Raspberry Pi 5 Setup for Beginners

Complete Guide: OS Installation & First Tests

This guide walks you through setting up a Raspberry Pi 5 from scratch, installing the operating system, and performing basic tests to ensure everything is working correctly. No prior experience is required.

What You Need (Before You Start)

Make sure you have the following items ready:

Hardware

Raspberry Pi 5

USB-C power supply (5V / 5A recommended)

MicroSD card (16GB or larger, Class 10)

MicroSD card reader

HDMI cable (micro-HDMI to HDMI)

Monitor or TV

USB keyboard and mouse

Optional: Ethernet cable (for wired internet)

Software

A PC or laptop (Windows, macOS, or Linux)

Internet connection

Download Raspberry Pi OS

Raspberry Pi OS is the official and most beginner-friendly operating system.

On your computer, open a browser

Go to the official Raspberry Pi website

Download Raspberry Pi Imager for your operating system

Install and open the Raspberry Pi Imager

Install Raspberry Pi OS on the SD Card

Step-by-Step OS Installation

Insert the microSD card into your computer

Open Raspberry Pi Imager

Click Choose OS

Select Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit)

Click Choose Storage

Select your microSD card

(Optional but recommended) Click Advanced Settings

Set hostname

Enable SSH

Configure Wi-Fi

Set username & password

Click Write

Wait for the process to complete

Safely remove the microSD card

Hardware Setup

Now connect the Raspberry Pi 5:

Insert the microSD card into the Raspberry Pi

Connect the keyboard and mouse

Connect the HDMI cable to the monitor

(Optional) Connect Ethernet cable

Plug in the USB-C power supply

The Raspberry Pi will power on automatically

First Boot & Initial Configuration

On first boot, Raspberry Pi OS will guide you through setup:

Select language, region, and keyboard layout

Create or confirm user account

Connect to Wi-Fi (if not already set)

Update system packages (recommended)

Restart if prompted

Once complete, you’ll see the Raspberry Pi desktop.

Verify System Information

Open a Terminal and run the following commands to check your setup:

Check OS Version

cat /etc/os-release

Check Raspberry Pi Model

cat /proc/device-tree/model

Check CPU Temperature

vcgencmd measure_temp

Update the System

Keeping the system updated ensures stability and security.

sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade -y
sudo reboot

Basic Hardware Testing

Display Test

Confirm the screen resolution is correct

Open a browser to verify smooth graphics

Keyboard & Mouse

Type in Terminal

Test right/left clicks and scrolling

Network Test

ping -c 4 google.com

If you receive replies, internet is working.

Audio Test

speaker-test -t wav

GPIO Test (Optional but Recommended)

Test GPIO pins using Python:

sudo apt install python3-gpiozero -y
from gpiozero import LED
from time import sleep
led = LED(17)
while True:
led.on()
sleep(1)
led.off()
sleep(1)

Connect an LED to GPIO 17 to confirm GPIO functionality.

Enable Useful Interfaces

Open Raspberry Pi Configuration:

sudo raspi-config

Enable as needed:

SSH

I2C

SPI

Camera

Serial

Reboot after making changes.

Final Check & Ready to Go

At this point, your Raspberry Pi 5 should:

✔ Boot correctly

✔ Display the desktop

✔ Connect to the internet

✔ Accept keyboard & mouse input

✔ Run terminal commands smoothly

You’re now ready to start building projects, learning Linux, or developing applications.