How best to build a RISC OS machine?

Hi,

I’ve been thinking about building/buying a machine to run RISC OS on again for a while now (just to play around on).
I’ve more or less decided to build one based around a Raspberry Pi and I’m currently looking at using a Pi 3 B+ unless anyone knows why I should use a different one?

I’m guessing a Pi is going to be the cheapest way forward but what other hardware will I need to make it work?
Obviously a Monitor, Keyboard and mouse is needed (but I have those). What else will I need?

Many thanks for your advice.
Graham

P.S. I’m just looking to get a basic system with internet up and running for now. I may want to add other things like optical drive and hard drive later or put it into a bigger case but that may or may not happen later I guess…

You can’t use the WiFi module on the B+ from RISC OS, so you’ll need a wired Ethernet connection for Internet access. That’s a minimum of an Ethernet cable, and perhaps an Ethernet switch if you’ve run out of ports on your broadband modem.

Another must-have is a powered USB hub. It’s all too easy to overload the official Pi power brick, so anything that reduces the power drain is all to the good. Of course you may have been thinking of a beefier PSU for the Pi anyway…

One really handy thing to have (but not essential) is an SD card reader, so that you can create spare microSD cards with RISC OS installed, just in case something goes horribly wrong with the config on your original SD card.

P.S. I found out the hard way that not all HDMI cables are created equal. The cable you get with the Pi starter kit has a rather fat connector body, and required several minutes with a Stanley knife until I could slim it down enough to plug into the HDMI socket on the monitor.

My RISC OS set up uses:

1. Raspberry Pi 3B,
2. power cable with a switch from CJE,
3. HDMI cable to LG IPS235 monitor,
4. Ethernet cable to router,
5. Logitech K260 keyboard+mouse with WiFi USB dongle,
6. 2Gb micro-SD card to hold RISC OS,
7. SCSIFS-formatted memory stick for extra storage.

The SCSIFS formatted stick can also be read by my Raspbian Raspberry Pi.

I bought one of these after Tony Bartram recommended it to me: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B014J54D9U/ref=asc_df_B014J54D9U57030546/?tag=googshopuk-21&creative=22146&creativeASIN=B014J54D9U&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310584977443&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=297480336077529474&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9044963&hvtargid=pla-562356747266

It’s the only extra bit of hardware I’ve needed, apart from the obvious raspberry pi + mouse + keyboard + HDMI TV

I did wonder about going for an earlier Pi board but unless there is a lot of crucial software that requires it I’d prefer the extra performance of the Pi3.
I think that internet access will give me the most headaches as the router is nowhere near where the machine will be.

Also I remember reading (sometime ago) that the Pi doesn’t have its own internal clock (or something like that).
Is that still the case with the newer Pi’s?
Many thanks for all your help.

Any Pi needs wired internet afaik. I’m miles away from my router too, so I’ve got a bridge via the mains. And then a hub, because I’ve a got Mac in the same room. Attached to the same monitor, in fact.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B014J54D9U/

That’s all you need, the number after the “dp”. The rest is Amazon’s stateless tracing/tracking/spying…
You can often alter the country code for a local version: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B014J54D9U/

that the Pi doesn’t have its own internal clock (or something like that).

That’s always the case. However CJE have you covered – pick the RTC you like (with or without extra features like temperature sensor): http://www.cjemicros.co.uk/micros/prices/categories/rpigpio.shtml

Any Pi needs wired internet afaik

Sort of. There’s a thing called Vonets (see above Amazon links) which provides an Ethernet plug (so the device thinks a network is plugged in) but it actually uses WiFi. Mine is connected to the Pi via a cheap switch, so I can use the one Vonets shared with up to four devices.
Photos here: https://www.riscosopen.org/forum/forums/11/topics/12635#posts-85431

WiFi is essential for me. Pick the excuse you like the most:

• Thunderstorms bite – zap, bang, and a loss of much magic smoke
• Technical issues regarding passing a bit of cat 5 cable through a wall a metre thick built mostly out of solid stone.
  [a metre in old money is “no effing way”]

The thing with the Pi though is that it’s power consumption is piddly. I leave mine on all the time, the entire setup (with monitor off) is like 10VA at 230VAC, that’s barely more than one of those new fangled LED lightbulbs.
http://heyrick.ddns.net/ if you want to see how many brass monkeys are outside. ;-) That’s my Pi, the Vonets, the switch…

You can’t use the WiFi module on the B+ from RISC OS

Just for future readers that should read “As at November 2018 you can’t yet use the WiFi module on the B+ from RISC OS” – one of the RO Dev active items if you all recall because it’s needed for the laptop.

Rick’s beaten me to it in general.

I was (possibly over-)cautious and obtained the Mk 1 Pi3s by careful special specification after the newer spec SOC arrived – then old stock!

Secured a number of them – but it seems that the RISC OS team seem to have made that an unnecessary precaution!

Stuff moves on so fast with the likes of Jeffrey, Sprow, and other contributors, that I sometimes wish I’d been more daring in my choices!

Study Rick’s set-up as a guide.

Me, I have a first generation RPi3 running the nightly RISC OS build with a separately-powered DURONIC usb hub, and a keyboard and mouse run through a separate 4-port hub (for easy reset). It serves an HDMI monitor with integral sound.

It is connected to my BTHub by cable because it’s only a short run and I have a cable of suitable length!

I have a later RPi3 running under Linux connected to the RISC OS machine via RDP, and also accessible on my TV HDMI connection using a Logitech K400+ wireless keyboard. This is to access stuff like bank accounts needing more fancy web stuff than NetSurf can provide!

Don’t hesitate if you need more info!

I have a Pi B+ which works nicely.

My broadband router is in the next room, so I use one of these mini routers (it connects to the Pi with Ethernet, and to my broadband router with WiFi).

https://openwrt.org/toh/nexx/wt3020

You can buy one for less than £15.

And I use this RTC, which is less than £2.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SODIAL-DS3231-AT24C32-Precision-Arduino/dp/B00K67X496

I may want to add other things like optical drive and hard drive later

A USB SSD is worth thinking about. Much more reliable than the SD card.

Thanks for all your help everyone.
Hoping Santa delivers a Raspberyy Pi for Christmas then.
Cheers!

So long as you remember no wireless there isn’t anything special needed. I shuffle hardware a lot and just move the SD card and USB drive over. Right now I’m using a Pi3 with logitech wireless keyboard and mouse combo, probably a SanDisk MicroSD, SanDisk USB drive for all my junk. USB power supply from the supermarket and a USB cable which handles the current.