RPi for NOOBS!

[Paul Barker]

My SH RPi just arrived.

Total Noob, as defined by the inventors.

So thought first things first. Follow RPi advice and am downloading a programme called NOOBS having already downloaded a program which within Windows 7 format's the SD card to the satisfaction of the RPi folk. They don't like the Windows formatting tool. Who am I to argue.

So I formatted the 8gig card which was bundled with my SH Pi.

By the way the free case I got with my Pi, which contained neat heatsink's no complaints even if they aren't required, is great. I can leave it on the shelf under tv (which will be the visual interface) and not worry about other people breaking it. I would say the package is top banna.

I bought a pair of Powerline adapters to get LAN Ethernet connection for Pi and am presently testing those on the laptop. If you end up seeing this post you will know that worked a treat.

I did order a self powered usb hub, I ordered a keyboard. Neither yet come. No keyboard no start to do anything.

But I have a wireless usb keyboard (well my son pinched that but I can borrow it back when he gets back from Boxing). Just by some miracle, when I have put a NOOBS loaded SD card into the Pi it may recognaise the wireless keyboard. If not I am stranded high and dry until I manage to scrounge a usb plug in keyboard. No keyboard no progress.

Presently Noobs zip file is downloading to the Windows 7 machine.

I figure baby steps, lets just get a simple operating system loaded on and surf the net with it. Then go for loading volumio and trying to get DAC's working.

That is why I put this new thread up. For other complete idiots like me.

[Paul Barker]

Great, that means the Powerline Adapters (Many thanks Ed) are working, and all I did was took them out of the box and plugged them in. GREAT!

[Paul Barker]

Just a quick one. My internet is at least twice as fast using the Powerline Adapters than using Wifi. That's a great benefit already.

So the Pi being on the LAN is going to be pretty quick.

[Paul Barker]

OK the usb wireless keyboard has been borrowed back, the Ethernet cable is plugged in, the sd card with Noobs in the root directory is inserted.

The hdmi cable is at the ready.

But Diana is watching Waterloo Road, so no monitor.

[Andrew]

Go for it Paul....good luck

[Paul Barker]

Now just waiting for NOOBS to initialise. Seems to be taking a while.

[Paul Barker]

Still doing it, and the wireless mouse doesn't move the cursor. Perhaps until Noobs is initialised nothing happens.

Has been a long while now, possibility it is hanging.Just have to leave it on and hope for the best I suppose.

Think I'll go and look for some resistors I need for the 6b4g amp instead, and leave this thinking to itself.

[Paul Barker]

The sad news is that Noobs is not perfect.

It doesn't see my wireless keyboard and it doesn't find comfort in my LAN.

No keyboard no progress, not enough understanding of the LAN issue to comprehend the answers on the forum.

So for the moment project is not off the ground.

first impressions, Noobs is not for newbies.

By the way the initializing message is misnamed.

See here:-

"It would, of course, be nice if instead of saying (generic and useless message) "Initializing", it would say "Waiting for DHCP address to be assigned..." and, ideally, would have a "^C to abort" (or esc or whatever) functionality.

As we know, there's a lot that can go wrong with networks..."

I feel at this moment audio a very long way off.

But if you are a glass half full person. It displays!

[Paul Barker]

Since Noobs doesn't connect to my LAN and doesn't work on my wireless keyboard and I have no usb keyboard except the wireless one, I have reformatted the sd card and amp copying the Volumio image onto it instead. Let's see whether Volumio talks to these things essential to function.

[Ray P]

Paul, you need to start off with a really basic configuration so complex niceties like wireless keyboards aren't the way to start. Get yourself a basic USB keyboard; no need for a mouse at this point either.

The fact that your RPi isn't connecting to your wired network doesn't sound right. Assuming your utilising the Powerline adaptors, where do you have them installed? One will need to be connecting your router to the cabled network and one will be where you're going to plug the device in. I assume your router uses DHCP (automatically assigns IP addresses)?

Noobs is a collection of operating systems; have you decided which one you would install? I would go for Raspian, which you can put onto the SD card without going through Noobs.

How's it going with Volumio? As its essentially a bundled OS/audio player you should be able to boot up without the need for the keyboard as I recall and once running and on the network you can change the config via the web interface.

If you get stuck PM me and I'll pass you my phone number.

Ray

[Ray P]

Ah, hang on a minute he says trawling the byways of his brain...

I'm pretty sure that when you boot with Noobs it won't be connecting to the network because you haven't actually set up an OS at that time. You have to choose one of the OSs offered and it then configures the SD card with that OS and removes the others. With an OS it should connect - at least I think that's the way I remember it. Of course, you'll need that simple keyboard to be able to choose which OS to install.

Ray

[Ray P]

Paul, might be worth unplugging that USB wireless dongle at initial install to.

Ray

[Greg]

Apart from the fact that computer audio has absolutely no attraction to me, these kind of issues are for me, very good reason for me to happily stick with my vinyl and quality CDP. For several years I've read so many computer audio threads where the user has set up and running problems. Personally, having listened to working systems, I've not identified anything indicating better sound. So, as much as you all want to achieve the computer audio convenience, thereafter, what is the point?

[Paul Barker]

I put volumio on the sd card instead and it recognized the keyboard.

Only problem is I have no idea what to do next.

So all I can think to do from this position is exchange volumio for a basic thing like Raspian and miss out the Noobs step which with no amount of variations of when and whether anything or everything is plugged in, refuses to recognize either the LAN or the keyboard so is utterly crippled for me.

I am hoping that there is a basic operating system which like Volumio recognizes the keyboard and I can then at least get started.

Problem with Volumio at this juncture is I haven't a clue where to go from the command prompt.

But this is exactly why I began this thread, because I perceived significant details essential for true Noobs were not being provided elsewhere. So the actual experience of a Noob had to be reported.

Noob failure to date. Probably leave it there for tonight . Should have just found some resistors and got on with building an amp.

Still I had to try. I found out the hardware works.

[Paul Barker]

I have now erased Volumio and am downloading Raspbian alone without going via Noobs, which after all only provides a front end to decide from. A pointless tool if it hasn't enough functionality to do anything on MY system YMMV.
On the bright side I have learned how to format Sd cards in Windows and how to burn a disk image onto an sd card in Windows. I have found that my Pi automatically finds the Television, and in some software it recognises my wireless keyboard. So progress is being made.

If I can just get a debian operating system working and recognising everything and connecting to the net I shall have achieved a great deal.

Half way to that at least.

Greg I fully accept your position.