Introduction: Pi Slideshow Display

This Instructable shows how to create a slideshow that will stream photos from a connected USB or file directory on the Pi

Step 1: Setting Up the USB

Before installing the program on the Pi that would run the slideshow, create a file on the USB for the photos to be stored in.

If you do not want to use a USB, you can create a directory on your Pi to store the photos you want displayed.

The file directory should be noted of. It will be needed later when creating the program.

Step 2: Installing the Program

The program that will be used to run the slide show is called FEH. To install it, type "apt-get install feh" into the terminal and run it as an administrator using "sudo" as shown in the picture above.

Step 3: Creating the Program File

On the Pi, create a program using nano as the editor. Put the file in an easy to find location such as the pi/home/ directory. Make sure to put ".py" at the end of your file name.

Step 4: The Code

Next go into the program file and insert the following code shown on the picture above.

Replace "/media/" with the directory to the USB in where your photos are located.

If you are not using a USB you can use a directory on your Pi that contains photos you would like to display.

feh -Y -x -q -D 5 -B black -F -Z -z -r /media/

feh at the beginning of the line calls the command to run the slideshow

The letters with a "-" in front are settings for the slide show. The list of these commands are displayed below:

  • Z Auto Zoom
  • -x Borderless
  • -F Fullscreen
  • -Y hide pointer
  • -B image background
  • -q quiet no error reporting
  • -z Randomise
  • -r Recursive search all folders in folders
  • -D Slide delay in seconds

Step 5: Make the File Executable

To make the file executable, go into the terminal and type the following code using "sudo". This is also shown in the picture above.

sudo chmod +x slideShow.py

Step 6: Running the File

To easily run the file, create a shortcut to the program on your desktop.

Double click the file and select "Execute" when the pop up appears.

Step 7: Running

The slideshow should now be running. To close the slide show, press ESC on your keyboard to return to the desktop.