Here's how I like to set up the RPi. First, much as it pains me to say it, it's actually a good idea to use a Windows machine to initially prep the SD card. Then:

rpi$ raspi-config
# Select "boot_behaviour" and tell it not to start the desktop on boot.
# Select "expand-rootfs" and expand to the size of the SD card.

rpi$ sudo apt-get update
rpi$ sudo apt-get install vim build-essential git git-core
host$ cat ~/.ssh/id_dsa.pub | ssh pi@rpi "cat >> /home/pi/.ssh/authorized_keys"
rpi$ vi .bashrc     # add "export EDITOR=vim" or whatever editor you like

I install git on the RPi, but if I'm using it there, I'm doing something wrong.

Here are some things I want to do with the Raspberry Pi.

• Musical instrument
• Some ideas for embedded programming discussed in my blog.

The latter idea will require more thinking. I think the smart thing to do is run NodeJS on the RPi, probably using this approach.

I want to be able to write a kernel module that provides access to physical address space, probably thru an ioctl call. I need that for both projects.

Initially I figured I'd SSH into the RPi and do development there, but it will be a lot simpler if I can build the kernel module on a desktop or laptop. I'm using stuff from https://www.grendelman.net/wp/cross-compiling-kernel-modules-for-raspbian/. It seems to be working fine. Ultimately it would be cool to be able to build an entire SD card image.

On your host machine, run the makekernel.sh script. It will take a long time. Then copy the kernel over to the RPi.

host$ scp linux/arch/arm/boot/Image pi@rpi:/home/pi
rpi$ sudo cp Image /boot/kernel.img

Now go into the kernel-module directory and use the foo.sh script to build the kernel module. If you just run "make" you'll get a kernel module for your host machine and it won't work on the RPi. Then copy it over and run it

host$ scp  pi@rpi:/home/pi
rpi$ sudo insmod hello-1.ko
rpi$ dmesg     # Look for "Hello world" message
rpi$ sudo rmmod hello-1
rpi$ dmesg     # Look for "Goodbye world" message

When you install the char_dev driver, you'll want to define a /dev node for it:

rpi$ sudo mknod /dev/char\_dev c 100 0
rpi$ sudo chmod 777 /dev/char\_dev

I worked from the advice at https://gist.github.com/3301813 to install NodeJs successfully, basically doing this. My installation differs a little bit because NodeJS had matured from 0.8.8 to 0.8.14 since that information was originally posted. Run these commands on the RPi (an exception to the maxim that using git on the RPi indicates a mistake):

rpi$ git clone https://github.com/joyent/node.git
rpi$ cd node
rpi$ git checkout v0.8.14-release
rpi$ ./configure && make
rpi$ python tools/test.py -t 120 --mode=release simple message  # <-- optional
rpi$ sudo make install