The Raspberry Pi is one of the most popular micro-computers that we can find throughout the network. For less than 40 euros we will be able to have a device with which we can do anything we can imagine, from turning it into a fully functional personal computer, to mounting a retro-console or using it as a server connected to the network. The possibilities of the Raspberry Pi are almost endless. And the only thing we need to express its potential is to use the corresponding operating system.
This micro-computer uses 64-bit ARM architectures (their most modern versions). Therefore, we will not be able to install the same operating systems that we can install, for example, on a PC. Windows 10, for example, is not available (officially) for these PCs, just as we will not be able to install Ubuntu desktop either.
Raspberry Pi OS / Raspbian – The main operating system
Raspberry Pi OS, formerly known as Raspbian, is the official operating system for this micro-computer. This Linux distro is based on Debian and brings everything necessary to allow us to get the most out of this micro-PC. This distro is optimized to work on ARM computers, and comes with a large number of previously installed packages and programs. Raspberry Pi OS uses an LXDE-based PIXEL (Pi Improved X-Window Environment, Lightweight) desktop that is both useful and lightweight.
We can find 3 different editions of this distro:
- Complete: it comes with the PIXEL desktop and a large number of recommended programs to start using the distro from the first moment.
- Standard – Comes with desktop and basic programs, no additional recommended software
- Lite: the minimal Debian-based image. It occupies 400 MB and brings just enough to boot the device, but it is the user who has to install the programs that he needs.
We can download Raspberry Pi OS for free from here .
RISC OS Pi, another alternative for new users
If Raspberry Pi OS is not convincing, users can turn to other alternative operating systems to make general use of the micro-computer. And one of these is RISC OS Pi . This operating system is designed for a user, to open the applications one by one. This can be seen as a limitation, especially if we are used to using many programs at the same time, but it should be noted that RISC OS Pi occupies only 16 MB of memory and has a very simple learning curve.
RISC OS can be obtained from the web of this distro and as part of the NOOBS package.
Use Raspberry Pi to play
One of the most common uses of the Raspberry Pi is to turn it into a retro controller. Many assemble arcade machines to play using this micro-computer, and others take advantage to save and manage their game libraries from it.
Be that as it may, there are a large number of distros for the RPi that will allow us to mount our own retro console with emulators in a very simple way.
Lakka, your retro-control light and simple on the Raspberry Pi
Lakka brings us a very light Linux distro specially designed to run RetroArch emulators. This distro shows us an interface similar to the PlayStation XMB from which we will be able to have access to all the LibRetro emulators to focus the use of the Raspberry Pi 100% on retrogaming. Without a doubt, it is one of the best distros for retrogaming that we can install on this micro-computer. Although it is true that it is not the most intuitive or visually pleasing distro.
We can download Lakka for free from its website . It is also included in the NOOBS distros package.
RetroPie, the most complete retro-console
RetroPie is another project similar to Lakka that seeks to turn our micro-computer into a retro-console. This distro is compatible with all versions of the Raspberry Pi, in addition to supporting other similar micro-computers, such as the ODroid. We can even find it for PC.
This distro runs below a full version of Raspbian, so, in addition to being able to use all the RetroArch emulators, we are also going to be able to go out to Raspbian and use any program on this Linux. On top of RetroArch, this distro runs EmulationStation . This frontend allows us to see much better the consoles and games that we have, but experience has shown us that it can give us problems with the controls of the games. We can also find other pre-installed programs, like Kodi.
RetroPie is a more complete, and more careful, distro than Lakka, but also heavier and more redundant. We can download it for free from here .
Recalbox, midpoint between Lakka and RetroPie
Recalbox is yet another distribution for the Raspberry Pi designed for retrogaming. This distro sits somewhere in between Lakka and RetroPie. This distro is based on Linux, and comes by default with Libretro emulators, along with the EmulationStation frontend, in addition to bringing other programs, such as Kodi, to give it greater utility.
Among its drawbacks we can highlight the problems with the mapping of the EmulationStation controls. To be honest, RetroArch has a very nice and simple frontend that makes additional frontend, like EmulationStation, unnecessary.
We can download this distro from their website .
Ubuntu Retro Remix, a script to turn Ubuntu into a retro system
The truth is that Ubuntu Retro Remix is not a distro as such, but rather a script that allows us to easily turn Ubuntu into a gaming distro for the Raspberry Pi. Ubuntu Desktop is not available for this micro-computer, but we can install Ubuntu Server, the server edition of this distribution.
We can download this script for free from here . Its development is still very green, but if we want a curious alternative, we can take it into account.
Multimedia center on the Raspberry Pi
In addition to playing games, the Raspberry Pi can very easily become a multimedia hub. In this way, for example, we can connect it to the TV to play any movie or series that we pass on a USB, as well as take care of the transmission of content through the local network.
LibreELEC, the fastest way to bring Kodi to the Raspberry Pi
If you want to have Kodi on the Raspberry Pi, LibreELEC is the best distro you will find for this purpose. This distro uses a Linux “Just enough OS” on which Kodi runs by default. It has no more. Simply a Linux with the necessary components to start and run Kodi. In this way, we can make the most of resources and avoid having functions and tools that we do not need within our OS.
We can download LibreELEC from here . It is also included within NOOBS.
Pi MusicBox, your complete music center
Pi MusicBox allows us to assemble our own Spotify with the songs and music that we like. This distro acts as a jukebox where we can centralize all the music that we have within our reach. This system can connect to streaming services, such as Spotify or YouTube Music, in addition to allowing us to load MP3 music from a USB or from a memory card.
It allows listening to music locally, or through different protocols, such as DLNA, OpenHome or AirPlay.
We can download this distro from their website .
OSMC, another option to use Kodi on the RPi
This distro is similar to LibreELEC, since its main purpose is to allow us to run Kodi on the Raspberry Pi. However, OSMC is not based on the JeOS concept, but instead uses Debian as its base, which allows it to be used much more.
OSMC is more compatible with micro-computers and software than LibreELEC, but instead it is quite heavier, consuming much more resources, so it could be slow.
We can download this distro for free from here .
Advanced distros for all types of users
Karmbian OS, turns Raspberry Pi into a hacking tool
Karmbian OS is a distro for the Raspberry Pi, and other micro-computers, that seek to bring to these devices the Kali Linux ethical hacking distro, along with all its tools. It is true that Kali Linux can be used without problems on a Raspberry Pi, but the truth is that the usability of this distro over ARM leaves a lot to be desired. And this is what this alternative solves.
We can download everything necessary to launch this distro from its repository on GitHub .
Windows 10 IoT Core, Microsoft on the Raspberry Pi
Although Windows 10 cannot be officially installed on the Raspberry Pi, there is an official Windows edition that can be installed here: the IoT. Windows 10 IoT is an operating system designed for automation, to control the Internet of Things. Microsoft has wanted to bring this operating system to the Raspberry Pi as part of its attempt to conquer the Internet of Things.
An operating system that is not very useful for an average user, but that can be interesting in certain projects. We can download it from here .
OpenMediaVault, to mount your own NAS
A NAS is a device that we can connect to the network and that can enable certain services (especially storage) to all the computers on the network. While commercial NAS are quite expensive, if we have a Raspberry Pi at hand, we will be able to turn it into a fully functional NAS, thanks to OpenMediaVault.
This distro allows us to enable or disable the processes and services we need, as well as being able to use certain protocols within the network. All this distro can be easily managed remotely from your web panel. Also, it supports RAID configurations. Everything we can have on a NAS, but much more economically.
We can download this distro for free from this link .
Alpine Linux, distro focused on security
Alpine is a distro with a very interesting concept. This is a very minimalist and independent distro focused especially on allowing users to set up secure networks and infrastructures. It is a very small and simple distro, it does not occupy more than 50 MB. And it is the users themselves who must adapt it to their needs according to the use they are going to give it.
We can download Alpine Linux for the Raspberry Pi from here .
Ubuntu for Raspberry Pi
Ubuntu is the best known and used Linux distro within desktop environments. However, the edition that we are going to find for the Raspberry Pi is not the same that we can find on PC. For this micro-computer, what we can download and install is Ubuntu Server, the server edition. This is a minimalist distro, without a desktop, designed so that users (or rather, system administrators) can customize it to their liking.
We can turn Ubuntu Server into a distro with a desktop, without problems. But it is not ideal. Even so, if we are interested in this distro we can download it for free from the Canonical website .