This how-to expects a Linux based install host. I've used Fedora.

• Download latest (RPI 3+ needs 2018-03-13 or later) Raspbian Stretch Lite.
• Unzip:

  $ unzip 2018-03-13-raspbian-stretch-lite.zip

• Insert the SD-card and find device name:

  $ dmesg
  
  [  477.499343] mmc0: new ultra high speed SDR104 SDHC card at address 0007
  [  477.500664] mmcblk0: mmc0:0007 SD32G 29.0 GiB
  [  477.503750]  mmcblk0: p1

• Unmount if automounted:

  $ umount /dev/mmcblk0p{1,2}

• Write image to SD card:

  $ sudo dd bs=4M if=2018-03-13-raspbian-stretch-lite.img of=/dev/mmcblk0 conv=fsync oflag=direct status=progress

• Mount SD card (reinsert card, or mount manually), find partitions:

  $ sudo fdisk -l /dev/mmcblk0
  
  Disk /dev/mmcblk0: 29 GiB, 31117541376 bytes, 60776448 sectors
  Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
  Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
  I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
  Disklabel type: dos
  Disk identifier: 0x84fa8189
  
  Device         Boot Start     End Sectors  Size Id Type
  /dev/mmcblk0p1       8192   92159   83968   41M  c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
  /dev/mmcblk0p2      92160 2534887 2442728  1,2G 83 Linux

• Add the file 'ssh' to root of SD card to enable SSH:

  $ touch /run/media/<username>/boot/ssh

• Generate WiFi config:

  $ cd /run/media/<username>/rootfs
  $ wpa_passphrase YOUR_SSID YOUR_PASSWORD

• Add generated config, (remove the plaintext passphrase):

  $ sudo vi etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf
  
  country=<Your country, e.g. US, NL, GB>
  network={
          ssid="<your SSID>"
          psk=<your PSK key>
  }

• Unount SD-card:

  $ cd
  $ umount /dev/mmcblk0p{1,2}

• Insert card into RPI, power on.
• Check DHCP leases for IP-address.
• Log in to new RPI, the initial password is raspberry:

  ssh pi@<DHCP IP-address>

• Add other accounts, remove pi user or change the password.
• Add additional users, remove unwanted users.
• Configure the Raspberry Pi; change hostname, boot options, locale, timezone, disable ports, etc.

  raspi-config

• Reboot
• Update and reboot:

  sudo apt-get update
  sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
  reboot

• Install rpi-update:

  $ sudo apt-get install rpi-update

• Update firmware:

  $ sudo rpi-update

• Show current status:

  iwconfig
  wpa_cli status

• Wavemon:

• Add lines below to /etc/rc.local, above exit 0

  # Disable HDMI
  /usr/bin/tvservice -o

• Recent Raspbian distributions use dhcpcd5 for connectivity. You can deny configuration of an interface by configuring /etc/dhcpcd.conf

  denyinterfaces wlan1