Book Image

Raspberry Pi 2 Server Essentials

By : Piotr J Kula
Book Image

Raspberry Pi 2 Server Essentials

By: Piotr J Kula

Overview of this book

There’s no end to what you can do with a Raspberry Pi – it makes a huge range of tech projects possible. This book shows you how to transform it into a multipurpose web server, able to store and manage resources that lets you build some truly innovative and impressive computing creations. You’ll learn how to use your Raspberry Pi 2 to host a website using a range of different languages, host a game server, store files, and run everything from a media center to a cloud network. If you want to take control of your technological world, start building your own server and find out what’s possible with the Raspberry Pi microcomputer. Begin by getting your Pi set up – follow each step as the book shows you how to prepare a network and configure the additional features that you’ll need to build your projects. Once you’ve done this you’ll dig a little deeper and set up your pi as a file server, making sure it’s built for speed using a range of different tools, including Python, Node.js and ASP.NET. Following this the book shows you how to extend your server to allow you to host games, and stream live HD video before customizing it even further to create a fully-fledged media center. It doesn’t stop there however – the book then dives into the exciting world of the Internet of Things (IoT). You’ll learn how to install Windows IoT onto your Raspberry Pi, the operating system that’s driving embedded software projects all around the world. Once you’ve done this you’ll be ready to explore IoT further, as the book shows you how to use your device to host a cloud network that can form the basis of a wider IoT project.
Table of Contents (19 chapters)
Raspberry Pi 2 Server Essentials
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Installing Raspbian on the Raspberry Pi


There are many distributions that can run on the Pi. Some are specific real-time operating systems, such as RISCOS, or mainstream operating systems, such as Raspbian or Archlinux. A few flavors of home media centers, such as OpenElec or OSMC (previously known as XBMC). As of June 2015, you will also be able to install Windows 10 Internet of Things. No Android support is foreseen for the near future.

The Raspberry Pi Foundation recommends that you use their image called NOOBS (New Out Of Box Software,) which contains frequently updated list of different operating systems. In this book, we will be using Raspbian. It is supported by the Foundation and has the best compatibility with ease of use. Raspbian is based on Debian and is similar to many other Linux operating systems. The steps for installing Raspbian are as follows:

  1. For Windows and Macintosh users, it is recommended by the Raspberry Pi Foundation that you use the SD Formatter from http://www.sdcard.org/.

    For Windows, perform the following steps:

    1. Install the SD card formatting tool.

    2. Set the Format size adjustment option to ON in the Option menu.

    3. Make sure you've selected the correct SD card.

    4. Click on the Format button.

    For Macintosh, perform the following steps:

    1. Install the SD card formatting tool.

    2. Select Overwrite Format.

    3. Make sure you've selected the correct SD card.

    4. Click on the Format button.

    For Linux, perform the following steps:

    1. It is recommended that you use the GParted or Parted tool in Linux.

    2. Format the entire disk as FAT.

  2. You should download the latest NOOBS archive from http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/

  3. Unzip the archive.

  4. Copy the extracted files onto the formatted SD card.

  5. Insert the SD card into the Raspberry Pi. Plug in your HDMI or other video cable with a compatible keyboard and power it up.

  6. The Pi will boot up and present the list of operating systems; select Raspbian.

  7. If your display is blank, try to press the numeric keys, as listed here, while the Pi is booted up:

    • 1: HDMI mode

    • 2: HDMI safe mode

    • 3: Composite PAL

    • 4: Composite NTSC