Using RISC OS on the Raspberry Pi (Rev #1)

Introduction

On this page you will find:

• A list of Raspberry Pi models supported (along with hardware issues)
• A list of RISC OS builds available for the Raspberry Pi
• Configuration information (how to set up your system)
• Other hints and tips

If you are new to RISC OS you may wish to read the Introduction to RISC OS and the RISC OS Beginners FAQ.

Raspberry Pi hardware supported at each RISC OS version

Hardware issues

1. The Raspberry Pi 4 is not supported at present. For more information about the work underway to get RISC OS running on the Pi 4, see Raspberry Pi 4 port status.
2. RISC OS can only run in a single core: the other cores in the four-core Raspberry Pi 2 and Raspberry Pi 3 are currently unused.
3. The onboard WiFi chip (in the Pi Zero W, Pi 3B, Pi 3B+ and Pi 3A+) is not currently supported. One of the open bounties should address this issue.

RISC OS builds available for the Raspberry Pi

Please note that the Raspberry Pi 4 is not supported yet.

• RISC OS Pi SD image – The full RISC OS Pi distribution (version 5.24) in a form suitable for copying to a blank SD card.
• RPi ROM stable – The RISC OS 5.24 ROM, for people who prefer to “roll their own”.
• If you wish to obtain RISC OS 5.26 for the Raspberry Pi 3A+, use NOOBS Lite to download the software¹
• Beta RPi ROM – The latest development build, for the more adventurous user.
• RISC OS Pico? – A cut-down version of RISC OS (no GUI) that boots into BASIC for that genuine retro computing experience!

¹ Be sure to use NOOBS Lite (Network install only). The installation will fail if you use the full NOOBS.

Setup and configuration information

• Hardware compatibility list – peripherals seen to work with the Raspberry Pi
• Installing RISC OS – How to create your own SD card image.
• Dual-format SD card – Why the SD card needs to be in a special format
• Raspberry Pi Firmware – The other files you need to get RISC OS to load on the Raspberry Pi
• config.txt (Raspberry Pi) – Settings needed for the Raspberry Pi bootloader
• cmdline.txt (Raspberry Pi) – Parameters passed to the RISC OS ROM on boot
• CMOS RAM on the Raspberry Pi
• Upgrading your Raspberry Pi to RISC OS 5.27? – How to upgrade from an older release of RISC OS

Hints and tips

• RISC OS Pi Welcome guide
• RISC OS bugs specific to the Raspberry Pi
• Raspberry Pi questions and answers – Topics include “Why isn’t the Pi 4 supported?”, “Can I boot the Pi from USB?” and “What is all this talk of RC14 and RC15?”
• Community support forum – Help and advice from other RISC OS users

Technical information from other websites

• Temperature (etc.) warnings
• LED warning flash codes
• Raspberry Pi schematics and hardware
• BCM2835 datasheet and errata