Raspberry Pi launches Pixel OS for PC and Mac

Thomas McMullan Read more December 22, 2016

The maker’s of the Raspberry Pi computer have released an experimental version of the Pixel operating system, which can run on standard desktop computers.

Raspberry Pi launches Pixel OS for PC and Mac

The OS is a version of Debian+PIXEL for x86 platforms, and is designed to work with PC and Mac computers without the need of a Raspberry Pi.

“Back in the summer, we asked ourselves one simple question: if we like Pixel so much, why ask people to buy Raspberry Pi hardware in order to run it?” wrote Raspberry Pi founder, Eben Upton, in a blog post. “There is a massive installed base of PC and Mac hardware out there, which can run x86 Debian just fine. Could we do something for the owners of those machines?”

Pixel OS originally launched in September 2016, and stands for “Pi Improved Xwindows Environment, Lightweight”.

Pitched as a “Christmas treat”, Upton says the new version of Pixel will help Raspberry Pi’s educational applications – by making it easier for students to continue working on projects across computers, using “exactly the same productivity software and programming tools, in exactly the same desktop environment”.

To download Pixel OS, you can download the image, then either burn it to DVD or write it to a USB stick. Once you have that, you’ll want to back up your system before inserting the DVD or USB stick into your computer. A full guide on how to install Pixel can be found on Raspberry Pi’s blog.

Image: Raspberry Pi