# openSUSE on Raspberry Pi 3: From Zero to Functional System in a Few Easy Steps
The following article has been contributed by Dmitri Popov, Technical Writer atthe SUSE Documentationteam.
Deploying[openSUSE][2]on[Raspberry Pi 3][3]is not all that complicated, but there are a few tricks that smooth the process.
First of all, you have several flavors to choose from. If you plan to use your Raspberry Pi 3 as a regular machine, an openSUSE version with a graphical desktop is your best option.And you can choose between several graphical environments:[X11][4],[Enlightenment][5],[Xfce][6], and[LXQT][7]. There is also the JeOS version of openSUSE which provides a bare-bones system ideal for transforming a Raspberry Pi 3 into a headless server. Better still, you can choose between the[Leap][8]and[Tumbleweed][9]versions of openSUSE.
The first order of business is to download the desired openSUSE image from[https://en.opensuse.org/HCL:Raspberry_Pi3][10].Next, you need to create a bootable microSD card. While you can write the downloaded image to a microSD card using command-line tools,[ _Etcher_ ][11]makes the process more enjoyable and safe. Grab the utility from the project’s website, extract the downloaded_.zip_file and make the resulting_.AppImage_file executable using the command:
_chmod +x Etcher-x.x.x-linux-x64.AppImage_
Plug then a microSD card into your machine, launch Etcher by double-clicking on it, select the downloaded_.raw.xz_image file, and pressFlash!. Connect a display and keyboard to the Raspberry Pi 3, insert the microSD card in it, and boot the little machine. During the first boot, openSUSE automatically expands the file system to make use of all free space on the card. At some point you’ll see the following message:
```
GPT data structures destroyed! You may now partition the disk using
fdisk or other utilities
```
There is no need to panic, though. Wait a minute or two, and openSUSE will continue to boot normally. When prompted, log in using the default_root_user name and_linux_password.
If you choose to deploy JeOS on your Raspberry Pi 3, keep in mind that you won’t see any output in the screen during first boot. This means that the screen will remain blank until the system finishes expanding the file system. While you can configure kernel parameters to show output, it’s probably not worth the hassle. Just wait till you see the command-line prompt.
Since openSUSE comes with SSH enabled and configured, you can boot the Raspberry Pi without a display. In this case, you need to connect the Raspberry Pi to your network via Ethernet. Just give the Raspberry Pi enough time to boot and expand the system, and you can then connect to it via SSH from any other machine on the same network using the_ssh root@linux.local_command.
By default, you log in to the system as root, and it’s a good idea to create a regular user. The all-mighty YaST configuration tool lets you do that with consummate ease. Run the_yast2_command, switch to theSecurity and Users -> User and Group Managementsection, and add a new user. While you are at it, you can update the system in theSystem -> Online Updatesection. Once you’ve done that, quit YaST, reboot the Raspberry Pi, and log in as the newly created user.
That’s all fine and dandy, but there is one crucial component of the system that doesn’t work right out of the box: the wireless interface. Fortunately, this issue is easy to solve. First, install the nano text editor using the command:
to open the _raspberrypi_modules.conf_ file for editing. Remove _sdhci_iproc_ in the first line and uncomment the last line. Save the changes, run the command:
Launch YaST again, switch to theSystem -> Network Settingssection, and you should see the_BCM43430 WLAN Card_entry in the list of network interfaces. Select this entry and pressEdit. Enable theDynamic Address DHCPoption, pressNext, select the desired wireless network, and configure the required connection settings. PressNextand thenOKto save the settings. Reboot the Raspberry Pi, and it should automatically connect to the specified Wi-Fi network.
