Raspberry Pi Desktop catches up with Debian 13 after 4-year wait

After a four-year hiatus, Raspberry Pi Desktop has made a comeback, now based on Debian 13 Trixie. This updated release enables the popular Pi desktop environment to run on PCs and Intel Macs. For those seeking a simple, lightweight Linux distribution for reviving older machines, this could prove to be an intriguing option. While Raspberry Pi's primary focus remains on manufacturing and selling its affordable Arm single-board computers, it also maintains its own custom Debian-based distribution.

Although alternative Pi distributions have been explored in the past, most users stick with the official Pi OS. Pi OS is essentially a stripped-down version of Debian, designed to consume minimal memory and disk space. Its desktop environment evolved from LXDE and was initially known as PIXEL. In addition to its Arm-based offerings, Raspberry Pi has provided a version for x86 PCs and Intel Macs, offering a comparable desktop experience without the bundled Mathematica application.

The last major update for Raspberry Pi Desktop occurred in 2022, coinciding with the release of Debian 11-based version. Despite Debian Bullseye's support ending in August 2021, the Raspberry Pi Desktop continued to receive updates until Pi OS 5 launched in 2023, based on Debian 12. However, this version lacked an x86 PC counterpart.

Once Debian 13 reached its first point release, Raspberry Pi OS 6 followed in October 2025, bringing the PC edition up to speed. The new release features the same Wayland-based desktop as its ARM counterparts, including the Raspberry Pi Connect remote-control service. Notably, the PC edition is now limited to x86-64 architecture, supporting compatible PCs and Intel Macs but excluding Apple Silicon models.

Those who have been using the previous 32-bit release will need to perform a fresh installation to access the updated version. While the reporter has not had the opportunity to test the new release, plans are in place for a more comprehensive evaluation in the near future.