Installing Raspberry Pi OS on Raspberry pi zero w without ever attaching Monitor

There are several operating systems available for Raspberry Pi Zero W. But, this blog was created especially to demonstrate, how we can flash Raspberry Pi OS. Let’s look at how we can install Raspberry Pi OS on a Raspberry Pi Zero W without having an HDMI cable.

Setting up a headless Raspberry Pi without ever attaching a monitor can be useful in several situations, such as:

• Remote access: If you want to remotely access your Raspberry Pi from another computer without needing a physical monitor, keyboard, and mouse, then setting up a headless Raspberry Pi is the way to go. This is useful when your Raspberry Pi is in a different location or when you want to access it from your laptop or smartphone.
• Limited space: If you have limited desk space or you don't want to clutter your workspace with extra cables and devices, setting up a headless Raspberry Pi is a great solution. You can tuck away your Raspberry Pi in a small corner and still have full access to it remotely.
• Power consumption: If you want to reduce power consumption, you can set up a headless Raspberry Pi and access it remotely when needed. This can save you money on your electricity bill and reduce your carbon footprint.
• Cost: If you don't want to spend money on a monitor, keyboard, and mouse for your Raspberry Pi, then setting up a headless Raspberry Pi is a great way to save money.

Overall, setting up a headless Raspberry Pi without ever attaching a monitor can provide a convenient, space-saving, and cost-effective way to access and use your Raspberry Pi remotely.

 

Setup Raspberry Pi OS without ever attaching the Monitor

1. Download Raspberry Pi OS. You will have to download a 32-bit Raspberry Pi OS with a desktop.

 

2. You will have to flash the Raspberry Pi OS image. To flash the image to a MicroSD card, we will use Raspberry Pi Imager.

3. Now, we will have to install the Raspberry Pi imager application.

4. Now, we will have to choose OS.

Choose the operating system you want to flash onto the microSD card from the list of available options. You can choose from a variety of operating systems, including Raspberry Pi OS, Ubuntu, and others. Since I already have downloaded the image of Raspberry Pi, so, select a Raspberry Pi custom image from storage.

Select the custom image locally.

Open the "raspberry pi os" image.

5. Now, Insert the SD card into your computer and, select the MicroSD card for the target.

6. Before flashing the image onto the SD card, we will have to configure some basic system changes. Click on Advanced options.

From here, we will have to change the hostname, Enable SSH, set a username and password for Raspberry Pi, and also we will have to configure a wireless LAN and also and Set the Local Settings.

 Once they are changed, save them.

7. Click on "write", to flash it onto the SD card.

Wait for the flashing process to complete. This can take several minutes, depending on the size of the operating system image and the speed of your computer's SD card reader. Once the flashing process is complete, remove the microSD card from your computer's SD card reader.

8. Now we will have to add the "wpa_supplicant.conf" and "ssh" files.

The wpa_supplicant.conf file is used to store the Wi-Fi network credentials for your Raspberry Pi. It contains the network name (SSID) and the Wi-Fi password. This file is necessary for your Raspberry Pi to connect to your Wi-Fi network. When you boot up your Raspberry Pi for the first time, the wpa_supplicant.conf file needs to be present on the boot partition of the microSD card to connect to the Wi-Fi network.

Firstly, create a file called "wpa_supplicant.conf” in the root directory of the MicroSD card. Add the following lines of code to the file, replacing the SSID and PASSWORD with your Wi-Fi network name and password.

Next, we will have to add the "ssh" file to the root directory.

The ssh file is used to enable the SSH server on your Raspberry Pi. SSH is a secure way to remotely access your Raspberry Pi and execute commands on it. By default, SSH is disabled on Raspberry Pi OS, and you need to enable it manually.

To do so, you need to create an empty file called ssh in the boot partition of the microSD card.

When you boot up your Raspberry Pi for the first time with the ssh file in the boot partition, the SSH server will be enabled, and you will be able to access your Raspberry Pi remotely over SSH.

9. Now, we will have to insert the SD card into the Raspberry Pi Zero W and power it up.

Insert the SD card into the Raspberry Pi Zero W and connect it to a power source, such as a USB port on your computer.

 

10. Now, we will have to find the IP address of the Raspberry Pi Zero W.

Use a tool like Advanced IP Scanner to scan your local network for the IP address of the Raspberry Pi Zero W.

Look for a device named "Raspberry Pi".

 

11. Now, we will have to connect to the Raspberry Pi Zero W using SSH.

To connect to the IP address of the Raspberry Pi Zero W using SSH, we will use a Windows command shell. To run SSH, use the following command:

Once you are connected to the Raspberry Pi Zero W using SSH, you can configure it further and install additional software using the command line.

 

Access Raspberry Pi graphically

If you want to access Raspberry Pi graphically, we will have to enable the VNC session.

1. Firstly, update the repository using the following command:

2. Now, enter the following command to start the "raspi-config" tool.

 

The "raspi-config" is a command-line tool that is included with Raspberry Pi OS and provides a simple way to configure various system settings on your Raspberry Pi.

 

Use the arrow keys to navigate to "Interfacing Options" and press Enter.

Navigate to "VNC" and press Enter.

Now, Choose "Yes" to enable VNC.

Choose "OK" to confirm the changes.

Now, Use the arrow keys to navigate to "Finish" and press Enter.

Use the arrow keys to navigate to “yes” to reboot your Raspberry Pi for the changes, to take effect.

3. Once your Raspberry Pi has rebooted, you can connect to it remotely using a VNC client on another computer on the same network.

For this purpose, we will use the "VNC viewer"client tool. Launch VNC viewer.

4. Now, you will need to enter the IP address of the Raspberry Pi. Click on “Continue” to confirm the Identity check, and provide VNC server credentials.

5. Once you provide the credentials, you will successfully access Raspberry Pi graphically.

6. If you want to increase the resolution, we will use the raspi-config command.

Use the arrow keys to navigate to "Display Options" and press Enter.

Now, Navigate to "VNC Resolution" and press Enter.

Select an appropriate resolution and click "OK" to confirm the changes. Use the arrow keys to navigate to "Finish" and press Enter.

Use the arrow keys to navigate to “yes” to reboot your Raspberry Pi for the changes, to take effect.

Once again connect to Raspberry Pi from the VNC viewer.

7. For a better view, click "settings", set the picture quality to high, and scale it to fit the Window.

There are the overall things that you want to know while you are setting up Raspberry Pi Without Ever Attaching a Monitor. You can learn more when you set it up by yourself.