BMCoCo-Pi 0.1.0rc3 · Windows setup, Linux console and model downloads.

Before you begin

Check the Pi, not just the computer used to prepare its card

Development and hardware testing have occurred only on Pi400 and Pi500. Pi5 and Pi4 Model B packages are available, with compatibility expected from their shared hardware families; those exact models have not been physically validated. Pi3 Model B+ is not included in this release. Pi400 acceptance does not establish Pi4 acceptance; Pi500 acceptance does not establish Pi5 acceptance. A shared processor/kernel family is not a substitute for testing USB, boot firmware, display, audio, storage and timing.

The Downloads page provides Windows setup, a Linux guided console, and separate packages for Pi400, Pi4 Model B, Pi500 and Pi5. Choose the exact model. Fresh-card installation and Pi500 boot passed using Linux and the packaged Windows helper. This does not establish every wizard/failure path or every supported board/card/reader combination.

Equipment checklist

• Your selected Pi and a suitable power supply for that exact model.
• A dedicated SD card and a reader your Windows/Linux PC can access. Card acceptance used a 32GB card. Other capacities have not each been physically validated; a small model ZIP is not proof that an arbitrary card/reader works.
• HDMI display and the correct cable/adapter. Start with the primary HDMI output for your model. An older television may require its own aspect/scan setting; do not edit boot firmware files as a first troubleshooting step.
• A wired USB keyboard, or the Pi400/Pi500 built-in keyboard. Bluetooth input is not implemented. A wired USB gamepad is optional and model-dependent.
• Ethernet cable and a router with DHCP if you want the Web UI. Local operation does not require Internet access or a remote disk server. Wi-Fi is not implemented by the current BMCoCo-Pi build.
• The owner-supplied ROM files and any optional media you may use.
• A Windows or Linux PC with permission to prepare removable storage. The Windows package targets Windows 11 x86-64 and includes its runtime. The Linux console needs Python3.10+ and the tools listed in Linux setup. Windows ARM and Linux ARM hosts have not been validated.

Keep any working Raspberry Pi OS card separate. Preparing a card for BMCoCo-Pi does not install an application alongside Raspberry Pi OS; fresh installation replaces that selected card's contents. It must not change the Pi's EEPROM or the PC's system disk.

Network boundary

Current Web/remote control is unauthenticated and intended only for a trusted internal LAN. Do not forward its ports, expose it to the Internet or assume a shared/public network is safe. This is not a hosted cloud emulator. The public documentation/download site at coco-pi.net is separate from the Web UI served by your own Pi. Downloading a package does not expose your Pi to the Internet.

Guide edition: November 2, 2026.