Raspberry Pi OS (formerly Raspbian) is an operating system developed based on Debian for the Raspberry Pi. Since 2015, the Raspberry Pi Foundation has officially adopted it as the official operating system for Raspberry Pi. Raspbian was created as an independent project by Mike Thompson and Peter Green. The first version was released in June 2012 and has been updated ever since. Raspi is highly optimized for the low-performance ARM architecture CPU of the Raspberry Pi series.
Currently, the official Raspberry Pi website offers four download options for Raspberry Pi OS: a system with a graphical desktop and recommended software, a system with a graphical desktop, a lightweight version, and a system for computers. Raspbian uses a new desktop environment in its latest version: PIXEL (Pi Improved X-Window Environment, Lightweight), which consists of a modified LXDE desktop environment and Openbox window manager. The Raspbian distribution also comes with Wolfram Mathematica software, the Raspbian version of Minecraft Pi, and a lightweight version of the Chromium browser.
Raspberry Pi OS is known for its lightweight and flexibility. It can run on all models of Raspberry Pi, including the most basic Raspberry Pi Zero. This operating system is mainly used for learning programming, electronic projects, automation tasks, and can even be used as a low-cost home computer.
Core Features
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Lightweight Desktop Environment: Raspberry Pi OS uses the LXDE desktop environment, which is a very lightweight desktop environment, making it very suitable for hardware resource-limited Raspberry Pi.
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Extensive Software Support: It offers a rich programming language support including Python, Scratch, Wolfram Language, as well as basic applications like browsers and office software.
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Education and Maker Projects: Raspberry Pi OS comes with many education and maker-related software, such as GPIO Zero and Thonny Python IDE, making it ideal for programming education and electronic projects.
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Customization and Expansion Capabilities: The operating system supports a wide range of customization options, allowing users to install and configure software according to their needs.
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Community Support: As an open-source project, Raspberry Pi OS enjoys active community support, making it easy for users to find help and resources to solve problems.
User Experience
The user interface of Raspberry Pi OS is clear and straightforward, allowing even Linux beginners to quickly get started. The system is responsive, providing a smooth user experience even on hardware with limited resources. Due to its lightweight nature, it performs well in terms of boot speed and operational efficiency.
Comparison with Similar Software
Among similar microcomputer operating systems, such as Ubuntu MATE and Fedora Workstation, Raspberry Pi OS has significant advantages in performance and resource usage. Ubuntu MATE offers a richer desktop environment but has relatively higher hardware requirements. Fedora Workstation is known for its innovations and the latest software features, but may not be as beginner-friendly as Raspberry Pi OS.
Usage Experience
When developing projects using Raspberry Pi OS, you will find that it provides a wealth of programming resources and tools. For instance, when programming GPIO with Python, you can easily control and experiment with the hardware interfaces of the Raspberry Pi. At the same time, its rich documentation and community resources make problem-solving much easier.
Raspberry Pi OS is a highly cost-effective operating system, especially suitable for education, beginners, and maker projects. Its lightweight nature allows it to run very smoothly on resource-limited Raspberry Pi. Although it may not be as rich and modern in functionality and interface design as some desktop operating systems, in terms of usability, flexibility, and community support, Raspberry Pi OS is an outstanding choice. For those seeking a stable, easy-to-use operating system with broad support, Raspberry Pi OS is an ideal choice for educational purposes, personal projects, or as an experimental platform.
Related Links
Raspberry Pi OS Official Website: https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/