This Raspberry Pi OS is a nostalgic throwback to Windows XP

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Linux Raspbian XP Professional brings a Start Menu, Libre Office, and more to your Raspberry Pi 4.

Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Linux Raspbian XP Professional is an operating system inspired by Windows XP that you can install on your Raspberry Pi 4.
  • The OS has a working Start Menu and several design elements inspired by Windows XP.
  • The Raspberry Pi 4 is the only Raspberry Pi powerful enough to run the OS.

If you're missing the grassy fields and blue skies of Windows XP, you can put an operating system onto your Raspberry Pi 4 inspired by the classic Windows operating system (OS). The OS is called Linux Raspbian XP Professional, and it has a working Start Menu, search bar, and menus and icons inspired by Windows XP (via Tom's Hardware). The Raspberry Pi 4 is the only Raspberry Pi model powerful enough to run the OS.

The OS is an XP overlay, so it can't run Windows XP applications natively, but there are several emulators that let you use Windows apps on Raspbian. Linux Raspbian XP Professional has some emulation platforms preloaded, including BOX86.

The PI LAB YouTube channel showcases the OS and details some of its features.

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If you want to run Windows applications on the OS, you can also use its built-in Windows 98 virtual machine. Alternatively, you can use Linux programs like the LibreOffice suite.

If you're a fan of tinkering with Raspberry Pi devices and Windows, you can check out our guide on how to install Windows 10 IoT Core onto a Raspberry Pi 3.

Sean Endicott
Sean Endicott
News Writer

Sean Endicott is a News Writer at Windows Central, where he covers Windows 11, Surface hardware, Microsoft 365, AI, apps, and the broader PC ecosystem. Since joining the site in 2017, he has written well over a thousand articles across the Microsoft landscape, covering breaking news, analysis, and feature reporting.

He writes Windows Wrap, a weekly column covering the biggest stories in Windows and the PC industry, and what they mean for the platform going forward.

Before joining Windows Central full-time, Sean worked in journalism and media production after earning a First Class degree in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University. Outside of tech, he is an award-winning American football coach based in Nottingham, England, and was named BAFCA Youth Coach of the Year in 2024.