What OS should I use? Check IIAB Platforms for the latest Linux OS compatibility details! 1) Raspberry Pi OS on Raspberry Pi 4, 5 or 400 is best if this is your first time — regardless if you prefer the full/graphical Raspberry Pi OS with desktop with its great desktop apps for students — or consider Raspberry Pi OS Lite for a more lightweight "headless" server: Either way we recommend 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS (Bookworm) (originally released 2023-10-11, #3657) which is about "48% faster" (prior to 2022 we recommended 32-bit Raspberry Pi OS, but the 64-bit version has since matured). The NOOBS OS is NOT supported. Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS and Edubuntu can also work, but use substantially more memory. 2) On PC-like hardware (or virtual machines) pick a 64-bit OS from this list: (either with graphical desktop or "headless", and whether-or-not with LTS multi-year support) Linux Mint 22 and Edubuntu are easy to install, with a friendly graphical desktop (security updates until April 2029). Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS (security updates until June 2029) Ubuntu 24.10 pre-releases work well too (final release 2024-10-10, with end-of-life July 2025) if you don't mind its very short life span. Debian 12 (Bookworm) was released 2023-06-10 (security updates until roughly July, 2026 to June, 2028). CAUTION: Debian Edu (Skolelinux) is not supported. Debian 13 (Trixie) pre-releases might work (at your own risk!) CAUTION: Debian Edu (Skolelinux) is not supported. Others like Reno McKenzie & Josh Dennis experimented successfully (tweaks required!) with IIAB on the lean & mean DietPi.com back in 2017. Similarly, Ubermix 4.1 was successfully tested in 2019. Please avoid Docker, as our Ansible provisioning requires low-level access to the operating system. Finally, if there are situations where porting to a new OS/distribution will tangibly help schools/libraries/clinics across an entire region, please don't hesitate to reach out as you assess the scope-of-work to complete such a job.