should be cleaned up too? [[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] 23:13, 23 October 2012 (UTC)

=== Supplemental guidelines ===
==== This isn't the RPi Forums ====
This will officially tell all that the RPi Forums are not how the RPi Wiki works! Closes whenever consensus is apparently reached. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 23:01, 11 October 2012 (UTC)

==== Official language ====
'''Note: Due to the importance of this topic, all users, regardless of RPWC membership, may discuss this.'''
As amending to the above, English should be the official language of the wiki. We are in Amnet/Engnet/Euronet, not Runet or Chinet, so let's just say ENGLISH really should be the official language. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 01:37, 11 October 2012 (UTC)
(closes on Friday)

I strongly disagree with that opinion. If you do make all hub page point to english, what is the point of having translation? You are not alone on this planet. A hole bunch of people don't speak (read) english at all.

The point of having translation, is to offer the same information in different languages so as much as possible persons can read thing about the RPi. I know that it is not possible (practically speaking) to have all hub pages having the same exact information but at least the info is there in as much language possible.

If you make english to only language here (even if just for the hub) people will go else where for a wiki and all your good work will be of no use. Just look around http://frenchmagpi.site-mpe.fr/index.php/Accueil, the magpi is being translated to french, issue 5 is already published and issue 6 is in good progress.

In my opinion, "my language is the official one" opinion is selfish and close minded. The goal of a public wiki on the web like this one is to let people share as much as possible their information. Look at the succes of wikipedia, it is available in I don't know many language, there are pages on the same subject in many many languages that don't have all the same information but at least there is information for every one and a lot more people can find information than if just english is available.

It is ok to have the default page point to the english hub but keep the flag and translated hub available to all. Do not trow to garbage the work of all the people who translated (updated) the hub to there own language.

Papillon
:: Thank you for your comments - I've been waiting for further contributions to this discussion since, without proper feedback from the wiki users, this "council" has no mandate for its efforts. Personally, I do not like the term "official language", and feel it would be more appropriate to use the term "primary language". Whilst this wiki has "public access", it appears to be "privately hosted", hence I do not regard it as a "public wiki" like wikipedia. I've already indicated above that I do not wish the existing translation work to be "thrown away", however, some of the "translated hubs" appear to be "skeletal forms" with minimal content. As such they are potentially misleading as to the level and quality of content of this area of work. Should such pages be marked more clearly with their "translation status" (in their "native" language '''and''' English), and with the category "needs editing" (or similar) then I'd be much happier for them to remain linked to.--[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 08:34, 16 October 2012 (UTC)

Hi, I'm not an English native speaker either - and I agree with the proposal of having English as the primary language ... but also with keeping of the already created translations and the hub - in maybe some form of "unofficial" sub-pages without guarantee that they contain the same/verified/complete information. If they really posses any valuable information rather than being just a fork pointing to English articles, they should be kept available (at least as read-only), otherwise it's rational to clean up. The term "official language" may not be the best choice, "primary language" sounds much better, but in my belief this is not about any selfishness, discrimination or anything else than an effort to keep this wiki well organized, readable, oriented on quality content, brief and clear. Maybe the language-hub can be placed somewhere at the bottom or as a sidebar menu (change to official wiki style?) with a clear marking, that its purpose is to provide extra space for smaller communities of people speaking other languages, and/or as some kind of mirrored clones with basic info from the main pages. Well, if that's what this wiki's objectives are... I understand very well that, this wiki may have a specific orientation and every contributor should respect the rules. Also, one wiki cannot meet everybody's wishes. There are plenty other options for specific language oriented wikis, forums, creating own, etc. On the other hand, if there is someone who would like to take over the role of an editor for a specific language and properly maintain the contents of that pages, I'm sure he will be greatly welcome. One more note - everybody should be aware that this is not a official Raspberry Pi Foundation's wiki. It is a publicly available private wiki (notwithstanding that it is created mostly by public community) for embedded Linux systems in general (correct me if necessary), where RPi is one of such systems/devices. It just happened to be the best available place for this purpose at the time, and thus the Raspberry Pi Foundation simply provided a link to this wiki (instead of creating its own, having to maintain it, moderate, etc.). We should be happy for having this place available for public collaboration. But without proper administration, it may easily become just a mess of unreadable contributions and literally lose its point... Who would want that? ;) --[[User:Pinoccio|Pinoccio]] 14:30, 16 October 2012 (UTC)

==== Wiki Design principles ====

<s>All good things require a good design. To improve this site, we should (re)define / clarify its purpose. The following principles are suggested:

Users of the Raspberry Pi will be of three types (or a mixture of these);
(a) competent Linux user,
(b) experienced hardware and/or software modifier / hobbyist
(c) beginner

Each page should consider WHY a reader would be using that page.

A competent Linux user would only want to know how to get the Raspberry Pi working and set up, and any 'peculiarities' relating to the hardware or Linux distribution. The hobbyist would additionally want to know how to use the GPIO ports and associated software, or how to modify / build the distribution or packages not included in that distribution. There should be clear pointers on the first page for the sections relating to these groups.

The beginner will need careful guidance in their first steps. For this, instructions should be clear:
* they lead the user from what they know into what they don't, with each step being small and simple with the 'objective' clearly defined.
* they use simple steps, and should skip optional complications that are not relevant to the current 'lesson', e.g. half of the raspi-config settings are 'advanced'.
* they should include a link to complete documentation for the topic, with a warning that this may cover advanced material, e.g. full raspi-config instructions.
* the writer should take into account that the site, and users, will be global, with english as a second language.
* the writer should take into account the variations of hardware and distribution installed, e.g. the raspi-config utility is not available in many distributions.
* the instructions should clearly state if they are specific to a particular set up, or are 'date sensitive' to changes.
* pages should be separated into GUI and command line pages and flows.
* instructions should be free from point-of-view opinions.
* instructions should link to 'choice' pages that give pros and cons regarding that choice, e.g. which text editor should be used and if it is available / installable.

The beginner guidance should stop at the point where other sites can take over, e.g. once sufficient Linux has been covered, other Linux sites can provide more advanced or specific information. It should also be aligned to the objectives stated by the Raspberry Pi Foundation for why the Raspberry Pi exists.

Proposal, in absence of anything similar. [[User:Simon Small|SimonSmall]] 16:54, 4 October 2012 (UTC)</s>
:I strongly oppose this. We should NEVER split users into "social classes" and English is our official language, just as English is the Raspberry Pi's preferred language. I think this overhaul is too much right now. Why don't we focus on something else first? Also, you can't make proposals unless you already are a council alderman, in which case, as of my posting time, you currently are not. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 01:40, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
::As you clearly don't know much about a wiki, I suggest you become more mature when you apply for alderman in the future. I have rejected your request for aldermanship. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 01:43, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
:::Interesting. Explanation? Quote from above "If anything is wrong with these guidelines please feel free to edit them. Thank you." This raises two questions; (1) What is being done to fix the Wiki? (2) How will (the wiki) encourage new users to contribute, especially the enthusiastic but inexperienced who likely form the target demographic? [[User:Simon Small|SimonSmall]] 21:45, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
::::That means minor changes, not major, overhauling changes. Also, nothing is ''wrong'' with the guidelines! --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 04:30, 7 October 2012 (UTC)

== If you are interested edit here ==
'''Please indicate your interest in joining the council below here, along with a link to your userpage.'''

I have no interest in joining the council myself (just don't have the time), but I think any self-appointed "wiki council" should give itself some validity by spending some time coming up with practical guidelines / recommendations (without being ''too'' restrictive of course) rather than the "petty squabbling" that this page seems to be about so far ;-)
For example maybe you could have a list of pages that you've already "cleaned up", so that we can at least see what "best practices" look like. And maybe you could come up with some guidelines for how pages like [[RPi_Hardware]] and [[RPi_Low-level_peripherals]] should document things which are different for the different revisions of RaspberryPi boards that exist? And Jeff, it might be useful to link to this page from your userpage :) [[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] 23:31, 23 October 2012 (UTC)

Some more things I've spotted after a quick poke around...
* I see you reverted the change Ryanteck made when adding Rastrack, citing "Self advertising" - IMHO Rastrack is a useful link (it's been featured on the RPi blog) and shouldn't count as self-advertising. When deleting links from the wiki (e.g. if they're on "the wrong page"), maybe you could add them onto "the right page" at the same time? We '''do''' want the wiki to be newbie-friendly, don't we? :)
* In terms of "guidelines", should all pages like e.g. [[Raspcontrol]] be renamed to e.g. "RPi_Raspcontrol" ?
* Surely it'd have been better just to edit the existing [[RPi_Wiki_Best_Practice]] rather than nominating it for deletion (and removing all links to it) ? I'm afraid I'm not a wiki-expert so could you explain how it's "clearly misleading from Wikipedia's policies" and how the policies of Wikipedia are relevant to elinux.org ?
* Is the [[RPi Model Wizard]] a joke? Currently there's only one model available to buy... (and even if there ''were'' two models on sale, the "wizard" seems pretty pointless IMHO)
[[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] 00:37, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

Hope you don't mind me adding further comments here... 
Something else that it might be nice for the "wiki council" to clean up, is that there are several orphaned RPi-related pages (see [http://elinux.org/index.php?title=Special:LonelyPages&limit=50&offset=100 here]) so I guess it would be nice if either i) links were added back to those pages or ii) the content from those pages is moved/edited to more appropriate/relevant pages or iii) those pages are marked as "redundant info, please delete" or something ?
[[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] 01:45, 30 October 2012 (UTC)
:Thank you for the info. w.r.t. orphaned pages. I'm still finding my way around here myself, but, being retired, I have more time to deal with such issues than, maybe, Jeff has. (That is, when I'm not trying things out etc. with my raspbery pi boxes). I'll take a look at them as soon as I get the chance. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 14:40, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

I am really bothered by the nonsense at the top of the hub page. The "model wizard" and following pages are quite absurd, and even if they weren't, they don't belong there. Is anybody opposed to removing this content or at least moving it?
[[User:HBrydon|HBrydon]] 22:40 23 Feb 2013 (UTC)
: You have my support, but I suspect "Jeff" will object :-/ I personally think this whole "wiki council" (and it's claim of authority, coupled with lack of action) is absurd too. I added some (personal) comments to [[User_talk:Zootboy]] which in hindsight I should probably have added here. [[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] ([[User talk:AndrewS|talk]]) 13:00, 24 February 2013 (UTC)
:: This wiki is not governed by anyone other than the community. I do my best to remove spam and keep content as current as possible. Should a [[Project:RPi_Council|Raspberry Pi Wiki Council]] wish to maintain a tightly controlled wiki elsewhere, they're welcome to do so. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact [[User:wmat]]. The wiki has worked well for over 8 years in this manner. --[[User:Wmat|Wmat]] ([[User talk:Wmat|talk]]) 14:17, 24 February 2013 (UTC)
::: I had begun to suspect that "Jeff"'s claims of a "mandate" for a "Raspberry Pi Wiki Council" were not as "firm" as I had been led to believe - this being my first venture into a wiki community I guess I was somewhat naive. Any comments or contributions made here were intended to be constructive. However most of my contributions, like those of others, are based upon my current investigations and experimentation with raspberry pi hardware etc., and added, hopefully, to appropriate pages. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] ([[User talk:TrevorGowen|talk]]) 21:32, 24 February 2013 (UTC)
:::: Long time no see , folks ! Well , i'm back and would like your opinion on my TOP 3 proposals :
::::* TOP 1 : Get the old RPi_Hub talk page back.
::::* TOP 2 : An outlet on the raspberrypi.org forums with updates on "cleaning up the Wiki" and a call for editors. This is of paramount importance IMHO. Perhaps we can find interested people from the beta RaspberryPi Stackexchange , too.
::::* TOP 3 : Talk to MagPi translators , other volunteers and eLinux.org admins to find a sane solution to the translation/localization mess on the wiki.
::::Regards , [[User:Ghans|Ghans]] ([[User talk:Ghans|talk]]) 10:42, 23 March 2013 (UTC)

eLinux.org:RPi Council

2013-03-23T13:16:06Z

Ghans: /* If you are interested edit here */

{{Hub Flags}}
{{Clear}}
Because of the messed up stuff on the Raspberry Pi wiki, I have found it necessary to create a governing council for the RPi wiki. Please edit the below section if you'd like to become a member (alderman) of the council.

Note: This is official and is ok with the administration of eLinux.

== Supplemental guidelines ==
''If anything is wrong with these guidelines please feel free to edit them. Thank you.''
=== Guidelines are made from consensus ===
All supplemental guidelines and decisions will now be made by the RPWC and eLinux administration.

== Current council aldermen ==
* President - [[User:Jeff|Jeff]]
* <s>[[User:TrevorGowen|Trevor Gowen]]</s>

== Current issues ==
=== Users ===
==== Mahjongg ====
<s>As he is not answering my requests for identity, he may be impersonating Mahjongg on the forums. I propose the account be blocked indefinitely because it clearly is copying the RPi forum mod's user name.</s> --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 12:26, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
:Verified thru PM. Case closed. :) --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 21:16, 5 October 2012 (UTC)

==== Ghans ====
I propose that since he ruined a lot of formatting that he is not to edit the Raspberry Pi Wiki's formatting for 1 month. You can see clearly [[RPi Wiki Best Practice|here]]. He, in fact, misguided everyone in best practices! I want you to go to Wikipedia and take a hard stare and compare the articles! They are misleading! He clearly cannot go on with this! Anyone else agree? --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] 02:15, 2 October 2012 (UTC) '''Edit: and also add a block of 1 month if he does not comply.''' --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] 22:39, 2 October 2012 (UTC) 
(Note: This decision must be concluded by Wednesday, October 3, 2012.)
:Having compared [[RPi Wiki Best Practice|Ghans' "Best Practice"]] with which, I believe, are the equivalent areas of Wikipedia and parts of the Help sections here I can see what you mean. However, using Wikipedia as a guide, one also has to assume that he was writing with the best of intentions. Unfortunately he does not reveal much about his background, experience etc. on his user page. However, having had the experience of encouraging "best practice" within a mixed group of programmer's of different backgrounds (scientific, computational) and training (formal, informal, none), I am well aware that when considering adopting such from a related area, one also has to consider the needs etc. of the intended users ie. adopt as much as is appropriate, adapt or reject the remainder. An analogy would be that when preparing a presentation one may end up with several versions depending upon the expected audience. Hence, whilst I am prepared to support your proposal, it is on the understanding that this is done so to allow us to begin to formulate more suitable guidelines, given that, eventually, hopefully, there will be younger, enthusiastic but less experienced contributers whom I would not wish to discourage. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 14:40, 2 October 2012 (UTC)
::So you're a support? --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] 22:32, 2 October 2012 (UTC)
:::Assuming I'm interpreting your update above correctly, to mean that he is requested to refrain from edits that change formatting aspects of the Raspbery Pi sections of the Wiki for one month and ignores that request, yes. Hopefully such a request will generate a response, therebye opening up a dialogue, which may resolve matters such that a formal block need not be imposed. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 12:09, 3 October 2012 (UTC)
I guess I will close this with a warning to Ghans. Block not implemented. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 12:39, 3 October 2012 (UTC)

=== Content ===
==== Shutdown of most other language "hubs" ====
'''Due to the importance of this topic, ''everyone'' is invited to post their opinions, even users that are not a council member.''' 
These hubs serve no purpose but to point the respective language speakers to English pages. This is utterly useless. If I only spoke Greek, I would be able to understand the hub, but the hub's purpose is to link to other pages. Unfortunately I would ask a Greek community for help because the links are to ENGLISH pages! Why don't we just tell everyone a bold message: THIS IS AN ENGLISH WIKI! I propose to redirect all these pages to the English page; as for the template Hub Flags, I propose it be renamed as the RPi Hub header, or something like so. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 01:27, 11 October 2012 (UTC) 
'''This shall be concluded on Friday, October 12, 2012 at 9:00pm (21:00) Eastern Standard Time, or whenever an obvious consensus closes.'''
:Is this for real?... it goes against the actions of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, see http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/1715. If they want to spread their Forum into multiple languages, then so should the wiki. [[User:Simon Small|SimonSmall]] 20:31, 11 October 2012 (UTC)
::'''THIS IS NEITHER CONTROLLED BY NOR SANCTIONED BY THE RASPI FOUNDATION'''. Unless YOU want to make all the different language pages, you really need to knock some sense into yourself. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 22:57, 11 October 2012 (UTC)
:Whilst it is my understanding that this section of the eLinux Wiki was created by members of the Raspi Foundation's forum (who, presumably, were already active contributors here), most of the non-english language pages appear to have been created in the early part of 2012 '''before''' the Raspberry Pi was generally available. As the number of active RasPi users grew, it was somewhat inevitable that contributions to this wiki area would increase. Unfortunately this has been at such a pace that, even where there had been significant translation effort in the early stages, at present, there appear to be too few people with the necessary skills to maintain those pages. I certainly don't have them (my French skills learned some 45 years ago are far too "rusty"). From the RPWC's president's comments above, I assume he's in a similar position. Hence, until such time that there are enough RPWC members with sufficient skills and "spare" time to properly check/moderate any translated pages, I agree that it is probably necessary to "shut them down". However, out of respect for the effort put into those early pages, I hope that such a shutdown will not result in complete deletion (where there has been significant effort), just in case their restoration becomes viable. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 17:52, 12 October 2012 (UTC)
::Yes, I will only redirect them. Very well. I guess we have finally reached consensus. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 02:50, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

Well, yes the dictator reach a consensus. FR:RPi-Hub was maintained, I did some change as well as other during the last few months. Now what will happend when french speaking people go the this site. They will see an english only site and move on. Well Done!!

Papillon

If the non-English "hubs" have been shutdown/redirected/whatever, maybe the list at http://elinux.org/RPi_Hub#Translations should be cleaned up too? [[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] 23:13, 23 October 2012 (UTC)

=== Supplemental guidelines ===
==== This isn't the RPi Forums ====
This will officially tell all that the RPi Forums are not how the RPi Wiki works! Closes whenever consensus is apparently reached. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 23:01, 11 October 2012 (UTC)

==== Official language ====
'''Note: Due to the importance of this topic, all users, regardless of RPWC membership, may discuss this.'''
As amending to the above, English should be the official language of the wiki. We are in Amnet/Engnet/Euronet, not Runet or Chinet, so let's just say ENGLISH really should be the official language. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 01:37, 11 October 2012 (UTC)
(closes on Friday)

I strongly disagree with that opinion. If you do make all hub page point to english, what is the point of having translation? You are not alone on this planet. A hole bunch of people don't speak (read) english at all.

The point of having translation, is to offer the same information in different languages so as much as possible persons can read thing about the RPi. I know that it is not possible (practically speaking) to have all hub pages having the same exact information but at least the info is there in as much language possible.

If you make english to only language here (even if just for the hub) people will go else where for a wiki and all your good work will be of no use. Just look around http://frenchmagpi.site-mpe.fr/index.php/Accueil, the magpi is being translated to french, issue 5 is already published and issue 6 is in good progress.

In my opinion, "my language is the official one" opinion is selfish and close minded. The goal of a public wiki on the web like this one is to let people share as much as possible their information. Look at the succes of wikipedia, it is available in I don't know many language, there are pages on the same subject in many many languages that don't have all the same information but at least there is information for every one and a lot more people can find information than if just english is available.

It is ok to have the default page point to the english hub but keep the flag and translated hub available to all. Do not trow to garbage the work of all the people who translated (updated) the hub to there own language.

Papillon
:: Thank you for your comments - I've been waiting for further contributions to this discussion since, without proper feedback from the wiki users, this "council" has no mandate for its efforts. Personally, I do not like the term "official language", and feel it would be more appropriate to use the term "primary language". Whilst this wiki has "public access", it appears to be "privately hosted", hence I do not regard it as a "public wiki" like wikipedia. I've already indicated above that I do not wish the existing translation work to be "thrown away", however, some of the "translated hubs" appear to be "skeletal forms" with minimal content. As such they are potentially misleading as to the level and quality of content of this area of work. Should such pages be marked more clearly with their "translation status" (in their "native" language '''and''' English), and with the category "needs editing" (or similar) then I'd be much happier for them to remain linked to.--[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 08:34, 16 October 2012 (UTC)

Hi, I'm not an English native speaker either - and I agree with the proposal of having English as the primary language ... but also with keeping of the already created translations and the hub - in maybe some form of "unofficial" sub-pages without guarantee that they contain the same/verified/complete information. If they really posses any valuable information rather than being just a fork pointing to English articles, they should be kept available (at least as read-only), otherwise it's rational to clean up. The term "official language" may not be the best choice, "primary language" sounds much better, but in my belief this is not about any selfishness, discrimination or anything else than an effort to keep this wiki well organized, readable, oriented on quality content, brief and clear. Maybe the language-hub can be placed somewhere at the bottom or as a sidebar menu (change to official wiki style?) with a clear marking, that its purpose is to provide extra space for smaller communities of people speaking other languages, and/or as some kind of mirrored clones with basic info from the main pages. Well, if that's what this wiki's objectives are... I understand very well that, this wiki may have a specific orientation and every contributor should respect the rules. Also, one wiki cannot meet everybody's wishes. There are plenty other options for specific language oriented wikis, forums, creating own, etc. On the other hand, if there is someone who would like to take over the role of an editor for a specific language and properly maintain the contents of that pages, I'm sure he will be greatly welcome. One more note - everybody should be aware that this is not a official Raspberry Pi Foundation's wiki. It is a publicly available private wiki (notwithstanding that it is created mostly by public community) for embedded Linux systems in general (correct me if necessary), where RPi is one of such systems/devices. It just happened to be the best available place for this purpose at the time, and thus the Raspberry Pi Foundation simply provided a link to this wiki (instead of creating its own, having to maintain it, moderate, etc.). We should be happy for having this place available for public collaboration. But without proper administration, it may easily become just a mess of unreadable contributions and literally lose its point... Who would want that? ;) --[[User:Pinoccio|Pinoccio]] 14:30, 16 October 2012 (UTC)

==== Wiki Design principles ====

<s>All good things require a good design. To improve this site, we should (re)define / clarify its purpose. The following principles are suggested:

Users of the Raspberry Pi will be of three types (or a mixture of these);
(a) competent Linux user,
(b) experienced hardware and/or software modifier / hobbyist
(c) beginner

Each page should consider WHY a reader would be using that page.

A competent Linux user would only want to know how to get the Raspberry Pi working and set up, and any 'peculiarities' relating to the hardware or Linux distribution. The hobbyist would additionally want to know how to use the GPIO ports and associated software, or how to modify / build the distribution or packages not included in that distribution. There should be clear pointers on the first page for the sections relating to these groups.

The beginner will need careful guidance in their first steps. For this, instructions should be clear:
* they lead the user from what they know into what they don't, with each step being small and simple with the 'objective' clearly defined.
* they use simple steps, and should skip optional complications that are not relevant to the current 'lesson', e.g. half of the raspi-config settings are 'advanced'.
* they should include a link to complete documentation for the topic, with a warning that this may cover advanced material, e.g. full raspi-config instructions.
* the writer should take into account that the site, and users, will be global, with english as a second language.
* the writer should take into account the variations of hardware and distribution installed, e.g. the raspi-config utility is not available in many distributions.
* the instructions should clearly state if they are specific to a particular set up, or are 'date sensitive' to changes.
* pages should be separated into GUI and command line pages and flows.
* instructions should be free from point-of-view opinions.
* instructions should link to 'choice' pages that give pros and cons regarding that choice, e.g. which text editor should be used and if it is available / installable.

The beginner guidance should stop at the point where other sites can take over, e.g. once sufficient Linux has been covered, other Linux sites can provide more advanced or specific information. It should also be aligned to the objectives stated by the Raspberry Pi Foundation for why the Raspberry Pi exists.

Proposal, in absence of anything similar. [[User:Simon Small|SimonSmall]] 16:54, 4 October 2012 (UTC)</s>
:I strongly oppose this. We should NEVER split users into "social classes" and English is our official language, just as English is the Raspberry Pi's preferred language. I think this overhaul is too much right now. Why don't we focus on something else first? Also, you can't make proposals unless you already are a council alderman, in which case, as of my posting time, you currently are not. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 01:40, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
::As you clearly don't know much about a wiki, I suggest you become more mature when you apply for alderman in the future. I have rejected your request for aldermanship. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 01:43, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
:::Interesting. Explanation? Quote from above "If anything is wrong with these guidelines please feel free to edit them. Thank you." This raises two questions; (1) What is being done to fix the Wiki? (2) How will (the wiki) encourage new users to contribute, especially the enthusiastic but inexperienced who likely form the target demographic? [[User:Simon Small|SimonSmall]] 21:45, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
::::That means minor changes, not major, overhauling changes. Also, nothing is ''wrong'' with the guidelines! --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 04:30, 7 October 2012 (UTC)

== If you are interested edit here ==
'''Please indicate your interest in joining the council below here, along with a link to your userpage.'''

I have no interest in joining the council myself (just don't have the time), but I think any self-appointed "wiki council" should give itself some validity by spending some time coming up with practical guidelines / recommendations (without being ''too'' restrictive of course) rather than the "petty squabbling" that this page seems to be about so far ;-)
For example maybe you could have a list of pages that you've already "cleaned up", so that we can at least see what "best practices" look like. And maybe you could come up with some guidelines for how pages like [[RPi_Hardware]] and [[RPi_Low-level_peripherals]] should document things which are different for the different revisions of RaspberryPi boards that exist? And Jeff, it might be useful to link to this page from your userpage :) [[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] 23:31, 23 October 2012 (UTC)

Some more things I've spotted after a quick poke around...
* I see you reverted the change Ryanteck made when adding Rastrack, citing "Self advertising" - IMHO Rastrack is a useful link (it's been featured on the RPi blog) and shouldn't count as self-advertising. When deleting links from the wiki (e.g. if they're on "the wrong page"), maybe you could add them onto "the right page" at the same time? We '''do''' want the wiki to be newbie-friendly, don't we? :)
* In terms of "guidelines", should all pages like e.g. [[Raspcontrol]] be renamed to e.g. "RPi_Raspcontrol" ?
* Surely it'd have been better just to edit the existing [[RPi_Wiki_Best_Practice]] rather than nominating it for deletion (and removing all links to it) ? I'm afraid I'm not a wiki-expert so could you explain how it's "clearly misleading from Wikipedia's policies" and how the policies of Wikipedia are relevant to elinux.org ?
* Is the [[RPi Model Wizard]] a joke? Currently there's only one model available to buy... (and even if there ''were'' two models on sale, the "wizard" seems pretty pointless IMHO)
[[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] 00:37, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

Hope you don't mind me adding further comments here... 
Something else that it might be nice for the "wiki council" to clean up, is that there are several orphaned RPi-related pages (see [http://elinux.org/index.php?title=Special:LonelyPages&limit=50&offset=100 here]) so I guess it would be nice if either i) links were added back to those pages or ii) the content from those pages is moved/edited to more appropriate/relevant pages or iii) those pages are marked as "redundant info, please delete" or something ?
[[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] 01:45, 30 October 2012 (UTC)
:Thank you for the info. w.r.t. orphaned pages. I'm still finding my way around here myself, but, being retired, I have more time to deal with such issues than, maybe, Jeff has. (That is, when I'm not trying things out etc. with my raspbery pi boxes). I'll take a look at them as soon as I get the chance. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 14:40, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

I am really bothered by the nonsense at the top of the hub page. The "model wizard" and following pages are quite absurd, and even if they weren't, they don't belong there. Is anybody opposed to removing this content or at least moving it?
[[User:HBrydon|HBrydon]] 22:40 23 Feb 2013 (UTC)
: You have my support, but I suspect "Jeff" will object :-/ I personally think this whole "wiki council" (and it's claim of authority, coupled with lack of action) is absurd too. I added some (personal) comments to [[User_talk:Zootboy]] which in hindsight I should probably have added here. [[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] ([[User talk:AndrewS|talk]]) 13:00, 24 February 2013 (UTC)
:: This wiki is not governed by anyone other than the community. I do my best to remove spam and keep content as current as possible. Should a [[Project:RPi_Council|Raspberry Pi Wiki Council]] wish to maintain a tightly controlled wiki elsewhere, they're welcome to do so. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact [[User:wmat]]. The wiki has worked well for over 8 years in this manner. --[[User:Wmat|Wmat]] ([[User talk:Wmat|talk]]) 14:17, 24 February 2013 (UTC)
::: I had begun to suspect that "Jeff"'s claims of a "mandate" for a "Raspberry Pi Wiki Council" were not as "firm" as I had been led to believe - this being my first venture into a wiki community I guess I was somewhat naive. Any comments or contributions made here were intended to be constructive. However most of my contributions, like those of others, are based upon my current investigations and experimentation with raspberry pi hardware etc., and added, hopefully, to appropriate pages. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] ([[User talk:TrevorGowen|talk]]) 21:32, 24 February 2013 (UTC)
:::: Long time no see , folks ! Well , i'm back and would like your opinion on my TOP 3 proposals :
::::* TOP 1 : Get the old RPi_Hub talk page back.
::::* TOP 2 : An outlet on the raspberrypi.org forums with updates on "cleaning up the Wiki" and a call for editors. This is of paramount importance IMHO. Perhaps we can find interested people from the beta RaspberryPi Stackexchange , too.
::::* TOP 3 : Talk to MagPi translators , other voluteers and eLinux.org admins to find a sane solution to the translation/localization mess on the wiki.
Regards , [[User:Ghans|Ghans]] ([[User talk:Ghans|talk]]) 10:42, 23 March 2013 (UTC)

RPi FAQ

2013-03-23T11:38:19Z

Ghans: /* Can I run power Raspberry Pi from batteries as well as from a wall socket? */

[[File:R-Pi_Model_AB_Mono-1.png|thumb|right|400px]] [[File:RpiFront.jpg|400px|thumb|right|The Rpi beta board (model B)]] [[File:Rasp_turn_around.gif|200px|thumb|right|A 3D rendering of the Raspberry Pi logo by forum user Antario. [http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum/projects-and-collaboration-general/raspberry-pi-3d-logo-animation Source]]]

== Introduction ==

=== What’s a Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It’s a capable little PC which can be used for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. It also plays high-definition video. We want to see it being used by kids all over the world to learn programming.

==== Can I buy shares in the Raspberry Pi Foundation? ====

We’re a charity, so you can’t buy shares in the company. If you want to support us, we’d love you to buy one. We’ll also be offering a package where you can do a buy-one-give-one purchase, and we’ll be accepting donations too once we start shipping.

== BUYING AND SHIPPING ==

=== Where can I buy one? ===

The Raspi is available to purchase through [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] .
Chinese customers might enquire at [http://egoman.com.cn/ Egoman Technology]

=== How many can I buy in one go? ===

For the first batch we limited orders to one per person. This was to prevent eBay scalping (to some extent – we also auctioned some boards ourselves to try to make sure there’s no market for scalpers), and ensure that as many different individuals as possible got their Raspberry Pi!

=== How much does it cost? ===

The Model A costs $25 and the Model B $35, plus local taxes and shipping.

=== How can I pay for it? ===

The distributors accept most major cards, PayPal, and offline payments.

=== What will I get when I buy one? ===

A Raspberry Pi. Leads, a power supply, case or SD cards are not included but can be purchased from any of the Raspberry Pi vendors: [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]. You can build an operating system on your own SD card or buy one preloaded with Raspian "wheezy" from the same source.

=== Why is the price in US Dollars? You’re a UK company! ===

The components we buy are priced in dollars, and we negotiate manufacturing in dollars. Because currency markets are so volatile at the moment, we price the final board in dollars too, so we don’t have to keep changing the price.

=== Will there be a buy-one-give-one program? ===

Yes. We plan to implement a program of this sort, but you can also just buy one if you prefer.

=== Will the device be available internationally? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] distribute and ship world-wide via subsidiaries and partners in virtually every country. There have been some problems with information about pricing and availability being fully shared among some countries' local offices, but, they are being worked out with the primary distributors and should be resolved by mid-March 2012.

=== How much will it cost to ship to [country X]? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] and their subsidiaries/partners will convey this information before orders are charged, and these costs may vary from country to country, which the Foundation cannot control.

=== Will there be a minimum order quantity? ===

The minimum order quantity is one unit. The maximum order size restriction has been lifted.

=== Do you accept pre-orders? ===

Pre-orders are now being taken by [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]

=== I want to be a Raspberry Pi reseller. ===

We are not taking requests for people to be resellers at the moment.
However , nothing stops your buying devices from the distributors and reselling them with accessories.

=== Can I join the mailing list? ===

You certainly can. Head to the [http://www.raspberrypi.org home page], and you’ll see a form at the top right you can fill in. People who are signed up will get an e-mail as soon as we have confirmed a release date.

== GENERAL ==

=== What’s the difference between Model A and Model B? ===

Model A has 256 MB of RAM, HDMI, one USB port and no Ethernet (network connection).
Two revisions of the Model B exist. The first (now referred to as revision 1) has 256 MB RAM, HDMI, two USB ports and a 100 Mbits/sec Ethernet port.
Model B revision 2 has 512MB RAM with the same ports.

=== What are the dimensions of the Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi measures 85.60mm x 53.98mm x 17mm, with a little overlap for the SD card and connectors which project over the edges. It weighs 45g.

=== What SoC are you using? ===

The SoC is a Broadcom BCM2835. This contains an ARM1176JZFS, with floating point, running at 700Mhz, and a Videocore IV GPU. The GPU is capable of BluRay quality playback, using H.264 at 40 Mbits/s. It has a fast 3D core accessed using the supplied OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG libraries.

=== Why did you select the ARM11? ===

Cost and performance.

=== How powerful is it? ===

The GPU provides Open GL ES 2.0, hardware-accelerated OpenVG, and 1080p30 H.264 high-profile decode.

The GPU is capable of 1 Gpixel/s, 1.5 Gtexel/s or 24 GFLOPs of general purpose compute and features a bunch of texture filtering and DMA infrastructure.

That is, graphics capabilities are roughly equivalent to Xbox 1 level of performance. Overall real-world performance is something like a 300MHz Pentium II, only with much, much swankier graphics.

=== Will it overclock? ===

There’s a little overclocking headroom – most devices will run happily at 800MHz. There’s no BIOS ''per se'', but we do support booting bare metal code, so something could be done.

=== Will it blend? ===

Yes. We have conducted extensive virtual simulations. No Raspberry Pis were harmed in the testing.

=== How does it boot? ===

You have to boot from SD but a USB HD can “take over” after the initial boot. You cannot boot without an SD card.

=== Where’s the on / off switch? ===

To switch on: just plug it in!

To switch off: remove power.

=== Why is there no real time clock (RTC)? ===

The expectation is that non-network connected units will have their clocks updated manually at startup. Adding an RTC is surprisingly expensive, once you’ve factored in batteries, area and componentry and would have pushed us above our target price. You can add one yourself using the GPIO pins if you’re after an interesting electronics project.

=== Will you sell a self-assembly kit? ===

No. It would be too expensive for us to provide kits alongside finished boards, which would mean introducing another step in manufacturing; and a kit would be impossible to hand solder. We use special equipment (robots!) to solder on the BGA package and other tiny components.

=== Can I add extra memory? ===

No. The RAM is a POP package on top of the SoC, so it’s not removable or swappable.

=== What hardware documentation will be available? ===

Broadcom don’t release a full datasheet for the BCM2835, which is the chip at the heart of the Raspberry Pi. We have released a datasheet for the SoC which covers the hardware exposed on the Raspi board e.g. the GPIOs. We also have released a board schematic .

=== But I want documentation for <hardware X>! ===

Other documentation may be released in future but this will be at the Foundation’s discretion.

=== But I ''demand'' the documentation for the chip. Give it to me! ===

To get the full SoC documentation you would need to sign an NDA with Broadcom, who make the chip and sell it to us. But you would also need to provide a business model and estimate of how many chips you are going to sell.

=== Why doesn’t the Raspberry Pi include <insert name> piece of hardware or <insert name> sort of port? ===

Our main function is a charitable one – we’re trying to build the cheapest possible computer that provides a certain basic level of functionality, and keeping the price low means we’ve had to make hard decisions about what hardware and interfaces to include.

=== Can you test it to make sure that it is suitable for <X>? ===

If you want to use it for something that we haven’t tested, and that it’s not intended for (i.e. anything but the educational work we’re planning for it), then that development work is up to you.

=== How do I connect a mouse and keyboard? ===

Model A has one USB port and Model B has two. Beyond this, mice, keyboards, network adapters and external storage will all connect via a USB hub.

== CASES ==

=== Will it have a case? ===

Not for the first batch. We’ll be making and selling cases by the summer; you'll be able to buy a unit with or without a case, or a case on its own. The education release later in 2012 will have a case by default. There are lots of homebrew case discussions on the forum.

=== Will it fit in an Altoids tin? ===

Doesn’t quite work, I’m afraid – because we don’t round off the edges of the board, it’s a little too big to fit the tin.

== GRAPHICS ==

=== What display can I use? ===

There is composite and HDMI out on the board, so you can hook it up to an old analog TV, to a digital TV or to a DVI monitor (using a cheap adapter for the DVI). There is no VGA support, but adaptors are available, although these are relatively expensive.

=== Why is there no VGA support? ===

The chip specifically supports HDMI. VGA is considered to be an end-of-life technology, so supporting it doesn’t fit with our plans at the moment.

=== Is there a GPU binary? ===

Yes. The GPU binary also contains the first stage bootloader.

=== Can I add a touchscreen? ===

We haven’t experimented with any touchscreens yet, but there’s no electronic reason why it shouldn’t work. There’s lots of discussion about this on the forums. The main issue people are encountering seems to be one of cost; touchscreens are very pricey!

=== What is the usable temperature range? ===

The Raspberry Pi is built from commercial chips which are qualified to different temperature ranges; the LAN9512 is specified by the manufacturers being qualified from 0°C to 70°C, while the AP is qualified from -40°C to 85'''°'''C. You may well find that the board will work outside those temperatures, but we’re not qualifying the board itself to these extremes.

== AUDIO ==

=== Is sound over HDMI supported? ===

Yes.

=== What about standard audio in and out? ===

There’s a standard 3.5mm jack for audio out. You can add any supported USB microphone for audio in.

== POWER ==

=== What are the power requirements? ===

The device is powered by 5v micro USB. You can read more about it [http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/260 here]. Power supplies will be available at launch.

=== Can I run power Raspberry Pi from batteries as well as from a wall socket? ===

Yes. The Model A should run well off 4 x AA cells.

=== Is power over Ethernet (PoE) possible? ===

Not in the base device, but it’s been a very commonly requested feature, so we’re examining options for later releases.

== SOFTWARE ==

=== What operating system (OS) does it use? ===

It is capable of running several different [[RPi_Distributions|operating systems]]. As of July 2012, the Foundation recommmends Raspbian "Wheezy" for first-time users. It’s straightforward to replace the root partition on the SD card with another ARM Linux distro if you want to use something else. The OS is stored on the SD card.

=== Does it have an official programming language? ===

By default, we’ll be supporting Python as the educational language.

Any language which will compile for ARMv6 can be used with the Raspberry Pi, though; so you’re not limited to using Python.

=== Will it run WINE (or Windows, or other x86 software)? ====

No.

=== What Linux distros will be supported at launch? ===

Fedora, Debian and ArchLinux will be supported from the start. We hope to see support from other distros later (because of issues with newer releases of Ubuntu and the ARM processor we are using, Ubuntu can’t commit to supporting Raspberry Pi at the moment). You will be able to download distro images from us as soon as the Raspberry Pi is released, and we will also be selling pre-loaded SD cards shortly after release.

=== Will it run Android? ===

If someone in the community can port a version of Android to work with 256MB of RAM, then it’ll run on the Raspberry Pi.

=== Will it run <insert name of program here>? ===

In general, you need to look to see whether the program you want can be compiled for the ARMv6 architecture. In most cases the answer will be yes. Specific programs are discussed on our forum, so you might want to look there for an answer.

=== Will it run the new Windows RT? ===

We are not partners with Microsoft, and their support would be required for porting Windows 8.

== SD cards and storage ==

We have tried cards up to 32GB and most cards seem to work OK. The Wiki has more information about which makes and models work best. You can also attach a USB flash memory stick or USB hard drive for storage.

=== What happens if I brick the device? ===

You can restore the device by reflashing the SD card.

== NETWORKING, USB AND WIRELESS ==

=== Does the device support networking? Is there Wi-Fi? ===

The Model B version of the device includes 10/100 Mbits/second wired Ethernet. There is no Ethernet on the Model A version (which we expect to be taken up mostly by the education market), but Wi-Fi will be available via a standard USB dongle.

=== Will there be a WiFi option? ===

Not in the first version, though you can add a dongle. ARM Linux WiFi support can be a bit patchy; there’s a list of tested dongles on the wiki.

=== Why no Gigabit Ethernet? ===

The Ethernet is driven via USB 2.0, so the upstream bandwidth would not support Gigabit.

=== Does the device have support for any form of netbooting or Pxe? ===

No. However, it’s such a low-power device that we expect it to be left on much of the time!

=== How do you connect more than two USB devices? ===

Use a hub to increase the number of ports. Some keyboards have hubs built in which would work well.

== EDUCATIONAL USES ==

=== What educational material will be available? ===

We’re working with partners to get software materials developed, as well as with the open source community. Computing at School is writing a user guide and programming manual, we’re aware of a few books being planned and written around the Raspberry Pi, and others have already started to produce some excellent tutorials including video. We’re also working with partners to use it as a teaching platform for other subjects, including languages, math, and so on.

Once we launch, we hope that the community will help organizations like Computing at School put together teaching material such as lesson plans and resources and push this into schools. In due course, the foundation hopes to provide a system of prizes to give young people something to work towards.

There’s lots of discussion of educational uses and resources in our forums – come and have a chat!

== GLOSSARY ==

BGA: Ball Grid Array. A type of surface mount packaging for electronics.

SoC: System on Chip. A computer on a single integrated circuit.

GPIO: General Purpose Input/Output. Pins that can be programmed to do stuff.

GPU: Graphics Processing Unit. The hardware that handles 3-D graphics in scientific notation (floating point) math.

Distro: a specific package (“flavor”) of Linux and associated software.

Brick: to accidentally render a device inoperative by making changes to software or firmware.

Pxe: Preboot execution environment. A way to get a device to boot via the network.

PoE: Power over Ethernet. Powering a device via an Ethernet cable.

 

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

RPi FAQ

2013-03-23T11:36:46Z

Ghans: /* How can I pay for it? */

[[File:R-Pi_Model_AB_Mono-1.png|thumb|right|400px]] [[File:RpiFront.jpg|400px|thumb|right|The Rpi beta board (model B)]] [[File:Rasp_turn_around.gif|200px|thumb|right|A 3D rendering of the Raspberry Pi logo by forum user Antario. [http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum/projects-and-collaboration-general/raspberry-pi-3d-logo-animation Source]]]

== Introduction ==

=== What’s a Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It’s a capable little PC which can be used for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. It also plays high-definition video. We want to see it being used by kids all over the world to learn programming.

==== Can I buy shares in the Raspberry Pi Foundation? ====

We’re a charity, so you can’t buy shares in the company. If you want to support us, we’d love you to buy one. We’ll also be offering a package where you can do a buy-one-give-one purchase, and we’ll be accepting donations too once we start shipping.

== BUYING AND SHIPPING ==

=== Where can I buy one? ===

The Raspi is available to purchase through [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] .
Chinese customers might enquire at [http://egoman.com.cn/ Egoman Technology]

=== How many can I buy in one go? ===

For the first batch we limited orders to one per person. This was to prevent eBay scalping (to some extent – we also auctioned some boards ourselves to try to make sure there’s no market for scalpers), and ensure that as many different individuals as possible got their Raspberry Pi!

=== How much does it cost? ===

The Model A costs $25 and the Model B $35, plus local taxes and shipping.

=== How can I pay for it? ===

The distributors accept most major cards, PayPal, and offline payments.

=== What will I get when I buy one? ===

A Raspberry Pi. Leads, a power supply, case or SD cards are not included but can be purchased from any of the Raspberry Pi vendors: [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]. You can build an operating system on your own SD card or buy one preloaded with Raspian "wheezy" from the same source.

=== Why is the price in US Dollars? You’re a UK company! ===

The components we buy are priced in dollars, and we negotiate manufacturing in dollars. Because currency markets are so volatile at the moment, we price the final board in dollars too, so we don’t have to keep changing the price.

=== Will there be a buy-one-give-one program? ===

Yes. We plan to implement a program of this sort, but you can also just buy one if you prefer.

=== Will the device be available internationally? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] distribute and ship world-wide via subsidiaries and partners in virtually every country. There have been some problems with information about pricing and availability being fully shared among some countries' local offices, but, they are being worked out with the primary distributors and should be resolved by mid-March 2012.

=== How much will it cost to ship to [country X]? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] and their subsidiaries/partners will convey this information before orders are charged, and these costs may vary from country to country, which the Foundation cannot control.

=== Will there be a minimum order quantity? ===

The minimum order quantity is one unit. The maximum order size restriction has been lifted.

=== Do you accept pre-orders? ===

Pre-orders are now being taken by [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]

=== I want to be a Raspberry Pi reseller. ===

We are not taking requests for people to be resellers at the moment.
However , nothing stops your buying devices from the distributors and reselling them with accessories.

=== Can I join the mailing list? ===

You certainly can. Head to the [http://www.raspberrypi.org home page], and you’ll see a form at the top right you can fill in. People who are signed up will get an e-mail as soon as we have confirmed a release date.

== GENERAL ==

=== What’s the difference between Model A and Model B? ===

Model A has 256 MB of RAM, HDMI, one USB port and no Ethernet (network connection).
Two revisions of the Model B exist. The first (now referred to as revision 1) has 256 MB RAM, HDMI, two USB ports and a 100 Mbits/sec Ethernet port.
Model B revision 2 has 512MB RAM with the same ports.

=== What are the dimensions of the Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi measures 85.60mm x 53.98mm x 17mm, with a little overlap for the SD card and connectors which project over the edges. It weighs 45g.

=== What SoC are you using? ===

The SoC is a Broadcom BCM2835. This contains an ARM1176JZFS, with floating point, running at 700Mhz, and a Videocore IV GPU. The GPU is capable of BluRay quality playback, using H.264 at 40 Mbits/s. It has a fast 3D core accessed using the supplied OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG libraries.

=== Why did you select the ARM11? ===

Cost and performance.

=== How powerful is it? ===

The GPU provides Open GL ES 2.0, hardware-accelerated OpenVG, and 1080p30 H.264 high-profile decode.

The GPU is capable of 1 Gpixel/s, 1.5 Gtexel/s or 24 GFLOPs of general purpose compute and features a bunch of texture filtering and DMA infrastructure.

That is, graphics capabilities are roughly equivalent to Xbox 1 level of performance. Overall real-world performance is something like a 300MHz Pentium II, only with much, much swankier graphics.

=== Will it overclock? ===

There’s a little overclocking headroom – most devices will run happily at 800MHz. There’s no BIOS ''per se'', but we do support booting bare metal code, so something could be done.

=== Will it blend? ===

Yes. We have conducted extensive virtual simulations. No Raspberry Pis were harmed in the testing.

=== How does it boot? ===

You have to boot from SD but a USB HD can “take over” after the initial boot. You cannot boot without an SD card.

=== Where’s the on / off switch? ===

To switch on: just plug it in!

To switch off: remove power.

=== Why is there no real time clock (RTC)? ===

The expectation is that non-network connected units will have their clocks updated manually at startup. Adding an RTC is surprisingly expensive, once you’ve factored in batteries, area and componentry and would have pushed us above our target price. You can add one yourself using the GPIO pins if you’re after an interesting electronics project.

=== Will you sell a self-assembly kit? ===

No. It would be too expensive for us to provide kits alongside finished boards, which would mean introducing another step in manufacturing; and a kit would be impossible to hand solder. We use special equipment (robots!) to solder on the BGA package and other tiny components.

=== Can I add extra memory? ===

No. The RAM is a POP package on top of the SoC, so it’s not removable or swappable.

=== What hardware documentation will be available? ===

Broadcom don’t release a full datasheet for the BCM2835, which is the chip at the heart of the Raspberry Pi. We have released a datasheet for the SoC which covers the hardware exposed on the Raspi board e.g. the GPIOs. We also have released a board schematic .

=== But I want documentation for <hardware X>! ===

Other documentation may be released in future but this will be at the Foundation’s discretion.

=== But I ''demand'' the documentation for the chip. Give it to me! ===

To get the full SoC documentation you would need to sign an NDA with Broadcom, who make the chip and sell it to us. But you would also need to provide a business model and estimate of how many chips you are going to sell.

=== Why doesn’t the Raspberry Pi include <insert name> piece of hardware or <insert name> sort of port? ===

Our main function is a charitable one – we’re trying to build the cheapest possible computer that provides a certain basic level of functionality, and keeping the price low means we’ve had to make hard decisions about what hardware and interfaces to include.

=== Can you test it to make sure that it is suitable for <X>? ===

If you want to use it for something that we haven’t tested, and that it’s not intended for (i.e. anything but the educational work we’re planning for it), then that development work is up to you.

=== How do I connect a mouse and keyboard? ===

Model A has one USB port and Model B has two. Beyond this, mice, keyboards, network adapters and external storage will all connect via a USB hub.

== CASES ==

=== Will it have a case? ===

Not for the first batch. We’ll be making and selling cases by the summer; you'll be able to buy a unit with or without a case, or a case on its own. The education release later in 2012 will have a case by default. There are lots of homebrew case discussions on the forum.

=== Will it fit in an Altoids tin? ===

Doesn’t quite work, I’m afraid – because we don’t round off the edges of the board, it’s a little too big to fit the tin.

== GRAPHICS ==

=== What display can I use? ===

There is composite and HDMI out on the board, so you can hook it up to an old analog TV, to a digital TV or to a DVI monitor (using a cheap adapter for the DVI). There is no VGA support, but adaptors are available, although these are relatively expensive.

=== Why is there no VGA support? ===

The chip specifically supports HDMI. VGA is considered to be an end-of-life technology, so supporting it doesn’t fit with our plans at the moment.

=== Is there a GPU binary? ===

Yes. The GPU binary also contains the first stage bootloader.

=== Can I add a touchscreen? ===

We haven’t experimented with any touchscreens yet, but there’s no electronic reason why it shouldn’t work. There’s lots of discussion about this on the forums. The main issue people are encountering seems to be one of cost; touchscreens are very pricey!

=== What is the usable temperature range? ===

The Raspberry Pi is built from commercial chips which are qualified to different temperature ranges; the LAN9512 is specified by the manufacturers being qualified from 0°C to 70°C, while the AP is qualified from -40°C to 85'''°'''C. You may well find that the board will work outside those temperatures, but we’re not qualifying the board itself to these extremes.

== AUDIO ==

=== Is sound over HDMI supported? ===

Yes.

=== What about standard audio in and out? ===

There’s a standard 3.5mm jack for audio out. You can add any supported USB microphone for audio in.

== POWER ==

=== What are the power requirements? ===

The device is powered by 5v micro USB. You can read more about it [http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/260 here]. Power supplies will be available at launch.

=== Can I run power Raspberry Pi from batteries as well as from a wall socket? ===

Yes. The device should run well off 4 x AA cells.

=== Is power over Ethernet (PoE) possible? ===

Not in the base device, but it’s been a very commonly requested feature, so we’re examining options for later releases.

== SOFTWARE ==

=== What operating system (OS) does it use? ===

It is capable of running several different [[RPi_Distributions|operating systems]]. As of July 2012, the Foundation recommmends Raspbian "Wheezy" for first-time users. It’s straightforward to replace the root partition on the SD card with another ARM Linux distro if you want to use something else. The OS is stored on the SD card.

=== Does it have an official programming language? ===

By default, we’ll be supporting Python as the educational language.

Any language which will compile for ARMv6 can be used with the Raspberry Pi, though; so you’re not limited to using Python.

=== Will it run WINE (or Windows, or other x86 software)? ====

No.

=== What Linux distros will be supported at launch? ===

Fedora, Debian and ArchLinux will be supported from the start. We hope to see support from other distros later (because of issues with newer releases of Ubuntu and the ARM processor we are using, Ubuntu can’t commit to supporting Raspberry Pi at the moment). You will be able to download distro images from us as soon as the Raspberry Pi is released, and we will also be selling pre-loaded SD cards shortly after release.

=== Will it run Android? ===

If someone in the community can port a version of Android to work with 256MB of RAM, then it’ll run on the Raspberry Pi.

=== Will it run <insert name of program here>? ===

In general, you need to look to see whether the program you want can be compiled for the ARMv6 architecture. In most cases the answer will be yes. Specific programs are discussed on our forum, so you might want to look there for an answer.

=== Will it run the new Windows RT? ===

We are not partners with Microsoft, and their support would be required for porting Windows 8.

== SD cards and storage ==

We have tried cards up to 32GB and most cards seem to work OK. The Wiki has more information about which makes and models work best. You can also attach a USB flash memory stick or USB hard drive for storage.

=== What happens if I brick the device? ===

You can restore the device by reflashing the SD card.

== NETWORKING, USB AND WIRELESS ==

=== Does the device support networking? Is there Wi-Fi? ===

The Model B version of the device includes 10/100 Mbits/second wired Ethernet. There is no Ethernet on the Model A version (which we expect to be taken up mostly by the education market), but Wi-Fi will be available via a standard USB dongle.

=== Will there be a WiFi option? ===

Not in the first version, though you can add a dongle. ARM Linux WiFi support can be a bit patchy; there’s a list of tested dongles on the wiki.

=== Why no Gigabit Ethernet? ===

The Ethernet is driven via USB 2.0, so the upstream bandwidth would not support Gigabit.

=== Does the device have support for any form of netbooting or Pxe? ===

No. However, it’s such a low-power device that we expect it to be left on much of the time!

=== How do you connect more than two USB devices? ===

Use a hub to increase the number of ports. Some keyboards have hubs built in which would work well.

== EDUCATIONAL USES ==

=== What educational material will be available? ===

We’re working with partners to get software materials developed, as well as with the open source community. Computing at School is writing a user guide and programming manual, we’re aware of a few books being planned and written around the Raspberry Pi, and others have already started to produce some excellent tutorials including video. We’re also working with partners to use it as a teaching platform for other subjects, including languages, math, and so on.

Once we launch, we hope that the community will help organizations like Computing at School put together teaching material such as lesson plans and resources and push this into schools. In due course, the foundation hopes to provide a system of prizes to give young people something to work towards.

There’s lots of discussion of educational uses and resources in our forums – come and have a chat!

== GLOSSARY ==

BGA: Ball Grid Array. A type of surface mount packaging for electronics.

SoC: System on Chip. A computer on a single integrated circuit.

GPIO: General Purpose Input/Output. Pins that can be programmed to do stuff.

GPU: Graphics Processing Unit. The hardware that handles 3-D graphics in scientific notation (floating point) math.

Distro: a specific package (“flavor”) of Linux and associated software.

Brick: to accidentally render a device inoperative by making changes to software or firmware.

Pxe: Preboot execution environment. A way to get a device to boot via the network.

PoE: Power over Ethernet. Powering a device via an Ethernet cable.

 

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

RPi FAQ

2013-03-23T11:35:06Z

Ghans: /* What hardware documentation will be available? */

[[File:R-Pi_Model_AB_Mono-1.png|thumb|right|400px]] [[File:RpiFront.jpg|400px|thumb|right|The Rpi beta board (model B)]] [[File:Rasp_turn_around.gif|200px|thumb|right|A 3D rendering of the Raspberry Pi logo by forum user Antario. [http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum/projects-and-collaboration-general/raspberry-pi-3d-logo-animation Source]]]

== Introduction ==

=== What’s a Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It’s a capable little PC which can be used for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. It also plays high-definition video. We want to see it being used by kids all over the world to learn programming.

==== Can I buy shares in the Raspberry Pi Foundation? ====

We’re a charity, so you can’t buy shares in the company. If you want to support us, we’d love you to buy one. We’ll also be offering a package where you can do a buy-one-give-one purchase, and we’ll be accepting donations too once we start shipping.

== BUYING AND SHIPPING ==

=== Where can I buy one? ===

The Raspi is available to purchase through [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] .
Chinese customers might enquire at [http://egoman.com.cn/ Egoman Technology]

=== How many can I buy in one go? ===

For the first batch we limited orders to one per person. This was to prevent eBay scalping (to some extent – we also auctioned some boards ourselves to try to make sure there’s no market for scalpers), and ensure that as many different individuals as possible got their Raspberry Pi!

=== How much does it cost? ===

The Model A costs $25 and the Model B $35, plus local taxes and shipping.

=== How can I pay for it? ===

We will accept most major cards, PayPal, and offline payments.

=== What will I get when I buy one? ===

A Raspberry Pi. Leads, a power supply, case or SD cards are not included but can be purchased from any of the Raspberry Pi vendors: [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]. You can build an operating system on your own SD card or buy one preloaded with Raspian "wheezy" from the same source.

=== Why is the price in US Dollars? You’re a UK company! ===

The components we buy are priced in dollars, and we negotiate manufacturing in dollars. Because currency markets are so volatile at the moment, we price the final board in dollars too, so we don’t have to keep changing the price.

=== Will there be a buy-one-give-one program? ===

Yes. We plan to implement a program of this sort, but you can also just buy one if you prefer.

=== Will the device be available internationally? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] distribute and ship world-wide via subsidiaries and partners in virtually every country. There have been some problems with information about pricing and availability being fully shared among some countries' local offices, but, they are being worked out with the primary distributors and should be resolved by mid-March 2012.

=== How much will it cost to ship to [country X]? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] and their subsidiaries/partners will convey this information before orders are charged, and these costs may vary from country to country, which the Foundation cannot control.

=== Will there be a minimum order quantity? ===

The minimum order quantity is one unit. The maximum order size restriction has been lifted.

=== Do you accept pre-orders? ===

Pre-orders are now being taken by [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]

=== I want to be a Raspberry Pi reseller. ===

We are not taking requests for people to be resellers at the moment.
However , nothing stops your buying devices from the distributors and reselling them with accessories.

=== Can I join the mailing list? ===

You certainly can. Head to the [http://www.raspberrypi.org home page], and you’ll see a form at the top right you can fill in. People who are signed up will get an e-mail as soon as we have confirmed a release date.

== GENERAL ==

=== What’s the difference between Model A and Model B? ===

Model A has 256 MB of RAM, HDMI, one USB port and no Ethernet (network connection).
Two revisions of the Model B exist. The first (now referred to as revision 1) has 256 MB RAM, HDMI, two USB ports and a 100 Mbits/sec Ethernet port.
Model B revision 2 has 512MB RAM with the same ports.

=== What are the dimensions of the Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi measures 85.60mm x 53.98mm x 17mm, with a little overlap for the SD card and connectors which project over the edges. It weighs 45g.

=== What SoC are you using? ===

The SoC is a Broadcom BCM2835. This contains an ARM1176JZFS, with floating point, running at 700Mhz, and a Videocore IV GPU. The GPU is capable of BluRay quality playback, using H.264 at 40 Mbits/s. It has a fast 3D core accessed using the supplied OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG libraries.

=== Why did you select the ARM11? ===

Cost and performance.

=== How powerful is it? ===

The GPU provides Open GL ES 2.0, hardware-accelerated OpenVG, and 1080p30 H.264 high-profile decode.

The GPU is capable of 1 Gpixel/s, 1.5 Gtexel/s or 24 GFLOPs of general purpose compute and features a bunch of texture filtering and DMA infrastructure.

That is, graphics capabilities are roughly equivalent to Xbox 1 level of performance. Overall real-world performance is something like a 300MHz Pentium II, only with much, much swankier graphics.

=== Will it overclock? ===

There’s a little overclocking headroom – most devices will run happily at 800MHz. There’s no BIOS ''per se'', but we do support booting bare metal code, so something could be done.

=== Will it blend? ===

Yes. We have conducted extensive virtual simulations. No Raspberry Pis were harmed in the testing.

=== How does it boot? ===

You have to boot from SD but a USB HD can “take over” after the initial boot. You cannot boot without an SD card.

=== Where’s the on / off switch? ===

To switch on: just plug it in!

To switch off: remove power.

=== Why is there no real time clock (RTC)? ===

The expectation is that non-network connected units will have their clocks updated manually at startup. Adding an RTC is surprisingly expensive, once you’ve factored in batteries, area and componentry and would have pushed us above our target price. You can add one yourself using the GPIO pins if you’re after an interesting electronics project.

=== Will you sell a self-assembly kit? ===

No. It would be too expensive for us to provide kits alongside finished boards, which would mean introducing another step in manufacturing; and a kit would be impossible to hand solder. We use special equipment (robots!) to solder on the BGA package and other tiny components.

=== Can I add extra memory? ===

No. The RAM is a POP package on top of the SoC, so it’s not removable or swappable.

=== What hardware documentation will be available? ===

Broadcom don’t release a full datasheet for the BCM2835, which is the chip at the heart of the Raspberry Pi. We have released a datasheet for the SoC which covers the hardware exposed on the Raspi board e.g. the GPIOs. We also have released a board schematic .

=== But I want documentation for <hardware X>! ===

Other documentation may be released in future but this will be at the Foundation’s discretion.

=== But I ''demand'' the documentation for the chip. Give it to me! ===

To get the full SoC documentation you would need to sign an NDA with Broadcom, who make the chip and sell it to us. But you would also need to provide a business model and estimate of how many chips you are going to sell.

=== Why doesn’t the Raspberry Pi include <insert name> piece of hardware or <insert name> sort of port? ===

Our main function is a charitable one – we’re trying to build the cheapest possible computer that provides a certain basic level of functionality, and keeping the price low means we’ve had to make hard decisions about what hardware and interfaces to include.

=== Can you test it to make sure that it is suitable for <X>? ===

If you want to use it for something that we haven’t tested, and that it’s not intended for (i.e. anything but the educational work we’re planning for it), then that development work is up to you.

=== How do I connect a mouse and keyboard? ===

Model A has one USB port and Model B has two. Beyond this, mice, keyboards, network adapters and external storage will all connect via a USB hub.

== CASES ==

=== Will it have a case? ===

Not for the first batch. We’ll be making and selling cases by the summer; you'll be able to buy a unit with or without a case, or a case on its own. The education release later in 2012 will have a case by default. There are lots of homebrew case discussions on the forum.

=== Will it fit in an Altoids tin? ===

Doesn’t quite work, I’m afraid – because we don’t round off the edges of the board, it’s a little too big to fit the tin.

== GRAPHICS ==

=== What display can I use? ===

There is composite and HDMI out on the board, so you can hook it up to an old analog TV, to a digital TV or to a DVI monitor (using a cheap adapter for the DVI). There is no VGA support, but adaptors are available, although these are relatively expensive.

=== Why is there no VGA support? ===

The chip specifically supports HDMI. VGA is considered to be an end-of-life technology, so supporting it doesn’t fit with our plans at the moment.

=== Is there a GPU binary? ===

Yes. The GPU binary also contains the first stage bootloader.

=== Can I add a touchscreen? ===

We haven’t experimented with any touchscreens yet, but there’s no electronic reason why it shouldn’t work. There’s lots of discussion about this on the forums. The main issue people are encountering seems to be one of cost; touchscreens are very pricey!

=== What is the usable temperature range? ===

The Raspberry Pi is built from commercial chips which are qualified to different temperature ranges; the LAN9512 is specified by the manufacturers being qualified from 0°C to 70°C, while the AP is qualified from -40°C to 85'''°'''C. You may well find that the board will work outside those temperatures, but we’re not qualifying the board itself to these extremes.

== AUDIO ==

=== Is sound over HDMI supported? ===

Yes.

=== What about standard audio in and out? ===

There’s a standard 3.5mm jack for audio out. You can add any supported USB microphone for audio in.

== POWER ==

=== What are the power requirements? ===

The device is powered by 5v micro USB. You can read more about it [http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/260 here]. Power supplies will be available at launch.

=== Can I run power Raspberry Pi from batteries as well as from a wall socket? ===

Yes. The device should run well off 4 x AA cells.

=== Is power over Ethernet (PoE) possible? ===

Not in the base device, but it’s been a very commonly requested feature, so we’re examining options for later releases.

== SOFTWARE ==

=== What operating system (OS) does it use? ===

It is capable of running several different [[RPi_Distributions|operating systems]]. As of July 2012, the Foundation recommmends Raspbian "Wheezy" for first-time users. It’s straightforward to replace the root partition on the SD card with another ARM Linux distro if you want to use something else. The OS is stored on the SD card.

=== Does it have an official programming language? ===

By default, we’ll be supporting Python as the educational language.

Any language which will compile for ARMv6 can be used with the Raspberry Pi, though; so you’re not limited to using Python.

=== Will it run WINE (or Windows, or other x86 software)? ====

No.

=== What Linux distros will be supported at launch? ===

Fedora, Debian and ArchLinux will be supported from the start. We hope to see support from other distros later (because of issues with newer releases of Ubuntu and the ARM processor we are using, Ubuntu can’t commit to supporting Raspberry Pi at the moment). You will be able to download distro images from us as soon as the Raspberry Pi is released, and we will also be selling pre-loaded SD cards shortly after release.

=== Will it run Android? ===

If someone in the community can port a version of Android to work with 256MB of RAM, then it’ll run on the Raspberry Pi.

=== Will it run <insert name of program here>? ===

In general, you need to look to see whether the program you want can be compiled for the ARMv6 architecture. In most cases the answer will be yes. Specific programs are discussed on our forum, so you might want to look there for an answer.

=== Will it run the new Windows RT? ===

We are not partners with Microsoft, and their support would be required for porting Windows 8.

== SD cards and storage ==

We have tried cards up to 32GB and most cards seem to work OK. The Wiki has more information about which makes and models work best. You can also attach a USB flash memory stick or USB hard drive for storage.

=== What happens if I brick the device? ===

You can restore the device by reflashing the SD card.

== NETWORKING, USB AND WIRELESS ==

=== Does the device support networking? Is there Wi-Fi? ===

The Model B version of the device includes 10/100 Mbits/second wired Ethernet. There is no Ethernet on the Model A version (which we expect to be taken up mostly by the education market), but Wi-Fi will be available via a standard USB dongle.

=== Will there be a WiFi option? ===

Not in the first version, though you can add a dongle. ARM Linux WiFi support can be a bit patchy; there’s a list of tested dongles on the wiki.

=== Why no Gigabit Ethernet? ===

The Ethernet is driven via USB 2.0, so the upstream bandwidth would not support Gigabit.

=== Does the device have support for any form of netbooting or Pxe? ===

No. However, it’s such a low-power device that we expect it to be left on much of the time!

=== How do you connect more than two USB devices? ===

Use a hub to increase the number of ports. Some keyboards have hubs built in which would work well.

== EDUCATIONAL USES ==

=== What educational material will be available? ===

We’re working with partners to get software materials developed, as well as with the open source community. Computing at School is writing a user guide and programming manual, we’re aware of a few books being planned and written around the Raspberry Pi, and others have already started to produce some excellent tutorials including video. We’re also working with partners to use it as a teaching platform for other subjects, including languages, math, and so on.

Once we launch, we hope that the community will help organizations like Computing at School put together teaching material such as lesson plans and resources and push this into schools. In due course, the foundation hopes to provide a system of prizes to give young people something to work towards.

There’s lots of discussion of educational uses and resources in our forums – come and have a chat!

== GLOSSARY ==

BGA: Ball Grid Array. A type of surface mount packaging for electronics.

SoC: System on Chip. A computer on a single integrated circuit.

GPIO: General Purpose Input/Output. Pins that can be programmed to do stuff.

GPU: Graphics Processing Unit. The hardware that handles 3-D graphics in scientific notation (floating point) math.

Distro: a specific package (“flavor”) of Linux and associated software.

Brick: to accidentally render a device inoperative by making changes to software or firmware.

Pxe: Preboot execution environment. A way to get a device to boot via the network.

PoE: Power over Ethernet. Powering a device via an Ethernet cable.

 

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

RPi FAQ

2013-03-23T11:33:02Z

Ghans: /* Will there be a minimum order quantity? */

[[File:R-Pi_Model_AB_Mono-1.png|thumb|right|400px]] [[File:RpiFront.jpg|400px|thumb|right|The Rpi beta board (model B)]] [[File:Rasp_turn_around.gif|200px|thumb|right|A 3D rendering of the Raspberry Pi logo by forum user Antario. [http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum/projects-and-collaboration-general/raspberry-pi-3d-logo-animation Source]]]

== Introduction ==

=== What’s a Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It’s a capable little PC which can be used for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. It also plays high-definition video. We want to see it being used by kids all over the world to learn programming.

==== Can I buy shares in the Raspberry Pi Foundation? ====

We’re a charity, so you can’t buy shares in the company. If you want to support us, we’d love you to buy one. We’ll also be offering a package where you can do a buy-one-give-one purchase, and we’ll be accepting donations too once we start shipping.

== BUYING AND SHIPPING ==

=== Where can I buy one? ===

The Raspi is available to purchase through [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] .
Chinese customers might enquire at [http://egoman.com.cn/ Egoman Technology]

=== How many can I buy in one go? ===

For the first batch we limited orders to one per person. This was to prevent eBay scalping (to some extent – we also auctioned some boards ourselves to try to make sure there’s no market for scalpers), and ensure that as many different individuals as possible got their Raspberry Pi!

=== How much does it cost? ===

The Model A costs $25 and the Model B $35, plus local taxes and shipping.

=== How can I pay for it? ===

We will accept most major cards, PayPal, and offline payments.

=== What will I get when I buy one? ===

A Raspberry Pi. Leads, a power supply, case or SD cards are not included but can be purchased from any of the Raspberry Pi vendors: [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]. You can build an operating system on your own SD card or buy one preloaded with Raspian "wheezy" from the same source.

=== Why is the price in US Dollars? You’re a UK company! ===

The components we buy are priced in dollars, and we negotiate manufacturing in dollars. Because currency markets are so volatile at the moment, we price the final board in dollars too, so we don’t have to keep changing the price.

=== Will there be a buy-one-give-one program? ===

Yes. We plan to implement a program of this sort, but you can also just buy one if you prefer.

=== Will the device be available internationally? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] distribute and ship world-wide via subsidiaries and partners in virtually every country. There have been some problems with information about pricing and availability being fully shared among some countries' local offices, but, they are being worked out with the primary distributors and should be resolved by mid-March 2012.

=== How much will it cost to ship to [country X]? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] and their subsidiaries/partners will convey this information before orders are charged, and these costs may vary from country to country, which the Foundation cannot control.

=== Will there be a minimum order quantity? ===

The minimum order quantity is one unit. The maximum order size restriction has been lifted.

=== Do you accept pre-orders? ===

Pre-orders are now being taken by [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]

=== I want to be a Raspberry Pi reseller. ===

We are not taking requests for people to be resellers at the moment.
However , nothing stops your buying devices from the distributors and reselling them with accessories.

=== Can I join the mailing list? ===

You certainly can. Head to the [http://www.raspberrypi.org home page], and you’ll see a form at the top right you can fill in. People who are signed up will get an e-mail as soon as we have confirmed a release date.

== GENERAL ==

=== What’s the difference between Model A and Model B? ===

Model A has 256 MB of RAM, HDMI, one USB port and no Ethernet (network connection).
Two revisions of the Model B exist. The first (now referred to as revision 1) has 256 MB RAM, HDMI, two USB ports and a 100 Mbits/sec Ethernet port.
Model B revision 2 has 512MB RAM with the same ports.

=== What are the dimensions of the Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi measures 85.60mm x 53.98mm x 17mm, with a little overlap for the SD card and connectors which project over the edges. It weighs 45g.

=== What SoC are you using? ===

The SoC is a Broadcom BCM2835. This contains an ARM1176JZFS, with floating point, running at 700Mhz, and a Videocore IV GPU. The GPU is capable of BluRay quality playback, using H.264 at 40 Mbits/s. It has a fast 3D core accessed using the supplied OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG libraries.

=== Why did you select the ARM11? ===

Cost and performance.

=== How powerful is it? ===

The GPU provides Open GL ES 2.0, hardware-accelerated OpenVG, and 1080p30 H.264 high-profile decode.

The GPU is capable of 1 Gpixel/s, 1.5 Gtexel/s or 24 GFLOPs of general purpose compute and features a bunch of texture filtering and DMA infrastructure.

That is, graphics capabilities are roughly equivalent to Xbox 1 level of performance. Overall real-world performance is something like a 300MHz Pentium II, only with much, much swankier graphics.

=== Will it overclock? ===

There’s a little overclocking headroom – most devices will run happily at 800MHz. There’s no BIOS ''per se'', but we do support booting bare metal code, so something could be done.

=== Will it blend? ===

Yes. We have conducted extensive virtual simulations. No Raspberry Pis were harmed in the testing.

=== How does it boot? ===

You have to boot from SD but a USB HD can “take over” after the initial boot. You cannot boot without an SD card.

=== Where’s the on / off switch? ===

To switch on: just plug it in!

To switch off: remove power.

=== Why is there no real time clock (RTC)? ===

The expectation is that non-network connected units will have their clocks updated manually at startup. Adding an RTC is surprisingly expensive, once you’ve factored in batteries, area and componentry and would have pushed us above our target price. You can add one yourself using the GPIO pins if you’re after an interesting electronics project.

=== Will you sell a self-assembly kit? ===

No. It would be too expensive for us to provide kits alongside finished boards, which would mean introducing another step in manufacturing; and a kit would be impossible to hand solder. We use special equipment (robots!) to solder on the BGA package and other tiny components.

=== Can I add extra memory? ===

No. The RAM is a POP package on top of the SoC, so it’s not removable or swappable.

=== What hardware documentation will be available? ===

Broadcom don’t release a full datasheet for the BCM2835, which is the chip at the heart of the Raspberry Pi. We have released a datasheet for the SoC which will cover the hardware exposed on the Raspi board e.g. the GPIOs. We also have released a board schematic .

=== But I want documentation for <hardware X>! ===

Other documentation may be released in future but this will be at the Foundation’s discretion.

=== But I ''demand'' the documentation for the chip. Give it to me! ===

To get the full SoC documentation you would need to sign an NDA with Broadcom, who make the chip and sell it to us. But you would also need to provide a business model and estimate of how many chips you are going to sell.

=== Why doesn’t the Raspberry Pi include <insert name> piece of hardware or <insert name> sort of port? ===

Our main function is a charitable one – we’re trying to build the cheapest possible computer that provides a certain basic level of functionality, and keeping the price low means we’ve had to make hard decisions about what hardware and interfaces to include.

=== Can you test it to make sure that it is suitable for <X>? ===

If you want to use it for something that we haven’t tested, and that it’s not intended for (i.e. anything but the educational work we’re planning for it), then that development work is up to you.

=== How do I connect a mouse and keyboard? ===

Model A has one USB port and Model B has two. Beyond this, mice, keyboards, network adapters and external storage will all connect via a USB hub.

== CASES ==

=== Will it have a case? ===

Not for the first batch. We’ll be making and selling cases by the summer; you'll be able to buy a unit with or without a case, or a case on its own. The education release later in 2012 will have a case by default. There are lots of homebrew case discussions on the forum.

=== Will it fit in an Altoids tin? ===

Doesn’t quite work, I’m afraid – because we don’t round off the edges of the board, it’s a little too big to fit the tin.

== GRAPHICS ==

=== What display can I use? ===

There is composite and HDMI out on the board, so you can hook it up to an old analog TV, to a digital TV or to a DVI monitor (using a cheap adapter for the DVI). There is no VGA support, but adaptors are available, although these are relatively expensive.

=== Why is there no VGA support? ===

The chip specifically supports HDMI. VGA is considered to be an end-of-life technology, so supporting it doesn’t fit with our plans at the moment.

=== Is there a GPU binary? ===

Yes. The GPU binary also contains the first stage bootloader.

=== Can I add a touchscreen? ===

We haven’t experimented with any touchscreens yet, but there’s no electronic reason why it shouldn’t work. There’s lots of discussion about this on the forums. The main issue people are encountering seems to be one of cost; touchscreens are very pricey!

=== What is the usable temperature range? ===

The Raspberry Pi is built from commercial chips which are qualified to different temperature ranges; the LAN9512 is specified by the manufacturers being qualified from 0°C to 70°C, while the AP is qualified from -40°C to 85'''°'''C. You may well find that the board will work outside those temperatures, but we’re not qualifying the board itself to these extremes.

== AUDIO ==

=== Is sound over HDMI supported? ===

Yes.

=== What about standard audio in and out? ===

There’s a standard 3.5mm jack for audio out. You can add any supported USB microphone for audio in.

== POWER ==

=== What are the power requirements? ===

The device is powered by 5v micro USB. You can read more about it [http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/260 here]. Power supplies will be available at launch.

=== Can I run power Raspberry Pi from batteries as well as from a wall socket? ===

Yes. The device should run well off 4 x AA cells.

=== Is power over Ethernet (PoE) possible? ===

Not in the base device, but it’s been a very commonly requested feature, so we’re examining options for later releases.

== SOFTWARE ==

=== What operating system (OS) does it use? ===

It is capable of running several different [[RPi_Distributions|operating systems]]. As of July 2012, the Foundation recommmends Raspbian "Wheezy" for first-time users. It’s straightforward to replace the root partition on the SD card with another ARM Linux distro if you want to use something else. The OS is stored on the SD card.

=== Does it have an official programming language? ===

By default, we’ll be supporting Python as the educational language.

Any language which will compile for ARMv6 can be used with the Raspberry Pi, though; so you’re not limited to using Python.

=== Will it run WINE (or Windows, or other x86 software)? ====

No.

=== What Linux distros will be supported at launch? ===

Fedora, Debian and ArchLinux will be supported from the start. We hope to see support from other distros later (because of issues with newer releases of Ubuntu and the ARM processor we are using, Ubuntu can’t commit to supporting Raspberry Pi at the moment). You will be able to download distro images from us as soon as the Raspberry Pi is released, and we will also be selling pre-loaded SD cards shortly after release.

=== Will it run Android? ===

If someone in the community can port a version of Android to work with 256MB of RAM, then it’ll run on the Raspberry Pi.

=== Will it run <insert name of program here>? ===

In general, you need to look to see whether the program you want can be compiled for the ARMv6 architecture. In most cases the answer will be yes. Specific programs are discussed on our forum, so you might want to look there for an answer.

=== Will it run the new Windows RT? ===

We are not partners with Microsoft, and their support would be required for porting Windows 8.

== SD cards and storage ==

We have tried cards up to 32GB and most cards seem to work OK. The Wiki has more information about which makes and models work best. You can also attach a USB flash memory stick or USB hard drive for storage.

=== What happens if I brick the device? ===

You can restore the device by reflashing the SD card.

== NETWORKING, USB AND WIRELESS ==

=== Does the device support networking? Is there Wi-Fi? ===

The Model B version of the device includes 10/100 Mbits/second wired Ethernet. There is no Ethernet on the Model A version (which we expect to be taken up mostly by the education market), but Wi-Fi will be available via a standard USB dongle.

=== Will there be a WiFi option? ===

Not in the first version, though you can add a dongle. ARM Linux WiFi support can be a bit patchy; there’s a list of tested dongles on the wiki.

=== Why no Gigabit Ethernet? ===

The Ethernet is driven via USB 2.0, so the upstream bandwidth would not support Gigabit.

=== Does the device have support for any form of netbooting or Pxe? ===

No. However, it’s such a low-power device that we expect it to be left on much of the time!

=== How do you connect more than two USB devices? ===

Use a hub to increase the number of ports. Some keyboards have hubs built in which would work well.

== EDUCATIONAL USES ==

=== What educational material will be available? ===

We’re working with partners to get software materials developed, as well as with the open source community. Computing at School is writing a user guide and programming manual, we’re aware of a few books being planned and written around the Raspberry Pi, and others have already started to produce some excellent tutorials including video. We’re also working with partners to use it as a teaching platform for other subjects, including languages, math, and so on.

Once we launch, we hope that the community will help organizations like Computing at School put together teaching material such as lesson plans and resources and push this into schools. In due course, the foundation hopes to provide a system of prizes to give young people something to work towards.

There’s lots of discussion of educational uses and resources in our forums – come and have a chat!

== GLOSSARY ==

BGA: Ball Grid Array. A type of surface mount packaging for electronics.

SoC: System on Chip. A computer on a single integrated circuit.

GPIO: General Purpose Input/Output. Pins that can be programmed to do stuff.

GPU: Graphics Processing Unit. The hardware that handles 3-D graphics in scientific notation (floating point) math.

Distro: a specific package (“flavor”) of Linux and associated software.

Brick: to accidentally render a device inoperative by making changes to software or firmware.

Pxe: Preboot execution environment. A way to get a device to boot via the network.

PoE: Power over Ethernet. Powering a device via an Ethernet cable.

 

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

RPi FAQ

2013-03-23T11:29:47Z

Ghans: /* How many can I buy in one go? */

[[File:R-Pi_Model_AB_Mono-1.png|thumb|right|400px]] [[File:RpiFront.jpg|400px|thumb|right|The Rpi beta board (model B)]] [[File:Rasp_turn_around.gif|200px|thumb|right|A 3D rendering of the Raspberry Pi logo by forum user Antario. [http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum/projects-and-collaboration-general/raspberry-pi-3d-logo-animation Source]]]

== Introduction ==

=== What’s a Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It’s a capable little PC which can be used for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. It also plays high-definition video. We want to see it being used by kids all over the world to learn programming.

==== Can I buy shares in the Raspberry Pi Foundation? ====

We’re a charity, so you can’t buy shares in the company. If you want to support us, we’d love you to buy one. We’ll also be offering a package where you can do a buy-one-give-one purchase, and we’ll be accepting donations too once we start shipping.

== BUYING AND SHIPPING ==

=== Where can I buy one? ===

The Raspi is available to purchase through [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] .
Chinese customers might enquire at [http://egoman.com.cn/ Egoman Technology]

=== How many can I buy in one go? ===

For the first batch we limited orders to one per person. This was to prevent eBay scalping (to some extent – we also auctioned some boards ourselves to try to make sure there’s no market for scalpers), and ensure that as many different individuals as possible got their Raspberry Pi!

=== How much does it cost? ===

The Model A costs $25 and the Model B $35, plus local taxes and shipping.

=== How can I pay for it? ===

We will accept most major cards, PayPal, and offline payments.

=== What will I get when I buy one? ===

A Raspberry Pi. Leads, a power supply, case or SD cards are not included but can be purchased from any of the Raspberry Pi vendors: [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]. You can build an operating system on your own SD card or buy one preloaded with Raspian "wheezy" from the same source.

=== Why is the price in US Dollars? You’re a UK company! ===

The components we buy are priced in dollars, and we negotiate manufacturing in dollars. Because currency markets are so volatile at the moment, we price the final board in dollars too, so we don’t have to keep changing the price.

=== Will there be a buy-one-give-one program? ===

Yes. We plan to implement a program of this sort, but you can also just buy one if you prefer.

=== Will the device be available internationally? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] distribute and ship world-wide via subsidiaries and partners in virtually every country. There have been some problems with information about pricing and availability being fully shared among some countries' local offices, but, they are being worked out with the primary distributors and should be resolved by mid-March 2012.

=== How much will it cost to ship to [country X]? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] and their subsidiaries/partners will convey this information before orders are charged, and these costs may vary from country to country, which the Foundation cannot control.

=== Will there be a minimum order quantity? ===

Originally, the minimum order quantity was one unit. This restriction has been lifted.

=== Do you accept pre-orders? ===

Pre-orders are now being taken by [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]

=== I want to be a Raspberry Pi reseller. ===

We are not taking requests for people to be resellers at the moment.
However , nothing stops your buying devices from the distributors and reselling them with accessories.

=== Can I join the mailing list? ===

You certainly can. Head to the [http://www.raspberrypi.org home page], and you’ll see a form at the top right you can fill in. People who are signed up will get an e-mail as soon as we have confirmed a release date.

== GENERAL ==

=== What’s the difference between Model A and Model B? ===

Model A has 256 MB of RAM, HDMI, one USB port and no Ethernet (network connection).
Two revisions of the Model B exist. The first (now referred to as revision 1) has 256 MB RAM, HDMI, two USB ports and a 100 Mbits/sec Ethernet port.
Model B revision 2 has 512MB RAM with the same ports.

=== What are the dimensions of the Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi measures 85.60mm x 53.98mm x 17mm, with a little overlap for the SD card and connectors which project over the edges. It weighs 45g.

=== What SoC are you using? ===

The SoC is a Broadcom BCM2835. This contains an ARM1176JZFS, with floating point, running at 700Mhz, and a Videocore IV GPU. The GPU is capable of BluRay quality playback, using H.264 at 40 Mbits/s. It has a fast 3D core accessed using the supplied OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG libraries.

=== Why did you select the ARM11? ===

Cost and performance.

=== How powerful is it? ===

The GPU provides Open GL ES 2.0, hardware-accelerated OpenVG, and 1080p30 H.264 high-profile decode.

The GPU is capable of 1 Gpixel/s, 1.5 Gtexel/s or 24 GFLOPs of general purpose compute and features a bunch of texture filtering and DMA infrastructure.

That is, graphics capabilities are roughly equivalent to Xbox 1 level of performance. Overall real-world performance is something like a 300MHz Pentium II, only with much, much swankier graphics.

=== Will it overclock? ===

There’s a little overclocking headroom – most devices will run happily at 800MHz. There’s no BIOS ''per se'', but we do support booting bare metal code, so something could be done.

=== Will it blend? ===

Yes. We have conducted extensive virtual simulations. No Raspberry Pis were harmed in the testing.

=== How does it boot? ===

You have to boot from SD but a USB HD can “take over” after the initial boot. You cannot boot without an SD card.

=== Where’s the on / off switch? ===

To switch on: just plug it in!

To switch off: remove power.

=== Why is there no real time clock (RTC)? ===

The expectation is that non-network connected units will have their clocks updated manually at startup. Adding an RTC is surprisingly expensive, once you’ve factored in batteries, area and componentry and would have pushed us above our target price. You can add one yourself using the GPIO pins if you’re after an interesting electronics project.

=== Will you sell a self-assembly kit? ===

No. It would be too expensive for us to provide kits alongside finished boards, which would mean introducing another step in manufacturing; and a kit would be impossible to hand solder. We use special equipment (robots!) to solder on the BGA package and other tiny components.

=== Can I add extra memory? ===

No. The RAM is a POP package on top of the SoC, so it’s not removable or swappable.

=== What hardware documentation will be available? ===

Broadcom don’t release a full datasheet for the BCM2835, which is the chip at the heart of the Raspberry Pi. We have released a datasheet for the SoC which will cover the hardware exposed on the Raspi board e.g. the GPIOs. We also have released a board schematic .

=== But I want documentation for <hardware X>! ===

Other documentation may be released in future but this will be at the Foundation’s discretion.

=== But I ''demand'' the documentation for the chip. Give it to me! ===

To get the full SoC documentation you would need to sign an NDA with Broadcom, who make the chip and sell it to us. But you would also need to provide a business model and estimate of how many chips you are going to sell.

=== Why doesn’t the Raspberry Pi include <insert name> piece of hardware or <insert name> sort of port? ===

Our main function is a charitable one – we’re trying to build the cheapest possible computer that provides a certain basic level of functionality, and keeping the price low means we’ve had to make hard decisions about what hardware and interfaces to include.

=== Can you test it to make sure that it is suitable for <X>? ===

If you want to use it for something that we haven’t tested, and that it’s not intended for (i.e. anything but the educational work we’re planning for it), then that development work is up to you.

=== How do I connect a mouse and keyboard? ===

Model A has one USB port and Model B has two. Beyond this, mice, keyboards, network adapters and external storage will all connect via a USB hub.

== CASES ==

=== Will it have a case? ===

Not for the first batch. We’ll be making and selling cases by the summer; you'll be able to buy a unit with or without a case, or a case on its own. The education release later in 2012 will have a case by default. There are lots of homebrew case discussions on the forum.

=== Will it fit in an Altoids tin? ===

Doesn’t quite work, I’m afraid – because we don’t round off the edges of the board, it’s a little too big to fit the tin.

== GRAPHICS ==

=== What display can I use? ===

There is composite and HDMI out on the board, so you can hook it up to an old analog TV, to a digital TV or to a DVI monitor (using a cheap adapter for the DVI). There is no VGA support, but adaptors are available, although these are relatively expensive.

=== Why is there no VGA support? ===

The chip specifically supports HDMI. VGA is considered to be an end-of-life technology, so supporting it doesn’t fit with our plans at the moment.

=== Is there a GPU binary? ===

Yes. The GPU binary also contains the first stage bootloader.

=== Can I add a touchscreen? ===

We haven’t experimented with any touchscreens yet, but there’s no electronic reason why it shouldn’t work. There’s lots of discussion about this on the forums. The main issue people are encountering seems to be one of cost; touchscreens are very pricey!

=== What is the usable temperature range? ===

The Raspberry Pi is built from commercial chips which are qualified to different temperature ranges; the LAN9512 is specified by the manufacturers being qualified from 0°C to 70°C, while the AP is qualified from -40°C to 85'''°'''C. You may well find that the board will work outside those temperatures, but we’re not qualifying the board itself to these extremes.

== AUDIO ==

=== Is sound over HDMI supported? ===

Yes.

=== What about standard audio in and out? ===

There’s a standard 3.5mm jack for audio out. You can add any supported USB microphone for audio in.

== POWER ==

=== What are the power requirements? ===

The device is powered by 5v micro USB. You can read more about it [http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/260 here]. Power supplies will be available at launch.

=== Can I run power Raspberry Pi from batteries as well as from a wall socket? ===

Yes. The device should run well off 4 x AA cells.

=== Is power over Ethernet (PoE) possible? ===

Not in the base device, but it’s been a very commonly requested feature, so we’re examining options for later releases.

== SOFTWARE ==

=== What operating system (OS) does it use? ===

It is capable of running several different [[RPi_Distributions|operating systems]]. As of July 2012, the Foundation recommmends Raspbian "Wheezy" for first-time users. It’s straightforward to replace the root partition on the SD card with another ARM Linux distro if you want to use something else. The OS is stored on the SD card.

=== Does it have an official programming language? ===

By default, we’ll be supporting Python as the educational language.

Any language which will compile for ARMv6 can be used with the Raspberry Pi, though; so you’re not limited to using Python.

=== Will it run WINE (or Windows, or other x86 software)? ====

No.

=== What Linux distros will be supported at launch? ===

Fedora, Debian and ArchLinux will be supported from the start. We hope to see support from other distros later (because of issues with newer releases of Ubuntu and the ARM processor we are using, Ubuntu can’t commit to supporting Raspberry Pi at the moment). You will be able to download distro images from us as soon as the Raspberry Pi is released, and we will also be selling pre-loaded SD cards shortly after release.

=== Will it run Android? ===

If someone in the community can port a version of Android to work with 256MB of RAM, then it’ll run on the Raspberry Pi.

=== Will it run <insert name of program here>? ===

In general, you need to look to see whether the program you want can be compiled for the ARMv6 architecture. In most cases the answer will be yes. Specific programs are discussed on our forum, so you might want to look there for an answer.

=== Will it run the new Windows RT? ===

We are not partners with Microsoft, and their support would be required for porting Windows 8.

== SD cards and storage ==

We have tried cards up to 32GB and most cards seem to work OK. The Wiki has more information about which makes and models work best. You can also attach a USB flash memory stick or USB hard drive for storage.

=== What happens if I brick the device? ===

You can restore the device by reflashing the SD card.

== NETWORKING, USB AND WIRELESS ==

=== Does the device support networking? Is there Wi-Fi? ===

The Model B version of the device includes 10/100 Mbits/second wired Ethernet. There is no Ethernet on the Model A version (which we expect to be taken up mostly by the education market), but Wi-Fi will be available via a standard USB dongle.

=== Will there be a WiFi option? ===

Not in the first version, though you can add a dongle. ARM Linux WiFi support can be a bit patchy; there’s a list of tested dongles on the wiki.

=== Why no Gigabit Ethernet? ===

The Ethernet is driven via USB 2.0, so the upstream bandwidth would not support Gigabit.

=== Does the device have support for any form of netbooting or Pxe? ===

No. However, it’s such a low-power device that we expect it to be left on much of the time!

=== How do you connect more than two USB devices? ===

Use a hub to increase the number of ports. Some keyboards have hubs built in which would work well.

== EDUCATIONAL USES ==

=== What educational material will be available? ===

We’re working with partners to get software materials developed, as well as with the open source community. Computing at School is writing a user guide and programming manual, we’re aware of a few books being planned and written around the Raspberry Pi, and others have already started to produce some excellent tutorials including video. We’re also working with partners to use it as a teaching platform for other subjects, including languages, math, and so on.

Once we launch, we hope that the community will help organizations like Computing at School put together teaching material such as lesson plans and resources and push this into schools. In due course, the foundation hopes to provide a system of prizes to give young people something to work towards.

There’s lots of discussion of educational uses and resources in our forums – come and have a chat!

== GLOSSARY ==

BGA: Ball Grid Array. A type of surface mount packaging for electronics.

SoC: System on Chip. A computer on a single integrated circuit.

GPIO: General Purpose Input/Output. Pins that can be programmed to do stuff.

GPU: Graphics Processing Unit. The hardware that handles 3-D graphics in scientific notation (floating point) math.

Distro: a specific package (“flavor”) of Linux and associated software.

Brick: to accidentally render a device inoperative by making changes to software or firmware.

Pxe: Preboot execution environment. A way to get a device to boot via the network.

PoE: Power over Ethernet. Powering a device via an Ethernet cable.

 

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

RPi FAQ

2013-03-23T11:26:52Z

Ghans: /* Where can I buy one? */

[[File:R-Pi_Model_AB_Mono-1.png|thumb|right|400px]] [[File:RpiFront.jpg|400px|thumb|right|The Rpi beta board (model B)]] [[File:Rasp_turn_around.gif|200px|thumb|right|A 3D rendering of the Raspberry Pi logo by forum user Antario. [http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum/projects-and-collaboration-general/raspberry-pi-3d-logo-animation Source]]]

== Introduction ==

=== What’s a Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It’s a capable little PC which can be used for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. It also plays high-definition video. We want to see it being used by kids all over the world to learn programming.

==== Can I buy shares in the Raspberry Pi Foundation? ====

We’re a charity, so you can’t buy shares in the company. If you want to support us, we’d love you to buy one. We’ll also be offering a package where you can do a buy-one-give-one purchase, and we’ll be accepting donations too once we start shipping.

== BUYING AND SHIPPING ==

=== Where can I buy one? ===

The Raspi is available to purchase through [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] .
Chinese customers might enquire at [http://egoman.com.cn/ Egoman Technology]

=== How many can I buy in one go? ===

For the first batch we are limiting orders to one per person. This restriction will be relaxed as production gets in to full swing, and we can be sure of getting boards to all who want them. This should prevent eBay scalping (to some extent – we will also be auctioning some boards ourselves to try to make sure there’s no market for scalpers), and ensure that as many different individuals as possible get their Raspberry Pi!

=== How much does it cost? ===

The Model A costs $25 and the Model B $35, plus local taxes and shipping.

=== How can I pay for it? ===

We will accept most major cards, PayPal, and offline payments.

=== What will I get when I buy one? ===

A Raspberry Pi. Leads, a power supply, case or SD cards are not included but can be purchased from any of the Raspberry Pi vendors: [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]. You can build an operating system on your own SD card or buy one preloaded with Raspian "wheezy" from the same source.

=== Why is the price in US Dollars? You’re a UK company! ===

The components we buy are priced in dollars, and we negotiate manufacturing in dollars. Because currency markets are so volatile at the moment, we price the final board in dollars too, so we don’t have to keep changing the price.

=== Will there be a buy-one-give-one program? ===

Yes. We plan to implement a program of this sort, but you can also just buy one if you prefer.

=== Will the device be available internationally? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] distribute and ship world-wide via subsidiaries and partners in virtually every country. There have been some problems with information about pricing and availability being fully shared among some countries' local offices, but, they are being worked out with the primary distributors and should be resolved by mid-March 2012.

=== How much will it cost to ship to [country X]? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] and their subsidiaries/partners will convey this information before orders are charged, and these costs may vary from country to country, which the Foundation cannot control.

=== Will there be a minimum order quantity? ===

Originally, the minimum order quantity was one unit. This restriction has been lifted.

=== Do you accept pre-orders? ===

Pre-orders are now being taken by [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]

=== I want to be a Raspberry Pi reseller. ===

We are not taking requests for people to be resellers at the moment.
However , nothing stops your buying devices from the distributors and reselling them with accessories.

=== Can I join the mailing list? ===

You certainly can. Head to the [http://www.raspberrypi.org home page], and you’ll see a form at the top right you can fill in. People who are signed up will get an e-mail as soon as we have confirmed a release date.

== GENERAL ==

=== What’s the difference between Model A and Model B? ===

Model A has 256 MB of RAM, HDMI, one USB port and no Ethernet (network connection).
Two revisions of the Model B exist. The first (now referred to as revision 1) has 256 MB RAM, HDMI, two USB ports and a 100 Mbits/sec Ethernet port.
Model B revision 2 has 512MB RAM with the same ports.

=== What are the dimensions of the Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi measures 85.60mm x 53.98mm x 17mm, with a little overlap for the SD card and connectors which project over the edges. It weighs 45g.

=== What SoC are you using? ===

The SoC is a Broadcom BCM2835. This contains an ARM1176JZFS, with floating point, running at 700Mhz, and a Videocore IV GPU. The GPU is capable of BluRay quality playback, using H.264 at 40 Mbits/s. It has a fast 3D core accessed using the supplied OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG libraries.

=== Why did you select the ARM11? ===

Cost and performance.

=== How powerful is it? ===

The GPU provides Open GL ES 2.0, hardware-accelerated OpenVG, and 1080p30 H.264 high-profile decode.

The GPU is capable of 1 Gpixel/s, 1.5 Gtexel/s or 24 GFLOPs of general purpose compute and features a bunch of texture filtering and DMA infrastructure.

That is, graphics capabilities are roughly equivalent to Xbox 1 level of performance. Overall real-world performance is something like a 300MHz Pentium II, only with much, much swankier graphics.

=== Will it overclock? ===

There’s a little overclocking headroom – most devices will run happily at 800MHz. There’s no BIOS ''per se'', but we do support booting bare metal code, so something could be done.

=== Will it blend? ===

Yes. We have conducted extensive virtual simulations. No Raspberry Pis were harmed in the testing.

=== How does it boot? ===

You have to boot from SD but a USB HD can “take over” after the initial boot. You cannot boot without an SD card.

=== Where’s the on / off switch? ===

To switch on: just plug it in!

To switch off: remove power.

=== Why is there no real time clock (RTC)? ===

The expectation is that non-network connected units will have their clocks updated manually at startup. Adding an RTC is surprisingly expensive, once you’ve factored in batteries, area and componentry and would have pushed us above our target price. You can add one yourself using the GPIO pins if you’re after an interesting electronics project.

=== Will you sell a self-assembly kit? ===

No. It would be too expensive for us to provide kits alongside finished boards, which would mean introducing another step in manufacturing; and a kit would be impossible to hand solder. We use special equipment (robots!) to solder on the BGA package and other tiny components.

=== Can I add extra memory? ===

No. The RAM is a POP package on top of the SoC, so it’s not removable or swappable.

=== What hardware documentation will be available? ===

Broadcom don’t release a full datasheet for the BCM2835, which is the chip at the heart of the Raspberry Pi. We have released a datasheet for the SoC which will cover the hardware exposed on the Raspi board e.g. the GPIOs. We also have released a board schematic .

=== But I want documentation for <hardware X>! ===

Other documentation may be released in future but this will be at the Foundation’s discretion.

=== But I ''demand'' the documentation for the chip. Give it to me! ===

To get the full SoC documentation you would need to sign an NDA with Broadcom, who make the chip and sell it to us. But you would also need to provide a business model and estimate of how many chips you are going to sell.

=== Why doesn’t the Raspberry Pi include <insert name> piece of hardware or <insert name> sort of port? ===

Our main function is a charitable one – we’re trying to build the cheapest possible computer that provides a certain basic level of functionality, and keeping the price low means we’ve had to make hard decisions about what hardware and interfaces to include.

=== Can you test it to make sure that it is suitable for <X>? ===

If you want to use it for something that we haven’t tested, and that it’s not intended for (i.e. anything but the educational work we’re planning for it), then that development work is up to you.

=== How do I connect a mouse and keyboard? ===

Model A has one USB port and Model B has two. Beyond this, mice, keyboards, network adapters and external storage will all connect via a USB hub.

== CASES ==

=== Will it have a case? ===

Not for the first batch. We’ll be making and selling cases by the summer; you'll be able to buy a unit with or without a case, or a case on its own. The education release later in 2012 will have a case by default. There are lots of homebrew case discussions on the forum.

=== Will it fit in an Altoids tin? ===

Doesn’t quite work, I’m afraid – because we don’t round off the edges of the board, it’s a little too big to fit the tin.

== GRAPHICS ==

=== What display can I use? ===

There is composite and HDMI out on the board, so you can hook it up to an old analog TV, to a digital TV or to a DVI monitor (using a cheap adapter for the DVI). There is no VGA support, but adaptors are available, although these are relatively expensive.

=== Why is there no VGA support? ===

The chip specifically supports HDMI. VGA is considered to be an end-of-life technology, so supporting it doesn’t fit with our plans at the moment.

=== Is there a GPU binary? ===

Yes. The GPU binary also contains the first stage bootloader.

=== Can I add a touchscreen? ===

We haven’t experimented with any touchscreens yet, but there’s no electronic reason why it shouldn’t work. There’s lots of discussion about this on the forums. The main issue people are encountering seems to be one of cost; touchscreens are very pricey!

=== What is the usable temperature range? ===

The Raspberry Pi is built from commercial chips which are qualified to different temperature ranges; the LAN9512 is specified by the manufacturers being qualified from 0°C to 70°C, while the AP is qualified from -40°C to 85'''°'''C. You may well find that the board will work outside those temperatures, but we’re not qualifying the board itself to these extremes.

== AUDIO ==

=== Is sound over HDMI supported? ===

Yes.

=== What about standard audio in and out? ===

There’s a standard 3.5mm jack for audio out. You can add any supported USB microphone for audio in.

== POWER ==

=== What are the power requirements? ===

The device is powered by 5v micro USB. You can read more about it [http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/260 here]. Power supplies will be available at launch.

=== Can I run power Raspberry Pi from batteries as well as from a wall socket? ===

Yes. The device should run well off 4 x AA cells.

=== Is power over Ethernet (PoE) possible? ===

Not in the base device, but it’s been a very commonly requested feature, so we’re examining options for later releases.

== SOFTWARE ==

=== What operating system (OS) does it use? ===

It is capable of running several different [[RPi_Distributions|operating systems]]. As of July 2012, the Foundation recommmends Raspbian "Wheezy" for first-time users. It’s straightforward to replace the root partition on the SD card with another ARM Linux distro if you want to use something else. The OS is stored on the SD card.

=== Does it have an official programming language? ===

By default, we’ll be supporting Python as the educational language.

Any language which will compile for ARMv6 can be used with the Raspberry Pi, though; so you’re not limited to using Python.

=== Will it run WINE (or Windows, or other x86 software)? ====

No.

=== What Linux distros will be supported at launch? ===

Fedora, Debian and ArchLinux will be supported from the start. We hope to see support from other distros later (because of issues with newer releases of Ubuntu and the ARM processor we are using, Ubuntu can’t commit to supporting Raspberry Pi at the moment). You will be able to download distro images from us as soon as the Raspberry Pi is released, and we will also be selling pre-loaded SD cards shortly after release.

=== Will it run Android? ===

If someone in the community can port a version of Android to work with 256MB of RAM, then it’ll run on the Raspberry Pi.

=== Will it run <insert name of program here>? ===

In general, you need to look to see whether the program you want can be compiled for the ARMv6 architecture. In most cases the answer will be yes. Specific programs are discussed on our forum, so you might want to look there for an answer.

=== Will it run the new Windows RT? ===

We are not partners with Microsoft, and their support would be required for porting Windows 8.

== SD cards and storage ==

We have tried cards up to 32GB and most cards seem to work OK. The Wiki has more information about which makes and models work best. You can also attach a USB flash memory stick or USB hard drive for storage.

=== What happens if I brick the device? ===

You can restore the device by reflashing the SD card.

== NETWORKING, USB AND WIRELESS ==

=== Does the device support networking? Is there Wi-Fi? ===

The Model B version of the device includes 10/100 Mbits/second wired Ethernet. There is no Ethernet on the Model A version (which we expect to be taken up mostly by the education market), but Wi-Fi will be available via a standard USB dongle.

=== Will there be a WiFi option? ===

Not in the first version, though you can add a dongle. ARM Linux WiFi support can be a bit patchy; there’s a list of tested dongles on the wiki.

=== Why no Gigabit Ethernet? ===

The Ethernet is driven via USB 2.0, so the upstream bandwidth would not support Gigabit.

=== Does the device have support for any form of netbooting or Pxe? ===

No. However, it’s such a low-power device that we expect it to be left on much of the time!

=== How do you connect more than two USB devices? ===

Use a hub to increase the number of ports. Some keyboards have hubs built in which would work well.

== EDUCATIONAL USES ==

=== What educational material will be available? ===

We’re working with partners to get software materials developed, as well as with the open source community. Computing at School is writing a user guide and programming manual, we’re aware of a few books being planned and written around the Raspberry Pi, and others have already started to produce some excellent tutorials including video. We’re also working with partners to use it as a teaching platform for other subjects, including languages, math, and so on.

Once we launch, we hope that the community will help organizations like Computing at School put together teaching material such as lesson plans and resources and push this into schools. In due course, the foundation hopes to provide a system of prizes to give young people something to work towards.

There’s lots of discussion of educational uses and resources in our forums – come and have a chat!

== GLOSSARY ==

BGA: Ball Grid Array. A type of surface mount packaging for electronics.

SoC: System on Chip. A computer on a single integrated circuit.

GPIO: General Purpose Input/Output. Pins that can be programmed to do stuff.

GPU: Graphics Processing Unit. The hardware that handles 3-D graphics in scientific notation (floating point) math.

Distro: a specific package (“flavor”) of Linux and associated software.

Brick: to accidentally render a device inoperative by making changes to software or firmware.

Pxe: Preboot execution environment. A way to get a device to boot via the network.

PoE: Power over Ethernet. Powering a device via an Ethernet cable.

 

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

RPi FAQ

2013-03-23T11:25:42Z

Ghans: /* Where can I buy one? */

[[File:R-Pi_Model_AB_Mono-1.png|thumb|right|400px]] [[File:RpiFront.jpg|400px|thumb|right|The Rpi beta board (model B)]] [[File:Rasp_turn_around.gif|200px|thumb|right|A 3D rendering of the Raspberry Pi logo by forum user Antario. [http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum/projects-and-collaboration-general/raspberry-pi-3d-logo-animation Source]]]

== Introduction ==

=== What’s a Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It’s a capable little PC which can be used for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. It also plays high-definition video. We want to see it being used by kids all over the world to learn programming.

==== Can I buy shares in the Raspberry Pi Foundation? ====

We’re a charity, so you can’t buy shares in the company. If you want to support us, we’d love you to buy one. We’ll also be offering a package where you can do a buy-one-give-one purchase, and we’ll be accepting donations too once we start shipping.

== BUYING AND SHIPPING ==

=== Where can I buy one? ===

The Raspi is available to purchase through [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components.].
Chinese customers might enquire at [http://egoman.com.cn/ Egoman Technology]

=== How many can I buy in one go? ===

For the first batch we are limiting orders to one per person. This restriction will be relaxed as production gets in to full swing, and we can be sure of getting boards to all who want them. This should prevent eBay scalping (to some extent – we will also be auctioning some boards ourselves to try to make sure there’s no market for scalpers), and ensure that as many different individuals as possible get their Raspberry Pi!

=== How much does it cost? ===

The Model A costs $25 and the Model B $35, plus local taxes and shipping.

=== How can I pay for it? ===

We will accept most major cards, PayPal, and offline payments.

=== What will I get when I buy one? ===

A Raspberry Pi. Leads, a power supply, case or SD cards are not included but can be purchased from any of the Raspberry Pi vendors: [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]. You can build an operating system on your own SD card or buy one preloaded with Raspian "wheezy" from the same source.

=== Why is the price in US Dollars? You’re a UK company! ===

The components we buy are priced in dollars, and we negotiate manufacturing in dollars. Because currency markets are so volatile at the moment, we price the final board in dollars too, so we don’t have to keep changing the price.

=== Will there be a buy-one-give-one program? ===

Yes. We plan to implement a program of this sort, but you can also just buy one if you prefer.

=== Will the device be available internationally? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] distribute and ship world-wide via subsidiaries and partners in virtually every country. There have been some problems with information about pricing and availability being fully shared among some countries' local offices, but, they are being worked out with the primary distributors and should be resolved by mid-March 2012.

=== How much will it cost to ship to [country X]? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] and their subsidiaries/partners will convey this information before orders are charged, and these costs may vary from country to country, which the Foundation cannot control.

=== Will there be a minimum order quantity? ===

Originally, the minimum order quantity was one unit. This restriction has been lifted.

=== Do you accept pre-orders? ===

Pre-orders are now being taken by [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]

=== I want to be a Raspberry Pi reseller. ===

We are not taking requests for people to be resellers at the moment.
However , nothing stops your buying devices from the distributors and reselling them with accessories.

=== Can I join the mailing list? ===

You certainly can. Head to the [http://www.raspberrypi.org home page], and you’ll see a form at the top right you can fill in. People who are signed up will get an e-mail as soon as we have confirmed a release date.

== GENERAL ==

=== What’s the difference between Model A and Model B? ===

Model A has 256 MB of RAM, HDMI, one USB port and no Ethernet (network connection).
Two revisions of the Model B exist. The first (now referred to as revision 1) has 256 MB RAM, HDMI, two USB ports and a 100 Mbits/sec Ethernet port.
Model B revision 2 has 512MB RAM with the same ports.

=== What are the dimensions of the Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi measures 85.60mm x 53.98mm x 17mm, with a little overlap for the SD card and connectors which project over the edges. It weighs 45g.

=== What SoC are you using? ===

The SoC is a Broadcom BCM2835. This contains an ARM1176JZFS, with floating point, running at 700Mhz, and a Videocore IV GPU. The GPU is capable of BluRay quality playback, using H.264 at 40 Mbits/s. It has a fast 3D core accessed using the supplied OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG libraries.

=== Why did you select the ARM11? ===

Cost and performance.

=== How powerful is it? ===

The GPU provides Open GL ES 2.0, hardware-accelerated OpenVG, and 1080p30 H.264 high-profile decode.

The GPU is capable of 1 Gpixel/s, 1.5 Gtexel/s or 24 GFLOPs of general purpose compute and features a bunch of texture filtering and DMA infrastructure.

That is, graphics capabilities are roughly equivalent to Xbox 1 level of performance. Overall real-world performance is something like a 300MHz Pentium II, only with much, much swankier graphics.

=== Will it overclock? ===

There’s a little overclocking headroom – most devices will run happily at 800MHz. There’s no BIOS ''per se'', but we do support booting bare metal code, so something could be done.

=== Will it blend? ===

Yes. We have conducted extensive virtual simulations. No Raspberry Pis were harmed in the testing.

=== How does it boot? ===

You have to boot from SD but a USB HD can “take over” after the initial boot. You cannot boot without an SD card.

=== Where’s the on / off switch? ===

To switch on: just plug it in!

To switch off: remove power.

=== Why is there no real time clock (RTC)? ===

The expectation is that non-network connected units will have their clocks updated manually at startup. Adding an RTC is surprisingly expensive, once you’ve factored in batteries, area and componentry and would have pushed us above our target price. You can add one yourself using the GPIO pins if you’re after an interesting electronics project.

=== Will you sell a self-assembly kit? ===

No. It would be too expensive for us to provide kits alongside finished boards, which would mean introducing another step in manufacturing; and a kit would be impossible to hand solder. We use special equipment (robots!) to solder on the BGA package and other tiny components.

=== Can I add extra memory? ===

No. The RAM is a POP package on top of the SoC, so it’s not removable or swappable.

=== What hardware documentation will be available? ===

Broadcom don’t release a full datasheet for the BCM2835, which is the chip at the heart of the Raspberry Pi. We have released a datasheet for the SoC which will cover the hardware exposed on the Raspi board e.g. the GPIOs. We also have released a board schematic .

=== But I want documentation for <hardware X>! ===

Other documentation may be released in future but this will be at the Foundation’s discretion.

=== But I ''demand'' the documentation for the chip. Give it to me! ===

To get the full SoC documentation you would need to sign an NDA with Broadcom, who make the chip and sell it to us. But you would also need to provide a business model and estimate of how many chips you are going to sell.

=== Why doesn’t the Raspberry Pi include <insert name> piece of hardware or <insert name> sort of port? ===

Our main function is a charitable one – we’re trying to build the cheapest possible computer that provides a certain basic level of functionality, and keeping the price low means we’ve had to make hard decisions about what hardware and interfaces to include.

=== Can you test it to make sure that it is suitable for <X>? ===

If you want to use it for something that we haven’t tested, and that it’s not intended for (i.e. anything but the educational work we’re planning for it), then that development work is up to you.

=== How do I connect a mouse and keyboard? ===

Model A has one USB port and Model B has two. Beyond this, mice, keyboards, network adapters and external storage will all connect via a USB hub.

== CASES ==

=== Will it have a case? ===

Not for the first batch. We’ll be making and selling cases by the summer; you'll be able to buy a unit with or without a case, or a case on its own. The education release later in 2012 will have a case by default. There are lots of homebrew case discussions on the forum.

=== Will it fit in an Altoids tin? ===

Doesn’t quite work, I’m afraid – because we don’t round off the edges of the board, it’s a little too big to fit the tin.

== GRAPHICS ==

=== What display can I use? ===

There is composite and HDMI out on the board, so you can hook it up to an old analog TV, to a digital TV or to a DVI monitor (using a cheap adapter for the DVI). There is no VGA support, but adaptors are available, although these are relatively expensive.

=== Why is there no VGA support? ===

The chip specifically supports HDMI. VGA is considered to be an end-of-life technology, so supporting it doesn’t fit with our plans at the moment.

=== Is there a GPU binary? ===

Yes. The GPU binary also contains the first stage bootloader.

=== Can I add a touchscreen? ===

We haven’t experimented with any touchscreens yet, but there’s no electronic reason why it shouldn’t work. There’s lots of discussion about this on the forums. The main issue people are encountering seems to be one of cost; touchscreens are very pricey!

=== What is the usable temperature range? ===

The Raspberry Pi is built from commercial chips which are qualified to different temperature ranges; the LAN9512 is specified by the manufacturers being qualified from 0°C to 70°C, while the AP is qualified from -40°C to 85'''°'''C. You may well find that the board will work outside those temperatures, but we’re not qualifying the board itself to these extremes.

== AUDIO ==

=== Is sound over HDMI supported? ===

Yes.

=== What about standard audio in and out? ===

There’s a standard 3.5mm jack for audio out. You can add any supported USB microphone for audio in.

== POWER ==

=== What are the power requirements? ===

The device is powered by 5v micro USB. You can read more about it [http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/260 here]. Power supplies will be available at launch.

=== Can I run power Raspberry Pi from batteries as well as from a wall socket? ===

Yes. The device should run well off 4 x AA cells.

=== Is power over Ethernet (PoE) possible? ===

Not in the base device, but it’s been a very commonly requested feature, so we’re examining options for later releases.

== SOFTWARE ==

=== What operating system (OS) does it use? ===

It is capable of running several different [[RPi_Distributions|operating systems]]. As of July 2012, the Foundation recommmends Raspbian "Wheezy" for first-time users. It’s straightforward to replace the root partition on the SD card with another ARM Linux distro if you want to use something else. The OS is stored on the SD card.

=== Does it have an official programming language? ===

By default, we’ll be supporting Python as the educational language.

Any language which will compile for ARMv6 can be used with the Raspberry Pi, though; so you’re not limited to using Python.

=== Will it run WINE (or Windows, or other x86 software)? ====

No.

=== What Linux distros will be supported at launch? ===

Fedora, Debian and ArchLinux will be supported from the start. We hope to see support from other distros later (because of issues with newer releases of Ubuntu and the ARM processor we are using, Ubuntu can’t commit to supporting Raspberry Pi at the moment). You will be able to download distro images from us as soon as the Raspberry Pi is released, and we will also be selling pre-loaded SD cards shortly after release.

=== Will it run Android? ===

If someone in the community can port a version of Android to work with 256MB of RAM, then it’ll run on the Raspberry Pi.

=== Will it run <insert name of program here>? ===

In general, you need to look to see whether the program you want can be compiled for the ARMv6 architecture. In most cases the answer will be yes. Specific programs are discussed on our forum, so you might want to look there for an answer.

=== Will it run the new Windows RT? ===

We are not partners with Microsoft, and their support would be required for porting Windows 8.

== SD cards and storage ==

We have tried cards up to 32GB and most cards seem to work OK. The Wiki has more information about which makes and models work best. You can also attach a USB flash memory stick or USB hard drive for storage.

=== What happens if I brick the device? ===

You can restore the device by reflashing the SD card.

== NETWORKING, USB AND WIRELESS ==

=== Does the device support networking? Is there Wi-Fi? ===

The Model B version of the device includes 10/100 Mbits/second wired Ethernet. There is no Ethernet on the Model A version (which we expect to be taken up mostly by the education market), but Wi-Fi will be available via a standard USB dongle.

=== Will there be a WiFi option? ===

Not in the first version, though you can add a dongle. ARM Linux WiFi support can be a bit patchy; there’s a list of tested dongles on the wiki.

=== Why no Gigabit Ethernet? ===

The Ethernet is driven via USB 2.0, so the upstream bandwidth would not support Gigabit.

=== Does the device have support for any form of netbooting or Pxe? ===

No. However, it’s such a low-power device that we expect it to be left on much of the time!

=== How do you connect more than two USB devices? ===

Use a hub to increase the number of ports. Some keyboards have hubs built in which would work well.

== EDUCATIONAL USES ==

=== What educational material will be available? ===

We’re working with partners to get software materials developed, as well as with the open source community. Computing at School is writing a user guide and programming manual, we’re aware of a few books being planned and written around the Raspberry Pi, and others have already started to produce some excellent tutorials including video. We’re also working with partners to use it as a teaching platform for other subjects, including languages, math, and so on.

Once we launch, we hope that the community will help organizations like Computing at School put together teaching material such as lesson plans and resources and push this into schools. In due course, the foundation hopes to provide a system of prizes to give young people something to work towards.

There’s lots of discussion of educational uses and resources in our forums – come and have a chat!

== GLOSSARY ==

BGA: Ball Grid Array. A type of surface mount packaging for electronics.

SoC: System on Chip. A computer on a single integrated circuit.

GPIO: General Purpose Input/Output. Pins that can be programmed to do stuff.

GPU: Graphics Processing Unit. The hardware that handles 3-D graphics in scientific notation (floating point) math.

Distro: a specific package (“flavor”) of Linux and associated software.

Brick: to accidentally render a device inoperative by making changes to software or firmware.

Pxe: Preboot execution environment. A way to get a device to boot via the network.

PoE: Power over Ethernet. Powering a device via an Ethernet cable.

 

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

RPi FAQ

2013-03-23T11:24:20Z

Ghans: /* I want to be a Raspberry Pi reseller. */

[[File:R-Pi_Model_AB_Mono-1.png|thumb|right|400px]] [[File:RpiFront.jpg|400px|thumb|right|The Rpi beta board (model B)]] [[File:Rasp_turn_around.gif|200px|thumb|right|A 3D rendering of the Raspberry Pi logo by forum user Antario. [http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum/projects-and-collaboration-general/raspberry-pi-3d-logo-animation Source]]]

== Introduction ==

=== What’s a Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It’s a capable little PC which can be used for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. It also plays high-definition video. We want to see it being used by kids all over the world to learn programming.

==== Can I buy shares in the Raspberry Pi Foundation? ====

We’re a charity, so you can’t buy shares in the company. If you want to support us, we’d love you to buy one. We’ll also be offering a package where you can do a buy-one-give-one purchase, and we’ll be accepting donations too once we start shipping.

== BUYING AND SHIPPING ==

=== Where can I buy one? ===

The Raspi is available to purchase through [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components.]
Chinese customers might enquire at [http://egoman.com.cn/ Egoman Technology]

=== How many can I buy in one go? ===

For the first batch we are limiting orders to one per person. This restriction will be relaxed as production gets in to full swing, and we can be sure of getting boards to all who want them. This should prevent eBay scalping (to some extent – we will also be auctioning some boards ourselves to try to make sure there’s no market for scalpers), and ensure that as many different individuals as possible get their Raspberry Pi!

=== How much does it cost? ===

The Model A costs $25 and the Model B $35, plus local taxes and shipping.

=== How can I pay for it? ===

We will accept most major cards, PayPal, and offline payments.

=== What will I get when I buy one? ===

A Raspberry Pi. Leads, a power supply, case or SD cards are not included but can be purchased from any of the Raspberry Pi vendors: [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]. You can build an operating system on your own SD card or buy one preloaded with Raspian "wheezy" from the same source.

=== Why is the price in US Dollars? You’re a UK company! ===

The components we buy are priced in dollars, and we negotiate manufacturing in dollars. Because currency markets are so volatile at the moment, we price the final board in dollars too, so we don’t have to keep changing the price.

=== Will there be a buy-one-give-one program? ===

Yes. We plan to implement a program of this sort, but you can also just buy one if you prefer.

=== Will the device be available internationally? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] distribute and ship world-wide via subsidiaries and partners in virtually every country. There have been some problems with information about pricing and availability being fully shared among some countries' local offices, but, they are being worked out with the primary distributors and should be resolved by mid-March 2012.

=== How much will it cost to ship to [country X]? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] and their subsidiaries/partners will convey this information before orders are charged, and these costs may vary from country to country, which the Foundation cannot control.

=== Will there be a minimum order quantity? ===

Originally, the minimum order quantity was one unit. This restriction has been lifted.

=== Do you accept pre-orders? ===

Pre-orders are now being taken by [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]

=== I want to be a Raspberry Pi reseller. ===

We are not taking requests for people to be resellers at the moment.
However , nothing stops your buying devices from the distributors and reselling them with accessories.

=== Can I join the mailing list? ===

You certainly can. Head to the [http://www.raspberrypi.org home page], and you’ll see a form at the top right you can fill in. People who are signed up will get an e-mail as soon as we have confirmed a release date.

== GENERAL ==

=== What’s the difference between Model A and Model B? ===

Model A has 256 MB of RAM, HDMI, one USB port and no Ethernet (network connection).
Two revisions of the Model B exist. The first (now referred to as revision 1) has 256 MB RAM, HDMI, two USB ports and a 100 Mbits/sec Ethernet port.
Model B revision 2 has 512MB RAM with the same ports.

=== What are the dimensions of the Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi measures 85.60mm x 53.98mm x 17mm, with a little overlap for the SD card and connectors which project over the edges. It weighs 45g.

=== What SoC are you using? ===

The SoC is a Broadcom BCM2835. This contains an ARM1176JZFS, with floating point, running at 700Mhz, and a Videocore IV GPU. The GPU is capable of BluRay quality playback, using H.264 at 40 Mbits/s. It has a fast 3D core accessed using the supplied OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG libraries.

=== Why did you select the ARM11? ===

Cost and performance.

=== How powerful is it? ===

The GPU provides Open GL ES 2.0, hardware-accelerated OpenVG, and 1080p30 H.264 high-profile decode.

The GPU is capable of 1 Gpixel/s, 1.5 Gtexel/s or 24 GFLOPs of general purpose compute and features a bunch of texture filtering and DMA infrastructure.

That is, graphics capabilities are roughly equivalent to Xbox 1 level of performance. Overall real-world performance is something like a 300MHz Pentium II, only with much, much swankier graphics.

=== Will it overclock? ===

There’s a little overclocking headroom – most devices will run happily at 800MHz. There’s no BIOS ''per se'', but we do support booting bare metal code, so something could be done.

=== Will it blend? ===

Yes. We have conducted extensive virtual simulations. No Raspberry Pis were harmed in the testing.

=== How does it boot? ===

You have to boot from SD but a USB HD can “take over” after the initial boot. You cannot boot without an SD card.

=== Where’s the on / off switch? ===

To switch on: just plug it in!

To switch off: remove power.

=== Why is there no real time clock (RTC)? ===

The expectation is that non-network connected units will have their clocks updated manually at startup. Adding an RTC is surprisingly expensive, once you’ve factored in batteries, area and componentry and would have pushed us above our target price. You can add one yourself using the GPIO pins if you’re after an interesting electronics project.

=== Will you sell a self-assembly kit? ===

No. It would be too expensive for us to provide kits alongside finished boards, which would mean introducing another step in manufacturing; and a kit would be impossible to hand solder. We use special equipment (robots!) to solder on the BGA package and other tiny components.

=== Can I add extra memory? ===

No. The RAM is a POP package on top of the SoC, so it’s not removable or swappable.

=== What hardware documentation will be available? ===

Broadcom don’t release a full datasheet for the BCM2835, which is the chip at the heart of the Raspberry Pi. We have released a datasheet for the SoC which will cover the hardware exposed on the Raspi board e.g. the GPIOs. We also have released a board schematic .

=== But I want documentation for <hardware X>! ===

Other documentation may be released in future but this will be at the Foundation’s discretion.

=== But I ''demand'' the documentation for the chip. Give it to me! ===

To get the full SoC documentation you would need to sign an NDA with Broadcom, who make the chip and sell it to us. But you would also need to provide a business model and estimate of how many chips you are going to sell.

=== Why doesn’t the Raspberry Pi include <insert name> piece of hardware or <insert name> sort of port? ===

Our main function is a charitable one – we’re trying to build the cheapest possible computer that provides a certain basic level of functionality, and keeping the price low means we’ve had to make hard decisions about what hardware and interfaces to include.

=== Can you test it to make sure that it is suitable for <X>? ===

If you want to use it for something that we haven’t tested, and that it’s not intended for (i.e. anything but the educational work we’re planning for it), then that development work is up to you.

=== How do I connect a mouse and keyboard? ===

Model A has one USB port and Model B has two. Beyond this, mice, keyboards, network adapters and external storage will all connect via a USB hub.

== CASES ==

=== Will it have a case? ===

Not for the first batch. We’ll be making and selling cases by the summer; you'll be able to buy a unit with or without a case, or a case on its own. The education release later in 2012 will have a case by default. There are lots of homebrew case discussions on the forum.

=== Will it fit in an Altoids tin? ===

Doesn’t quite work, I’m afraid – because we don’t round off the edges of the board, it’s a little too big to fit the tin.

== GRAPHICS ==

=== What display can I use? ===

There is composite and HDMI out on the board, so you can hook it up to an old analog TV, to a digital TV or to a DVI monitor (using a cheap adapter for the DVI). There is no VGA support, but adaptors are available, although these are relatively expensive.

=== Why is there no VGA support? ===

The chip specifically supports HDMI. VGA is considered to be an end-of-life technology, so supporting it doesn’t fit with our plans at the moment.

=== Is there a GPU binary? ===

Yes. The GPU binary also contains the first stage bootloader.

=== Can I add a touchscreen? ===

We haven’t experimented with any touchscreens yet, but there’s no electronic reason why it shouldn’t work. There’s lots of discussion about this on the forums. The main issue people are encountering seems to be one of cost; touchscreens are very pricey!

=== What is the usable temperature range? ===

The Raspberry Pi is built from commercial chips which are qualified to different temperature ranges; the LAN9512 is specified by the manufacturers being qualified from 0°C to 70°C, while the AP is qualified from -40°C to 85'''°'''C. You may well find that the board will work outside those temperatures, but we’re not qualifying the board itself to these extremes.

== AUDIO ==

=== Is sound over HDMI supported? ===

Yes.

=== What about standard audio in and out? ===

There’s a standard 3.5mm jack for audio out. You can add any supported USB microphone for audio in.

== POWER ==

=== What are the power requirements? ===

The device is powered by 5v micro USB. You can read more about it [http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/260 here]. Power supplies will be available at launch.

=== Can I run power Raspberry Pi from batteries as well as from a wall socket? ===

Yes. The device should run well off 4 x AA cells.

=== Is power over Ethernet (PoE) possible? ===

Not in the base device, but it’s been a very commonly requested feature, so we’re examining options for later releases.

== SOFTWARE ==

=== What operating system (OS) does it use? ===

It is capable of running several different [[RPi_Distributions|operating systems]]. As of July 2012, the Foundation recommmends Raspbian "Wheezy" for first-time users. It’s straightforward to replace the root partition on the SD card with another ARM Linux distro if you want to use something else. The OS is stored on the SD card.

=== Does it have an official programming language? ===

By default, we’ll be supporting Python as the educational language.

Any language which will compile for ARMv6 can be used with the Raspberry Pi, though; so you’re not limited to using Python.

=== Will it run WINE (or Windows, or other x86 software)? ====

No.

=== What Linux distros will be supported at launch? ===

Fedora, Debian and ArchLinux will be supported from the start. We hope to see support from other distros later (because of issues with newer releases of Ubuntu and the ARM processor we are using, Ubuntu can’t commit to supporting Raspberry Pi at the moment). You will be able to download distro images from us as soon as the Raspberry Pi is released, and we will also be selling pre-loaded SD cards shortly after release.

=== Will it run Android? ===

If someone in the community can port a version of Android to work with 256MB of RAM, then it’ll run on the Raspberry Pi.

=== Will it run <insert name of program here>? ===

In general, you need to look to see whether the program you want can be compiled for the ARMv6 architecture. In most cases the answer will be yes. Specific programs are discussed on our forum, so you might want to look there for an answer.

=== Will it run the new Windows RT? ===

We are not partners with Microsoft, and their support would be required for porting Windows 8.

== SD cards and storage ==

We have tried cards up to 32GB and most cards seem to work OK. The Wiki has more information about which makes and models work best. You can also attach a USB flash memory stick or USB hard drive for storage.

=== What happens if I brick the device? ===

You can restore the device by reflashing the SD card.

== NETWORKING, USB AND WIRELESS ==

=== Does the device support networking? Is there Wi-Fi? ===

The Model B version of the device includes 10/100 Mbits/second wired Ethernet. There is no Ethernet on the Model A version (which we expect to be taken up mostly by the education market), but Wi-Fi will be available via a standard USB dongle.

=== Will there be a WiFi option? ===

Not in the first version, though you can add a dongle. ARM Linux WiFi support can be a bit patchy; there’s a list of tested dongles on the wiki.

=== Why no Gigabit Ethernet? ===

The Ethernet is driven via USB 2.0, so the upstream bandwidth would not support Gigabit.

=== Does the device have support for any form of netbooting or Pxe? ===

No. However, it’s such a low-power device that we expect it to be left on much of the time!

=== How do you connect more than two USB devices? ===

Use a hub to increase the number of ports. Some keyboards have hubs built in which would work well.

== EDUCATIONAL USES ==

=== What educational material will be available? ===

We’re working with partners to get software materials developed, as well as with the open source community. Computing at School is writing a user guide and programming manual, we’re aware of a few books being planned and written around the Raspberry Pi, and others have already started to produce some excellent tutorials including video. We’re also working with partners to use it as a teaching platform for other subjects, including languages, math, and so on.

Once we launch, we hope that the community will help organizations like Computing at School put together teaching material such as lesson plans and resources and push this into schools. In due course, the foundation hopes to provide a system of prizes to give young people something to work towards.

There’s lots of discussion of educational uses and resources in our forums – come and have a chat!

== GLOSSARY ==

BGA: Ball Grid Array. A type of surface mount packaging for electronics.

SoC: System on Chip. A computer on a single integrated circuit.

GPIO: General Purpose Input/Output. Pins that can be programmed to do stuff.

GPU: Graphics Processing Unit. The hardware that handles 3-D graphics in scientific notation (floating point) math.

Distro: a specific package (“flavor”) of Linux and associated software.

Brick: to accidentally render a device inoperative by making changes to software or firmware.

Pxe: Preboot execution environment. A way to get a device to boot via the network.

PoE: Power over Ethernet. Powering a device via an Ethernet cable.

 

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

RPi FAQ

2013-03-23T11:22:54Z

Ghans: /* How much does it cost? */

[[File:R-Pi_Model_AB_Mono-1.png|thumb|right|400px]] [[File:RpiFront.jpg|400px|thumb|right|The Rpi beta board (model B)]] [[File:Rasp_turn_around.gif|200px|thumb|right|A 3D rendering of the Raspberry Pi logo by forum user Antario. [http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum/projects-and-collaboration-general/raspberry-pi-3d-logo-animation Source]]]

== Introduction ==

=== What’s a Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It’s a capable little PC which can be used for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. It also plays high-definition video. We want to see it being used by kids all over the world to learn programming.

==== Can I buy shares in the Raspberry Pi Foundation? ====

We’re a charity, so you can’t buy shares in the company. If you want to support us, we’d love you to buy one. We’ll also be offering a package where you can do a buy-one-give-one purchase, and we’ll be accepting donations too once we start shipping.

== BUYING AND SHIPPING ==

=== Where can I buy one? ===

The Raspi is available to purchase through [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components.]
Chinese customers might enquire at [http://egoman.com.cn/ Egoman Technology]

=== How many can I buy in one go? ===

For the first batch we are limiting orders to one per person. This restriction will be relaxed as production gets in to full swing, and we can be sure of getting boards to all who want them. This should prevent eBay scalping (to some extent – we will also be auctioning some boards ourselves to try to make sure there’s no market for scalpers), and ensure that as many different individuals as possible get their Raspberry Pi!

=== How much does it cost? ===

The Model A costs $25 and the Model B $35, plus local taxes and shipping.

=== How can I pay for it? ===

We will accept most major cards, PayPal, and offline payments.

=== What will I get when I buy one? ===

A Raspberry Pi. Leads, a power supply, case or SD cards are not included but can be purchased from any of the Raspberry Pi vendors: [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]. You can build an operating system on your own SD card or buy one preloaded with Raspian "wheezy" from the same source.

=== Why is the price in US Dollars? You’re a UK company! ===

The components we buy are priced in dollars, and we negotiate manufacturing in dollars. Because currency markets are so volatile at the moment, we price the final board in dollars too, so we don’t have to keep changing the price.

=== Will there be a buy-one-give-one program? ===

Yes. We plan to implement a program of this sort, but you can also just buy one if you prefer.

=== Will the device be available internationally? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] distribute and ship world-wide via subsidiaries and partners in virtually every country. There have been some problems with information about pricing and availability being fully shared among some countries' local offices, but, they are being worked out with the primary distributors and should be resolved by mid-March 2012.

=== How much will it cost to ship to [country X]? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] and their subsidiaries/partners will convey this information before orders are charged, and these costs may vary from country to country, which the Foundation cannot control.

=== Will there be a minimum order quantity? ===

Originally, the minimum order quantity was one unit. This restriction has been lifted.

=== Do you accept pre-orders? ===

Pre-orders are now being taken by [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]

=== I want to be a Raspberry Pi reseller. ===

We are not taking requests for people to be resellers at the moment.

=== Can I join the mailing list? ===

You certainly can. Head to the [http://www.raspberrypi.org home page], and you’ll see a form at the top right you can fill in. People who are signed up will get an e-mail as soon as we have confirmed a release date.

== GENERAL ==

=== What’s the difference between Model A and Model B? ===

Model A has 256 MB of RAM, HDMI, one USB port and no Ethernet (network connection).
Two revisions of the Model B exist. The first (now referred to as revision 1) has 256 MB RAM, HDMI, two USB ports and a 100 Mbits/sec Ethernet port.
Model B revision 2 has 512MB RAM with the same ports.

=== What are the dimensions of the Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi measures 85.60mm x 53.98mm x 17mm, with a little overlap for the SD card and connectors which project over the edges. It weighs 45g.

=== What SoC are you using? ===

The SoC is a Broadcom BCM2835. This contains an ARM1176JZFS, with floating point, running at 700Mhz, and a Videocore IV GPU. The GPU is capable of BluRay quality playback, using H.264 at 40 Mbits/s. It has a fast 3D core accessed using the supplied OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG libraries.

=== Why did you select the ARM11? ===

Cost and performance.

=== How powerful is it? ===

The GPU provides Open GL ES 2.0, hardware-accelerated OpenVG, and 1080p30 H.264 high-profile decode.

The GPU is capable of 1 Gpixel/s, 1.5 Gtexel/s or 24 GFLOPs of general purpose compute and features a bunch of texture filtering and DMA infrastructure.

That is, graphics capabilities are roughly equivalent to Xbox 1 level of performance. Overall real-world performance is something like a 300MHz Pentium II, only with much, much swankier graphics.

=== Will it overclock? ===

There’s a little overclocking headroom – most devices will run happily at 800MHz. There’s no BIOS ''per se'', but we do support booting bare metal code, so something could be done.

=== Will it blend? ===

Yes. We have conducted extensive virtual simulations. No Raspberry Pis were harmed in the testing.

=== How does it boot? ===

You have to boot from SD but a USB HD can “take over” after the initial boot. You cannot boot without an SD card.

=== Where’s the on / off switch? ===

To switch on: just plug it in!

To switch off: remove power.

=== Why is there no real time clock (RTC)? ===

The expectation is that non-network connected units will have their clocks updated manually at startup. Adding an RTC is surprisingly expensive, once you’ve factored in batteries, area and componentry and would have pushed us above our target price. You can add one yourself using the GPIO pins if you’re after an interesting electronics project.

=== Will you sell a self-assembly kit? ===

No. It would be too expensive for us to provide kits alongside finished boards, which would mean introducing another step in manufacturing; and a kit would be impossible to hand solder. We use special equipment (robots!) to solder on the BGA package and other tiny components.

=== Can I add extra memory? ===

No. The RAM is a POP package on top of the SoC, so it’s not removable or swappable.

=== What hardware documentation will be available? ===

Broadcom don’t release a full datasheet for the BCM2835, which is the chip at the heart of the Raspberry Pi. We have released a datasheet for the SoC which will cover the hardware exposed on the Raspi board e.g. the GPIOs. We also have released a board schematic .

=== But I want documentation for <hardware X>! ===

Other documentation may be released in future but this will be at the Foundation’s discretion.

=== But I ''demand'' the documentation for the chip. Give it to me! ===

To get the full SoC documentation you would need to sign an NDA with Broadcom, who make the chip and sell it to us. But you would also need to provide a business model and estimate of how many chips you are going to sell.

=== Why doesn’t the Raspberry Pi include <insert name> piece of hardware or <insert name> sort of port? ===

Our main function is a charitable one – we’re trying to build the cheapest possible computer that provides a certain basic level of functionality, and keeping the price low means we’ve had to make hard decisions about what hardware and interfaces to include.

=== Can you test it to make sure that it is suitable for <X>? ===

If you want to use it for something that we haven’t tested, and that it’s not intended for (i.e. anything but the educational work we’re planning for it), then that development work is up to you.

=== How do I connect a mouse and keyboard? ===

Model A has one USB port and Model B has two. Beyond this, mice, keyboards, network adapters and external storage will all connect via a USB hub.

== CASES ==

=== Will it have a case? ===

Not for the first batch. We’ll be making and selling cases by the summer; you'll be able to buy a unit with or without a case, or a case on its own. The education release later in 2012 will have a case by default. There are lots of homebrew case discussions on the forum.

=== Will it fit in an Altoids tin? ===

Doesn’t quite work, I’m afraid – because we don’t round off the edges of the board, it’s a little too big to fit the tin.

== GRAPHICS ==

=== What display can I use? ===

There is composite and HDMI out on the board, so you can hook it up to an old analog TV, to a digital TV or to a DVI monitor (using a cheap adapter for the DVI). There is no VGA support, but adaptors are available, although these are relatively expensive.

=== Why is there no VGA support? ===

The chip specifically supports HDMI. VGA is considered to be an end-of-life technology, so supporting it doesn’t fit with our plans at the moment.

=== Is there a GPU binary? ===

Yes. The GPU binary also contains the first stage bootloader.

=== Can I add a touchscreen? ===

We haven’t experimented with any touchscreens yet, but there’s no electronic reason why it shouldn’t work. There’s lots of discussion about this on the forums. The main issue people are encountering seems to be one of cost; touchscreens are very pricey!

=== What is the usable temperature range? ===

The Raspberry Pi is built from commercial chips which are qualified to different temperature ranges; the LAN9512 is specified by the manufacturers being qualified from 0°C to 70°C, while the AP is qualified from -40°C to 85'''°'''C. You may well find that the board will work outside those temperatures, but we’re not qualifying the board itself to these extremes.

== AUDIO ==

=== Is sound over HDMI supported? ===

Yes.

=== What about standard audio in and out? ===

There’s a standard 3.5mm jack for audio out. You can add any supported USB microphone for audio in.

== POWER ==

=== What are the power requirements? ===

The device is powered by 5v micro USB. You can read more about it [http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/260 here]. Power supplies will be available at launch.

=== Can I run power Raspberry Pi from batteries as well as from a wall socket? ===

Yes. The device should run well off 4 x AA cells.

=== Is power over Ethernet (PoE) possible? ===

Not in the base device, but it’s been a very commonly requested feature, so we’re examining options for later releases.

== SOFTWARE ==

=== What operating system (OS) does it use? ===

It is capable of running several different [[RPi_Distributions|operating systems]]. As of July 2012, the Foundation recommmends Raspbian "Wheezy" for first-time users. It’s straightforward to replace the root partition on the SD card with another ARM Linux distro if you want to use something else. The OS is stored on the SD card.

=== Does it have an official programming language? ===

By default, we’ll be supporting Python as the educational language.

Any language which will compile for ARMv6 can be used with the Raspberry Pi, though; so you’re not limited to using Python.

=== Will it run WINE (or Windows, or other x86 software)? ====

No.

=== What Linux distros will be supported at launch? ===

Fedora, Debian and ArchLinux will be supported from the start. We hope to see support from other distros later (because of issues with newer releases of Ubuntu and the ARM processor we are using, Ubuntu can’t commit to supporting Raspberry Pi at the moment). You will be able to download distro images from us as soon as the Raspberry Pi is released, and we will also be selling pre-loaded SD cards shortly after release.

=== Will it run Android? ===

If someone in the community can port a version of Android to work with 256MB of RAM, then it’ll run on the Raspberry Pi.

=== Will it run <insert name of program here>? ===

In general, you need to look to see whether the program you want can be compiled for the ARMv6 architecture. In most cases the answer will be yes. Specific programs are discussed on our forum, so you might want to look there for an answer.

=== Will it run the new Windows RT? ===

We are not partners with Microsoft, and their support would be required for porting Windows 8.

== SD cards and storage ==

We have tried cards up to 32GB and most cards seem to work OK. The Wiki has more information about which makes and models work best. You can also attach a USB flash memory stick or USB hard drive for storage.

=== What happens if I brick the device? ===

You can restore the device by reflashing the SD card.

== NETWORKING, USB AND WIRELESS ==

=== Does the device support networking? Is there Wi-Fi? ===

The Model B version of the device includes 10/100 Mbits/second wired Ethernet. There is no Ethernet on the Model A version (which we expect to be taken up mostly by the education market), but Wi-Fi will be available via a standard USB dongle.

=== Will there be a WiFi option? ===

Not in the first version, though you can add a dongle. ARM Linux WiFi support can be a bit patchy; there’s a list of tested dongles on the wiki.

=== Why no Gigabit Ethernet? ===

The Ethernet is driven via USB 2.0, so the upstream bandwidth would not support Gigabit.

=== Does the device have support for any form of netbooting or Pxe? ===

No. However, it’s such a low-power device that we expect it to be left on much of the time!

=== How do you connect more than two USB devices? ===

Use a hub to increase the number of ports. Some keyboards have hubs built in which would work well.

== EDUCATIONAL USES ==

=== What educational material will be available? ===

We’re working with partners to get software materials developed, as well as with the open source community. Computing at School is writing a user guide and programming manual, we’re aware of a few books being planned and written around the Raspberry Pi, and others have already started to produce some excellent tutorials including video. We’re also working with partners to use it as a teaching platform for other subjects, including languages, math, and so on.

Once we launch, we hope that the community will help organizations like Computing at School put together teaching material such as lesson plans and resources and push this into schools. In due course, the foundation hopes to provide a system of prizes to give young people something to work towards.

There’s lots of discussion of educational uses and resources in our forums – come and have a chat!

== GLOSSARY ==

BGA: Ball Grid Array. A type of surface mount packaging for electronics.

SoC: System on Chip. A computer on a single integrated circuit.

GPIO: General Purpose Input/Output. Pins that can be programmed to do stuff.

GPU: Graphics Processing Unit. The hardware that handles 3-D graphics in scientific notation (floating point) math.

Distro: a specific package (“flavor”) of Linux and associated software.

Brick: to accidentally render a device inoperative by making changes to software or firmware.

Pxe: Preboot execution environment. A way to get a device to boot via the network.

PoE: Power over Ethernet. Powering a device via an Ethernet cable.

 

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

RPi FAQ

2013-03-23T11:22:24Z

Ghans: /* Where can I buy one? */

[[File:R-Pi_Model_AB_Mono-1.png|thumb|right|400px]] [[File:RpiFront.jpg|400px|thumb|right|The Rpi beta board (model B)]] [[File:Rasp_turn_around.gif|200px|thumb|right|A 3D rendering of the Raspberry Pi logo by forum user Antario. [http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum/projects-and-collaboration-general/raspberry-pi-3d-logo-animation Source]]]

== Introduction ==

=== What’s a Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It’s a capable little PC which can be used for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. It also plays high-definition video. We want to see it being used by kids all over the world to learn programming.

==== Can I buy shares in the Raspberry Pi Foundation? ====

We’re a charity, so you can’t buy shares in the company. If you want to support us, we’d love you to buy one. We’ll also be offering a package where you can do a buy-one-give-one purchase, and we’ll be accepting donations too once we start shipping.

== BUYING AND SHIPPING ==

=== Where can I buy one? ===

The Raspi is available to purchase through [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components.]
Chinese customers might enquire at [http://egoman.com.cn/ Egoman Technology]

=== How many can I buy in one go? ===

For the first batch we are limiting orders to one per person. This restriction will be relaxed as production gets in to full swing, and we can be sure of getting boards to all who want them. This should prevent eBay scalping (to some extent – we will also be auctioning some boards ourselves to try to make sure there’s no market for scalpers), and ensure that as many different individuals as possible get their Raspberry Pi!

=== How much does it cost? ===

The Model A will cost $25 and the Model B $35, plus local taxes and shipping.

=== How can I pay for it? ===

We will accept most major cards, PayPal, and offline payments.

=== What will I get when I buy one? ===

A Raspberry Pi. Leads, a power supply, case or SD cards are not included but can be purchased from any of the Raspberry Pi vendors: [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]. You can build an operating system on your own SD card or buy one preloaded with Raspian "wheezy" from the same source.

=== Why is the price in US Dollars? You’re a UK company! ===

The components we buy are priced in dollars, and we negotiate manufacturing in dollars. Because currency markets are so volatile at the moment, we price the final board in dollars too, so we don’t have to keep changing the price.

=== Will there be a buy-one-give-one program? ===

Yes. We plan to implement a program of this sort, but you can also just buy one if you prefer.

=== Will the device be available internationally? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] distribute and ship world-wide via subsidiaries and partners in virtually every country. There have been some problems with information about pricing and availability being fully shared among some countries' local offices, but, they are being worked out with the primary distributors and should be resolved by mid-March 2012.

=== How much will it cost to ship to [country X]? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] and their subsidiaries/partners will convey this information before orders are charged, and these costs may vary from country to country, which the Foundation cannot control.

=== Will there be a minimum order quantity? ===

Originally, the minimum order quantity was one unit. This restriction has been lifted.

=== Do you accept pre-orders? ===

Pre-orders are now being taken by [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]

=== I want to be a Raspberry Pi reseller. ===

We are not taking requests for people to be resellers at the moment.

=== Can I join the mailing list? ===

You certainly can. Head to the [http://www.raspberrypi.org home page], and you’ll see a form at the top right you can fill in. People who are signed up will get an e-mail as soon as we have confirmed a release date.

== GENERAL ==

=== What’s the difference between Model A and Model B? ===

Model A has 256 MB of RAM, HDMI, one USB port and no Ethernet (network connection).
Two revisions of the Model B exist. The first (now referred to as revision 1) has 256 MB RAM, HDMI, two USB ports and a 100 Mbits/sec Ethernet port.
Model B revision 2 has 512MB RAM with the same ports.

=== What are the dimensions of the Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi measures 85.60mm x 53.98mm x 17mm, with a little overlap for the SD card and connectors which project over the edges. It weighs 45g.

=== What SoC are you using? ===

The SoC is a Broadcom BCM2835. This contains an ARM1176JZFS, with floating point, running at 700Mhz, and a Videocore IV GPU. The GPU is capable of BluRay quality playback, using H.264 at 40 Mbits/s. It has a fast 3D core accessed using the supplied OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG libraries.

=== Why did you select the ARM11? ===

Cost and performance.

=== How powerful is it? ===

The GPU provides Open GL ES 2.0, hardware-accelerated OpenVG, and 1080p30 H.264 high-profile decode.

The GPU is capable of 1 Gpixel/s, 1.5 Gtexel/s or 24 GFLOPs of general purpose compute and features a bunch of texture filtering and DMA infrastructure.

That is, graphics capabilities are roughly equivalent to Xbox 1 level of performance. Overall real-world performance is something like a 300MHz Pentium II, only with much, much swankier graphics.

=== Will it overclock? ===

There’s a little overclocking headroom – most devices will run happily at 800MHz. There’s no BIOS ''per se'', but we do support booting bare metal code, so something could be done.

=== Will it blend? ===

Yes. We have conducted extensive virtual simulations. No Raspberry Pis were harmed in the testing.

=== How does it boot? ===

You have to boot from SD but a USB HD can “take over” after the initial boot. You cannot boot without an SD card.

=== Where’s the on / off switch? ===

To switch on: just plug it in!

To switch off: remove power.

=== Why is there no real time clock (RTC)? ===

The expectation is that non-network connected units will have their clocks updated manually at startup. Adding an RTC is surprisingly expensive, once you’ve factored in batteries, area and componentry and would have pushed us above our target price. You can add one yourself using the GPIO pins if you’re after an interesting electronics project.

=== Will you sell a self-assembly kit? ===

No. It would be too expensive for us to provide kits alongside finished boards, which would mean introducing another step in manufacturing; and a kit would be impossible to hand solder. We use special equipment (robots!) to solder on the BGA package and other tiny components.

=== Can I add extra memory? ===

No. The RAM is a POP package on top of the SoC, so it’s not removable or swappable.

=== What hardware documentation will be available? ===

Broadcom don’t release a full datasheet for the BCM2835, which is the chip at the heart of the Raspberry Pi. We have released a datasheet for the SoC which will cover the hardware exposed on the Raspi board e.g. the GPIOs. We also have released a board schematic .

=== But I want documentation for <hardware X>! ===

Other documentation may be released in future but this will be at the Foundation’s discretion.

=== But I ''demand'' the documentation for the chip. Give it to me! ===

To get the full SoC documentation you would need to sign an NDA with Broadcom, who make the chip and sell it to us. But you would also need to provide a business model and estimate of how many chips you are going to sell.

=== Why doesn’t the Raspberry Pi include <insert name> piece of hardware or <insert name> sort of port? ===

Our main function is a charitable one – we’re trying to build the cheapest possible computer that provides a certain basic level of functionality, and keeping the price low means we’ve had to make hard decisions about what hardware and interfaces to include.

=== Can you test it to make sure that it is suitable for <X>? ===

If you want to use it for something that we haven’t tested, and that it’s not intended for (i.e. anything but the educational work we’re planning for it), then that development work is up to you.

=== How do I connect a mouse and keyboard? ===

Model A has one USB port and Model B has two. Beyond this, mice, keyboards, network adapters and external storage will all connect via a USB hub.

== CASES ==

=== Will it have a case? ===

Not for the first batch. We’ll be making and selling cases by the summer; you'll be able to buy a unit with or without a case, or a case on its own. The education release later in 2012 will have a case by default. There are lots of homebrew case discussions on the forum.

=== Will it fit in an Altoids tin? ===

Doesn’t quite work, I’m afraid – because we don’t round off the edges of the board, it’s a little too big to fit the tin.

== GRAPHICS ==

=== What display can I use? ===

There is composite and HDMI out on the board, so you can hook it up to an old analog TV, to a digital TV or to a DVI monitor (using a cheap adapter for the DVI). There is no VGA support, but adaptors are available, although these are relatively expensive.

=== Why is there no VGA support? ===

The chip specifically supports HDMI. VGA is considered to be an end-of-life technology, so supporting it doesn’t fit with our plans at the moment.

=== Is there a GPU binary? ===

Yes. The GPU binary also contains the first stage bootloader.

=== Can I add a touchscreen? ===

We haven’t experimented with any touchscreens yet, but there’s no electronic reason why it shouldn’t work. There’s lots of discussion about this on the forums. The main issue people are encountering seems to be one of cost; touchscreens are very pricey!

=== What is the usable temperature range? ===

The Raspberry Pi is built from commercial chips which are qualified to different temperature ranges; the LAN9512 is specified by the manufacturers being qualified from 0°C to 70°C, while the AP is qualified from -40°C to 85'''°'''C. You may well find that the board will work outside those temperatures, but we’re not qualifying the board itself to these extremes.

== AUDIO ==

=== Is sound over HDMI supported? ===

Yes.

=== What about standard audio in and out? ===

There’s a standard 3.5mm jack for audio out. You can add any supported USB microphone for audio in.

== POWER ==

=== What are the power requirements? ===

The device is powered by 5v micro USB. You can read more about it [http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/260 here]. Power supplies will be available at launch.

=== Can I run power Raspberry Pi from batteries as well as from a wall socket? ===

Yes. The device should run well off 4 x AA cells.

=== Is power over Ethernet (PoE) possible? ===

Not in the base device, but it’s been a very commonly requested feature, so we’re examining options for later releases.

== SOFTWARE ==

=== What operating system (OS) does it use? ===

It is capable of running several different [[RPi_Distributions|operating systems]]. As of July 2012, the Foundation recommmends Raspbian "Wheezy" for first-time users. It’s straightforward to replace the root partition on the SD card with another ARM Linux distro if you want to use something else. The OS is stored on the SD card.

=== Does it have an official programming language? ===

By default, we’ll be supporting Python as the educational language.

Any language which will compile for ARMv6 can be used with the Raspberry Pi, though; so you’re not limited to using Python.

=== Will it run WINE (or Windows, or other x86 software)? ====

No.

=== What Linux distros will be supported at launch? ===

Fedora, Debian and ArchLinux will be supported from the start. We hope to see support from other distros later (because of issues with newer releases of Ubuntu and the ARM processor we are using, Ubuntu can’t commit to supporting Raspberry Pi at the moment). You will be able to download distro images from us as soon as the Raspberry Pi is released, and we will also be selling pre-loaded SD cards shortly after release.

=== Will it run Android? ===

If someone in the community can port a version of Android to work with 256MB of RAM, then it’ll run on the Raspberry Pi.

=== Will it run <insert name of program here>? ===

In general, you need to look to see whether the program you want can be compiled for the ARMv6 architecture. In most cases the answer will be yes. Specific programs are discussed on our forum, so you might want to look there for an answer.

=== Will it run the new Windows RT? ===

We are not partners with Microsoft, and their support would be required for porting Windows 8.

== SD cards and storage ==

We have tried cards up to 32GB and most cards seem to work OK. The Wiki has more information about which makes and models work best. You can also attach a USB flash memory stick or USB hard drive for storage.

=== What happens if I brick the device? ===

You can restore the device by reflashing the SD card.

== NETWORKING, USB AND WIRELESS ==

=== Does the device support networking? Is there Wi-Fi? ===

The Model B version of the device includes 10/100 Mbits/second wired Ethernet. There is no Ethernet on the Model A version (which we expect to be taken up mostly by the education market), but Wi-Fi will be available via a standard USB dongle.

=== Will there be a WiFi option? ===

Not in the first version, though you can add a dongle. ARM Linux WiFi support can be a bit patchy; there’s a list of tested dongles on the wiki.

=== Why no Gigabit Ethernet? ===

The Ethernet is driven via USB 2.0, so the upstream bandwidth would not support Gigabit.

=== Does the device have support for any form of netbooting or Pxe? ===

No. However, it’s such a low-power device that we expect it to be left on much of the time!

=== How do you connect more than two USB devices? ===

Use a hub to increase the number of ports. Some keyboards have hubs built in which would work well.

== EDUCATIONAL USES ==

=== What educational material will be available? ===

We’re working with partners to get software materials developed, as well as with the open source community. Computing at School is writing a user guide and programming manual, we’re aware of a few books being planned and written around the Raspberry Pi, and others have already started to produce some excellent tutorials including video. We’re also working with partners to use it as a teaching platform for other subjects, including languages, math, and so on.

Once we launch, we hope that the community will help organizations like Computing at School put together teaching material such as lesson plans and resources and push this into schools. In due course, the foundation hopes to provide a system of prizes to give young people something to work towards.

There’s lots of discussion of educational uses and resources in our forums – come and have a chat!

== GLOSSARY ==

BGA: Ball Grid Array. A type of surface mount packaging for electronics.

SoC: System on Chip. A computer on a single integrated circuit.

GPIO: General Purpose Input/Output. Pins that can be programmed to do stuff.

GPU: Graphics Processing Unit. The hardware that handles 3-D graphics in scientific notation (floating point) math.

Distro: a specific package (“flavor”) of Linux and associated software.

Brick: to accidentally render a device inoperative by making changes to software or firmware.

Pxe: Preboot execution environment. A way to get a device to boot via the network.

PoE: Power over Ethernet. Powering a device via an Ethernet cable.

 

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

RPi FAQ

2013-03-23T11:17:30Z

Ghans: /* What hardware documentation will be available? */

[[File:R-Pi_Model_AB_Mono-1.png|thumb|right|400px]] [[File:RpiFront.jpg|400px|thumb|right|The Rpi beta board (model B)]] [[File:Rasp_turn_around.gif|200px|thumb|right|A 3D rendering of the Raspberry Pi logo by forum user Antario. [http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum/projects-and-collaboration-general/raspberry-pi-3d-logo-animation Source]]]

== Introduction ==

=== What’s a Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It’s a capable little PC which can be used for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. It also plays high-definition video. We want to see it being used by kids all over the world to learn programming.

==== Can I buy shares in the Raspberry Pi Foundation? ====

We’re a charity, so you can’t buy shares in the company. If you want to support us, we’d love you to buy one. We’ll also be offering a package where you can do a buy-one-give-one purchase, and we’ll be accepting donations too once we start shipping.

== BUYING AND SHIPPING ==

=== Where can I buy one? ===

The Raspi will initially only be available to purchase through [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components.]

=== How many can I buy in one go? ===

For the first batch we are limiting orders to one per person. This restriction will be relaxed as production gets in to full swing, and we can be sure of getting boards to all who want them. This should prevent eBay scalping (to some extent – we will also be auctioning some boards ourselves to try to make sure there’s no market for scalpers), and ensure that as many different individuals as possible get their Raspberry Pi!

=== How much does it cost? ===

The Model A will cost $25 and the Model B $35, plus local taxes and shipping.

=== How can I pay for it? ===

We will accept most major cards, PayPal, and offline payments.

=== What will I get when I buy one? ===

A Raspberry Pi. Leads, a power supply, case or SD cards are not included but can be purchased from any of the Raspberry Pi vendors: [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]. You can build an operating system on your own SD card or buy one preloaded with Raspian "wheezy" from the same source.

=== Why is the price in US Dollars? You’re a UK company! ===

The components we buy are priced in dollars, and we negotiate manufacturing in dollars. Because currency markets are so volatile at the moment, we price the final board in dollars too, so we don’t have to keep changing the price.

=== Will there be a buy-one-give-one program? ===

Yes. We plan to implement a program of this sort, but you can also just buy one if you prefer.

=== Will the device be available internationally? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] distribute and ship world-wide via subsidiaries and partners in virtually every country. There have been some problems with information about pricing and availability being fully shared among some countries' local offices, but, they are being worked out with the primary distributors and should be resolved by mid-March 2012.

=== How much will it cost to ship to [country X]? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] and their subsidiaries/partners will convey this information before orders are charged, and these costs may vary from country to country, which the Foundation cannot control.

=== Will there be a minimum order quantity? ===

Originally, the minimum order quantity was one unit. This restriction has been lifted.

=== Do you accept pre-orders? ===

Pre-orders are now being taken by [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]

=== I want to be a Raspberry Pi reseller. ===

We are not taking requests for people to be resellers at the moment.

=== Can I join the mailing list? ===

You certainly can. Head to the [http://www.raspberrypi.org home page], and you’ll see a form at the top right you can fill in. People who are signed up will get an e-mail as soon as we have confirmed a release date.

== GENERAL ==

=== What’s the difference between Model A and Model B? ===

Model A has 256 MB of RAM, HDMI, one USB port and no Ethernet (network connection).
Two revisions of the Model B exist. The first (now referred to as revision 1) has 256 MB RAM, HDMI, two USB ports and a 100 Mbits/sec Ethernet port.
Model B revision 2 has 512MB RAM with the same ports.

=== What are the dimensions of the Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi measures 85.60mm x 53.98mm x 17mm, with a little overlap for the SD card and connectors which project over the edges. It weighs 45g.

=== What SoC are you using? ===

The SoC is a Broadcom BCM2835. This contains an ARM1176JZFS, with floating point, running at 700Mhz, and a Videocore IV GPU. The GPU is capable of BluRay quality playback, using H.264 at 40 Mbits/s. It has a fast 3D core accessed using the supplied OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG libraries.

=== Why did you select the ARM11? ===

Cost and performance.

=== How powerful is it? ===

The GPU provides Open GL ES 2.0, hardware-accelerated OpenVG, and 1080p30 H.264 high-profile decode.

The GPU is capable of 1 Gpixel/s, 1.5 Gtexel/s or 24 GFLOPs of general purpose compute and features a bunch of texture filtering and DMA infrastructure.

That is, graphics capabilities are roughly equivalent to Xbox 1 level of performance. Overall real-world performance is something like a 300MHz Pentium II, only with much, much swankier graphics.

=== Will it overclock? ===

There’s a little overclocking headroom – most devices will run happily at 800MHz. There’s no BIOS ''per se'', but we do support booting bare metal code, so something could be done.

=== Will it blend? ===

Yes. We have conducted extensive virtual simulations. No Raspberry Pis were harmed in the testing.

=== How does it boot? ===

You have to boot from SD but a USB HD can “take over” after the initial boot. You cannot boot without an SD card.

=== Where’s the on / off switch? ===

To switch on: just plug it in!

To switch off: remove power.

=== Why is there no real time clock (RTC)? ===

The expectation is that non-network connected units will have their clocks updated manually at startup. Adding an RTC is surprisingly expensive, once you’ve factored in batteries, area and componentry and would have pushed us above our target price. You can add one yourself using the GPIO pins if you’re after an interesting electronics project.

=== Will you sell a self-assembly kit? ===

No. It would be too expensive for us to provide kits alongside finished boards, which would mean introducing another step in manufacturing; and a kit would be impossible to hand solder. We use special equipment (robots!) to solder on the BGA package and other tiny components.

=== Can I add extra memory? ===

No. The RAM is a POP package on top of the SoC, so it’s not removable or swappable.

=== What hardware documentation will be available? ===

Broadcom don’t release a full datasheet for the BCM2835, which is the chip at the heart of the Raspberry Pi. We have released a datasheet for the SoC which will cover the hardware exposed on the Raspi board e.g. the GPIOs. We also have released a board schematic .

=== But I want documentation for <hardware X>! ===

Other documentation may be released in future but this will be at the Foundation’s discretion.

=== But I ''demand'' the documentation for the chip. Give it to me! ===

To get the full SoC documentation you would need to sign an NDA with Broadcom, who make the chip and sell it to us. But you would also need to provide a business model and estimate of how many chips you are going to sell.

=== Why doesn’t the Raspberry Pi include <insert name> piece of hardware or <insert name> sort of port? ===

Our main function is a charitable one – we’re trying to build the cheapest possible computer that provides a certain basic level of functionality, and keeping the price low means we’ve had to make hard decisions about what hardware and interfaces to include.

=== Can you test it to make sure that it is suitable for <X>? ===

If you want to use it for something that we haven’t tested, and that it’s not intended for (i.e. anything but the educational work we’re planning for it), then that development work is up to you.

=== How do I connect a mouse and keyboard? ===

Model A has one USB port and Model B has two. Beyond this, mice, keyboards, network adapters and external storage will all connect via a USB hub.

== CASES ==

=== Will it have a case? ===

Not for the first batch. We’ll be making and selling cases by the summer; you'll be able to buy a unit with or without a case, or a case on its own. The education release later in 2012 will have a case by default. There are lots of homebrew case discussions on the forum.

=== Will it fit in an Altoids tin? ===

Doesn’t quite work, I’m afraid – because we don’t round off the edges of the board, it’s a little too big to fit the tin.

== GRAPHICS ==

=== What display can I use? ===

There is composite and HDMI out on the board, so you can hook it up to an old analog TV, to a digital TV or to a DVI monitor (using a cheap adapter for the DVI). There is no VGA support, but adaptors are available, although these are relatively expensive.

=== Why is there no VGA support? ===

The chip specifically supports HDMI. VGA is considered to be an end-of-life technology, so supporting it doesn’t fit with our plans at the moment.

=== Is there a GPU binary? ===

Yes. The GPU binary also contains the first stage bootloader.

=== Can I add a touchscreen? ===

We haven’t experimented with any touchscreens yet, but there’s no electronic reason why it shouldn’t work. There’s lots of discussion about this on the forums. The main issue people are encountering seems to be one of cost; touchscreens are very pricey!

=== What is the usable temperature range? ===

The Raspberry Pi is built from commercial chips which are qualified to different temperature ranges; the LAN9512 is specified by the manufacturers being qualified from 0°C to 70°C, while the AP is qualified from -40°C to 85'''°'''C. You may well find that the board will work outside those temperatures, but we’re not qualifying the board itself to these extremes.

== AUDIO ==

=== Is sound over HDMI supported? ===

Yes.

=== What about standard audio in and out? ===

There’s a standard 3.5mm jack for audio out. You can add any supported USB microphone for audio in.

== POWER ==

=== What are the power requirements? ===

The device is powered by 5v micro USB. You can read more about it [http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/260 here]. Power supplies will be available at launch.

=== Can I run power Raspberry Pi from batteries as well as from a wall socket? ===

Yes. The device should run well off 4 x AA cells.

=== Is power over Ethernet (PoE) possible? ===

Not in the base device, but it’s been a very commonly requested feature, so we’re examining options for later releases.

== SOFTWARE ==

=== What operating system (OS) does it use? ===

It is capable of running several different [[RPi_Distributions|operating systems]]. As of July 2012, the Foundation recommmends Raspbian "Wheezy" for first-time users. It’s straightforward to replace the root partition on the SD card with another ARM Linux distro if you want to use something else. The OS is stored on the SD card.

=== Does it have an official programming language? ===

By default, we’ll be supporting Python as the educational language.

Any language which will compile for ARMv6 can be used with the Raspberry Pi, though; so you’re not limited to using Python.

=== Will it run WINE (or Windows, or other x86 software)? ====

No.

=== What Linux distros will be supported at launch? ===

Fedora, Debian and ArchLinux will be supported from the start. We hope to see support from other distros later (because of issues with newer releases of Ubuntu and the ARM processor we are using, Ubuntu can’t commit to supporting Raspberry Pi at the moment). You will be able to download distro images from us as soon as the Raspberry Pi is released, and we will also be selling pre-loaded SD cards shortly after release.

=== Will it run Android? ===

If someone in the community can port a version of Android to work with 256MB of RAM, then it’ll run on the Raspberry Pi.

=== Will it run <insert name of program here>? ===

In general, you need to look to see whether the program you want can be compiled for the ARMv6 architecture. In most cases the answer will be yes. Specific programs are discussed on our forum, so you might want to look there for an answer.

=== Will it run the new Windows RT? ===

We are not partners with Microsoft, and their support would be required for porting Windows 8.

== SD cards and storage ==

We have tried cards up to 32GB and most cards seem to work OK. The Wiki has more information about which makes and models work best. You can also attach a USB flash memory stick or USB hard drive for storage.

=== What happens if I brick the device? ===

You can restore the device by reflashing the SD card.

== NETWORKING, USB AND WIRELESS ==

=== Does the device support networking? Is there Wi-Fi? ===

The Model B version of the device includes 10/100 Mbits/second wired Ethernet. There is no Ethernet on the Model A version (which we expect to be taken up mostly by the education market), but Wi-Fi will be available via a standard USB dongle.

=== Will there be a WiFi option? ===

Not in the first version, though you can add a dongle. ARM Linux WiFi support can be a bit patchy; there’s a list of tested dongles on the wiki.

=== Why no Gigabit Ethernet? ===

The Ethernet is driven via USB 2.0, so the upstream bandwidth would not support Gigabit.

=== Does the device have support for any form of netbooting or Pxe? ===

No. However, it’s such a low-power device that we expect it to be left on much of the time!

=== How do you connect more than two USB devices? ===

Use a hub to increase the number of ports. Some keyboards have hubs built in which would work well.

== EDUCATIONAL USES ==

=== What educational material will be available? ===

We’re working with partners to get software materials developed, as well as with the open source community. Computing at School is writing a user guide and programming manual, we’re aware of a few books being planned and written around the Raspberry Pi, and others have already started to produce some excellent tutorials including video. We’re also working with partners to use it as a teaching platform for other subjects, including languages, math, and so on.

Once we launch, we hope that the community will help organizations like Computing at School put together teaching material such as lesson plans and resources and push this into schools. In due course, the foundation hopes to provide a system of prizes to give young people something to work towards.

There’s lots of discussion of educational uses and resources in our forums – come and have a chat!

== GLOSSARY ==

BGA: Ball Grid Array. A type of surface mount packaging for electronics.

SoC: System on Chip. A computer on a single integrated circuit.

GPIO: General Purpose Input/Output. Pins that can be programmed to do stuff.

GPU: Graphics Processing Unit. The hardware that handles 3-D graphics in scientific notation (floating point) math.

Distro: a specific package (“flavor”) of Linux and associated software.

Brick: to accidentally render a device inoperative by making changes to software or firmware.

Pxe: Preboot execution environment. A way to get a device to boot via the network.

PoE: Power over Ethernet. Powering a device via an Ethernet cable.

 

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

RPi FAQ

2013-03-23T11:15:26Z

Ghans: /* How much will it cost? */

[[File:R-Pi_Model_AB_Mono-1.png|thumb|right|400px]] [[File:RpiFront.jpg|400px|thumb|right|The Rpi beta board (model B)]] [[File:Rasp_turn_around.gif|200px|thumb|right|A 3D rendering of the Raspberry Pi logo by forum user Antario. [http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum/projects-and-collaboration-general/raspberry-pi-3d-logo-animation Source]]]

== Introduction ==

=== What’s a Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It’s a capable little PC which can be used for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. It also plays high-definition video. We want to see it being used by kids all over the world to learn programming.

==== Can I buy shares in the Raspberry Pi Foundation? ====

We’re a charity, so you can’t buy shares in the company. If you want to support us, we’d love you to buy one. We’ll also be offering a package where you can do a buy-one-give-one purchase, and we’ll be accepting donations too once we start shipping.

== BUYING AND SHIPPING ==

=== Where can I buy one? ===

The Raspi will initially only be available to purchase through [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components.]

=== How many can I buy in one go? ===

For the first batch we are limiting orders to one per person. This restriction will be relaxed as production gets in to full swing, and we can be sure of getting boards to all who want them. This should prevent eBay scalping (to some extent – we will also be auctioning some boards ourselves to try to make sure there’s no market for scalpers), and ensure that as many different individuals as possible get their Raspberry Pi!

=== How much does it cost? ===

The Model A will cost $25 and the Model B $35, plus local taxes and shipping.

=== How can I pay for it? ===

We will accept most major cards, PayPal, and offline payments.

=== What will I get when I buy one? ===

A Raspberry Pi. Leads, a power supply, case or SD cards are not included but can be purchased from any of the Raspberry Pi vendors: [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]. You can build an operating system on your own SD card or buy one preloaded with Raspian "wheezy" from the same source.

=== Why is the price in US Dollars? You’re a UK company! ===

The components we buy are priced in dollars, and we negotiate manufacturing in dollars. Because currency markets are so volatile at the moment, we price the final board in dollars too, so we don’t have to keep changing the price.

=== Will there be a buy-one-give-one program? ===

Yes. We plan to implement a program of this sort, but you can also just buy one if you prefer.

=== Will the device be available internationally? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] distribute and ship world-wide via subsidiaries and partners in virtually every country. There have been some problems with information about pricing and availability being fully shared among some countries' local offices, but, they are being worked out with the primary distributors and should be resolved by mid-March 2012.

=== How much will it cost to ship to [country X]? ===

[http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components] and their subsidiaries/partners will convey this information before orders are charged, and these costs may vary from country to country, which the Foundation cannot control.

=== Will there be a minimum order quantity? ===

Originally, the minimum order quantity was one unit. This restriction has been lifted.

=== Do you accept pre-orders? ===

Pre-orders are now being taken by [http://www.farnell.com Premier Farnell/Element 14] and [http://rswww.com RS Components]

=== I want to be a Raspberry Pi reseller. ===

We are not taking requests for people to be resellers at the moment.

=== Can I join the mailing list? ===

You certainly can. Head to the [http://www.raspberrypi.org home page], and you’ll see a form at the top right you can fill in. People who are signed up will get an e-mail as soon as we have confirmed a release date.

== GENERAL ==

=== What’s the difference between Model A and Model B? ===

Model A has 256 MB of RAM, HDMI, one USB port and no Ethernet (network connection).
Two revisions of the Model B exist. The first (now referred to as revision 1) has 256 MB RAM, HDMI, two USB ports and a 100 Mbits/sec Ethernet port.
Model B revision 2 has 512MB RAM with the same ports.

=== What are the dimensions of the Raspberry Pi? ===

The Raspberry Pi measures 85.60mm x 53.98mm x 17mm, with a little overlap for the SD card and connectors which project over the edges. It weighs 45g.

=== What SoC are you using? ===

The SoC is a Broadcom BCM2835. This contains an ARM1176JZFS, with floating point, running at 700Mhz, and a Videocore IV GPU. The GPU is capable of BluRay quality playback, using H.264 at 40 Mbits/s. It has a fast 3D core accessed using the supplied OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG libraries.

=== Why did you select the ARM11? ===

Cost and performance.

=== How powerful is it? ===

The GPU provides Open GL ES 2.0, hardware-accelerated OpenVG, and 1080p30 H.264 high-profile decode.

The GPU is capable of 1 Gpixel/s, 1.5 Gtexel/s or 24 GFLOPs of general purpose compute and features a bunch of texture filtering and DMA infrastructure.

That is, graphics capabilities are roughly equivalent to Xbox 1 level of performance. Overall real-world performance is something like a 300MHz Pentium II, only with much, much swankier graphics.

=== Will it overclock? ===

There’s a little overclocking headroom – most devices will run happily at 800MHz. There’s no BIOS ''per se'', but we do support booting bare metal code, so something could be done.

=== Will it blend? ===

Yes. We have conducted extensive virtual simulations. No Raspberry Pis were harmed in the testing.

=== How does it boot? ===

You have to boot from SD but a USB HD can “take over” after the initial boot. You cannot boot without an SD card.

=== Where’s the on / off switch? ===

To switch on: just plug it in!

To switch off: remove power.

=== Why is there no real time clock (RTC)? ===

The expectation is that non-network connected units will have their clocks updated manually at startup. Adding an RTC is surprisingly expensive, once you’ve factored in batteries, area and componentry and would have pushed us above our target price. You can add one yourself using the GPIO pins if you’re after an interesting electronics project.

=== Will you sell a self-assembly kit? ===

No. It would be too expensive for us to provide kits alongside finished boards, which would mean introducing another step in manufacturing; and a kit would be impossible to hand solder. We use special equipment (robots!) to solder on the BGA package and other tiny components.

=== Can I add extra memory? ===

No. The RAM is a POP package on top of the SoC, so it’s not removable or swappable.

=== What hardware documentation will be available? ===

Broadcom don’t release a full datasheet for the BCM2835, which is the chip at the heart of the Raspberry Pi. We will release a datasheet for the SoC which will cover the hardware exposed on the Raspi board e.g. the GPIOs. We will also release a board schematic later on.

=== But I want documentation for <hardware X>! ===

Other documentation may be released in future but this will be at the Foundation’s discretion.

=== But I ''demand'' the documentation for the chip. Give it to me! ===

To get the full SoC documentation you would need to sign an NDA with Broadcom, who make the chip and sell it to us. But you would also need to provide a business model and estimate of how many chips you are going to sell.

=== Why doesn’t the Raspberry Pi include <insert name> piece of hardware or <insert name> sort of port? ===

Our main function is a charitable one – we’re trying to build the cheapest possible computer that provides a certain basic level of functionality, and keeping the price low means we’ve had to make hard decisions about what hardware and interfaces to include.

=== Can you test it to make sure that it is suitable for <X>? ===

If you want to use it for something that we haven’t tested, and that it’s not intended for (i.e. anything but the educational work we’re planning for it), then that development work is up to you.

=== How do I connect a mouse and keyboard? ===

Model A has one USB port and Model B has two. Beyond this, mice, keyboards, network adapters and external storage will all connect via a USB hub.

== CASES ==

=== Will it have a case? ===

Not for the first batch. We’ll be making and selling cases by the summer; you'll be able to buy a unit with or without a case, or a case on its own. The education release later in 2012 will have a case by default. There are lots of homebrew case discussions on the forum.

=== Will it fit in an Altoids tin? ===

Doesn’t quite work, I’m afraid – because we don’t round off the edges of the board, it’s a little too big to fit the tin.

== GRAPHICS ==

=== What display can I use? ===

There is composite and HDMI out on the board, so you can hook it up to an old analog TV, to a digital TV or to a DVI monitor (using a cheap adapter for the DVI). There is no VGA support, but adaptors are available, although these are relatively expensive.

=== Why is there no VGA support? ===

The chip specifically supports HDMI. VGA is considered to be an end-of-life technology, so supporting it doesn’t fit with our plans at the moment.

=== Is there a GPU binary? ===

Yes. The GPU binary also contains the first stage bootloader.

=== Can I add a touchscreen? ===

We haven’t experimented with any touchscreens yet, but there’s no electronic reason why it shouldn’t work. There’s lots of discussion about this on the forums. The main issue people are encountering seems to be one of cost; touchscreens are very pricey!

=== What is the usable temperature range? ===

The Raspberry Pi is built from commercial chips which are qualified to different temperature ranges; the LAN9512 is specified by the manufacturers being qualified from 0°C to 70°C, while the AP is qualified from -40°C to 85'''°'''C. You may well find that the board will work outside those temperatures, but we’re not qualifying the board itself to these extremes.

== AUDIO ==

=== Is sound over HDMI supported? ===

Yes.

=== What about standard audio in and out? ===

There’s a standard 3.5mm jack for audio out. You can add any supported USB microphone for audio in.

== POWER ==

=== What are the power requirements? ===

The device is powered by 5v micro USB. You can read more about it [http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/260 here]. Power supplies will be available at launch.

=== Can I run power Raspberry Pi from batteries as well as from a wall socket? ===

Yes. The device should run well off 4 x AA cells.

=== Is power over Ethernet (PoE) possible? ===

Not in the base device, but it’s been a very commonly requested feature, so we’re examining options for later releases.

== SOFTWARE ==

=== What operating system (OS) does it use? ===

It is capable of running several different [[RPi_Distributions|operating systems]]. As of July 2012, the Foundation recommmends Raspbian "Wheezy" for first-time users. It’s straightforward to replace the root partition on the SD card with another ARM Linux distro if you want to use something else. The OS is stored on the SD card.

=== Does it have an official programming language? ===

By default, we’ll be supporting Python as the educational language.

Any language which will compile for ARMv6 can be used with the Raspberry Pi, though; so you’re not limited to using Python.

=== Will it run WINE (or Windows, or other x86 software)? ====

No.

=== What Linux distros will be supported at launch? ===

Fedora, Debian and ArchLinux will be supported from the start. We hope to see support from other distros later (because of issues with newer releases of Ubuntu and the ARM processor we are using, Ubuntu can’t commit to supporting Raspberry Pi at the moment). You will be able to download distro images from us as soon as the Raspberry Pi is released, and we will also be selling pre-loaded SD cards shortly after release.

=== Will it run Android? ===

If someone in the community can port a version of Android to work with 256MB of RAM, then it’ll run on the Raspberry Pi.

=== Will it run <insert name of program here>? ===

In general, you need to look to see whether the program you want can be compiled for the ARMv6 architecture. In most cases the answer will be yes. Specific programs are discussed on our forum, so you might want to look there for an answer.

=== Will it run the new Windows RT? ===

We are not partners with Microsoft, and their support would be required for porting Windows 8.

== SD cards and storage ==

We have tried cards up to 32GB and most cards seem to work OK. The Wiki has more information about which makes and models work best. You can also attach a USB flash memory stick or USB hard drive for storage.

=== What happens if I brick the device? ===

You can restore the device by reflashing the SD card.

== NETWORKING, USB AND WIRELESS ==

=== Does the device support networking? Is there Wi-Fi? ===

The Model B version of the device includes 10/100 Mbits/second wired Ethernet. There is no Ethernet on the Model A version (which we expect to be taken up mostly by the education market), but Wi-Fi will be available via a standard USB dongle.

=== Will there be a WiFi option? ===

Not in the first version, though you can add a dongle. ARM Linux WiFi support can be a bit patchy; there’s a list of tested dongles on the wiki.

=== Why no Gigabit Ethernet? ===

The Ethernet is driven via USB 2.0, so the upstream bandwidth would not support Gigabit.

=== Does the device have support for any form of netbooting or Pxe? ===

No. However, it’s such a low-power device that we expect it to be left on much of the time!

=== How do you connect more than two USB devices? ===

Use a hub to increase the number of ports. Some keyboards have hubs built in which would work well.

== EDUCATIONAL USES ==

=== What educational material will be available? ===

We’re working with partners to get software materials developed, as well as with the open source community. Computing at School is writing a user guide and programming manual, we’re aware of a few books being planned and written around the Raspberry Pi, and others have already started to produce some excellent tutorials including video. We’re also working with partners to use it as a teaching platform for other subjects, including languages, math, and so on.

Once we launch, we hope that the community will help organizations like Computing at School put together teaching material such as lesson plans and resources and push this into schools. In due course, the foundation hopes to provide a system of prizes to give young people something to work towards.

There’s lots of discussion of educational uses and resources in our forums – come and have a chat!

== GLOSSARY ==

BGA: Ball Grid Array. A type of surface mount packaging for electronics.

SoC: System on Chip. A computer on a single integrated circuit.

GPIO: General Purpose Input/Output. Pins that can be programmed to do stuff.

GPU: Graphics Processing Unit. The hardware that handles 3-D graphics in scientific notation (floating point) math.

Distro: a specific package (“flavor”) of Linux and associated software.

Brick: to accidentally render a device inoperative by making changes to software or firmware.

Pxe: Preboot execution environment. A way to get a device to boot via the network.

PoE: Power over Ethernet. Powering a device via an Ethernet cable.

 

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

eLinux.org:RPi Council

2013-03-23T10:45:57Z

Ghans: /* If you are interested edit here */

{{Hub Flags}}
{{Clear}}
Because of the messed up stuff on the Raspberry Pi wiki, I have found it necessary to create a governing council for the RPi wiki. Please edit the below section if you'd like to become a member (alderman) of the council.

Note: This is official and is ok with the administration of eLinux.

== Supplemental guidelines ==
''If anything is wrong with these guidelines please feel free to edit them. Thank you.''
=== Guidelines are made from consensus ===
All supplemental guidelines and decisions will now be made by the RPWC and eLinux administration.

== Current council aldermen ==
* President - [[User:Jeff|Jeff]]
* <s>[[User:TrevorGowen|Trevor Gowen]]</s>

== Current issues ==
=== Users ===
==== Mahjongg ====
<s>As he is not answering my requests for identity, he may be impersonating Mahjongg on the forums. I propose the account be blocked indefinitely because it clearly is copying the RPi forum mod's user name.</s> --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 12:26, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
:Verified thru PM. Case closed. :) --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 21:16, 5 October 2012 (UTC)

==== Ghans ====
I propose that since he ruined a lot of formatting that he is not to edit the Raspberry Pi Wiki's formatting for 1 month. You can see clearly [[RPi Wiki Best Practice|here]]. He, in fact, misguided everyone in best practices! I want you to go to Wikipedia and take a hard stare and compare the articles! They are misleading! He clearly cannot go on with this! Anyone else agree? --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] 02:15, 2 October 2012 (UTC) '''Edit: and also add a block of 1 month if he does not comply.''' --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] 22:39, 2 October 2012 (UTC) 
(Note: This decision must be concluded by Wednesday, October 3, 2012.)
:Having compared [[RPi Wiki Best Practice|Ghans' "Best Practice"]] with which, I believe, are the equivalent areas of Wikipedia and parts of the Help sections here I can see what you mean. However, using Wikipedia as a guide, one also has to assume that he was writing with the best of intentions. Unfortunately he does not reveal much about his background, experience etc. on his user page. However, having had the experience of encouraging "best practice" within a mixed group of programmer's of different backgrounds (scientific, computational) and training (formal, informal, none), I am well aware that when considering adopting such from a related area, one also has to consider the needs etc. of the intended users ie. adopt as much as is appropriate, adapt or reject the remainder. An analogy would be that when preparing a presentation one may end up with several versions depending upon the expected audience. Hence, whilst I am prepared to support your proposal, it is on the understanding that this is done so to allow us to begin to formulate more suitable guidelines, given that, eventually, hopefully, there will be younger, enthusiastic but less experienced contributers whom I would not wish to discourage. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 14:40, 2 October 2012 (UTC)
::So you're a support? --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] 22:32, 2 October 2012 (UTC)
:::Assuming I'm interpreting your update above correctly, to mean that he is requested to refrain from edits that change formatting aspects of the Raspbery Pi sections of the Wiki for one month and ignores that request, yes. Hopefully such a request will generate a response, therebye opening up a dialogue, which may resolve matters such that a formal block need not be imposed. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 12:09, 3 October 2012 (UTC)
I guess I will close this with a warning to Ghans. Block not implemented. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 12:39, 3 October 2012 (UTC)

=== Content ===
==== Shutdown of most other language "hubs" ====
'''Due to the importance of this topic, ''everyone'' is invited to post their opinions, even users that are not a council member.''' 
These hubs serve no purpose but to point the respective language speakers to English pages. This is utterly useless. If I only spoke Greek, I would be able to understand the hub, but the hub's purpose is to link to other pages. Unfortunately I would ask a Greek community for help because the links are to ENGLISH pages! Why don't we just tell everyone a bold message: THIS IS AN ENGLISH WIKI! I propose to redirect all these pages to the English page; as for the template Hub Flags, I propose it be renamed as the RPi Hub header, or something like so. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 01:27, 11 October 2012 (UTC) 
'''This shall be concluded on Friday, October 12, 2012 at 9:00pm (21:00) Eastern Standard Time, or whenever an obvious consensus closes.'''
:Is this for real?... it goes against the actions of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, see http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/1715. If they want to spread their Forum into multiple languages, then so should the wiki. [[User:Simon Small|SimonSmall]] 20:31, 11 October 2012 (UTC)
::'''THIS IS NEITHER CONTROLLED BY NOR SANCTIONED BY THE RASPI FOUNDATION'''. Unless YOU want to make all the different language pages, you really need to knock some sense into yourself. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 22:57, 11 October 2012 (UTC)
:Whilst it is my understanding that this section of the eLinux Wiki was created by members of the Raspi Foundation's forum (who, presumably, were already active contributors here), most of the non-english language pages appear to have been created in the early part of 2012 '''before''' the Raspberry Pi was generally available. As the number of active RasPi users grew, it was somewhat inevitable that contributions to this wiki area would increase. Unfortunately this has been at such a pace that, even where there had been significant translation effort in the early stages, at present, there appear to be too few people with the necessary skills to maintain those pages. I certainly don't have them (my French skills learned some 45 years ago are far too "rusty"). From the RPWC's president's comments above, I assume he's in a similar position. Hence, until such time that there are enough RPWC members with sufficient skills and "spare" time to properly check/moderate any translated pages, I agree that it is probably necessary to "shut them down". However, out of respect for the effort put into those early pages, I hope that such a shutdown will not result in complete deletion (where there has been significant effort), just in case their restoration becomes viable. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 17:52, 12 October 2012 (UTC)
::Yes, I will only redirect them. Very well. I guess we have finally reached consensus. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 02:50, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

Well, yes the dictator reach a consensus. FR:RPi-Hub was maintained, I did some change as well as other during the last few months. Now what will happend when french speaking people go the this site. They will see an english only site and move on. Well Done!!

Papillon

If the non-English "hubs" have been shutdown/redirected/whatever, maybe the list at http://elinux.org/RPi_Hub#Translations should be cleaned up too? [[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] 23:13, 23 October 2012 (UTC)

=== Supplemental guidelines ===
==== This isn't the RPi Forums ====
This will officially tell all that the RPi Forums are not how the RPi Wiki works! Closes whenever consensus is apparently reached. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 23:01, 11 October 2012 (UTC)

==== Official language ====
'''Note: Due to the importance of this topic, all users, regardless of RPWC membership, may discuss this.'''
As amending to the above, English should be the official language of the wiki. We are in Amnet/Engnet/Euronet, not Runet or Chinet, so let's just say ENGLISH really should be the official language. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 01:37, 11 October 2012 (UTC)
(closes on Friday)

I strongly disagree with that opinion. If you do make all hub page point to english, what is the point of having translation? You are not alone on this planet. A hole bunch of people don't speak (read) english at all.

The point of having translation, is to offer the same information in different languages so as much as possible persons can read thing about the RPi. I know that it is not possible (practically speaking) to have all hub pages having the same exact information but at least the info is there in as much language possible.

If you make english to only language here (even if just for the hub) people will go else where for a wiki and all your good work will be of no use. Just look around http://frenchmagpi.site-mpe.fr/index.php/Accueil, the magpi is being translated to french, issue 5 is already published and issue 6 is in good progress.

In my opinion, "my language is the official one" opinion is selfish and close minded. The goal of a public wiki on the web like this one is to let people share as much as possible their information. Look at the succes of wikipedia, it is available in I don't know many language, there are pages on the same subject in many many languages that don't have all the same information but at least there is information for every one and a lot more people can find information than if just english is available.

It is ok to have the default page point to the english hub but keep the flag and translated hub available to all. Do not trow to garbage the work of all the people who translated (updated) the hub to there own language.

Papillon
:: Thank you for your comments - I've been waiting for further contributions to this discussion since, without proper feedback from the wiki users, this "council" has no mandate for its efforts. Personally, I do not like the term "official language", and feel it would be more appropriate to use the term "primary language". Whilst this wiki has "public access", it appears to be "privately hosted", hence I do not regard it as a "public wiki" like wikipedia. I've already indicated above that I do not wish the existing translation work to be "thrown away", however, some of the "translated hubs" appear to be "skeletal forms" with minimal content. As such they are potentially misleading as to the level and quality of content of this area of work. Should such pages be marked more clearly with their "translation status" (in their "native" language '''and''' English), and with the category "needs editing" (or similar) then I'd be much happier for them to remain linked to.--[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 08:34, 16 October 2012 (UTC)

Hi, I'm not an English native speaker either - and I agree with the proposal of having English as the primary language ... but also with keeping of the already created translations and the hub - in maybe some form of "unofficial" sub-pages without guarantee that they contain the same/verified/complete information. If they really posses any valuable information rather than being just a fork pointing to English articles, they should be kept available (at least as read-only), otherwise it's rational to clean up. The term "official language" may not be the best choice, "primary language" sounds much better, but in my belief this is not about any selfishness, discrimination or anything else than an effort to keep this wiki well organized, readable, oriented on quality content, brief and clear. Maybe the language-hub can be placed somewhere at the bottom or as a sidebar menu (change to official wiki style?) with a clear marking, that its purpose is to provide extra space for smaller communities of people speaking other languages, and/or as some kind of mirrored clones with basic info from the main pages. Well, if that's what this wiki's objectives are... I understand very well that, this wiki may have a specific orientation and every contributor should respect the rules. Also, one wiki cannot meet everybody's wishes. There are plenty other options for specific language oriented wikis, forums, creating own, etc. On the other hand, if there is someone who would like to take over the role of an editor for a specific language and properly maintain the contents of that pages, I'm sure he will be greatly welcome. One more note - everybody should be aware that this is not a official Raspberry Pi Foundation's wiki. It is a publicly available private wiki (notwithstanding that it is created mostly by public community) for embedded Linux systems in general (correct me if necessary), where RPi is one of such systems/devices. It just happened to be the best available place for this purpose at the time, and thus the Raspberry Pi Foundation simply provided a link to this wiki (instead of creating its own, having to maintain it, moderate, etc.). We should be happy for having this place available for public collaboration. But without proper administration, it may easily become just a mess of unreadable contributions and literally lose its point... Who would want that? ;) --[[User:Pinoccio|Pinoccio]] 14:30, 16 October 2012 (UTC)

==== Wiki Design principles ====

<s>All good things require a good design. To improve this site, we should (re)define / clarify its purpose. The following principles are suggested:

Users of the Raspberry Pi will be of three types (or a mixture of these);
(a) competent Linux user,
(b) experienced hardware and/or software modifier / hobbyist
(c) beginner

Each page should consider WHY a reader would be using that page.

A competent Linux user would only want to know how to get the Raspberry Pi working and set up, and any 'peculiarities' relating to the hardware or Linux distribution. The hobbyist would additionally want to know how to use the GPIO ports and associated software, or how to modify / build the distribution or packages not included in that distribution. There should be clear pointers on the first page for the sections relating to these groups.

The beginner will need careful guidance in their first steps. For this, instructions should be clear:
* they lead the user from what they know into what they don't, with each step being small and simple with the 'objective' clearly defined.
* they use simple steps, and should skip optional complications that are not relevant to the current 'lesson', e.g. half of the raspi-config settings are 'advanced'.
* they should include a link to complete documentation for the topic, with a warning that this may cover advanced material, e.g. full raspi-config instructions.
* the writer should take into account that the site, and users, will be global, with english as a second language.
* the writer should take into account the variations of hardware and distribution installed, e.g. the raspi-config utility is not available in many distributions.
* the instructions should clearly state if they are specific to a particular set up, or are 'date sensitive' to changes.
* pages should be separated into GUI and command line pages and flows.
* instructions should be free from point-of-view opinions.
* instructions should link to 'choice' pages that give pros and cons regarding that choice, e.g. which text editor should be used and if it is available / installable.

The beginner guidance should stop at the point where other sites can take over, e.g. once sufficient Linux has been covered, other Linux sites can provide more advanced or specific information. It should also be aligned to the objectives stated by the Raspberry Pi Foundation for why the Raspberry Pi exists.

Proposal, in absence of anything similar. [[User:Simon Small|SimonSmall]] 16:54, 4 October 2012 (UTC)</s>
:I strongly oppose this. We should NEVER split users into "social classes" and English is our official language, just as English is the Raspberry Pi's preferred language. I think this overhaul is too much right now. Why don't we focus on something else first? Also, you can't make proposals unless you already are a council alderman, in which case, as of my posting time, you currently are not. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 01:40, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
::As you clearly don't know much about a wiki, I suggest you become more mature when you apply for alderman in the future. I have rejected your request for aldermanship. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 01:43, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
:::Interesting. Explanation? Quote from above "If anything is wrong with these guidelines please feel free to edit them. Thank you." This raises two questions; (1) What is being done to fix the Wiki? (2) How will (the wiki) encourage new users to contribute, especially the enthusiastic but inexperienced who likely form the target demographic? [[User:Simon Small|SimonSmall]] 21:45, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
::::That means minor changes, not major, overhauling changes. Also, nothing is ''wrong'' with the guidelines! --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 04:30, 7 October 2012 (UTC)

== If you are interested edit here ==
'''Please indicate your interest in joining the council below here, along with a link to your userpage.'''

I have no interest in joining the council myself (just don't have the time), but I think any self-appointed "wiki council" should give itself some validity by spending some time coming up with practical guidelines / recommendations (without being ''too'' restrictive of course) rather than the "petty squabbling" that this page seems to be about so far ;-)
For example maybe you could have a list of pages that you've already "cleaned up", so that we can at least see what "best practices" look like. And maybe you could come up with some guidelines for how pages like [[RPi_Hardware]] and [[RPi_Low-level_peripherals]] should document things which are different for the different revisions of RaspberryPi boards that exist? And Jeff, it might be useful to link to this page from your userpage :) [[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] 23:31, 23 October 2012 (UTC)

Some more things I've spotted after a quick poke around...
* I see you reverted the change Ryanteck made when adding Rastrack, citing "Self advertising" - IMHO Rastrack is a useful link (it's been featured on the RPi blog) and shouldn't count as self-advertising. When deleting links from the wiki (e.g. if they're on "the wrong page"), maybe you could add them onto "the right page" at the same time? We '''do''' want the wiki to be newbie-friendly, don't we? :)
* In terms of "guidelines", should all pages like e.g. [[Raspcontrol]] be renamed to e.g. "RPi_Raspcontrol" ?
* Surely it'd have been better just to edit the existing [[RPi_Wiki_Best_Practice]] rather than nominating it for deletion (and removing all links to it) ? I'm afraid I'm not a wiki-expert so could you explain how it's "clearly misleading from Wikipedia's policies" and how the policies of Wikipedia are relevant to elinux.org ?
* Is the [[RPi Model Wizard]] a joke? Currently there's only one model available to buy... (and even if there ''were'' two models on sale, the "wizard" seems pretty pointless IMHO)
[[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] 00:37, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

Hope you don't mind me adding further comments here... 
Something else that it might be nice for the "wiki council" to clean up, is that there are several orphaned RPi-related pages (see [http://elinux.org/index.php?title=Special:LonelyPages&limit=50&offset=100 here]) so I guess it would be nice if either i) links were added back to those pages or ii) the content from those pages is moved/edited to more appropriate/relevant pages or iii) those pages are marked as "redundant info, please delete" or something ?
[[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] 01:45, 30 October 2012 (UTC)
:Thank you for the info. w.r.t. orphaned pages. I'm still finding my way around here myself, but, being retired, I have more time to deal with such issues than, maybe, Jeff has. (That is, when I'm not trying things out etc. with my raspbery pi boxes). I'll take a look at them as soon as I get the chance. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 14:40, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

I am really bothered by the nonsense at the top of the hub page. The "model wizard" and following pages are quite absurd, and even if they weren't, they don't belong there. Is anybody opposed to removing this content or at least moving it?
[[User:HBrydon|HBrydon]] 22:40 23 Feb 2013 (UTC)
: You have my support, but I suspect "Jeff" will object :-/ I personally think this whole "wiki council" (and it's claim of authority, coupled with lack of action) is absurd too. I added some (personal) comments to [[User_talk:Zootboy]] which in hindsight I should probably have added here. [[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] ([[User talk:AndrewS|talk]]) 13:00, 24 February 2013 (UTC)
:: This wiki is not governed by anyone other than the community. I do my best to remove spam and keep content as current as possible. Should a [[Project:RPi_Council|Raspberry Pi Wiki Council]] wish to maintain a tightly controlled wiki elsewhere, they're welcome to do so. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact [[User:wmat]]. The wiki has worked well for over 8 years in this manner. --[[User:Wmat|Wmat]] ([[User talk:Wmat|talk]]) 14:17, 24 February 2013 (UTC)
::: I had begun to suspect that "Jeff"'s claims of a "mandate" for a "Raspberry Pi Wiki Council" were not as "firm" as I had been led to believe - this being my first venture into a wiki community I guess I was somewhat naive. Any comments or contributions made here were intended to be constructive. However most of my contributions, like those of others, are based upon my current investigations and experimentation with raspberry pi hardware etc., and added, hopefully, to appropriate pages. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] ([[User talk:TrevorGowen|talk]]) 21:32, 24 February 2013 (UTC)
:::: Long time no see , folks ! Well , i'm back and would like your opinion on my TOP 3 proposals :
* TOP 1 : Get the old RPi_Hub talk page back.
* TOP 2 : An outlet on the raspberrypi.org forums with updates on "cleaning up the Wiki" and a call for editors. This is of paramount importance IMHO. Perhaps we can find interested people from the beta RaspberryPi Stackexchange , too.
* TOP 3 : Talk to MagPi translators , other voluteers and eLinux.org admins to find a sane solution to the translation/localization mess on the wiki.
Regards , [[User:Ghans|Ghans]] ([[User talk:Ghans|talk]]) 10:42, 23 March 2013 (UTC)

eLinux.org:RPi Council

2013-03-23T10:45:20Z

Ghans: /* If you are interested edit here */

{{Hub Flags}}
{{Clear}}
Because of the messed up stuff on the Raspberry Pi wiki, I have found it necessary to create a governing council for the RPi wiki. Please edit the below section if you'd like to become a member (alderman) of the council.

Note: This is official and is ok with the administration of eLinux.

== Supplemental guidelines ==
''If anything is wrong with these guidelines please feel free to edit them. Thank you.''
=== Guidelines are made from consensus ===
All supplemental guidelines and decisions will now be made by the RPWC and eLinux administration.

== Current council aldermen ==
* President - [[User:Jeff|Jeff]]
* <s>[[User:TrevorGowen|Trevor Gowen]]</s>

== Current issues ==
=== Users ===
==== Mahjongg ====
<s>As he is not answering my requests for identity, he may be impersonating Mahjongg on the forums. I propose the account be blocked indefinitely because it clearly is copying the RPi forum mod's user name.</s> --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 12:26, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
:Verified thru PM. Case closed. :) --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 21:16, 5 October 2012 (UTC)

==== Ghans ====
I propose that since he ruined a lot of formatting that he is not to edit the Raspberry Pi Wiki's formatting for 1 month. You can see clearly [[RPi Wiki Best Practice|here]]. He, in fact, misguided everyone in best practices! I want you to go to Wikipedia and take a hard stare and compare the articles! They are misleading! He clearly cannot go on with this! Anyone else agree? --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] 02:15, 2 October 2012 (UTC) '''Edit: and also add a block of 1 month if he does not comply.''' --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] 22:39, 2 October 2012 (UTC) 
(Note: This decision must be concluded by Wednesday, October 3, 2012.)
:Having compared [[RPi Wiki Best Practice|Ghans' "Best Practice"]] with which, I believe, are the equivalent areas of Wikipedia and parts of the Help sections here I can see what you mean. However, using Wikipedia as a guide, one also has to assume that he was writing with the best of intentions. Unfortunately he does not reveal much about his background, experience etc. on his user page. However, having had the experience of encouraging "best practice" within a mixed group of programmer's of different backgrounds (scientific, computational) and training (formal, informal, none), I am well aware that when considering adopting such from a related area, one also has to consider the needs etc. of the intended users ie. adopt as much as is appropriate, adapt or reject the remainder. An analogy would be that when preparing a presentation one may end up with several versions depending upon the expected audience. Hence, whilst I am prepared to support your proposal, it is on the understanding that this is done so to allow us to begin to formulate more suitable guidelines, given that, eventually, hopefully, there will be younger, enthusiastic but less experienced contributers whom I would not wish to discourage. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 14:40, 2 October 2012 (UTC)
::So you're a support? --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] 22:32, 2 October 2012 (UTC)
:::Assuming I'm interpreting your update above correctly, to mean that he is requested to refrain from edits that change formatting aspects of the Raspbery Pi sections of the Wiki for one month and ignores that request, yes. Hopefully such a request will generate a response, therebye opening up a dialogue, which may resolve matters such that a formal block need not be imposed. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 12:09, 3 October 2012 (UTC)
I guess I will close this with a warning to Ghans. Block not implemented. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 12:39, 3 October 2012 (UTC)

=== Content ===
==== Shutdown of most other language "hubs" ====
'''Due to the importance of this topic, ''everyone'' is invited to post their opinions, even users that are not a council member.''' 
These hubs serve no purpose but to point the respective language speakers to English pages. This is utterly useless. If I only spoke Greek, I would be able to understand the hub, but the hub's purpose is to link to other pages. Unfortunately I would ask a Greek community for help because the links are to ENGLISH pages! Why don't we just tell everyone a bold message: THIS IS AN ENGLISH WIKI! I propose to redirect all these pages to the English page; as for the template Hub Flags, I propose it be renamed as the RPi Hub header, or something like so. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 01:27, 11 October 2012 (UTC) 
'''This shall be concluded on Friday, October 12, 2012 at 9:00pm (21:00) Eastern Standard Time, or whenever an obvious consensus closes.'''
:Is this for real?... it goes against the actions of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, see http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/1715. If they want to spread their Forum into multiple languages, then so should the wiki. [[User:Simon Small|SimonSmall]] 20:31, 11 October 2012 (UTC)
::'''THIS IS NEITHER CONTROLLED BY NOR SANCTIONED BY THE RASPI FOUNDATION'''. Unless YOU want to make all the different language pages, you really need to knock some sense into yourself. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 22:57, 11 October 2012 (UTC)
:Whilst it is my understanding that this section of the eLinux Wiki was created by members of the Raspi Foundation's forum (who, presumably, were already active contributors here), most of the non-english language pages appear to have been created in the early part of 2012 '''before''' the Raspberry Pi was generally available. As the number of active RasPi users grew, it was somewhat inevitable that contributions to this wiki area would increase. Unfortunately this has been at such a pace that, even where there had been significant translation effort in the early stages, at present, there appear to be too few people with the necessary skills to maintain those pages. I certainly don't have them (my French skills learned some 45 years ago are far too "rusty"). From the RPWC's president's comments above, I assume he's in a similar position. Hence, until such time that there are enough RPWC members with sufficient skills and "spare" time to properly check/moderate any translated pages, I agree that it is probably necessary to "shut them down". However, out of respect for the effort put into those early pages, I hope that such a shutdown will not result in complete deletion (where there has been significant effort), just in case their restoration becomes viable. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 17:52, 12 October 2012 (UTC)
::Yes, I will only redirect them. Very well. I guess we have finally reached consensus. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 02:50, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

Well, yes the dictator reach a consensus. FR:RPi-Hub was maintained, I did some change as well as other during the last few months. Now what will happend when french speaking people go the this site. They will see an english only site and move on. Well Done!!

Papillon

If the non-English "hubs" have been shutdown/redirected/whatever, maybe the list at http://elinux.org/RPi_Hub#Translations should be cleaned up too? [[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] 23:13, 23 October 2012 (UTC)

=== Supplemental guidelines ===
==== This isn't the RPi Forums ====
This will officially tell all that the RPi Forums are not how the RPi Wiki works! Closes whenever consensus is apparently reached. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 23:01, 11 October 2012 (UTC)

==== Official language ====
'''Note: Due to the importance of this topic, all users, regardless of RPWC membership, may discuss this.'''
As amending to the above, English should be the official language of the wiki. We are in Amnet/Engnet/Euronet, not Runet or Chinet, so let's just say ENGLISH really should be the official language. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 01:37, 11 October 2012 (UTC)
(closes on Friday)

I strongly disagree with that opinion. If you do make all hub page point to english, what is the point of having translation? You are not alone on this planet. A hole bunch of people don't speak (read) english at all.

The point of having translation, is to offer the same information in different languages so as much as possible persons can read thing about the RPi. I know that it is not possible (practically speaking) to have all hub pages having the same exact information but at least the info is there in as much language possible.

If you make english to only language here (even if just for the hub) people will go else where for a wiki and all your good work will be of no use. Just look around http://frenchmagpi.site-mpe.fr/index.php/Accueil, the magpi is being translated to french, issue 5 is already published and issue 6 is in good progress.

In my opinion, "my language is the official one" opinion is selfish and close minded. The goal of a public wiki on the web like this one is to let people share as much as possible their information. Look at the succes of wikipedia, it is available in I don't know many language, there are pages on the same subject in many many languages that don't have all the same information but at least there is information for every one and a lot more people can find information than if just english is available.

It is ok to have the default page point to the english hub but keep the flag and translated hub available to all. Do not trow to garbage the work of all the people who translated (updated) the hub to there own language.

Papillon
:: Thank you for your comments - I've been waiting for further contributions to this discussion since, without proper feedback from the wiki users, this "council" has no mandate for its efforts. Personally, I do not like the term "official language", and feel it would be more appropriate to use the term "primary language". Whilst this wiki has "public access", it appears to be "privately hosted", hence I do not regard it as a "public wiki" like wikipedia. I've already indicated above that I do not wish the existing translation work to be "thrown away", however, some of the "translated hubs" appear to be "skeletal forms" with minimal content. As such they are potentially misleading as to the level and quality of content of this area of work. Should such pages be marked more clearly with their "translation status" (in their "native" language '''and''' English), and with the category "needs editing" (or similar) then I'd be much happier for them to remain linked to.--[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 08:34, 16 October 2012 (UTC)

Hi, I'm not an English native speaker either - and I agree with the proposal of having English as the primary language ... but also with keeping of the already created translations and the hub - in maybe some form of "unofficial" sub-pages without guarantee that they contain the same/verified/complete information. If they really posses any valuable information rather than being just a fork pointing to English articles, they should be kept available (at least as read-only), otherwise it's rational to clean up. The term "official language" may not be the best choice, "primary language" sounds much better, but in my belief this is not about any selfishness, discrimination or anything else than an effort to keep this wiki well organized, readable, oriented on quality content, brief and clear. Maybe the language-hub can be placed somewhere at the bottom or as a sidebar menu (change to official wiki style?) with a clear marking, that its purpose is to provide extra space for smaller communities of people speaking other languages, and/or as some kind of mirrored clones with basic info from the main pages. Well, if that's what this wiki's objectives are... I understand very well that, this wiki may have a specific orientation and every contributor should respect the rules. Also, one wiki cannot meet everybody's wishes. There are plenty other options for specific language oriented wikis, forums, creating own, etc. On the other hand, if there is someone who would like to take over the role of an editor for a specific language and properly maintain the contents of that pages, I'm sure he will be greatly welcome. One more note - everybody should be aware that this is not a official Raspberry Pi Foundation's wiki. It is a publicly available private wiki (notwithstanding that it is created mostly by public community) for embedded Linux systems in general (correct me if necessary), where RPi is one of such systems/devices. It just happened to be the best available place for this purpose at the time, and thus the Raspberry Pi Foundation simply provided a link to this wiki (instead of creating its own, having to maintain it, moderate, etc.). We should be happy for having this place available for public collaboration. But without proper administration, it may easily become just a mess of unreadable contributions and literally lose its point... Who would want that? ;) --[[User:Pinoccio|Pinoccio]] 14:30, 16 October 2012 (UTC)

==== Wiki Design principles ====

<s>All good things require a good design. To improve this site, we should (re)define / clarify its purpose. The following principles are suggested:

Users of the Raspberry Pi will be of three types (or a mixture of these);
(a) competent Linux user,
(b) experienced hardware and/or software modifier / hobbyist
(c) beginner

Each page should consider WHY a reader would be using that page.

A competent Linux user would only want to know how to get the Raspberry Pi working and set up, and any 'peculiarities' relating to the hardware or Linux distribution. The hobbyist would additionally want to know how to use the GPIO ports and associated software, or how to modify / build the distribution or packages not included in that distribution. There should be clear pointers on the first page for the sections relating to these groups.

The beginner will need careful guidance in their first steps. For this, instructions should be clear:
* they lead the user from what they know into what they don't, with each step being small and simple with the 'objective' clearly defined.
* they use simple steps, and should skip optional complications that are not relevant to the current 'lesson', e.g. half of the raspi-config settings are 'advanced'.
* they should include a link to complete documentation for the topic, with a warning that this may cover advanced material, e.g. full raspi-config instructions.
* the writer should take into account that the site, and users, will be global, with english as a second language.
* the writer should take into account the variations of hardware and distribution installed, e.g. the raspi-config utility is not available in many distributions.
* the instructions should clearly state if they are specific to a particular set up, or are 'date sensitive' to changes.
* pages should be separated into GUI and command line pages and flows.
* instructions should be free from point-of-view opinions.
* instructions should link to 'choice' pages that give pros and cons regarding that choice, e.g. which text editor should be used and if it is available / installable.

The beginner guidance should stop at the point where other sites can take over, e.g. once sufficient Linux has been covered, other Linux sites can provide more advanced or specific information. It should also be aligned to the objectives stated by the Raspberry Pi Foundation for why the Raspberry Pi exists.

Proposal, in absence of anything similar. [[User:Simon Small|SimonSmall]] 16:54, 4 October 2012 (UTC)</s>
:I strongly oppose this. We should NEVER split users into "social classes" and English is our official language, just as English is the Raspberry Pi's preferred language. I think this overhaul is too much right now. Why don't we focus on something else first? Also, you can't make proposals unless you already are a council alderman, in which case, as of my posting time, you currently are not. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 01:40, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
::As you clearly don't know much about a wiki, I suggest you become more mature when you apply for alderman in the future. I have rejected your request for aldermanship. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 01:43, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
:::Interesting. Explanation? Quote from above "If anything is wrong with these guidelines please feel free to edit them. Thank you." This raises two questions; (1) What is being done to fix the Wiki? (2) How will (the wiki) encourage new users to contribute, especially the enthusiastic but inexperienced who likely form the target demographic? [[User:Simon Small|SimonSmall]] 21:45, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
::::That means minor changes, not major, overhauling changes. Also, nothing is ''wrong'' with the guidelines! --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 04:30, 7 October 2012 (UTC)

== If you are interested edit here ==
'''Please indicate your interest in joining the council below here, along with a link to your userpage.'''

I have no interest in joining the council myself (just don't have the time), but I think any self-appointed "wiki council" should give itself some validity by spending some time coming up with practical guidelines / recommendations (without being ''too'' restrictive of course) rather than the "petty squabbling" that this page seems to be about so far ;-)
For example maybe you could have a list of pages that you've already "cleaned up", so that we can at least see what "best practices" look like. And maybe you could come up with some guidelines for how pages like [[RPi_Hardware]] and [[RPi_Low-level_peripherals]] should document things which are different for the different revisions of RaspberryPi boards that exist? And Jeff, it might be useful to link to this page from your userpage :) [[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] 23:31, 23 October 2012 (UTC)

Some more things I've spotted after a quick poke around...
* I see you reverted the change Ryanteck made when adding Rastrack, citing "Self advertising" - IMHO Rastrack is a useful link (it's been featured on the RPi blog) and shouldn't count as self-advertising. When deleting links from the wiki (e.g. if they're on "the wrong page"), maybe you could add them onto "the right page" at the same time? We '''do''' want the wiki to be newbie-friendly, don't we? :)
* In terms of "guidelines", should all pages like e.g. [[Raspcontrol]] be renamed to e.g. "RPi_Raspcontrol" ?
* Surely it'd have been better just to edit the existing [[RPi_Wiki_Best_Practice]] rather than nominating it for deletion (and removing all links to it) ? I'm afraid I'm not a wiki-expert so could you explain how it's "clearly misleading from Wikipedia's policies" and how the policies of Wikipedia are relevant to elinux.org ?
* Is the [[RPi Model Wizard]] a joke? Currently there's only one model available to buy... (and even if there ''were'' two models on sale, the "wizard" seems pretty pointless IMHO)
[[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] 00:37, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

Hope you don't mind me adding further comments here... 
Something else that it might be nice for the "wiki council" to clean up, is that there are several orphaned RPi-related pages (see [http://elinux.org/index.php?title=Special:LonelyPages&limit=50&offset=100 here]) so I guess it would be nice if either i) links were added back to those pages or ii) the content from those pages is moved/edited to more appropriate/relevant pages or iii) those pages are marked as "redundant info, please delete" or something ?
[[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] 01:45, 30 October 2012 (UTC)
:Thank you for the info. w.r.t. orphaned pages. I'm still finding my way around here myself, but, being retired, I have more time to deal with such issues than, maybe, Jeff has. (That is, when I'm not trying things out etc. with my raspbery pi boxes). I'll take a look at them as soon as I get the chance. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 14:40, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

I am really bothered by the nonsense at the top of the hub page. The "model wizard" and following pages are quite absurd, and even if they weren't, they don't belong there. Is anybody opposed to removing this content or at least moving it?
[[User:HBrydon|HBrydon]] 22:40 23 Feb 2013 (UTC)
: You have my support, but I suspect "Jeff" will object :-/ I personally think this whole "wiki council" (and it's claim of authority, coupled with lack of action) is absurd too. I added some (personal) comments to [[User_talk:Zootboy]] which in hindsight I should probably have added here. [[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] ([[User talk:AndrewS|talk]]) 13:00, 24 February 2013 (UTC)
:: This wiki is not governed by anyone other than the community. I do my best to remove spam and keep content as current as possible. Should a [[Project:RPi_Council|Raspberry Pi Wiki Council]] wish to maintain a tightly controlled wiki elsewhere, they're welcome to do so. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact [[User:wmat]]. The wiki has worked well for over 8 years in this manner. --[[User:Wmat|Wmat]] ([[User talk:Wmat|talk]]) 14:17, 24 February 2013 (UTC)
::: I had begun to suspect that "Jeff"'s claims of a "mandate" for a "Raspberry Pi Wiki Council" were not as "firm" as I had been led to believe - this being my first venture into a wiki community I guess I was somewhat naive. Any comments or contributions made here were intended to be constructive. However most of my contributions, like those of others, are based upon my current investigations and experimentation with raspberry pi hardware etc., and added, hopefully, to appropriate pages. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] ([[User talk:TrevorGowen|talk]]) 21:32, 24 February 2013 (UTC)
:::: Long time no see , folks ! Well , i'm back and would like your opinion on my TOP 3
proposals :
* TOP 1 : Get the old RPi_Hub talk page back.
* TOP 2 : An outlet on the raspberrypi.org forums with updates on "cleaning up the Wiki" and a call for editors. This is of paramount importance IMHO. Perhaps we can find interested people from the beta RaspberryPi Stackexchange , too.
TOP 3 : Talk to MagPi translators , other voluteers and eLinux.org admins to find a sane solution to the translation/localization mess on the wiki.
Regards , [[User:Ghans|Ghans]] ([[User talk:Ghans|talk]]) 10:42, 23 March 2013 (UTC)

eLinux.org:RPi Council

2013-03-23T10:42:50Z

Ghans: /* If you are interested edit here */

{{Hub Flags}}
{{Clear}}
Because of the messed up stuff on the Raspberry Pi wiki, I have found it necessary to create a governing council for the RPi wiki. Please edit the below section if you'd like to become a member (alderman) of the council.

Note: This is official and is ok with the administration of eLinux.

== Supplemental guidelines ==
''If anything is wrong with these guidelines please feel free to edit them. Thank you.''
=== Guidelines are made from consensus ===
All supplemental guidelines and decisions will now be made by the RPWC and eLinux administration.

== Current council aldermen ==
* President - [[User:Jeff|Jeff]]
* <s>[[User:TrevorGowen|Trevor Gowen]]</s>

== Current issues ==
=== Users ===
==== Mahjongg ====
<s>As he is not answering my requests for identity, he may be impersonating Mahjongg on the forums. I propose the account be blocked indefinitely because it clearly is copying the RPi forum mod's user name.</s> --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 12:26, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
:Verified thru PM. Case closed. :) --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 21:16, 5 October 2012 (UTC)

==== Ghans ====
I propose that since he ruined a lot of formatting that he is not to edit the Raspberry Pi Wiki's formatting for 1 month. You can see clearly [[RPi Wiki Best Practice|here]]. He, in fact, misguided everyone in best practices! I want you to go to Wikipedia and take a hard stare and compare the articles! They are misleading! He clearly cannot go on with this! Anyone else agree? --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] 02:15, 2 October 2012 (UTC) '''Edit: and also add a block of 1 month if he does not comply.''' --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] 22:39, 2 October 2012 (UTC) 
(Note: This decision must be concluded by Wednesday, October 3, 2012.)
:Having compared [[RPi Wiki Best Practice|Ghans' "Best Practice"]] with which, I believe, are the equivalent areas of Wikipedia and parts of the Help sections here I can see what you mean. However, using Wikipedia as a guide, one also has to assume that he was writing with the best of intentions. Unfortunately he does not reveal much about his background, experience etc. on his user page. However, having had the experience of encouraging "best practice" within a mixed group of programmer's of different backgrounds (scientific, computational) and training (formal, informal, none), I am well aware that when considering adopting such from a related area, one also has to consider the needs etc. of the intended users ie. adopt as much as is appropriate, adapt or reject the remainder. An analogy would be that when preparing a presentation one may end up with several versions depending upon the expected audience. Hence, whilst I am prepared to support your proposal, it is on the understanding that this is done so to allow us to begin to formulate more suitable guidelines, given that, eventually, hopefully, there will be younger, enthusiastic but less experienced contributers whom I would not wish to discourage. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 14:40, 2 October 2012 (UTC)
::So you're a support? --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] 22:32, 2 October 2012 (UTC)
:::Assuming I'm interpreting your update above correctly, to mean that he is requested to refrain from edits that change formatting aspects of the Raspbery Pi sections of the Wiki for one month and ignores that request, yes. Hopefully such a request will generate a response, therebye opening up a dialogue, which may resolve matters such that a formal block need not be imposed. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 12:09, 3 October 2012 (UTC)
I guess I will close this with a warning to Ghans. Block not implemented. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 12:39, 3 October 2012 (UTC)

=== Content ===
==== Shutdown of most other language "hubs" ====
'''Due to the importance of this topic, ''everyone'' is invited to post their opinions, even users that are not a council member.''' 
These hubs serve no purpose but to point the respective language speakers to English pages. This is utterly useless. If I only spoke Greek, I would be able to understand the hub, but the hub's purpose is to link to other pages. Unfortunately I would ask a Greek community for help because the links are to ENGLISH pages! Why don't we just tell everyone a bold message: THIS IS AN ENGLISH WIKI! I propose to redirect all these pages to the English page; as for the template Hub Flags, I propose it be renamed as the RPi Hub header, or something like so. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 01:27, 11 October 2012 (UTC) 
'''This shall be concluded on Friday, October 12, 2012 at 9:00pm (21:00) Eastern Standard Time, or whenever an obvious consensus closes.'''
:Is this for real?... it goes against the actions of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, see http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/1715. If they want to spread their Forum into multiple languages, then so should the wiki. [[User:Simon Small|SimonSmall]] 20:31, 11 October 2012 (UTC)
::'''THIS IS NEITHER CONTROLLED BY NOR SANCTIONED BY THE RASPI FOUNDATION'''. Unless YOU want to make all the different language pages, you really need to knock some sense into yourself. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 22:57, 11 October 2012 (UTC)
:Whilst it is my understanding that this section of the eLinux Wiki was created by members of the Raspi Foundation's forum (who, presumably, were already active contributors here), most of the non-english language pages appear to have been created in the early part of 2012 '''before''' the Raspberry Pi was generally available. As the number of active RasPi users grew, it was somewhat inevitable that contributions to this wiki area would increase. Unfortunately this has been at such a pace that, even where there had been significant translation effort in the early stages, at present, there appear to be too few people with the necessary skills to maintain those pages. I certainly don't have them (my French skills learned some 45 years ago are far too "rusty"). From the RPWC's president's comments above, I assume he's in a similar position. Hence, until such time that there are enough RPWC members with sufficient skills and "spare" time to properly check/moderate any translated pages, I agree that it is probably necessary to "shut them down". However, out of respect for the effort put into those early pages, I hope that such a shutdown will not result in complete deletion (where there has been significant effort), just in case their restoration becomes viable. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 17:52, 12 October 2012 (UTC)
::Yes, I will only redirect them. Very well. I guess we have finally reached consensus. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 02:50, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

Well, yes the dictator reach a consensus. FR:RPi-Hub was maintained, I did some change as well as other during the last few months. Now what will happend when french speaking people go the this site. They will see an english only site and move on. Well Done!!

Papillon

If the non-English "hubs" have been shutdown/redirected/whatever, maybe the list at http://elinux.org/RPi_Hub#Translations should be cleaned up too? [[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] 23:13, 23 October 2012 (UTC)

=== Supplemental guidelines ===
==== This isn't the RPi Forums ====
This will officially tell all that the RPi Forums are not how the RPi Wiki works! Closes whenever consensus is apparently reached. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 23:01, 11 October 2012 (UTC)

==== Official language ====
'''Note: Due to the importance of this topic, all users, regardless of RPWC membership, may discuss this.'''
As amending to the above, English should be the official language of the wiki. We are in Amnet/Engnet/Euronet, not Runet or Chinet, so let's just say ENGLISH really should be the official language. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 01:37, 11 October 2012 (UTC)
(closes on Friday)

I strongly disagree with that opinion. If you do make all hub page point to english, what is the point of having translation? You are not alone on this planet. A hole bunch of people don't speak (read) english at all.

The point of having translation, is to offer the same information in different languages so as much as possible persons can read thing about the RPi. I know that it is not possible (practically speaking) to have all hub pages having the same exact information but at least the info is there in as much language possible.

If you make english to only language here (even if just for the hub) people will go else where for a wiki and all your good work will be of no use. Just look around http://frenchmagpi.site-mpe.fr/index.php/Accueil, the magpi is being translated to french, issue 5 is already published and issue 6 is in good progress.

In my opinion, "my language is the official one" opinion is selfish and close minded. The goal of a public wiki on the web like this one is to let people share as much as possible their information. Look at the succes of wikipedia, it is available in I don't know many language, there are pages on the same subject in many many languages that don't have all the same information but at least there is information for every one and a lot more people can find information than if just english is available.

It is ok to have the default page point to the english hub but keep the flag and translated hub available to all. Do not trow to garbage the work of all the people who translated (updated) the hub to there own language.

Papillon
:: Thank you for your comments - I've been waiting for further contributions to this discussion since, without proper feedback from the wiki users, this "council" has no mandate for its efforts. Personally, I do not like the term "official language", and feel it would be more appropriate to use the term "primary language". Whilst this wiki has "public access", it appears to be "privately hosted", hence I do not regard it as a "public wiki" like wikipedia. I've already indicated above that I do not wish the existing translation work to be "thrown away", however, some of the "translated hubs" appear to be "skeletal forms" with minimal content. As such they are potentially misleading as to the level and quality of content of this area of work. Should such pages be marked more clearly with their "translation status" (in their "native" language '''and''' English), and with the category "needs editing" (or similar) then I'd be much happier for them to remain linked to.--[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 08:34, 16 October 2012 (UTC)

Hi, I'm not an English native speaker either - and I agree with the proposal of having English as the primary language ... but also with keeping of the already created translations and the hub - in maybe some form of "unofficial" sub-pages without guarantee that they contain the same/verified/complete information. If they really posses any valuable information rather than being just a fork pointing to English articles, they should be kept available (at least as read-only), otherwise it's rational to clean up. The term "official language" may not be the best choice, "primary language" sounds much better, but in my belief this is not about any selfishness, discrimination or anything else than an effort to keep this wiki well organized, readable, oriented on quality content, brief and clear. Maybe the language-hub can be placed somewhere at the bottom or as a sidebar menu (change to official wiki style?) with a clear marking, that its purpose is to provide extra space for smaller communities of people speaking other languages, and/or as some kind of mirrored clones with basic info from the main pages. Well, if that's what this wiki's objectives are... I understand very well that, this wiki may have a specific orientation and every contributor should respect the rules. Also, one wiki cannot meet everybody's wishes. There are plenty other options for specific language oriented wikis, forums, creating own, etc. On the other hand, if there is someone who would like to take over the role of an editor for a specific language and properly maintain the contents of that pages, I'm sure he will be greatly welcome. One more note - everybody should be aware that this is not a official Raspberry Pi Foundation's wiki. It is a publicly available private wiki (notwithstanding that it is created mostly by public community) for embedded Linux systems in general (correct me if necessary), where RPi is one of such systems/devices. It just happened to be the best available place for this purpose at the time, and thus the Raspberry Pi Foundation simply provided a link to this wiki (instead of creating its own, having to maintain it, moderate, etc.). We should be happy for having this place available for public collaboration. But without proper administration, it may easily become just a mess of unreadable contributions and literally lose its point... Who would want that? ;) --[[User:Pinoccio|Pinoccio]] 14:30, 16 October 2012 (UTC)

==== Wiki Design principles ====

<s>All good things require a good design. To improve this site, we should (re)define / clarify its purpose. The following principles are suggested:

Users of the Raspberry Pi will be of three types (or a mixture of these);
(a) competent Linux user,
(b) experienced hardware and/or software modifier / hobbyist
(c) beginner

Each page should consider WHY a reader would be using that page.

A competent Linux user would only want to know how to get the Raspberry Pi working and set up, and any 'peculiarities' relating to the hardware or Linux distribution. The hobbyist would additionally want to know how to use the GPIO ports and associated software, or how to modify / build the distribution or packages not included in that distribution. There should be clear pointers on the first page for the sections relating to these groups.

The beginner will need careful guidance in their first steps. For this, instructions should be clear:
* they lead the user from what they know into what they don't, with each step being small and simple with the 'objective' clearly defined.
* they use simple steps, and should skip optional complications that are not relevant to the current 'lesson', e.g. half of the raspi-config settings are 'advanced'.
* they should include a link to complete documentation for the topic, with a warning that this may cover advanced material, e.g. full raspi-config instructions.
* the writer should take into account that the site, and users, will be global, with english as a second language.
* the writer should take into account the variations of hardware and distribution installed, e.g. the raspi-config utility is not available in many distributions.
* the instructions should clearly state if they are specific to a particular set up, or are 'date sensitive' to changes.
* pages should be separated into GUI and command line pages and flows.
* instructions should be free from point-of-view opinions.
* instructions should link to 'choice' pages that give pros and cons regarding that choice, e.g. which text editor should be used and if it is available / installable.

The beginner guidance should stop at the point where other sites can take over, e.g. once sufficient Linux has been covered, other Linux sites can provide more advanced or specific information. It should also be aligned to the objectives stated by the Raspberry Pi Foundation for why the Raspberry Pi exists.

Proposal, in absence of anything similar. [[User:Simon Small|SimonSmall]] 16:54, 4 October 2012 (UTC)</s>
:I strongly oppose this. We should NEVER split users into "social classes" and English is our official language, just as English is the Raspberry Pi's preferred language. I think this overhaul is too much right now. Why don't we focus on something else first? Also, you can't make proposals unless you already are a council alderman, in which case, as of my posting time, you currently are not. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 01:40, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
::As you clearly don't know much about a wiki, I suggest you become more mature when you apply for alderman in the future. I have rejected your request for aldermanship. --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 01:43, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
:::Interesting. Explanation? Quote from above "If anything is wrong with these guidelines please feel free to edit them. Thank you." This raises two questions; (1) What is being done to fix the Wiki? (2) How will (the wiki) encourage new users to contribute, especially the enthusiastic but inexperienced who likely form the target demographic? [[User:Simon Small|SimonSmall]] 21:45, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
::::That means minor changes, not major, overhauling changes. Also, nothing is ''wrong'' with the guidelines! --[[User:Jeff|'''Jeff''']] • [[User_talk:Jeff|(talk)]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] [[Project:RPi_Council|RPWC President]] [[File:RaspPi.png|25px|link=|Member of the RPWC]] 04:30, 7 October 2012 (UTC)

== If you are interested edit here ==
'''Please indicate your interest in joining the council below here, along with a link to your userpage.'''

I have no interest in joining the council myself (just don't have the time), but I think any self-appointed "wiki council" should give itself some validity by spending some time coming up with practical guidelines / recommendations (without being ''too'' restrictive of course) rather than the "petty squabbling" that this page seems to be about so far ;-)
For example maybe you could have a list of pages that you've already "cleaned up", so that we can at least see what "best practices" look like. And maybe you could come up with some guidelines for how pages like [[RPi_Hardware]] and [[RPi_Low-level_peripherals]] should document things which are different for the different revisions of RaspberryPi boards that exist? And Jeff, it might be useful to link to this page from your userpage :) [[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] 23:31, 23 October 2012 (UTC)

Some more things I've spotted after a quick poke around...
* I see you reverted the change Ryanteck made when adding Rastrack, citing "Self advertising" - IMHO Rastrack is a useful link (it's been featured on the RPi blog) and shouldn't count as self-advertising. When deleting links from the wiki (e.g. if they're on "the wrong page"), maybe you could add them onto "the right page" at the same time? We '''do''' want the wiki to be newbie-friendly, don't we? :)
* In terms of "guidelines", should all pages like e.g. [[Raspcontrol]] be renamed to e.g. "RPi_Raspcontrol" ?
* Surely it'd have been better just to edit the existing [[RPi_Wiki_Best_Practice]] rather than nominating it for deletion (and removing all links to it) ? I'm afraid I'm not a wiki-expert so could you explain how it's "clearly misleading from Wikipedia's policies" and how the policies of Wikipedia are relevant to elinux.org ?
* Is the [[RPi Model Wizard]] a joke? Currently there's only one model available to buy... (and even if there ''were'' two models on sale, the "wizard" seems pretty pointless IMHO)
[[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] 00:37, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

Hope you don't mind me adding further comments here... 
Something else that it might be nice for the "wiki council" to clean up, is that there are several orphaned RPi-related pages (see [http://elinux.org/index.php?title=Special:LonelyPages&limit=50&offset=100 here]) so I guess it would be nice if either i) links were added back to those pages or ii) the content from those pages is moved/edited to more appropriate/relevant pages or iii) those pages are marked as "redundant info, please delete" or something ?
[[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] 01:45, 30 October 2012 (UTC)
:Thank you for the info. w.r.t. orphaned pages. I'm still finding my way around here myself, but, being retired, I have more time to deal with such issues than, maybe, Jeff has. (That is, when I'm not trying things out etc. with my raspbery pi boxes). I'll take a look at them as soon as I get the chance. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] 14:40, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

I am really bothered by the nonsense at the top of the hub page. The "model wizard" and following pages are quite absurd, and even if they weren't, they don't belong there. Is anybody opposed to removing this content or at least moving it?
[[User:HBrydon|HBrydon]] 22:40 23 Feb 2013 (UTC)
: You have my support, but I suspect "Jeff" will object :-/ I personally think this whole "wiki council" (and it's claim of authority, coupled with lack of action) is absurd too. I added some (personal) comments to [[User_talk:Zootboy]] which in hindsight I should probably have added here. [[User:AndrewS|AndrewS]] ([[User talk:AndrewS|talk]]) 13:00, 24 February 2013 (UTC)
:: This wiki is not governed by anyone other than the community. I do my best to remove spam and keep content as current as possible. Should a [[Project:RPi_Council|Raspberry Pi Wiki Council]] wish to maintain a tightly controlled wiki elsewhere, they're welcome to do so. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact [[User:wmat]]. The wiki has worked well for over 8 years in this manner. --[[User:Wmat|Wmat]] ([[User talk:Wmat|talk]]) 14:17, 24 February 2013 (UTC)
::: I had begun to suspect that "Jeff"'s claims of a "mandate" for a "Raspberry Pi Wiki Council" were not as "firm" as I had been led to believe - this being my first venture into a wiki community I guess I was somewhat naive. Any comments or contributions made here were intended to be constructive. However most of my contributions, like those of others, are based upon my current investigations and experimentation with raspberry pi hardware etc., and added, hopefully, to appropriate pages. --[[User:TrevorGowen|TrevorGowen]] ([[User talk:TrevorGowen|talk]]) 21:32, 24 February 2013 (UTC)
:::: Long time no see , folks ! Well , i'm back and would like your opinion on my TOP 3
proposals :
TOP 1 : Get the old RPi_Hub talk page back.
TOP 2 : An outlet on the raspberrypi.org forums with updates on "cleaning up the Wiki" and a call for editors.
This is of paramount importance IMHO.
Perhaps we can find interested people from the beta RaspberryPi Stackexchange , too.
TOP 3 : Talk to MagPi translators , other voluteers and eLinux.org admins to find a sane solution to the
translation/localization mess on the wiki.
Regards , [[User:Ghans|Ghans]] ([[User talk:Ghans|talk]]) 10:42, 23 March 2013 (UTC)

RPi VideoCore APIs

2013-01-01T12:42:20Z

Ghans: /* Libraries */

{{Template:RPi_Software}}

[[File:Raspberrypi_video_API_03.svg|500px|thumb|Source: http://elinux.org/images/b/be/Raspberrypi_video_API_03.svg]]

The Raspberry Pi contains a Broadcom [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Videocore VideoCore] IV GPU providing OpenGL ES 1.1, OpenGL ES 2.0, hardware-accelerated OpenVG 1.1, Open EGL, OpenMAX and 1080p30 H.264 high-profile decode. There are 24 GFLOPS of general purpose compute and a bunch of texture filtering and DMA infrastructure. Eben worked on the architecture team for this and the Raspberry Pi team are looking at how they can make some of the proprietary features available to application programmers.

Currently C header files and libraries for many of the Broadcom APIs are located in <code>/opt/vc/include</code> and <code>/opt/vc/lib</code> respectively, or available from [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware GitHub] within the same directory structure. Some documentation is contained within comments in the header files, as well as documentation for the OpenMAX IL components in the [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/tree/master/documentation/ilcomponents documentation directory on Github], however it is severely lacking and difficult to understand in a general sense for people wanting to experiment with the device due to it being proprietary. As such, we encourage you to [http://elinux.org/index.php?title=RPi_VideoCore_APIs&action=edit edit this page] to help us build a much better open documentation.

==Quirks==

* The Raspberry Pi requires that the <code>bcm_host_init()</code> function is called first before any GPU calls can be made.
* Before calling any of the vc_* functions, you need to initialise vcos and vchi, and make a vchi connection, before then calling the corresponding vc_*_init function for the part of the library you want to use: <code>vc_vchi_dispmanx_init</code>, <code>vc_vchi_tv_init</code>, <code>vc_vchi_cec_init</code> or <code>vc_vchi_gencmd_init</code>. (See this [https://github.com/adammw/rpi-output-swapper/blob/master/video_swap.c#L152-169 sample code] which does initialisation for vc_tvservice_* APIs)
* Linking against the EGL library (-lEGL) also requires you to link against the GLESv2 library (-lGLESv2).
* <code>[[#graphics_get_display_size|graphics_get_display_size()]]</code> is a broadcom-specific function

== Built-in Sample Programs==
The Raspberry Pi comes with 7 sample programs and two helper libraries in the /opt/vc/src/hello_pi directory showing some of the system's capabilities and sample code.
===hello_encode===
This sample is a GPU-assisted h.264 encoder using the OpenMAX APIs , and currently
works with raw frames. It outputs a raw h.264 file.

===hello_video===
This sample decodes h264 video using the OpenMAX APIs and the ilclient library, and is distributed with a short scene of [http://www.bigbuckbunny.org/ Big Buck Bunny]
===hello_audio===
This sample plays a sine wave for ten seconds using the ??? APIs.
===hello_triangle===
This sample shows how to get a OpenGL ES context on the Raspberry Pi.
===ilclient helper library===
This library is described as:
<code>This API defines helper functions for writing IL clients.
*
* This file defines an IL client side library. This is useful when
* writing IL clients, since there tends to be much repeated and
* common code across both single and multiple clients. This library
* seeks to remove that common code and abstract some of the
* interactions with components. There is a wrapper around a
* component and tunnel, and some operations can be done on lists of
* these. The callbacks from components are handled, and specific
* events can be checked or waited for.
*/</code>

== Libraries ==
{| border="1"
| ''' The userland libraries have been open-sourced ! Code can be found at [https://github.com/raspberrypi/userland github.com/raspberrypi/userland]'''
|}

=== libbcm_host ===
bcm_host is the Broadcom hardware interface library.

=== vc_dispmanx_*===
Dispmanx is a windowing system in the process of being deprecated in favour of [http://www.khronos.org/openwf/ OpenWF] (or similar), however dispmanx is still used in all API demos and it's replacement may not yet be available. <ref>http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=5621&p=77981</ref>(confirmation required?)
=== vc_tvservice_* ===
These APIs allow controlling the HDMI and SDTV video outputs of the Raspberry Pi, as well as allowing the user to query the supported HDMI resolutions and audio formats and turn on/off copy protection. The Raspberry Pi can only have one output active at a time - turning on the HDMI automatically turns off the SDTV and vice-versa. However either can be turned off using the <code>vc_tv_power_off()</code> function.

The header file [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/blob/master/opt/vc/include/interface/vmcs_host/vc_tvservice.h vc_tvservice.h] documents the functions quite well via comments above each prototype function, however before any of these functions will succeed you must initialise the connection to the host API like so:

void tvservice_init() {
VCHI_INSTANCE_T vchi_instance;
VCHI_CONNECTION_T *vchi_connections;

// initialise bcm_host
bcm_host_init();

// initialise vcos/vchi
vcos_init();
if (vchi_initialise(&vchi_instance) != VCHIQ_SUCCESS) {
fprintf(stderr, "failed to open vchiq instance\n");
exit(-2);
}

// create a vchi connection
if ( vchi_connect( NULL, 0, vchi_instance ) != 0) {
fprintf(stderr, "failed to connect to VCHI\n");
exit(-3);
}

// connect to tvservice
if ( vc_vchi_tv_init( vchi_instance, &vchi_connections, 1) != 0) {
fprintf(stderr, "failed to connect to tvservice\n");
exit(-4);
}
}

''TODO: Deinitialization''
==== Samples ====
* [https://github.com/adammw/rpi-output-swapper rpi-output-swapper] Uses tvservice apis to power on HDMI or SDTV display in specific or preferred mode.

=== vc_cec_* ===
The vc_cec APIs allow programs to interface with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Electronics_Control#CEC Consumer Electronics Control (CEC)] host middleware on the system to send CEC packets, set strings for the middleware to auto-respond to certain requests or override the middleware handling by adding custom callbacks.

''TODO: Samples/Howto''

=== vc_gencmd_* ===
''TODO''

=== EGL ===
[http://www.khronos.org/egl/ EGL (Native Platform Graphics Interface)] is an interface between Khronos rendering APIs such as OpenGL ES or OpenVG and the underlying native platform. The Raspberry Pi supports [http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/specs/eglspec.1.4.20110406.pdf EGL Version 1.4] and the following EGL extensions (links are to EGL registry documentation):<ref name="egl-info">eglinfo, http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=35942#p35942 , http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=36318#p36318</ref>
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_image.txt EGL_KHR_image]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_image_base.txt EGL_KHR_image_base]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_image_pixmap.txt EGL_KHR_image_pixmap]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_vg_parent_image.txt EGL_KHR_vg_parent_image]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_gl_image.txt EGL_KHR_gl_texture_2D_image]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_gl_image.txt EGL_KHR_gl_texture_cubemap_image]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_lock_surface.txt EGL_KHR_lock_surface]

Creating an on-screen EGL rendering surface requires you to to use the eglCreateWindowSurface function, which takes a EGLNativeWindowType parameter. On the Raspberry Pi, this is implemented as a EGL_DISPMANX_WINDOW_T struct, which is defined in eglplatform.h as:

typedef struct {
DISPMANX_ELEMENT_HANDLE_T element;
int width; /* This is necessary because dispmanx elements are not queriable. */
int height;
} EGL_DISPMANX_WINDOW_T;

Therefore, to create a EGL surface you must also use the Dispmanx library to get a dispmanx element handle. The [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/blob/master/opt/vc/src/hello_pi/hello_triangle/triangle.c#L147-173 hello_triangle source code] provides example code to do this.

==== Samples====

See [http://jonmacey.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/getting-started-with-egl-on-raspberry.html Getting Started with EGL] post by Jon Macey.
Extended documentation available in the [http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/specs/eglspec.1.4.20110406.pdf EGL Version 1.4 Specification] and Simple Reference available in the [http://www.khronos.org/files/egl-1-4-quick-reference-card.pdf EGL 1.4 API Quick Reference Card].

==== Function Documentation====
====={{anchor|graphics_get_display_size}}<code>int32_t graphics_get_display_size( const uint16_t display_number, uint32_t *width, uint32_t *height);</code>=====

This function allows you to get the size of the display, and is often used in creating an EGL Surface. width and height are pointers that you pass in to where you want the response values to be written to, display number 0 is usually used for the Raspberry Pi. return value of >= 0 indicates success, <0 indicates failure.

This function is implemented in libbcm_host, and the implementation has been made [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/issues/14#issuecomment-5652185 public] showing that it internally calls the vc_dispmanx_display_get_info function to get the width and height of the current mode.

Bugs present in early versions of the firmware caused this function to always return 1920x1080, however this can easily be fixed by updating the firmware with [https://github.com/Hexxeh/rpi-update Hexxeh's rpi-update] (see the [[R-Pi_Troubleshooting#Updating_firmware|Updating firmware]] page for help).<ref>http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=68&t=8252</ref><ref>https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/issues/14</ref>

=== OpenGL ES ===
The Raspberry Pi supports OpenGL ES 2.0 with the following extensions: <ref name="egl-info" />
*GL_OES_compressed_ETC1_RGB8_texture
*GL_OES_compressed_paletted_texture
*GL_OES_texture_npot GL_OES_depth24
*GL_OES_vertex_half_float
*GL_OES_EGL_image
*GL_OES_EGL_image_external
*GL_EXT_discard_framebuffer
*GL_OES_rgb8_rgba8
*GL_OES_depth32
*GL_OES_mapbuffer
*GL_EXT_texture_format_BGRA8888
*GL_APPLE_rgb_422
*GL_EXT_debug_marker

''TODO: Sample of how to use/initalise OpenGL ES''

=== OpenVG ===
The Raspberry Pi supports OpenVG 1.1 for hardware-accelerated two-dimensional vector and raster graphics. See the full specification [http://www.khronos.org/registry/vg/specs/openvg-1.1.pdf here] or [http://www.khronos.org/files/openvg-quick-reference-card.pdf the API quick reference card].

==== Samples ====
* [http://docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/deliverables/17967/CS_Drawing_a_triangle_using_OpenVG_1241146_11.jsp Code sample: Drawing a triangle by using OpenVG] ''(Java implentation for RIM devices, however should be able to get a grasp on how it works and be able to port it to the Raspberry Pi)''

=== OpenMAX ===
See [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/tree/master/documentation/ilcomponents /documentation/ilcomponents] on GitHub firmware repository for official documentation.

''TODO: Sample of how to use OpenMAX to decode audio/video/images, etc.''

== Bindings for Other Programming Languages ==
'''Python'''
* [https://bitbucket.org/bryancole/rpi_vid_core/ RPi_Vid_Core] - ''python bindings of EGL, OpenGL ES, OpenVG and bcm_host for Raspberry Pi implemented using Cython''
'''Java'''
* [http://www.jogamp.org JogAmp JOGL] - ''JogAmp JOGL Java bindings for EGL and OpenGL ES for Raspberry Pi implemented using Gluegen.
** Raspberry Pi autodetection is included in JogAmp JOGL RC11 and later. http://forum.jogamp.org/Release-v2-0-rc11-td4026703.html
* [http://www.lwjgl.org LWJGL] - http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=211087 Raspberry Pi community port by '''spsn'''

== Open Source Software compatible with the VideoCore APIs ==
* '''[https://github.com/huceke/omxplayer omxplayer]''' - ''a command line a/v player for the Raspberry Pi utilising the OpenMAX APIs and ffmpeg''
* '''[http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Raspberry_Pi XBMC]''' - ''a media center, omxplayer's "big brother" ''
* '''[http://nccastaff.bournemouth.ac.uk/jmacey/GraphicsLib/piNGL/index.html piNGL]''' - ''port of the NGL graphics library to Raspberry Pi''
* '''[http://qt-project.org/wiki/Qt-RaspberryPi Qt on Pi]''' - ''Raspberry Pi port of the Qt toolkit''

==References==
<references/>

{{Template:Raspberry Pi}}
[[Category: RaspberryPi]]

RPi VideoCore APIs

2013-01-01T12:39:06Z

Ghans: /* Libraries */

{{Template:RPi_Software}}

[[File:Raspberrypi_video_API_03.svg|500px|thumb|Source: http://elinux.org/images/b/be/Raspberrypi_video_API_03.svg]]

The Raspberry Pi contains a Broadcom [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Videocore VideoCore] IV GPU providing OpenGL ES 1.1, OpenGL ES 2.0, hardware-accelerated OpenVG 1.1, Open EGL, OpenMAX and 1080p30 H.264 high-profile decode. There are 24 GFLOPS of general purpose compute and a bunch of texture filtering and DMA infrastructure. Eben worked on the architecture team for this and the Raspberry Pi team are looking at how they can make some of the proprietary features available to application programmers.

Currently C header files and libraries for many of the Broadcom APIs are located in <code>/opt/vc/include</code> and <code>/opt/vc/lib</code> respectively, or available from [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware GitHub] within the same directory structure. Some documentation is contained within comments in the header files, as well as documentation for the OpenMAX IL components in the [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/tree/master/documentation/ilcomponents documentation directory on Github], however it is severely lacking and difficult to understand in a general sense for people wanting to experiment with the device due to it being proprietary. As such, we encourage you to [http://elinux.org/index.php?title=RPi_VideoCore_APIs&action=edit edit this page] to help us build a much better open documentation.

==Quirks==

* The Raspberry Pi requires that the <code>bcm_host_init()</code> function is called first before any GPU calls can be made.
* Before calling any of the vc_* functions, you need to initialise vcos and vchi, and make a vchi connection, before then calling the corresponding vc_*_init function for the part of the library you want to use: <code>vc_vchi_dispmanx_init</code>, <code>vc_vchi_tv_init</code>, <code>vc_vchi_cec_init</code> or <code>vc_vchi_gencmd_init</code>. (See this [https://github.com/adammw/rpi-output-swapper/blob/master/video_swap.c#L152-169 sample code] which does initialisation for vc_tvservice_* APIs)
* Linking against the EGL library (-lEGL) also requires you to link against the GLESv2 library (-lGLESv2).
* <code>[[#graphics_get_display_size|graphics_get_display_size()]]</code> is a broadcom-specific function

== Built-in Sample Programs==
The Raspberry Pi comes with 7 sample programs and two helper libraries in the /opt/vc/src/hello_pi directory showing some of the system's capabilities and sample code.
===hello_encode===
This sample is a GPU-assisted h.264 encoder using the OpenMAX APIs , and currently
works with raw frames. It outputs a raw h.264 file.

===hello_video===
This sample decodes h264 video using the OpenMAX APIs and the ilclient library, and is distributed with a short scene of [http://www.bigbuckbunny.org/ Big Buck Bunny]
===hello_audio===
This sample plays a sine wave for ten seconds using the ??? APIs.
===hello_triangle===
This sample shows how to get a OpenGL ES context on the Raspberry Pi.
===ilclient helper library===
This library is described as:
<code>This API defines helper functions for writing IL clients.
*
* This file defines an IL client side library. This is useful when
* writing IL clients, since there tends to be much repeated and
* common code across both single and multiple clients. This library
* seeks to remove that common code and abstract some of the
* interactions with components. There is a wrapper around a
* component and tunnel, and some operations can be done on lists of
* these. The callbacks from components are handled, and specific
* events can be checked or waited for.
*/</code>

== Libraries ==
{| border="1"
| '''' The userland libraries have been open-sourced ! Code can be found at [https://github.com/raspberrypi/userland]'''
|}

=== libbcm_host ===
bcm_host is the Broadcom hardware interface library.

=== vc_dispmanx_*===
Dispmanx is a windowing system in the process of being deprecated in favour of [http://www.khronos.org/openwf/ OpenWF] (or similar), however dispmanx is still used in all API demos and it's replacement may not yet be available. <ref>http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=5621&p=77981</ref>(confirmation required?)
=== vc_tvservice_* ===
These APIs allow controlling the HDMI and SDTV video outputs of the Raspberry Pi, as well as allowing the user to query the supported HDMI resolutions and audio formats and turn on/off copy protection. The Raspberry Pi can only have one output active at a time - turning on the HDMI automatically turns off the SDTV and vice-versa. However either can be turned off using the <code>vc_tv_power_off()</code> function.

The header file [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/blob/master/opt/vc/include/interface/vmcs_host/vc_tvservice.h vc_tvservice.h] documents the functions quite well via comments above each prototype function, however before any of these functions will succeed you must initialise the connection to the host API like so:

void tvservice_init() {
VCHI_INSTANCE_T vchi_instance;
VCHI_CONNECTION_T *vchi_connections;

// initialise bcm_host
bcm_host_init();

// initialise vcos/vchi
vcos_init();
if (vchi_initialise(&vchi_instance) != VCHIQ_SUCCESS) {
fprintf(stderr, "failed to open vchiq instance\n");
exit(-2);
}

// create a vchi connection
if ( vchi_connect( NULL, 0, vchi_instance ) != 0) {
fprintf(stderr, "failed to connect to VCHI\n");
exit(-3);
}

// connect to tvservice
if ( vc_vchi_tv_init( vchi_instance, &vchi_connections, 1) != 0) {
fprintf(stderr, "failed to connect to tvservice\n");
exit(-4);
}
}

''TODO: Deinitialization''
==== Samples ====
* [https://github.com/adammw/rpi-output-swapper rpi-output-swapper] Uses tvservice apis to power on HDMI or SDTV display in specific or preferred mode.

=== vc_cec_* ===
The vc_cec APIs allow programs to interface with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Electronics_Control#CEC Consumer Electronics Control (CEC)] host middleware on the system to send CEC packets, set strings for the middleware to auto-respond to certain requests or override the middleware handling by adding custom callbacks.

''TODO: Samples/Howto''

=== vc_gencmd_* ===
''TODO''

=== EGL ===
[http://www.khronos.org/egl/ EGL (Native Platform Graphics Interface)] is an interface between Khronos rendering APIs such as OpenGL ES or OpenVG and the underlying native platform. The Raspberry Pi supports [http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/specs/eglspec.1.4.20110406.pdf EGL Version 1.4] and the following EGL extensions (links are to EGL registry documentation):<ref name="egl-info">eglinfo, http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=35942#p35942 , http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=36318#p36318</ref>
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_image.txt EGL_KHR_image]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_image_base.txt EGL_KHR_image_base]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_image_pixmap.txt EGL_KHR_image_pixmap]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_vg_parent_image.txt EGL_KHR_vg_parent_image]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_gl_image.txt EGL_KHR_gl_texture_2D_image]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_gl_image.txt EGL_KHR_gl_texture_cubemap_image]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_lock_surface.txt EGL_KHR_lock_surface]

Creating an on-screen EGL rendering surface requires you to to use the eglCreateWindowSurface function, which takes a EGLNativeWindowType parameter. On the Raspberry Pi, this is implemented as a EGL_DISPMANX_WINDOW_T struct, which is defined in eglplatform.h as:

typedef struct {
DISPMANX_ELEMENT_HANDLE_T element;
int width; /* This is necessary because dispmanx elements are not queriable. */
int height;
} EGL_DISPMANX_WINDOW_T;

Therefore, to create a EGL surface you must also use the Dispmanx library to get a dispmanx element handle. The [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/blob/master/opt/vc/src/hello_pi/hello_triangle/triangle.c#L147-173 hello_triangle source code] provides example code to do this.

==== Samples====

See [http://jonmacey.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/getting-started-with-egl-on-raspberry.html Getting Started with EGL] post by Jon Macey.
Extended documentation available in the [http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/specs/eglspec.1.4.20110406.pdf EGL Version 1.4 Specification] and Simple Reference available in the [http://www.khronos.org/files/egl-1-4-quick-reference-card.pdf EGL 1.4 API Quick Reference Card].

==== Function Documentation====
====={{anchor|graphics_get_display_size}}<code>int32_t graphics_get_display_size( const uint16_t display_number, uint32_t *width, uint32_t *height);</code>=====

This function allows you to get the size of the display, and is often used in creating an EGL Surface. width and height are pointers that you pass in to where you want the response values to be written to, display number 0 is usually used for the Raspberry Pi. return value of >= 0 indicates success, <0 indicates failure.

This function is implemented in libbcm_host, and the implementation has been made [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/issues/14#issuecomment-5652185 public] showing that it internally calls the vc_dispmanx_display_get_info function to get the width and height of the current mode.

Bugs present in early versions of the firmware caused this function to always return 1920x1080, however this can easily be fixed by updating the firmware with [https://github.com/Hexxeh/rpi-update Hexxeh's rpi-update] (see the [[R-Pi_Troubleshooting#Updating_firmware|Updating firmware]] page for help).<ref>http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=68&t=8252</ref><ref>https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/issues/14</ref>

=== OpenGL ES ===
The Raspberry Pi supports OpenGL ES 2.0 with the following extensions: <ref name="egl-info" />
*GL_OES_compressed_ETC1_RGB8_texture
*GL_OES_compressed_paletted_texture
*GL_OES_texture_npot GL_OES_depth24
*GL_OES_vertex_half_float
*GL_OES_EGL_image
*GL_OES_EGL_image_external
*GL_EXT_discard_framebuffer
*GL_OES_rgb8_rgba8
*GL_OES_depth32
*GL_OES_mapbuffer
*GL_EXT_texture_format_BGRA8888
*GL_APPLE_rgb_422
*GL_EXT_debug_marker

''TODO: Sample of how to use/initalise OpenGL ES''

=== OpenVG ===
The Raspberry Pi supports OpenVG 1.1 for hardware-accelerated two-dimensional vector and raster graphics. See the full specification [http://www.khronos.org/registry/vg/specs/openvg-1.1.pdf here] or [http://www.khronos.org/files/openvg-quick-reference-card.pdf the API quick reference card].

==== Samples ====
* [http://docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/deliverables/17967/CS_Drawing_a_triangle_using_OpenVG_1241146_11.jsp Code sample: Drawing a triangle by using OpenVG] ''(Java implentation for RIM devices, however should be able to get a grasp on how it works and be able to port it to the Raspberry Pi)''

=== OpenMAX ===
See [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/tree/master/documentation/ilcomponents /documentation/ilcomponents] on GitHub firmware repository for official documentation.

''TODO: Sample of how to use OpenMAX to decode audio/video/images, etc.''

== Bindings for Other Programming Languages ==
'''Python'''
* [https://bitbucket.org/bryancole/rpi_vid_core/ RPi_Vid_Core] - ''python bindings of EGL, OpenGL ES, OpenVG and bcm_host for Raspberry Pi implemented using Cython''
'''Java'''
* [http://www.jogamp.org JogAmp JOGL] - ''JogAmp JOGL Java bindings for EGL and OpenGL ES for Raspberry Pi implemented using Gluegen.
** Raspberry Pi autodetection is included in JogAmp JOGL RC11 and later. http://forum.jogamp.org/Release-v2-0-rc11-td4026703.html
* [http://www.lwjgl.org LWJGL] - http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=211087 Raspberry Pi community port by '''spsn'''

== Open Source Software compatible with the VideoCore APIs ==
* '''[https://github.com/huceke/omxplayer omxplayer]''' - ''a command line a/v player for the Raspberry Pi utilising the OpenMAX APIs and ffmpeg''
* '''[http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Raspberry_Pi XBMC]''' - ''a media center, omxplayer's "big brother" ''
* '''[http://nccastaff.bournemouth.ac.uk/jmacey/GraphicsLib/piNGL/index.html piNGL]''' - ''port of the NGL graphics library to Raspberry Pi''
* '''[http://qt-project.org/wiki/Qt-RaspberryPi Qt on Pi]''' - ''Raspberry Pi port of the Qt toolkit''

==References==
<references/>

{{Template:Raspberry Pi}}
[[Category: RaspberryPi]]

RPi VideoCore APIs

2013-01-01T12:29:06Z

Ghans: /* hello_encode */

{{Template:RPi_Software}}

[[File:Raspberrypi_video_API_03.svg|500px|thumb|Source: http://elinux.org/images/b/be/Raspberrypi_video_API_03.svg]]

The Raspberry Pi contains a Broadcom [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Videocore VideoCore] IV GPU providing OpenGL ES 1.1, OpenGL ES 2.0, hardware-accelerated OpenVG 1.1, Open EGL, OpenMAX and 1080p30 H.264 high-profile decode. There are 24 GFLOPS of general purpose compute and a bunch of texture filtering and DMA infrastructure. Eben worked on the architecture team for this and the Raspberry Pi team are looking at how they can make some of the proprietary features available to application programmers.

Currently C header files and libraries for many of the Broadcom APIs are located in <code>/opt/vc/include</code> and <code>/opt/vc/lib</code> respectively, or available from [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware GitHub] within the same directory structure. Some documentation is contained within comments in the header files, as well as documentation for the OpenMAX IL components in the [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/tree/master/documentation/ilcomponents documentation directory on Github], however it is severely lacking and difficult to understand in a general sense for people wanting to experiment with the device due to it being proprietary. As such, we encourage you to [http://elinux.org/index.php?title=RPi_VideoCore_APIs&action=edit edit this page] to help us build a much better open documentation.

==Quirks==

* The Raspberry Pi requires that the <code>bcm_host_init()</code> function is called first before any GPU calls can be made.
* Before calling any of the vc_* functions, you need to initialise vcos and vchi, and make a vchi connection, before then calling the corresponding vc_*_init function for the part of the library you want to use: <code>vc_vchi_dispmanx_init</code>, <code>vc_vchi_tv_init</code>, <code>vc_vchi_cec_init</code> or <code>vc_vchi_gencmd_init</code>. (See this [https://github.com/adammw/rpi-output-swapper/blob/master/video_swap.c#L152-169 sample code] which does initialisation for vc_tvservice_* APIs)
* Linking against the EGL library (-lEGL) also requires you to link against the GLESv2 library (-lGLESv2).
* <code>[[#graphics_get_display_size|graphics_get_display_size()]]</code> is a broadcom-specific function

== Built-in Sample Programs==
The Raspberry Pi comes with 7 sample programs and two helper libraries in the /opt/vc/src/hello_pi directory showing some of the system's capabilities and sample code.
===hello_encode===
This sample is a GPU-assisted h.264 encoder using the OpenMAX APIs , and currently
works with raw frames. It outputs a raw h.264 file.

===hello_video===
This sample decodes h264 video using the OpenMAX APIs and the ilclient library, and is distributed with a short scene of [http://www.bigbuckbunny.org/ Big Buck Bunny]
===hello_audio===
This sample plays a sine wave for ten seconds using the ??? APIs.
===hello_triangle===
This sample shows how to get a OpenGL ES context on the Raspberry Pi.
===ilclient helper library===
This library is described as:
<code>This API defines helper functions for writing IL clients.
*
* This file defines an IL client side library. This is useful when
* writing IL clients, since there tends to be much repeated and
* common code across both single and multiple clients. This library
* seeks to remove that common code and abstract some of the
* interactions with components. There is a wrapper around a
* component and tunnel, and some operations can be done on lists of
* these. The callbacks from components are handled, and specific
* events can be checked or waited for.
*/</code>

== Libraries ==
=== libbcm_host ===
bcm_host is the Broadcom hardware interface library.

=== vc_dispmanx_*===
Dispmanx is a windowing system in the process of being deprecated in favour of [http://www.khronos.org/openwf/ OpenWF] (or similar), however dispmanx is still used in all API demos and it's replacement may not yet be available. <ref>http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=5621&p=77981</ref>(confirmation required?)
=== vc_tvservice_* ===
These APIs allow controlling the HDMI and SDTV video outputs of the Raspberry Pi, as well as allowing the user to query the supported HDMI resolutions and audio formats and turn on/off copy protection. The Raspberry Pi can only have one output active at a time - turning on the HDMI automatically turns off the SDTV and vice-versa. However either can be turned off using the <code>vc_tv_power_off()</code> function.

The header file [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/blob/master/opt/vc/include/interface/vmcs_host/vc_tvservice.h vc_tvservice.h] documents the functions quite well via comments above each prototype function, however before any of these functions will succeed you must initialise the connection to the host API like so:

void tvservice_init() {
VCHI_INSTANCE_T vchi_instance;
VCHI_CONNECTION_T *vchi_connections;

// initialise bcm_host
bcm_host_init();

// initialise vcos/vchi
vcos_init();
if (vchi_initialise(&vchi_instance) != VCHIQ_SUCCESS) {
fprintf(stderr, "failed to open vchiq instance\n");
exit(-2);
}

// create a vchi connection
if ( vchi_connect( NULL, 0, vchi_instance ) != 0) {
fprintf(stderr, "failed to connect to VCHI\n");
exit(-3);
}

// connect to tvservice
if ( vc_vchi_tv_init( vchi_instance, &vchi_connections, 1) != 0) {
fprintf(stderr, "failed to connect to tvservice\n");
exit(-4);
}
}

''TODO: Deinitialization''
==== Samples ====
* [https://github.com/adammw/rpi-output-swapper rpi-output-swapper] Uses tvservice apis to power on HDMI or SDTV display in specific or preferred mode.

=== vc_cec_* ===
The vc_cec APIs allow programs to interface with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Electronics_Control#CEC Consumer Electronics Control (CEC)] host middleware on the system to send CEC packets, set strings for the middleware to auto-respond to certain requests or override the middleware handling by adding custom callbacks.

''TODO: Samples/Howto''

=== vc_gencmd_* ===
''TODO''

=== EGL ===
[http://www.khronos.org/egl/ EGL (Native Platform Graphics Interface)] is an interface between Khronos rendering APIs such as OpenGL ES or OpenVG and the underlying native platform. The Raspberry Pi supports [http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/specs/eglspec.1.4.20110406.pdf EGL Version 1.4] and the following EGL extensions (links are to EGL registry documentation):<ref name="egl-info">eglinfo, http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=35942#p35942 , http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=36318#p36318</ref>
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_image.txt EGL_KHR_image]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_image_base.txt EGL_KHR_image_base]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_image_pixmap.txt EGL_KHR_image_pixmap]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_vg_parent_image.txt EGL_KHR_vg_parent_image]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_gl_image.txt EGL_KHR_gl_texture_2D_image]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_gl_image.txt EGL_KHR_gl_texture_cubemap_image]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_lock_surface.txt EGL_KHR_lock_surface]

Creating an on-screen EGL rendering surface requires you to to use the eglCreateWindowSurface function, which takes a EGLNativeWindowType parameter. On the Raspberry Pi, this is implemented as a EGL_DISPMANX_WINDOW_T struct, which is defined in eglplatform.h as:

typedef struct {
DISPMANX_ELEMENT_HANDLE_T element;
int width; /* This is necessary because dispmanx elements are not queriable. */
int height;
} EGL_DISPMANX_WINDOW_T;

Therefore, to create a EGL surface you must also use the Dispmanx library to get a dispmanx element handle. The [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/blob/master/opt/vc/src/hello_pi/hello_triangle/triangle.c#L147-173 hello_triangle source code] provides example code to do this.

==== Samples====

See [http://jonmacey.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/getting-started-with-egl-on-raspberry.html Getting Started with EGL] post by Jon Macey.
Extended documentation available in the [http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/specs/eglspec.1.4.20110406.pdf EGL Version 1.4 Specification] and Simple Reference available in the [http://www.khronos.org/files/egl-1-4-quick-reference-card.pdf EGL 1.4 API Quick Reference Card].

==== Function Documentation====
====={{anchor|graphics_get_display_size}}<code>int32_t graphics_get_display_size( const uint16_t display_number, uint32_t *width, uint32_t *height);</code>=====

This function allows you to get the size of the display, and is often used in creating an EGL Surface. width and height are pointers that you pass in to where you want the response values to be written to, display number 0 is usually used for the Raspberry Pi. return value of >= 0 indicates success, <0 indicates failure.

This function is implemented in libbcm_host, and the implementation has been made [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/issues/14#issuecomment-5652185 public] showing that it internally calls the vc_dispmanx_display_get_info function to get the width and height of the current mode.

Bugs present in early versions of the firmware caused this function to always return 1920x1080, however this can easily be fixed by updating the firmware with [https://github.com/Hexxeh/rpi-update Hexxeh's rpi-update] (see the [[R-Pi_Troubleshooting#Updating_firmware|Updating firmware]] page for help).<ref>http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=68&t=8252</ref><ref>https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/issues/14</ref>

=== OpenGL ES ===
The Raspberry Pi supports OpenGL ES 2.0 with the following extensions: <ref name="egl-info" />
*GL_OES_compressed_ETC1_RGB8_texture
*GL_OES_compressed_paletted_texture
*GL_OES_texture_npot GL_OES_depth24
*GL_OES_vertex_half_float
*GL_OES_EGL_image
*GL_OES_EGL_image_external
*GL_EXT_discard_framebuffer
*GL_OES_rgb8_rgba8
*GL_OES_depth32
*GL_OES_mapbuffer
*GL_EXT_texture_format_BGRA8888
*GL_APPLE_rgb_422
*GL_EXT_debug_marker

''TODO: Sample of how to use/initalise OpenGL ES''

=== OpenVG ===
The Raspberry Pi supports OpenVG 1.1 for hardware-accelerated two-dimensional vector and raster graphics. See the full specification [http://www.khronos.org/registry/vg/specs/openvg-1.1.pdf here] or [http://www.khronos.org/files/openvg-quick-reference-card.pdf the API quick reference card].

==== Samples ====
* [http://docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/deliverables/17967/CS_Drawing_a_triangle_using_OpenVG_1241146_11.jsp Code sample: Drawing a triangle by using OpenVG] ''(Java implentation for RIM devices, however should be able to get a grasp on how it works and be able to port it to the Raspberry Pi)''

=== OpenMAX ===
See [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/tree/master/documentation/ilcomponents /documentation/ilcomponents] on GitHub firmware repository for official documentation.

''TODO: Sample of how to use OpenMAX to decode audio/video/images, etc.''

== Bindings for Other Programming Languages ==
'''Python'''
* [https://bitbucket.org/bryancole/rpi_vid_core/ RPi_Vid_Core] - ''python bindings of EGL, OpenGL ES, OpenVG and bcm_host for Raspberry Pi implemented using Cython''
'''Java'''
* [http://www.jogamp.org JogAmp JOGL] - ''JogAmp JOGL Java bindings for EGL and OpenGL ES for Raspberry Pi implemented using Gluegen.
** Raspberry Pi autodetection is included in JogAmp JOGL RC11 and later. http://forum.jogamp.org/Release-v2-0-rc11-td4026703.html
* [http://www.lwjgl.org LWJGL] - http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=211087 Raspberry Pi community port by '''spsn'''

== Open Source Software compatible with the VideoCore APIs ==
* '''[https://github.com/huceke/omxplayer omxplayer]''' - ''a command line a/v player for the Raspberry Pi utilising the OpenMAX APIs and ffmpeg''
* '''[http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Raspberry_Pi XBMC]''' - ''a media center, omxplayer's "big brother" ''
* '''[http://nccastaff.bournemouth.ac.uk/jmacey/GraphicsLib/piNGL/index.html piNGL]''' - ''port of the NGL graphics library to Raspberry Pi''
* '''[http://qt-project.org/wiki/Qt-RaspberryPi Qt on Pi]''' - ''Raspberry Pi port of the Qt toolkit''

==References==
<references/>

{{Template:Raspberry Pi}}
[[Category: RaspberryPi]]

RPi VideoCore APIs

2013-01-01T12:28:26Z

Ghans: /* Built-in Sample Programs */

{{Template:RPi_Software}}

[[File:Raspberrypi_video_API_03.svg|500px|thumb|Source: http://elinux.org/images/b/be/Raspberrypi_video_API_03.svg]]

The Raspberry Pi contains a Broadcom [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Videocore VideoCore] IV GPU providing OpenGL ES 1.1, OpenGL ES 2.0, hardware-accelerated OpenVG 1.1, Open EGL, OpenMAX and 1080p30 H.264 high-profile decode. There are 24 GFLOPS of general purpose compute and a bunch of texture filtering and DMA infrastructure. Eben worked on the architecture team for this and the Raspberry Pi team are looking at how they can make some of the proprietary features available to application programmers.

Currently C header files and libraries for many of the Broadcom APIs are located in <code>/opt/vc/include</code> and <code>/opt/vc/lib</code> respectively, or available from [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware GitHub] within the same directory structure. Some documentation is contained within comments in the header files, as well as documentation for the OpenMAX IL components in the [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/tree/master/documentation/ilcomponents documentation directory on Github], however it is severely lacking and difficult to understand in a general sense for people wanting to experiment with the device due to it being proprietary. As such, we encourage you to [http://elinux.org/index.php?title=RPi_VideoCore_APIs&action=edit edit this page] to help us build a much better open documentation.

==Quirks==

* The Raspberry Pi requires that the <code>bcm_host_init()</code> function is called first before any GPU calls can be made.
* Before calling any of the vc_* functions, you need to initialise vcos and vchi, and make a vchi connection, before then calling the corresponding vc_*_init function for the part of the library you want to use: <code>vc_vchi_dispmanx_init</code>, <code>vc_vchi_tv_init</code>, <code>vc_vchi_cec_init</code> or <code>vc_vchi_gencmd_init</code>. (See this [https://github.com/adammw/rpi-output-swapper/blob/master/video_swap.c#L152-169 sample code] which does initialisation for vc_tvservice_* APIs)
* Linking against the EGL library (-lEGL) also requires you to link against the GLESv2 library (-lGLESv2).
* <code>[[#graphics_get_display_size|graphics_get_display_size()]]</code> is a broadcom-specific function

== Built-in Sample Programs==
The Raspberry Pi comes with 7 sample programs and two helper libraries in the /opt/vc/src/hello_pi directory showing some of the system's capabilities and sample code.
===hello_encode===
This is sample GPU-assisted h.264 encoder using the OpenMAX APIs , and currently
works with raw frames. It outputs a raw h.264 file.
===hello_video===
This sample decodes h264 video using the OpenMAX APIs and the ilclient library, and is distributed with a short scene of [http://www.bigbuckbunny.org/ Big Buck Bunny]
===hello_audio===
This sample plays a sine wave for ten seconds using the ??? APIs.
===hello_triangle===
This sample shows how to get a OpenGL ES context on the Raspberry Pi.
===ilclient helper library===
This library is described as:
<code>This API defines helper functions for writing IL clients.
*
* This file defines an IL client side library. This is useful when
* writing IL clients, since there tends to be much repeated and
* common code across both single and multiple clients. This library
* seeks to remove that common code and abstract some of the
* interactions with components. There is a wrapper around a
* component and tunnel, and some operations can be done on lists of
* these. The callbacks from components are handled, and specific
* events can be checked or waited for.
*/</code>

== Libraries ==
=== libbcm_host ===
bcm_host is the Broadcom hardware interface library.

=== vc_dispmanx_*===
Dispmanx is a windowing system in the process of being deprecated in favour of [http://www.khronos.org/openwf/ OpenWF] (or similar), however dispmanx is still used in all API demos and it's replacement may not yet be available. <ref>http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=5621&p=77981</ref>(confirmation required?)
=== vc_tvservice_* ===
These APIs allow controlling the HDMI and SDTV video outputs of the Raspberry Pi, as well as allowing the user to query the supported HDMI resolutions and audio formats and turn on/off copy protection. The Raspberry Pi can only have one output active at a time - turning on the HDMI automatically turns off the SDTV and vice-versa. However either can be turned off using the <code>vc_tv_power_off()</code> function.

The header file [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/blob/master/opt/vc/include/interface/vmcs_host/vc_tvservice.h vc_tvservice.h] documents the functions quite well via comments above each prototype function, however before any of these functions will succeed you must initialise the connection to the host API like so:

void tvservice_init() {
VCHI_INSTANCE_T vchi_instance;
VCHI_CONNECTION_T *vchi_connections;

// initialise bcm_host
bcm_host_init();

// initialise vcos/vchi
vcos_init();
if (vchi_initialise(&vchi_instance) != VCHIQ_SUCCESS) {
fprintf(stderr, "failed to open vchiq instance\n");
exit(-2);
}

// create a vchi connection
if ( vchi_connect( NULL, 0, vchi_instance ) != 0) {
fprintf(stderr, "failed to connect to VCHI\n");
exit(-3);
}

// connect to tvservice
if ( vc_vchi_tv_init( vchi_instance, &vchi_connections, 1) != 0) {
fprintf(stderr, "failed to connect to tvservice\n");
exit(-4);
}
}

''TODO: Deinitialization''
==== Samples ====
* [https://github.com/adammw/rpi-output-swapper rpi-output-swapper] Uses tvservice apis to power on HDMI or SDTV display in specific or preferred mode.

=== vc_cec_* ===
The vc_cec APIs allow programs to interface with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Electronics_Control#CEC Consumer Electronics Control (CEC)] host middleware on the system to send CEC packets, set strings for the middleware to auto-respond to certain requests or override the middleware handling by adding custom callbacks.

''TODO: Samples/Howto''

=== vc_gencmd_* ===
''TODO''

=== EGL ===
[http://www.khronos.org/egl/ EGL (Native Platform Graphics Interface)] is an interface between Khronos rendering APIs such as OpenGL ES or OpenVG and the underlying native platform. The Raspberry Pi supports [http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/specs/eglspec.1.4.20110406.pdf EGL Version 1.4] and the following EGL extensions (links are to EGL registry documentation):<ref name="egl-info">eglinfo, http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=35942#p35942 , http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=36318#p36318</ref>
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_image.txt EGL_KHR_image]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_image_base.txt EGL_KHR_image_base]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_image_pixmap.txt EGL_KHR_image_pixmap]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_vg_parent_image.txt EGL_KHR_vg_parent_image]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_gl_image.txt EGL_KHR_gl_texture_2D_image]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_gl_image.txt EGL_KHR_gl_texture_cubemap_image]
*[http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/extensions/KHR/EGL_KHR_lock_surface.txt EGL_KHR_lock_surface]

Creating an on-screen EGL rendering surface requires you to to use the eglCreateWindowSurface function, which takes a EGLNativeWindowType parameter. On the Raspberry Pi, this is implemented as a EGL_DISPMANX_WINDOW_T struct, which is defined in eglplatform.h as:

typedef struct {
DISPMANX_ELEMENT_HANDLE_T element;
int width; /* This is necessary because dispmanx elements are not queriable. */
int height;
} EGL_DISPMANX_WINDOW_T;

Therefore, to create a EGL surface you must also use the Dispmanx library to get a dispmanx element handle. The [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/blob/master/opt/vc/src/hello_pi/hello_triangle/triangle.c#L147-173 hello_triangle source code] provides example code to do this.

==== Samples====

See [http://jonmacey.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/getting-started-with-egl-on-raspberry.html Getting Started with EGL] post by Jon Macey.
Extended documentation available in the [http://www.khronos.org/registry/egl/specs/eglspec.1.4.20110406.pdf EGL Version 1.4 Specification] and Simple Reference available in the [http://www.khronos.org/files/egl-1-4-quick-reference-card.pdf EGL 1.4 API Quick Reference Card].

==== Function Documentation====
====={{anchor|graphics_get_display_size}}<code>int32_t graphics_get_display_size( const uint16_t display_number, uint32_t *width, uint32_t *height);</code>=====

This function allows you to get the size of the display, and is often used in creating an EGL Surface. width and height are pointers that you pass in to where you want the response values to be written to, display number 0 is usually used for the Raspberry Pi. return value of >= 0 indicates success, <0 indicates failure.

This function is implemented in libbcm_host, and the implementation has been made [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/issues/14#issuecomment-5652185 public] showing that it internally calls the vc_dispmanx_display_get_info function to get the width and height of the current mode.

Bugs present in early versions of the firmware caused this function to always return 1920x1080, however this can easily be fixed by updating the firmware with [https://github.com/Hexxeh/rpi-update Hexxeh's rpi-update] (see the [[R-Pi_Troubleshooting#Updating_firmware|Updating firmware]] page for help).<ref>http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=68&t=8252</ref><ref>https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/issues/14</ref>

=== OpenGL ES ===
The Raspberry Pi supports OpenGL ES 2.0 with the following extensions: <ref name="egl-info" />
*GL_OES_compressed_ETC1_RGB8_texture
*GL_OES_compressed_paletted_texture
*GL_OES_texture_npot GL_OES_depth24
*GL_OES_vertex_half_float
*GL_OES_EGL_image
*GL_OES_EGL_image_external
*GL_EXT_discard_framebuffer
*GL_OES_rgb8_rgba8
*GL_OES_depth32
*GL_OES_mapbuffer
*GL_EXT_texture_format_BGRA8888
*GL_APPLE_rgb_422
*GL_EXT_debug_marker

''TODO: Sample of how to use/initalise OpenGL ES''

=== OpenVG ===
The Raspberry Pi supports OpenVG 1.1 for hardware-accelerated two-dimensional vector and raster graphics. See the full specification [http://www.khronos.org/registry/vg/specs/openvg-1.1.pdf here] or [http://www.khronos.org/files/openvg-quick-reference-card.pdf the API quick reference card].

==== Samples ====
* [http://docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/deliverables/17967/CS_Drawing_a_triangle_using_OpenVG_1241146_11.jsp Code sample: Drawing a triangle by using OpenVG] ''(Java implentation for RIM devices, however should be able to get a grasp on how it works and be able to port it to the Raspberry Pi)''

=== OpenMAX ===
See [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/tree/master/documentation/ilcomponents /documentation/ilcomponents] on GitHub firmware repository for official documentation.

''TODO: Sample of how to use OpenMAX to decode audio/video/images, etc.''

== Bindings for Other Programming Languages ==
'''Python'''
* [https://bitbucket.org/bryancole/rpi_vid_core/ RPi_Vid_Core] - ''python bindings of EGL, OpenGL ES, OpenVG and bcm_host for Raspberry Pi implemented using Cython''
'''Java'''
* [http://www.jogamp.org JogAmp JOGL] - ''JogAmp JOGL Java bindings for EGL and OpenGL ES for Raspberry Pi implemented using Gluegen.
** Raspberry Pi autodetection is included in JogAmp JOGL RC11 and later. http://forum.jogamp.org/Release-v2-0-rc11-td4026703.html
* [http://www.lwjgl.org LWJGL] - http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=211087 Raspberry Pi community port by '''spsn'''

== Open Source Software compatible with the VideoCore APIs ==
* '''[https://github.com/huceke/omxplayer omxplayer]''' - ''a command line a/v player for the Raspberry Pi utilising the OpenMAX APIs and ffmpeg''
* '''[http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Raspberry_Pi XBMC]''' - ''a media center, omxplayer's "big brother" ''
* '''[http://nccastaff.bournemouth.ac.uk/jmacey/GraphicsLib/piNGL/index.html piNGL]''' - ''port of the NGL graphics library to Raspberry Pi''
* '''[http://qt-project.org/wiki/Qt-RaspberryPi Qt on Pi]''' - ''Raspberry Pi port of the Qt toolkit''

==References==
<references/>

{{Template:Raspberry Pi}}
[[Category: RaspberryPi]]

eLinux.org:RPi Council

2012-09-23T12:28:05Z

Ghans: /* If you are interested edit here */

Because of the messed up stuff on the Raspberry Pi wiki, I have found it necessary to create a governing council for the RPi wiki. Please edit the below section if you'd like to become a member of the council.

== Guidelines of the RPi Wiki ==
The new guidelines are currently being drafted by the Raspberry Pi Wiki Council (RPWC). Please help out by proposing new ideas [[Project:RPi_Council/Discussion/Guidelines|here]].

== Current council aldermen ==
* President - [[User:Jeff|Jeff]]

== If you are interested edit here ==
'''Please indicate your interest in joining the council below here, with a link to your userpage.'''

[[User:Ghans|Ghans]]

RPi Adding USB Drives

2012-06-29T12:45:31Z

Ghans:

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

==USB Flash and Hard Drives==
Sooner or later, you're going to run out of room on the SD card used to boot and run your Pi. One solution is to move to a larger SD card, but, the largest low-cost high-speed cards are 32 GBs for about US$20 ~ $45 (May 2012). However, there may be compatibility issues between these higher-capacity SD cards and the Pi, at least, temporarily. USB flash drives (aka "thumb" drives) can provide additional storage for about the same, or less, cost as an SD card of the same capacity. USB flash drives generally also have faster data transfer speeds than SD cards. Another option is to connect a USB hard disk drive, which can provide up to over a terabyte (1 TB) capacity and data transfer speeds well beyond 40 MBs/second, much larger and faster than SD cards or USB flash drives.
==Powered USB Hubs==
In any case, in order to expand the storage capacity, you will need to connect a powered USB hub to one of your Pi USB jacks, and then connect the USB drive to the hub. A USB hard drive can either have its own AC/mains power supply or it can have two USB plugs, and get a USB 2.0 hub with at least four expansion ports - more is better, within a reasonable cost. A four-port USB 2.0 hub will cost about US$7 - $15, and don't bother with a USB 3.0 hub, as the Pi only has a USB 2.0 interface.
==Mounting Drive Partitions==
You can plug in a USB flash or hard disk drive while the Pi is running without any problem. The USB device will be sensed by the Pi, however, it probably won't be added to the operating system's file system. That will require some manual intervention to "mount" the device onto the file system. A flash or hard drive may be configured with one, or more, partitions, which you can create yourself in the unlikely event that the drive doesn't already have any. Creating partitions is covered in a separate tutorial: [TBD]
===USB Drive Hierarchy===
Linux hardware devices are organized and identified by letters under the file system's device hierarchy, <code>/dev</code>. USB drives attached to the Pi are found under the file system as <code>/dev/sdX</code>, where "X" starts with the letter "a" representing the first USB drive, "b" for the second drive, "c" for the third, etc. The individual partitions on each drive are represented by incremented numbers, starting with "1". So, the first partition on the first USB drive is located in the file system as <code>/dev/sda1</code>, the second partition on that drive is <code>/dev/sda2</code>, the third partition on a third drive would be <code>/dev/sdc3</code>, etc.
===Mount Points===
In order to make a partition accessible to the file system, you need to use the Linux "mount" command, referencing the hardware (e.g., <code>/dev/hda1</code>) and a "mount point" in the file system, which is any empty directory, usually created for the purpose by the user. There is a canonical (i.e., standard) directory path where mount points are usually created: the <code>/mnt</code> directory. You can create a new directory under <code>/mnt</code> for each partition to be mounted, and it can be named anything you want as long as it doesn't contain any spaces. You might want to name it to correspond to the drive's physical characteristics, e.g., <code>/mnt/1GB_USB_flash</code>, or <code>/mnt/120GB_USB_hard_disk</code>.
===Mounting a Partition===
After creating the mount point for a partition, the only thing left to do is to actually mount the drive partition, e.g.:

<code>sudo mount -o uid=pi,gid=pi /dev/sda1 /mnt/1GB_USB_flash</code>

where:

<code>-o</code> (lowercase letter "o", not the number zero) specifies that an option string follows

<code>uid=pi,gid=pi</code> specifies the user ID is user "pi" and the group ID is "pi" (note there are no spaces allowed between these terms)

<code>/dev/sda1</code> is the first partition on the first USB drive

<code>/mnt/1GB_USB_flash</code> is the mount point directory

===Mounting a Partition at Boot===
To automatically mount a partition at boot time, the /etc/fstab file must be edited, and a line added for each partition and mountpoint:

neil@raspbian:~$ cat /etc/fstab
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
/dev/mmcblk0p1 /boot vfat defaults 0 0
#/dev/mmcblk0p3 none swap sw 0 0
/dev/mmcblk0p4 /mnt/sdcard ext4 rw,defaults 0 0
/dev/sda1 /mnt/usbdisk ext3 rw,defaults 0 0
/dev/sda3 none swap sw 0 0

In this example, we are mounting one partition for read-write access at /mnt/usbdisk, and also moving the swap file from SD card to USB. The # character in the first column means that the rest of that line is treated as a comment. For more information see man fstab(5).

===Operations on a Mounted Partition===
If all goes well, you will see nothing after pressing the Return key other than another command line prompt, which means there were no errors encountered during the mount process. You can then access the partition by referring it via /mnt/1GB_USB_flash/... where the "..." would be the file system path to the directories and files on which you want to perform an operation. For example, to list the details about the files at the top of the partition, you would simply type:

<code>ls -l /mnt/1GB_USB_flash</code>

To copy a file named "file1.txt" to another file named "file2.txt" in the directory "my_directory", you would type:

<code>cp /mnt/1GB_USB_flash/my_directory/file.txt /mnt/1GB_USB_flash/my_directory/file2.txt</code>

Of course, you can make this a lot simpler by just changing the current directory to my_directory like this:

<code>cd /mnt/1GB_USB_flash/my_directory</code>

To run an executable file "my_program.bin" while in that directory, you would type:

<code>./my_program.bin</code>

You can copy or move files and directories to or from any directory in the mounted partition by just referring to the appropriate path to that directory in the partition.
==Unmounting a Partition Before Drive Disconnection==
When you're done with a drive and want to disconnect it from the Pi, you should unmount the drive by using the "umount" command (notice there is no letter "n" between the "u" and the "m") and referring to the mount point:

<code>sudo umount /mnt/1GB_USB_flash</code>

==Other mount and umount Features==
You can learn more about mount and umount features by typing <code>mount -h</code> or <code>mount --help</code>, <code>umount -h</code> or <code>umount --help</code>, or via their "man" (manual) pages by typing <code>man mount</code> or <code>man umount</code>.

Rpi Music Player Daemon

2012-06-18T19:11:47Z

Ghans:

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

==Description==
[http://mpd.wikia.com/wiki/Music_Player_Daemon_Wiki Music Player Daemon] (MPD) is a flexible, powerful, server-side application for playing music.
==Installation==
To install MPD on the Debian release for Raspberry Pi you will need the <code>mpd</code> package. You may also want to install <code>mpc</code> (a very simple console based MPD client, useful for debugging) and <code>ncmpc</code> (another console based client, but more useful for playing music).
===Running as a Normal User===
The developers of MPD recommend that you do not run the server as "root". To run the server as the "pi" user:

Stop MPD with:
:<code>sudo service mpd stop</code>

Files that MPD needs to access are owned by the "audio" group, and the "pi" user is a member of the audio group, but the files are not set to be writeable by the group. Make the the files group writeable with:
:<code>sudo chmod -R g+w /var/lib/mpd</code>
:<code>sudo chmod -R g+w /var/run/mpd</code>

You will also need to remove the log file created by "root" when MPD was first started:
:<code>sudo rm /var/log/mpd.log</code>

And now restart MPD:
:<code>sudo service mpd start</code>
===Loading Music===
The default location for music is <code>/var/lib/mpd/music</code>. You can fill this directory with music, replace it with a symlink or change the location in the configuration file. To update the MPD database run <code>mpc update</code> on the MPD server or initiate the update with another client.
==Configuration==
You can make changes to the configuration by editing <code>/etc/mpd.conf</code>
===Remote Access===
To allow connections from other devices comment out the line:
:<code>bind_to_address "localhost"</code>
===Volume Control===
If sound works but you don't have volume control you need to change the <code>mixer_control</code> setting. Find the name of the mixer you want with <code>alsamixer</code> and enter it into the <code>mixer_control</code> setting in the <code>audio_output</code> section you are using.

For example; to control the main volume on a [[RPi_VerifiedPeripherals#USB Sound Cards|Sound Blaster Play!]] you would use:
:<code>mixer_control "Speaker"</code>

ArchLinux Install Guide

2012-06-18T19:11:22Z

Ghans:

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

== Preface ==

=== Introduction ===

This guide is intended to help someone install the [http://archlinuxarm.org Arch Linux ARM] distribution on their Raspberry Pi. The guide presupposes you have some familiarity with the linux system and are comfortable working from the command line, but it does not require you to be an expert. We learn a great deal by doing, and if you'd like to learn more about how linux operates, Arch Linux is an excellent choice for many reasons.

=== License Information ===
Arch Linux, pacman, documentation, and scripts are Copyright © 2002-2007 by Judd Vinet, Copyright © 2007-2011 by Aaron Griffin and are licensed under the [http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html GNU General Public License Version 2].

Arch Linux ARM is Copyright © 2011-2012 and is licensed under the [http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html GNU GPLv2], with full source being free and open software. Each package is licensed under its respective license. The PlugApps distribution is copyright Mike Staszel. You may modify, adapt, and copy it to fit your needs. If you do so, it must be licensed under a similar license to the GPLv2.

=== Why Arch? ===

One of the greatest advantages of the Arch Linux distribution is its simplicity in approach and attitude. The [https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners%27_Guide Arch Linux Beginner's Guide] describes this attitude very well:

:: ''' ''The design principles behind Arch are aimed at keeping it [https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/The_Arch_Way simple].'' '''

:: 'Simple', in this context, shall mean 'without unnecessary additions, modifications, or complications'. In short; an elegant, minimalist approach.

:: '''Some thoughts to keep in mind as you consider simplicity:'''

::* " '' 'Simple' is defined from a technical standpoint, not a usability standpoint. It is better to be technically elegant with a higher learning curve, than to be easy to use and technically [inferior].''" -Aaron Griffin

::* ''Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem'' or "Entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily." -Occam's razor. The term ''razor'' refers to the act of shaving away unnecessary complications to arrive at the simplest explanation, method or theory.

::* "''The extraordinary part of [my method] lies in its simplicity..The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity.''" - Bruce Lee

Arch gives you the ability to build your system from the ground up, including only the software you actually need. This minimizes the amount of SD card memory it takes to hold the operating system for your Raspberry Pi, leaving more space for everything else you'll be doing.

== Preparation ==
'''Obtain the latest image'''

: You can download the latest Arch Linux ARM image for the Raspberry Pi [http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads here]. The current version is 29-04-2012, and this guide pertains to this release. Download the image to any computer that has a way for you to connect your SD card.

'''Check the image integrity'''

: Unzip the downloaded image to obtain a directory with the image itself and the SHA-1 checksum. You can verify the integrity of the image with:

: * ''linux:'' $ sha1sum --check name_of_checksum_file.txt

:: replacing name_of_checksum_file.txt with the name of the .txt file in the downloaded directory.

: * ''Windows:''

: * ''Mac OS-X:''

'''Write image to the SD card'''

: Plug your SD card into your computer, and write the Arch Linux ARM image by following the [http://elinux.org/RPi_Easy_SD_Card_Setup Easy SD Card Setup] instructions.

'''Optional: Resize partitions'''

: If your SD card is larger than 2 GB, you will want to resize the partitions to make use of your entire card. The [http://elinux.org/RPi_Easy_SD_Card_Setup Easy SD Card Setup] page also has instructions for resizing using parted, though you may also use graphical tools like gparted if you wish.

: The image creates two partitions, which will be available as /dev/mmcblk0p1 and /dev/mmcblk0p2 when you boot up your Raspberry Pi. The first partition (100 MB) is mounted to /boot, and the second (1.7 GB by default) is mounted to the root directory /. Leave the first partition as it is, and expand the second to as large as you desire within the space available on your card. You may also consider creating a third or even fourth partition for /home and/or swap if desired. Neither is necessary, and the two partitions alone are all that are necessary.

== Initial Installation ==

When you boot up your Pi, it will bring you to a login prompt. Log in as root (password root). Now we'll change a few settings to personalize your Pi.

'''Dealing with a Black Screen'''

: If you boot up your Pi but nothing is displayed on your monitor, it's probably not a hardware problem. Have your Pi plugged in to your network, then from another computer you should be able to connect to it remotely with ssh. (Linux and Mac OS-X have ssh already; Windows users can use any client, such as [http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/ PuTTY] or [http://www.bitvise.com/tunnelier Bitvise Tunnelier].)

: From another computer connected on the same network, open ssh to '''alarmpi''', the default hostname of the Arch Linux ARM installation. Log in as root (password root), and in a shell run

::: <nowiki>#</nowiki> mv /boot/config.txt /boot/config.old
::: <nowiki>#</nowiki> reboot

: The ssh session will end, your Pi will reboot, and the display on the monitor or TV connected to it should come up just fine. You no longer need to work through ssh, though if you don't have a keyboard connected to your Pi you can.

'''Change Root Password'''

: The first task is to change the root password by running the command '''passwd'''. True, you don't really have to do this-- but if you're going to connect to the internet you really ought to. Change it to something at least fairly secure, but rememberable.

::: <nowiki>#</nowiki> passwd

'''Modify System Files'''

: Arch uses a handful of files to control the startup scripts. The key file of these is /etc/rc.conf. Open this file in either nano or vi, whichever is more comfortable to you. (If you've never used vi, it is highly recommended to stick with nano; the remainder of this tutorial will assume you use it.)

: In this file, you will need to change two things: you will specify your local timezone and give your Pi a name.

: The default timezone is "Europe/London". If you live somewhere else, you can find the possible settings in the /usr/share/timezone/ directory. Find the subdirectory that describes where you live best, then find the file that corresponds to the location closest to you within your timezone.

::: <nowiki>#</nowiki> ls /usr/share/zoneinfo
::: <nowiki>#</nowiki> ls /usr/share/zoneinfo/America

: With the above commands, I locate my timezone as "America/New_York".

:* Open /etc/rc.conf in an editor.

::: <nowiki>#</nowiki> nano /etc/rc.conf

:* In the LOCALIZATION section, change TIMEZONE="Europe/London" to the value you just found.

:* In the NETWORKING section, change HOSTNAME="alarmpi" to the name chosen for your Pi.

:* If using nano, use CTRL-x to exit, hit Y to save the file.

: Now we need to edit the /etc/hosts file to reflect the hostname.

::: <nowiki>#</nowiki> nano /etc/hosts

:* Modify the line of the file to read

::: 127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain localhost ''yourhostname''

: replacing yourhostname with the name you put in /etc/rc.conf.

'''Mount Extra Partitions'''

: If you put a separate /home partition on your SD card, you need to specify where to mount it. Edit the /etc/fstab file:

::: <nowiki>#</nowiki> nano /etc/fstab

:* Add at the bottom of the file the line:

::: /dev/mmcblk0p3 /home ext4 defaults 0 0

: using whatever partition you've established for that directory. If you've used a filesystem other than ext4, change it accordingly.

'''Swap'''

:: ''To be done''

'''Update System'''

: Bring your system installation up to date using '''pacman''':

::: <nowiki>#</nowiki> pacman -Syu

: It will update your repositories, and prompt you for permission to update any out of date programs. When that is done, reboot your Pi and log in again as root using your new root password. The initial installation is now done!

== Secondary Installation ==

Many of the steps here can be considered optional, depending on how you intend to use your Raspberry Pi. The steps described here assume typical usage, and if you're not already familiar with the system are recommended.

'''Install Sudo'''

: It's not wise to use your system always as the root user, so you'll want to create a regular user account with permision to perform root functions under sudo. To install sudo:

::: <nowiki>#</nowiki> pacman -S sudo

:* To give your regular user permission to use sudo, you need to edit the configuration file using visudo:

::: <nowiki>#</nowiki> EDITOR=nano visudo

:* Locate the section marked as:

::: <nowiki>##</nowiki>

::: <nowiki>##</nowiki> User privilege specification

::: <nowiki>##</nowiki>

:: and uncomment the line below to say

::: %wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL

:* Save and exit.

'''Create Regular User Account'''

: Create a new user to use regularly:

::: <nowiki>#</nowiki> adduser

:* Follow the prompts; use whatever username you'd like to log in. The next available UID is fine. Use the default '''users''' as the initial group. For additional groups, add the following:

::: audio,lp,optical,storage,video,wheel,games,power,scanner

:: ''tbd: which of these are actually necessary?''

: The default home directory and shell are both fine. Unless you want one, don't bother putting an expiration date in. The script will then ask you to confirm the entry as you've entered it. If all is satisfactory, continue to make the account, give the user a password, and add any other information it asks for as desired.

:* Save and exit

:* Logout, and relogin as the regular user:

::: <nowiki>#</nowiki> logout
:: login: ''newuser''
:: password: ''yourpassword''
::: $

: (Note the change in prompt from # to $. This will help you know if you're logged in as root or not.) From now on, you should use your regular user for everything. When root needs to do something on your system, use sudo. (The first time you use it, the display will show some general good-behavior rules for its use.)

'''Keeping Boot Messages on the Display'''

: If you want to be able to see the boot messages and not have the screen cleared for login as is default, you'll need to edit /etc/inittab:

::: $ sudo nano /etc/inittab

:* Change the line for tty1 to read

::: c1:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty --noclear -8 -s 115200 tty1

:* Save and exit.

'''Install Any Desired Software'''

: Pacman is used to install any new software. You can search for program names using:

::: $ pacman -Ss ''keyword''

: Install software with:

::: $ pacman -S ''program-name''

'''Suggested software to install'''

:::* '''xorg''': for graphical display

::::$ sudo pacman -S xorg

:::* '''lxde''': LXDE Desktop Environment

::::$ sudo pacman -S lxde

:::* or '''xfce''': XFCE Desktop Environment
::::$ sudo pacman -S xfce4

:::* '''Vim''': powerful text editor
::::$ sudo pacman -S vim or $ sudo pacman -S gvim

:::* '''Emacs''': likewise, for those so-inclined
::::$ sudo pacman -S emacs

:::* '''Python 3''': Python v3 programming language
::::$ sudo pacman -S python

:::* '''Python 2''': Python v2 programming language
::::$ sudo pacman -S python2

:::* '''GCC''': GNU C/C++ compiler
::::$ sudo pacman -S gcc

== Extra ==

Omxplayer

2012-06-18T19:10:56Z

Ghans:

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

Omxplayer is a video player specifically made for the Raspberry PI's GPU made by forum user spenning.
See the thread and download of omxplayer can be found [http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5543 here].

== Troubleshooting ==
=== No rights to VCHIQ ===
On bare installations of the default distributions Omxplayer often has insufficient permissions to access /dev/vchiq. One solution would be to run omxplayer as root, but a nicer solution is to add a udev rule so that /dev/vchiq is also accessible from other users. To accomplish this, do the following under root:
<pre>
# echo 'SUBSYSTEM=="vchiq",GROUP="video",MODE="0660"' > /etc/udev/rules.d/10-vchiq-permissions.rules
</pre>
Now add yourself to the group named 'video':
<pre>
# usermod -aGvideo USERNAME
</pre>
Reboot the Raspberry and you should be able to run omxplayer without the vchiq-error showing up.

=== HDMI ===
When using HDMI make sure to pass '-o hdmi' to omxplayer:
<pre>
omxplayer -o hdmi videofile.mp4
</pre>

RaspberryPi Laptop

2012-06-18T19:09:02Z

Ghans:

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

===Updates===

May 22, 2012 - Whew!, we have been busy! Doing interviews, ordering parts, etc. all we need now is the RasPi. We ordered in the mid April and expect it by mid July. Also needed is the screen. We are still selecting one.

May 5, 2012 - 90% Parts ordered!
90% of parts have been ordered! This includes keyboards,SD Card extenders, Touchpads, Battery, USB Hub, etc.

May 4, 2012 - Website created!
http://raspberrypilaptop.tk

May 3, 2012 - Yup! Our first update! We originally thought that we needed to get a loan to get the project going or go to kickstarter (After Finished Prototype) ,But It turns out that somebody has volunteered to be a potential investor if the prototype works! Thanks to Raiyan Memon for volunteering! You will not be dissapointed!
=====Suggestions! Leave suggestions here!=====

Suggestions from [[User:Gus3|Gus3]]:
* multiple system options (Debian, Arch, Fedora, Bodhi, perhaps others, perhaps non-Linux)
* send a stated percentage back to the Raspberry Pi Foundation
(Good ideas! I will talk to the others about them!-hackery21, to Gus3)

Suggestions from [[User:Celtic_hackr]]:

My daughter and I will be building PiPads this summer.
* Case design - aluminum?
* touchscreen
* in-case rechargable LiPo slim batteries
* docking station?
(are these suggestions for us or are you talking about your project? Thanks! -hackery21 to Celtic_hackr)

Suggestions from [[User:prpplague]]

* list of components ordered
* block diagram of component connections

(Ok I will put up a list of components ordered soon. What do you mean by block diagram? Thanks! -hackery21 to prpplague)

RPi MySQL

2012-06-18T18:56:01Z

Ghans:

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]
== Installing MySQL on Raspberry Pi ==
This is a guide to install [http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL Community Edition] (aka "MySQL") on the Raspberry Pi computer running Debian "squeeze".

MySQL is comprised of two distinct components:
* MySQL Server
** The program that actually stores and processes the data. There is generally no way to interact with the data stored in the database server without using an external client or library.
* MySQL Client
** A program or library that connects to an existing MySQL database server. This is considered a "front end" to the database - a way for the user to send and retrieve data from the database server.

The guide has been developed/tested using debian6-19-04-2012. Depending on how you choose to install Ruby, there may not be enough room on a standard 2Gb image. This is especially true if you've already installed anything else. Learn how to expand your image [[RPi_Easy_SD_Card_Setup | here]] or [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DztSRaFyaVE here].

== Installing MySQL Server From The Debian Repository ==

=== Commands ===
# Install MySQL Server from the Debian repository
sudo apt-get install mysql-server
The package manager may suggest a slew of dependencies for MySQL Server. Press "Y" then "enter" (or just "enter") to continue installation.
The MySQL installation process will prompt for a password for the MySQL root user account. You can enter a password, or press "enter" to skip the password step - it is your choice. It is poor security to have a blank password if you will be running the MySQL Server on a shared network, but shouldn't matter if you are only using the system for development.
The installation process will prompt you two additional times for a MySQL root password. Continue entering the same password (or skipping it) as you did at the first prompt.
The MySQL Client is installed as part of the standard MySQL Server package from the Debian repository. You do not need to install additional software to start using MySQL.

=== Testing Your Installation ===
# Verify the MySQL Client was installed
mysql --version

# Connect to the MySQL Server on localhost
mysql --user=root --password=''password''

== Installing MySQL Client From The Debian Repository ==
The MySQL Client is a "front end" to an existing database; it does not install the MySQL Server.
The MySQL Client can be used to connect to MySQL Server databases across a network. It provides a text-based interface to a MySQL Server, and requires a basic understanding of standard SQL commands. (ie SELECT, UPDATE, INSERT, and DELETE).
=== Commands ===
# Install MySQL Client from the Debian repository
sudo apt-get install mysql-client
The package manager may suggest a slew of dependencies for MySQL Client. Press "Y" then "enter" (or just "enter") to continue installation.

=== Testing Your Installation ===
The following instructions make these assumptions:
* You have an existing MySQL Server, whether on localhost or elsewhere across the network
* The existing MySQL Server "listens for" (accepts) network connections (disabled on a default installation of MySQL Server)
* The MySQL Server has either:
** Allowed "root" login over a network connection (disabled on a default installation of MySQL Server), or
** A MySQL user account for you
=== Testing Your Installation ===
# Verify the MySQL Client was installed
mysql --version

# Connect to a remote MySQL Server (assumes the server allows root access from a remote computer)
mysql --host=''server_address'' --user=root --password=''password''

# Connect to a remote MySQL Server (assumes the server has already created your user account)
mysql --host=''server_address'' --user=''user_name'' --password=''password''

RPi Perl

2012-06-18T18:55:31Z

Ghans:

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

'''CPAN'''

CPAN seems to struggle with out of memory errors on the default Debian distribution. To get around this, you could try CPANMinus.

Steps.

'''sudo apt-get install curl'''

'''curl -L http://cpanmin.us | perl - --sudo App::cpanminus'''

'''sudo cpanm -i <Module Name>'''

'''Dancer'''
To get Dancer working with CPANminus

'''sudo cpanm -i Dancer'''

RPi Games

2012-06-18T18:52:48Z

Ghans:

{{Template:RPi_Learning}}
[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

== TOP Games ==
Quake III - See blog article, [http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/1139 Fancy a Quake III Deathmatch?]

== Types of Game ==

''[[RPi HTML5|HTML5]] - Games to play in a web browser.''

== Game Projects ==
Try making your own games:

[http://www.pygame.org/docs/tut/tom/MakeGames.html Making games with Pygame]

[http://pi-finity.wikia.com/wiki/Pi-finity!_Wiki Pi-finity!] - a 3-D massively multi-player on-line role-playing game system currently under development that will be focused on teaching software development through problem solving in science, math, engineering, technology, economics, social systems, etc. Players will be able to create 3-D worlds, populate them with models for characters, structures, props, scenes, etc., using open-source tools (e.g., Blender) and potentially in-game 3-D modelers. The system will be open-source and very modular, allowing software developers and students to create alternative games and tools based on the fundamental 3-D data structures and inter-player coordination protocols used for the initial games.

RPi applications

2012-06-18T18:51:47Z

Ghans:

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

=== Raspberry Pi Software Application Notes ===
Here you will find notes on installing specific applications on the Raspberry Pi

[[Rpi_Asterisk|Asterisk]]. Notes on installing the Asterisk VoIP Server.

[[Rpi_Music_Player_Daemon|Music Player Daemon]]

RPi edimax EW-7811Un

2012-06-18T18:50:54Z

Ghans:

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

'''Installing the Edimax EW-7811UN wireless adapter on Raspberry Pi'''

'''Hardware'''

This guide is about installing the Edimax EW-7811Un nano wireless adapter on a Raspberry Pi with a wireless router supporting DHCP and configured to use WPA2-PSK. The guide may be useful for installing other wireless adapters as well and for configuring WPA-PSK.

'''Software'''

The software used was the Debian squeeze package <tt>debian6-19-04-2012.img</tt> plus a replacement driver module (<tt>8192cu.ko</tt>) available from here [http://www.electrictea.co.uk/rpi/8192cu.tar.gz]. The driver is a <tt>tar.gz</tt> file and needs to be unpacked twice. No other modifications were made to the software.

'''Power supply'''

There have been reports that wireless adapters take a lot of power, but the Raspberry Pi with an EW-7811Un adapter runs on a Samsung Micro USB mains charger, a standard Kindle power supply and even the Kindle lead attached to a USB hub on a laptop running on battery power.

'''Accessing RPi'''

It is possible to configure the adapter using ssh over Ethernet, but it is a lot easier to see error messages if a display screen is directly attached.

'''Configuration'''

All of this configuration needs to be done as a privileged user, so you can prefix all the editing commands with sudo or just run “sudo su” to turn yourself into an administrator.

* Edit <tt>/etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules</tt>

Delete anything in this file about <tt>wlan0</tt> or <tt>wlan1</tt>. This file is used to remember the physical characteristics of USB adapters and may well contain incorrect or misleading information, and should be empty apart from comments unless you have added other USB devices.

* Update <tt>/etc/network/interfaces</tt> to add the <tt>wlan0</tt> section, so that it looks like this.

<pre>
# Used by ifup(8) and ifdown(8). See the interfaces(5) manpage or
# /usr/share/doc/ifupdown/examples for more information.

auto lo

iface lo inet loopback
iface eth0 inet dhcp

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
pre-up wpa_supplicant -Dwext -i wlan0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf -B
</pre>

* Create the file <tt>/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf</tt> to look like this:

<pre>
ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
ctrl_interface_group=0
ap_scan=2
network={
ssid="myssid"
scan_ssid=1
proto=RSN
key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
pairwise=CCMP
group=CCMP
# choose one of the following
psk=”this is my secret phrase”
psk=58cfe1c8a36ce8a1f3cd938e281ca1222707df58e27df4745148bfebca7c4197
}
</pre>

This file is critical, and you should note the following points:

# There must be quotes around the SSID.
# These parameters relate to WPA2-PSK, even though it says WPA-PSK.
# The key (psk) can be specified in quotes or as a hexadecimal string obtained from running <tt>wpa_passphrase</tt>. If you are concerned about security, you may prefer this, but it’s not necessary.
# You can make the file unreadable by ordinary users with the command: <tt>chmod 600 wpa_supplicant.conf</tt>.

* Install the driver

To install the new wifi driver in place of the one supplied in the Debian image, you need to add the new driver to the operating system and block the old one.

# Copy the file <tt>8192cu.ko</tt> to the directory <tt>/lib/modules/3.1.9+/kernel/net/wireless</tt>.
# Add the line <tt>blacklist rtl8192cu</tt> to <tt>/etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf</tt>.
# Add the line <tt>8192cu</tt> to <tt>/etc/modules</tt> so that wifi support is loaded at boot time.
# Run the command: <tt>depmod –a</tt>.

'''Testing the system'''

Reboot the Raspberry Pi and it should all just work! The blue light on the wifi adapter should come on, and should acquire an IP address from the router.

Check by running the command <tt>ifconfig –a</tt> on the Raspberry Pi to find the IP address and connect using <tt>ssh</tt> (PuTTY).

'''Troubleshooting'''

# If the blue light on the adapter comes on, but the adapter does not acquire an IP address, the problem is in wpa_supplicant.conf. ifconfig will show the adapter, but not an IP address.
# If the blue light does not come on, the problem is in the earlier stages.
# Use the command line utility <tt>dmesg</tt> to review kernel messages. It is helpful to save the output to file so that it can be edited and examined at leisure (use <tt>dmesg >dmesg.log</tt> and then edit <tt>dmesg.log</tt>).
# Despite the fact that <tt>rtl8192cu.ko</tt> has been blocked, dmesg still gives the following message: <tt>usbcore: registered new interface driver rtl8192cu</tt>. This does not indicate an error.
# <tt>dmesg</tt> does not record error messages relating to errors in <tt>wpa_supplicant.conf</tt>. The only way to see these is to boot with a directly attached display and watch the messages going by. These are errors such as a failure to put quotes round the SSID.

'''Stability'''

Tomasz Milas in his very helpful posting Raspberry Pi meets Edimax recommends a large number of fixes to improve the stability of the Debian system. These are not required to make the Edimax adapter work, but may solve other problems.

The only problems discovered so far using the standard Debian image and the above configuration changes are that the wireless connection does not re-establish itself after the wireless router is rebooted, and <tt>/etc/init.d/networking restart</tt> brings down the network but does not re-establish it, either for Ethernet or wireless (possibly the same problem).

Removing the wifi adapter and reinserting it does not restart the network either.

'''Additional points'''

# The above configuration file is for WPA2-PSK and DHCP. WPA-PSK and static IP addresses have not been tested.
# The simplest solution might be to rename the new driver to <tt>rtl8192cu.ko</tt> and replace the existing driver. This would avoid the need for blacklisting, but probably not for pre-loading using <tt>/etc/modules</tt>. It might also break updating mechanisms.
# The above process is cumbersome if you want to use different wireless access points, so you may want to consider one of the following (not tested). These are described in the Debian wiki [http://wiki.debian.org/WiFi WiFi]
## wicd is an open source wired and wireless network manager that does not require graphical dependencies. The Farnell site also mentions wicd-curses.
## Network Manager is a network manager that does use a graphical interface.
# You may want to configure your wireless router to give a fixed IP address to the Raspberry Pi Ethernet and wireless connections.
# You can use the command <tt>lsusb</tt> to identify the chipset used by your wireless adapter.

RPi building and installing OpenELEC

2012-06-18T18:50:26Z

Ghans:

{{Template:RPi_Software}}

=OpenELEC=

On Monday, 23 April 2012 OpenELEC released the first compilable git version for Raspberry Pi.

OpenELEC is an embedded operating system built specifically to run [http://www.xbmc.org XBMC], the open source entertainment media hub. The idea behind OpenELEC is to allow people to use their Home Theatre PC (HTPC) like any other device you might have attached to your TV, like a DVD player or Sky box. Instead of having to manage a full operating system, configure it and install the packages required to turn it into a hybrid media center, OpenELEC is designed to be simple to install, manage and use, making it more like running a set-top box than a full-blown computer.

*[http://www.openelec.tv OpenELEC Mainsite]
*In February 2012, OpenELEC.tv announced their [http://openelec.tv/component/k2/item/235-openelec-on-raspberry-pi-our-first-arm-device-supported ARM port for Raspberry Pi]
*[http://openelec.tv/forum/90-miscellaneous/11763-raspberry-pi OpenELEC forum] thread
*[http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum/general-discussion/openelec RaspberryPi forum] thread

=Build Instructions=
==Cross Compiling and Build Systems==

The heart of the OpenELEC project is our software build system. It supports a software building technique called cross-compiling; the process of creating executable code that runs on one hardware platform from something other than that platform. Cross compiling is a crucial function for the OpenELEC project for the following reasons:

* It allows us to build 32bit and 64bit packages and OpenELEC images. It does not matter whether the build-host itself is 32bit or 64bit.
* It allows us to build OpenELEC for a range of different CPU architectures like [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86 x86], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_architecture ARM] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerpc PowerPC]. This tutorial will help you cross compile an ARM compatible OpenELEC image from an x86 compatible build-host.
* There is no dependency on the particular versions of compiler, libc and Linux kernel headers installed on the build-host. We cross-compile our own versions to ensure we always produce consistent and properly built software packages.
* It allows you to run any Linux distribution as your build system. No matter what your personal preference the resulting OpenELEC image will always be the same.
* It allows us to use the full power of the build-host. Like most ARM devices the Raspberry Pi does not have super fast CPUs or lots of memory and it uses low-cost but slow USB and flash-card memory for storage; making it unsuitable for native building of large and complex software. Other Linux distributions targetting Raspberry Pi plan to use emulator tools like QEMU that were designed to test and run small software projects to build a full Operating System and it scares us to think how slow and error prone this will be. Even a highly optimised “minimalist” OS like OpenELEC involves the creation of ~500,000 small files during compilation so it’s simple common sense to cross compile and leverage the significantly better resources of a fast local build-host.

==How to get the OpenELEC sources?==

To build OpenELEC you will need a Linux system like Fedora, Ubuntu, ARCH Linux or SuSE Linux to use as your build-system. To “check out” OpenELEC's sources you must have the git software package installed. OpenELEC is hosted on github so the command to run is:
git clone git://github.com/OpenELEC/OpenELEC.tv.git

After doing this you will have an "OpenELEC.tv" folder. Change to this folder with:
cd OpenELEC.tv

OpenELEC is project based and each pre-built OpenELEC image has its own project folder. If you navigate to "projects/RPi" you will find the "options" file which defines the core packages and drivers used in the RPi project and the Linux kernel configuration. Another folder to look at is the "packages/" folder-tree which contains the build-scripts, patches, configs and meta (info) file for each software package included within OpenELEC.

==Building OpenELEC==

Before you start building it is recommended to update all references, by typing:

git pull origin master

This will update all references to the latest ones and prevent errors during complication.
This will also fix any '404' errors that occur due to outdated references to the Confluence Skin similar to:
<pre>http://sources.openelec.tv/devel/xbmc-rpi-theme-Confluence-xxxxxxx.tar.xz</pre>

To now create an OpenELEC image for Raspberry Pi we need to tell the build-system the project and architecture to build for. The Raspberry Pi project uses the "arm" architecture so the “make” command to start the build process with is:
PROJECT=RPi ARCH=arm make release

That’s all that’s needed! ..but make sure you type the command EXACTLY as shown here as the make command is case-sensitive.

The first thing the build-system does is check for the essential software packages it needs to function. If any are missing it “should” automatically download and install them for you. It may not work automatically on every Linux distro, but if it cannot install them automatically it will print a list of missing package-names on screen so you can install them manually.

For example on Ubuntu you can manually install the needed software with
sudo apt-get install g++ nasm flex bison gawk gperf autoconf automake m4 cvs libtool byacc \
texinfo gettext zlib1g-dev libncurses5-dev git-core build-essential xsltproc libexpat1-dev

on Ubuntu 12.04 you need to install additionally
sudo apt-get install autopoint

to configure Perl in Ubuntu
sudo perl -e shell -MCPAN
install XML::Parser
exit

The speed of the build process depends on the hardware you’re running. On “current” hardware with multi-core CPUs and several GB of RAM it can be as quick as 2.5 hours. If you are using older hardware it could run to 10-12 hours. The first time you build will always be slower as the build-system needs to download and cache the sources for each package we use. Future builds will run faster as the sources have been cached and only a small number of new or changed packages will need to be fetched.

=Install instructions=
==Preparing and Formatting the SD Card==

OpenELEC is designed to keep the OS separate from the user-writeable storage area. This requires two partitions on the SD card:

* Partition #1 mounts as /flash and is 128MB in size, is labelled as “System” and will be FAT32 formatted. It holds the SYSTEM and kernel.img files that the OpenELEC OS is uncompressed from at boot-time (approx. 80-90MB), and essential boot files including the bootloader.
* Partition #2 mounts as /storage and uses the remaining space on the SD card. It will be labelled as “Storage” and is EXT4 formatted. It should be a minimum of 512MB to store XBMC settings, database files, image caches, SSH keys and the swapfile (256MB), but in practice a larger 4GB or 8GB card is a more sensible size.

To prepare a bootable SD card your Linux build-system will need the “parted”, “e2fsprogs” and “dosfstools” packages installed and an SD-card reader device.

The following commands assume /dev/sdb is the SD card device. Partitioning will permanently erase the SD card so please double-check that a) you select the right /dev/device and do not accidentally erase your OS, and b) the card does not contain irreplaceable family pictures!

First we remove all existing partitions and create a new MBR partition scheme:
sudo parted -s /dev/sdb mklabel msdos

Next we create a 128MB FAT32 partition and mark it as bootable:
sudo parted -s /dev/sdb unit cyl mkpart primary fat32 -- 0 16
sudo parted -s /dev/sdb set 1 boot on

Then we add the second partition using all remaining space
sudo parted -s /dev/sdb unit cyl mkpart primary ext2 -- 16 -2

To make sure the above commands worked, we check the partition layout:
sudo parted -s /dev/sdb print all

It should look similar to the output below from an 8GB SD card. Please check the partition sizes and note the bootable flag on partition one:
[sraue@linux]$ sudo parted -s /dev/sdb print all
Model: Generic- Multi-Card (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 7965MB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos
Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 1049kB 132MB 131MB primary boot, lba
2 132MB 7948MB 7816MB primary

Next we format the partitions and set filesystem labels. The first is VFAT (FAT32) formatted and is labelled “System” and the second is EXT4 formatted and labelled “Storage”:
sudo mkfs.vfat -n System /dev/sdb1
sudo mkfs.ext4 -L Storage /dev/sdb2

To ensure the kernel sees our new partition layout we force a reload of the partition table:
sudo partprobe

==Installing OpenELEC to the SD Card==

First change to the OpenELEC.tv folder where we built OpenELEC. In the example below this a folder within the root of my home folder:
cd ~/OpenELEC.tv

Next we install the bootloader from the “bcm2835-driver” package. This is located in the project build folder. If you have downloaded pre-built files from elsewere the bootloader files can also be downloaded from here: [https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/tree/master/boot https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/tree/master/boot]. The *start.elf file controls how Raspberry Pi’s allocates RAM between OS and Video. The arm128_start.elf file allocates 128MB to each. The commands below assume the “System” partition has mounted as /media/System but some distros mount removable devices to other locations, e.g. /mnt/System.
sudo cp build.OpenELEC-RPi.arm-devel/bcm2835-bootloader-*/arm128_start.elf /media/System/start.elf
sudo cp build.OpenELEC-RPi.arm-devel/bcm2835-bootloader-*/bootcode.bin /media/System/
sudo cp build.OpenELEC-RPi.arm-devel/bcm2835-bootloader-*/loader.bin /media/System/

Next we install kernel and system files from ~/OpenELEC.tv/target to the SD card. The kernel and system files have long names that identify the build kind, date and rNumber. They need to be renamed as we copy them. The system file must be renamed to SYSTEM (all uppercase) and the kernel file must be renamed to kernel.img (all lowercase, and not KERNEL).
sudo cp target/OpenELEC-RPi.arm-devel-20120424035956-r10695.system /media/System/SYSTEM
sudo cp target/OpenELEC-RPi.arm-devel-20120424035956-r10695.kernel /media/System/kernel.img

It is likely that just copying and pasting the above lines will not work as the numbers in the filenames will most likely have changed. Refer to the 'target' folder to double check.

Next we create a “cmdline.txt” file that contains bootloader parameters:
echo "boot=/dev/mmcblk0p1 disk=/dev/mmcblk0p2 ssh quiet" | sudo tee /media/System/cmdline.txt

To explain the boot parameters:

* '''boot=/dev/mmcblk0p1''' tells OpenELEC the partition which contains the kernel.img and SYSTEM file. It is also possible to use partition labels (boot=LABEL=System) or UUID (boot=UUID=<insert_your_uuid>) or to boot over the network (PXE)
* '''disk=/dev/mmcblk0p2''' tells OpenELEC the “Storage” partition. It can also use partition labels (disk=LABEL=Storage) or UUID (disk=UUID=<insert_your_uuid>) or boot over the network (PXE)
* '''ssh''' tells the system to always start the embedded SSH server to enable remote console access. It is optional, but will be useful on a “development” system. The SSH username is “root” and the password is “openelec” i.e.
ssh root@192.168.2.1
* '''quiet''' hides kernel messages from the screen during boot, this should be used unless you need to see kernel output for debugging.
* '''nosplash''' prevents the OpenELEC splash screen from loading, shaving a few ms from the boot process. This can be useful for debugging if you need to see some of the init script actions that are recorded via the splash during boot.

Let’s check that all the files we need are on the SD card. You should have:
[sraue@linux]$ ls -la /media/System
total 91626
drwx------. 2 sraue sraue 16384 Apr 25 17:09 .
drwxr-xr-x. 4 root root 80 Apr 25 16:58 ..
-rw-r--r--. 1 sraue sraue 83316736 Apr 25 17:00 SYSTEM
-rw-r--r--. 1 sraue sraue 16528 Apr 25 16:59 bootcode.bin
-rw-r--r--. 1 sraue sraue 134 Apr 25 17:13 cmdline.txt
-rw-r--r--. 1 sraue sraue 8126852 Apr 25 17:00 kernel.img
-rw-r--r--. 1 sraue sraue 314691 Apr 25 17:00 loader.bin
-rw-r--r--. 1 sraue sraue 2025988 Apr 25 16:59 start.elf

If all files are present we can unmount the System and Storage partitions:
sudo umount /dev/sdb1
sudo umount /dev/sdb2

Now it’s safe to remove the SD card and insert it in the Raspberry PI’s card slot. The first time you power the system on and boot OpenELEC the boot will be slower as the OS creates SSH keys, the swapfile and the folder structures that XBMC needs. Future boots will be faster!

=Reporting Issues and Fixes=

The OpenELEC Raspberry Pi image has not been extensively tested so we know there will be bugs. It is important that you provide feedback on things that don’t work to the developers via the project issues tracker on [https://github.com/OpenELEC/OpenELEC.tv/issues github]. If you can provide technical insight into the problem with samples of log data and code snippets it dramatically reduces the research needed to figure out the root cause. If you create patches that address issues please fork the project and submit patches as a pull request, as this reduces the effort required to implement the fix and allows the OpenELEC developers to work faster and smarter.

=Useful links:=
* OpenELEC wiki: http://wiki.openelec.tv/index.php?title=Compile_from_source
* OpenELEC developer forum: http://openelec.tv/forum/20-development-discussion
* Sources on github: https://github.com/OpenELEC/OpenELEC.tv
* Issues (bug) tracker: https://github.com/OpenELEC/OpenELEC.tv/issues
* IRC chat support: http://openelec.tv/find-help/chat

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

RPi Setting up a static IP in Debian

2012-06-18T18:47:42Z

Ghans:

Using a static IP can be very useful in case you wish to easily access your RPi without need to get its IP address every time it boots or reconnects to the network (i.e. using SSH, (S)FTP services).

To achieve this there are a few quick steps to be followed.

You only need to modify the file /etc/network/interfaces

Before you do, backup the current version of the interfaces file, if there is already one present:
pi@raspberry:sudo cp /etc/network/interfaces /etc/network/interfaces.sav

You can edit the file with any text editor such as vi or vim.

We need root privileges, so we use sudo:
pi@raspberry:sudo vi /etc/network/interfaces

In the interfaces file look for a line such as:
iface eth0 inet dhcp

This is to enable the DHCP client. You do not want this to work any more.

Put a hash at the beginning of the line to disable it or delete it:
#iface eth0 inet dhcp

In the file you must insert the following lines:
# The loopback interface
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback
auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
#your static IP
address 192.168.1.118
#your gateway IP
gateway 192.168.1.1
netmask 255.255.255.0
#your network address "family"
network 192.168.1.0
broadcast 192.168.1.255

Only the address and netmask data are strictly required.

If for example your LAN is configured to have IP adresses in the range x.x.x.1 to x.x.x.255, you will put x.x.x.0 in the network line.

"address" is the IP you want the RPi will assume (in the proper range, as described above). pay attention not to use an IP already used by another device in your LAN or that can be assigned to a device by your router by DHCP (set the DHCP range of the router wisely in order to avoid potential overlaps).

"netmask" will "always" be 255.255.255.0

gateway is usually x.x.x.1 (your router IP or the one given by your ISP)

You now need to restart the network:
pi@raspberry:sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart

You may now be disconnected from your RPi if you are working through the network. Connect again to the RPi using the static IP you chose and you should now be fine.

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

RaspberryPi Osdev

2012-06-18T18:41:37Z

Ghans:

Raspberry Pi is an opportunity for people to learn OS development on fixed hardware. This makes it easier to make designs that you can share with others. Thereby we have started a community, which communicates through IRC.

== Hardware Specific Documentation ==

It is bit of essential to know the hardware you're programming. I propose looting the [[RPi Hardware]] -page. From the Components -section you should pick yourself the datasheets of the SoC and CPU Core. Also you might like to look up the quick reference card for ARM instruction set by searching in the internet a bit.

There's other documentation there all splattered around. Especially the forums seem to have gathered some posts that are worth referencing in the wiki once they're refound.

The basics for programming a kernel for raspberry pi seem straightforward. You'll fill a fat32 -partition to a memory card. It contains some specific files you can retrieve from /boot -directory in raspberry firmware github repository[https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware].

Your kernel goes into kernel.img. The first 16 bytes contain an interrupt vector table and the very first vector is a RESET interrupt, which will boot up the computer. Bootloader might corrupt the first 0x8000 bytes with linux-related attributes if misconfigured. Because of that you might want to add such padding to your kernel as well.

== First Steps ==

Once you've gotten the Raspberry Pi to blink a led there's an one very logical next step. First
thing any kernel should be able to do is to load some programs from the development computer. A working environment will resemble a live coding system, bit similar to SuperCollider. The motivation is that you should be able to have fast compile-test -cycles and removing-reformatting-inserting the SD card all the time causes external and internal wearing on the card.

== Examples ==

[https://github.com/dwelch67/raspberrypi David Welch's Raspberry Pi Examples] are some very well structured programs that should lessen the trouble of writing or porting a kernel considerably. In fact, as a very first step you should actually study these examples through.

== Existing Forums Posts On Assembly Code ==

These posts should help one with learning assembly, though a page should be written based on these forum posts.

* http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=6194&p=94272&hilit=assembly
* http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=6332&p=91725&hilit=assembly
* http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=7184&p=91536&hilit=assembly
* http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=3675&p=88593&hilit=assembly
* http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=5646&p=82415&hilit=assembly
* http://www.raspberrypi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=7004&p=99134&hilit=bare+metal

== IRC Channel ==

irc.freenode.net#raspberrypi-osdev

=== How to connect ===

* install irssi
* start irssi and type in: /connect irc.freenode.net
* then type: /join #raspberrypi-osdev

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

On the RPi usb power cable

2012-06-18T18:35:05Z

Ghans:

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

We have tested several USB cables. As many USB devices do not use much power, the resistance of the conductors in the cable is irrelevant. At 5 ohms and 50mA of current the voltage drop will be about 250mV. This is acceptable for most devices (and that's how it should be: the USB specifications require tolerance of such voltage drops).

On the other hand, some devices require more power. Those often have their own powersupply so they too will work with the cheap cables. And thirdly, phones that charge off USB will simply not charge as fast as they might with a good cable. In short, you won't often notice a higher resistance in USB cables.

However at 500mA a 5 ohm resistance will cause a 2.5V voltage drop. As the Model B will draw about 700mA, the voltage drop over such a cable will be quite unacceptable.

The cable that comes with a modern phone that charges using the micro USB port will probably be fine.

RPi Easy SD Card Setup

2012-06-18T18:31:20Z

Ghans: /* Copying the image to an SD Card on Windows if first option isn't successful */

[[Category: RaspberryPi]]
{{Template:RPi_Startup}}

=SD Card setup=
To boot the Raspberry Pi, you need an SD card installed with a bootloader and a suitable Operating System. Some Raspberry Pi kits will come with a ready-to-go card, but if you didn't receive one you will need to prepare your own:

Official images are available from http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads and there is an overview of available distributions [[RPi_Distributions | here]].

Warning! When you write the Raspberry Pi image to your SD card you will lose all data that was on the card.

=Safest/Laziest way=
Buy a preloaded card from RS Components or element14.

=Easiest way=

* Use an installer program. The [http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Raspberry_Pi_Fedora_Remix_Installation#SD_Card_Installation_Using_the_Installer Fedora ARM Installer] will download and install Raspberry Pi Fedora Remix images, but it will also install other images if they are already downloaded and in uncompressed or .gz format.

* ('''Mac''') The [http://exaviorn.com/raspiwrite/ RasPiWrite] utility is a python script which will walk you through the process of installing to SD card, it is works with any Raspberry Pi compatible disk image, and can download one of the currently available distros if you don't have one.

=Easy way=

To write your SD card you start by downloading the SD image (the data you will write to the card). The best way to do this is using [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BitTorrent_(protocol) BitTorrent]. This generally results in a faster download as it is a highly distributed system (you will be downloading the data from users who have previously downloaded it).

This guide assumes you have downloaded the Debian "squeeze" image, with name debian6-13-04-2012. Obviously, if you are downloading a different or newer version, use the name of the version you have downloaded.

==Copying the image to an SD Card on Windows==

# Download the image from a mirror or torrent
#* http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads
# Extract the image file debian6-19-04-2012.img from the debian6-19-04-2012directory in the debian6-19-04-2012.zip
# Insert the SD card into your SD card reader and check what drive letter it was assigned. You can easily see the drive letter (for example G:) by looking in the left column of Windows Explorer.
# Download the [https://launchpad.net/win32-image-writer Win32DiskImager] utility. The download links are on the right hand side of the page, you want the binary zip.
# Extract the zip file and run the Win32DiskImager utility.
# Select the debian6-19-04-2012.img image file you extracted earlier
# Select the drive letter of the SD card in the device box. Be careful to select the correct drive; if you get the wrong one you can destroy your computer's hard disk!
# Click Write and wait for the write to complete.
# Exit the imager and eject the SD card.
# Insert the card in the Raspberry Pi, power it on, and it should boot up. Have fun!
''In Windows the SD card will appear only to have a fairly small size - about 75 Mbytes. This is because most of the card has a partition that is formatted for the Linux operating system that the RPi uses and is not visible in Windows.
''

==Copying the image to an SD Card on Windows if first option isn't successful==
I wasn't able to choose device in Win32DiskImager on my notebook so I found a different way to achieve the same thing on windows machine..

# Download the image from a mirror or torrent
#* http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads
# Extract the image file debian6-19-04-2012.img from the debian6-19-04-2012 directory in the debian6-19-04-2012.zip
# Insert the SD card into your SD card reader and check what drive letter it was assigned. You can easily see the drive letter (for example H:) by looking in the left column of Windows Explorer.
# Download flashnul software from http://shounen.ru/soft/flashnul/ here is [http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fshounen.ru%2Fsoft%2Fflashnul%2F&hl=en&ie=UTF8&sl=ru&tl=en Translated version]
#* Download the latest version at the time of writing it was flashnul-1rc1.
#* Download and Extract the application from archive.
#* Click Start button > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt, right click on it and Run as Administrator.
#* Run the flashnul with argument:
C:/flashnul/flashnul.exe -p
#* Flashnul will tell you something like:

Avaible physical drives:
0 size = 250059350016 (232 Gb)
1 size = 1990197248 (1898 Mb)

Avaible logical disks:
C:\
D:\
F:\
G:\
H:\

Press ENTER to exit.

'''SDCARD number is on left! In my case it is number 1'''

#* Now we will use Load argument:
C:/flashnul/flashnul.exe 1 -L C:/debian6/debian6-19-04-2012.img
where '''<Path to flashnul directory>'''flashnul.exe '''<device number>''' -L '''<img file path>'''

#* Flashnul will give you a device summary and proceed caution, have a quick scan through the information to make sure you have selected the correct device, then type yes and press enter.
#* If you get a access denied error, try re-plugging the SD card. Also make sure to close all explorer windows or folders open for the device.
#* If you still get a access denied error, try substitute the device number with the drive letter followed by a colon. Eg:
C:/flashnul/flashnul.exe H: -L C:/debian6/debian6-19-04-2012.img
* If the device summary does not match Your card (the size is smaller, e.g. 75MB), but you are sure, that the letter is correct - please continue and then try again with the device number.

==Copying an image to the SD Card in Mac OS X==

# Download the image from a mirror or torrent
#* http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads
# Verify if the the hash key is the same (optional), in the terminal run:
#* '''shasum ~/Downloads/debian6-19-04-2012.zip'''
# Extract the image:
#* '''unzip ~/Downloads/debian6-19-04-2012.zip'''
#* ''(or: just double click the zip, it will extract automatically)''
# From the terminal run '''df -h'''
# Connect the sdcard reader with the sdcard inside
# Run '''df -h''' again and look for the new device that wasn't listed last time. Record the device name of the filesystem's partition, e.g. '''/dev/disk3s1'''
# Unmount the partition so that you will be allowed to overwrite the disk:
#* '''diskutil unmount /dev/disk3s1'''
#* ''(or: open Disk Utility and unmount the partition of the sdcard (do not eject it, or you have to reconnect it))''
# Using the device name of the partition work out the raw device name for the entire disk, by omitting the final "s1" and replacing "disk" with "rdisk":
#* e.g. '''/dev/disk3s1''' => '''/dev/rdisk3'''
# In the terminal write the image to the card with this command, using the raw disk device name from above:
#* '''sudo dd bs=1m if=~/Downloads/debian6-19-04-2012/debian6-19-04-2012.img of=/dev/rdisk3'''
#* (note that dd will not feedback any information until it is finished, information will show and disk will re-mount when complete)
# After the dd command finishes, eject the card:
#* '''diskutil eject /dev/rdisk3'''
#* ''(or: open Disk Utility and eject the sdcard)''
# Insert it in the raspberry pi, and have fun

==Copying an image to the SD Card in Linux (command line)==

Please note that the use of the "dd" tool can overwrite any partition of your machine. If you specify the wrong device in the instructions below you could delete your primary Linux partition. Please be careful.

# Download the zip file containing the image from a mirror or torrent
#* http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads
# Verify if the the hash key of the zip file is the same as shown on the downloads page (optional). Assuming that you put the zip file in your home directory (~/), in the terminal run:
#* '''sha1sum ~/debian6-19-04-2012.zip'''
#* This will print out a long hex number which should match the "SHA-1" line for the SD image you have downloaded
# Extract the image, with
#* '''unzip ~/debian6-19-04-2012.zip'''
# Run '''df -h''' to see what devices are currently mounted
# Connect the sdcard reader with the sdcard inside
# Run '''df -h''' again. The device that wasn't there last time is your SD card. The left column gives the device name of your SD card. It will be listed as something like "/dev/mmcblk0p1" or "/dev/sdd1". The last part ("p1" or "1" respectively) is the partition number, but you want to write to the whole SD card, not just one partition, so you need to remove that part from the name (getting for example "/dev/mmcblk0" or "/dev/sdd") as the device for the whole SD card. Note that the SD card can show up more than once in the output of df: in fact it will if you have previously written a Raspberry Pi image to this SD card, because the RPi SD images have more than one partition.
# Now that you've noted what the device name is, you need to unmount it so that files can't be read or written to the SD card while you are copying over the SD image. So run the command below, replacing "/dev/sdd1" with whatever your SD card's device name is (including the partition number)
#* '''umount /dev/sdd1'''
#* If your SD card shows up more than once in the output of df due to having multiple partitions on the SD card, you should unmount all of these partitions.
# In the terminal write the image to the card with this command, making sure you replace the input file '''if=''' argument with the path to your .img file, and the "/dev/sdd" in the output file '''of=''' argument with the right device name ('''this is very important:''' you '''will''' loose all data on the hard drive on your computer if you get the wrong device name). Make sure the device name is the name of the whole SD card as described above, not just a partition of it (for example, sdd, not sdds1 or sddp1, or mmcblk0 not mmcblk0p1)
#* '''dd bs=1M if=~/debian6-19-04-2012/debian6-19-04-2012.img of=/dev/sdd'''
#* Note that if you are not logged in as root you will need to prefix this with '''sudo '''
#* The dd command does not give any information of its progress and so may appear to have froze. However, your card reader might have a LED, that starts to blink during the write cyclus.
# As root run the command '''sync''' or if a normal user run '''sudo sync''' (this will ensure the write cache is flushed and that it is safe to unmount your SD card)
# Remove SD card from card reader, insert it in the Raspberry Pi, and have fun

==Copying an image to the SD Card in Linux (graphical interface)==
If you are using Ubuntu and hesitate to use the terminal, you can use the ImageWriter tool (nice graphical user interface) to write the .img file to the SD card.

# Download the zip file containing the image from a mirror or torrent
#* http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads
# Right click the zip file and select "Extract here"
#* '''ATTENTION''': As of this writing (15 June 2012), there is a bug in the ImageWriter program that causes it to fail if the filename of the image file or its path (i.e. all the names of any parent folders that you extract the image file into) contain any space characters. Before going any further, ensure that neither the file name of the image you're using or the path contain any spaces. A bug has been opened for this issue: https://bugs.launchpad.net/usb-imagewriter/+bug/1013834 Once the issue is fixed, edit this page to advise people to use an updated/patched version of ImageWriter.
# Insert the SD card into your computer or connect the SD card reader with the SD card inside
# Install the ImageWriter tool from the Ubuntu Software Center
# Launch the ImageWriter tool (it needs your administrative password)
# Select the image file (example debian6-19-04-2012.img) to be written to the SD card
# Select the target device to write the image to (your device will be something like "/dev/mmcblk0" or "/dev/sdc")
# Click the "Write to device" button
# Wait for the process to finish and then insert the SD card in the Raspberry Pi

=Manually resizing the SD card partitions (Optional)=
The SD card image is sized for a 2GB card. The Fedora Remix will automatically resize the partitions on the card during the first boot. The Debian version won't, so you'll have to do it manually. It's much easier if you do this on another machine, as the SD card can't be mounted when you do this.

Look [[RPi_Resize_Flash_Partitions|here]] for instructions.
{{Template:Raspberry Pi}}

RPi Easy SD Card Setup

2012-06-18T18:30:11Z

Ghans: /* Copying the image to an SD Card on Windows if first option isn't successful */

[[Category: RaspberryPi]]
{{Template:RPi_Startup}}

=SD Card setup=
To boot the Raspberry Pi, you need an SD card installed with a bootloader and a suitable Operating System. Some Raspberry Pi kits will come with a ready-to-go card, but if you didn't receive one you will need to prepare your own:

Official images are available from http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads and there is an overview of available distributions [[RPi_Distributions | here]].

Warning! When you write the Raspberry Pi image to your SD card you will lose all data that was on the card.

=Safest/Laziest way=
Buy a preloaded card from RS Components or element14.

=Easiest way=

* Use an installer program. The [http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Raspberry_Pi_Fedora_Remix_Installation#SD_Card_Installation_Using_the_Installer Fedora ARM Installer] will download and install Raspberry Pi Fedora Remix images, but it will also install other images if they are already downloaded and in uncompressed or .gz format.

* ('''Mac''') The [http://exaviorn.com/raspiwrite/ RasPiWrite] utility is a python script which will walk you through the process of installing to SD card, it is works with any Raspberry Pi compatible disk image, and can download one of the currently available distros if you don't have one.

=Easy way=

To write your SD card you start by downloading the SD image (the data you will write to the card). The best way to do this is using [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BitTorrent_(protocol) BitTorrent]. This generally results in a faster download as it is a highly distributed system (you will be downloading the data from users who have previously downloaded it).

This guide assumes you have downloaded the Debian "squeeze" image, with name debian6-13-04-2012. Obviously, if you are downloading a different or newer version, use the name of the version you have downloaded.

==Copying the image to an SD Card on Windows==

# Download the image from a mirror or torrent
#* http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads
# Extract the image file debian6-19-04-2012.img from the debian6-19-04-2012directory in the debian6-19-04-2012.zip
# Insert the SD card into your SD card reader and check what drive letter it was assigned. You can easily see the drive letter (for example G:) by looking in the left column of Windows Explorer.
# Download the [https://launchpad.net/win32-image-writer Win32DiskImager] utility. The download links are on the right hand side of the page, you want the binary zip.
# Extract the zip file and run the Win32DiskImager utility.
# Select the debian6-19-04-2012.img image file you extracted earlier
# Select the drive letter of the SD card in the device box. Be careful to select the correct drive; if you get the wrong one you can destroy your computer's hard disk!
# Click Write and wait for the write to complete.
# Exit the imager and eject the SD card.
# Insert the card in the Raspberry Pi, power it on, and it should boot up. Have fun!
''In Windows the SD card will appear only to have a fairly small size - about 75 Mbytes. This is because most of the card has a partition that is formatted for the Linux operating system that the RPi uses and is not visible in Windows.
''

==Copying the image to an SD Card on Windows if first option isn't successful==
I wasn't able to choose device in Win32DiskImager on my notebook so I found a different way to achieve the same thing on windows machine..

# Download the image from a mirror or torrent
#* http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads
# Extract the image file debian6-19-04-2012.img from the debian6-19-04-2012 directory in the debian6-19-04-2012.zip
# Insert the SD card into your SD card reader and check what drive letter it was assigned. You can easily see the drive letter (for example H:) by looking in the left column of Windows Explorer.
# Download flashnul software from http://shounen.ru/soft/flashnul/ here is [http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fshounen.ru%2Fsoft%2Fflashnul%2F&hl=en&ie=UTF8&sl=ru&tl=en Translated version]
#* Download the latest version at the time of writing it was flashnul-1rc1.
#* Download and Extract the application from archive.
#* Click Start button > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt, right click on it and Run as Administrator.
#* Run the flashnul with argument:
C:/flashnul/flashnul.exe -p
#* Flashnul will tell you something like:

Avaible physical drives:
0 size = 250059350016 (232 Gb)
1 size = 1990197248 (1898 Mb)

Avaible logical disks:
C:\
D:\
F:\
G:\
H:\

Press ENTER to exit.

'''SDCARD number is on left! In my case it is number 1'''

#* Now we will use Load argument:
C:/flashnul/flashnul.exe 1 -L C:/debian6/debian6-19-04-2012.img
where '''<Path to flashnul directory>'''flashnul.exe '''<device number>''' -L '''<img file path>'''

#* Flashnul will give you a device summary and proceed caution, have a quick scan through the information to make sure you have selected the correct device, then type yes and press enter.
#* If you get a access denied error, try re-plugging the SD card. Also make sure to close all explorer windows or folders open for the device.
#* If you still get a access denied error, try substitute the device number with the drive letter followed by a colon. Eg:
C:/flashnul/flashnul.exe H: -L C:/debian6/debian6-19-04-2012.img
* If the device summary does not match Your card (the size is smaller, e.g. 75MB), but you are sure, that the letter is correct - please continue and then try again with the device number.

----

==Copying an image to the SD Card in Mac OS X==

# Download the image from a mirror or torrent
#* http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads
# Verify if the the hash key is the same (optional), in the terminal run:
#* '''shasum ~/Downloads/debian6-19-04-2012.zip'''
# Extract the image:
#* '''unzip ~/Downloads/debian6-19-04-2012.zip'''
#* ''(or: just double click the zip, it will extract automatically)''
# From the terminal run '''df -h'''
# Connect the sdcard reader with the sdcard inside
# Run '''df -h''' again and look for the new device that wasn't listed last time. Record the device name of the filesystem's partition, e.g. '''/dev/disk3s1'''
# Unmount the partition so that you will be allowed to overwrite the disk:
#* '''diskutil unmount /dev/disk3s1'''
#* ''(or: open Disk Utility and unmount the partition of the sdcard (do not eject it, or you have to reconnect it))''
# Using the device name of the partition work out the raw device name for the entire disk, by omitting the final "s1" and replacing "disk" with "rdisk":
#* e.g. '''/dev/disk3s1''' => '''/dev/rdisk3'''
# In the terminal write the image to the card with this command, using the raw disk device name from above:
#* '''sudo dd bs=1m if=~/Downloads/debian6-19-04-2012/debian6-19-04-2012.img of=/dev/rdisk3'''
#* (note that dd will not feedback any information until it is finished, information will show and disk will re-mount when complete)
# After the dd command finishes, eject the card:
#* '''diskutil eject /dev/rdisk3'''
#* ''(or: open Disk Utility and eject the sdcard)''
# Insert it in the raspberry pi, and have fun

==Copying an image to the SD Card in Linux (command line)==

Please note that the use of the "dd" tool can overwrite any partition of your machine. If you specify the wrong device in the instructions below you could delete your primary Linux partition. Please be careful.

# Download the zip file containing the image from a mirror or torrent
#* http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads
# Verify if the the hash key of the zip file is the same as shown on the downloads page (optional). Assuming that you put the zip file in your home directory (~/), in the terminal run:
#* '''sha1sum ~/debian6-19-04-2012.zip'''
#* This will print out a long hex number which should match the "SHA-1" line for the SD image you have downloaded
# Extract the image, with
#* '''unzip ~/debian6-19-04-2012.zip'''
# Run '''df -h''' to see what devices are currently mounted
# Connect the sdcard reader with the sdcard inside
# Run '''df -h''' again. The device that wasn't there last time is your SD card. The left column gives the device name of your SD card. It will be listed as something like "/dev/mmcblk0p1" or "/dev/sdd1". The last part ("p1" or "1" respectively) is the partition number, but you want to write to the whole SD card, not just one partition, so you need to remove that part from the name (getting for example "/dev/mmcblk0" or "/dev/sdd") as the device for the whole SD card. Note that the SD card can show up more than once in the output of df: in fact it will if you have previously written a Raspberry Pi image to this SD card, because the RPi SD images have more than one partition.
# Now that you've noted what the device name is, you need to unmount it so that files can't be read or written to the SD card while you are copying over the SD image. So run the command below, replacing "/dev/sdd1" with whatever your SD card's device name is (including the partition number)
#* '''umount /dev/sdd1'''
#* If your SD card shows up more than once in the output of df due to having multiple partitions on the SD card, you should unmount all of these partitions.
# In the terminal write the image to the card with this command, making sure you replace the input file '''if=''' argument with the path to your .img file, and the "/dev/sdd" in the output file '''of=''' argument with the right device name ('''this is very important:''' you '''will''' loose all data on the hard drive on your computer if you get the wrong device name). Make sure the device name is the name of the whole SD card as described above, not just a partition of it (for example, sdd, not sdds1 or sddp1, or mmcblk0 not mmcblk0p1)
#* '''dd bs=1M if=~/debian6-19-04-2012/debian6-19-04-2012.img of=/dev/sdd'''
#* Note that if you are not logged in as root you will need to prefix this with '''sudo '''
#* The dd command does not give any information of its progress and so may appear to have froze. However, your card reader might have a LED, that starts to blink during the write cyclus.
# As root run the command '''sync''' or if a normal user run '''sudo sync''' (this will ensure the write cache is flushed and that it is safe to unmount your SD card)
# Remove SD card from card reader, insert it in the Raspberry Pi, and have fun

==Copying an image to the SD Card in Linux (graphical interface)==
If you are using Ubuntu and hesitate to use the terminal, you can use the ImageWriter tool (nice graphical user interface) to write the .img file to the SD card.

# Download the zip file containing the image from a mirror or torrent
#* http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads
# Right click the zip file and select "Extract here"
#* '''ATTENTION''': As of this writing (15 June 2012), there is a bug in the ImageWriter program that causes it to fail if the filename of the image file or its path (i.e. all the names of any parent folders that you extract the image file into) contain any space characters. Before going any further, ensure that neither the file name of the image you're using or the path contain any spaces. A bug has been opened for this issue: https://bugs.launchpad.net/usb-imagewriter/+bug/1013834 Once the issue is fixed, edit this page to advise people to use an updated/patched version of ImageWriter.
# Insert the SD card into your computer or connect the SD card reader with the SD card inside
# Install the ImageWriter tool from the Ubuntu Software Center
# Launch the ImageWriter tool (it needs your administrative password)
# Select the image file (example debian6-19-04-2012.img) to be written to the SD card
# Select the target device to write the image to (your device will be something like "/dev/mmcblk0" or "/dev/sdc")
# Click the "Write to device" button
# Wait for the process to finish and then insert the SD card in the Raspberry Pi

=Manually resizing the SD card partitions (Optional)=
The SD card image is sized for a 2GB card. The Fedora Remix will automatically resize the partitions on the card during the first boot. The Debian version won't, so you'll have to do it manually. It's much easier if you do this on another machine, as the SD card can't be mounted when you do this.

Look [[RPi_Resize_Flash_Partitions|here]] for instructions.
{{Template:Raspberry Pi}}

Talk:RPi Easy SD Card Setup

2012-06-18T18:30:08Z

Ghans:

==Resizing the SD card==

I can resize the partition, but not use it. Running the command

sudo resize2fs /dev/mmcblk0p2

gives me an error "Permission denied to resize the filesystem". Tried several things and I can't see how this can be done on an SD card that is being used to run the pi. Can someone help?

==Copying the image to an SD Card on Windows if first option isn't successful==

--[[User:Kerbik|Kerbik]] 23:55, 24 April 2012 (UTC)
I hope that this will help someone :) (I didn't test this created SDcard on Pi, yet because I still doesn't have it in my hands :( )

--[[User:Radek|Radek]] 21:03, 18 May 2012 (UTC) Yes it works :)

== Question about deleting the swap partition ==

Steps 4 and 6 under section "'''Copying an image to the SD Card in Linux (command line)'''" assume that the OS will automount the USB SDCard reader. This is not the case with the current release of Debian that's listed on the [http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads RPi downloads page]. (debian6-19-04-2012) Using the df command with this release does not provide the user with the needed information.
I do not (yet) know enough about Linux to provide easy, more reliable instructions. I was able to determine the correct device name by using "tail -f /var/log/messages" and watching for any mention of "sda" or similar while plugging/unplugging the USB SDCard reader.
--[[User:GG Crew|GG Crew]] 20:33, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

The steps currently listed under [[RPi_Easy_SD_Card_Setup#Manually_resizing_the_SD_card_on_Raspberry_Pi|Manually resizing the SD card on Raspberry Pi]] instruct the user to delete the swap partition (in order to expand the main partition), but never recreate a new swap partition. For a device as limited on RAM as the RPi, this does not seem like a good idea. Hopefully someone with more knowledge than me can update the directions, or explain why we don't need a swap partition. --[[User:GG Crew|GG Crew]] 07:21, 28 May 2012 (UTC)

: Having swap space on SSD/Flash isn't a good idea except for testing purposes. Prolonged swapping reduces the MTBF of the unit dramatically. If you're going to go to the trouble of adjusting partitions, it isn't unreasonable to move any needed swap space to some other (safer, or sacrificial) device. [[User:Gus3|Gus3]] 14:37, 28 May 2012 (UTC)

RPi Easy SD Card Setup

2012-06-18T18:27:47Z

Ghans: /* Manually resizing the SD card partitions (Optional) */

[[Category: RaspberryPi]]
{{Template:RPi_Startup}}

=SD Card setup=
To boot the Raspberry Pi, you need an SD card installed with a bootloader and a suitable Operating System. Some Raspberry Pi kits will come with a ready-to-go card, but if you didn't receive one you will need to prepare your own:

Official images are available from http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads and there is an overview of available distributions [[RPi_Distributions | here]].

Warning! When you write the Raspberry Pi image to your SD card you will lose all data that was on the card.

=Safest/Laziest way=
Buy a preloaded card from RS Components or element14.

=Easiest way=

* Use an installer program. The [http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Raspberry_Pi_Fedora_Remix_Installation#SD_Card_Installation_Using_the_Installer Fedora ARM Installer] will download and install Raspberry Pi Fedora Remix images, but it will also install other images if they are already downloaded and in uncompressed or .gz format.

* ('''Mac''') The [http://exaviorn.com/raspiwrite/ RasPiWrite] utility is a python script which will walk you through the process of installing to SD card, it is works with any Raspberry Pi compatible disk image, and can download one of the currently available distros if you don't have one.

=Easy way=

To write your SD card you start by downloading the SD image (the data you will write to the card). The best way to do this is using [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BitTorrent_(protocol) BitTorrent]. This generally results in a faster download as it is a highly distributed system (you will be downloading the data from users who have previously downloaded it).

This guide assumes you have downloaded the Debian "squeeze" image, with name debian6-13-04-2012. Obviously, if you are downloading a different or newer version, use the name of the version you have downloaded.

==Copying the image to an SD Card on Windows==

# Download the image from a mirror or torrent
#* http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads
# Extract the image file debian6-19-04-2012.img from the debian6-19-04-2012directory in the debian6-19-04-2012.zip
# Insert the SD card into your SD card reader and check what drive letter it was assigned. You can easily see the drive letter (for example G:) by looking in the left column of Windows Explorer.
# Download the [https://launchpad.net/win32-image-writer Win32DiskImager] utility. The download links are on the right hand side of the page, you want the binary zip.
# Extract the zip file and run the Win32DiskImager utility.
# Select the debian6-19-04-2012.img image file you extracted earlier
# Select the drive letter of the SD card in the device box. Be careful to select the correct drive; if you get the wrong one you can destroy your computer's hard disk!
# Click Write and wait for the write to complete.
# Exit the imager and eject the SD card.
# Insert the card in the Raspberry Pi, power it on, and it should boot up. Have fun!
''In Windows the SD card will appear only to have a fairly small size - about 75 Mbytes. This is because most of the card has a partition that is formatted for the Linux operating system that the RPi uses and is not visible in Windows.
''

==Copying the image to an SD Card on Windows if first option isn't successful==
I wasn't able to choose device in Win32DiskImager on my notebook so I found a different way to achieve the same thing on windows machine..

# Download the image from a mirror or torrent
#* http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads
# Extract the image file debian6-19-04-2012.img from the debian6-19-04-2012 directory in the debian6-19-04-2012.zip
# Insert the SD card into your SD card reader and check what drive letter it was assigned. You can easily see the drive letter (for example H:) by looking in the left column of Windows Explorer.
# Download flashnul software from http://shounen.ru/soft/flashnul/ here is [http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fshounen.ru%2Fsoft%2Fflashnul%2F&hl=en&ie=UTF8&sl=ru&tl=en Translated version]
#* Download the latest version at the time of writing it was flashnul-1rc1.
#* Download and Extract the application from archive.
#* Click Start button > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt, right click on it and Run as Administrator.
#* Run the flashnul with argument:
C:/flashnul/flashnul.exe -p
#* Flashnul will tell you something like:

Avaible physical drives:
0 size = 250059350016 (232 Gb)
1 size = 1990197248 (1898 Mb)

Avaible logical disks:
C:\
D:\
F:\
G:\
H:\

Press ENTER to exit.

'''SDCARD number is on left! In my case it is number 1'''

#* Now we will use Load argument:
C:/flashnul/flashnul.exe 1 -L C:/debian6/debian6-19-04-2012.img
where '''<Path to flashnul directory>'''flashnul.exe '''<device number>''' -L '''<img file path>'''

#* Flashnul will give you a device summary and proceed caution, have a quick scan through the information to make sure you have selected the correct device, then type yes and press enter.
#* If you get a access denied error, try re-plugging the SD card. Also make sure to close all explorer windows or folders open for the device.
#* If you still get a access denied error, try substitute the device number with the drive letter followed by a colon. Eg:
C:/flashnul/flashnul.exe H: -L C:/debian6/debian6-19-04-2012.img
* If the device summary does not match Your card (the size is smaller, e.g. 75MB), but you are sure, that the letter is correct - please continue and then try again with the device number.

----
--[[User:Kerbik|Kerbik]] 23:55, 24 April 2012 (UTC)
I hope that this will help someone :) (I didn't test this created SDcard on Pi, yet because I still doesn't have it in my hands :( )

--[[User:Radek|Radek]] 21:03, 18 May 2012 (UTC) Yes it works :)

==Copying an image to the SD Card in Mac OS X==

# Download the image from a mirror or torrent
#* http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads
# Verify if the the hash key is the same (optional), in the terminal run:
#* '''shasum ~/Downloads/debian6-19-04-2012.zip'''
# Extract the image:
#* '''unzip ~/Downloads/debian6-19-04-2012.zip'''
#* ''(or: just double click the zip, it will extract automatically)''
# From the terminal run '''df -h'''
# Connect the sdcard reader with the sdcard inside
# Run '''df -h''' again and look for the new device that wasn't listed last time. Record the device name of the filesystem's partition, e.g. '''/dev/disk3s1'''
# Unmount the partition so that you will be allowed to overwrite the disk:
#* '''diskutil unmount /dev/disk3s1'''
#* ''(or: open Disk Utility and unmount the partition of the sdcard (do not eject it, or you have to reconnect it))''
# Using the device name of the partition work out the raw device name for the entire disk, by omitting the final "s1" and replacing "disk" with "rdisk":
#* e.g. '''/dev/disk3s1''' => '''/dev/rdisk3'''
# In the terminal write the image to the card with this command, using the raw disk device name from above:
#* '''sudo dd bs=1m if=~/Downloads/debian6-19-04-2012/debian6-19-04-2012.img of=/dev/rdisk3'''
#* (note that dd will not feedback any information until it is finished, information will show and disk will re-mount when complete)
# After the dd command finishes, eject the card:
#* '''diskutil eject /dev/rdisk3'''
#* ''(or: open Disk Utility and eject the sdcard)''
# Insert it in the raspberry pi, and have fun

==Copying an image to the SD Card in Linux (command line)==

Please note that the use of the "dd" tool can overwrite any partition of your machine. If you specify the wrong device in the instructions below you could delete your primary Linux partition. Please be careful.

# Download the zip file containing the image from a mirror or torrent
#* http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads
# Verify if the the hash key of the zip file is the same as shown on the downloads page (optional). Assuming that you put the zip file in your home directory (~/), in the terminal run:
#* '''sha1sum ~/debian6-19-04-2012.zip'''
#* This will print out a long hex number which should match the "SHA-1" line for the SD image you have downloaded
# Extract the image, with
#* '''unzip ~/debian6-19-04-2012.zip'''
# Run '''df -h''' to see what devices are currently mounted
# Connect the sdcard reader with the sdcard inside
# Run '''df -h''' again. The device that wasn't there last time is your SD card. The left column gives the device name of your SD card. It will be listed as something like "/dev/mmcblk0p1" or "/dev/sdd1". The last part ("p1" or "1" respectively) is the partition number, but you want to write to the whole SD card, not just one partition, so you need to remove that part from the name (getting for example "/dev/mmcblk0" or "/dev/sdd") as the device for the whole SD card. Note that the SD card can show up more than once in the output of df: in fact it will if you have previously written a Raspberry Pi image to this SD card, because the RPi SD images have more than one partition.
# Now that you've noted what the device name is, you need to unmount it so that files can't be read or written to the SD card while you are copying over the SD image. So run the command below, replacing "/dev/sdd1" with whatever your SD card's device name is (including the partition number)
#* '''umount /dev/sdd1'''
#* If your SD card shows up more than once in the output of df due to having multiple partitions on the SD card, you should unmount all of these partitions.
# In the terminal write the image to the card with this command, making sure you replace the input file '''if=''' argument with the path to your .img file, and the "/dev/sdd" in the output file '''of=''' argument with the right device name ('''this is very important:''' you '''will''' loose all data on the hard drive on your computer if you get the wrong device name). Make sure the device name is the name of the whole SD card as described above, not just a partition of it (for example, sdd, not sdds1 or sddp1, or mmcblk0 not mmcblk0p1)
#* '''dd bs=1M if=~/debian6-19-04-2012/debian6-19-04-2012.img of=/dev/sdd'''
#* Note that if you are not logged in as root you will need to prefix this with '''sudo '''
#* The dd command does not give any information of its progress and so may appear to have froze. However, your card reader might have a LED, that starts to blink during the write cyclus.
# As root run the command '''sync''' or if a normal user run '''sudo sync''' (this will ensure the write cache is flushed and that it is safe to unmount your SD card)
# Remove SD card from card reader, insert it in the Raspberry Pi, and have fun

==Copying an image to the SD Card in Linux (graphical interface)==
If you are using Ubuntu and hesitate to use the terminal, you can use the ImageWriter tool (nice graphical user interface) to write the .img file to the SD card.

# Download the zip file containing the image from a mirror or torrent
#* http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads
# Right click the zip file and select "Extract here"
#* '''ATTENTION''': As of this writing (15 June 2012), there is a bug in the ImageWriter program that causes it to fail if the filename of the image file or its path (i.e. all the names of any parent folders that you extract the image file into) contain any space characters. Before going any further, ensure that neither the file name of the image you're using or the path contain any spaces. A bug has been opened for this issue: https://bugs.launchpad.net/usb-imagewriter/+bug/1013834 Once the issue is fixed, edit this page to advise people to use an updated/patched version of ImageWriter.
# Insert the SD card into your computer or connect the SD card reader with the SD card inside
# Install the ImageWriter tool from the Ubuntu Software Center
# Launch the ImageWriter tool (it needs your administrative password)
# Select the image file (example debian6-19-04-2012.img) to be written to the SD card
# Select the target device to write the image to (your device will be something like "/dev/mmcblk0" or "/dev/sdc")
# Click the "Write to device" button
# Wait for the process to finish and then insert the SD card in the Raspberry Pi

=Manually resizing the SD card partitions (Optional)=
The SD card image is sized for a 2GB card. The Fedora Remix will automatically resize the partitions on the card during the first boot. The Debian version won't, so you'll have to do it manually. It's much easier if you do this on another machine, as the SD card can't be mounted when you do this.

Look [[RPi_Resize_Flash_Partitions|here]] for instructions.
{{Template:Raspberry Pi}}

RPi Resize Flash Partitions

2012-06-18T18:26:18Z

Ghans:

[[Category:RaspberryPi]]

==Manually resizing the SD card on Linux==

Tutorial video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4VovMDnsIE

Following on from the instructions above, keep the newly-written SD card in the card reader, but unmounted. We'll use the <code>parted</code> (partition editor) tool to resize the partitions.
* Use parted to examine the card
$ sudo parted /dev/sdd
(parted) unit chs
(parted) print
Disk /dev/sdd: 121535,3,31
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
BIOS cylinder,head,sector geometry: 121536,4,32. Each cylinder is 65.5kB.
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Type File system Flags
1 16,0,0 1215,3,31 primary fat32 lba
2 1232,0,0 26671,3,31 primary ext4
3 26688,0,0 29743,3,31 primary linux-swap(v1)
: This shows how my SD card was formatted after writing the image. Notice that nothing uses the card from end of 'cylinder' 29743 to the card's maximum at 121535.
: Partition 1 is the boot partition: we'll leave that alone. Partition 2 is the root partition, which we'll grow to fill most of the card. Partition 3 is the swap space, which needs to be moved to the end of the card. Note that on some other versions of linux (and some other versions of hardware) use /sde not /sdd.
* Move the swap partition (you'll have to adjust the numbers so that the end of partition 3 is at the end cylinder/head/sector of the card)
* to calculate the number to use in the following command do:- <code>(Maximum - (Partation 3 End - Partation 3 Start) ) - 1 = Partition 3 New Start</code> so in this example <code>(121535 - ( 29743 - 26688)) -1 = 118479 </code>
(parted) move 3 118479,0,0
* Now grow the root partition. This involves removing the partition, re-creating it, then using <code>resize2fs</code> to grow the filesystem to fill the partition. It won't destroy any data.
(parted) rm 2
(parted) mkpart primary 1232,0,0 118478,3,31
(parted) quit
: Note that the starting address of the new partition is identical to its original value, and the ending address is immediately before the start of the swap partition.
* Now clean and resize the root partition. As before, some users may need to use /sde2 instead.
$ sudo e2fsck -f /dev/sdd2
: (allow it to add lost-and-found)
$ sudo resize2fs /dev/sdd2
* Then put the card in the RPi and boot. You end up with a 7Gb partition to use.
pi@raspberrypi:~$ df -h
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
tmpfs 94M 4.0K 94M 1% /lib/init/rw
udev 10M 168K 9.9M 2% /dev
tmpfs 94M 0 94M 0% /dev/shm
rootfs 7.1G 1.3G 5.4G 20% /
/dev/mmcblk0p1 75M 28M 48M 37% /boot

==Manually resizing the SD card on Raspberry Pi==

You can also resize the partitions of the SD card that your Pi is running on.

First you need to change the partition table with fdisk. You need to remove the existing partition entries and then create a single new partition than takes the whole free space of the disk. This will only change the partition table, not the partitions data on disk. '''The start of the new partition needs to be aligned with the old partition!'''

Start fdisk:

sudo fdisk -cu /dev/mmcblk0

Then delete partitions with ''d'' and create a new with ''n''. You can view the existing table with ''p''.

* ''p'' to see the current start of the main partition
* ''d'', ''3'' to delete the swap partition
* ''d'', ''2'' to delete the main partition
* ''n'' ''p'' ''2'' to create a new primary partition, next you need to enter the start of the old main partition and then the size (''enter'' for complete SD card). The main partition on the Debian image from 2012-04-19 starts at 157696, but the start of your partition might be different. Check the ''p'' output!
* ''w'' write the new partition table

Now you need to reboot:

sudo shutdown -r now

After the reboot you need to resize the actual partition. The <code>resize2fs</code> will resize your main partition to the new size from the changed partition table.

sudo resize2fs /dev/mmcblk0p2

This will take a few minutes, depending on the size and speed of your SD card.

When it is done, you can check the new size with:

df -h

RPi Resize Flash Partitions

2012-06-18T18:22:22Z

Ghans: Created page with "Category:raspberryPi"

[[Category:raspberryPi]]

RPi Easy SD Card Setup

2012-06-18T18:15:43Z

Ghans: /* Easiest way */

[[Category: RaspberryPi]]
{{Template:RPi_Startup}}

=SD Card setup=
To boot the Raspberry Pi, you need an SD card installed with a bootloader and a suitable Operating System. Some Raspberry Pi kits will come with a ready-to-go card, but if you didn't receive one you will need to prepare your own:

Official images are available from http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads and there is an overview of available distributions [[RPi_Distributions | here]].

Warning! When you write the Raspberry Pi image to your SD card you will lose all data that was on the card.

=Safest/Laziest way=
Buy a preloaded card from RS Components or element14.

=Easiest way=

* Use an installer program. The [http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Raspberry_Pi_Fedora_Remix_Installation#SD_Card_Installation_Using_the_Installer Fedora ARM Installer] will download and install Raspberry Pi Fedora Remix images, but it will also install other images if they are already downloaded and in uncompressed or .gz format.

* ('''Mac''') The [http://exaviorn.com/raspiwrite/ RasPiWrite] utility is a python script which will walk you through the process of installing to SD card, it is works with any Raspberry Pi compatible disk image, and can download one of the currently available distros if you don't have one.

=Easy way=

To write your SD card you start by downloading the SD image (the data you will write to the card). The best way to do this is using [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BitTorrent_(protocol) BitTorrent]. This generally results in a faster download as it is a highly distributed system (you will be downloading the data from users who have previously downloaded it).

This guide assumes you have downloaded the Debian "squeeze" image, with name debian6-13-04-2012. Obviously, if you are downloading a different or newer version, use the name of the version you have downloaded.

==Copying the image to an SD Card on Windows==

# Download the image from a mirror or torrent
#* http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads
# Extract the image file debian6-19-04-2012.img from the debian6-19-04-2012directory in the debian6-19-04-2012.zip
# Insert the SD card into your SD card reader and check what drive letter it was assigned. You can easily see the drive letter (for example G:) by looking in the left column of Windows Explorer.
# Download the [https://launchpad.net/win32-image-writer Win32DiskImager] utility. The download links are on the right hand side of the page, you want the binary zip.
# Extract the zip file and run the Win32DiskImager utility.
# Select the debian6-19-04-2012.img image file you extracted earlier
# Select the drive letter of the SD card in the device box. Be careful to select the correct drive; if you get the wrong one you can destroy your computer's hard disk!
# Click Write and wait for the write to complete.
# Exit the imager and eject the SD card.
# Insert the card in the Raspberry Pi, power it on, and it should boot up. Have fun!
''In Windows the SD card will appear only to have a fairly small size - about 75 Mbytes. This is because most of the card has a partition that is formatted for the Linux operating system that the RPi uses and is not visible in Windows.
''

==Copying the image to an SD Card on Windows if first option isn't successful==
I wasn't able to choose device in Win32DiskImager on my notebook so I found a different way to achieve the same thing on windows machine..

# Download the image from a mirror or torrent
#* http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads
# Extract the image file debian6-19-04-2012.img from the debian6-19-04-2012 directory in the debian6-19-04-2012.zip
# Insert the SD card into your SD card reader and check what drive letter it was assigned. You can easily see the drive letter (for example H:) by looking in the left column of Windows Explorer.
# Download flashnul software from http://shounen.ru/soft/flashnul/ here is [http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fshounen.ru%2Fsoft%2Fflashnul%2F&hl=en&ie=UTF8&sl=ru&tl=en Translated version]
#* Download the latest version at the time of writing it was flashnul-1rc1.
#* Download and Extract the application from archive.
#* Click Start button > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt, right click on it and Run as Administrator.
#* Run the flashnul with argument:
C:/flashnul/flashnul.exe -p
#* Flashnul will tell you something like:

Avaible physical drives:
0 size = 250059350016 (232 Gb)
1 size = 1990197248 (1898 Mb)

Avaible logical disks:
C:\
D:\
F:\
G:\
H:\

Press ENTER to exit.

'''SDCARD number is on left! In my case it is number 1'''

#* Now we will use Load argument:
C:/flashnul/flashnul.exe 1 -L C:/debian6/debian6-19-04-2012.img
where '''<Path to flashnul directory>'''flashnul.exe '''<device number>''' -L '''<img file path>'''

#* Flashnul will give you a device summary and proceed caution, have a quick scan through the information to make sure you have selected the correct device, then type yes and press enter.
#* If you get a access denied error, try re-plugging the SD card. Also make sure to close all explorer windows or folders open for the device.
#* If you still get a access denied error, try substitute the device number with the drive letter followed by a colon. Eg:
C:/flashnul/flashnul.exe H: -L C:/debian6/debian6-19-04-2012.img
* If the device summary does not match Your card (the size is smaller, e.g. 75MB), but you are sure, that the letter is correct - please continue and then try again with the device number.

----
--[[User:Kerbik|Kerbik]] 23:55, 24 April 2012 (UTC)
I hope that this will help someone :) (I didn't test this created SDcard on Pi, yet because I still doesn't have it in my hands :( )

--[[User:Radek|Radek]] 21:03, 18 May 2012 (UTC) Yes it works :)

==Copying an image to the SD Card in Mac OS X==

# Download the image from a mirror or torrent
#* http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads
# Verify if the the hash key is the same (optional), in the terminal run:
#* '''shasum ~/Downloads/debian6-19-04-2012.zip'''
# Extract the image:
#* '''unzip ~/Downloads/debian6-19-04-2012.zip'''
#* ''(or: just double click the zip, it will extract automatically)''
# From the terminal run '''df -h'''
# Connect the sdcard reader with the sdcard inside
# Run '''df -h''' again and look for the new device that wasn't listed last time. Record the device name of the filesystem's partition, e.g. '''/dev/disk3s1'''
# Unmount the partition so that you will be allowed to overwrite the disk:
#* '''diskutil unmount /dev/disk3s1'''
#* ''(or: open Disk Utility and unmount the partition of the sdcard (do not eject it, or you have to reconnect it))''
# Using the device name of the partition work out the raw device name for the entire disk, by omitting the final "s1" and replacing "disk" with "rdisk":
#* e.g. '''/dev/disk3s1''' => '''/dev/rdisk3'''
# In the terminal write the image to the card with this command, using the raw disk device name from above:
#* '''sudo dd bs=1m if=~/Downloads/debian6-19-04-2012/debian6-19-04-2012.img of=/dev/rdisk3'''
#* (note that dd will not feedback any information until it is finished, information will show and disk will re-mount when complete)
# After the dd command finishes, eject the card:
#* '''diskutil eject /dev/rdisk3'''
#* ''(or: open Disk Utility and eject the sdcard)''
# Insert it in the raspberry pi, and have fun

==Copying an image to the SD Card in Linux (command line)==

Please note that the use of the "dd" tool can overwrite any partition of your machine. If you specify the wrong device in the instructions below you could delete your primary Linux partition. Please be careful.

# Download the zip file containing the image from a mirror or torrent
#* http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads
# Verify if the the hash key of the zip file is the same as shown on the downloads page (optional). Assuming that you put the zip file in your home directory (~/), in the terminal run:
#* '''sha1sum ~/debian6-19-04-2012.zip'''
#* This will print out a long hex number which should match the "SHA-1" line for the SD image you have downloaded
# Extract the image, with
#* '''unzip ~/debian6-19-04-2012.zip'''
# Run '''df -h''' to see what devices are currently mounted
# Connect the sdcard reader with the sdcard inside
# Run '''df -h''' again. The device that wasn't there last time is your SD card. The left column gives the device name of your SD card. It will be listed as something like "/dev/mmcblk0p1" or "/dev/sdd1". The last part ("p1" or "1" respectively) is the partition number, but you want to write to the whole SD card, not just one partition, so you need to remove that part from the name (getting for example "/dev/mmcblk0" or "/dev/sdd") as the device for the whole SD card. Note that the SD card can show up more than once in the output of df: in fact it will if you have previously written a Raspberry Pi image to this SD card, because the RPi SD images have more than one partition.
# Now that you've noted what the device name is, you need to unmount it so that files can't be read or written to the SD card while you are copying over the SD image. So run the command below, replacing "/dev/sdd1" with whatever your SD card's device name is (including the partition number)
#* '''umount /dev/sdd1'''
#* If your SD card shows up more than once in the output of df due to having multiple partitions on the SD card, you should unmount all of these partitions.
# In the terminal write the image to the card with this command, making sure you replace the input file '''if=''' argument with the path to your .img file, and the "/dev/sdd" in the output file '''of=''' argument with the right device name ('''this is very important:''' you '''will''' loose all data on the hard drive on your computer if you get the wrong device name). Make sure the device name is the name of the whole SD card as described above, not just a partition of it (for example, sdd, not sdds1 or sddp1, or mmcblk0 not mmcblk0p1)
#* '''dd bs=1M if=~/debian6-19-04-2012/debian6-19-04-2012.img of=/dev/sdd'''
#* Note that if you are not logged in as root you will need to prefix this with '''sudo '''
#* The dd command does not give any information of its progress and so may appear to have froze. However, your card reader might have a LED, that starts to blink during the write cyclus.
# As root run the command '''sync''' or if a normal user run '''sudo sync''' (this will ensure the write cache is flushed and that it is safe to unmount your SD card)
# Remove SD card from card reader, insert it in the Raspberry Pi, and have fun

==Copying an image to the SD Card in Linux (graphical interface)==
If you are using Ubuntu and hesitate to use the terminal, you can use the ImageWriter tool (nice graphical user interface) to write the .img file to the SD card.

# Download the zip file containing the image from a mirror or torrent
#* http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads
# Right click the zip file and select "Extract here"
#* '''ATTENTION''': As of this writing (15 June 2012), there is a bug in the ImageWriter program that causes it to fail if the filename of the image file or its path (i.e. all the names of any parent folders that you extract the image file into) contain any space characters. Before going any further, ensure that neither the file name of the image you're using or the path contain any spaces. A bug has been opened for this issue: https://bugs.launchpad.net/usb-imagewriter/+bug/1013834 Once the issue is fixed, edit this page to advise people to use an updated/patched version of ImageWriter.
# Insert the SD card into your computer or connect the SD card reader with the SD card inside
# Install the ImageWriter tool from the Ubuntu Software Center
# Launch the ImageWriter tool (it needs your administrative password)
# Select the image file (example debian6-19-04-2012.img) to be written to the SD card
# Select the target device to write the image to (your device will be something like "/dev/mmcblk0" or "/dev/sdc")
# Click the "Write to device" button
# Wait for the process to finish and then insert the SD card in the Raspberry Pi

=Manually resizing the SD card partitions (Optional)=
The SD card image is sized for a 2GB card. The Fedora Remix will automatically resize the partitions on the card during the first boot. The Debian version won't, so you'll have to do it manually. It's much easier if you do this on another machine, as the SD card can't be mounted when you do this.

==Manually resizing the SD card on Linux==

Tutorial video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4VovMDnsIE

Following on from the instructions above, keep the newly-written SD card in the card reader, but unmounted. We'll use the <code>parted</code> (partition editor) tool to resize the partitions.
* Use parted to examine the card
$ sudo parted /dev/sdd
(parted) unit chs
(parted) print
Disk /dev/sdd: 121535,3,31
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
BIOS cylinder,head,sector geometry: 121536,4,32. Each cylinder is 65.5kB.
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Type File system Flags
1 16,0,0 1215,3,31 primary fat32 lba
2 1232,0,0 26671,3,31 primary ext4
3 26688,0,0 29743,3,31 primary linux-swap(v1)
: This shows how my SD card was formatted after writing the image. Notice that nothing uses the card from end of 'cylinder' 29743 to the card's maximum at 121535.
: Partition 1 is the boot partition: we'll leave that alone. Partition 2 is the root partition, which we'll grow to fill most of the card. Partition 3 is the swap space, which needs to be moved to the end of the card. Note that on some other versions of linux (and some other versions of hardware) use /sde not /sdd.
* Move the swap partition (you'll have to adjust the numbers so that the end of partition 3 is at the end cylinder/head/sector of the card)
* to calculate the number to use in the following command do:- <code>(Maximum - (Partation 3 End - Partation 3 Start) ) - 1 = Partition 3 New Start</code> so in this example <code>(121535 - ( 29743 - 26688)) -1 = 118479 </code>
(parted) move 3 118479,0,0
* Now grow the root partition. This involves removing the partition, re-creating it, then using <code>resize2fs</code> to grow the filesystem to fill the partition. It won't destroy any data.
(parted) rm 2
(parted) mkpart primary 1232,0,0 118478,3,31
(parted) quit
: Note that the starting address of the new partition is identical to its original value, and the ending address is immediately before the start of the swap partition.
* Now clean and resize the root partition. As before, some users may need to use /sde2 instead.
$ sudo e2fsck -f /dev/sdd2
: (allow it to add lost-and-found)
$ sudo resize2fs /dev/sdd2
* Then put the card in the RPi and boot. You end up with a 7Gb partition to use.
pi@raspberrypi:~$ df -h
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
tmpfs 94M 4.0K 94M 1% /lib/init/rw
udev 10M 168K 9.9M 2% /dev
tmpfs 94M 0 94M 0% /dev/shm
rootfs 7.1G 1.3G 5.4G 20% /
/dev/mmcblk0p1 75M 28M 48M 37% /boot

==Manually resizing the SD card on Raspberry Pi==

You can also resize the partitions of the SD card that your Pi is running on.

First you need to change the partition table with fdisk. You need to remove the existing partition entries and then create a single new partition than takes the whole free space of the disk. This will only change the partition table, not the partitions data on disk. '''The start of the new partition needs to be aligned with the old partition!'''

Start fdisk:

sudo fdisk -cu /dev/mmcblk0

Then delete partitions with ''d'' and create a new with ''n''. You can view the existing table with ''p''.

* ''p'' to see the current start of the main partition
* ''d'', ''3'' to delete the swap partition
* ''d'', ''2'' to delete the main partition
* ''n'' ''p'' ''2'' to create a new primary partition, next you need to enter the start of the old main partition and then the size (''enter'' for complete SD card). The main partition on the Debian image from 2012-04-19 starts at 157696, but the start of your partition might be different. Check the ''p'' output!
* ''w'' write the new partition table

Now you need to reboot:

sudo shutdown -r now

After the reboot you need to resize the actual partition. The <code>resize2fs</code> will resize your main partition to the new size from the changed partition table.

sudo resize2fs /dev/mmcblk0p2

This will take a few minutes, depending on the size and speed of your SD card.

When it is done, you can check the new size with:

df -h

{{Template:Raspberry Pi}}