Ordering the hardware (HW) is the exciting part of any project. You have wonderful dreams of all that you might accomplish once this amazing piece of technology is delivered. Unfortunately, the frustration of the first few attempts at accessing the capabilities of the unit can leave many developers, especially those with little experience with this type of dedicated system, so discouraged that the board can end up on the shelf, gathering dust next to the pet rock and cassette tape recorder.
There is rarely anything as exciting as ordering the latest new technology and anticipating its arrival. You daydream of the projects you'll build, the amazing things you can do, the accolades you'll receive from family, friends, and colleagues. However, reality rarely fulfills your fantasies. This project will hopefully help you avoid the pitfalls that normally accompany unboxing and configuring your BeagleBone Black. You'll step through the process, answer all kinds of clarifying questions, and help you understand what is going on. If you don't get through this project, then you'll not be successful at any of the others, so buckle up and get ready for an exciting ride.
The most challenging aspect of accomplishing this for me as your guide is trying to decide to what level I should describe each step. Some of you are beginners, some have limited experience, others will know significantly more than I in some of these areas. I'll try to keep it brief, but also try to be thorough, so that at least you'll know what steps to take in order to be successful. I'll also try to point out some of the different ways you can get help if you are encountering problems. So for this project, here are your objectives.
Your objectives are as follows:
Tip
Downloading the example code and colored images
You can download the example code and colored images for this book you have purchased from your account at http://www.packtpub.com. If you purchased this book elsewhere, you can visit http://www.packtpub.com/support and register to have the files e-mailed directly to you.
Here are the items you'll need for this project:
- A BeagleBoard Black
- The USB cable provided with the board
- A display with the proper video input
- A keyboard, mouse, and powered USB hub
- A micro SD card of at least 4 GB
- A micro SD card reader/writer that fits your computer
- Another computer that is connected to the Internet
- An Internet connection for the board