Raspberry Pi Desktop brings Debian 13 to ageing x86-64 PCs
The Raspberry Pi Desktop PC edition has finally received its Debian 13-based update, bringing its modernised desktop to older x86-64 computers. Tests on ageing ThinkPads found it ran smoothly, making it a practical way to try Linux on a low-spec PC without a complicated installation.
The 2.6 GB download takes about 8 GB of disk space and used just under 450 MB of memory when idle; switching to X.org saved about 50 MB. On a 2008 ThinkPad X200s, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ports, controls and an external display worked, while a 2007 model with 2 GB of RAM also ran it, though its touchscreen did not. The PC edition now supports x86-64 only, and uses Debian’s 6.12 kernel.
In short
- Raspberry Pi Desktop brings its Debian 13 update to older PCs.
- It used just under 450 MB of memory at idle.
- Tests found it ran well on ThinkPads from 2007 and 2008.
Explained simply
Raspberry Pi is best known for its small, low-cost computers, but it also provides a desktop system for ordinary PCs. That system is based on Debian, a widely used version of Linux, and can run on compatible computers made by other manufacturers.
An x86-64 PC is the common kind of computer built around 64-bit Intel or AMD processors. Older models may have limited memory and storage, so a lightweight system can give them another use; whether it works well depends on the computer’s hardware and its support for features such as Wi-Fi and touchscreens.
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Originally published by The Register as “Raspberry Pi Desktop proves old PCs aren’t past it”.