Our 5 Picks for the Best Raspberry Pi OS

by | Jan 19, 2017

The Raspberry Pi is a very capable and inexpensive single-board computer that can be configured in many ways. One often overlooked configuration is the operating system (OS) itself. Most users stick to a single OS once they get it running and never explore the wide variety that are available for the Pi. Here are our picks for the best Raspberry Pi OS that you should try. See where each one shines!

 

Raspbian

Raspbian is the operating system from the Raspberry Pi Foundation, the creators of the Pi. Based on Debian Linux and optimized for the Pi, this is the most popular Raspberry Pi OS. With a full Graphical User Interface (GUI) and a ton of packaged software there is a lot included to explore. We recommend Raspbian for anyone who wants to get started with the Pi and explore anything from desktop computing to programming or collecting sensor data.

 

Moebuis

Moebius is another Debian Linux OS. Unlike Rasbian, Moebius has no GUI and is optimized for speed and a small install size. If you are only interested in data collection, other Internet of Things (IoT) activities or just like the Linux command line, Moebius is the OS for you.

 

Windows 10 IoT Core

Windows 10 IoT Core is a strong offering from Microsoft and our pick as the best toolset for creating IoT solutions with the Pi outside of the Linux environment. Its integration with Visual Studio and Windows 10-like GUI will make those familiar with that ecosystem feel right at home. The Windows 10 IoT Core provides a 1-stop shop for a large suite of integrated tools that you have to find and configure separately with other frameworks.

 

OSMC

OSMC (Open Source Media Center) is an operating system that turns your Pi into a full-featured media center that is easy to get configured and capable of discovering and playing music, video files and images. The interface is clean and easy to use with several supported remotes. Once you point OSMC to the location of your media files or online services like YouTube, you might just cut cable and ditch your Tivo.

 

RetroPie

RetroPie combines an operating system with a series of emulators to turn your Pi into a retro-gaming console capable of playing games from over 50 gaming systems. It supports several popular gaming controllers and provides a tool to standardize control input for your controller.

The Raspberry Pi is a great hardware platform and choosing the best Raspberry Pi OS can turn your Pi into anything from a general-purpose personal computer or Internet of Things platform to a full-featured media center or retro gaming console.

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