---
title: Raspberry Pi -- Homelab | Hylown
html_template: homelab/raspberry-pi/hylowncom_homelab_raspberry_pi.html
id_to_make_active: Extras
source: true
---

## Remote Desktop {: class="template__section" }


![]({root}assets/remote_desktop.png){: width=768 height=432}


We use RealVNC.

Raspberry Pi OS has wayvnc running by default; need to stop it:

```bash
$ sudo systemctl stop wayvnc
$ sudo systemctl disable wayvnc
```

Enable VNC and use X11 instead of Wayland:

```bash
$ sudo raspi-config
```

```
>> Interface Options
>> VNC 
>> Yes (to enable VNC)

>> Advanced Options
>> Wayland
>> X11 Openbox manager/backend
```

After installing RealVNC on another machine, e.g. a Windows laptop, you should now be able to make a remote desktop connection to the Raspberry Pi.

Note that you can also enable VNC from the desktop: 

```markdown
>> Raspberry Pi icon 
>> Preferences 
>> Raspberry Pi Configuration 
>> Interfaces tab 
>> VNC radio button
```









## RAID {: class="template__section" }

[https://www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2021/htgwa-create-raid-array-linux-mdadm](https://www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2021/htgwa-create-raid-array-linux-mdadm)

I followed this exactly, except a couple places to set up RAID 5 instead of RAID 0.

The main commands are:

```bash
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install mdadm

$ lsblk # to view your drives

$ sudo mdadm --create --verbose /dev/md0 --level=5 --raid-devices=4 /dev/sda /dev/sdb /dev/sdc /dev/sdd

$ sudo mdadm --detail --scan --verbose | sudo tee -a /etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf

$ sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/md0

$ sudo mkdir /mnt/raid5
$ sudo mount /dev/md0 /mnt/raid5
```










## Python {: class="template__section" }

As per the [Raspberry Pi docs](https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/computers/os.html#use-python-on-a-raspberry-pi) do not use ```pip``` to install python packages.  use ```apt```, e.g. 

```bash
$ sudo apt install python3-build-hat
```

Can search for packages with ```apt-cache search "<keyword>"```, e.g. 

```bash
$ apt-cache search "python3-flask"
```

The utilities ```pip``` and ```apt``` install packages system-wide (by default); the use of ```pip``` will not work in Raspberry Pi and will return an error message. Use ```pip``` in a [python virtual environment](https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/computers/os.html#use-pip-with-virtual-environments): 

```bash
# per-user environment
$ python -m venv ~/.env      # create the venv
$ source ~/.env/bin/activate # start using the venv
$ deactivate                 # to leave the venv

# per-project environment
$ python -m venv env         # do this in project root folder
$ source env/bin/activate    # start using the venv
$ deactivate                 # to leave the venv
```

Pass the ```--system-site-packages``` flag before the folder name to preload all of the currently installed packages in your system Python installation into the virtual environment.

Use ```pip list``` to view installed packages.









## VScode {: class="template__section" }

VScode runs slowly on Raspberry Pi for the same reason that Brave Browser and Chromium initially run slow -- because they use hardware acceleration.  In fact, VScode uses Chromium.  Simply disable hardware acceleration and it will work fine.

In the file ```~/.vscode/argv.json``` uncomment the line 

```bash
"disable-hardware-acceleration": true,
```

and save.  If this line is not there for some reason, add it to the end of the file before the closing curly brace, and make sure the line above it (i.e. the old last line) now ends in a comma ```,```.

If VScode was open/running, close it, restart it, and it should work good now.











## Mkdocs {: class="template__section" }

When cloning a ```mkdocs``` repository, don't forget to not only install ```mkdocs``` but also install the theme, e.g. 

```bash
$ pip install mkdocs-material
```