Raspberry Pi: New first-party software makes it easier to image microSD cards and install OSes on macOS, Windows and Ubuntu

The Raspberry Pi ecosystem is rich and diverse, but it can be daunting for beginners. Even imaging Raspbian can present problems, primarily because macOS and Windows access microSD cards differently. Until now, the Raspberry Pi Foundation has recommended that beginners buy a pre-loaded NOOBS SD card to eliminate any issues.

However, Foundation has released the Raspberry Pi Imager, an easier way of imaging microSD cards for your Raspberry Pi. The utility, which the Foundation has designed for beginners, is open source. You can view the source files on GitHub.

While you could use the open-source files to compile the Imager for your favourite Linux distro, the utility may be too simplistic for you if you are familiar with compiling programs. As the video below demonstrates, the Imager just contains options for choosing an OS and choosing a microSD card. The Imager will fetch the most recent version of Raspbian and other images though, which could prove handy.

Additionally, the Imager caches downloaded OSes, allowing you to image additional microSD cards without having to re-download the OS. Please keep in mind that the Imager does not contain advanced options for enabling SSH or setting Wi-Fi details before imaging. The Raspberry Pi Imager is available to download for macOS, Windows and Ubuntu via the Raspberry Pi Foundation.

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