I initially used the Raspberry Pi OS 32-bit on my first Pi Zero 2W, but that experience wasn't good. The OS wasn't bad, but the hardware wasn't the most responsive, given the visually heavy nature of the OS. I switched to DietPi a few weeks later, and it was a perfect distro with the latest 64-bit Debian version. It has a blend of CLI and Whiptail menus that doesn't feel too technical. DietPi packs additional tools that make the regular jobs much less painstaking for an average Joe like me.

I frequently use these tools to install and set up new self-hosted apps, manage their storage, and control system hardware. Here are the five essential DietPi tools that I hope other Raspberry Pi distros incorporate as well.

5 Drive Manager

Manage storage drives effortlessly

Whenever I install any application that needs storage access, configuring it becomes relatively easy with the Drive Manager. You can easily find all connected drives using the tool, which lists each one along with its storage capacity and available storage space.

Apart from that, you can individually choose to mount the drives and assign device names to each. I follow this practice as it helps to identify the drives while setting up a media server or any other tool.

Another praiseworthy feature is that Drive Manager creates a persistent drive mount. So, even if you restart your Pi after setting up any storage-dependent application, the storage will always be available there. In other operating systems, you must configure the persistent mount in the fstab entry; otherwise, your storage won't show up after a shutdown or restart.

I also use the built-in benchmark tool to check the read and write speeds whenever I add any new external storage. You also have the option to transfer the RootFS, personal data, or swap file from the boot drive (SD card or anything else) to any connected drive. If you encounter any issues with the current file system, formatting the disk is fairly easy with multiple Linux-supported file systems.

4 Backup and restore

Dedicated, scheduled system backups

DietPi features a dedicated update tool that simplifies OS updates, displaying the latest update on the main screen. However, Backup is a tool that remains unnoticed. You might already use a form or backup and restore utility on your Windows PC. I don't need to explain how essential it is when the system just gives up after a botched app install or update.

The backup tool lets you create a complete system backup on the SD card or external storage. I prefer the USB drive because it keeps the system storage free, and even if it fails, I can use the USB one. It's easy to transfer the backup if you choose the USB drive. DietPi supports daily backups; you can automate it via a cron job to run every 24 hours.

You can even force the tool to check for free space and manage the files that will be a part of the backup. All of this happens without typing a single command. Note that you can only pick one location for backup, and the restore utility will automatically pick it up when needed.

3 Explorer

CLI file explorer for simple tasks

Accessing storage and manipulating files in the terminal isn't an easy job. If you don't know the exact location, it's just a long session of cd and ls commands to figure out everything. DietPi Explorer is a simple CLI file explorer that lets you at least see the file names and all the directories.

Basic file operations like copy, paste, and move work nicely, but I use Explorer mainly to chown and delete files. Previously, when I created a Plex media server on my Raspberry Pi Zero 2W, I had to use chown to set the Plex user to access the mnt directory.

Explorer lists all the available user groups, so all you need to do is go to the directory and use the chown and chmod options. I only miss the dual-interface of Midnight Commander, but the other file operations are not a problem. Maybe Explorer will get a dual-pane interface in a future upgrade.

2 Config

Manage hardware settings

It’s a set of system configuration utilities for the Raspberry Pi. I rarely venture into the overclocking territory, but I frequently use the Network options tool. If you use the Raspberry Pi Lite OS, you must be familiar with the network setup process. It cannot scan for the available networks, so you must manually type each one's correct SSID and password.

DietPi’s network tools do a great job of locating and listing all the available networks near me. I just need to select a slot and then scan for the network; I can then join it after entering the correct password. You can manage the state of Ethernet and Wi-Fi adapters, enable IPv6 or proxy, or do a quick internet connection test from the main menu.

1 Software

Simplified app management

Installing any packages for a Linux system is easy with the APT repository, which contains all the available packages. But DietPi offers an additional Software utility that contains pre-configured packages for Raspberry Pi. You can install all the popular Pi apps from here without worrying about compatibility issues.

I never faced any trouble with the apps I installed from the Software utility. Whenever I set up a fresh DietPi instance, I always install DietPi Dashboard and Tailscale. Even long and complicated package installations happen in one go. For example, a NextCloud installation needs multiple additional packages for PHP, Apache, MySQL, etc., which is cumbersome.

With the Software utility, you only need to select NextCloud from the list and choose Install. It simplifies the installation process, and you can pick an external USB drive as the installation location if you like. You can also remove the installed packages using the Software utility. It only lists the packages you installed from the tool and ignores everything else.

DietPi tools make Pi management simple

I regret not using DietPi tools earlier and only sticking to the Software tool for so long. My favorite set includes Drive Manager and Backup, as these two tools help me manage storage settings and store daily backups. If you haven’t switched to DietPi yet, give it a try. You’ll appreciate it for reducing many terminal tasks into a one-click operation.