Connect & Prepare the Pi

Check Raspberry Pi OS

Confirm only the basic operating-system settings needed before learning the terminal and configuring storage.

Guide difficulty⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Beginner Friendly

Estimated time⏱️ Around 10–20 minutes

Check the hostname

The hostname should match the server name selected in Raspberry Pi Imager.

hostname

Check the date, time and time zone

timedatectl

Confirm the time zone is correct and network time synchronisation is active. Correct time matters later for logs, scheduled jobs and security certificates.

Use Raspberry Pi configuration only when needed

sudo raspi-config

Use this menu only to correct the hostname or localisation settings. Do not change unfamiliar hardware or interface options here; SATA support is handled once in the storage chapter.

Reboot and reconnect

sudo reboot

Wait for the server to restart, then reconnect through SSH. If you can reconnect and the checks above remain correct, the operating system is ready.

SCREENSHOT PLACEHOLDER

Required screenshot: Terminal showing the hostname and timedatectl results after the clean reboot.