What Is DietPi, and Should You Install It on Your Raspberry Pi?

You astir apt cognize the Raspberry Pi for its space-efficiency and (at times) affordability. To propulsion disconnected a Pi project, though, sometimes you request to compression each spot of powerfulness retired of it you can. That's wherever an alternate to Raspberry Pi OS comes in: DietPi.

What Is DietPi?

DietPi is simply a Linux organisation you tin instal connected the Raspberry Pi and different SPCs (Single-Board Computers). It's meant arsenic an alternate to the modular Raspberry Pi OS (formerly called Raspbian), the accepted organisation to instal erstwhile you get a Raspberry Pi.

Like Raspberry Pi OS, DietPi escaped and uses Debian Linux arsenic its base. The authoritative tagline "Lightweight justness for your SBC" is simply a notation to the project's dedication to being arsenic lightweight arsenic imaginable successful presumption of assets usage, portion inactive providing the aforesaid level for moving servers that Raspberry Pi OS does.

DietPi besides comes with a batch of tools for semi-automating communal but analyzable tasks for SBCs. For example, it has a wizard for building a VPN oregon for backing up your files. It tin besides locomotion you done the LetsEncrypt process for your server. If you've ever attempted those tasks manually, you cognize however invaluable immoderate assistance tin be.

DietPi Variations Explained

DietPi has a fewer antithetic versions you tin take from erstwhile you download it. The "regular" DietPi download is conscionable a headless operating system, meaning erstwhile you footwear it up you'll beryllium brought to a elemental bid prompt. There's nary desktop, astatine slightest not to statesman with.

If you're caller to the bid line, oregon conscionable similar not to fuss with it, past you mightiness take an "Allo GUI" image. Allo is simply a web interface, thing similar a desktop situation that you entree it done your web browser. If you've ever remotely logged into a NAS done your web browser, this volition beryllium acquainted to you. This representation comes with respective audio tools, truthful arsenic champion I could tell, the Allo GUI is inteded for audiophiles doing euphony projects with their Pi.

Alternatively, you tin take an Amiberry representation of DietPi. Amiberry is an Amiga emulator for ARM devices similar the Raspberry Pi. It's for Amiga enthusiasts, truthful if you aren't definite what the entreaty is, past don't interest astir it and instrumentality to 1 of the supra choices.

What Makes DietPi Different From RPi OS?

DietPi says it doesn't assertion to beryllium amended than Raspberry Pi OS oregon immoderate different "competitor" distros. It conscionable claims to beryllium different, and to stress optimization and overhead reduction. DietPi has a leafage dedicated to nonstop stats comparisons with different distros, highlighting wherever DietPi exceeds and by however much.

DietPi is besides antithetic successful that there's nary default desktop environment. You tin instal 1 if you want, assuming you don't caput the assets overhead. You tin besides usage the aforementioned Allo web interface to debar the bid line. The quality is chiefly that you can't get an preconfigured desktop representation similar you tin erstwhile you download Raspberry Pi OS.

One much quality worthy noting is that DietPi automatically configures and enables an SSH server with Dropbear. That means you don't request a show and keyboard connected to your Raspberry Pi if you don't privation them. You tin simply SSH into the device with different machine connected the network, without immoderate setup.

Installing DietPi

To instal DietPi, you request a fewer things.

• A Raspberry Pi oregon different SBC
• MicroSD card
• The close DietPi representation for your SBC
• BalenaEtcher

Of course, you'll besides request a show and keyboard to link to your SBC, unless you program to usage SSH from different computer.

When you get a compressed IMG record from the DietPi download page, you'll request to extract it and past flash it to your paper utilizing balenaEtcher. Once it's flashed, you enactment the SD paper successful your Pi and footwear it up. The archetypal footwear volition instrumentality immoderate clip arsenic it downloads needed libraries and configures itself.

It whitethorn request to reboot oregon update itself to decorativeness configuration. It'll besides inquire if you privation to opt successful to sharing information astir however you usage DietPi for the developers' benefit, which they accidental volition beryllium anonymous.

You'll beryllium prompted to acceptable your connection and keyboard. The default connection was UK English, and I had to spell retired of my mode bring up the US English.

Importantly, you'll beryllium asked astatine the commencement to acceptable 2 passwords. The archetypal is simply a "software password" which is simply a cardinal conception to grasp. When you instal bundle connected a DietPi that requires a password for configuration, DietPi volition configure it with the bundle password. The 2nd 1 is the root password, which you'll usage immoderate clip you request to bash attraction to your DietPi lawsuit itself.

What It's Like Using DietPi

After the archetypal configuration, you're presented with a paper of actions. They see searching, browsing, and installing and removing software. It does springiness you immoderate desktop environments to instal if you privation them, including XFCE, LXQt, MATE, and more. Once you instal them, you'll request to benignant the startx bid to motorboat them.

If you're comfy with TUIs (Text User Interfaces) past you tin astir apt skip a desktop environment. DietPi has respective Whiptail-based TUI tools for you to usage to easy execute tasks similar find software, show services, update the system, and more.

When I installed DietPi connected a Raspberry Pi 4 B, my archetypal determination was to effort mounting up FreshRSS, a work I'd wanted to effort for a while. All I had to bash was participate dietpi-software successful the bid line, find FreshRSS successful its database of installable software, and commencement the installation. Once that was done, each that was near to bash was commencement utilizing FreshRSS.

While the archetypal DietPi setup was self-explanatory, I made a mistake successful not looking astatine the DietPi documentation. I didn't recognize the "software password" conception astatine first. I was confused wherefore FreshRSS web interface was asking maine to log successful with a username and password adjacent though I hadn't created 1 yet. It wasn't until I looked astatine DietPi's bundle documentation that I understood the bundle password relation I explained earlier.

It's a invaluable acquisition for each software: don't slumber connected the documentation. DietPi has dedicated guides and info for each its disposable software, and determination tin beryllium notes important to your occurrence with the operating system.

Trying the DietPi Dashboard

If you instal the dietpi-dashboard package, you tin entree and negociate your DietPi lawsuit from a web browser. It's much robust and utile than the "Allo GUI" DietPi experience. You tin browse and instal oregon region software, show stats, browse files, and more.

While I recovered it useful, the DietPi dashboard is inactive successful beta astatine the clip of writing. That means the improvement squad is inactive moving connected the finished product, and they don't urge immoderate mission-critical enactment connected it. So portion this ought to marque DietPi much accesible to those who don't consciousness comfy successful the bid enactment successful the future, it isn't rather determination yet.

Should You Install DietPi?

You should instal DietPi if you're looking to optimize your SPC arsenic overmuch arsenic possible. If you're utilizing Raspberry Pi OS oregon different Linux organisation connected your SBC and are blessed with the experience, there's nary crushed to switch. Still, arsenic you usage different distributions, you mightiness find yourself hitting a partition successful presumption of performance. When that happens, springiness DietPi a try.

If you conscionable bought a Raspberry Pi and aren't definite yet what you privation to bash with it, you whitethorn not privation to instantly leap connected the DietPi train. DietPi assumes to immoderate grade you cognize what you want, and that you're comparatively comfy with astatine slightest immoderate basal Linux terminal usage, including basal server tools similar SSH. If nary of that sounds acquainted to you, I'd urge spending immoderate clip tinkering with Raspberry Pi OS first.

When you are ready, spell to the DietPi download page and find the representation record for the instrumentality you have. DietPi besides provides images dedicated to circumstantial virtual instrumentality software, truthful spell implicit to the PC/VM tab if you privation to download a compatible representation file. This tin beryllium adjuvant if you conscionable privation to trial it retired earlier committing it to your Raspberry Pi. In immoderate case, bully luck keeping your SBC resources optimized.