Raspberry Pi OS is the official operating system for Raspberry Pi single-board computers. It is based on Debian Linux and optimized for performance, low power consumption, and ease of use, making it ideal for education, development, and DIY projects.

Desktop Environment

Raspberry Pi OS uses the PIXEL (Pi Improved Xwindows Environment, Lightweight) desktop. PIXEL is a customized environment built on LXDE and Openbox, designed to provide a clean, lightweight, and beginner-friendly experience.

While it maintains the familiar LXDE-style interface, modern Raspberry Pi OS versions are evolving with newer technologies, including support for Wayland-based compositors such as labwc, improving performance and future compatibility.

Editions

Raspberry Pi OS is available in three main editions:

  • Raspberry Pi OS with Desktop - A complete desktop experience including Chromium browser, LibreOffice, and essential applications.
  • Raspberry Pi OS Lite - A minimal, command-line only version ideal for headless setups, servers, and advanced users.
  • Raspberry Pi OS with Desktop and Recommended Software - Includes additional educational tools, programming environments, and utilities for learning and development.

Key Features

  • Optimized for Raspberry Pi hardware
  • Lightweight and fast performance
  • PIXEL desktop based on LXDE/Openbox
  • Optional 64-bit support for modern Raspberry Pi devices
  • Strong integration with Raspberry Pi tools and GPIO libraries
  • Regular updates aligned with Debian releases

Supported Devices

Raspberry Pi OS supports a wide range of Raspberry Pi devices, including:

  • Raspberry Pi 5
  • Raspberry Pi 4
  • Raspberry Pi 400
  • Raspberry Pi 3 series
  • Raspberry Pi Zero and Zero 2 W (Lite version recommended)

Download Raspberry Pi OS

You can download the latest version of Raspberry Pi OS from the official website:

👉 https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/

Summary

Raspberry Pi OS is a Debian-based distribution tailored for Raspberry Pi hardware. It combines a lightweight PIXEL desktop with hardware optimizations and regular updates, making it suitable for a wide range of use cases.

Raspberry Pi OS desktop LXDE environment screenshot Raspberry Pi OS desktop LXDE environment screenshot
Type Linux
Status Active
Home Page https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/
Page popularity 11(18 hits per month)
Base distributions
Desktop Environments
  • PiXEL
Releases