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[sheddyian]

I recently ordered, and have just received, a Raspberry PI!

Now, if anyone can tell me how to install Windows on it, I'll be off! 


Ian

[roseway]

Don't hold your breath.

[sheddyian]

I'll settle for NT 4.0 - nice Kernel in it's day...

Ian

[sheddyian]

I jest of course.  This is my first real go with anything Linux, so it'll be interesting learning experience 

Ian

[burakkucat]

I have my R-Pi -- "over there" in my grotto -- but I still need a USB keyboard, a USB mouse and some monitor device before I can play with it. So I'll be interested to read of your experiences, Ian.

[sheddyian]

Well, so far burakkucat, I've enjoyed tinkering with the Raspberry PI, though I've yet to get very close to the Linux side of it.

I swiped a USB keyboard and mouse from a spare PC, plugged it all in and used my Sony TV as the display, via HDMI.  Problem with that is the text is very small, you need to be close to it really.

Despite this, I flashed an SD card with the Raspberry Wheezy image from the pi web site, and it all went as it should, and booted up.  I was able to start the X windows environment (I assume it's x windows?) and connect to the internet using the supplied web browser.  It's not super fast, but considering it's 700Mhz CPU with 128Mb for the OS and 128MB for the graphics, it's quite impressive!

I later connected it to a Samsung LCD monitor using HDMI to DVI cable, but had curious problem that some of the pixels kept flickering madly. I was worried the PI was broken, but when I later connected it to the TV again, all was well.

Anyhow, I've currently got it running as a media device.  I've put the PI version of XBMC (also Linux based) on an SD card, and it allows me to control it with the TV remote, and watch videos or play MP3s off my network.  There's lots of add ons too.

The video quality is quite incredible.  I ripped a DVD and played it through the PI, and I'm convinced it looked nicer than straight playing it in the HDMI connected DVD player!

Need to get to grips with al the Linux side of things though - I tried SSH into the PI, and quickly got confused.

As a starter, can anyone tell me what command I should use to find the capacity of the disk devices?  I FTPd my DVD onto the PI's SD card, and it won't let me delete it now    So while I work out what privileges I'm lacking, I wondered how to check how much space is remaining on the card?

In summary : so far, very impressed considering it's size and cost!

Ian

[burakkucat]

Not having a television, I need hints for what I can use as a monitor. A second-hand USB keyboard and mouse is no problem.

To see the free space on all devices (the default) use: df (will show the space in 1 k blocks) or df -h (will show the space in more human compatible mode).

To see the space used, try: du -hs (human compatibility mode, summary only).

[roseway]

As a starter, can anyone tell me what command I should use to find the capacity of the disk devices?

Try df (which gives a lot more information than b*cat's suggestion above).

[tickmike]

I was able to start the X windows environment (I assume it's x windows?)

No it,s not !. It's not anything to do with that  Microsoft Windows ! , it's the viewing environment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_Window_System

Got my R pi weeks ago and it,s still in the box, have been to busy .

[sheddyian]

Thanks roseway and burakkucat, will try those commands later, once I determine what the SD card device is actually called on the system!  I clearly need an absolute beginners guide to using Linux and/or Raspberry Pi.

Ah, I think you misunderstood Tickmike.  Early on I was joking that I wanted to install Microsoft Windows on my Pi    But the bit that you quoted was me clumsily asking if Linux/Raspberry Pi actually uses the X-Windows environment, or some other window system.  I realise that whatever it runs, it's nothing to do with Microsoft Windows.

I've used X-Windows in the past (many years ago, on a Dec Vax amongst others) but didn't know if it even still existed.

Ian

[asbokid]

Thanks roseway and burakkucat, will try those commands later, once I determine what the SD card device is actually called on the system!  I clearly need an absolute beginners guide to using Linux and/or Raspberry Pi.

fdisk -l (as root) should list the drive/s and partition/s. 

cheers, a

EDIT:

There is an e-book called Linux in a Nutshell.  Though don't recall it being very good.   http://www.google.com/search?q=Oreilly.Linux.in.a.Nutshell.6th.Edition.Sep.2009.pdf+filetype:pdf

A book on the bash shell is probably more useful.

The peripherals datasheet for the Broadcom BCM2835, the 32-bit ARM11 single core CPU powering the Raspberry Pi is here: http://www.raspberrypi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/BCM2835-ARM-Peripherals.pdf

[sheddyian]

Excellent! Thanks Asbokid.  I think the install has made more than 1 partition (but I'm not sure) so that will be useful to discover how it's set up, and exactly where the files I FTP'd to it yesterday have been put.

Ian

[tickmike]

This looks interesting.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19604217

http://www.raspberrypi.org/

http://www.themagpi.com/

[broadstairs]

How about this super computer made from Lego and Raspberry PIs!

http://www.zdnet.com/raspberry-pi-meets-lego-in-supercomputer-like-cluster-photos-7000004209/

Stuart

[kitz]

lol...  now theres an idea for Asbokid.

You said you needed a rack...  build one from Lego!