Nothing I do makes the sd card bootable. I’m on a Mac. I have done a complete reformat with the SDFormatter application, then copied the entire contents of the new Dexter Industries img file to the newly formatted SD card. What am I missing?
After using several programs that claimed to make bootable sd cards, I finally found one that worked: Pi Filler.
For anyone facing similar issues on OSX:
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download the latest image (in compressed ‘rar’ format)
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expand it to an ‘img’ directory
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use SDFormatter to format the card. (changing the card’s name is ok)
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use Pi Filler to put the img file on the card in bootable form. The directions are clear. Took about 10 minutes on my machine.
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boot the Pi with the new card inserted and either:
A. An ethernet connection to allow you to establish an ssh connection from a machine with a screen, mouse and keyboard.
B. A keyboard, mouse and HDMI screen hooked up.
Option A and B will both allow the configuration of wifi for subsequent boots.
If you will use an Raspberry Pi A+ with this sd card, you will either need a Pi B or Pi B+ on which to configure the wifi, or a USB hub to allow keyboard, mouse and wifi dongle to be hooked up simultaneously for the initial configuration of the wifi (the A+ has no ethernet, and only one USB port).
Anybody with an A+ is likely to have a B or B+ as well. I recommend using a B or B+ to configure the Dexter Industry card for wifi, then putting it back in the A+. This method works flawlessly. If you have trouble configuring wifi, try a different dongle. I lost half a day to a flaky one before I figured out it was an intermittent hardware problem.
Hey Bret,
You beat me to the punch. I’m working on a howto now to do just this. I finally got a mac to make sure we’re doing it right.
Here’s a rough draft, do you mind taking a look?
For some reason, when I download the zip, or transfer the zip over, it can’t be unzipped by Mac . . . trying to work on that now . . .
Any thoughts? Am I messing anything up for Mac users yet? 
Happy to do it.
A couple things on first pass.
I wonder if there is something not quite right about the zip version of the file. In general, zip files are fine on a Mac, but this one gave me trouble that I never got past. The problem went away when I used the ‘rar’ file instead. I would suggest eliminating the choice, at least until you get a zip that works generally. Your HowTo links to the ‘rar’ file, rather than the historical list of files (where I found the zip). I think that will work. You have a picture of the historical list, though. You might eliminate that.
Also, right-click on a Mac is ‘control click’.
I’m not sure most users will need to download Unarchiver. You might say they should download it if the ‘rar’ file won’t decompress.
Looks to me like there is a gap in your instructions after changing directories to ‘downloads’. I assume you are working on that part.
Last point for now. I appreciate the command line approach you take in your HowTo. It is very much in keeping with the Raspberry Pi ethos, and the BrickPi mentality as well. But some users, like me, are landing in this space without much command line experience. I think it makes sense to provide instructions for noobs that will keep them in the game. In other words, give two paths: command line and GUI. On the Mac side, SDFormatter and Pi Filler worked well enough to get this job done. If I had had command line instructions, I would have been fine with them at this point. But a month ago I might have gotten stuck.
Thanks for all the feedback! I think I’ve made all the changes you’ve pointed out and a few more. Indeed, I published it half-done last night so that I could get some feedback. I really appreciate your help! Please let me know if I missed anything more.
I understand your point about using a graphical program, especially for new folks. I wanted to follow the guidelines laid down by the Pi foundation in their tutorial as closely as possible (which are great, but not illustrated very well). So hopefully this helps more. I agree, a GUI might be a better place for some to start, I’m just hesitant to endorse people putting more software on their computers if it can be helped!
Thanks again, so much!