Using the CompanionPi Image
The easiest way to get Companion running on a Raspberry Pi is to use the prebuilt CompanionPi image.
Download the Image
You can download the image from the Bitfocus website.
Choosing a MicroSD Card
You're going to want a fast Micro SD card. One of the most popular ones currently on the market is the SanDisk Extreme PRO 32GB card (on Amazon, here (Amazon US)).
This isn't always going to be the best one to use, but it is a very good, adequately fast microSD card. Look for anything that is classified as UHS 1 or higher as these will have the read/write speeds you need for your Raspberry Pi to be useful instead of a slow pain in the neck.
Flashing the Image
Once you've got your fast microSD card in hand, you'll need a tool for flashing the image to the card. One of the most popular tools is Raspberry Pi Imager (Windows, Mac, and Linux). It's very easy to use, and can configure ssh while writing the image.
On first boot, it'll take a few minutes for the Admin User Interface to be available. The OS has to resize itself to the capacity of your SD card and that takes an extra reboot.
Accessing the Interface
Once you've got your Raspberry Pi up and running with the CompanionPi image, you'll need to know the IP address of your Raspberry Pi. There are a few ways to do this:
- Python script: A custom Python script written to email you the IP address every time it boots (requires internet connection at boot): on GitHub, here
- Static IP: Set a static IP address on your Pi (good option if your Raspberry Pi is going to be always connected to the same equipment): use this tutorial from The Pi Hut for 3.1.1 and older or use this tutorial for 3.1.2 and later
- LCD display: An attached LCD display to show your current IP address (a little maker-y, and pretty cool): example from PiMyLifeUp
Once you know your IP address, you can access the Companion Admin User Interface on port 8000 of that IP address (i.e. http://192.168.1.3:8000).