The Raspberry Pi is undoubtedly the most popular device in the mini-computer category, particularly among Linux and self-hosting enthusiasts.
Although the device can run various Linux-based operating systems on it, the Raspberry Pi OS, which is a custom-built OS, especially for it, is likely the most popular and widely used.
For those not in the know, it was first published as Raspbian in 2012. Since 2020, the operating system has been known as Raspberry Pi OS, following the release of a 64-bit beta version based on Debian rather than the Raspbian project.
The latest Raspberry Pi OS has been announced, bringing updates to some of its desktop components. Additionally, this release sees some under-the-hood changes. So, let’s see what’s new.
What’s New in the Latest Raspberry Pi OS Release
The new version, like its previous three releases in October 2021, January 2022, and April 2022, is based on Debian 11 “Bullseye.” This is unlikely to change in the future versions, at least not until the summer of 2023, when Debian 12 “Bookworm” is expected to be released.
Under the hood, the new Raspberry Pi OS is powered by the Linux kernel 5.15.61 and comes with an updated version of its Raspberry Pi firmware providing better software compatibility and functionality with your hardware.
There are a few things to mention in terms of software. First, the full Raspberry Pi installation image replaces the previously used OpenJDK 11 with OpenJDK 17. Moreover, Picamera2, a Python interface to the Raspberry Pi’s camera stack, is also available for installation.
However, the Panel, which has received several new features, has gotten the greatest attention in the latest release. The first is the new main menu plugin with text search capabilities. In addition, a new separate audio input plugin with microphone volume and input select is also included.
On top of that, there are additional keyboard shortcuts to open WiFi and Bluetooth plugins, and notifications are now displayed with a short delay after startup and between each. You can take advantage of the new plugins from the “Panel Applets” section of “Panel Preferences.”
We’ll also mention that menus can now be resized after being drawn, and Piwiz, a wizard used to configure a Raspberry Pi on the first boot, no longer accepts “root” as a user name.
Finally, a new network plugin compatible with Network Manager has been introduced, and the raspi-config tool now provides a switch between dhcpcd and Network Manager.
Of course, the most recent Raspberry Pi version includes several important bug fixes. The most noteworthy of these are fixes for prior version issues, such as 100% CPU use in the file manager when a desktop item is unmounted and the one concerning switching between international keyboard layouts.
You can refer to the changelog for detailed information about all changes in the new Raspberry Pi OS.
Finally, our team tested the new OS on two different devices: the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ and the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B. While the latest version of the Raspberry Pi device had a rather good performance, we can’t say the same for the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, on which the OS experienced noticeable lag.
Therefore, although the new Raspberry Pi OS is compatible with all Raspberry Pi devices, we strongly advise utilizing it in its desktop version only on a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B device to avoid disappointment.
Those looking to try the latest Raspberry PI OS can do so right away by downloading it in 32-bit or 64-bit versions from the project’s official website.
