style="font-size:15px;"> 
You will also find two sets of sidebars in the book. Challenge sidebars ask you how you might expand on the projects in the book to make changes or add new features. Digging into the Code sidebars explain some of the special syntax or programming language, to give you a better understanding of the computer languages.
When following steps or instructions using code, especially in adventures using Python, you should type in the code as set out by the instructions. Sometimes you need to type a very long line of code, longer than will fit on a single line in this book. If you see a ↩ symbol at the end of a line of code, it means that line and the following line are part of a single code line, so you should type them as one line, not on separate lines. For example the following code should be typed on one line, not two:
print("Welcome to Adventures in Raspberry Pi by ↩
Carrie Anne Philbin")
Most chapters include a Quick Reference Table at the end to sum up the main commands or concepts from the chapter. You can refer to these guides when you need a refresher on the commands.
Whenever you complete a chapter, you unlock an achievement and collect a new badge. You can collect badges to represent these achievements from the Adventures in Raspberry Pi companion website (www.wiley.com/go/adventuresinrp2E).
In the Appendix you will find ways to take your Raspberry Pi knowledge further, with references to websites, organisations, videos and other resources. Many of those resources include forums where you can ask questions or get in touch with other Raspberry Pi users.
You can also contact me by sending me a message through my website, www.geekgurldiaries.co.uk.
Time to start your adventures!
Adventure 1
You Have a Raspberry Pi- Now What?
IN THE PAGES of this book you’ll discover how to do great things with your Raspberry Pi. You’ll create art and music, programs, games, even create your own jukebox! But first, you need to get your system working.
If you are new to Raspberry Pi, the initial tasks of getting it set up and running might seem a little daunting but it is not that complicated to do. By setting up the Raspberry Pi yourself you will learn more about how it and other computers work. You will encounter technical jargon and procedures that you may not have come across before. In this chapter, I show you how to set up your Raspberry Pi so it is ready for you to use for the first time. I explain what hardware and software you need, and tell you how to put it all together into a working system. You’ll also learn how to create a backup copy of your system in case you need to replace it at some stage in the future.
Software is the term given to the programs that run on the computer system. Programs are what make the hardware work, for example by making a calculation or organising your files. There are two main types of software: systems software, which runs and manages your computer; and application software, which performs a specific task or function.
Of course, the first thing you need is a Raspberry Pi. If you have used games consoles or computing devices before, you’ll notice something different about Raspberry Pi – it doesn’t come with a power supply, a charger or any connecting cables. It doesn’t have a storage device to keep your programs on either, or even a case!
So, to get started, you will first need to get the following hardware together (see Figure 1-1):
● A Raspberry Pi
● A micro USB power adapter
● A USB keyboard and mouse
● A desktop computer or laptop with an SD card reader/writer – this is to enable you to prepare an SD card with the software you need to run your Raspberry Pi
● An 8 GB SD card for use with the Model B or an 8GB micro SD card for the B+
● An HDMI cable – you will be using this with an HDMI TV or monitor
● A monitor or TV
USB stands for Universal Serial Bus. You have probably used a USB port on a computer to plug in a webcam or a portable memory device like a memory stick.
An SD card, or Secure Digital memory card, stores data or information. SD cards are most often used in digital cameras to store images that can then be transferred to a computer using an SD card reader. A micro SD card is much smaller in physical size, and the Model B+ uses them instead of a standard SD card.
FIGURE 1-1 The essential hardware you’ll need before you can use your Raspberry Pi Model B or Model B+.
The following additional accessories are not vital but you might want to consider acquiring some of them to improve your Raspberry Pi experience.
● A case– To protect your Raspberry Pi from damage and make it easier for you to carry, think about buying a case like the PiBow shown in Figure 1-2, designed and manufactured by Pimoroni (http://shop.pimoroni.com/collections/customise-your-raspberry-pi). The great thing about this case is that it’s colourful and fun, and the ports are also labelled to remind you where each cable should be inserted.
