Avahi Daemon is the server side used in the Raspberry Pi. The client side is ZeroConf https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToZeroconf

Both run freely on Linux. On Windows you can try this Mono Implementation http://mono-project.com/Mono.Zeroconf

You absolutely don't have to install the apple Bonjour crap to use this. The only thing that is used for is the automatic .local hostname resolution.

Essentially, the Raspberry Pi has the netatalk package on it which allows it to broadcast it's own .local hostname. This is what makes it possible for a user to simply type "coder.local" into the URL bar in chrome and have the Raspberry Pi's IP address resolved.

So if you leave out the apple bonjour packages, you'll just have to figure out the IP address yourself and use the IP instead of the fancy "coder.local" hostname. There are a number of ways to accomplish this, from scanning your network to just plugging in a HDMI cable and a keyboard to the RPi and doing an "ifconfig".

Nitpick, it's not netatalk, the .local is resolved by Avahi, the Linux/BSD zeroconf implementation.

Incidentally, zeroconf is why it is not advisable to use internal *.local domains.

That's not a nitpick. Zeroconf isn't even "Apple's thing" … Bonjour is just one implementation.

That guy is ranting because ranting makes him feel important.

Ok great, that's good to hear. I know how to find my RPi's IP address (I bought one last week and itching to get stuck into it)

Half the point of the RPi is for it to be a cheap, accessible Linux box for learning, and was pretty appalled when I thought that that this tool completely locked out Linux users.

If you're using Linux, just install avahi-daemon and you should be able to connect to coder.local without having to find the device's IP address.

mDNS/Zeroconf/Bonjour is an easy way to get up and running in a headless setup, but the Coder download is just a minimally modified Raspbian distribution, so you can also ssh in and tweak it to do whatever you like.

Just a guess, but because a big part of the simple approach meant leaving things like DNS and IP Addresses out of the path to making something? You have to use their build, which I'm guessing as some mDNS stuff baked in (yes, it does - http://coder.local) with a pre-arranged name, and without Bonjour installed, a Windows box wouldn't find it.

Exactly. So if you didn't install the Apple crap, you would just have to track down the IP of the RPi somehow and use that instead of the fancy "coder.local" hostname

If you can do all that, you don't need a super-simple beginner's guide to programming that this is trying to be. They're trying to reduce barriers.

Why do you call bonjour crap?

Zeroconf works on all platforms, there are multiple implementations available. Avahi is one of the most popular in opensource world.