This guide contains the very basics for getting started with the Rapsberry Pi

Setting up Wifi before boot (the simple way)

1. Create a new file on windows with Editor named wpa_supplicant.conf
2. Add the following details inside the file:

country=DE
ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev
update_config=1

network={
    ssid="SSID"
    psk="password"
}

Connecting via SSH before boot (the simple way)

To enable SSH, create a file named ssh by right-clicking the mouse and selecting new text file. Move the file to the Boot directory. The boot directory is the only one that can be accessed on Windows after flashing the image on the microSD card.

Insert the microSD in the Raspberry Pi and add a microUSB cable for power. After waiting for a full minute, you should be able to connect to the Raspberry via SSH. To do so, open a ssh program on your computer (like putty) and insert the IP address (usually something like 192.168.1.100). If you have installed itunes (and bonjour with it), you can even connect to the Raspberry via Putty by simply typing raspberrypi.local. Once connected, use the default credentials (username: pi, password: raspberry) to get access.

One-time configuration

On any new computer, you need to configure it before using. The Raspbery Pi is no exception to that. To start, type sudo raspi-config in the Terminal.

First thing first, from the advanced options, choose expand filesystem. This will let you utilise the whole space on the microSD card. Alternatively, you can type sudo raspi-config --expand-rootfs in the Terminal.

Next, I'd recommend to enable VNC (assuming you have flashed Raspbian Stretch with Desktop) via the interfacing options. Doing so will allow you to access the screen from the Raspberry via VNC Viewer.

The default resolution is not too good by default when running headless. From the advanced options, choose Resolution and set it to a higher one (like 1280x720).

Lastly, from the localisation options, change the locale to the correct one, set the correct time-zone and Wifi-country.

Reboot after all operations and reconnect via VNC using the same IP address as before or using raspberrypi.local.