Raspberry Pi: OS

How To Write the OS image to SD:

Mac OS:

Use the terminal to write the image, check here for detailed instructions

Windows:

Use the Win32DiskImager tool, check here for detailed instructions

Linux:

Use the dd utility to write the image, check here for detailed instructions

• The command line interface provides a powerful and rich way to access programs and files.  
• Access the command line via a program called a Terminal.
• File names and directory names are case-sensitive ("File1" and "file1" refer to different files).
• Avoid using spaces in file names, instead use underscore character ("file_1" not "file 1")
• File system is organized in hierarchical structure starting with the root directory "/", user files are found in the directory /home/username/ 

There is a wide variety of different operating systems available for the Raspberry Pi.  Downloading a new OS and easily imaging the sd card allows you to test many different options.

The official Raspberry Pi operating system, can run desktop application or in headless command line mode.

You can save your current projects in progress by imaging the sd card and saving it on your computer for future use.

SD CARD IMAGE (use the df command to identify if "sdb" is your sd card)

In Linux or Mac, for example:

sudo dd bs=4M if=/dev/sdb of=raspbian.img

Write backup image back to an sd card to boot in the Pi:

sudo dd bs=4M if=raspbian.img of=/dev/sdb