Previously, another computer was required to install an operating system on a single board. The developers from the Raspberry Pi Foundation have solved this problem by releasing a beta version of a new bootloader that will automatically download the necessary distribution from the network via a connected Ethernet cable.

While the new technology is compatible with Raspberry Pi 4 and 400 boards, after the end of the beta test, all new single-boards will come out with a new version of the bootloader. However, you can try it now, for this you need a blank sd card or usb drive and the Raspberry Pi Imager application. In the application, you must select "Beta Test Bootloader" and flash the updated bootloader following the official instructions.

The choice of downloadable OS is still limited to the official Raspberry Pi OS, in the future the list may be expanded.

bbabo.Net