This guide will walk you through the process using a keyboard, monitor, SD card, your home PC, and either Balena Etcher or the Raspberry Pi Imager tool. This setup does not vary much at all across Raspberry Pi Zero Models or Operating Systems ie. the core workflow remains the same.
Materials Needed:
Raspberry Pi Zero W / Zero 2W Micro-USB 5.0v DC Power Supply Micro-SD Card (at least 8GB recommended) Personal Computer or Laptop (Mac/PC/etc.) w/ Internet Access Micro-SD Card Reader for Personal Computer Micro-USB Male to USB-2.0 Female (Connect Keyboard) Mini-HDMI Male to HDMI-A Female (Connect Monitor) Steps:
1. Download Raspberry Pi OS Lite
Visit the and download the Raspberry Pi OS Lite image. This version is a minimal installation without a desktop environment, ideal for headless setups and IoT applications common for the Pi Zero boards. 2. Prepare the MicroSD Card
Insert the microSD card into your PC using a card reader. Download and install either or the .
Click "Flash from file" and select the downloaded Raspberry Pi OS Lite image. Select the microSD card as the target. Click "Flash" to write the image to the card.
Using Raspberry Pi Imager: Open Raspberry Pi Imager. Click "Choose OS" and select "Raspberry Pi OS (other)" > "Raspberry Pi OS Lite (32-bit)". Click "Choose Storage" and select your microSD card. Click "Write" to flash the OS onto the card. Wait to complete and validate (might take a while) 3. Initial Setup with Keyboard and Monitor
Insert the microSD card into the Raspberry Pi Zero. Connect the Raspberry Pi to a monitor using a mini HDMI cable and to a keyboard via a micro USB OTG adapter. Power the Raspberry Pi using a micro USB power supply. 4.. Login and Connect to WiFi
The default username is `pi` and the password is `raspberry`. run sudo raspi-config and follow the prompt set up wifi provide your SSID and WPA Key on the page when asked 5. Final Config Change & Go!
It is recommended to use sudo raspi-config to change the default password You can also to configure additional settings concerning network interfaces, timezones, hostnames, bluetooth communication, and much more.
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