Raspberry Pi OS is an official operating system for Raspberry Pi which provides ease for Raspberry Pi beginners and is the most used OS for Raspberry Pi. Some other operating system options are also present for Raspberry Pi, out of which Ubuntu is the most famous option. Especially for those who use PCs, if they are used to using it on a simple computer of theirs, they can switch to the Raspberry Pi. But, is it worth it? Let’s look up the differences between both systems and then decide which one is best for Desktop usage.
Raspberry Pi OS vs Ubuntu
Let’s start a comparison between Raspberry Pi OS and Ubuntu with a brief intro of both and discuss the differences.
Raspberry Pi OS
A Unix-like operating system, which is constructed upon the Debian Linux distribution for the Raspberry Pi family of the compact form of single-board computers, is called a Raspberry Pi OS. It was first developed in 2012 independently. Raspberry Pi Foundation, produced and distributed these primary operating systems for these boards since 2013. A modified LXDE desktop environment with an Open box stacking window manager with a very special theme is being used in Raspberry Pi OS. Although the official language for Raspberry Pi OS is python but It comes with preinstalled packages to run C, C++, scratch, and other programming languages.
Ubuntu
It is also a Linux Distribution that is based on Debian. It is composed of free and open software mostly. It releases after every 6 months with long-term support (LTS) that is released after every 2 years. In Oct 2022, the latest release was 22.10 and the current long-term support release was 22.04. It was first developed by the British company Canonical. For each Ubuntu release, Ubuntu provides security updates and wide support.
Differences on basis of Image and Compatibility
Along with the first Raspberry Pi model, Raspberry Pi OS’s first version was released too. It has a high optimization for the Raspberry Pi board. With every Raspberry Pi release, its new model assured compatibility to its maximum.
Ubuntu had an official release for Raspberry Pi for some passing years and yet it had major issues to be fixed in its next version 2020. Including, no WiFi support, and no desktop version. For now, at least they have a desktop image available, while it is supported by 64-bit support, which is not available for Raspberry Pi OS.
Raspberry Pi OS Versions available
Ubuntu versions that are available for Raspberry Pi
Release Cycle and Updates
As soon as the repository shows availability, Raspberry follows major upgrades every 2 years and its security updates also happen. It helps with stability but the rhythm is very slow.
On the other hand, Ubuntu works to upgrade at least twice yearly. The first upgrade is in April and the second occurs in October. It holds an advantage here as one can get updated versions faster. On PC, one can get exceptional driver support on Ubuntu than on Debian.
Overall Comparison Table
In the table below we have made the comparison between Raspberry Pi OS and Ubuntu.
| Raspberry Pi OS | Ubuntu |
| Raspberry Pi OS provides the best compatibility for all Raspberry Pi models. | The user interface of Ubuntu is far better than Raspberry Pi OS. |
| Raspberry Pi OS has better online support available. | It supports the latest applications and has a huge community. |
| It is free of cost OS. | Ubuntu is free but Ubuntu Pro costs $25. |
| It has a quick and easy installation process by using Raspberry Pi imager. | The installation process is moderate. |
| It does not include any data security feature. | It provides data security features. |
| App Management feature is not present. | It provides better App Management. |
| Faster booting | Slow booting |
| Comes with LXDE environment | Comes with Gnome desktop environment |
| Generic user interface | Better user interface |
That’s all for this article now let’s conclude.
Conclusion
If you want recent applications and faster updates Ubuntu is the best option. Raspberry Pi OS is greater at its stability, and compatibility and has lesser upgrades than other ones. Moreover, Raspberry Pi OS has a faster start as everything is already installed on the SD card. On the other hand, Ubuntu has safety steps included but the distribution takes a bit more time, which is a good option. The default use of experience is better on Ubuntu. So, it totally depends upon the user what to prefer according to the individual needs.
