Herman Entertainment System – Complete Setup Guide
This is a guide to the Herman Entertainment System, a handheld gaming system with a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W and the Adafruit 1.3″ TFT Bonnet. Why Herman? I don’t know, that is what Ro wanted to call it, apparently Herman needs entertained. As for why we needed this instead of an existing emulator, well this particular setup struggles to run systems like RetroPie due to a display issue, so we created a small setup that uses Python and creates a home screen that lists all the games on the device and you simply choose which to play. It automatically updates with all the games you have added, in our example we have a Snake game, but you can add or make nearly anything. We used Perplexity to create the code and help us work through the setup issues with the display. If you’re not a coder, most AI will have little issue programming games for a system of this size, to make the snake game we literally just said “Create code for a snake game in python”. We also have a space on Perplexity already set up with a prompt for the AI with all the system requirements for programming on this setup, you can use the space here.
Complete instructions and code below the video.
Step 1: Prepare the SD Card (Headless Setup)
Flash Pi OS Lite
- Download Raspberry Pi Imager from raspberrypi.org
- Insert your SD card into your computer
- Open Raspberry Pi Imager
- Choose “Raspberry Pi OS Lite (32-bit)” – no desktop needed
- Click the gear icon (Advanced options) and configure:
- Enable SSH ✓
- Set username:
herman - Set password: (your choice)
- Configure WiFi: Enter your network name and password
- Set locale settings: Your country/timezone
- Flash the image to SD card
Alternative Manual WiFi Setup (if imager WiFi didn’t work)
If WiFi wasn’t configured in the imager:
- After flashing, remove and reinsert the SD card
- Create a file called
wpa_supplicant.confin the boot folder with this content:
country=US
ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev
update_config=1
network={
ssid="YOUR_WIFI_NAME"
psk="YOUR_WIFI_PASSWORD"
}
- Create an empty file called
ssh(no extension) in the boot folder
Step 2: First Boot and SSH Connection
- Insert SD card into your Pi Zero 2 W
- Power on the Pi (green LED should flash, then stay solid)
- Wait 2-3 minutes for first boot to complete
- Find the Pi’s IP address:
- Check your router’s admin page for connected devices
- Or use an IP scanner like Advanced IP Scanner
- Look for device named “raspberrypi”
Connect via SSH
ssh [email protected] # Replace XXX with your Pi's actual IP address
Enter your password when prompted.
Step 3: System Updates and Basic Setup
# Update the system sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y # Install essential packages sudo apt install python3-pip python3-pil git -y # Enable SPI (required for TFT display) sudo raspi-config
In raspi-config:
- Go to Interface Options → SPI → Enable
- Finish and reboot
Reconnect via SSH after reboot.
Step 4: Install TFT Display Libraries (Fixed for Bookworm)
Note: Newer Pi OS versions require --break-system-packages flag
# Install compatible Adafruit libraries sudo pip3 install "adafruit-circuitpython-rgb-display==3.10.0" --break-system-packages sudo pip3 install "adafruit-circuitpython-busdevice==5.2.0" --break-system-packages sudo pip3 install "adafruit-circuitpython-typing==1.10.1" --break-system-packages # Install additional required libraries for SPI configuration sudo pip3 install click --break-system-packages sudo pip3 install adafruit-python-shell --break-system-packages # Install system packages sudo apt install python3-numpy -y
Step 5: Configure TFT Display Hardware
# Download and run the SPI configuration script wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/adafruit/Raspberry-Pi-Installer-Scripts/main/raspi-spi-reassign.py sudo python3 raspi-spi-reassign.py
When prompted:
- Select 1 Reassign SPI Chip Enable Pins
- For CE0 selection, choose 22 Disabled
- Reboot when prompted
Step 6: Create the Gaming System Files
Reconnect via SSH and create your gaming system:
# Create directories mkdir -p /home/herman/games mkdir -p /home/herman/system
Create the main entertainment system:
nano /home/herman/herman_entertainment_system.py
Then copy the following code and paste it into the new file.
#!/usr/bin/env python3
import time
import os
import subprocess
import digitalio
import board
import importlib.util
import sys
from adafruit_rgb_display.rgb import color565
from adafruit_rgb_display import st7789
import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
from PIL import Image, ImageDraw, ImageFont
class HermanEntertainmentSystem:
def __init__(self):
# Initialize display and GPIO in the class
self.setup_hardware()
# Load fonts
try:
self.font_huge = ImageFont.truetype("/usr/share/fonts/truetype/dejavu/DejaVuSans-Bold.ttf", 36)
self.font_large = ImageFont.truetype("/usr/share/fonts/truetype/dejavu/DejaVuSans-Bold.ttf", 24)
self.font_medium = ImageFont.truetype("/usr/share/fonts/truetype/dejavu/DejaVuSans.ttf", 18)
self.font_small = ImageFont.truetype("/usr/share/fonts/truetype/dejavu/DejaVuSans.ttf", 14)
except:
self.font_huge = ImageFont.load_default()
self.font_large = ImageFont.load_default()
self.font_medium = ImageFont.load_default()
self.font_small = ImageFont.load_default()
# Button debouncing
self.last_button_time = 0
self.button_debounce = 0.2
# Game list
self.games = []
self.selected_game = 0
self.games_directory = "/home/herman/games"
# Create games directory if it doesn't exist
if not os.path.exists(self.games_directory):
os.makedirs(self.games_directory)
self.scan_for_games()
def setup_hardware(self):
"""Initialize display and GPIO"""
# TFT Display Setup
self.cs_pin = digitalio.DigitalInOut(board.CE0)
self.dc_pin = digitalio.DigitalInOut(board.D25)
reset_pin = None
BAUDRATE = 40000000
self.display = st7789.ST7789(
board.SPI(),
cs=self.cs_pin,
dc=self.dc_pin,
rst=reset_pin,
baudrate=BAUDRATE,
width=240,
height=240,
x_offset=0,
y_offset=80,
rotation=180, # Fixed rotation for proper orientation
)
self.backlight = digitalio.DigitalInOut(board.D26)
self.backlight.switch_to_output()
self.backlight.value = True
# GPIO Setup - Correct pins for Pi Zero 2 W + TFT Bonnet
GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)
GPIO.setup(17, GPIO.IN, pull_up_down=GPIO.PUD_UP) # UP
GPIO.setup(22, GPIO.IN, pull_up_down=GPIO.PUD_UP) # DOWN
GPIO.setup(27, GPIO.IN, pull_up_down=GPIO.PUD_UP) # LEFT
GPIO.setup(23, GPIO.IN, pull_up_down=GPIO.PUD_UP) # RIGHT
GPIO.setup(5, GPIO.IN, pull_up_down=GPIO.PUD_UP) # Button A
GPIO.setup(6, GPIO.IN, pull_up_down=GPIO.PUD_UP) # Button B
GPIO.setup(4, GPIO.IN, pull_up_down=GPIO.PUD_UP) # Button C
def get_text_size(self, draw, text, font):
"""Compatible text size function for older PIL versions"""
try:
bbox = draw.textbbox((0, 0), text, font=font)
return bbox[2] - bbox[0], bbox[3] - bbox[1]
except AttributeError:
try:
return draw.textsize(text, font=font)
except:
return len(text) * 8, 16
def draw_centered_text(self, draw, text, y_pos, font, color):
"""Draw text centered horizontally"""
text_width, text_height = self.get_text_size(draw, text, font)
x_pos = (240 - text_width) // 2
draw.text((x_pos, y_pos), text, font=font, fill=color)
return text_height
def read_controls_debounced(self):
"""Read controls with debouncing"""
current_time = time.time()
raw_controls = {
'up': not GPIO.input(17),
'down': not GPIO.input(22),
'left': not GPIO.input(27),
'right': not GPIO.input(23),
'button_a': not GPIO.input(5),
'button_b': not GPIO.input(6),
'button_c': not GPIO.input(4)
}
# Apply debouncing
if current_time - self.last_button_time > self.button_debounce:
if any(raw_controls.values()):
self.last_button_time = current_time
return raw_controls
return {key: False for key in raw_controls}
def scan_for_games(self):
"""Scan for available game files"""
self.games = []
# Add built-in games
builtin_games = [
{"name": "Snake Game", "file": "snake_game_module.py", "type": "builtin"},
]
for game in builtin_games:
if os.path.exists(f"/home/herman/{game['file']}"):
self.games.append(game)
# Scan games directory for additional games
if os.path.exists(self.games_directory):
for filename in os.listdir(self.games_directory):
if filename.endswith('.py'):
game_name = filename.replace('.py', '').replace('_', ' ').title()
self.games.append({
"name": game_name,
"file": filename,
"type": "custom"
})
# Add system options
self.games.extend([
{"name": "System Info", "file": None, "type": "system"},
{"name": "Shutdown", "file": None, "type": "system"}
])
# Reset selection if out of bounds
if self.selected_game >= len(self.games):
self.selected_game = 0
def show_welcome_screen(self):
"""Display welcome screen"""
image = Image.new('RGB', (240, 240), (0, 0, 50)) # Dark blue background
draw = ImageDraw.Draw(image)
# Title with shadow effect
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "Herman", 31, self.font_huge, (0, 0, 0)) # Shadow
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "Herman", 30, self.font_huge, (0, 255, 100)) # Main
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "Entertainment", 71, self.font_large, (0, 0, 0)) # Shadow
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "Entertainment", 70, self.font_large, (255, 255, 255)) # Main
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "System", 101, self.font_large, (0, 0, 0)) # Shadow
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "System", 100, self.font_large, (255, 255, 255)) # Main
# Animated dots
dots = "..." if int(time.time() * 2) % 2 else ""
self.draw_centered_text(draw, f"Loading{dots}", 140, self.font_medium, (100, 100, 255))
# Instructions
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "Press A to Continue", 180, self.font_medium, (255, 255, 0))
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "Press B to Shutdown", 210, self.font_small, (255, 100, 100))
self.display.image(image)
def show_game_list(self):
"""Display scrollable game list"""
image = Image.new('RGB', (240, 240), (0, 0, 0))
draw = ImageDraw.Draw(image)
# Header
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "Select Game", 10, self.font_large, (0, 255, 0))
# Draw game list (show 5 games at a time)
start_index = max(0, self.selected_game - 2)
end_index = min(len(self.games), start_index + 5)
y_pos = 50
for i in range(start_index, end_index):
game = self.games[i]
# Highlight selected game
if i == self.selected_game:
# Selection background
draw.rectangle([10, y_pos - 2, 230, y_pos + 25], fill=(0, 100, 0))
text_color = (255, 255, 255)
# Selection indicator
draw.text((15, y_pos + 2), ">", font=self.font_medium, fill=(255, 255, 0))
else:
text_color = (200, 200, 200)
# Game name
draw.text((35, y_pos + 2), game["name"], font=self.font_medium, fill=text_color)
# Game type indicator
if game["type"] == "builtin":
draw.rectangle([220, y_pos + 5, 235, y_pos + 15], fill=(0, 255, 0))
elif game["type"] == "custom":
draw.rectangle([220, y_pos + 5, 235, y_pos + 15], fill=(0, 0, 255))
elif game["type"] == "system":
draw.rectangle([220, y_pos + 5, 235, y_pos + 15], fill=(255, 0, 0))
y_pos += 30
# Instructions
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "Up/Down = Navigate", 190, self.font_small, (100, 100, 100))
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "A = Select B = Back", 210, self.font_small, (100, 100, 100))
# Scroll indicators
if start_index > 0:
draw.text((115, 35), "▲", font=self.font_small, fill=(255, 255, 0))
if end_index < len(self.games):
draw.text((115, 175), "▼", font=self.font_small, fill=(255, 255, 0))
self.display.image(image)
def show_system_info(self):
"""Display system information"""
image = Image.new('RGB', (240, 240), (0, 0, 0))
draw = ImageDraw.Draw(image)
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "System Info", 20, self.font_large, (0, 255, 0))
# Get system info
try:
with open('/proc/cpuinfo', 'r') as f:
for line in f:
if 'Model' in line:
model = line.split(':')[1].strip()
break
else:
model = "Raspberry Pi"
except:
model = "Unknown"
info_lines = [
f"Device: {model[:20]}",
f"Games: {len([g for g in self.games if g['type'] != 'system'])}",
f"Python: 3.11",
f"Display: 240x240 ST7789"
]
y_pos = 70
for line in info_lines:
self.draw_centered_text(draw, line, y_pos, self.font_small, (255, 255, 255))
y_pos += 25
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "Press B to return", 200, self.font_small, (255, 255, 0))
self.display.image(image)
def launch_game(self, game):
"""Launch selected game using dynamic import for custom games"""
if game["type"] == "system":
if game["name"] == "System Info":
return "system_info"
elif game["name"] == "Shutdown":
return "shutdown"
try:
# Show loading screen for both built-in and custom games
image = Image.new('RGB', (240, 240), (0, 0, 0))
draw = ImageDraw.Draw(image)
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "Loading Game...", 120, self.font_medium, (255, 255, 0))
self.display.image(image)
if game["type"] == "builtin":
# Built-in game handling (existing snake game)
if game['file'] == 'snake_game_module.py':
from snake_game_module import SnakeGame
game_instance = SnakeGame(self.display, GPIO, self.backlight)
game_instance.run()
elif game["type"] == "custom":
# Dynamic import for custom games
game_path = os.path.join(self.games_directory, game["file"])
module_name = os.path.splitext(game["file"])[0]
# Import the module
spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location(module_name, game_path)
game_module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
sys.modules[module_name] = game_module
spec.loader.exec_module(game_module)
# Convert filename to CamelCase class name
class_name = ''.join(
part.capitalize()
for part in module_name.split('_')
)
# Get the game class
GameClass = getattr(game_module, class_name)
# Instantiate and run the game
game_instance = GameClass(self.display, GPIO, self.backlight)
game_instance.run()
return "game_list"
except Exception as e:
# Unified error handling
image = Image.new('RGB', (240, 240), (0, 0, 0))
draw = ImageDraw.Draw(image)
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "Game Error!", 80, self.font_medium, (255, 0, 0))
error_msg = str(e)
if len(error_msg) > 30:
error_msg = error_msg[:30] + "..."
self.draw_centered_text(draw, error_msg, 110, self.font_small, (255, 255, 255))
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "Press A to continue", 160, self.font_small, (255, 255, 255))
self.display.image(image)
# Wait for button press
while True:
controls = self.read_controls_debounced()
if controls['button_a']:
break
time.sleep(0.1)
return "game_list"
def run(self):
"""Main system loop"""
state = "welcome"
try:
while True:
controls = self.read_controls_debounced()
if state == "welcome":
self.show_welcome_screen()
if controls['button_a']:
state = "game_list"
self.scan_for_games() # Refresh game list
elif controls['button_b']:
# Shutdown
image = Image.new('RGB', (240, 240), (0, 0, 0))
draw = ImageDraw.Draw(image)
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "Shutting Down...", 120, self.font_medium, (255, 0, 0))
self.display.image(image)
time.sleep(2)
subprocess.run(['sudo', 'shutdown', '-h', 'now'])
break
elif state == "game_list":
self.show_game_list()
if controls['up']:
self.selected_game = (self.selected_game - 1) % len(self.games)
elif controls['down']:
self.selected_game = (self.selected_game + 1) % len(self.games)
elif controls['button_a']:
if self.games:
result = self.launch_game(self.games[self.selected_game])
if result == "system_info":
state = "system_info"
elif result == "shutdown":
subprocess.run(['sudo', 'shutdown', '-h', 'now'])
break
# Game returned, stay in game_list state
elif controls['button_b']:
state = "welcome"
elif state == "system_info":
self.show_system_info()
if controls['button_b']:
state = "game_list"
time.sleep(0.1)
except KeyboardInterrupt:
pass
finally:
try:
GPIO.cleanup()
except:
pass
try:
self.backlight.value = False
except:
pass
# Main execution
if __name__ == "__main__":
system = HermanEntertainmentSystem()
system.run()
Control + x to exit, then Y to save, and Enter to confirm the name. This will be the same process for the Snake game.
Create the Snake game:
nano /home/herman/snake_game_module.py
#!/usr/bin/env python3
import time
import random
import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
from PIL import Image, ImageDraw, ImageFont
class SnakeGame:
def __init__(self, display_obj, gpio_obj, backlight_obj):
# Verify objects are not None
if display_obj is None or gpio_obj is None or backlight_obj is None:
raise ValueError("Display, GPIO, or backlight object is None")
self.display = display_obj
self.GPIO = gpio_obj
self.backlight = backlight_obj
self.grid_size = 12
self.grid_width = 240 // self.grid_size
self.grid_height = 240 // self.grid_size
self.reset_game()
# Load fonts
try:
self.font_huge = ImageFont.truetype("/usr/share/fonts/truetype/dejavu/DejaVuSans-Bold.ttf", 48)
self.font_large = ImageFont.truetype("/usr/share/fonts/truetype/dejavu/DejaVuSans-Bold.ttf", 32)
self.font_medium = ImageFont.truetype("/usr/share/fonts/truetype/dejavu/DejaVuSans.ttf", 20)
self.font_small = ImageFont.truetype("/usr/share/fonts/truetype/dejavu/DejaVuSans.ttf", 16)
except:
self.font_huge = ImageFont.load_default()
self.font_large = ImageFont.load_default()
self.font_medium = ImageFont.load_default()
self.font_small = ImageFont.load_default()
# Button debouncing
self.last_button_time = 0
self.button_debounce = 0.1
self.last_direction_time = 0
self.direction_debounce = 0.1
# Display optimization
self.last_display_update = 0
self.display_interval = 0.05
def reset_game(self):
center_x = self.grid_width // 2
center_y = self.grid_height // 2
self.snake = [
[center_x, center_y],
[center_x - 1, center_y],
[center_x - 2, center_y]
]
self.direction = [1, 0]
self.food = self.generate_food()
self.score = 0
self.game_over = False
self.needs_redraw = True
def generate_food(self):
while True:
food_x = random.randint(0, self.grid_width - 1)
food_y = random.randint(0, self.grid_height - 1)
if [food_x, food_y] not in self.snake:
return [food_x, food_y]
def read_controls_debounced(self):
current_time = time.time()
raw_controls = {
'up': not self.GPIO.input(17),
'down': not self.GPIO.input(22),
'left': not self.GPIO.input(27),
'right': not self.GPIO.input(23),
'button_a': not self.GPIO.input(5),
'button_b': not self.GPIO.input(6)
}
debounced_controls = {
'up': False, 'down': False, 'left': False, 'right': False,
'button_a': False, 'button_b': False
}
if current_time - self.last_direction_time > self.direction_debounce:
if any([raw_controls['up'], raw_controls['down'],
raw_controls['left'], raw_controls['right']]):
debounced_controls.update({
'up': raw_controls['up'],
'down': raw_controls['down'],
'left': raw_controls['left'],
'right': raw_controls['right']
})
self.last_direction_time = current_time
if current_time - self.last_button_time > self.button_debounce:
if raw_controls['button_a'] or raw_controls['button_b']:
debounced_controls.update({
'button_a': raw_controls['button_a'],
'button_b': raw_controls['button_b']
})
self.last_button_time = current_time
return debounced_controls
def update_direction(self, controls):
old_direction = self.direction.copy()
if controls['up'] and self.direction[1] != 1:
self.direction = [0, -1]
elif controls['down'] and self.direction[1] != -1:
self.direction = [0, 1]
elif controls['left'] and self.direction[0] != 1:
self.direction = [-1, 0]
elif controls['right'] and self.direction[0] != -1:
self.direction = [1, 0]
if old_direction != self.direction:
self.needs_redraw = True
def move_snake(self):
old_snake = self.snake.copy()
old_food = self.food.copy()
old_score = self.score
head = self.snake[0].copy()
head[0] += self.direction[0]
head[1] += self.direction[1]
if (head[0] < 0 or head[0] >= self.grid_width or
head[1] < 0 or head[1] >= self.grid_height or
head in self.snake):
self.game_over = True
self.needs_redraw = True
return
self.snake.insert(0, head)
if head == self.food:
self.score += 1
self.food = self.generate_food()
else:
self.snake.pop()
if (self.snake != old_snake or self.food != old_food or
self.score != old_score):
self.needs_redraw = True
def get_text_size(self, draw, text, font):
try:
bbox = draw.textbbox((0, 0), text, font=font)
return bbox[2] - bbox[0], bbox[3] - bbox[1]
except AttributeError:
try:
return draw.textsize(text, font=font)
except:
return len(text) * 8, 16
def draw_centered_text(self, draw, text, y_pos, font, color):
text_width, text_height = self.get_text_size(draw, text, font)
x_pos = (240 - text_width) // 2
draw.text((x_pos, y_pos), text, font=font, fill=color)
return text_height
def draw_game(self):
current_time = time.time()
if (not self.needs_redraw or
current_time - self.last_display_update < self.display_interval):
return
image = Image.new('RGB', (240, 240), (0, 0, 0))
draw = ImageDraw.Draw(image)
# Draw game area border
draw.rectangle([0, 25, 239, 239], outline=(100, 100, 100), width=2)
# Draw score at top
score_text = f"Score: {self.score}"
draw.text((5, 2), score_text, font=self.font_medium, fill=(255, 255, 255))
# Draw snake
for i, segment in enumerate(self.snake):
x = segment[0] * self.grid_size
y = 25 + segment[1] * self.grid_size
if i == 0: # Head
draw.rectangle([x, y, x + self.grid_size - 1, y + self.grid_size - 1],
fill=(0, 255, 0))
# Eyes
draw.rectangle([x + 2, y + 2, x + 4, y + 4], fill=(255, 255, 255))
draw.rectangle([x + 7, y + 2, x + 9, y + 4], fill=(255, 255, 255))
else: # Body
draw.rectangle([x, y, x + self.grid_size - 1, y + self.grid_size - 1],
fill=(0, 150, 0))
draw.rectangle([x + 2, y + 2, x + self.grid_size - 3, y + self.grid_size - 3],
fill=(0, 200, 0))
# Draw food
food_x = self.food[0] * self.grid_size
food_y = 25 + self.food[1] * self.grid_size
draw.ellipse([food_x, food_y, food_x + self.grid_size - 1, food_y + self.grid_size - 1],
fill=(255, 0, 0))
draw.rectangle([food_x + 5, food_y - 2, food_x + 7, food_y + 2], fill=(139, 69, 19))
self.display.image(image)
self.last_display_update = current_time
self.needs_redraw = False
def draw_start_screen(self):
image = Image.new('RGB', (240, 240), (0, 0, 0))
draw = ImageDraw.Draw(image)
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "SNAKE", 25, self.font_huge, (0, 255, 0))
instructions = [
("Joystick = Move", 90, (255, 255, 255)),
("Eat Red Apples", 120, (255, 100, 100)),
("Don't Hit Walls!", 150, (255, 255, 100)),
("Press A = Start", 190, (100, 255, 100)),
("Press B = Main Menu", 220, (100, 100, 255))
]
for text, y_pos, color in instructions:
self.draw_centered_text(draw, text, y_pos, self.font_medium, color)
self.display.image(image)
def draw_game_over_screen(self):
image = Image.new('RGB', (240, 240), (0, 0, 0))
draw = ImageDraw.Draw(image)
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "GAME", 20, self.font_large, (255, 0, 0))
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "OVER", 60, self.font_large, (255, 0, 0))
score_text = f"Score: {self.score}"
self.draw_centered_text(draw, score_text, 110, self.font_large, (255, 255, 0))
if self.score >= 20:
rating, color = "MASTER!", (255, 215, 0)
elif self.score >= 10:
rating, color = "Great!", (192, 192, 192)
elif self.score >= 5:
rating, color = "Good!", (205, 127, 50)
else:
rating, color = "Try Again!", (255, 255, 255)
self.draw_centered_text(draw, rating, 150, self.font_medium, color)
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "A = Play Again", 190, self.font_medium, (0, 255, 0))
self.draw_centered_text(draw, "B = Main Menu", 220, self.font_medium, (0, 255, 0))
self.display.image(image)
def run(self):
game_state = "start"
last_state = None
while True:
controls = self.read_controls_debounced()
if game_state != last_state:
if game_state == "start":
self.draw_start_screen()
elif game_state == "game_over":
self.draw_game_over_screen()
last_state = game_state
if game_state == "start":
if controls['button_a']:
game_state = "playing"
self.reset_game()
elif controls['button_b']:
return # Return to main menu
elif game_state == "playing":
self.update_direction(controls)
if controls['button_b']:
return # Return to main menu
self.move_snake()
if self.game_over:
game_state = "game_over"
self.draw_game()
speed = max(0.1, 0.3 - (self.score * 0.01))
time.sleep(speed)
elif game_state == "game_over":
if controls['button_a']:
game_state = "playing"
self.reset_game()
elif controls['button_b']:
return # Return to main menu
time.sleep(0.02)
Make files executable:
chmod +x /home/herman/*.py
Step 7: Test the System Manually
Before setting up auto-start, test everything works:
python3 /home/herman/herman_entertainment_system.py
You should see:
- Herman Entertainment System welcome screen
- Working joystick controls (GPIO 17=UP, 22=DOWN, 27=LEFT, 23=RIGHT)
- Display rotation=180 (correct orientation)
- Snake game launches and returns to menu properly
Step 8: Set Up Auto-Start Service
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/gaming-os.service
Add this content:
[Unit] Description=Herman Entertainment System After=multi-user.target [Service] Type=simple User=herman Group=herman WorkingDirectory=/home/herman Environment=PATH=/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin Environment=PYTHONPATH=/usr/local/lib/python3.11/dist-packages ExecStart=/usr/bin/python3 /home/herman/herman_entertainment_system.py Restart=always RestartSec=10 [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target
Then run:
# Set correct permissions and enable the service
sudo chmod 644 /etc/systemd/system/gaming-os.service
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable gaming-os.service
sudo systemctl start gaming-os.service
# Check if it's working
sudo systemctl status gaming-os.service
Step 9: Final Reboot and Testing
sudo reboot
After reboot, your Pi should automatically:
- Boot to the Herman Entertainment System welcome screen
- Display “Press A to Continue”
- Show the game menu when you press Button A
- Launch Snake game and return to menu properly
Step 10: Adding More Games
To add new games later:
- SSH into your Pi
- Copy Python game files to
/home/herman/games/ - The system will automatically detect and list them
There is a full write up here to add games to the HES.
Troubleshooting Tips
If display doesn’t work:
- Check TFT Bonnet is firmly seated on all 40 GPIO pins
- Verify SPI is enabled:
lsmod | grep spi
If controls are wrong:
- The code includes the correct GPIO mappings: 17=UP, 22=DOWN, 27=LEFT, 23=RIGHT
If service won’t start:
- Check logs:
sudo journalctl -u gaming-os.service -f
If WiFi doesn’t connect:
- Check:
sudo nmcli radio wifi(should show “enabled”) - Reconfigure:
sudo raspi-config→ Network Options → WiFi
System Specifications
- Total system size: ~500MB
- Boot time: ~25-30 seconds to gaming system
- RAM usage: ~150-200MB
- Professional Herman Entertainment System interface
- Working Snake game with proper controls
- Auto-discovery of new games you add
- SSH access for remote management
- Expandable system for multiple devices
Key Fixes Incorporated
This complete setup process incorporates all the fixes we discovered:
- Proper library installation with
--break-system-packages - Correct SPI configuration and CE0 disabling
- Fixed GPIO pin mappings for Pi Zero 2 W + TFT Bonnet
- Proper display rotation (180°)
- Resolved “GPIO busy” errors with shared hardware setup
- Working game launching and return-to-menu functionality
Save this guide for easy reference when setting up additional devices! 🎮✨
