The Raspberry Pi is the small, low-cost, single-board PC that took the world by storm when it was released in 2012. Since then, educators, students, makers, and tinkerers have used the various Raspberry Pi models for many, many unique and interesting projects. The possibilities are nearly endless.
Over the course of 2020, Opensource.com published many great articles about Raspberry Pi projects; below, I explore the top 10. I hope these articles educate, entertain, and inspire you.
How I migrated from a Mac Mini to a Raspberry Pi
A Raspberry Pi as a main desktop computer? Absolutely. Peter Garner shares how he switched from a Mac Mini to a Raspberry Pi. When Garner's Mac Mini needed to be replaced, he turned to a Raspberry Pi Model 2. This article explains the hardware and software choices Garner made to turn a humble Raspberry Pi into a functional desktop computer. His software choices range from the operating system (Arch Linux) and desktop environment (LXDE) to various applications for web browsing, messaging, email, audio, video, image processing, and more.
6 Raspberry Pi tutorials to try out
Opensource.com editor Lauren Pritchett shares 6 Raspberry Pi tutorials to try out. This roundup of Raspberry Pi projects highlights some of the many different ways the Raspberry Pi can be used. The projects include setting up a VPN server, creating an object-tracking camera, displaying your favorite photos in a slideshow, playing retro video games, building a clock, and managing a home-brewed beer operation.
Build a Kubernetes cluster with the Raspberry Pi
Chris Collins explains how to install a Kubernetes cluster on three or more Raspberry Pi 4s running Ubuntu 20.04. From configuring the host system through creating a Kubernetes cluster, the instructions Collins provides will walk you though through everything you need to create "your own 'private cloud at home' container service."
5 reasons to run Kubernetes on your Raspberry Pi homelab
Opensource.com editor Seth Kenlon shares 5 reasons to run Kubernetes on your Raspberry Pi homelab. Kenlon begins by introducing Opensource.com's Kubernetes eBook by Chris Collins. He then answers the question, "What do you need Kubernetes for, anyway?" His reasons include that you can create a network-attached storage for your home, it is a good educational and upskilling experience, and it provides benefits for working with containers, web development, and web servers.
How to manage a big hotel with a little Raspberry Pi
This tutorial by Giuseppe Cassibba explains how to manage a hotel reservation system with a Raspberry Pi. He shows how to install QloApps, a web-based software package designed for hotels, on a Raspberry Pi 3. Cassibba begins his tutorial by walking through the steps to install and configure a LAMP stack on Raspbian, and then covers the specifics of installing and setting up QloApps. Once the tutorial is complete, the Raspberry Pi will be configured to function as a hotel management system with customer and administrator web-based user interfaces.
Set up a Tor proxy with Raspberry Pi to control internet traffic
In another article, Giuseppe Cassibba explains how to control internet traffic by setting up a Tor proxy with Raspberry Pi. The article begins with a brief introduction to Tor, then asks a few questions to determine if you need a Tor proxy or can use the Tor browser. The rest of the article provides detailed instructions on how to configure a Raspberry Pi Zero W as a Tor proxy and how to configure a web browser to connect to that proxy.
How to set up the Raspberry Pi Zero for travel
Peter Garner provides tips on how to set up a Raspberry Pi for remote work. Taking a work laptop on a business trip means dealing with company and airport security policies, which can be a pain. As an alternative, Garner configured a super-small, ultra-portable Raspberry Pi Zero to function as a computer to take on trips. This article explains how he configured his Pi Zero to suit his needs. Garner gives in-depth explanations for his hardware and software choices to create a computer that meets his needs. This article should inspire anyone seeking to create a similar device.
How many Raspberry Pis do you own?
This Opensource.com poll asked readers to count their Raspberry Pi collection. This simple question could have resulted in readers providing nothing more than the number of Raspberry Pis they own, but many commenters provided interesting anecdotes about what they are doing with their Pis. The article is not extremely deep, but it was the catalyst for a very interesting selection of comments.
Run Kubernetes on a Raspberry Pi with k3s
Lee Carpenter demonstrates how to run a Kubernetes on a Raspberry Pi. This tutorial explains how to use k3s, a lightweight Kubernetes for use in resource-constrained environments, on three Raspberry Pis. The instructions explain how to set up a master node with two worker nodes and to connect to this cluster from a PC.
Customize your Raspberry Pi operating system for everyday use
Patrick H. Mullins shows how you can customize Raspberry Pi OS for your needs. Instead of using the full Raspberry Pi OS, Mullins recommends using Rasberry Pi OS Lite and modifying it for your preferences. This article shows how to add software to Raspberry Pi OS Lite to turn it into a custom desktop operating system. Instructions are provided for installing X Windows, the XFCE desktop environment, a small selection of essential applications, and some "optional goodies."
What do you want to learn about Raspberry Pi in 2021? Please share your ideas in the comments, and if you have knowledge to share, please consider writing about it for Opensource.com.
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