Raspberry Pi Zero W Portable Headless Setup
In this post, we will explore how to set up a headless Raspberry Pi Zero W for various portable projects. This setup can be used for a range of projects, such as wardriving and more.
Pi Setup
Parts Required
You will need the following components to follow this tutorial:
- Raspberry Pi Zero W or Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W – Make sure to choose the W version as it includes WiFi and Bluetooth (other Pi models may work as well).
- SD card – An 8GB card will work, but I recommend using a 16GB card.
- USB cable – To power up your Pi.
- Power bank or UPS hat – To power your headless setup. You could also power it through your computer or phone with a USB adapter.
Installing and Configuring the OS on Raspberry Pi
The first step is to install an operating system (OS) for your Pi. You have several options as long as the OS is Debian-based. For my headless setup, I prefer the lightweight version of Raspberry Pi OS (formerly known as “Raspbian”).
Since I’m using Windows, I’ll be using the Raspberry Pi Imager tool. If you’re on Linux, you can install it with the command:
sudo apt install rpi-imager
Flashing the OS on the SD Card
- Launch the Raspberry Pi Imager utility.
- Choose your device; in this case, we will select Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W.
- Choose the OS: go to Raspberry Pi OS (Other) -> Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit). If you’re unsure, use the 32-bit version (though the Zero 2 W supports 64-bit).
- Insert your SD card into the computer and choose it under Storage.
- Enable OS customisation settings to configure the setup. Make sure to enable SSH.
- Write the OS to the SD card.
Connecting to the Pi via SSH
Once the OS is written to the SD card:
- Insert the SD card into the Pi and power it on.
- Find the Pi’s IP address (you can connect a screen; the IP is shown on the boot banner).
- Connect to the Pi via SSH:
ssh <your_user>@<your_ip>
Updating Your Pi
Once connected, update your Pi by running the following commands:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get full-upgrade
Reboot the Pi to apply the updates:
sudo reboot
Connect via SSH Using Bluetooth
To connect via Bluetooth, follow these steps. (Use CTRL+X to exit the Nano editor.)
Install the required Bluetooth tools:
sudo apt install bluez-tools
Create the following configuration files:
sudo nano /etc/systemd/network/pan0.netdev
Add the following content:
[NetDev]
Name=pan0
Kind=bridge
sudo nano /etc/systemd/network/pan0.network
Add the following content:
[Match]
Name=pan0
[Network]
Address=172.20.1.1/24
DHCPServer=yes
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/bt-agent.service
Add the following content:
[Unit]
Description=Bluetooth Auth Agent
[Service]
ExecStart=/usr/bin/bt-agent -c NoInputNoOutput
Type=simple
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/bt-network.service
Add the following content:
[Unit]
Description=Bluetooth NEP PAN
After=pan0.network
[Service]
ExecStart=/usr/bin/bt-network -s nap pan0
Type=simple
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
Enable Bluetooth on boot:
sudo systemctl enable systemd-networkd
sudo systemctl enable bt-agent
sudo systemctl enable bt-network
sudo systemctl start systemd-networkd
sudo systemctl start bt-agent
sudo systemctl start bt-network
To pair the Pi with your phone or computer, run:
sudo bt-adapter --set Discoverable 1
Enable Bluetooth on your device and pair it with the Pi. Once paired, enable Use for Internet access.
Next, SSH into the Pi using Bluetooth:
ssh <your_user>@172.20.1.1
Installing Additional Tools
You can now install any additional tools you need for your portable, headless Pi setup!