Setting up a TV dashboard for Raspberry Pi

Items required

• 1x TV to use as a dashboard
• 1x Raspberry Pi 4
  • Raspberry Pi power supply
  • Micro SD card (minimum 8GB)
• Micro-HDMI to HDMI cable

How to set up Raspberry Pi 4

When obtaining a Raspberry Pi, you install the Operative System (OS) on the Micro SD card, and while you can buy a pre-installed OS, we cover how to install a fresh OS, which can be useful in case system files get corrupted somewhere. 

Installing the Raspberry Pi Operative System

1. Download the Raspberry Pi Imager and download the recommended Raspberry PI OS (32-bit). For this install, we use version 1.7.2. and install the Debian Bullseye Port (released 04/04/2022).
   
   
   Raspberry Pi Imager v1.7.2
   • Available from https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/.
   • In advanced options, you can set the 'hostname,' which will be displayed in the local network. We also set the username and password, which will be used to log in to the user as well as to configure a wireless LAN connection.
2. Once the OS is installed, insert the SD card into the Raspberry Pi and power it up. To connect to it, you can use Micro-HDMI to HDMI and USB peripherals. Alternatively, you can use SSH to connect to it remotely from your computer, we do not cover this, however. When you get to the booted desktop, proceed to the next step.
3. Make sure all updates are installed, or go to the terminal and type sudo apt update.

 Screenshot illustrating how an update can be done using sudo apt update in the terminal or from the taskbar.

Now, the Raspberry Pi should be ready for use.

Connect remotely using VNC Viewer

Another popular method to access Raspberry Pi is VNC Viewer. To use it, you first have to enable the VNC server on the Raspberry Pi. Go to the terminal and type: sudo raspi-config

Go to I3 Interface Options → I3 VNC Enable/disable graphical remote access using RealVNC. 

VNC Server should now be available in the taskbar with a connectivity address, which can be inputted in VNC Viewer along with the username and password. You can also check that the Signature and catchphrase match when you establish the connection.

Dashboard setup

Open the terminal and write sudo nano /etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart

Here, we want to disable the screensaver and make the Pi boot directly to the BI dashboard. Enter the code to the bottom of the file:

@xset s off
@xset -dpms
@xset s noblank
@unclutter
@/usr/bin/chromium-browser --kiosk https://bi.recman.no/tv/?chromeless=1

 Screenshot of editing the autostart configuration file.

To save, press ^O to Write Out and Enter to Save. You can exit with ^X.

That's it! When the Raspberry Pi is rebooted, it should be immediately directed to the BI dashboard website. 

Optional steps

1. Daily reboot

To have the Raspberry Pi reboot daily, it can be scheduled from the terminal using sudo crontab -e followed by inputting 1.

If you add 0 6 * * * /sbin/shutdown -r now at the bottom, the Raspberry Pi should be scheduled to reboot at 6 in the morning.

2. Auto Refresh Plus chromium extension

For certain applications, it can be useful to refresh the page regularly to update information. The Super Auto Refresh extension can be installed to do this, specifying an update interval in seconds.

Optional steps to tweak the appearance

Desktop appearance

Right-click the desktop and go to 'Desktop preferences.'

• Set 'Defaults' to large screens.
• Set the taskbar color to black.
• Set the text color to white (for visibility).
• Disable the trashcan on the desktop.
• Set a new desktop picture.

 Raspberry Pi desktop with a tweaked appearance

Chromium appearance

1. Open the Chromium browser and go to Settings → Appearance → disable the 'Use System title bar and borders.'
2. Go to the Chrome web store and download the "Just Black" theme for a darker browser to match the desktop.

HDMI troubleshooting

To troubleshoot common issues when it comes to HDMI, such as flickering or poor signal, a common fix is to edit the config.txt file. This can be accessed from the terminal using sudo nano /boot/config.txt

Here, you can enable a few options by removing the #.

hdmi_safe=1

• Enables a "safe mode," which increases HDMI compatibility.

hdmi_force_hotplug=1

• Makes the Raspberry PI output an HDMI signal regardless of whether an HDMI is connected or not.

For more detailed information, you can also consult the Raspberry Pi Documentation for the HDMI modes online.