Raspberry Pi OS

{{Short description|Debian-based operating system for Raspberry Pi}}

{{Infobox OS

| name = Raspberry Pi OS

| logo = Raspberry Pi OS Logo.png

| screenshot = Raspberry Pi OS 12 screenshot.png

| caption = Raspberry Pi OS 12 (Bookworm) running its default desktop environment

| developer = Raspberry Pi Holdings

| family = Unix-like

| working state = Current

| source model = Open-source

| released = {{Start date and age|2012|07|15|df=yes}}

| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|P348|P548=Q2804309}}

| latest release date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|references|edit|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}

| language count = 23

| language footnote =

| language = {{hlist | Chinese | Czech | Danish | Dutch | English | Finnish | French | German | Greek | Hungarian | Italian | Japanese | Korean | Norwegian Bokmål | Polish | Portuguese | Russian | Slovak | Spanish | Swedish | Thai | Turkish | Ukrainian }}

| updatemodel = {{Unbulleted indent list

| Command-line via package manager

| Optional graphical app stores

}}

| package_manager = APT, dpkg

| supported platforms = {{Unbulleted indent list

| Raspberry Pi (32-bit): armhf

| Raspberry Pi (64-bit): aarch64

}}

| kernel type = Monolithic (Linux)

| userland = GNU

| influenced = Twister OS

| influenced by = Debian

| ui = labwc (Wayland-based)

| license = Free and open-source software licenses (mainly GPL)

}}

Raspberry Pi OS is a Unix-like operating system developed for the Raspberry Pi line of single-board computers. It is based on Debian, a Linux distribution, and is maintained by Raspberry Pi Holdings. The operating system is optimized for Raspberry Pi hardware, with a focus on providing a lightweight, fast, and energy-efficient computing environment. It is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions: the 64-bit version is based directly on Debian for arm64, while the 32-bit version is based on Raspbian, a customized variant of Debian created in 2012 for the original Raspberry Pi.{{Cite web |title=Raspbian release notes |url=https://downloads.raspberrypi.com/raspbian/release_notes.txt |access-date=24 February 2022}}{{Cite web |last=Upton |first=Eben |date=28 May 2020 |title=8GB Raspberry Pi 4 on sale now at $75 |url=https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/8gb-raspberry-pi-4-on-sale-now-at-75/ |access-date=19 May 2025 |website=Raspberry Pi}}

Raspberry Pi OS is compatible with all Raspberry Pi models except the Pico microcontroller. Its default desktop environment, "labwc" is based on Wayland with modifications aimed at improving performance and maintaining a familiar user interface. The operating system is distributed in several configurations. The full version includes software such as Wolfram Mathematica,{{Cite web |title=Download Raspberry Pi OS for Raspberry Pi |url=https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/operating-systems/ |website=RaspberryPi.com |language=en-GB |quote=Mathematica and the Wolfram Language are included in this release under license and with permission of Wolfram Research, Inc. and may be used for non-commercial purposes only.}} VLC, LibreOffice, and lightweight versions of the Chromium and Firefox web browsers. A "Lite" edition is also offered, which omits the desktop environment, along with a minimal edition that includes fewer preinstalled applications.

History

Raspbian was first developed by Mike Thompson and Peter Green as an independent and unofficial port of Debian to the Raspberry Pi.{{Cite web |title=RaspbianAbout – Raspbian |url=https://www.raspbian.org/RaspbianAbout |access-date=5 June 2016 |website=www.raspbian.org}} The first build was released on 15 July 2012.{{Cite web |title=Index of /raspbian/images/2012-07-15-wheezy-raspbian |url=https://downloads.raspberrypi.com/raspbian/images/2012-07-15-wheezy-raspbian/ |access-date=9 December 2021 |website=downloads.raspberrypi.com}} As the Raspberry Pi had no officially provided operating system at the time, the Raspberry Pi Foundation built on the work by the Raspbian project and began producing and releasing their own operating system images of the software.{{Cite web |title=RaspbianImages – Raspbian |url=https://www.raspbian.org/RaspbianImages |access-date=24 February 2022 |website=www.raspbian.org}} The Foundation's first release of Raspbian, which now referred both to the community project as well as the official operating system, was announced on 10 September 2013.

On 28 May 2020, the Raspberry Pi Foundation announced a beta 64-bit version. However, this version was not based on Raspbian, instead taking its user space software from Debian.{{Cite web |last=Piltch |first=Avram |date=30 May 2020 |title=Raspberry Pi OS: Why It's No Longer Called 'Raspbian' |url=https://www.tomshardware.com/news/raspberry-pi-os-no-longer-raspbian |website=Tom's Hardware |quote=The official Pi operating system is now called 'Raspberry Pi OS.'}} When the Foundation did not want to use the name Raspbian to refer to software that was not based on the Raspbian project, the name of the officially provided operating system images was changed to Raspberry Pi OS. This change was also carried over to the 32-bit images that they distributed, though it continued to be based on Raspbian. The 64-bit version of Raspberry Pi OS was officially released on 2 February 2022.{{Cite web |date=2 February 2022 |title=Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) |url=https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/raspberry-pi-os-64-bit/ |access-date=24 February 2022 |website=Raspberry Pi |language=en-GB}}

Features

= User interface =

The Raspberry Pi OS user interface is optimized for Raspberry Pi hardware, aiming to deliver a lightweight, fast, and energy-efficient desktop experience.{{Cite web |last=Long |first=Simon |date=28 September 2016 |title=Introducing PIXEL |url=https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/introducing-pixel/ |website=Raspberry Pi Holdings}}{{Cite web |last=Kabade |first=Rajat |date=30 September 2016 |title=Raspberry Pi gets LXDE-based PIXEL desktop environment |url=https://www.opensourceforu.com/2016/09/raspberry-pi-gets-lxde-based-pixel-desktop-environment/ |access-date=16 November 2021 |website=Open Source For You}}{{Cite web |title=Customise your Raspberry Pi desktop |url=https://projects.raspberrypi.org/en/projects/custom-pi-desktop/3 |access-date=26 April 2022 |publisher=Raspberry Pi Foundation}} It is built on the Wayland display protocol, using labwc as its compositing manager, which is based on wlroots, a modular Wayland implementation that underpins several other compositors.{{Cite web |last=Long |first=Simon |date=28 October 2024 |title=A new release of Raspberry Pi OS |url=https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/a-new-release-of-raspberry-pi-os/ |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=Raspberry Pi |language=en-GB}}

The operating system previously used the X Window System. A transition to Wayland began with the Bullseye release in 2021, which introduced the mutter window manager to support both X and Wayland environments. In the Bookworm release of 2023, wayfire was adopted as a dedicated Wayland compositor. However, performance issues on older Raspberry Pi models prompted a search for a more suitable alternative. In 2024, developers ultimately selected labwc, a lightweight compositor that better matched the hardware's capabilities. Following collaboration and extensive optimization, labwc now offers performance comparable to X across all models, and Raspberry Pi OS now defaults to Wayland.

The interface is designed to feel familiar to users of macOS and Microsoft Windows.{{Cite web |title=Customise your Raspberry Pi desktop |url=https://projects.raspberrypi.org/en/projects/custom-pi-desktop/3 |access-date=26 April 2022 |publisher=Raspberry Pi Foundation}} It provides a traditional desktop environment with a top menu bar that includes an application menu, shortcuts to frequently used programs, and system controls such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, volume, and clock.{{Cite web |last=Long |first=Simon |date=11 October 2023 |title=Bookworm — the new version of Raspberry Pi OS |url=https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/bookworm-the-new-version-of-raspberry-pi-os/ |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=Raspberry Pi |language=en-GB}}

= Other components =

Raspberry Pi OS originally included the Epiphany browser but switched to Chromium in 2016. In 2023, Firefox was added as an additional browser option. Browsers are preinstalled with uBlock, an ad blocker extension, and h264ify, a plugin that forces YouTube to serve videos using the H.264 codec, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi's hardware acceleration.{{Cite web |last=Long |first=Simon |date=28 September 2016 |title=Introducing PIXEL |url=https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/introducing-pixel/ |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=Raspberry Pi |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Long |first=Simon |date=7 May 2025 |title=A new Raspberry Pi OS release |url=https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/a-new-raspberry-pi-os-release/ |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=Raspberry Pi |language=en-GB}}

{{As of|2025}}, the full suite of recommended software includes Claws Mail, Geany, ImageMagick, KiCad, LibreOffice, Mu Editor, Scratch, Thonny, Visual Studio Code, VNC Viewer, VLC and Wolfram Mathematica.

Software can be installed using the command line-based APT (Advanced Package Tool) or the Add/Remove Software tool, a graphical user interface for APT.

Reception

According to Raspberry Pi Imager usage statistics, Raspberry Pi OS accounted for 67% of all operating system downloads for the Raspberry Pi in May 2025, followed by Ubuntu at 9%.{{Cite web |title=rpi-imager Stats |url=https://rpi-imager-stats.raspberrypi.com/ |access-date=21 February 2021 |website=Raspberry Pi}}

In a 2015 review, Jesse Smith of DistroWatch found that while Raspbian was not well-suited for heavier desktop workloads, it provided a functional experience with its lightweight environment. He noted that the system was responsive when running a modest number of applications, but struggled with more resource-intensive software such as LibreOffice or Firefox.{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Jesse |date=22 June 2015 |title=DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 615, 22 June 2015 |url=https://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20150622#raspbian |access-date=19 June 2018 |publisher=DistroWatch}}

In a January 2024 review for Ars Technica, Andrew Cunningham tested Raspberry Pi OS 12 (Bookworm) on a Pi 5 with 8 GB of RAM and found it functional for general-purpose desktop use, but with notable limitations. While it handled basic tasks like writing, web browsing, and audio editing well, the OS lacked modern conveniences such as window snapping, a notification center, refined window borders, and smooth multi-monitor performance. Its software ecosystem was also constrained by limited native app availability for ARM Linux, often requiring users to rely on web-based versions of services like Slack, Zoom, and Dropbox.{{Cite news |last=Cunningham |first=Andrew |date=2024-01-08 |title=What I learned from using a Raspberry Pi 5 as my main computer for two weeks |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/01/what-i-learned-from-using-a-raspberry-pi-5-as-my-main-computer-for-two-weeks/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |work=Ars Technica |language=en}}

= Microsoft repository controversy =

In January 2021, the Raspberry Pi OS package raspberrypi-sys-mods added a Microsoft GPG encryption key and repository configuration to the APT package manager, enabling easier installation of Visual Studio Code, a source code editor. As a result, the system contacted Microsoft’s servers during update checks, prompting concerns among users due to privacy considerations and Microsoft's once-adversarial history with the open source software community. The repository configuration was later removed.{{Cite web |last=Salter |first=Jim |date=8 February 2021 |title=Raspberry Pi OS added a Microsoft repo. No, it's not an evil secret |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/02/raspberry-pi-os-added-a-microsoft-repo-no-its-not-an-evil-secret/ |access-date=24 February 2022 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us}}{{Cite web |title=Raspberry Pi {{!}} Microsoft Visual Studio Code APT repository automatically added · Issue #4083 · MichaIng/DietPi |url=https://github.com/MichaIng/DietPi/issues/4083 |access-date=24 February 2022 |website=GitHub |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Remove MS repo · RPi-Distro/raspberrypi-sys-mods@ed96790 |url=https://github.com/RPi-Distro/raspberrypi-sys-mods/commit/ed96790e6de281bc393b575c38aa8071ce39b555 |access-date=6 September 2021 |website=GitHub |language=en}}

Versions

Raspberry Pi OS is available in three main variants:

Raspberry Pi OS Lite – a minimal version without a desktop environment
Raspberry Pi OS with desktop – includes the PIXEL desktop environment
Raspberry Pi OS with desktop and recommended software – includes the desktop environment and additional pre-installed applications, such as LibreOffice and Wolfram Mathematica

Each variant is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit editions.

A "Legacy" branch has been available since December 2021. It is based on the previous stable release of Debian, allowing for continued use of older software while still receiving security and hardware support updates. All standard variants (Lite, desktop, and desktop with recommended software) are offered in this legacy form.{{Cite web |date=2 December 2021 |title="New" old functionality with Raspberry Pi OS (Legacy) |url=https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/new-old-functionality-with-raspberry-pi-os-legacy/ |access-date=24 February 2022 |website=Raspberry Pi}}

New major versions of Debian are released every two years, typically in the summer of odd-numbered years (e.g., 2023, 2025, 2027). Raspberry Pi OS ports of each new Debian release generally follow a few months later, usually in the fall.{{Cite web |last=KL |first=Arun |date=13 December 2023 |title=Raspberry Pi OS Guide: Lite vs Desktop vs Full |url=https://thesecmaster.com/blog/what-are-the-differences-between-raspberry-pi-os-versions-which-version-should-you-use |access-date=21 May 2025 |website=TheSecMaster |language=en}}

All Raspberry Pi OS versions are distributed as .img disk image files intended to be written to microSD card. The official documentation recommends a minimum 16 GB microSD card for the Lite version and at least 32 GB for versions with a desktop environment.{{Cite web |title=Raspberry Pi Documentation – Getting Started |url=https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/computers/getting-started.html |access-date=24 February 2022 |website=Raspberry Pi}}

Raspberry Pi Imager, a utility for downloading and flashing operating system images was introduced in March 2020. Raspberry Pi Imager also supports third-party systems such as RetroPie{{Cite web |title=RetroPie |url=https://retropie.org.uk/}} and Kodi-based distributions.{{Cite web |last=Hollingworth |first=Gordon |date=5 March 2020 |title=Introducing Raspberry Pi Imager, our new imaging utility |url=https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/raspberry-pi-imager-imaging-utility/ |access-date=2 February 2021 |website=Raspberry Pi Blog}}

Releases

class="wikitable sticky-header" style="text-align:center; font-size: 80%;"

|+

! Release date

! Debian version

! Linux kernel

! GCC

! APT

! User interface

! 1/1+

! 2

! 3

! Zero

! 3+

! 4

! Zero 2

! 5

2013-09-27

| rowspan="14" | 7
(Wheezy)

| rowspan="2" | 3.6

| rowspan="14" | 4.7.2

| rowspan="14" | 0.9.7

| rowspan="50" | X.Org Server 1

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2013-10-07

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2013-12-24

| rowspan="2" | 3.10

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2014-01-09

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2014-06-22

| rowspan="5" | 3.12

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2014-07-08

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2014-09-12

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2014-10-08

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2014-12-25

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2015-02-02

| rowspan="5" | 3.18

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2015-02-17

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2015-02-18

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2015-05-07

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2015-05-12

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2015-09-28

| rowspan="15" | 8
(Jessie)

| rowspan="6" | 4.1

| rowspan="15" | 4.9

| rowspan="15" | 1.0.9.8.1

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2015-11-24

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2016-02-08

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2016-02-09

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2016-02-29

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2016-03-18

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2016-05-13

| rowspan="4" | 4.4

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2016-05-31

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2016-09-28

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2016-11-29

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2017-02-27

| rowspan="9" | 4.9

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2017-03-03

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2017-04-10

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2017-06-23

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2017-07-05

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2017-08-17

| rowspan="9" | 9
(Stretch)

| rowspan="9" | 6.3

| rowspan="4" | 1.4.6

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2017-09-08

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2017-11-29

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2018-03-13

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2018-04-18

| rowspan="5" | 4.14

| rowspan="4" | 1.4.8

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2018-06-29

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2018-10-09

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2018-11-13

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2019-04-08

| rowspan="1" | 1.4.9

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2019-06-24

| rowspan="12" | 10
(Buster)

| rowspan="6" | 4.19

| rowspan="12" | 8.3

| rowspan="7" | 1.8.2

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2019-07-10

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2019-09-30

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2020-02-07

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2020-02-14

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2020-05-27

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2020-08-20

| 5.4.51

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2020-12-02

| 5.4.79

| rowspan="1" | 1.8.2.1

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2021-01-11

|5.4.83

| rowspan="2" |1.8.2.2

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2021-03-04

| rowspan="2" |5.10.17

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2021-05-07

| rowspan="2" | 1.8.2.3

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2021-10-30

| rowspan="2" |5.10.63

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2021-12-03

| rowspan="13" |11
(Bullseye)

| rowspan="13" |10.2.1

| rowspan="13" |2.2.4

| rowspan="13" |X.Org Server 1.20

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2022-01-28

|5.10.92

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2022-03-08

|5.10.103

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2022-04-04

|5.15.30

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2022-09-06

|rowspan="2" |5.15.61

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2022-09-22

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2023-02-21

|5.15.84

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2023-05-03

| rowspan="7" |6.1.21

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2023-12-05

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2024-03-12

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2024-07-04

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2024-10-22

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2025-05-06

|{{Ya}}

| {{Na}}

2023-10-10

| rowspan="7" |12
(Bookworm)

| 12.2.0

| rowspan="7" |2.6.1

| rowspan="5" |X.Org Server 21.1

|{{Ya}}

2023-12-05

| 6.1.69

| 12.2.4

|{{Ya}}

2024-03-15

| 6.6.20

| rowspan="5" | 12.2.0

|{{Ya}}

2024-05-29

| rowspan="2" | 6.6.31

|{{Ya}}

2024-07-04

|{{Ya}}

2024-11-19

|6.6.51

|labwc 0.7

|{{Ya}}

2025-05-06

|6.12.25

|labwc 0.8

|{{Ya}}

References

External links

{{Official website}}
[https://distrowatch.com/raspios Raspberry Pi OS on DistroWatch]

Category:ARM Linux distributions

Category:Debian-based distributions

Category:Free software culture and documents

Category:Linux distributions

Category:Raspberry Pi