A London pub’s electronic tipping device was found displaying the desktop of the Raspberry Pi computer powering it, apparently after a software failure exposed its underlying operating system. The incident matters chiefly as an example of a customer-facing payment system failing visibly, while also drawing attention to the growing use of card-based tipping machines in UK hospitality.

The screen showed Raspbian GNU/Linux with an automatic login as “pi” and the generic hostname “raspberrypi”, suggesting a default-style Raspberry Pi setup. The hardware appeared to be from TiPJAR, a company providing digital tipping systems; the article notes that the device could likely be restored by an IT professional, while questioning whether such systems should ever substitute for proper staff pay.