Raspberry Pi Zero W Setup

Over the weekend I purchased a Raspberry Pi Zero W from Pimoroni. The Zero W is a very small computer that has wi-fi and I hope to use it to run some automated scripts.  I already have a Raspberry Pi 2 and a Raspberry Pi 3 but wanted a Zero W as its smaller and can be tucked away.

The tech specs of the Pi Zero W are:

• 1GHz, single-core CPU
• 512MB RAM
• Mini HDMI and USB On-The-Go ports
• Micro USB power
• HAT-compatible 40-pin header
• Composite video and reset headers
• CSI camera connector

• 802.11 b/g/n wireless LAN
• Bluetooth 4.1
• Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)

I downloaded the latest Raspbian lite operating system image as I’m not looking to use the desktop GUI and I like having to use the terminal (keeps me on my toes).

To get the Pi Zero W to auto connect to wi-fi and allow an ssh connection 2 files must be placed on the microSD card’s “boot” section. The first file handles the wi-fi connection, must be called “wpa_supplicant.conf” and has to contain the following information:

ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev

update_config=1

country=UK

network={

                  ssid=”Your network name/SSID”

                  psk=”Your WPA/WPA2 security key”

                  key_mgmt=WPA-PSK

}

When creating this file I used nano via Ubuntu, do not use a word processor (e.g. MS Word).

The 2nd file that is needed is a blank text file called ssh (no dot or file extension).

With these files on the boot sector of the microSD card, pop the card into the Pi Zero W and power it up. Hopefully it will connect to your wi-fi and SSH can be used to log into the Pi Zero W.