Work to plow the $35 Raspberry Pi board into a thin client for Windows and Linux virtual desktops appears to exist paying off.

Desktop virtualization specialist Citrix has been working with the Raspberry Pi Foundation to allow the Raspberry Pi two Model B to run various operating systems as a virtual desktop.

Following software tweaks, Citrix has demonstrated the Pi 2 running a Windows 10 virtual desktop with a 1600 ten 1200 resolution at but over xix frames per second, a bit low for smoothen video but acceptable for everyday use.

Using the Pi 2 equally a Citrix virtual desktop has been made possible by work to get the Citrix Linux Receiver virtual desktop client running on Raspbian on the Pi 2, too as optimizations to Citrix XenDesktop/XenApp 7.6 FP3 and the HDX Thinwire compatibility codec.

"This helps enable a total, supported Linux Receiver on a $35 device," says Allen Furmanski of Citrix in a weblog post.

At $35 the Pi two is lower cost than many competing thin client devices, with Citrix'due south Furmanski describing the Pi ii running a Linux virtual desktop and OpenOffice as a "seriously cheap nonetheless capable VDI solution".

Ane affair to bear in listen, notwithstanding, is that firms will likely have to buy their own 5V ability supply, case, Wi-Fi dongle (if the Pi's 100Mbps Ethernet connectivity is non an selection) and SD menu for each board, every bit well as factoring in the cost of the keyboard, mouse and monitor, which is a consideration for whatever sparse client machine.

Optimizing the virtual desktop to run on the Pi 2 will also require some command line tweaks.

Some other pick for businesses looking to use the Pi 2 for virtual desktops is the ThinLinx Operating System. The offer cost $15 per device and has been demoed streaming a Windows 7 desktop at 1080p on the Pi ii at a frame rate smoothen enough to watch a HD video.

Although Windows 10 is available for the Raspberry Pi it isn't the total desktop version of the Microsoft Os, only rather a cut-down version called Windows IoT Core aimed at support Internet of Things appliances.

The Raspberry Pi Foundation continues to diversify across its core goal of getting kids to code, recently offering firms willing to buy more iii,000 Pi boards the ability to customise the Pi'south layout.

About 1 million Pi boards are used in industrial, embedded or consumer devices each yr and Raspberry Pi co-creator Eben Upton told TechRepublic offering bespoke boards could encourage businesses to purchase the Pi in fifty-fifty larger quantities.

Since the launch of the Raspberry Pi in February 2012 a variety of new boards accept been released, virtually recently the $five Raspberry Pi Zero.

More than on the Raspberry Pi

  • Want a custom-congenital Raspberry Pi? Firms get to bake their ain
  • Windows x on the Raspberry Pi: What you need to know
  • Five more operating systems for the Raspberry Pi two
  • Raspberry Pi ii easily-on: Is the souped-upwards board ready to take on the PC?
  • Photos: A closer wait at the Raspberry Pi ii
  • Raspberry Pi two launch: Half-dozen times faster with Windows 10 and Ubuntu support