What are all the operating systems currently supported for Raspberry Pi? 2026 List

Although this device is small, it shows promise in terms of versatility for developers and technology enthusiasts. It supports a wide variety of operating systems that have been adapted to play with their performance and perform the necessary tasks quickly and safely.

It is the best-selling record of all time in Europe., where it was born at the hands of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, as an alternative for learning and developing product skills from larger brands.

Learn about the operating systems that can be installed and their different functions depending on your needs as a developer.

List of all operating systems that we can install on a Raspberry Pi without any problems

If you wish to adapt this plate to your personal projectIt's important that you know right now which operating system is best for you and your project. Therefore, Here is a complete list of all the operating systems you can install. legally and without risk of hardware damage.

Go for it:

Raspberry Pi OS (Raspbian)

With the acquisition of this plate, the first operating system we get is the one It used to be called Raspbian and is based on Debian and has basic functions that control all the components of your Raspberry Pi 4 and earlier versions.

You should know that there are three versions that complement each other:

• Complete version: which contains all the functions that any developer requires to adapt the device to their technology projects.
• Standard version: Only the operating system will be installed, without the various programs that experienced developers require in their projects.
• Lite version: It takes up less space, perhaps around 400 MB. This is the version required when the developer has their own programs to install and is looking for more available storage space.

Three versions support all types of programs compatible with it, such as office suites similar to those of open Officewhich is free software. We recommend you try it first. research the type of system that might work best for your purposes before installing an ISO image.

Windows 10 IoT Core

The acceptance of Raspberry Pi in the developer community has been so high that even ecosystem has had to join it. This brand published a system in 2015 based on the idea “Internet of Things” o “Internet of Things, IoT”, as it is better known in the world of computing.

It is a Windows version adapted to Raspberry Pi hardwareTherefore, it's not exactly a good Windows 10 machine. as you imagine, but It allows you to install basic and simple programs that only work with it and that help you adapt the board to other projects.

Kali Linux

Undoubtedly, Kali Linux It's one of the best operating systems for this device based on Linux. It was launched in 2013, making it one of the first to provide solutions for developers. who prefer this board. It's used for network security and monitoring, so it's the ideal choice if your project is geared towards this field.

It has over 600 pre-installed tools, such as network scanning and analysis of Exploit. If you're concerned about security, this is one of the options with the highest levels of protection, constantly receiving updates to ensure proper functioning and complete protection.

Begging

The creators of Fedora decided develop a lighter alternative from scratch and that it contained most of the application packages. This proposal was released in 2014 and was designed to be supported by ARMv6 processors, which are used by Raspberry Pi.

One of the advantages is that, in case of failure, A monitor is not needed to perform some recovery tasks and operating system repair, but this can only be done by an expert, so it's not an operating system for beginners.

Ubuntu core

It is also a Linux distribution. It works to convert the hardware into both a mini desktop computer and a personal server.Its development began in 2004 and gained significant traction when Raspberry Pi sales increased. Each solution is an individual application, meaning that In case of failures and security problems, they will only affect individual cores. and not the entire operating system. The best part is that it has good developer support.

SCRATCHS

It has a history with small circuit boards; this system started with BeagleBoard and PandaBoardBoth, with ARM processors like those used by Raspberry Pi, then found a market of major developers who prefer their design because it allows for better device performance. The device is required to have 2 GBThis allows you to get the most affordable Raspberry Pi models, but there isn't much development of solutions for this operating system, and that's a real limitation within this community.

SARPi (Slackware ARM for Raspberry Pi)

You have 20 years in development and it has happened to be better known for its adaptability to the Raspberry PiIt allows for better, faster, and safer performance of tasks. All functional libraries are installed manually.This ensures step-by-step configuration monitoring.

With experience, developers now release updates only when they are certain they work and are safe. There is a high level of control over the installation process. But the operating system is very demanding on hardware, and its developer community is small..

ArchLinux ARM

The advantage of this operating system is that updates are continuous; there are no large or robust changes all at once. This allows developers to maintain greater control over the settings that they must do every time there are updates to the operating system. It offers a kind of digital signature To allow users to be certain that the packages they install are official, this represents an important level of security and trust for customers.

FreeBSD

This community has over 400 certified developers, so you'll find a wider variety of solutions to different needs, whether industrial or personal. It is fully compatible with ARMv6 and ARMv7 processor generations. And for those with older versions of Raspberry Pi, like Raspberry Pi 1 y Raspberry Pi 2There are still solutions and support available, even though the Raspberry Pi Foundation has discontinued the manufacture and distribution of these versions.

Learn step by step how to install any operating system on a Raspberry Pi from scratch

You know that There are different types of operating systems for Raspberry Pi computers, but There are common steps you should know before attempting to install one of them.

Let's look at the following:

What to have on hand?

Before you begin, it's best if you perform the installation from a Windows 10 computeras we will show in this example. You must also use a Micro SD cardFurthermore, although it seems obvious, a internet where you can download the operating system of your choice.

Since the procedures are the same for any operating system, For the purposes of this step-by-step guide, we will use Raspbian., which is the official brand.

Download the installer

• Access to the following address: raspberrypi.org.

• Press the access to "Software".
• Select option “Raspberry for Desktop”.
• Scroll down the page until you find "Download" .

• Select the destination of this download and download it.

Install using Raspberry Pi Imager

As What we downloaded was the ISO image. of the operating system that now must install.

Remember that it's now called Raspberry Pi OS and not Raspbian:

• The image that was downloaded It must be installed on your Windows 10.

• Then you can run “Raspberry Pi Imager” whose button you can find in the Windows 10 application list.
• Will ask you administrator permission so that the installation is done correctly.

Install the operating system

Once you have placed the Micro SD card in the computer with Windows 10An SD adapter may be required.

Now you can install your preferred operating system on this card:

• Download the OS version that suits you best.

• Open the program “Raspberry Pi Imager”.
• There will several operating systems and options available, each one fulfills a function.

• In this case, we selected “Raspberry Pi OS”, in its 32-bit or 64-bit version if the hardware allows it.
• Select the micro SD card where the system will be installed.
• Now press the option "Write" which would be the equivalent of installing.

• Wait for the writing reached 100%Installation may take several minutes.
• Then, it goes through a process of verification that must also reach 100%.
• You can remove the micro SD card.

Begin to work

Once you have installed the operating system on the micro SD memory, You just need to remove this memory from your Windows 10 computer and place it on the Raspberry Pi. You can access it remotely or by connecting a monitor. If you're an experienced developer, you'll know that A monitor is not required to adjust the equipment to your project.The various ways to make the device wireless then make it easier to start setting up your new operating system.