TLDR it’s a Debian/Linux image that comes preconfigured for raspberry pis and other small single board computers.

Firstly, it’s quite minimal for a “full featured” Linux distro, reducing RAM and CPU usage which are usually in high demand on SBCs. But it also doesn’t remove stuff that a typical linux user needs, so no weird configuration to get your regular suite of apps running.

Secondly, it has a library of utilities for managing your computer from the command line. Such as common raspberry pi configuration, setting up and managing cron jobs, services, DDNS, VPNs, disks, etc.

Thirdly, it has its own “repository” of applications, which are really just regular Debian packages but with extra scripts to configure said software for the typical user. Stuff like, installing and configuring a database, webserver, python, php are all done alongside your software setup, and it “just works”.

It’s usually used for hosting services like Plex, Jellyfin, Nextcloud, and other utilities with minimal effort but it’s really just like any other Linux and you can do whatever you like to it.

dietpi.com if you wanna read about it from the devs

DietPi, for setting up an SBC (ie raspberry pi) with common server software. very good for a first-time self hoster like myself.

I know this is being treated as a social engineering attack, but having unreadable binary blobs as part of your build/dev pipeline is fucking insane.

I liked Manjaro, but when stuff broke it broke in weird fuckin’ ways. My last attempt with it ended when I tried to do some gamedev in Godot and Manjaro started registering my laptop’s mousepad input as a joystick 😭

Paladins is a pain for this. Game runs fine on proton, and all it needs is some work with EAC to enable linux on multiplayer but despite all the requests they’ve yet to bother.