BeagleBone Cookbook

Chapter 5. Beyond the Basics

5.0 Introduction

In Chapter 1, you learned how to set up BeagleBone Black, and Chapter 2, Chapter 3, and Chapter 4 showed how to interface to the physical world. Chapter 6 through the remainder of the book moves into some more exciting advanced topics, and this chapter gets you ready for them.

The recipes in this chapter assume that you are running Linux on your host computer (Recipe 5.2) and are comfortable with using Linux. We continue to assume that you are logged in as root on your Bone.

5.1 Running Your Bone Standalone

Problem

You want to use BeagleBone Black as a desktop computer with keyboard, mouse, and an HDMI display.

Solution

The Bone comes with USB and a microHDMI output. All you need to do is connect your keyboard, mouse, and HDMI display to it.

To make this recipe, you will need:

• Standard HDMI cable and female HDMI-to-male microHDMI adapter (see “Miscellaneous”), or

• MicroHDMI-to-HDMI adapter cable (see “Miscellaneous”)

• HDMI monitor (see “Miscellaneous”)

• USB keyboard and mouse

• Powered USB hub (see “Miscellaneous”)

Note

The microHDMI adapter is nice because it allows you to use a regular HDMI cable with the Bone. However, it will block other ports and can damage the Bone if you aren’t careful. The microHDMI-to-HDMI cable won’t have these problems.

Tip

You can also use an HDMI-to-DVI cable (“Miscellaneous”) and use your Bone with a DVI-D display.

The adapter looks something like Figure 5-1.

Figure 5-1. Female HDMI-to-male ...