You may have heard that the new Raspberry Pi 4 is out. The newest model has 4 USB ports, a built-in 512 gigabyte drive, and an updated operating system that’s compatible with all your older Raspberry Pi products.
Yes, the world has changed a lot since the last time a Raspberry Pi came out, but rest assured: The best apps for Raspberry Pi 4 still exist, and they’re just as good as ever. For example, you can use your new RPi4 to learn Python with the help of our friend Ryan:
Table of Contents
Best Apps For Raspberry Pi 4
The Raspberry Pi is an awesome little computer, whose capabilities won’t stop increasing. As such, you should make sure that you have the best apps installed on it. Whether you’re running Raspberry Pi OS (formerly known as Raspbian) some apps are unmissable.
Here are the best Raspberry Pi apps you can install today.
Doesn’t Raspberry Pi Come With Apps Preinstalled?
Before proceeding you’re probably thinking “hold on, my copy of Raspberry Pi OS already has a bunch of apps installed.” No doubt you’re thinking of VLC media player, Scratch, and LibreOffice.
With three editions of Raspberry Pi OS to choose from, though, you won’t be surprised to find that those apps aren’t included on them all. The Lite version comes with little to talk of, not even a desktop, and is aimed at project builders. Meanwhile the “Raspberry Pi OS with desktop” comes with VLC media player and the Chromium Web Browser, but little else.
The “Raspberry Pi desktop and recommended software” version, meanwhile, is jam-packed full of everything you could need. But it’s a bit of a big download, so you might prefer to avoid it.
Interestingly, there used to be an app store for Raspberry Pi. Sadly, this was discontinued several years ago and it is no longer possible to download from the Pi Store.
We’ve compiled this list of the best software for the Raspberry Pi 4, but most of these apps should work without too much trouble on the Raspberry Pi 3 models too.
- Guake
Guake terminal on Raspberry Pi
Whether you’re new to Linux or an expert, the default Terminal is frustrating. It’s plain, obscures the desktop, and, overall, the Terminal application is difficult to appreciate.
Consider a replacement: Guake. Raspberry Pi apps available for anyone who uses the Terminal, Guake has a Quake-style semi-transparent interface, and can be installed via the Add/Remove Software tool.
Alternatively use the existing Terminal emulator and enter:
sudo apt install guake
After installation, you’ll find it in Applications > System Tools > Guake. Once you see the notification that Guake is running, tap F12 to summon it. Guake will drop down from the top of the screen when called.
Guake lets you see what is happening elsewhere on the desktop. You can also right-click inside the Guake window to alter the Preferences, which includes tweaking the appearance.
- Cairo Dock
Cairo Dock on Raspberry Pi
The default Raspberry Pi OS desktop layout is functional, but not stunning. Whether you’re used to having a Mac-style dock on your desktop or just fancy a more accessible launcher, Cairo Dock is ideal.
Along with the default dock, it comes with a useful configuration tool that lets you download and install new themes. Often these docks are animated, making this more suitable as a Raspberry Pi 4 app, although it will work on older devices.
To install in the command line:
sudo apt install cairo-dock
You can then launch with
run cairo-dock
Alternatively, open it from System Tools.
- MyPaint
Best open-source apps for Raspberry Pi lists like this almost always suggest GIMP as a sort of easy Photoshop alternative. While this is a good option, it’s usually preinstalled on Raspberry Pi OS, and is mainly for editing photos. For something a little different, try MyPaint.
This is an open-source graphics editor for digital painting, rather than image manipulation. Closer to Corel Painter or Krita than Photoshop, it includes layers, brush settings, scratch pad, and brushstrokes that differ based on the angle and zoom. Many other features can be found on the project’s GitHub page.
To install MyPaint, open a terminal and enter
sudo apt install mypaint
Alternatively, find it in Add/Remove Software in the Graphics category.
- QMMP
QMMP music player
VLC media player plays music, but if you’re looking for a dedicated Raspberry Pi music player, try QMMP.
With support for all the usual audio formats (MP3, FLAC, Ogg FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, WAV, CD Audio, etc.), it also delivers equalization settings and striking visual effects.
Various plugins are also supported, adding functionality. This ranges from playing music from YouTube to playing chiptunes (music created on or for 8-bit systems).
Install QMMP with
sudo apt install qmmp
You’ll also find it in Add/Remove Software listed under Multimedia. Once installed, simply launch it from Menu > Sound & Video and open your favorite tunes.
Veteran PC users will notice that QMMP resembles the popular Winamp audio player for Windows.
- Conky
Conky on Raspberry Pi
If you want to keep an eye on system performance, Conky is one of the best Raspberry Pi utilities around. Conky displays system temperature, CPU activity, RAM use, and many other important statistics.
To install this desktop system monitoring tool, open a Terminal window and enter:
sudo apt install conky
Once installed, run Conky with
conky -b &
Conky is hugely configurable and for the best results you’ll need to spend some time tweaking how it appears on your desktop. If you would rather save time, you can download Conky themes that reskin the default text box.
- vokoscreenNG
One of many ways that you can record activity on your desktop, vokoscreenNG has multiple uses. For example, you can use it to make a small recording of a work in progress, perhaps some Python you’ve coded.
vokoscreenNG can record from multiple audio sources, as well as capture your desktop and webcam, if desired. It’s a great way to create videos with your Raspberry Pi.
To install, open your terminal app and use
sudo apt vokoscreen -y
You’ll find vokoscreenNG is ready to launch from the Sound & Video menu. Take time to investigate the various settings before using it, which include using full screen, zoom, setting the preferred video format, and even setting a memory limit so you don’t run out of space.
RELATED:
Ways To Record Your Desktop On Linux And Raspberry Pi
- NixNote
Nixnote Evernote client for Linux
If you use Evernote, NixNote is one of the best things to install on your Raspberry Pi. An open-source client for Evernote, it is easily installed in the Add/Remove Software tool.
Once installed, NixNote gives you access to your existing Evernote archive of ideas, jottings, lists, and so on. It can export as PDF, and the data can be backed up and restored as needed.
In short, this is a useful notebook client that syncs with Evernote on your other devices for unified notetaking.
- Deluge
Download torrent files on Raspberry Pi
First things first: Deluge is a BitTorrent client. This doesn’t mean that it is illegal; BitTorrent itself isn’t illegal. Rather, the misuse of the peer-to-peer networking technology to download copyright-protected movies and games is illegal.
For instance, many Linux operating systems (including Raspberry Pi OS) can be downloaded over BitTorrent. This provision reduces the overhead on hosting the distribution on a dedicated server. Our guide to BitTorrent explains this in more detail.
Why might you need a BitTorrent client on your Raspberry Pi? Well, it depends how you’re using the computer. If you utilize it as a repository for personal data, Deluge can download data from your Pi wherever you are. Full details on how to this can be found on the Deluge Wiki.
You’ll find Deluge in Preferences > Add/Remove Software. If you want to use the torrent app in headless mode, connect via SSH and run:
sudo apt install deluged deluge-console python-mako deluge-web
Once this is done, Deluge is ready to run. Pi desktop users can launch it in Menu > Internet.
File sharing with BitTorrent apps can be data intensive. Before using Deluge, be sure to add plenty of additional storage to your Raspberry Pi.
READ MORE:
How To Increase Storage Space On Raspberry Pi
- OpenVPN
Install OpenVPN for private browsing
Every computer should connect to the internet via a VPN. While there are no VPN clients for the Raspberry Pi, there is OpenVPN.
This is a VPN client app that lets you connect to your preferred VPN server using existing account credentials. For example, you can connect to ExpressVPN VPN servers using the configuration files they provide.
Install OpenVPN with
sudo apt install openvpn
Be sure to download the OVPN configuration file for your preferred server and save it on your Pi. Most VPN services provide OpenVPN support so this should be straightforward.
Check our guide to setting up a VPN on the Raspberry Pi for configuration tips.
- Steam Link
Steam Link on Raspberry Pi
While the Raspberry Pi doesn’t have the hardware to run standard PC games, it is good enough to stream them. This is possible thanks to the Steam Link software from Valve, which lets you stream games from a PC.
With the games you want to play installed on your PC and streaming enabled, setup is simple. Just connect your Raspberry Pi to your TV and run
sudo apt install steamlink
All the Raspberry Pi is doing here is acting as a receiver for the game streaming from your PC. On a fast network (Ethernet is preferred) you can enjoy AAA games on any TV with a Pi running Steam Link.
READ MORE:
How To Stream Games To Raspberry Pi With Steam Link
Awesome Raspberry Pi Apps You Can Install Today
This list of Raspberry Pi recommended software can be installed along with the apps already on your Raspberry Pi. They bring new functionality, improve privacy and productivity, deliver gaming, and more.
Which apps you install will determine how you use your Raspberry Pi. If you’re new to the Raspberry Pi, be sure to learn all the commands you need to make the most of the credit card sized computer.
raspberry pi recommended software
Raspbian contains the basic packages to get the system up and running; However, new users are likely to need suggestions as to what is available and what is recommended.
Whenever a package is installed, documentation is installed as well. In the terminal, type man to see the linux manual page for usage of the command.
All of these packages are available using the graphical package manager, synaptic. You can install them from synaptic if it’s easier; I have used apt-get in the examples below.
A note about sudo bash: you only need to run it once to enter superuser mode. If your prompt is the dollar sign $, then you are logged in as pi, with regular user privileges. If your prompt is the hash sign #, then you are running a superuser shell with superuser (root) privileges.
synaptic – graphical package manager
If you haven’t already installed synaptic, then do so now. It allows you to browse all the available packages.
$
$ sudo bash
#
apt-get install synaptic
#
( note: Once installed, you can either run synaptic manually from the terminal, or from the Menu -> Preferences -> Synaptic package manager. )
locate – how to find files
There are fantastic tools to find files on a linux system. As well as the find command, there is the locate command. It requires a periodic check to update the internal list of files (using the updatedb command) and then locate will quickly find any file for you.
$
$ sudo bash
#
apt-get install locate
#
( note: wait for it to install. )
#
updatedb
#
( note: give it a minute to create a list of all files. )
#
locate jpg
#
( note: It will immediately give you a list of all files with jpg in the name. )
SSH – remote terminal access
You are likely to want to connect to the pi over your network, from another computer.
ssh is best installed from raspi-config. Note that you want to install the ssh server daemon, the package name is sshd. Raspi-config will do this automatically for you, but not explain.
sshd runs in the background, waiting for you to connect via ssh from another computer.
$
$ sudo bash
#
raspi-config
#
( note: the option to install ssh is under the ‘advanced’ menu option of raspi-config )
To connect from another computer that is connected to your network: ssh pi@192.168.1.184
(replace 192.168.1.184 with your own Pi’s local IP address)
If you want a GUI to connect with, then microsoft uses tools such as putty. Linux uses the command line.
Finding your local IP address
To connect to your pi from another computer, using ssh or ftp or vnc, requires you to know the IP address of your pi.
If you right-click on the wifi icon (right hand side of your menu bar) and click ‘status’, if will tell you. From the terminal, the command is ifconfig. You don’t need to install additional software for this – but it’s an important step so I have listed it here.
$
$ ifconfig
( note: lots of information will be displayed for each interface. If you’re connected via an ethernet cable, then you’re using interface eth0. If you’re connected via wifi, then you’re using interface wlan0. You are expected to read the screen output, and work it out).
Thunar file manager
Different people like different file managers. I recommend thunar. It’s stable, fast, reliable; I like it. For choices, you can search in synaptic for other file managers.
$
$ sudo bash
#
apt-get install thunar
#
gedit – text file editor
Raspbian comes with the text editor ‘leafpad’. I haven’t used this before, but I assume it does what’s needed. I’m familiar with the editor ‘gedit’, which also requires a number of other useful dependencies which are also installed. So I install gedit.
$
$ sudo bash
#
apt-get install gedit
#
FTP – an easy way to put files on your pi
You are likely to want to put files on your pi, such as pictures, movies, music. You can use a USB memory stick; I prefer ftp since I don’t need to stand up and walk to copy files. There are a number of FTP servers available, I use vsftpd.
$
$ sudo bash
#
apt-get install vsftpd
#
Once installed, you will need to make changes to the vsftpd configuration file. The file is /etc/vsftpd.conf, and yes it needs root privileges to modify it. Once modified, the easiest way to check all is working is to reboot your pi.
Image viewer – geeqie
To view normal jpg files, Raspbian installs an image viewer. Most people will want to install a better image viewer. Although the package eog is good, geeqie is better because it also installs imagemagick as a dependency. imagemagick allows you to alter jpg files; in its most basic form, you can resize pictures.
$
$ sudo bash
#
apt-get install geeqie
#
Once installed, run the file manager thunar. Navigate to a jpg file, and right-click it. There are options under this menu to allow to use geeqie as the default application for all files of type ‘jpeg image’.
image-magick – image manipulation
If you installed geeqie, then image-magick will have installed also. If you haven’t installed it yet, then do so using apt-get as usual. Running the command ‘convert’ (with no parameters) will bring up a list of the possible parameters for image maniplulation. Apply a sepia filter, resize, alter quality; there’s a lot there.
$
$ convert
( note: the convert command is installed as part of the image-magick package. Running the command with no parameters will bring up a list of all the possibilities. Feel free to explore.)
Playing music
mp3 files can be played both from the command line and from GUIs, by installing one of several possibilities. To test the basic functionality, first copy a music file, that you know works elsewhere, to your pi. I copied a file that I renamed p1.mp3
$
$ sudo bash
#
apt-get install mpg123
#
exit
$
$ mpg123 p1.mp3
( note: my music file then played; I had to plug the headphones in, it didn’t initially send the output over the hdmi cable to my TV. There is an option raspi-config to switch the audio output to the HDMI port.)
There are several linux GUI music players available; I recommend nightingale, also look at amarok.
wicd-curses: maintain wifi networks without a GUI
There are times when it is better to see or edit your wifi networks, without using the GUI. You can either edit the underlying text files manually (eg /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf); or, you can use a curses interface.
Several curses programs exist; they’re programs that use basic text prompts to manage the system.
$
$ sudo bash
#
apt-get install wicd-curses
#
vlc – media player
To play media files such as .mp4, .avi, I recommend vlc. Installing this package also installs a variety of very useful dependencies.
$
$ sudo bash
#
apt-get install vlc
#
k3b – Media controller
k3b is one of the most useful programs ever created, and happens to install many dependencies that are hugely useful elsewhere, including dvd authoring tools and mp3 decoding tools.
$
$ sudo bash
#
apt-get install k3b
#
spe – simple python editor
Most of the first step tutorials give you a python program to type in, and an LED to connect to the GPIO pins. The objective is to make the LED blink. However, none of the tutorials tell you how to type the program in. spe is a text editor designed for python programs; it highlights appropriate commands, and does some syntax checking.
There are several packages that you can investigate for editing different types of programs. For example, I use bluefish for my web pages (php scripts).
If you install spe, you will get a good idea of how these text editors work, and I would encourage you to look in synaptic for other editors. Installing several editors will not harm you, and you should find the perfect editor for you. I’ve chosen spe simply because it seemed like a good place to start.
$
$ sudo bash
#
apt-get install spe
#
libreoffice – word processor, spreadsheet, etc
The free equivalent of Microsoft Office; it amazes me that people think they need to pay microsoft to write a letter or create a presentation or a spreadsheet. Install libreoffice, it does the same thing. Yes, it reads and writes all existing microsoft files as well.
$
$ sudo bash
#
apt-get install libreoffice
#
gphoto2
The gphoto2 libraries are possibly already installed, but the gphoto2 package itself provides command-line access to USB cameras; both webcams and digital cameras.
$
$ sudo bash
#
apt-get install gphoto2
#
exit
$
$ gphoto2 –auto-detect
cheese, luvcview, fswebcam
When you plug in a USB webcam, the first thing you need to check is that your pi has recognized it and can use it. cheese is the perfect application for this job, plus it also installs a very useful number of dependencies.
cheese may not work on the pi, for this reason: The Raspberry Pi firmware currently only supports OpenGL ES , not regular OpenGL. Ergo GLX does not work , and lots of apps rely on that. however, the dependencies that are installed will still be useful.
A number of other webcam programs also exist; luvcview works with uvc and my old logitech webcam works with fswebcam. I recommend you install a few to see which one works best with your webcam.
motion is a package that monitors a webcam stream to detect movement. (ie when part of the image changes).
$
$ sudo bash
#
apt-get install cheese
#
apt-get install luvcview
#
apt-get install fswebcam
exit
$
gimp – image editor
Despite a poor name, the graphics image manipulation program is an excellent photoshop alternative.
$
$ sudo bash
#
apt-get install gimp
#
exit
$
moc – terminal music player
I found moc in the getting started guide. It gives you a text-based screen (ie it runs in a terminal, without the GUI) that sllows you to navigate your music files and play music.
Conclusion
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