Raspberry Pi Guide Arrives

As we've reported, the tiny $25/$35 Linux computer dubbed Raspberry Pi has continued to attract developers and tinkerers, has its very own app store, and is showing up in multiple types of usage scenarios. Earlier this month, we reported that the Raspberry Pi Education Manual is available. A group of teachers produced it, taking note of the fact that the Raspberry Pi could have a bright future in the educational system. Now, there is an official guide to the Raspberry Pi: Getting Started with Raspberry Pi, from O'Reilly and the folks behind Make.

According to the book description, you can get instruction on the following in the guide:

• 1) Get acquainted with hardware features on the Pi’s board
• 2) Learn enough Linux to move around the operating system
• 3) Pick up the basics of Python and Scratch—and start programming
• 4) Draw graphics, play sounds, and handle mouse events with the Pygame framework
• 5) Use the Pi’s input and output pins to do some hardware hacking
• 6) Discover how Arduino and the Raspberry Pi complement each other
• 7) Integrate USB webcams and other peripherals into your projects
• 8) Create your own Pi-based web server with Python

Using the Pi and Python to build a server sounds interesting. The Raspberry Pi has become a very interesting story in a short amount of time. In fact, a million units have now sold--evidence that these devices are making money. The folks at Make usually produce good instructional material, so you may want to pick up a copy of the book if you're tinkering with the Pi.