Raspberry Pi 5 Quick Start Guide

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Default Credentials

Username: student
Password: hackathonsuk

Access: raspberrypi.local or 192.168.137.1

1. Getting Started

Follow these steps to connect to your Raspberry Pi for the first time.

Step 1: Power Up

Connect the Raspberry Pi to power using the provided USB-C power adapter.

NOTE: Wait 30 seconds for the Pi to fully boot up before proceeding.

Step 2: Connect Ethernet

Connect an Ethernet cable between the Raspberry Pi and your laptop. Use the provided USB-to-Ethernet adapter if your laptop doesn't have an Ethernet port.

TIP: Your laptop will automatically receive an IP address (192.168.137.x) from the Pi.

Step 3: Open Terminal

Open a terminal application on your laptop:

  • Windows: PowerShell, Command Prompt, or Windows Terminal
  • macOS: Terminal (Applications → Utilities → Terminal)
  • Linux: Your preferred terminal emulator

Step 4: Connect via SSH

Type the following command and press Enter:

ssh [email protected]

If that doesn't work after a few attempts, try using the direct IP address:

ssh [email protected]

Step 5: Enter Password

When prompted, enter the password: hackathonsuk

NOTE: The password won't appear as you type - this is normal for security reasons.

Step 6: Success!

SUCCESS! Congratulations! You now have SSH access to your Raspberry Pi.

You should see a welcome message with helpful commands.

2. Connecting to WiFi

Once connected via SSH, you can set up WiFi to disconnect the Ethernet cable.

Standard WiFi Networks

For most networks (including personal hotspots), use the built-in helper:

wifi

This will:

  1. Scan for available networks
  2. Show you the command to connect
  3. Display your IP address once connected

TIP: Easiest Method - Create a mobile hotspot on your phone and connect to it!

Eduroam (University WiFi)

Eduroam requires a special configuration script. Follow these steps:

Step 1: On your laptop, go to: https://cat.eduroam.org/

Step 2: Select your institution from the list

Step 3: Click 'Choose another installer to download'

Step 4: Download the Linux installer

Step 5: Copy the file to your Pi using SCP:

scp eduroam-linux-*.py [email protected]:~

TIP: Windows users can use WinSCP (winscp.net) for a graphical interface

NOTE: The filename will vary by institution (e.g., eduroam-linux-Oxford.py)

Step 6: SSH into your Pi and run the installer with sudo:

sudo python3 eduroam-linux-*.py

Step 7: Connect to eduroam using:

sudo nmcli device wifi connect "eduroam" --ask

Step 8: Enter your university credentials when prompted

3. Remote Desktop (VNC)

Access the Raspberry Pi's graphical desktop remotely using VNC.

Step 1: Start VNC Server

While connected via SSH, run:

vnc-start

The command will display the connection addresses for VNC.

Step 2: Install VNC Client

If you don't have a VNC client installed, download one:

Step 3: Connect

In your VNC client, connect to:

192.168.137.1:5900

Or if on WiFi, use the WiFi IP address displayed by vnc-start.

Step 4: View Desktop

SUCCESS! You should now see the Raspberry Pi desktop!

Enable VNC on Startup (Optional)

To have VNC start automatically when the Pi boots:

sudo systemctl enable wayvnc

4. Helpful Commands

Your Raspberry Pi comes with several helper commands:

Command Description
wifi Setup WiFi connection and scan for networks
vnc-start Start the VNC remote desktop server
vnc-stop Stop the VNC server
status Show system status, IPs, and services
readme Display the full README with all instructions

5. Troubleshooting

[X] raspberrypi.local doesn't work

Solution: Use the direct IP address instead:

ssh [email protected]

On Windows, you may need to install Bonjour Print Services from Apple.

[X] My laptop didn't get an IP address

Solutions:

  • Wait 15-20 seconds after plugging in the cable
  • Disconnect and reconnect the Ethernet cable
  • On Windows: run ipconfig /renew
  • On Linux/Mac: run sudo dhclient -r && sudo dhclient

[X] VNC shows a black screen

Solutions:

  • Try restarting VNC: sudo systemctl restart wayvnc
  • Check VNC status: sudo systemctl status wayvnc
  • Make sure the desktop environment is running

[X] WiFi won't connect

Solutions:

  • Double-check the network name (it's case-sensitive!)
  • Verify the password is correct
  • Try using a mobile hotspot instead
  • Run wifi again to rescan networks

[X] Nothing works / Need to start fresh

Last Resort: If you have the equipment, you can reflash the Pi with our image:

Visit: hackuk.org/raspi-image

This will restore the Pi to its original hackathon configuration.

6. What's Installed

Your Raspberry Pi comes pre-configured with:

Tool Description
Python 3 Programming language with pip and venv
Git Version control system
Build Tools gcc, make, and development libraries
Network Manager Easy WiFi and network configuration
VNC Server wayvnc for remote desktop access
SSH Secure remote access (pre-enabled)

Recommended Laptop Tools

These tools will make working with your Pi easier:

Tool Purpose Download
WinSCP GUI file transfer (Windows) winscp.net
TigerVNC Remote desktop access tigervnc.org
PuTTY SSH client (Windows) putty.org
VS Code Code editor with Remote-SSH code.visualstudio.com
FileZilla Alternative file transfer (all platforms) filezilla-project.org

Quick Tips

  • The Pi's ethernet IP is always 192.168.137.1 - easy to remember!
  • Run status anytime to see all your connection details
  • Use Tab to autocomplete commands and filenames
  • Press Ctrl+C to stop a running program
  • Use sudo before commands that need admin privileges

7. Getting Help

During the Hackathon

  • Ask a Hackathons UK representative for assistance
  • Check the full README on the Pi by running: readme

Online Resources