8 November 2026 · Soldr

Raspberry Pi headless setup: Imager, OS Lite, SSH and VNC

"Headless" means no monitor, keyboard or mouse on the Pi. You set it up from another computer over the network. It's the usual way to run a Pi as a sensor hub, a small server or a project brain. Everything below follows the official Raspberry Pi documentation (getting started and remote access), and links our reference pages for the Raspberry Pi 5, Raspberry Pi 4 Model B and Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W.

What you need

• A Raspberry Pi and a microSD card.
• The right power supply. The official docs recommend 5 V at 5 A (a 27 W USB-C supply) for the Pi 5, 5 V at 3 A (15 W USB-C) for the Pi 4, and 5 V at 2.5 A (12.5 W micro USB) for the Zero models. Those voltages are measured at the plug, so allow for some loss in the cable. Our page for the 27 W USB-C supply has its own details.
• Another computer on the same network, with Raspberry Pi Imager installed. It's available for Windows, macOS and Linux.

Step 1: write the OS with Raspberry Pi Imager

In Imager, work through the three choices:

1. Device: pick your Pi model.
2. OS: pick the operating system.
   • Raspberry Pi OS Lite is "a command-line-only version for headless setups", in the docs' words. It's the lighter choice for a Pi you'll only reach over SSH.
   • Raspberry Pi OS (with desktop) if you want to see a desktop remotely over VNC.
3. Storage: pick the microSD card. Keep Exclude system drives ticked, so you can't overwrite your computer's own disk by mistake.

Step 2: customise before you write

This is the step that makes headless work. Imager's customisation settings let you set:

• Hostname: letters, numbers and hyphens only. Other devices can reach the Pi at <hostname>.local (or .lan).
• Localisation: pick your capital city to set the time zone and keyboard, and the Wi-Fi regulatory domain.
• User: a lowercase username and a password.
• Wi-Fi: your network name (SSID) and password. Tick Hidden SSID if your network doesn't broadcast its name.
• Remote access: turn on Enable SSH, with either password authentication or a public key.

Then write the card. The official docs note that on first boot, the only remote access options on a headless Pi are SSH or Raspberry Pi Connect, so enabling SSH here matters.

Step 3: boot and find the Pi

1. Put the card in the Pi and connect power. The status LED lights when it has power. If you didn't set up Wi-Fi, connect an Ethernet cable instead.
2. Give the first boot a few minutes.
3. From your computer, check that it's reachable: ping yourhostname.local.

If .local names don't resolve on your network, find the Pi's IP address in your router's list of connected devices and use that instead.

Step 4: connect over SSH

ssh [email protected]

Or use the IP address in place of the hostname. Enter the password you set in Imager. Once you're in, hostname -I shows the Pi's IP address for next time.

Step 5 (optional): the desktop over VNC

On the desktop version of Raspberry Pi OS, VNC is built in: the official docs name the server as wayvnc. Turn it on from the command line with sudo raspi-config → Interface Options → VNC → Yes, or in the desktop's Control Centre under Interfaces. Then connect from your computer with a VNC viewer. The official guide walks through TigerVNC.

Remember: VNC isn't compatible with Raspberry Pi OS Lite. If you started with Lite and want a desktop, re-image with the full OS.

For access from outside your home network, the docs describe Raspberry Pi Connect, a free browser-based screen sharing and remote shell service from Raspberry Pi. It doesn't need you to know the Pi's local IP address or change your firewall.

Common problems

• Can't find hostname.local: try the IP address from your router, and check the Pi joined the right Wi-Fi network. Re-check the SSID and password in Imager.
• SSH refused: SSH is off by default. Make sure you enabled it in Imager's customisation before writing.
• Random reboots or warnings: check the power supply against the recommendations above, especially on a Pi 5.
• No VNC option: you're probably on Lite. Use the desktop OS for VNC.

Then build something

A headless Pi is a good brain for sensor logging and dashboards. Our reference pages list the 40-pin header for each model, and Soldr can plan a Pi build with sensors and show how to wire them. Describe it, for example "I want to build a room temperature logger with a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W and a BME280", on app.soldr.ai.

On Compoden: Raspberry Pi 5, Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, 27 W USB-C power supply. Sign in and get 100 credits free.