BMCoCo-Pi 0.1.0rc3 · Linux console and model downloads; Windows planned.

Before you begin

Check the Pi, not just the computer used to prepare its card

Development and hardware testing have occurred only on Pi400 and Pi500. Pi5, Pi4 Model B and Pi3 Model B+ are intended targets, not hardware-validated releases. Pi400 acceptance does not establish Pi4 acceptance; Pi500 acceptance does not establish Pi5 acceptance. A shared processor/kernel family is not a substitute for testing USB, boot firmware, display, audio, storage and timing.

The planned setup wizard must show these distinctions before erasing a card. No Pi model currently has a released end-user SD setup package. A previously tested engineering installation is not a released installer.

Equipment checklist

• Your selected Pi and a suitable power supply for that exact model.
• A dedicated SD card and a reader your Windows/Linux PC can access. Card minimum size and supported maximum will be stated per release after testing; do not infer a supported minimum from a small development image.
• HDMI display and the correct cable/adapter. Start with the primary HDMI output for your model. An older television may require its own aspect/scan setting; do not edit boot firmware files as a first troubleshooting step.
• A wired USB keyboard, or the Pi400/Pi500 built-in keyboard. Bluetooth input is not implemented. A wired USB gamepad is optional and model-dependent.
• Ethernet cable and a router with DHCP if you want the Web UI. Local operation does not require Internet access or a remote disk server. Wi-Fi is not implemented by the current BMCoCo-Pi build.
• The owner-supplied ROM files and any optional media you may use.
• A Windows or Linux PC with permission to prepare removable storage. The proposed first packaging targets are x86-64 PCs; Windows ARM and Linux ARM desktop installers have not been supplied or tested.

Keep any working Raspberry Pi OS card separate. Preparing a card for BMCoCo-Pi does not install an application alongside Raspberry Pi OS; fresh installation replaces that selected card's contents. It must not change the Pi's EEPROM or the PC's system disk.

Network boundary

Current Web/remote control is unauthenticated and intended only for a trusted internal LAN. Do not forward its ports, expose it to the Internet or assume a shared/public network is safe. This is not a hosted cloud emulator. The public documentation/download site, when authorized, will be distinct from the Web UI served by your own Pi.

Guide edition: November 2, 2026.