The first command moves into the boot directory which is the MicroSD card and the next command creates an empty file called ssh so that Raspbian knows to boot headless with ssh enabled. The example above for macOS will work in your Terminal. There is little need to use a Desktop environment on this Raspberry Pi so you can default to a headless boot by placing an empty file in the root of the MicroSD card. Etcher takes care of everything else and should only take a minute to burn the image. You just need to insert the MicroSD card into a card reader, launch Etcher, select the source ISO and your target. I use Etcher, also linked above, to burn ISO’s and it works well. Since the Raspberry Pi has limited resources I recommend using the Raspbian Stretch lite build linked above. Burn the Raspbian ISO to the MicroSD card The upside is that you won’t need to dig up a keyboard, mouse, and monitor to use. In this guide I will be setting up the Raspberry Pi to run headless from the beginning which requires basic familiarity with a Terminal and an ability to connect from another machine via ssh.

Ability to burn ISO to MicroSD card, I use Etcher on macOS.

Raspbian ISO (latest Stretch lite, November 2018).

Raspberry Pi 3 (model B+ recommended) with a sufficient power supply, case, heatsink, and network connection (Ethernet will be easier to start).

Almost everything I’m going to share can be found around the web, but I did run into a few issues along the way which will hopefully save you some time and fustration.

Sure, the Raspberry Pi isn’t the most powerful hardware out there, but if your needs are similar to mine you may find this guide helpful. How to install Plex Media Server on a Raspberry Pi 3

Raspberry pi 3 plex server