The Raspberry Pi, a small computer that leads the world of makers and DIY enthusiasts, has won countless fans with its powerful scalability and low price. However, an exciting yet somewhat confusing question arises: with a dazzling array of operating system choices, which one is most suitable for my project? The officially recommended Raspberry Pi OS is certainly excellent, but it is just one of many great options. To help you find the ideal system, we have carefully selected 7 categories of 12 highly compatible operating systems, categorized by their features and application scenarios, taking you on a journey to explore the infinite possibilities of Raspberry Pi!
1. Beginner-Friendly and Everyday Applications:
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• Raspberry Pi OS: The official system based on Debian, stable and reliable, easy to use, making it an excellent choice for beginners.
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Advantages: Stable, easy to use, supports all Raspberry Pi models;
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Disadvantages: The interface is relatively traditional.
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• Ubuntu: A modern interface and fast update mechanism, suitable for users accustomed to Ubuntu.
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Advantages: Modern interface, abundant software resources;
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Disadvantages: Slightly less stable than Raspberry Pi OS, smaller community support.
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2. Media Center and Home Theater Solutions:
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• LibreELEC: A lightweight system optimized for the Kodi media center, efficient and stable.
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Advantages: Efficient, stable, focused on media playback;
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Disadvantages: Relatively simple functionality.
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• OSMC: Based on Debian, using the Kodi interface, easy to use with good community support.
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Advantages: Easy to use, supports various media formats;
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Disadvantages: Relatively limited functionality.
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3. A Paradise for Retro Gamers:
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• Batocera: A powerful retro gaming system that supports numerous platforms, easy to operate.
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Advantages: Powerful features, built-in content downloader, user-friendly;
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Disadvantages: Smaller community.
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• Recalbox: Another excellent retro gaming system with a simple interface and high integration.
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Advantages: Simple interface, integrated operation, supports multiple platforms;
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Disadvantages: Does not support Raspberry Pi 4.
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4. Advanced Players and Deep Customization:
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• Manjaro: Based on Arch Linux, highly flexible and customizable, fast response.
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Advantages: Highly customizable, various desktop environment options, fast response;
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Disadvantages: Requires some Linux knowledge.
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• Gentoo: A lightweight, highly flexible system that can be deeply customized but requires strong Linux knowledge.
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Advantages: Extremely high customizability, performance optimization, strong flexibility;
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Disadvantages: Requires very strong Linux knowledge.
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5. Server and Development Environment:
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• Fedora: A stable and reliable Red Hat-based distribution, suitable for development and server applications.
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Advantages: Good stability, abundant software resources, active community;
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Disadvantages: Commands and package management differ from other distributions.
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• Rocky Linux: The successor of CentOS, providing enterprise-level stability, suitable for server deployment.
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Advantages: High stability, supports the latest models, active community;
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Disadvantages: Only provides minimal images.
6. Resource Efficiency and High Performance:
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• DietPi: An extremely lightweight system with very low resource usage and excellent performance, suitable for resource-constrained Raspberry Pi.
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Advantages: Low resource usage, easy to set up, excellent performance;
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Disadvantages: Simple functionality.
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7. Personal Cloud Storage and NAS:
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• OpenMediaVault: An easy-to-build NAS system with rich features and reliable performance.
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Advantages: Simple operation, rich features, reliable performance;
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Disadvantages: Requires some networking knowledge.
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Conclusion
From everyday desktop applications, media center setups, retro gaming experiences, to server deployments and personal cloud storage construction, these 7 categories of 12 operating systems cover almost all possible application scenarios of Raspberry Pi. Choosing the system that best suits you requires considering your actual needs, technical level, and project goals. With so many perfectly compatible operating systems for Raspberry Pi, there is bound to be one that meets your needs! Helping you find the key to unlock the infinite possibilities of Raspberry Pi!