NOOBS makes getting started with Pi easy, and includes a bunch of different operating systems to choose from.

Which you should choose depends, of course, on your project.

Heres how to make the right choice.

What Is NOOBS?

The Raspberry Pi itself doesnt come with an operating system.

For that, you needNOOBS, short forNew Out of the Box Software.

When you first boot up NOOBS, youll get a selection of OSes to choose from.

Which operating systems are available depends on which model of Raspberry Pi you are using.

Right now, thatsRaspbian,OSMC,OpenELEC,Windows IoT Core, andRISC OS.

On the first boot, NOOBS greets you with a selection of operating systems.

it’s possible for you to install as many as you want thatll fit on your SD card.

Lets dig into which of those choices is best for your particular plans for your Raspberry Pi.

Raspbian is a version of Linux built specifically for the Raspberry Pi.

It comes packed with all the software youll need for every basic task with a computer.

Heck, it even includes aspecial (no longer in development) version of Minecraft.

Because its so widely used, its also easy to find guides and troubleshooting tips.

In fact, it doesnt look like Kodi at all, and thats a good thing.

Its probably the easiest to use media center software available on the Pi.

Compared to Kodi, OSMC features a clean interface that cuts a lot of the crap out.

Its all tidy and self explanatory.

As for local media, you’re able to play videos and photos from USB storage.

OSMC still has plenty of room to tinker, though.

Weve dug into OpenELEC before, but its main appeal is its speed.

OpenELEC also limits access to certain services, like SSH, so its not as easy to set up.

It isnota full version of Windows.

When you first boot into Windows 10 IoT, all youll see on your Pi is the screen above.

You cant control or do anything on the Pi by itself.

For that, youll need todownload and install Visual Studioon your Windows PC.

RISC OS is not built on Linux, nor is it really made help electronics tinkerers prototype.

Instead, its an operating system all its own.

Its rather weird too, but it can be fun to play around with.

It was initially designed in 1987 and has roots in theBBC Micro.

RISC OS is much simpler than modern operating systems.

Basically, its a baffling little operating system, but its fascinating nonetheless.

Most people should not install RISC OS.

That said, it is fun to play around with if youre the curious throw in.