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Flash the SD card with the Raspberry Pi OS image

Time: 9:45 AM to 10:30 AM
In this section, you will write a complete operating system to your SD card so your robot can boot up and connect to your WiFi network.

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What you will do

1

Download Raspberry Pi Imager

Download and install the Raspberry Pi Imager on your laptop from the official Raspberry Pi website.
2

Insert the SD card

Use the SD card reader to connect the microSD card to your laptop.
3

Select the OS image

In the Imager, select the pre-configured OS image. A direct download link will be provided in the session chat.
4

Configure advanced options

Before writing, set the following in Imager’s Advanced Options:
  • Hostname
  • Username and password
  • WiFi SSID and password
  • Enable SSH
5

Write the image

Start the write process. This takes 5 to 10 minutes.
6

Boot the robot

Eject the SD card, insert it into the Raspberry Pi, reattach the WiFi dongle, and power on the robot.
Mac users: The Imager may need disk access permissions. Go to System Preferences, then Security and Privacy, and grant access if prompted.

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What is an OS image?

While the SD card writes, here is what is happening: an OS image is a complete, pre-configured system snapshot. It contains the entire operating system plus all the software your robot needs, packaged into a single file. When you write it to the SD card, you are giving the Raspberry Pi everything it needs to boot up and run.
After writing completes, the robot’s first boot takes 2 to 3 minutes. Use this time to rest before the next section.