THIS PROJECT BOOK IS ABOUT building a series of interesting projects and also about providing an education regarding the underlying project technologies. I am positive that my extensive experience as a college educator required me to ensure readers not only could build the projects but also understand why they function as designed.
Building a successful project is a reward unto itself, but additionally understanding why and how it functions is far more important. The reader should expect a great increase in experience and knowledge with the Raspberry Pi if a commitment is made to complete most of these projects. I personally always learn a great deal while designing and finishing them. Often, things work out just fine while at other times they are fraught with problems. However, that’s what I consider the joy of experimenting. As the renowned Professor Einstein once stated, “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”
The joy of learning about building projects are the key concepts within this book. I designed and built all of the projects and along the way gained a lot of knowledge about Linux and how it really shines as an operating system for embedded development platforms.
The complexity of the book projects are relatively equal and you should read each one that interests you and decide if you want to tackle it. Be assured that I have built and tested every project and can unequivocally state that they will function as designed if you do not deviate from the chapter instructions. You should also gain experience and confidence in dealing with the Linux OS, Java, and Python languages as you proceed through these projects.
Experienced Linux developers should feel free to jump into any of the projects, however, there are useful hints and techniques sprinkled throughout the book that might be missed by taking too selective an approach to reading the book. I have also tried to point out constraints and limitations of the Raspberry Pi as I encountered them when designing and building the projects. Just keep in mind, a $35 computer simply cannot meet all expectations.
Most of the book projects may be expanded and modified as desired. I tried to point out areas where you can make changes to suit your preferences and to suit your own particular situation. I strongly recommend that readers try to experiment and modify as this only enhances the learning experience. It has been stated that “The ability to experiment has been described as one of the key attributes that modern employers are looking for in twenty-first century employees.”