The Lone Raspberry Project

The Lone Raspberry Project
The Lone Raspberry Project is aimed at supporting those that either can’t get an internet connection due to geographical location or because some authority (possibly perental) chooses not to give them internet access.

Typically these would be children but could well include some adults like military personnel where internet access is limited (At Sea).

They may well have access to a PC and even a router with wireless connection between the router and the PC.

Part of the stated aim is to allow the creation of a RaspberryPi that will operate as stand alone with nothing more than the following

Minimum hardware.

 * 1) A television with composite support if it has HDMI that’s a bonus but the assumption is a television that has no more than a SCART connection.
 * 2) A Raspberry Pi and here we look at covering all available from the Mk1 “B” with 256 the Mk2 “B” with 512 and removed polyfuses and the forthcoming “A”.
 * 3) A composite connection we will have a section on setting this up, right down to making up a SCART lead if necessary.
 * 4) A SD Card 4 gigabyte Class 4 we will include discussions on working with 1 and 2 gigabyte but the minimum should be a 4gc4.  Pre loaded with the most recent Wheezy image.
 * 5) A USB pen drive capacity provisionally 16 gigabyte (we may revise this up later).  That will contain all required software.
 * 6) One or more CD’s preloaded with all of the software required to configure and load the SD card and the USB Pen drive.
 * 7) A power supply for the Raspberry we shall assume this will be a suitable Phone Charger preferably one that is a plug top with a separate USB “A” to Micro USB “A” connection cable as this gives options for powering the RPi from a computer USP port or a USB Hub.
 * 8) A 10BaseT Ethernet Cat5 RJ45 connection cable.
 * 9) A wired value brand USB 1.1 keyboard.
 * 10) A wired value brand USB 1.1 mouse optical preferred but we shall issues arising out of using a ball type.
 * 11) An instruction book in hard copy,  PDF, and Raw text format (we could also consider word and e-pub.
 * 12) would consider also a CD copy of all back editions of “The MagPi” a trawl should establish that this CD edition has all software referenced within the mag also on the CD.

The following extras should be considered desirable but not essential.
Here we express the desired minimum standard.


 * 1) A computer PC running Windows XP (probably service pack 3 the minimal necessary will be established during the course of the project).  The PC should have a USB port and an RJ45 Ethernet port (note these need not be integral they could be PCMCIA).  With a CD-Rom capability (DVD better but no more than CD required), and again not required to be integral.  This should have it's own Mouse/Keyboard access obviously integral on a Laptop/Notebook.
 * 2) A separate SD media writer the probable best solution would be a Poundland one.
 * 3) A USB Powered hub (that would definitely be in the desirable but not essential class) This would move to essential if the Raspberry is an “A”
 * 4) A Router or Ethernet switch preferably with at least 4 physical RJ45 ports.  Note if this option is a router it will be used as an Ethernet switch the concept is to use it without internet access.
 * 5) In the desirable class. A couple as in two, wireless Ethernet nano dongles of the type commonly referred to as “Mini USB 2.0 Wireless 11N Network Ethernet Dongle”  (You may ask why two that’s so you can have on in the PC and one in the Raspberry).

Note
The project is open to suggestions for additions and alterations to the list (none of this is set in stone).

Please imagine the user is a child of or an adult of Noob status and is going to use the Raspberry in a bedroom that has power but no internet connection wireless or otherwise.

All text should be either completely jargon free or any jargon should be accompanied by a full non jargon explanation. We do not want to preclude the user from learning the jargon and we do not want the user in a position where they have no access to finding out what any new piece of jargon means.