| Raspberry Pi OS | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Raspberry Pi OS (Trixie) running its default desktop environment | |
| Developer | Raspberry Pi Holdings |
| OS family | Unix-like |
| Working state | Current |
| Source model | Open-source |
| Initial release | 15 July 2012; 13 years ago (2012-07-15) |
| Latest release | 6.0 / 1 October 2025[1]  |
| Available in | 23 languages[2] |
List of languages
| |
| Update method |
|
| Package manager | APT,dpkg |
| Supported platforms | armhf,aarch64 |
| Kernel type | Monolithic (Linux) |
| Userland | GNU |
| Influenced | Twister OS |
| Influenced by | Debian |
| Default user interface | labwc (Wayland-based) |
| License | Free and open-source software licenses (mainlyGPL) |
| Official website | raspberrypi |
Raspberry Pi OS is aUnix-like operating system developed for theRaspberry Pi line ofsingle-board computers. Based onLinux withDebian, it is maintained byRaspberry Pi Holdings and optimized for the Pi's hardware, with low memory requirements and support for both32-bit and64-bit architectures. Originally released in July 2012 under the nameRaspbian, it was introduced shortly after the launch of the first Raspberry Pi model.[3][4]
The operating system is compatible with all Raspberry Pi models except theRaspberry Pi Pico microcontroller. It is available in several configurations: a standard edition, a "Lite" version without adesktop environment, and a "Full" version that includes additional software such asLibreOffice andWolfram Mathematica. The operating system is available as a free download and can be installed using the official Raspberry Pi Imager utility. It is also sold preloaded on officialmicroSD cards.
Raspbian was first developed by Mike Thompson and Peter Green as an independent and unofficial port of Debian to the Raspberry Pi.[5] The first build was released on 15 July 2012.[6] 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.[7] 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.[3]
On 28 May 2020, the Raspberry Pi Foundation announced a beta64-bit version. However, this version was not based on Raspbian, instead taking itsuser space software from Debian.[8] 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.[8] This change was also carried over to the32-bit images that they distributed, though it continued to be based on Raspbian.[8] The 64-bit version of Raspberry Pi OS was officially released on 2 February 2022.[9]
The Raspberry Pi OS user interface is optimized for Raspberry Pi hardware and tuned to have low base memory requirements, aiming to deliver a lightweight, fast, and energy-efficient desktop experience.[10][11][12] It is built on theWayland display protocol, using labwc as itscompositing manager, which is based onwlroots, a modular Wayland implementation that underpins several other compositors.[13]
The operating system previously used theX Window System. A transition to Wayland began with the Bullseye release in 2021, which introduced themutter 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.[13]
The interface is designed to feel familiar to users ofmacOS andMicrosoft Windows.[12] 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.[14]
Raspberry Pi OS originally included theEpiphany web browser, but transitioned toChromium in 2016.[10]Firefox was added as an additional pre-installed browser option in 2023. The included browsers come withuBlock, anad-blocking extension, and h264ify, anextension that makesYouTube serve videos using theH.264 codec which is supported by the Raspberry Pi'shardware acceleration.[10][15] As of May 2025[update], other pre-installed applications includesGeany,ImageMagick,Thonny,VNC Viewer andVLC media player.[16]
As of May 2025[update], installations with the full suite of recommended software includesClaws Mail,Firebird database server,KiCad,LibreOffice,Java,Scratch, andWolfram Mathematica, and additional font packages.[17]
Software can be installed via theAPT (Advanced Package Tool)command-line interface, or throughgraphical front-ends such as the included Add/Remove Software tool, or by using third-partyapp stores like Pi-Apps.[18]
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 byUbuntu at 9%.[2]
In a 2015 review, Jesse Smith ofDistroWatch 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 asLibreOffice orFirefox.[19]
In a January 2024 review forArs 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 aswindow snapping, a notification center, refined window borders, and smoothmulti-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.[20]
In January 2021, the Raspberry Pi OS packageraspberrypi-sys-mods added a MicrosoftGPG encryption key and repository configuration to theAPT package manager, enabling easier installation ofVisual Studio Code, asource code editor. As a result, the system contacted Microsoft’s servers during update checks, prompting concerns among users due to privacy considerations and Microsoft'sonce-adversarial history with the open source software community. The repository configuration was later removed.[21][22][23]
Raspberry Pi OS is available in three main variants:
Each variant is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.[24][25]
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, with desktop, and with desktop and recommended software) are offered in this legacy form.[26]
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.[27]
Raspberry Pi OS can be purchased pre-installed on amicroSD card or downloaded as a.img disk image file to be written to an SD card or other media. Official documentation recommends a minimum of 16 GB for the Lite version and at least 32 GB for versions with a desktop environment.[28]
The Raspberry Pi Imager utility was introduced in March 2020 to simplify the installation of a disk image file onto an SD card or other media. Available formacOS, Raspberry Pi OS,Ubuntu, andWindows, it allows users to download and write the disk image file in a single application. In addition to Raspberry Pi OS, the utility supports a variety of third-party operating systems.[29]
| Version | Release date | Debian version | Linux kernel | GCC | APT | User interface | 1 | 2 | 3 | Zero | 3+ | 4 | Zero 2 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unsupported: 0 | 2013-09-27 | 7 (Wheezy) | 3.6 | 4.7.2 | 0.9.7 | X.Org Server 1 |  |  | | | | | | |
| 2013-10-07 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2013-12-24 | 3.10 | | | | | | | | | |||||
| 2014-01-09 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2014-06-22 | 3.12 | | | | | | | | | |||||
| 2014-07-08 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2014-09-12 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2014-10-08 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2014-12-25 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2015-02-02 | 3.18 | | | | | | | | | |||||
| 2015-02-17 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2015-02-18 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2015-05-07 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2015-05-12 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| Unsupported: 1 | 2015-09-28 | 8 (Jessie) | 4.1 | 4.9 | 1.0.9.8.1 | | | | | | | | | |
| 2015-11-24 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2016-02-08 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2016-02-09 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2016-02-29 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2016-03-18 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2016-05-13 | 4.4 | | | | | | | | | |||||
| 2016-05-31 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2016-09-28 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2016-11-29 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2017-02-27 | 4.9 | | | | | | | | | |||||
| 2017-03-03 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2017-04-10 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2017-06-23 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2017-07-05 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| Unsupported: 2 | 2017-08-17 | 9 (Stretch) | 6.3 | 1.4.6 | | | | | | | | | ||
| 2017-09-08 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2017-11-29 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2018-03-13 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2018-04-18 | 4.14 | 1.4.8 | | | | | | | | | ||||
| 2018-06-29 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2018-10-09 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2018-11-13 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2019-04-08 | 1.4.9 | | | | | | | | | |||||
| Unsupported: 3 | 2019-06-24 | 10 (Buster) | 4.19 | 8.3 | 1.8.2 | | | | | | | | | |
| 2019-07-10 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2019-09-30 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2020-02-07 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2020-02-14 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2020-05-27 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2020-08-20 | 5.4.51 | | | | | | | | | |||||
| 2020-12-02 | 5.4.79 | 1.8.2.1 | | | | | | | | | ||||
| 2021-01-11 | 5.4.83 | 1.8.2.2 | | | | | | | | | ||||
| 2021-03-04 | 5.10.17 | | | | | | | | | |||||
| 2021-05-07 | 1.8.2.3 | | | | | | | | | |||||
| 2021-10-30 | 5.10.63 | | | | | | | | | |||||
| Unsupported: 4 | 2021-12-03 | 11 (Bullseye) | 10.2.1 | 2.2.4 | X.Org Server 1.20 | | | | | | | | | |
| 2022-01-28 | 5.10.92 | | | | | | | | | |||||
| 2022-03-08 | 5.10.103 | | | | | | | | | |||||
| 2022-04-04 | 5.15.30 | | | | | | | | | |||||
| 2022-09-06 | 5.15.61 | | | | | | | | | |||||
| 2022-09-22 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2023-02-21 | 5.15.84 | | | | | | | | | |||||
| 2023-05-03 | 6.1.21 | | | | | | | | | |||||
| 2023-12-05 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2024-03-12 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2024-07-04 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2024-10-22 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| 2025-05-06 | | | | | | | | | ||||||
| Unsupported: 5.0 | 2023-10-10 | 12 (Bookworm) | 12.2.0 | 2.6.1 | X.Org Server 21.1 | | | | | | | | | |
| Unsupported: 5.1 | 2023-12-05 | 6.1.69 | 12.2.4 | | | | | | | | | |||
| Unsupported: 5.2 | 2024-03-15 | 6.6.20 | 12.2.0 | | | | | | | | | |||
| Unsupported: 5.3 | 2024-05-29 | 6.6.31 | | | | | | | | | ||||
| Unsupported: 5.4 | 2024-07-04 | | | | | | | | | |||||
| Unsupported: 5.5 | 2024-11-19 | 6.6.51 | labwc 0.7.2 | | | | | | | | | |||
| Unsupported: 5.6 | 2025-05-06 | 6.12.25 | labwc 0.8.1 | | | | | | | | | |||
| Supported: 5.7 | 2025-10-01 | 6.12.47 | | | | | | | | | ||||
| Latest version:6.0 | 2025-10-01 | 13 (Trixie) | 6.12.47 | 14.2.0 | 3.0.3 | labwc 0.8.4 | | | | | | | | |
The official Pi operating system is now called 'Raspberry Pi OS.'
