Raspberry Pi ideas

Pi4B Pi3B Pi3b+ and PiZeroWs on table

A Raspberry Pi is one of the things that you should consider getting if you are a computer programmer.

Just bought a Raspberry Pi but not sure what to do with it? If that is the case, you had come to the right place. On this page, you will find plenty of ideas on how to use your Raspberry Pi.

By following the ideas here, you will understand your Raspberry Pi and the Linux operating system better. In addition, you will be able to setup your Raspberry Pi to serve some interesting use cases at home.

For example, you will find instructions on how to setup a CCTV for surveillance, Web IDE to help you code everywhere you go, project management platform for tracking your project statuses and etc.

How to change password of the current user in Raspbian Stretch using raspi-config

Especially when you enable SSH server on Raspbian Stretch, you should change the default password of the pi user.

When you want to change the default password of the current user in Raspbian Stretch, you can do it via raspi-config.

In case you need it, this post shows how to change password of the current user in Raspbian Stretch using raspi-config.

How to expand Raspbian Stretch file system via raspi-config

When you need more space for your existing Raspbian Stretch image, you need to rewrite it onto a larger microSD card. In order to use the additional storage space, you need to tell Raspbian Stretch to expand its file system.

In this situation, follow this post to expand Raspbian Stretch file system via raspi-config.

Different ways to enable SSH server on Raspbian Stretch

When you have an SSH server running on your operating system, you will be able configure it remotely. Since the SSH server is such a convenient tool, Raspbian Stretch comes with an SSH server.

When you are looking for a way to configure your Raspberry Pi without attaching a keyboard to it, enabling SSH server on Raspbian Stretch is a viable way.

Given that, this post discusses some ways for us to enable SSH server on Raspbian Stretch.

How to setup Raspbian Stretch on Raspberry Pi 3 for developing Python 3 applications

Previously, I had shared:

Although Raspbian Stretch Lite is ideal for running Python 3 applications on Raspberry Pis, it is not so handy for developing Python 3 applications.

For example, if you are building a Python application that interfaces with the GPIO ports and CSI camera of your Raspberry Pi 3, it is hard to test it out on Raspbian Stretch Lite.

Since Raspbian Stretch includes a desktop environment, it is more convenient for developing Python 3 applications for Raspberry Pi. With this purpose in mind, this is how to setup Raspbian Stretch on Raspberry Pi 3 for developing Python 3 applications.

How to make your Raspberry Pi fill up your entire monitor screen by disabling overscan in Raspbian Stretch

After you had booted up Raspbian Stretch for the first time, you may notice that your Raspberry Pi does not fill up your entire monitor screen:

Raspbian Stretch 20181113 not filling entire computer screen

In such a situation, the overscan function in Raspbian could be what you should disable. Given that, this post shows how to make your Raspberry Pi fill up your entire monitor screen by disabling overscan in Raspbian Stretch.

How to host a static website on your Raspberry Pi 3 with Raspbian Stretch Lite and Nginx

When you want to host a static website as your personal portfolio, you can consider using a Raspberry Pi 3. In addition to having a small form factor, a Raspberry Pi 3 is a single board computer that does not take up too much energy to run 24-7.

In order to host a static website on Raspberry Pi 3, you will need an operating system and a web server. Given these points, this is how to host a static website on your Raspberry Pi 3 with Raspbian Stretch Lite as the operating system and Nginx as the web server.

How to get your Raspberry Pi 3 to use Namecheap dynamic DNS to update your domain when your home’s public IP address changes

When you do not leave your modem and router on 24-7, chances are that your public IP address will change. As I had noted in how to host multiple website at home, a public IP address is needed for HTTP clients to reach your HTTP servers at home.

On the other hand, a domain name allows us to map some meaningful English characters to that public IP address. Therefore, it is easier to access our servers with a domain name rather than an IP address.

Although you can get a free subdomain from a dynamic DNS provider, getting your own domain name from a domain registrar like Namecheap can be better. On one hand, you get your own online branding for establishing yourself or your business on the Internet. On the other hand, you are resilient to having your domain shutdown by the dynamic DNS provider for any reasons that is beyond your control.

Previously, I shared why Namecheap is the best domain name registrar for hosting your web server at home. One of the reasons is that Namecheap provides dynamic DNS for us to update the host records of our domain whenever our public IP address changes. Since Raspberry Pi 3 is an affordable, small and energy efficient single board computer, you can get it to use Namecheap Dynamic DNS service to update your domain when your home’s public IP address changes.

In case you need it, this post shows how to get your Raspberry Pi 3 to use Namecheap dynamic DNS to update your domain when your home’s public IP address changes.

How I use my Raspberry Pis to help me work on with my side projects

Undeniably, Raspberry Pi has revolutionised the way we use computing technology in our lives. In addition to being energy efficient, a Raspberry Pi is a single board computer that does not take up too much space.

Given these points, a Raspberry Pi is an ideal programmer gift and one of the things that you should buy if you are a computer programmer.

On the other hand, pursuing side projects help me explore technologies that I may not be able to explore at work. For example, through Techcoil, I got to know more about:

In case you are wondering how to use Raspberry Pis to help you work on your side projects, read on to find out more.