Basic hardware needed

In order to get up and running with your Raspberry Pi 2 you will need the following additional hardware components:

• MicroSD card
• Micro USB power cable
• Monitor—preferably HDMI
• HDMI cable or 3.5mm to RCA AV cable
• USB keyboard
• USB mouse
• Protective case—optional
• Wi-Fi dongle or Ethernet cable

Many websites offer starter kits that include some of these components, and an existing monitor can be reused.

The eLinux website also provides a good guide to peripherals at http://elinux.org/RPi_VerifiedPeripherals.

Before we can power up and start using our Raspberry Pi, however, we need to install an operating system on a microSD card.