Mission briefing

There is rarely anything as exciting as ordering the latest new technology and anticipating its arrival. You daydream of the projects you'll build, the amazing things you can do, the accolades you'll receive from family, friends, and colleagues. However, reality rarely fulfills your fantasies. This project will hopefully help you avoid the pitfalls that normally accompany unboxing and configuring your BeagleBone Black. You'll step through the process, answer all kinds of clarifying questions, and help you understand what is going on. If you don't get through this project, then you'll not be successful at any of the others, so buckle up and get ready for an exciting ride.

The most challenging aspect of accomplishing this for me as your guide is trying to decide to what level I should describe each step. Some of you are beginners, some have limited experience, others will know significantly more than I in some of these areas. I'll try to keep it brief, but also try to be thorough, so that at least you'll know what steps to take in order to be successful. I'll also try to point out some of the different ways you can get help if you are encountering problems. So for this project, here are your objectives.