Raspberry Pi online course

Install Applications from the Raspberry Pi Store

Learn how to check for, install, open, search, and use the Raspberry Pi Store on Raspberry Pi OS, including a LibreOffice example.

The Raspberry Pi Store provides a graphical way to discover and install applications and games on a Raspberry Pi. You can browse categories, search by name, review an application's details, download it, install it, and later find it in your personal library.

This lesson assumes that you are using the official Raspberry Pi operating system image, have a working internet connection, can use the Raspberry Pi desktop, and have enough free storage for the store and the application you want to install. If you need help opening a terminal, see Terminal in Raspbian. For network setup, see Connect to the Internet.

What the Raspberry Pi Store does

The Pi Store is a graphical software store client for finding and installing Raspberry Pi applications. It can include games, educational tools, productivity software, and other programs.

The store application is different from the underlying Raspbian package repository. A package repository is a network source containing software packages and package information used by the operating system's package manager. The Pi Store is a graphical interface that presents selected software and provides store-oriented browsing and library features. A package may be available through the repository even when it is not listed in the store, and vice versa.

Within the store, you can browse or search for software, open an application's details page, download and install it, and manage software obtained through the store from My Library.

Check whether the Pi Store is available

The Pi Store may already be included when you use an official Raspberry Pi OS image. Before installing it, check the desktop menu:

1. Start the Raspberry Pi desktop.
2. Open the main desktop menu.
3. Look under Internet for Pi Store.

If Pi Store appears, it is already installed and you can start it. If it is missing, install the client from a terminal as described below.

Install the Pi Store application from a terminal

The Pi Store client has the package name pistore. A package is a bundle of files and installation information managed by the operating system. APT is the package-management system used here.

1. Open Terminal from the desktop or application menu.
2. Refresh the local package information and install the store client by entering:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install pistore

These two commands are joined with &&, so the second command runs only if the first one completes successfully.

• sudo apt-get update downloads current package lists and metadata. It does not install updates by itself.
• sudo apt-get install pistore downloads and installs the Pi Store client and any required dependencies.
• sudo runs the installation with administrator privileges. Enter your password if prompted. The password will not be displayed while you type.

When installation completes, check the desktop menu again. The store should be available under Menu > Internet > Pi Store.

Start the Pi Store

Launch the graphical application from the desktop menu:

1. Open Menu.
2. Select Internet.
3. Select Pi Store.

The store must be running before you can search for applications or begin an installation. The exact appearance of the window can vary with the Raspberry Pi OS desktop and store version, but the main functions remain the same.

Browse and search for software

Use the Explore area

The Explore tab is the main area for discovering applications and games. It commonly provides category browsing, sorting controls, and a text search field.

Depending on the store version, you may be able to sort results by criteria such as popularity, user rating or ranking, and price. Use a shorter or partial search term when you are unsure of the exact application name.

Open an application's details page

1. Choose an application from a category, sorted list, or search results.
2. Open its listing to view the details page.
3. Review the application's name, description, price information if shown, and any other available details.
4. Use the download or install action when you are ready.

Install an application from its details page

Selecting the download or install action begins the process. The store first retrieves the required application files. After the download, it performs the installation by placing files and configuration in the operating system so the application can run.

1. Select the desired application from Explore or from search results.
2. Open the application's details page.
3. Select Download, Install, or the equivalent action shown by your store version.
4. Wait while the files are downloaded and the installation finishes.
5. Leave the store open and keep the Raspberry Pi connected to the network until processing is complete.

Find and launch installed applications

After installation, open the My Library tab. This area lists software acquired through the store.

1. Select My Library.
2. Find the application you installed.
3. Select it and choose its Launch option.

Many installed applications also create an entry in the regular Raspberry Pi desktop menu. You can use that menu to start the application later without opening the Pi Store.

Worked example: install LibreOffice

LibreOffice is a free office productivity suite. This example demonstrates searching with a partial name, installing the result, and launching it from the library.

1. Open Menu > Internet > Pi Store.
2. Open the Explore tab.
3. Enter libre in the search field and submit the search.
4. Choose the LibreOffice result.
5. Open the LibreOffice details page.
6. Select the download or install action.
7. Wait for the download and installation to finish. Keep the store open and maintain the internet connection during this process.
8. Open My Library.
9. Select LibreOffice and choose Launch.

The expected result is that LibreOffice opens and is ready to use. It may also be available later from the normal desktop application menu.

Pi Store workflow

Troubleshooting

Pi Store is not shown in the desktop menu

The client may not be installed, package information may be outdated, or your operating system image may not include the application. Open Terminal and run:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install pistore

After installation, check Menu > Internet again.

An application cannot be found

The search phrase may be misspelled or too specific, or the software may not be available in the store. Try a shorter or partial name, browse the Explore area, and use the available sort controls. If the item is still absent, check whether it is available through the Raspbian package repository instead. See Raspbian Repository for related package information.

A download or installation does not complete

• Verify that the Raspberry Pi has a working network connection.
• Check that the SD card or other storage has enough free space.
• Make sure the store was not closed before processing finished.
• Restart the store and retry the download.

You can review available storage with appropriate disk-space tools; the Show Disk Space guide covers this task.

An installed application does not appear in My Library

The installation may still be in progress, or the library view may not have refreshed. Wait for the process to finish, close and reopen the store, and return to My Library. Also check the normal Raspberry Pi desktop menu for the application's entry.

LibreOffice does not launch

The installation may be incomplete, or the system may have limited resources or storage. Retry the installation from the store, confirm that adequate free storage is available, and close unneeded applications before launching LibreOffice again.

Key points to remember

• The Pi Store is a graphical client for discovering and installing Raspberry Pi applications and games.
• The client package is named pistore.
• Refresh package information before installing the client with APT.
• Start the store from Menu > Internet > Pi Store.
• Use Explore to browse or search and My Library to find software obtained through the store.
• Downloading files and installing software are separate stages; wait for both to finish.
• LibreOffice can be found by searching for the partial name libre.