Path: news.eternal-september.org!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!nntp-feed.chiark.greenend.org.uk!ewrotcd!.POSTED.chiark.greenend.org.uk!not-for-mail From: Theo Newsgroups: comp.sys.raspberry-pi Subject: Re: Just got a Pi1B. What can you actually do with it these days? Date: 07 Jun 2025 16:45:09 +0100 (BST) Organization: University of Cambridge, England Message-ID: References: <101teqs$1rt4d$2@dont-email.me> <101ulv2$27k2a$13@dont-email.me> Injection-Info: chiark.greenend.org.uk; posting-host="chiark.greenend.org.uk:93.93.131.173"; logging-data="18029"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@chiark.greenend.org.uk" User-Agent: tin/1.8.3-20070201 ("Scotasay") (UNIX) (Linux/5.10.0-35-amd64 (x86_64)) Originator: theom@chiark.greenend.org.uk ([93.93.131.173]) The Natural Philosopher wrote: > On 06/06/2025 10:22, Theo wrote: > > > > Agreed, I'd suggest they're best as a 'one function' appliance. I just used > > an original Pi Zero to bridge between a USB OBD-II device and wifi, that > > allow phone OBD-II apps to connect to the USB OBD cable I already had. > > Installed OpenWRT and a few minutes of setup and that was it. Similarly I > > have a Pi 1 to bridge between Modbus and ethernet, and another Pi Zero as a > > VPN endpoint. > > > > I'm sure I could do something similar with an ESP32 or a Pico or similar > > microcontroller, but the setup with a full-fat Pi is quicker and easier. > > > I think that is my conclusin with the SZero > > A Pico can run a single function, but once it gets more complicated - > like a web server, a pi zero running linux is just *easier* My main reason to pick a Pico over a Zero is reliability: I can be sure a Pico will boot up every time, but I find it a lottery whether a Pi will successfully boot or whether it's corrupted its SD for some reason or another and won't boot. I thought PiOSs was supposed to automatically fsck the disc and reboot with everything clean if a problem was detected, but for whatever reason this doesn't work - I have to keep pulling cards and fscking them before the Pi will boot again. Anyone have any insights into why this is? These Pis are getting power pulled from them rather than a proper shutdown, but in the case where they're sensors or whatever it's just a fact of life they get power interrupted without shutdown sometimes. One of my Pis has OpenWRT which I thought would help the corruption issue as it's designed for routers which don't modify their flash very often, but even that's got to the state of not booting - I need to investigate further. > > Main irritation is the Pi 1 doesn't have wifi, but a $5 wifi dongle fixes > > that if you need it. > > > Or an ethernbet hat Pi1B has 100M ethernet, but things get more awkward if you're on a Zero or a 1A without. You might need an ethernet or wifi HAT to keep your single USB port free for something else, especially if your Pi needs to be a USB device rather than a host. Theo