Previously posted on Postach.io
I tried OpenElec last year when I spotted it as one of the options in the Raspberry Pi NOOBS install. Last night, after watching the following video, I decided to try and set up OpenELEC on its own SD card, using a USB drive as storage.
[youtube URL=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fj1QEfNpPEY”]
My digital camera died (ok, I crushed the lens mechanism accidentally) so I had a spare 4GB SD card. I visited the OpenELEC website and followed the instructions on how to download and then [set up the SD card using Windows](http://wiki.openelec.tv/index.php/Installing_OpenELEC_on_Raspberry_Pi#tab=Windows__28USB_29). It was surprisingly easy (although edit isn’t an option in Windows 7’s CMD line) to get the SD card as required.
Meanwhile my CAS Conference USB was backing up to the HDD so I could reuse it as storage. I had to format it as EXT4 using the MiniTool Partition Wizard software – again, very easy.
I connected the RPi up and booted. I got this error:
I realised, after reading through the instructions again, that I’d forgotten to set my USB partition as primary. Once this was done OpenELEC booted perfectly into XBMC Gotham.
After another reboot to extend the number of USB ports so I could have storage, bluetooth keyboard and WiFi. I worked through the initialisation wizard.
After going into **Programs –> OpenELEC –> Network** and entering the WiFi password I had access to install the plugins. That’ll be a future blog post.
Summary of hardware required:
+ Raspberry Pi Model B (already owned, cost approx £35)
+ 4GB SD card (free, from dead digital camera)
+ 4GB USB drive (free, from CAS Scotland conference)
+ USB WiFi dongle
+ Bluetooth Mini Keyboard
+ Unpowered USB hub
+ HDMI cable (free, came with the TV)
