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Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W: Setup and Usage Guide

1. Overview and Prerequisites

You will be working with a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W that has been preconfigured to: - Automatically join the RedRover Wi-Fi network. - Present a serial console over the USB micro port so you can connect via a serial terminal (using VS Code or PuTTY).

Default Login Credentials

  • Username: CPSPi
  • Password: CPS

Software Setup

  • The Pi has Pyenv installed, with a Python virtual environment called cps.
  • You will use VS Code for:
  • Serial communication (via the "Serial Terminal" plugin).
  • SSH connections (via the integrated terminal or an SSH plugin).

  • File transfers using scp (Secure Copy Protocol).

  • Optional: Instructions for using PuTTY (external serial terminal tool) are included but not recommended.

2. Setting Up a Serial Connection

  1. Install the Serial Terminal plugin:
  2. Open VS Code.
  3. Go to Extensions (square icon in the left toolbar).

  4. Search for "Serial Terminal" and install it.

  5. Connect your Pi to your computer:

  6. Use a USB data cable (micro USB to USB-A or USB-C).

  7. Plug it into the USB data port on the Pi Zero (not the power-only port).

  8. Open the Serial Terminal in VS Code:

  9. Open the Serial Terminal plugin.

  10. Select the appropriate port:

    • On Windows, it may be COM3, COM4, etc.
    • On macOS/Linux, it may be /dev/tty.usbmodemXXXX or /dev/ttyUSB0.

  11. Set the baud rate: 

    Baud Rate: 115200

  12. Login to the Pi:

  13. When prompted, enter: 
    Username: CPSPi
Password: CPS

2.2 Using PuTTY (Optional)

  1. Install PuTTY (if not already installed):
  2. Windows: https://www.putty.org/

  3. Mac/Linux: Install via a package manager: 

    brew install putty   # macOS
sudo apt-get install putty  # Linux

  4. Identify the serial port:

  5. Windows: Look in Device Manager (COMx).

  6. Mac/Linux: Run: 

    ls /dev/tty.*

  7. Open PuTTY and configure the connection:

  8. Connection type: Serial.
  9. Serial line: COM3 (Windows) or /dev/ttyUSB0 (macOS/Linux).
  10. Speed: 115200.

  11. Click Open.

  12. Login to the Pi:

  13. Enter: 
    Username: CPSPi
Password: CPS

3. Activating the Python Virtual Environment

Once logged in via serial, you should see a prompt like:

CPSPi@raspberrypi:~ $

Activate the Python virtual environment:

pyenv activate cps

Your prompt should now display (cps): 

(cps) CPSPi@raspberrypi:~ $

4. Connecting via SSH

1. Get the Pi’s IP Address

Run the following command in the serial terminal: 

ifconfig
Look for the wlan0 entry and find the inet IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.42).

2. Open a terminal on your computer (VS Code integrated terminal or system terminal)

Run: 

ssh CPSPi@<ip_address>
Example: 
ssh CPSPi@192.168.1.42
Enter the password: CPS when prompted.

3. Activate the Python Virtual Environment

pyenv activate cps

5. Transferring Files Using scp

  1. Ensure the file is in a known directory on your computer.

  2. Use scp to copy the file to the Pi: 

    scp <path_to_local_file> CPSPi@<ip_address>:<destination_path_on_pi>
    Example: 
    scp lab1.py CPSPi@192.168.1.42:~
    (Enter the CPS password when prompted.)

  3. Check the file on the Pi: 

    ls

  4. Organize your labs: 

    mkdir lab1
mv lab1.py lab1/
cd lab1

6. Installing Python Packages with pip

Inside the cps virtual environment, install packages as needed:

pip install <package_name>

Example: 

pip install numpy

To verify installation: 

pip list

7. Linux Command Cheat Sheet

Command Description Example
ls List files and directories. ls
mkdir Create a directory. mkdir myFolder
cd Change directory. cd myFolder
pwd Show current directory. pwd
rm Remove a file. rm file.txt
rm -r Remove a directory and its contents. rm -r myFolder
cp Copy a file or directory. cp file1.txt file2.txt
mv Move or rename a file. mv oldName.txt newName.txt
ifconfig Display network interface info (IP address, etc.). ifconfig
sudo Execute a command with admin privileges. sudo apt-get update
ping Check network connectivity. ping www.google.com
apt-get Install/remove software packages (system-wide). sudo apt-get install python3

Warning: Use sudo rm -r with caution. It can delete important files!

8. Next Steps

Practice:

  • Create folders for each lab and organize files.
  • Transfer files using scp.
  • Install packages in your cps environment.
  • Explore system commands (ifconfig, sudo, ping, etc.).

Keep your system updated:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

That’s It!

You now have a reliable workflow for: - Serial connection via VS Code (or PuTTY). - SSH login and file transfers (scp). - Python virtual environment management. - Installing packages with pip. - Basic Linux commands.