Home Assistant is the de facto open‑source platform for home automation, and running it on a Raspberry Pi gives you a low‑cost, always‑on smart hub. In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to get Home Assistant up and running on your Raspberry Pi 5 (8 GB) in 2025—whether you’re a complete beginner or just brushing up.

What You’ll Need

• Raspberry Pi 5 with at least 8 GB RAM
  
• Active “Pi” cooler (heatsink + fan recommended)
  
• Quality 5 V/3 A USB‑C power supply
  
• NVMe SSD (e.g. 512 GB) plus an NVMe → USB or M.2 adapter
  
• Micro SD card (8 GB+), and SD → USB adapter
  
• Ethernet cable (or strong Wi‑Fi)
  
• A keyboard + mouse and HDMI monitor (for initial setup)
  
• A Windows/Mac/Linux computer for flashing the OS
  
• Raspberry Pi Imager v1.8.5
  
  

Step 1: Hardware Overview & Assembly

Inspect your Pi 5

• You should see the 8 GB LPDDR4X RAM chips and the 512 GB NVMe SSD plugged into your base.
  
• Locate the LAN port, the 2× USB‑A ports for keyboard/mouse, and the USB‑C power input.
  
• Don’t forget the active cooler installed on the CPU—essential for sustained performance.
  

Prepare your storage

• Insert your micro SD card into the USB adapter.
  
• Connect the adapter to your computer.
  
  

Step 2: Download & Install Raspberry Pi Imager

• In Imager, click “Choose OS → Other specific-purpose OS” → “Raspberry Pi OS (other)”.
  
• Select the latest Raspberry Pi OS Lite (or Desktop, if you prefer a GUI).
  
• Click “Choose Storage” and select your SD‑card adapter.
  
• Hit “Write” and wait for the process to complete.

Pro tip: After writing, use the “Eject” button in Imager to avoid corrupting the card.

► Watch the Full Walkthrough Video Below

Step 4: First Boot & Home Assistant OS Installation

1. Insert the flashed SD card into your Pi and connect the NVMe SSD.
   
2. Plug in Ethernet (or set up Wi‑Fi via USB‑to‑Wi‑Fi adapter) and power on.
   
3. The Pi will automatically install Home Assistant OS to your SSD—watch the LEDs blink until complete.
   
4. Wait ~10 minutes for initial setup; the SSD will show steady activity when done.
   

Step 5: Accessing Home Assistant

1. On another device, open a browser and go to http://<RASPBERRY_PI_IP_ADDRESS>:8123.
   
2. You’ll see the Home Assistant onboarding screen.
   
3. Create your first user (email + password).
   
4. If you already have Home Assistant devices on your network, they’ll auto‑discover here.
   

Step 6: Enable Advanced Mode

1. Click Supervisor → Add‑on Store.
   
2. Find “File Editor”, click Install, then Start.
   
3. Toggle “Show in sidebar” so it’s always handy.
   
4. Launch File Editor, then open configuration.yaml to begin custom automations.
   
   

Step 8: Install Terminal & SSH

• Set up integrations: Philips Hue, MQTT, Z-Wave, Zigbee, etc.
• Create automations via the UI or directly in YAML.
• Secure your instance: enable SSL, change default ports, and back up snapshots.
  

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What’s Next?

• Set up integrations: Philips Hue, MQTT, Z-Wave, Zigbee, etc.
• Create automations via the UI or directly in YAML.
• Secure your instance: enable SSL, change default ports, and back up snapshots.

Tip: Check the Home Assistant community forums for the latest recipes and troubleshooting.