{
  "id": 13913053,
  "title": "Raspberry Pi Desktop catches up with Debian 13 after 4-year wait",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/raspberry-pi-desktop-catches-up-with-debian-13-after-4-year-wait-13913053",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-12T08:15:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Register Science",
    "slug": "the-register-science",
    "url": "https://www.theregister.com/os-platforms/2026/10/12/raspberry-pi-desktop-catches-up-with-debian-13-after-4-year-wait/5301693"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "Want a lightweight GUI OS for an old PC? Try this first",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Register",
        "title": "Raspberry Pi Desktop catches up with Debian 13 after 4-year wait",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/raspberry-pi-desktop-catches-up-with-debian-13-after-4-year-wait",
        "published": "2026-10-12T08:15:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}