How to set up and start a Raspberry Pi "for

the clumsy"
If there is one thing that is clear about the Raspberry Pi, that little computer that fits in
your hand, it is that it can be customized in many different ways to use it however you
want: from a home arcade machine to as a children's first computer.

However, the fact that this device is not a "normal" computer, and you have to install
the operating system yourself, may put you off when it comes to doing a project with
it. But trust us when we tell you that setting up a Raspberry Pi, with the help of the
right software, is a piece of cake. You just have to follow these steps.

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How to start a Raspberry Pi without dying in the attempt, even if you do not have much
idea of technology? The answer is NOOBS, which stands for New Out Of the Box
Software. It is an operating system installation wizard for Raspberry Pi with which to
configure one of these small computers is available to anyone, no matter how little
experience they have. In fact, his name is a play on words with "noob", which in
English defines someone with little experience in a certain field (especially the
Internet).
Step 1: download NOOBS and copy it to a memory card

NOOBS has two versions: the standard, which already includes the Raspbian
operating system (plus a selection of other operating systems and content managers
for Raspberry Pi that are downloaded from the Internet) and the lite, which does not
come with Raspbian pre-installed and will simply download the system operation you
choose from the Internet.

Which to choose? It depends on the operating system you want to install. If you are
not going to use Raspbian, it is recommended to download the Lite version, which is
smaller and will take less time.

In any case, once you have the ZIP file downloaded to your computer, unzip it and
copy its content (folders and files, as is) onto the memory card that you are going to
use with the Raspberry Pi, and that you will have previously formatted. When you're
done, the card is ready to use with the Raspberry.

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Step 2: configure the connection and choose your operating system

Now is the time to connect the Raspberry Pi to power, to a monitor or television, and
to a keyboard and mouse to be able to navigate through the NOOBS menus and
options with ease. Turn it on and you will see that NOOBS runs automatically, to end
up showing a window where you can choose the operating system you want to install.
You will also see a lower menu where you can change the language and keyboard
settings.
Each operating system includes a short description, but the ideal is that you inform
yourself beforehand about what each one of them does and what it is for, and when
you get to this step you are already clear about which one you want to install.

The first step, therefore, will be to configure the Internet connection in order to
download it. To do this, go to the "Wifi network" menu, choose your connection and
enter the password. You can also connect a network cable to the Raspberry if you
have the router nearby.

Then, you just have to choose the operating system you want, and click "Install".
NOOBS will show you a warning but if everything is correct, just keep going. The
chosen operating system will download, and the installation will begin. Meanwhile, you
just have to arm yourself with a little patience, since the whole process is totally
automatic.

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Step 3: polish the final details and enjoy your Raspberry

When the installation is finished, the Raspberry may restart. If it does not, it is
recommended that you do it yourself so that everything is perfectly functional (for
example, that the system detects if you have any server or network shared folders
from which you later want to obtain documents).
Also, you can finish polishing final configuration details: language, desktop
customization, add-ons you want to install, image adjustment on the monitor or
television ... depending on the operating system you have chosen, the list may vary.

From that moment, the Raspberry Pi will be ready for anything you want. You can
experiment with Linux, teach a child the basics of programming or use it as a
multimedia player for TV. The possibilities are almost endless!