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This article is about linux's excellent raspberry pie operating system for a variety of purposes. The editor thinks it is very practical, so share it with you as a reference and follow the editor to have a look.

Raspberry pie is an indispensable single board computer that can be used in many jobs. Don't believe it? Just look at this list of raspberry pie projects to see what this little device can do.

Given that raspberry pie has so many uses, it is extremely important to choose a suitable operating system for it. Of course, you can do a lot of things with Linux, but an operating system configured for a specific purpose can save you a lot of time and effort.

Because of the raspberry pie mirroring tool, it is easy to install any operating system on the raspberry pie

Installing the raspberry pie operating system on a SD card is much easier than before. You can quickly install any raspberry pie operating system by downloading the raspberry pie image. Please watch the official video below to see how simple it is.

You can also use NOOBS (the new out-of-the-box software New Out Of the Box Software) to easily install a variety of operating systems on raspberry pie. You can also get pre-installed SD cards from the list of supported retailers mentioned on their official NOOBS download page.

Welcome to learn more about installing the operating system in their official documentation.

Download the raspberry pie operating system

Now that you know how to install it (and where to get it), let me highlight some useful raspberry pie operating systems. I hope it will help you.

Various operating systems for raspberry pie

Please note that I spent some effort sifting out the raspberry pie operating system projects that were actively maintained. If a project stops maintenance in the near future, please let me know in the comments section and I will update this article.

Another thing is that I am concerned that the latest version is raspberry pie 4, but the following list should not be considered a list of operating systems for raspberry pie 4, these systems should also be used for raspberry pie 3, 3B+ and other variants, but please refer to the project's official website for details.

Note: rank in no particular order.

1. Raspbian OS: the official raspberry pie operating system

Raspbian OS is the officially supported raspberry pie card operating system. It integrates many tools for education, programming, and a wide range of other uses. Specifically, it contains Python, Scratch, Sonic Pi, Java, and other important packages.

Initially, Raspbian OS was based on Debian and was pre-loaded with a large number of useful packages. Therefore, when you install Raspbian OS, you may not need to install the basic tools-you will find that most of the tools have been installed in advance.

Raspbian OS is actively maintained and is one of the most popular raspberry pie operating systems. You can use NOOBS or refer to the official documentation to install it.

Raspbian OS

2. Ubuntu MATE: suitable for general computing needs

Although Raspbian is an officially supported operating system, it is not characterized by the latest and largest software packages. So, if you want to update faster and want to use the latest package, you can try the raspberry pie version of Ubuntu MATE.

Ubuntu MATE's raspberry pie customization is a very good lightweight release worth installing. It is also widely used in NVIDIA's Jetson Nano. In other words, you can use it in many scenes of raspberry pie.

To help you better, we also have a detailed tutorial on how to install Ubuntu MATE on raspberry pie.

Ubuntu MATE for Raspberry Pi

3. Ubuntu Server: use raspberry pie as a Linux server

If you plan to use your raspberry pie as a server for your project, then installing Ubuntu Server would be a good choice.

Ubuntu Server has 32-bit and 64-bit mirrors. You can choose the corresponding operating system according to your card type (whether it supports 64-bit or not).

It is worth noting, however, that Ubuntu Server is not customized for desktop users. Therefore, you need to note that Ubuntu Server does not install the graphical user interface by default.

Ubuntu Server

4. LibreELEC: suitable to be a media server

We already have a media server software available under Linux. LibreELEC is in the list.

It's a great lightweight operating system that allows you to install KODI on raspberry pie. You can try using the raspberry pie mirroring tool to install it.

You can easily find their official download page and find the installation image suitable for your board.

LibreELEC

5. OSMC: suitable to be a media server

OSMC is another popular media server software under Linux. If you want to use the raspberry board as a media center device, then OSMC is one of the operating systems you can recommend to others.

LibreELEC,OSMC also runs KODI to help you manage your media files and appreciate what you already have.

OSMC made no official mention of support for raspberry pie 4. So if your raspberry pie is raspberry pie 3 or earlier, then there should be no problem.

OSMC

6. RISC OS: the original ARM operating system

RISC OS was originally built for ARM devices and has a history of nearly 30 years.

If you want to know, we also have an article about RISC OS in detail. In short, RISC OS is also customized for modern ARM-based single board computers such as raspberry pie. Its user interface is simple and more performance-focused.

Again, this is not tailor-made for raspberry pie 4. So, if your raspberry pie is 3 or earlier, you can try it.

RISC OS

7. Mozilla WebThings Gateway: suitable for IoT projects

As part of the open source implementation of Mozilla's IoT devices, WebThings Gateway allows you to monitor and control all connected IoT devices.

You can refer to the official documentation to check the required environment and follow the instructions to install it on the raspberry pie. It is indeed one of the most useful raspberry pie operating systems for IoT applications.

WebThings Gateway

8. Ubuntu Core: suitable for IoT projects

Ubuntu Core is another raspberry pie operating system for potential IoT applications, or just to test Snap.

Ubuntu Core is tailored for IoT devices or specifically raspberry pie. I wouldn't advertise it-but Ubuntu Core is a secure operating system for raspberry pie cards. You can try it yourself!

Ubuntu Core

9. DietPi: lightweight raspberry pie operating system

DietPi is a lightweight Debian operating system, which also claims to be lighter than the "Raspbian Lite" operating system.

Although it is regarded as a lightweight raspberry pie operating system, it provides a number of features that can be used in multiple usage scenarios. From simple software installation packages to backup solutions, there are still many features to explore.

If you want to install an operating system with low memory footprint and relatively better performance, you can try DietPi.

DietPi

10. Lakka Linux: create a retro game console

Want to turn your raspberry pie into a retro game console?

The Lakka Linux distribution was originally built on the RetroArch simulator. So you can get all the retro games on raspberry pie right away.

If you want to know, we also have an article about Lakka Linux. Or just get started!

Lakka

11. RetroPie: suitable for retro games

RetroPie is another raspberry pie operating system that can turn raspberry pie into a retro game console. It provides several configuration tools that allow you to customize the theme or adjust the simulator to have the best retro games.

It is worth noting that it does not contain any copyrighted games. You can try it and see how it works!

RetroPie

12. Kali Linux: suitable for low-cost penetration

Want to try and learn some moral hacking skills on your raspberry pie? Kali Linux would be the best choice. Yes, Kali Linux usually supports it as soon as the latest raspberry pie is released.

Kali Linux is not only suitable for raspberry pie, it also supports many other devices. Give it a try and have fun!

Kali Linux

13. OpenMediaVault: suitable for network attached storage (NAS)

If you want to build NAS solutions on minimalist hardware, raspberry pie can help you.

OpenMediaVault was originally based on Debian Linux and provides a number of features, such as Web-based management capabilities, plug-in support, and so on. It supports most raspberry pie models, so you can try to download and install it!

OpenMediaVault

14. ROKOS: suitable for intensive mining

If you are interested in cryptocurrencies and bitcoin, then ROKOS will attract you.

ROKOS is a Debian-based operating system that basically allows you to turn your raspberry pie into a node with drivers and software packages pre-installed. Of course, you need to know how it works before installing it. So, if you don't know much about it, I suggest you do some research first.

ROKOS

15. Alpine Linux: lightweight Linux focused on security

Nowadays, many users are looking for distributions that focus on security and privacy. If you are one of them, you can try installing Alpine Linux on raspberry pie.

If you are a novice in raspberry pie, it may not be as user-friendly (or easy for beginners) as you might think. However, if you want to try something different, you can try Alpine Linux, a security-focused Linux distribution.

Alpine Linux

16. Kano OS: an operating system suitable for children's education

If you are looking for a raspberry pie operating system that makes learning interesting and educates children, then Kano OS is a good choice.

It is under active maintenance, and the desktop integration on Kano OS has a user experience that is simple and fun to play with for children to learn from.

Kano OS

17. KDE Plasma Bigscreen: convert an ordinary TV into a smart TV

This is a project under development at KDE. After installing the KDE "plasma screen" on the raspberry pie, you can turn an ordinary TV into a smart TV.

You don't need a special remote control to control the TV, you can use an ordinary remote control.

"Plasma screen" also integrates MyCroft open source AI as voice control.

The project is still in the testing phase, so if you want to try, there may be some errors and problems.

Plasma Bigscreen

18. Manjaro Linux: provide you with a multi-functional desktop experience

If you are looking for an Arch-based Linux distribution on raspberry pie, then Manjaro Linux should be a good supplement, it can do a lot of things, suitable for general computing tasks.

The Manjaro Linux ARM version also supports the latest raspberry pie 4. It provides XFCE and KDE Plasma variants for your raspberry pie or any substitute for raspberry pie.

In addition, it seems to offer one of the fastest / best experiences on raspberry pie devices. If you haven't tried it yet, try it!

Manjaro ARM

19. Volumio: used as an open source music player

Want to be a cheap music enthusiast system? Volumio should be able to help you.

It is a free and open source operating system (GitHub) and supports the ability to integrate multiple devices. You can manage all connected devices through a simple Web control interface. In addition to the free version, it also provides an advanced version that allows you to get exclusive features.

It does support the latest raspberry pie 4. So, if you are interested in adjusting your existing home stereo system and want to get the best sound quality, try this.

Volumio

20 、 FreeBSD

Don't want to use the Linux distribution? Don't worry, you can also use FreeBSD to install a UNIX-like operating system on a raspberry pie.

If you don't know, we have a detailed article about the FreeBSD project.

Once you have installed it according to their official instructions, you can use it for any DIY experiment, or just use it as a lightweight desktop system to accomplish specific tasks.

FreeBSD

21 、 NetBSD

NetBSD is another impressive UNIX-like operating system that you can install on raspberry pie. Its goal is to become a portable operating system across multiple systems.

If you have used it in other systems, you may already know its benefits. However, it is not just a lightweight portable operating system, it is characterized by a set of useful functions that can accomplish a variety of tasks.

NetBSD

Thank you for reading! This is the end of this article on "what are the excellent raspberry pie operating systems in linux for various purposes?" I hope the above content can be of some help to you, so that you can learn more knowledge. if you think the article is good, you can share it for more people to see!

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