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4.7 star rating
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Electronics
Computer
Single Board Computer
Operating System
Raspberry Pi
ARM
What is the best OS to run on ARM-based SOCs like the RPi?
7
Options
Considered
28
User
Recs.
Mar 27, 2023
Last
Updated
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5
Options
Considered
Best OS to run on ARM-based SOCs like the RPi
Price
OS Family
License
--
RISC OS
-
-
-
--
GNU+Linux
-
UNIX-like (GNU/Linux)
mostly GPL2
--
Android
-
Linux (AOSP-based)
mainly Apache 2.0
--
Chromium OS
-
Linux (ChromiumOS-based)
mostly BSD and GPL
--
NetBSD
0
-
-
See Full List
--
RISC OS
My Rec
ommendation
for
RISC OS
My Recommendation for
RISC OS
All
1
Pros
1
Top
Pro
•••
Drag n Drop
Uses DnD for almost anything.
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here
Recommend
9
--
GNU+Linux
My Rec
ommendation
for
GNU+Linux
My Recommendation for
GNU+Linux
All
13
Pros
4
Cons
8
Specs
Top
Pro
•••
Unix-like
It is a Unix clone.
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Top
Con
•••
Not so great touchscreen support
The most desktops are made for the use with keyboard and mouse, but there exist some specialized distributions with touch or controller input.
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Specs
OS Family:
UNIX-like (GNU/Linux)
License:
mostly GPL2
Top
Pro
•••
GNU-userland
Uses the same userland as other GNU variants.
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Top
Con
•••
Most 3D drivers are not as fast as their Windows counterparts
The only display driver that comes close to their Windows counterpart is the nvidia driver. Both AMD and Intel drivers miss a Control Panel on Linux to adjust more settings than just your resolution they also usually much slower than their Windows counterparts.
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Top
Pro
•••
Many different desktops to choose
Just use whatever you want. Some are lightweight, others are full of extravagant features. There is a flavor for each taste.
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Top
Con
•••
Often limited by decisions of the Kernel developers
Support for the latest features in Linux is often limited by their kernel developers, for example, Nvidia once had added patches to support Optimus on Linux, however, the kernel developers rejected those patches resulting in still no official Optimus support for Linux.
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Top
Pro
•••
Free
You don't have to pay anything.
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Top
Con
•••
Most Distributions are not LSB-conform
The most Distributions don't follow the Linux Standard Base which results in different package formates, package management tools, bootloaders, init-systems or even filesystem hierarchy standards.
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Top
Con
•••
GNU Copyleft
The coplyleft in the GNU licenses make it unattractive to many developers. It s also impossible to port GPLed Linux improvements to other more open operating systems like BSD or Haiku.
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Top
Con
•••
Frankenstein OS
The whole OS is mixed together with software from different sources.
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Top
Con
•••
No interface guidelines
Since there are plenty of X11-Desktop environments and two big Widget Toolkits, every app works and feels differently.
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Top
Con
•••
Many distributions
There are just too many of them to know.
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Hide
See All
Get it
here
Recommend
3
--
Android
My Rec
ommendation
for
Android
My Recommendation for
Android
All
5
Pros
3
Cons
1
Specs
Top
Con
•••
Officially only available for OEMs
If you want to install it for your custom project you have to build it from source or rely on distributions/ports like Bliss OS or LineageOS.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Plenty of Apps
There is an app for every task.
See More
Specs
OS Family:
Linux (AOSP-based)
License:
mainly Apache 2.0
Based On:
Android Open Source Project (AOSP)
Package Manager:
APK, Various app stores
See All Specs
Top
Pro
•••
Great touch support
Since it is mainly created for phones and tablets.
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Top
Pro
•••
Open source
The AOSP (Android Open Source Project) is the software stack for the Android OS. It is led by Google. The fact that Android is an open source software has led to many custom Android variants. It also is a big assurance of Android's safety in terms of privacy.
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See All
Get it
here
Recommend
3
2
--
Chromium OS
My Rec
ommendation
for
Chromium OS
My Recommendation for
Chromium OS
All
8
Pros
5
Cons
2
Specs
Top
Pro
•••
Can run Linux apps
Some distributions can run Linux apps.
See More
Top
Con
•••
Made for developers and OEMs
ChromiumOS is mainly made for development, so there exist no official install images and you have to build it from source or use third party images like Arnold's or the waterfall images.
See More
Specs
OS Family:
Linux (ChromiumOS-based)
License:
mostly BSD and GPL
Based On:
Gentoo (core only)
Package Manager:
Chrome Extensions
See All Specs
Top
Pro
•••
Lightweight
Because Chromium OS is designed for users who spend most of their computer time on the Web, it is intended for use in computers with little local storage and fast boot-up times.
See More
Top
Con
•••
No auto-upgrade (unlike Chrome OS)
Chrome OS auto-upgrade the system, but Chromium OS does not. It's possible that they're thinking about adding that feature from the design doc.
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Top
Pro
•••
Safe and requires little to no maintenant
Since you only have the browser, you cannot install applications (outside Chrome Apps which are decently protected by their limited API and the Chrome Web Store). This means no harmful virus, and also nearly no way you can screw your system. Everything will just work.
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Top
Pro
•••
Some Distributions have Android app support
FydeOS has support for Android apps.
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Top
Pro
•••
Minimalistic interface
Chromium's system UI uses as little screen space as possible by combining apps and standard web pages into a minimal tab strip: While existing operating systems have web tabs and native applications in two separate strips, Chromium OS combines these, giving access to everything from one strip. The tab is the equivalent of a desktop application's title bar; the frame containing the tabs is a simple mechanism for managing sets of those applications and pages.
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See All
Get it
here
Recommend
3
1
--
NetBSD
My Rec
ommendation
for
NetBSD
My Recommendation for
NetBSD
All
8
Pros
5
Cons
2
Specs
Top
Con
•••
Lack of drivers
It lacks drivers for some new devices.
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Top
Pro
•••
Architecture portability
It's the most portable OS in the world when considering what architectures it can run on. It runs on very wide range of hardware, from toaster to satellites. This of course does not mean it supports drivers for many consumer facing products making it a difficult solution to just boot up and use when compared to other OSs.
See More
Specs
Based On:
Research Unix>Berkeley Software Distribution>
Official Supported Architectures:
https://www.netbsd.org/ports/
Top
Con
•••
Not everything is ported
Not all architectures are supported equally.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
It's real
Under NetBSD csh is csh not tcsh; also vi is real vi not elvis, nvi or vim. It's ideal for purists.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
It's Open Source
It's open source with a BSD License, which is much more business friendly than GPL. It's the real ancestor of Mac, that is being used nowadays.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Clean source code
It prioritizes source code cleanliness over anything.
See More
Top
Pro
•••
Adhere to the standard
It adheres to traditional Unix and new defined standards.
See More
Hide
See All
0
Recommend
2
2
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Twister OS
My Rec
ommendation
for
Twister OS
My Recommendation for
Twister OS
FREE
Recommend
1
1
--
Raspberry Pi OS
My Rec
ommendation
for
Raspberry Pi OS
My Recommendation for
Raspberry Pi OS
FREE
Recommend
1
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