Distros Raspberry Pi 2

Distros

11-20

10 Distros

Jul, 2025

Arch Linux

PiNet

Pipa OS

Adafruit Occidentalis

Arch Linux

Last update 2023

https://archlinuxarm.org/

Simple

We are a port of Arch Linux, which aims for simplicity and full control to the end user. We provide a light-weight base structure that allows you to shape the system to your needs.

Optimized

We build optimized packages for soft-float ARMv5te, hard-float ARMv6 and ARMv7, and ARMv8 AArch64 instruction sets to use each platform to its full potential.

Up to Date

New software versions are packaged as they are released, ensuring you are always on the leading edge of stable software releases.

Download:

Easy way with PINN installer!!!

Raspberry pi Zero, 0w, 1A+, 1B+ 32 bit:

Raspberry pi Zero, 0w, 1A+, 1B+ 64bit:

Raspberry Pi 2B 32 bit:

Raspberry Pi 2B, 3B, 3B+ 32 bit:

Raspberry Pi 2B, 3B, 3B+ 64 bit:

Raspberry Pi 4B, 400 32bit:

Raspberry Pi 4B, 400 64 bit:

Raspberry Pi Zero 2W 32 bit:

Raspberry Pi Zero 2W 64 bit:

http://os.archlinuxarm.org/os/ArchLinuxARM-rpi-aarch64-latest.tar.gz

Raspberry Pi 5 not official from community:

https://archlinuxarm.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16659

Download Page:

How to install/flash(need a host OS like Pi OS):

Open a Terminal and put an sd in a USB reader or sd card slot if you boot Pi OS from USB.

lsblk

To see where is mounted our SD Card, could be /dev/sdX where X could be a/b/c or /dev/mmcblkX where X could be 0/1/2 normally is 0 or 1. After know that, let's get start:

Where i put /dev mmcblkX could be /dev/sdX depending of your lsblk result, so this is the only you wil have to change. We need to unmount the SD Card from the host system, if we dont do that the format will be do it after reboot.

sudo fdisk /dev/mmcblk0
Type o (vowel O)
Type p, n, p, 1, Press ENTER, write +200M. (If you receive a Question, answer Y)
Type t, c.
Type n, p, 2, press ENTER twice. (If you receive a Question, answer Y)
Type w.
sudo mkfs.vfat /dev/mmcblk0p1
mkdir boot
sudo mount /dev/mmcblk0p1 boot
sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/mmcblk0p2
mkdir root
sudo mount /dev/mmcblk0p2 root
sudo su

Now we are root, download the system for your Raspberry Pi model from the above links, like example i will use the one for Raspberry Pi Zero 2W:

For 32 bit:

wget http://os.archlinuxarm.org/os/ArchLinuxARM-rpi-armv7-latest.tar.gz

For 64 bit:

wget http://os.archlinuxarm.org/os/ArchLinuxARM-rpi-aarch64-latest.tar.gz

Then we need to install bsdtar:

sudo apt install libarchive-tools -y

Now we continue:

For 32 bit:

bsdtar -xpf ArchLinuxARM-rpi-armv7-latest.tar.gz -C root
sync
mv root/boot/* boot

For 64bit:

bsdtar -xpf ArchLinuxARM-rpi-aarch64-latest.tar.gz -C root
sync
mv root/boot/* boot
In 64 bit version do this before unmount, if you do 32 bit verion skip this step:
Before unmounting the partitions, update /etc/fstab for the different SD block device compared to the Raspberry Pi 3.

In this Step we copy this command , no matter if our sd was mounted in /dev/sdX, so just copy and past like is here:

sed -i 's/mmcblk0/mmcblk1/g' root/etc/fstab

Now continue in both 32 an 64 bit version:

umount boot root

Thats all, now put the sd in the Raspberry Pi and boot for first time, we need to make to steps more login with root/root:

pacman-key --init
pacman-key --populate archlinuxarm

We need a Ethernet connection to install a desktop, or run the wifi-menu command to connect to wifi. After a success boot, we can delete the tar.gz we download and the boot and root folder we created in the host OS.

PiNet

Last update Project Closed

http://pinet.org.uk/

Close October 27th, 2020

Centralised user accounts and file storage system for a Raspberry Pi classroom.

Network user accounts

The students user accounts are stored on the central PiNet server. This means they can log in on any Raspberry Pi in the classroom and no more trying to figure out which SD card belongs to which student.

Network booting

The Raspberry Pi operating system (Raspbian) is also stored on the central server, meaning each Raspberry Pi boots up off it each time. This allows you to maintain one perfect master operating system.

Shared folders & backups

Easy to setup shared folders to share resources with students and a breeze to set up automated backups for students work to an external drive.

Simple to set up

PiNet was designed from the ground up to be extremely easy to set up and maintain. It is so simple, we have even heard of 11 year old students managing their school PiNet network!

Completely Free

PiNet is completely free, open source and built upon the work of the Linux Terminal Server Project. This means you can use it for what you want, where you want for no cost and have access to the full source code.

Used across the world

PiNet is already used across the world by 100s of schools and organisations in over 30 countries including United Kingdom, China, Brazil, South Africa and the United States.

What is PiNet?

PiNet is a free and open source project for helping schools set up and manage a Raspberry Pi classroom.

It has been developed alongside teachers with feedback from over 15 countries across the world.

Its key features include

- Network based user accounts - Any student can sit down at any Raspberry Pi and log in.
- Network based operating system - All Raspberry Pis boot a single master Raspbian operating system.
- Shared folders - Easy to use shared folder system for teachers and students.
- Work collection system - Simple work collection/submission system to allow students to hand in work.
- Automated backups - Automatically backup all students work to an external drive periodically.
- Many more small features like batch user import, classroom management software integration etc.

The server software is installed on a computer running Ubuntu Linux 18.04 (recommended). Ubuntu is completely free. You must then connect the server and Raspberry Pis together by using a wired network.

Installation:

Pipa OS

Last update Project Closed

http://pipaos.mitako.eu/

pipaOS is a Raspbian Stretch based distro containing the minimal software to get the PI up and running. It is useful for scratch hardware projects, headless, or GUI based, more complex setups, that you expand as you need.

Features:

Based on latest Raspbian Stretch
Lightweight 2GB image, 200MB download
Firmware and drivers for most common USB dongles
Wireless can be configured from a regular laptop
Hostapd preinstalled to easily turn the PI as a router
Complete QT5 run time and development libraries through APT
Kivy graphics framework available through APT
GPIO and wiringpi preinstalled
RPI-monitor
RPI-poweroff
pipaos tools
PiTop's BCM pinout tool
X desktop easily installable running fluxbox
Raspbian setup tool pipaos-config

GitHub:

Download Page:

http://pipaos.mitako.eu/download/

Adafruit Occidentalis

Last update 2012 Project Closed

https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-raspberry-pi-educational-linux-distro/overview

Occidentalis is a collection of packages intended for use on a Raspberry Pi running the latest version of the Raspbian distribution. By default, it installs a collection of development tools and a configuration helper called occi. It also provides a custom kernel build and configuration helpers for various Adafruit products.

Download:

Actually isn`t a distribution, you can install simply on any Raspberry Pi 3B:

sudo -s
echo "deb http://apt.adafruit.com/raspbian/ wheezy main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list
wget -O - -q https://apt.adafruit.com/apt.adafruit.com.gpg.key | apt-key add -
apt-get update
apt-get install occidentalis

Or just simply:

curl -SLs https://apt.adafruit.com/install | sudo bash

GitHub:

https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit-Occidentalis

Slackware

Last update 2022 no more build for ARM

http://arm.slackware.com/

Distribución Slackware para correr en plataformas ARM. La vieja distro Slackware no se caracteriza por ser la más sencilla, pero sin duda cuenta con bastante apoyo y un gran elenco de derivados. Si ya trabajas con la distribución Slackware o alguno de sus derivados, quizás te interese seguir con esta filosofía también en la Raspberry Pi.

How to page:

http://docs.slackware.com/howtos:hardware:arm:start

Raspberry Pi 1:

http://docs.slackware.com/howtos:hardware:arm:raspberrypi

Raspberry Pi 2:

http://docs.slackware.com/howtos:hardware:arm:raspberrypi2

Raspberry Pi 3:

Raspberry Pi 4B:

http://docs.slackware.com/howtos:hardware:arm:gcc-9.x_aarch64_cross-compiler

Ubuntu Mate

Last update 2025

https://ubuntu-mate.org/raspberry-pi/

Ubuntu MATE is available for Raspberry Pi with separate images for armhf (ARMv7 32-bit) and arm64 (ARMv8 64-bit). We have done what we can to optimise the builds for the Raspberry Pi without sacrificing the full desktop environment Ubuntu MATE provides on PC.

Ubuntu MATE for the Raspberry Pi provides a complete, familiar, desktop environment that can be used for basic desktop computing. It is also of interest to makers and device hackers who want to target Ubuntu for their projects. You can prototype homebrew ARMv7 or ARMv8 based IoT devices in a comfortable desktop environment, including building and testing your apps as snaps. The full Ubuntu archive is available to you.

For hobbyist projects, you can stick with Ubuntu MATE for “deployment”. But, if you have something more professional in mind then the applications and snaps you’ve prototyped with Ubuntu MATE can be used with Ubuntu Server or Ubuntu Core. You might want to check out the Ubuntu Appliance Portfolio too.

Features

High-level features of these images are:

Ubuntu kernel, fully maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel and Security teams.
VC4/V3D (fkms) driver is enabled by default.
fbturbo driver is available if you want it, but limited to 2D accelerated window moving/scrolling on Raspberry Pi (using the BCM2835 DMA Controller).
Automatic online filesystem expansion.
Ethernet & WiFi (where available)
Bluetooth (where available)
Audio out via 3.5mm analog audio jack or HDMI
Video out via Composite or HDMI
GPIO access via GPIO Zero, pigpio and WiringPi.
Support for Python Wheels for the Raspberry Pi.
Support for USB Booting.

Hardware acceleration:

- fbturbo driver is pre-installed but limited to 2D accelerated window moving/scrolling on Raspberry Pi (using the BCM2835 DMA Controller).
- VLC has hardware assisted video decoding.
- ffmpeg has hardware assisted video decoding and encoding.
- The experimental VC4 driver can be enabled via raspi-config.
- Please note, the arm64 images do not feature any VideoCore IV hardware acceleration.

Additional software:

- A port of raspi-config for Ubuntu is pre-installed.
- Steam Link is available for install.
- Minecraft: Pi Edition is available for install.

Download page:

https://ubuntu-mate.org/download/
Easy install with PINN Installer!!!

Supported Raspberry Pi Models:

https://ubuntu-mate.org/raspberry-pi/compatibility/

Raspberry Pi 2B, 3B, 3B+, 4B, 400, CM4 32 bit:

Raspberry Pi 3B, 3B+, 4B, 400, CM4 64bit:

Raspberry Pi 3B, 3B+, 3A+, 4B 32 bit (Old):

Raspberry Pi 3B, 3B+, 3A+, 4B 64 bit(Old):

Motion Eye OS

Last update 2020--Fork 2022

https://github.com/ccrisan/motioneyeos

Linux distribution that turns your single board computer into a video surveillance system.The OS is based on BuildRoot and uses motion as a backend and motionEye for the frontend.

Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/motioneyeos

Download:

https://github.com/motioneye-project/motioneyeos/wiki/Supported-Devices

Raspberry Pi Zero, Zero W, 1A, 1A+, 1B+, CM1:

Raspberry Pi 2B:

Raspberry Pi 3B, 3B+, 3A+, CM3:

Raspberry Pi 4B:

Raspberry Pi Zero 2W(From a fork of user jawsper):

Download Page:

https://github.com/ccrisan/motioneyeos/releases

Wiki:

https://github.com/ccrisan/motioneyeos/wiki

Xinu Pi

Last update 2019

https://embedded-xinu.readthedocs.io/en/latest/arm/rpi/XinuPi.html

XinuPi is the port of Embedded Xinu to the Raspberry Pi. XinuPi provides a simple, lightweight operating system for the Raspberry Pi that contains several orders of magnitude fewer lines of code than the Linux-based software stacks that normally run on the device. Its purpose is to provide an inexpensive, convenient platform for various areas of computer science education at a University level, including operating systems, embedded systems, networking, and programming languages.

Download and Compiling:

https://xinu.cs.mu.edu/index.php/Main_Page
https://reu.cs.mu.edu/index.php/Upgrading_Embedded_Xinu_for_the_Multi-Core_Raspberry_Pi_3
https://github.com/LdB-ECM/xinu
git clone https://github.com/xinu-os/xinu && cd xinu && make -C compile PLATFORM=arm-rpi
sudo cp /boot/kernel.img /boot/kernel.old
sudo cp xinu.boot /boot/kernel.img

Xbian

Last update 2024

https://xbian.org/

XBian is a small, fast and lightweight media center distribution for the Raspberry Pi, CuBox-i, Hummingboard and many more devices to come. It is based on a minimal Debian and therefore offers much of the same freedom as Debian offers.

Our slogan is “XBian, the bleeding edge” as our main focus is delivering the fastest Kodi solution for various small form factor computers.

Just like Debian, XBian incorporates rolling releases. This means that different from other distributions such as OpenELEC or Raspbmc, XBian doesn't release fixed images that often.

In contrast, XBian offers new package updates at least once a week. This means that new improvements and bugfixes are delivered quickly and easily.

When you keep your system updated, you will also start using new releases automatically. When all packages belonging to a new release are installed, XBian will also increase its own version.

So, you never need to reinstall!

This also means you can just install XBian Beta 2 and upgrade to XBian Release Candidate 2 in one go. Just as you can upgrade to XBian Stable 1 once it is released.

Download:

Easy way with PINN installer!!!

Raspberry Pi 0,1 PINN:

Raspberry Pi Zero, Zero W, 1A, 1A+, 1B+ Image:

Raspberry Pi 2B, 3B, 3B+, 3A+ PINN:

Raspberry Pi 2B, 3B, 3A+ Image:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/xbian/files/release/XBian_Stretch_latest_rpi3.img.gz/download

Raspberry Pi 2B, 3B, 3B+, 4B, 400, Zero 2W, 5 PINN:

Raspberry Pi 2B, 3B, 3B+, 4B, 400, Zero 2W Image:

SourceForge:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/xbian/

Gentoo

Last update 2021

https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Raspberry_Pi

Every user has work they need to do. The goal of Gentoo is to design tools and systems that allow a user to do that work as pleasantly and efficiently as possible, as they see fit. Our tools should be a joy to use, and should help the user to appreciate the richness of the Linux and free software community, and the flexibility of free software. This is only possible when the tool is designed to reflect and transmit the will of the user, and leave the possibilities open as to the final form of the raw materials (the source code.) If the tool forces the user to do things a particular way, then the tool is working against, rather than for, the user. We have all experienced situations where tools seem to be imposing their respective wills on us. This is backwards, and contrary to the Gentoo philosophy.

Instructions:

https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Raspberry_Pi

Installation Instructions

There is no Gentoo ARM(64) Handbook in general since the hardware and therefore the installation process differs much more than installation for e.g. x86 hardware.

32-bit

Raspberry Pi/Installation (previously on this page)
Raspberry Pi/Quick Install Guide
Raspberry Pi/Minimal musl+busybox cross building
Raspberry_Pi/Cross_building

64-bit

Download:

Easy way with PINN installer!!!

Download page for 64 bit:

https://github.com/sakaki-/gentoo-on-rpi-64bit

Raspberry Pi 3B, 3B+, 4B, Zero 2W:

Raspberry Pi 3B, 3B+, 4B, Zero 2W Lite version:

Raspberry Pi 3B, 3B+, 4B, Zero 2W Lite version with Systemd:

https://s3.genpi64.com/images/genpi64-arm64-systemd-lite-alpha9.img.zst

Decompress .zst image:

wget -c https://fi.packages.genpi64.com/genpi-aarch64-desktop-latest.img.zst
zstd -d genpi64desktop-latest.img.zst -o genpi64desktop-latest.img

Login:.

default user demouser, password raspberrypi64;
root user password also raspberrypi64.