Programming with RPI

The Raspberry Pi was awaited by robotics enthusiastsfor its low costARM/Linux solution. But more than the low cost, which is close to other existing solutions when you add all the accessories required for its use, it is the promise of a rich and extended reflection of the Linux community and a formative sharing of information. Beginners benefit from each other's progress, from the tutorials and very educational exchanges diffused by the enthusiasts. The more experienced ones help each other or advance each in their speciality which allows to develop applications as diverse as a game arcade or a robot.

The Raspi motherboard is of good quality and easy to use. Its real GNU/Linux compatibility promises an interesting use of the microcomputer in different areas. And its well-developed connectivity opens up a lot of possibilities for use. the "hacking machine" as some people call it is powerful, has now 1GB of RAM and not only 512MB.

Computing accessible to all

The objective of the Foundation Raspberry Pi, by developing thecomputer accessible to all in terms of price, was to make computing accessible to all. Developing countries with the reuse of recycled materials (connectors, peripherals, screens, keyboards and mice, cables, speakers...) and more broadly the youth were targeted. To make the new generations want to discover programming and make their own computer, and not just use more and more sophisticated consoles and computers without even knowing how they work.

Running only under GNU/Linux distributions, including Debian, Wheezy Raspbian and ArchLinux for the more experienced, the Raspberry Motherboard can easily be integrated into an educational program: it is simple but full of applications to discover without the students having already developed (bad) habits..

A software to approach programming with children : Scratch

For children (and therefore for teachers who wish to approach programming with their students, of all ages),a very playful software teaches them the basics of programming. Based on the Raspbian solution (Debian for Raspberry Pi), SCRATCH allows them to discover the basics of computer programming: they can use action blocks (ready-made lines of code) to create their own games, drawings, cartoons or small animations.

By associating blocks, arranging them in the desired order, and if the computer logic is respected, the animation appears instantly on the screen. Children from 8 years old will quickly get into the game. Having the possibility to create your own program while being helped to integrate little by little the variables, loops, and basic functions of programming under Linux is encouraging and leads children on the path of discovery. Scratch "imagine - program - share" thus keeps its promises.

To go further, to discover home automation, that is to say to discover the different uses of Raspi in the interaction with your environment, there is ScratchBoard. You will be able to test your RPI as a barometer, as a lights off programmer... (Domogy talks about it more precisely on its blog...).

The Raspberry Pi: a powerfull development platform

The RPi is also a very good development platform. The motherboard supports many programming languages such as Java, Ruby, Perl, Python... and also allows to learn how to set up a web server easily. You can easily install Apache or Node.js. You can also train yourself to manage a database like MySQL. You can also develop an intranet or a small internet site by developing it with Php or Python for example.

Schools wishing to develop the computer aspect will easily be able to acquire some motherboards, given their reduced price and the possible use of materials often already in their possession. As the software is open source, it will be easy for them to get a fun application adapted to the age of the students to allow them to "get their hands dirty".
This great learning and entertainment platform is open to the curious who will look for answers within the numerous community of Linux, open source and Raspberry Pi fans. Time and desire are the key words for the user of Raspberry Pi.