Raspbian is the recommended operating system for Raspberry Pi (being optimized for your hardware) and is based on a GNU / Linux distribution called Debian.
To install Raspbian on our Raspberry Pi we have two versions; a more complete one with a graphical environment and a smaller one without a graphical environment:
▸Raspbian Pixel: Full version with Raspbian graphical environment, that is, the desktop version with menus, windows, icons, wallpapers, etc. used by most users as a desktop computer.
▸Raspbian Lite: Reduced version without graphical environment, that is, the version in console mode without graphics. This option is generally for advanced users with knowledge of Linux using the Raspberry Pi as a server.
Being a GNU / Linux distribution the possibilities are endless. All open source software can be recompiled on the Raspberry Pi itself for armhf architecture that can be used on the device itself in case the developer does not provide a version already compiled for this architecture. Furthermore, this distribution, like most, contains repositories where the user can download a multitude of programs as if it were a GNU / Linux distribution for desktop computers.
All this makes the Raspberry Pi a device that, in addition to serving as a classic microcontroller board, has much of the functionality of a personal computer. What can make it an alternative to personal computers, especially for people with few resources, for the extension of computing in underdeveloped countries or for applications that do not request many requirements.
Raspbian Install
To install the Raspbian operating system, we must first access the download section from the Raspberry Pi Foundation website and we will see that two different ways of installation appear, one using a wizard and the other for experts:
▸Through NOOBS: Installation using the installation wizard recommended for users who are generally not very expert.
▸Using an OS image: Installing using the Raspbian operating system image for advanced users.
