Part 1: How to Make a Linux Server Box with Raspberry Pi
The first half of turning a bare Raspberry Pi into an always-on Linux server: hardware, OS setup and remote access.
What Part 1 covers
This is the foundation episode of the server series: choosing hardware suited to running 24/7, flashing an OS image onto an SD card, and getting through first boot without a monitor attached.
By the end of it the Pi is reachable over the network via SSH, which is the starting point everything in Part 2 builds on.
Why set the Pi up headless
A server box doesn't need a screen or keyboard permanently attached to it — once SSH access works, the Pi can sit tucked away anywhere with just power and a network cable, and be controlled entirely from another computer.
How this fits into the series
Part 1 gets the base system ready; Part 2 installs the actual services on top of it. Doing them in order avoids having to redo the network and access setup halfway through installing software.
Ready to set up your own server box?
The guide below walks through flashing the SD card and getting SSH working, and the downloads page has the tools used.