4/27/2022 Using your Raspberry Pi
Projects
Using your Raspberry Pi
How to configure, update, and navigate your Raspberry
Pi once it's set up
Step 1 Introduction
Here you’ll learn how to use Raspberry Pi OS and some of its software, and how to adjust some key settings to your
needs.
If you don’t have your Raspberry Pi up and running yet, check out our Setting up your Raspberry Pi ([Link]
[Link]/en/projects/raspberry-pi-setting-up) guide.
We also have a three-week online course available on the FutureLearn platform ([Link]
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Step 2 Raspberry Pi Desktop
Your Raspberry Pi runs Raspberry Pi OS, a version of an operating system (OS) called Linux. (Windows and macOS are
other common operating systems.)
After Raspberry Pi OS starts up, you will see the Desktop appear.
The Raspberry Pi icon in the top left-hand corner is where you access the menu.
Click on it to find lots of applications, including Programming applications.
To open a text editor, click on Accessories and choose Text Editor.
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Close the text editor by clicking the x in the top right-hand corner of the window.
Explore what other applications are currently available in the menu.
Note: The Raspberry Pi Imager gives the option to install Raspberry Pi OS Full, which comes with all recommended
software already loaded, including office applications and some games.
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Step 3 Keyboard and mouse settings
To set up your mouse and keyboard, select Preferences and then Mouse and Keyboard Settings from the menu.
Mouse
You can change the mouse speed and double-click time here, and swap the buttons if you are left-handed.
Keyboard
You can adjust the key repeat delay and interval values here.
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To change the keyboard layout, click on Keyboard Layout and select your layout from the list of countries.
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Step 4 Connecting to the internet
If you want to connect your Raspberry Pi to the internet, you can plug an Ethernet cable into it (if you have a Raspberry
Pi Zero, you’ll need a USB-to-Ethernet adapter as well).
If your model is a Raspberry Pi 4, Raspberry Pi 3, or Raspberry Pi Zero W, you can also connect to a wireless network.
Connecting to a wireless network
Click on the wireless network icon in the top right-hand corner of the screen, and select your network from the
drop-down menu.
Type in the password for your wireless network, then click on OK.
Once your Raspberry Pi is connected to the internet, you will see a wireless LAN symbol instead of the red crosses.
Test your connection by clicking on the web browser icon and searching the web for raspberry pi.
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Step 5 Setting up the sound
Your Raspberry Pi can either send sound to the screen’s built-in speakers through the HDMI connection (if your screen
has speakers), or to the analogue headphone jack.
Right-click on the speaker icon in the top right-hand corner, and select Audio Outputs, to choose whether your
Raspberry Pi should use the HDMI or the AV Jack connection for sound.
Click on the speaker icon to adjust the volume by moving the slider up or down.
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Step 6 Installing software
There are many, many software programs and applications you can download and install on Raspberry Pi.
Note: Your Raspberry Pi has to be connected to the internet (4) before you can install software.
In the menu, click on Preferences and then on Recommended Software.
You can browse all the recommended software, or filter it by category.
To install a piece of software, click to mark the checkbox to its right.
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Then click on OK to install the selected software.
In addition to the Raspberry Pi’s recommended software, there’s a huge library of other available programs and
applications.
Click on Preferences and then on Add / Remove Software in the menu.
You can search for software, or browse by selecting a category from the menu on the left.
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Try installing a drawing application called Pinta.
Type ‘pinta’ into the search box and press Enter.
Select Simple drawing/painting program in the list that appears.
Click on OK to start the installation process.
When prompted, enter your password.
Pinta will now be downloaded and installed.
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When the process is complete, open Pinta by selecting Graphics and then Pinta from the menu.
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Step 7 Updating your Raspberry Pi
It’s a good idea to regularly update the software on your Raspberry Pi with the latest features and fixes.
You can update your Raspberry Pi using the Add / Remove Software application: open it by selecting it from the
Preferences section of the menu.
Before you check and install any updates, you should refresh the software package lists on your Raspberry Pi.
Click on Options in the top left-hand corner, and select Refresh Package Lists.
Your Raspberry Pi will then update all lists of packages.
When this is done, click on Options and select Check for Updates.
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The Package Updater will open and automatically check whether updates are available. It will display anything it finds
in a list.
Click on Install Updates to install all the available updates.
When prompted, enter your password.
The updates will then be downloaded and installed. You can see the installation by checking the progress bar in
the bottom left-hand corner.
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Step 8 Accessing your files
All the files on your Raspberry Pi, including the ones you create yourself, are stored on the SD card. You can access
your files using the File Manager application.
Click on Accessories and then on File Manager in the menu, or select the File Manager icon on the menu bar.
When the File Manager opens, you will be shown a directory that is the same as your username. In the examples below
a directory called pi is used — this is where you can store your files and create new subfolders.
Double-click on the Documents icon to open the directory and view the files inside.
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To open a file, double-click on its name, or right-click on it to open the file menu for more options.
You can use USB drives and sticks with your Raspberry Pi. This is a convenient way of backing up your files and
copying them to other computers.
Insert a USB stick into your Raspberry Pi. A window will pop up, asking what action you want to perform.
Click on OK to Open in File Manager.
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The File Manager will open and show you the files on your USB stick.
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Step 9 Using the terminal
The terminal is a really useful application: it allows you to navigate file directories and control your Raspberry Pi using
typed commands instead of clicking on menu options. It’s often in many tutorials and project guides, including the
ones on our website.
To open a terminal window, click on the Terminal icon at the top of the screen, or select Accessories and then
Terminal in the menu. You should see the following prompt, although the exact prompt will show the username
you have chosen.
rpf@raspberrypi:~ $
You can type commands into the terminal window and run them by pressing Enter on your keyboard.
In the terminal window, type:
ls
Then press Enter on the keyboard.
The command ls lists all the files and subdirectories in the current file directory. By default, the file directory that the
terminal accesses when you open it is the one called pi.
Now type in this command to change directory to the Desktop.
cd Desktop
You have to press the Enter key after every command.
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Use the command ls to list the files in the Desktop directory.
ls
The terminal can do a lot more than list files — it’s a very powerful way of interacting with your Raspberry Pi!
As just one small example, try the command pinout:
pinout
This will show you a labelled diagram of the GPIO pins, and some other information about your Raspberry Pi.
Close the terminal window by clicking on the x in the top right-hand corner, or using the command exit.
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Step 10 Configuring your Raspberry Pi
You can control most of your Raspberry Pi’s settings, such as the password, through the Raspberry Pi Configuration
application found in Preferences on the menu.
System
In this tab you can change basic system settings of your Raspberry Pi.
Password — set the password of the pi user (it is a good idea to change the password from the factory default
‘raspberry’)
Boot — select to show the Desktop or CLI (command line interface) when your Raspberry Pi starts
Auto Login — enabling this option will make the Raspberry Pi automatically log in whenever it starts
Network at Boot — selecting this option will cause your Raspberry Pi to wait until a network connection is
available before starting
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Splash Screen — choose whether or not to show the splash (startup) screen when your Raspberry Pi boots
Interfaces
You can link devices and components to your Raspberry Pi using a lot of different types of connections. The
Interfaces tab is where you turn these different connections on or off, so that your Raspberry Pi recognises that
you’ve linked something to it via a particular type of connection.
Camera — enable the Raspberry Pi Camera Module ([Link]
-v2/)
SSH — allow remote access to your Raspberry Pi from another computer using SSH
VNC — allow remote access to the Raspberry Pi Desktop from another computer using VNC
SPI — enable the SPI GPIO pins
I2C — enable the I2C GPIO pins
Serial — enable the Serial (Rx, Tx) GPIO pins
1-Wire — enable the 1-Wire GPIO pin
Remote GPIO — allow access to your Raspberry Pi’s GPIO pins from another computer
Performance
If you need to do so for a particular project you want to work on, you can change the performance settings of your
Raspberry Pi in this tab.
Warning: Changing your Raspberry Pi’s performance settings may result in it behaving erratically or not working.
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Overclock — change the CPU speed and voltage to increase performance
GPU Memory — change the allocation of memory given to the GPU
Localisation
This tab allows you to change your Raspberry Pi settings to be specific to a country or location.
Locale — set the language, country, and character set used by your Raspberry Pi
Timezone — set the time zone
Keyboard — change your keyboard layout
WiFi Country — set the WiFi country code
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Step 11 How to get help
If you are experiencing problems with your Raspberry Pi, there are lots of ways you can get help and advice:
Check out the help section ([Link] and the troubleshooting guide ([Link]
[Link]/learning/troubleshooting-guide/) on [Link] ([Link]
The Raspberry Pi forum ([Link] including the Beginners ([Link]
[Link]/forums/[Link]?f=91) section, is a great place to ask questions and get support from the
Raspberry Pi community
Call out on Twitter ([Link] using the hashtag #rpilearn, or submit a question on the Raspberry Pi
Stack Exchange ([Link]
You could also attend a free Raspberry Jam ([Link] community event to talk to people about their
experiences and get some first-hand help from fellow Raspberry Pi users
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Step 12 What next?
Well done! You have just completed the second project in the Raspberry Pi for beginners ([Link]
[Link]/en/pathways/raspberry-pi-beginners) pathway.
Next, try the third project in the pathway, Customise your Raspberry Pi desktop ([Link]
en/projects/custom-pi-desktop/).
The complete Raspberry Pi for beginners pathway
Setting up your Raspberry Pi ([Link]
Using your Raspberry Pi ([Link]
Customise your Raspberry Pi desktop ([Link]
Pac-Man treasure hunt on the terminal ([Link]
Create a new command on Raspberry Pi ([Link]
and/)
Other Raspberry Pi projects on the Raspberry Pi website
Take a look at some of our many other Raspberry Pi projects ([Link]
are%5B%5D=raspberry-pi).
Published by Raspberry Pi Foundation ([Link] under a Creative Commons license (ht
tps://[Link]/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).
View project & license on GitHub ([Link]
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