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Raspberry Pi BYOD Setup Guide

Turn your existing Raspberry Pi into a family organization center. This guide is for families who already own Raspberry Pi hardware and want to use it with FamilyCast.

Looking for a complete kit? See our Raspberry Pi Complete Kit Guide for pre-configured, plug-and-play displays.

What You'll Need​

  • Hardware: Raspberry Pi 4 or Pi 5 (see compatibility below)
  • Accessories: Power supply (3A+), microSD card (16GB+), HDMI cable, case (recommended)
  • Time: 30-45 minutes for initial setup
  • Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced
  • Tools: Computer for flashing microSD card

Compatibility Check​

Supported Models​

  • ✅ Raspberry Pi 5 (4GB or 8GB) - RECOMMENDED
  • ✅ Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (2GB, 4GB, or 8GB) - RECOMMENDED
  • ⚠️ Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (1GB) - Minimum, may have performance issues with video
  • ❌ Raspberry Pi 3 - NOT SUPPORTED (insufficient performance)
  • ❌ Raspberry Pi Zero - NOT SUPPORTED (insufficient performance)

Required Accessories​

Power Supply:

  • Pi 5: Official 27W USB-C power supply (5.1V/5A)
  • Pi 4: Official 15W USB-C power supply (5.1V/3A) or higher
  • ⚠️ Important: Underpowered supplies cause instability and corruption

microSD Card:

  • 16GB minimum, 32GB recommended
  • Class 10 or UHS-I speed rating
  • SanDisk, Samsung, or Kingston recommended brands

Display Connection:

  • HDMI cable (Micro-HDMI to HDMI for Pi 4/5)
  • Verify your TV/monitor has HDMI input

Optional but Recommended:

  • Case: Protects Pi from dust and damage ($5-15)
  • Heatsink or fan: Keeps Pi cool during video playback ($3-10)

When to Use BYOD vs. Complete Kit​

Use BYOD Raspberry Pi When:​

  • ✅ You already own Pi 4 or Pi 5 hardware
  • ✅ You're comfortable with tech (flashing SD cards, SSH, etc.)
  • ✅ You want maximum cost savings
  • ✅ You don't mind troubleshooting if issues arise

Use Complete Kit When:​

  • ✅ You want plug-and-play setup (5 minutes vs 45 minutes)
  • ✅ You want warranty support on all hardware
  • ✅ You prefer pre-configured, tested hardware
  • ✅ You're setting up multiple displays simultaneously

Step 1: Download FamilyCast OS Image​

Download the Image​

  1. Go to https://help.familycast.app/downloads
  2. Click Download FamilyCast OS for Raspberry Pi
  3. Download the .img.xz file (approximately 2GB)
  4. Save to your computer

What is FamilyCast OS?

  • Custom Raspberry Pi OS image pre-configured for family displays
  • Includes FamilyCast display software
  • Auto-boots to FamilyCast on startup
  • Based on Raspberry Pi OS Lite (headless, no desktop)

Step 2: Flash microSD Card​

Install Raspberry Pi Imager​

  1. Download Raspberry Pi Imager from https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/
  2. Install on your computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux)
  3. Launch Raspberry Pi Imager

Flash the Image​

  1. Insert microSD card into your computer (use adapter if needed)
  2. In Raspberry Pi Imager:
    • Click Choose OS → Use custom → Select the FamilyCast OS .img.xz file
    • Click Choose Storage → Select your microSD card
    • Click Write
  3. Wait for write and verification to complete (5-10 minutes)
  4. Click Continue when done

⚠️ WARNING: This will erase all data on the microSD card!

Step 3: Initial Configuration (Headless Setup)​

Option A: WiFi Configuration (No Keyboard/Monitor Needed)​

Before removing the microSD card from your computer:

  1. The microSD card will have a boot partition visible
  2. Create a file named wpa_supplicant.conf in the boot partition
  3. Add your WiFi credentials:
country=US
ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev
update_config=1

network={
    ssid="YOUR_WIFI_NETWORK_NAME"
    psk="YOUR_WIFI_PASSWORD"
    key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
}
  1. Replace YOUR_WIFI_NETWORK_NAME and YOUR_WIFI_PASSWORD with your actual WiFi credentials
  2. Save the file
  3. Eject the microSD card safely

Option B: Ethernet Configuration (Wired Connection)​

  1. Simply connect an Ethernet cable to your Pi
  2. No additional configuration needed
  3. Pi will automatically connect via DHCP

Option C: HDMI + Keyboard Setup​

  1. Connect HDMI cable, keyboard, and power to Pi
  2. Boot Pi and follow on-screen setup wizard
  3. Configure WiFi or Ethernet manually
  4. Once connected, you can use headless method going forward

Step 4: Boot Raspberry Pi​

  1. Insert microSD card into Raspberry Pi
  2. Connect HDMI cable to your TV/monitor
  3. Connect power supply - Pi will boot automatically
  4. Wait 2-3 minutes for first boot (longer than normal)

First Boot Process​

On first boot, FamilyCast OS will:

  1. Expand filesystem to use full microSD card
  2. Connect to WiFi (if configured)
  3. Display FamilyCast setup screen

Step 5: Activate Your Display​

On-Screen Activation​

  1. The Pi will display a FamilyCast Activation Screen
  2. Note the activation code shown on screen (e.g., ABC-123-XYZ)
  3. On your computer or phone, go to https://app.familycast.app
  4. Sign in to your FamilyCast account
  5. Go to Displays → Add New Display
  6. Enter the activation code from the screen
  7. Name your display (e.g., "Kitchen Display")
  8. Click Activate

Verify Connection​

Within 30 seconds, your Raspberry Pi display should:

  • Show "Connected" message
  • Start displaying assigned content
  • If no content assigned yet, show placeholder

Step 6: Configure Display Settings​

Access Display Settings​

Option A: Via Web Dashboard (RECOMMENDED)

  1. Go to https://app.familycast.app
  2. Navigate to Displays
  3. Click on your Raspberry Pi display
  4. Click Settings

Option B: Via SSH (Advanced)

  1. Find your Pi's IP address (check router or use hostname -I via HDMI)
  2. SSH into Pi: ssh familycast@[IP_ADDRESS]
  3. Default password: familycast (change this!)
  4. Edit config: sudo nano /boot/familycast-config.txt

Display Resolution and Rotation​

Via Dashboard:

  1. Settings → Display → Resolution
  2. Select resolution (1920x1080, 1280x720, etc.)
  3. Rotation: 0° (landscape), 90°, 180°, 270° (portrait)
  4. Click Save

Via SSH (Advanced):

  1. Edit /boot/config.txt
  2. Add or modify: 
    hdmi_group=2
    hdmi_mode=82    # 1920x1080 60Hz
    display_rotate=1  # 0=0°, 1=90°, 2=180°, 3=270°
  3. Reboot: sudo reboot

Overscan Adjustment (For TVs)​

Some TVs crop the image edges (overscan). To fix:

Via SSH:

  1. Edit /boot/config.txt
  2. Add: 
    disable_overscan=1
  3. Or adjust manually: 
    overscan_left=24
    overscan_right=24
    overscan_top=24
    overscan_bottom=24
  4. Reboot: sudo reboot

Enable SSH Access​

SSH is enabled by default on FamilyCast OS for troubleshooting.

To connect:

ssh familycast@[PI_IP_ADDRESS]

Default credentials:

  • Username: familycast
  • Password: familycast

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Change the default password immediately:

passwd

Change Hostname (Optional)​

To identify your Pi easily on the network:

sudo raspi-config
  • Navigate to System Options → Hostname
  • Enter a unique name (e.g., familycast-kitchen)
  • Reboot

Troubleshooting​

No Display Output / Black Screen​

Solution:

  1. Check HDMI cable is securely connected
  2. Try a different HDMI port on your TV/monitor
  3. Verify power supply is sufficient (3A+ for Pi 4, 5A for Pi 5)
  4. Check microSD card is properly inserted
  5. Try re-flashing the microSD card

Display Shows "No Signal"​

Solution:

  1. Some monitors don't detect Pi quickly - wait 30 seconds
  2. Power on monitor BEFORE powering Pi
  3. Edit /boot/config.txt via computer: 
    hdmi_force_hotplug=1
    hdmi_drive=2
  4. Re-insert microSD and reboot Pi

WiFi Not Connecting​

Solution:

  1. Verify wpa_supplicant.conf file has correct WiFi credentials
  2. Check WiFi network is 2.4GHz (Pi 4 supports 2.4 & 5GHz, Pi 3 only 2.4GHz)
  3. Ensure WiFi password is correct (case-sensitive)
  4. Try Ethernet connection temporarily to debug

Activation Code Not Working​

Solution:

  1. Verify code is entered exactly as shown (case-sensitive)
  2. Check Pi is connected to internet (look for "Connected" indicator)
  3. Try generating new code: Restart Pi
  4. If still failing, use manual activation via SSH

Content Not Loading / Blank Screen After Activation​

Solution:

  1. Verify display has content assigned in admin dashboard
  2. Check WiFi/Ethernet connection (ping 8.8.8.8)
  3. Restart Pi: sudo reboot
  4. Check logs via SSH: journalctl -u familycast-display

Pi Overheating / Throttling​

Solution:

  1. Add heatsink to CPU chip
  2. Use case with built-in fan
  3. Ensure adequate ventilation (don't enclose in tight space)
  4. Check temperature: vcgencmd measure_temp (should be <80°C)

microSD Card Corruption​

Solution:

  1. Pi 4/5 are sensitive to power loss during writes
  2. Use quality power supply (official Raspberry Pi brand recommended)
  3. Use high-quality microSD card (SanDisk, Samsung)
  4. Consider adding UPS for critical displays

Advanced Configuration​

Auto-Update Settings​

FamilyCast OS automatically checks for updates nightly.

To disable auto-updates:

sudo systemctl disable familycast-updater

To manually update:

sudo familycast-update

Performance Tuning​

For video-heavy content:

  1. Increase GPU memory: 
    sudo nano /boot/config.txt
  2. Add: 
    gpu_mem=256
  3. Reboot

For lower power consumption:

  1. Reduce GPU memory to 128MB
  2. Disable HDMI when not in use (advanced, requires scripting)

Backup microSD Card​

To create backup image:

  1. Remove microSD from Pi
  2. Insert into computer
  3. Use Win32 Disk Imager (Windows) or dd (Linux/Mac): 
    sudo dd if=/dev/sdX of=familycast-backup.img bs=4M status=progress
  4. Store backup safely

Next Steps​

✅ Raspberry Pi is set up! Now configure your content:

  1. Upload Content - Add family photos, calendars, and more
  2. Create Layouts - Design how content appears
  3. Assign to Display - Push content to your Pi

Still Stuck?​

Get help:

Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm ET

Setup time: ~30-45 minutes | Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐ Advanced | Cost: $35-75 (Pi) + $10-30 (accessories)