Forem: astromodem

Headless Raspberry Pi Homelab – Part 3: SSH & MariaDB (MySQL Compatible) Installation

astromodem — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 23:11:24 +0000

Project Overview

This section will demonstrate how to remotely access a Raspberry Pi using SSH, interact with the Linux operating system, and prepare the system for installing MariaDB (MySQL Compatible). The installation process follows the steps documented in the tutorial linked below:

Setup a Raspberry Pi MYSQL Database

Step 1: SSH into the Raspberry Pi

SSH was used to establish secure remote access to the Raspberry Pi over the local area network. This permitted full command-line control over the Raspberry Pi's Linux operating system.

Step 2: Update & Upgrade the packages

The following commands were executed to update the package lists and upgrade installed packages

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Step 3: Database installation

Execute the following command to begin the installation process of MariaDB

sudo apt install mariadb-server

Step 4: Database provisioning process

Execute the following command to start the provisioning process. From there, you can configure the database to your preference.

sudo mariadb-secure-installation

Step 5: Verify database status

Execute the following command to verify that the database service is enabled

systemctl status mysql

Step 6: Access the database as the root user

Execute the following command to verify access to the server

sudo mysql -u root -p

Headless Raspberry Pi Homelab – Part 2: Network Setup & Device Verification w/ Xfinity & Netgear

astromodem — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 21:51:11 +0000

Project Overview

This section documents the process of integrating a headless Raspberry Pi into a home network using an Xfinity router and a Netgear switch. The objective is to verify physical connectivity, switch-level visibility, DHCP assignment, and overall network reachability in preparation for remote access and database deployment. Each step reinforces foundational networking concepts aligned with the OSI Model, specifically Layers 1 (Physical), 2 (Data Link), and 3 (Network).

Layer 1 (Physical) - Cabling and power
Layer 2 (Data Link) – Switch configuration, switch port status, and MAC address visibility
Layer 3 (Network) - IP Addressing and ICMP reachability

Hardware Used

Step 1: Connect an Ethernet cable to the router.

Step 2: Set up the Netgear switch

Connect the switch to its power supply
Connect the Ethernet cable from the router to one of the ports on the switch
Verify that the switch is powered on and the port that the Ethernet cable is connected to is illuminated to confirm its up status.

Step 3: Verify that the switch is recognized on the network (Xfinity Network)

Open the Xfinity Admin Tool through your browser and enter your credentials to log in
Once logged in, select the Connected Devices located on the left-hand side of the page

The router identified the switch and automatically assigned an IP Address through DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) and identified the MAC address through ARP (Address Resolution Protocol). In Step 2, the switch was connected to the router via Ethernet, and that connection status was established and verified.

Step 4: Install the Netgear Discovery Tool

Download and install the Netgear Discovery Tool for your operating system

Official Netgear Discovery Tool

Step 5: Start Searching

Homepage

Searching process

Switch discovered

Step 6: Log in to the Netgear Admin page

Step 7: Verifying switch port status

Once logged in, select Port Status located on the left

The Ethernet cable connected from the router to the switch port in step 2 has been identified by the Netgear Admin page, verifying that the port status is up.

Step 8: Integrate the Raspberry Pi into the Switch

Connect the power source to the Raspberry Pi
Connect an Ethernet cable to one of the ports located on the switch
Connect the Ethernet cable from the switch to the port of the Raspberry Pi

Step 9: Verify that the Raspberry Pi is recognized on the network (Xfinity Network)

Repeat Step 3 and verify that the Raspberry Pi's hostname is populated in the Connected Devices

Step 10: Verify that the Raspberry Pi is recognized on the switch (Netgear)

Repeat Step 7 and verify that the Ethernet cable is connected between the Raspberry Pi and the switch, and the connected port is showing an up status

Step 11: Ping the Raspberry Pi

The ping command verifies that the Raspberry Pi is reachable within the local area network, and the Pi replies with ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) echo reply packets.

This completes the physical connectivity and network visibility of the Raspberry Pi and the switch to the local area network.

Next Steps (Part 3)

Demonstrate how to SSH into the Raspberry Pi's Linux operating system
Update and upgrade the Linux packages
Perform the installation and provisioning of MySQL

Headless Raspberry Pi Homelab – Part 1: OS Configuration & Remote Access

astromodem — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 17:54:52 +0000

Project Overview

This project documents the process of imaging and configuring a Raspberry Pi to function as a headless database server on a local network, with a focus on OS deployment, remote access, and preparing the system for headless database hosting and homelab expansion.

Hardware Used

Installing the OS & Writing to the microSD card

For the official step-by-step process, the Raspberry Pi Foundation provides documentation. I followed their documentation while performing my own process.

Official Raspberry Pi Getting Started Documentation

Step 1: Install the Raspberry Pi Imager

Download and install the Raspberry Pi Imager for your operating system

Official Raspberry Pi Imager Software

After installation, ensure the software is fully updated before proceeding.

Step 2: Select Device & Operating System

Launch Raspberry Pi Imager
Select your Raspberry Pi model (I'm using a Raspberry Pi 4)
Choose the Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit is recommended)

Why 64-bit?

The 64-bit OS provides better memory handling and compatibility with modern services such as databases and containerized applications.

Step 3: Prepare the Storage Device

The Samsung microSD card and adapter.
Insert the Samsung microSD card and adapter into the Uni SD Card Reader.
Connect the storage device to your computer.

Once connected and granted access to your computer, the storage device should appear in the Select Storage menu of the Imager.

Step 4: Configure OS Customization Settings

Before writing the OS, the Raspberry Pi Imager allows several important pre-boot configurations.

Hostname

Set a custom hostname to easily identify the device on the network.

Localization

Configure the timezone and keyboard layout based on your geographical location.

Username & Password

Create a user account that will be used for SSH access.

Step 5: Network & Access Configuration

Wi-Fi (Optional)

The Wi-Fi setup was skipped in favor of Ethernet.

Why Ethernet?

More stable connection
Lower latency
Easier to troubleshoot
Common practice in server environments

SSH

SSH was enabled during imaging using password authentication.

This ensures the Pi can be accessed remotely without requiring a display.

Step 6: Raspberry Pi Connect (Optional)

Raspberry Pi Connect provides secure remote access features. Since this was new to me, I enabled it to explore its capabilities.

If you choose to enable Raspberry Pi Connect, you'll have to create an account and verify it.

Step 7: Write the OS Image

After reviewing all customizations, proceed with writing the OS to the microSD card.

Warning: This process erases all existing data on the microSD card.

Once the writing process successfully finishes, the Write Complete page will populate, the Finish button can be selected, and you can remove your storage device that contains the newly imaged microSD card.

Step 8: Booting the Raspberry Pi

Insert the newly imaged microSD card into the Raspberry Pi. The Raspberry Pi is now ready to be integrated into your home network.

Next Steps (Part 2)

Connect the Raspberry Pi to the home network via Ethernet, using a Netgear switch and Xfinity router.
Verify that the Pi is properly recognized on the network using the Xfinity admin tool and Netgear admin tool.
Test connectivity by pinging the Pi from another device on the network or accessing it via SSH.