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    [Armbian newsletter] - Armbian Newsletter April 2026

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    Armbian Newsletter April 2026

    Welcome to the latest Armbian Newsletter: your source for the latest developments, community highlights, and behind-the-scenes updates from the world of open-source ARM and RISC-V computing.

    Armbian has released images based on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, codenamed Resolute Raccoon the latest long-term support base. As always, Armbian applies its own platform-optimized kernel, board-specific patches, and tested drivers on top so what you get is a clean, stable foundation across SBCs, PCs, and cloud environments, with no Snap packages, fully compatible with the Ubuntu ecosystem, and no surprises.

    SPONSORED
    Armbian Newsletter April 2026

    Join us in making open source better! Every donation helps Armbian improve security, performance, and reliability — so everyone can enjoy a solid foundation for their devices.

    We rewrote how Armbian installs desktops. Here’s what changed
    A friendlier, faster, snap-free desktop install in armbian-config If you’ve installed a desktop environment with armbian-config over the last few months, you may have noticed things feel different: there’s a tier you can pick, the browser actually works on every arch, uninstall doesn’t take half your system with it, and
    Armbian Newsletter April 2026Armbian blogIgor Pecovnik
    Armbian Newsletter April 2026
    Armbian Q1 2026: Technical Milestones and the Road to Embedded World
    The first quarter of 2026 has been a period of significant technical consolidation for the Armbian project. Driven by the v26.02 (Goa) release cycle, the project has focused on three core pillars: aggressive framework refactoring, the stable rollout of the Linux 6.18 LTS kernel, and the maturation of
    Armbian Newsletter April 2026Armbian blogMichael Robinson
    Armbian Newsletter April 2026
    Github Highlights
    This week in Armbian development saw a broad range of updates spanning kernel enhancements, desktop improvements, and infrastructure refinements. Notable changes include new developer documentation for the desktop submodule, expanded GPU and multimedia support for vendor-kernel desktops, and several kernel version bumps for various platforms. The build system received fixes
    Armbian Newsletter April 2026Armbian blogMichael Robinson
    Armbian Newsletter April 2026

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Github Highlights

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    Github Highlights

    This week in Armbian development saw a broad range of updates spanning kernel enhancements, desktop improvements, and infrastructure refinements. Notable changes include new developer documentation for the desktop submodule, expanded GPU and multimedia support for vendor-kernel desktops, and several kernel version bumps for various platforms. The build system received fixes for filesystem resizing and improved dependency handling, while CI workflows were optimized with increased timeouts and better error handling. New hardware targets were added, including Radxa Dragon Q6A and Nio 12L, alongside updates to u-boot and kernel drivers for multiple devices. Additional improvements focused on patch maintenance, logo updates, and enhanced automation for VM provisioning. These collective efforts continue to strengthen Armbian’s reliability, performance, and hardware compatibility.

    Changes

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Github Highlights

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    Github Highlights

    This week in Armbian development saw significant progress across board support, desktop environments, and infrastructure. Notably, NanoPC T6 LTS Plus was added as a reusable board, and support for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS ("Resolute") expanded to desktop package coverage and testing. Multiple improvements targeted desktop environments, including package updates, installation fixes, and branding enhancements for browsers. Kernel and bootloader updates were implemented for various boards, with mainline kernel bumped to 7.0 stable and u-boot upgrades for Rockchip devices. Infrastructure enhancements included new CI workflows, multi-arch unit tests, and migration to a REST API. Several bug fixes, optimizations, and cosmetic cleanups rounded out the release, ensuring greater stability and usability for Armbian users.

    Changes

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    [Armbian newsletter] - We rewrote how Armbian installs desktops. Here's what changed

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    A friendlier, faster, snap-free desktop install in armbian-config

    We rewrote how Armbian installs desktops. Here's what changed

    If you've installed a desktop environment with armbian-config over the last few months, you may have noticed things feel different: there's a tier you can pick, the browser actually works on every arch, uninstall doesn't take half your system with it, and there's no snap pop-up surprising you on Ubuntu builds. That's not by accident — the desktop submodule has been quietly rebuilt from the ground up. Here's what landed, why we did it, and what it means for you.

    Pick the desktop you want — at install, and after

    Three tiers, instead of one all-or-nothing install:

    • minimal — DE + display manager + a terminal. About 500 MB. Perfect for headless boards with an occasional HDMI session, or anyone who'd rather curate apps themselves.
    • mid — adds a WWW browser, file manager, image viewer, media player, calculator, archive tool, torrent client, and the SD-card flasher. About 1 GB. The "everyday desktop" sweet spot.
    • full — adds LibreOffice, GIMP, Inkscape, Audacity, Thunderbird, and VS Code. About 2.5 GB. Workstation-shaped.

    And — because changing your mind is allowed — you can move between tiers any time without a reinstall. armbian-config --api module_desktops upgrade de=xfce tier=full computes the delta and only adds what's missing. The reverse path, downgrade, only removes packages from the original install manifest, never anything you added on your own.

    Snap-free Chromium, Firefox, and Thunderbird

    On Ubuntu, the apt names chromium, firefox, and thunderbird are snap-transitional packages — installing them silently pulls in snapd, runs the apps in a snap sandbox, and gives you a slow start, broken hardware acceleration, and a confusing menu of "two Chromiums" if you ever want the real thing.

    Armbian images don't ship snapd, so we now route those names to real, native .debs hosted on apt.armbian.com. The desktop install path writes an apt pin priority file at /etc/apt/preferences.d/armbian-desktops that forces our packages to win over the snap-shims — even on systems where the snap version is technically newer. The result: apt install chromium gives you a real, native Chromium. No snapd. No surprise pop-ups.

    On amd64 systems, the browser slot maps to Google Chrome (also from apt.armbian.com); on RISC-V Ubuntu builds you get real Firefox. Debian releases keep using upstream chromium / firefox-esr — those have always been real .debs and need no help.

    One desktop, every supported distro and arch

    Each DE — XFCE, GNOME, KDE Plasma, KDE Neon, MATE, Cinnamon, i3-wm, xmonad, Enlightenment, Budgie, Deepin — is now a single declarative YAML file in the configng repo. The engine works out which packages exist on which release on which arch, substitutes per-platform replacements where needed, and silently drops broken ones. Same XFCE definition runs on Debian bookworm/trixie/forky and Ubuntu noble/resolute across arm64 / amd64 / armhf / riscv64.

    Adding a new desktop environment is a YAML edit and a smoke test — no per-distro shell scripts, no codepaths to chase.

    Clean uninstall, every time

    Every desktop install records a manifest of exactly which packages it added — under /etc/armbian/desktop/<de>.packages. Removal undoes only those. Packages that were already on your system before you installed the desktop stay put. No more "I uninstalled XFCE and lost half my system."

    The little stuff that's easy to miss

    • Auto-login that doesn't trash your config. Enable / disable autologin for gdm3, sddm, or lightdm via in-place sed edits — your WaylandEnable=false and other tweaks survive.
    • Container-aware. Same code path works inside Docker without trying to start a display manager. CI builds and scripted installs work without special-casing.
    • U2F security keys. Plug in your Yubikey and WebAuthn just works — the udev rules ship via libfido2-1 on resolute, libu2f-udev on older releases.
    • Printer panel works. GNOME Settings → Printers no longer says "some settings cannot be unlocked" — cups-pk-helper ships with every desktop install now.
    • VS Code from us, not Microsoft's repo. Installing code no longer prompts you to add Microsoft's apt source — we host the real package, the prompt is suppressed, the pin keeps Microsoft from sneaking in over the top.

    A weekly self-audit catches drift

    A scheduled Claude AI supported GitHub Actions workflow scans the YAML matrix against armbian/build's supported releases and the live Debian/Ubuntu archives — flags releases not yet covered, flags packages that no longer exist upstream — then opens a PR with proposed YAML fixes. Dead packages and missing releases stop accumulating silently.

    Try it

    On any modern Armbian install:

    sudo armbian-config

# or scripted:
sudo armbian-config --api module_desktops install de=xfce tier=full
sudo armbian-config --api module_desktops upgrade de=xfce tier=full
sudo armbian-config --api module_desktops downgrade de=xfce tier=mid
sudo armbian-config --api module_desktops remove de=xfce

    Supported desktops today: XFCE, GNOME, KDE Plasma, KDE Neon (Ubuntu noble only), MATE, Cinnamon, i3-wm and xmonad, Enlightenment, Budgie and Deepin experimental. Supported targets: Debian bookworm / trixie / forky and Ubuntu noble / resolute on every Armbian arch.

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Github Highlights

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    Github Highlights

    This week saw significant development activity across the Armbian ecosystem, with numerous enhancements to desktop environment support, including the addition of KDE Neon, KDE Plasma, MATE, and i3-wm, as well as improved branding and menu documentation. The desktop module was refactored for greater modularity and YAML-driven configuration, alongside fixes for theming and package removal tracking. Hardware support expanded with new device trees for NanoPC-T6 LTS Plus and Gateway DK, plus initial support for Arduino UNO Q (Qualcomm QRB2210) and additional USB Ethernet drivers. The build system received updates for kernel versions and distribution releases, notably bumping Ubuntu from plucky/noble to resolute. Automation and audit scripts were improved for reliability and scope, and documentation was updated to reflect the new tier model and branding. Overall, these changes strengthen Armbian's usability, hardware compatibility, and developer tooling.

    Changes

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Github Highlights

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    Github Highlights

    This week’s Armbian development saw significant enhancements across hardware support and system functionality. The Arduino UNO Q was officially added, along with new firmware and flash binaries for the QRB2210 and QCM2290 variants. HDMI CEC support was introduced for Rockchip RK3588/RK3576 SoCs, while panel compatibility expanded with updates for Raspberry Pi and Hardkernel ODROID-Vu8S. Key kernel improvements included a bump to version 7.0-rc6 and rewritten patches for Rockchip64-6.18. The release also featured workflow hardening, exclusion of unsupported boards, and fixes for USB-C OTG mode on Odroid-M2. These updates collectively strengthen Armbian’s platform stability and broaden its device coverage.

    Changes

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Armbian Newsletter

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    Armbian Newsletter

    Welcome to the latest Armbian Newsletter: your source for the latest developments, community highlights, and behind-the-scenes updates from the world of open-source ARM and RISC-V computing.

    The past two months have been particularly active for the embedded ecosystem. At EMBEDDED WORLD 2026, developers, hardware vendors, and open-source communities gathered to showcase the latest innovations shaping the future of embedded computing. In parallel, the Armbian project continues to evolve with new releases, expanded board support, and ongoing improvements to the build framework driven by the contributions of its global community and the growing demand for reliable Linux on ARM and RISC-V platforms.

    SPONSORED
    Armbian Newsletter

    Join us in making open source better! Every donation helps Armbian improve security, performance, and reliability — so everyone can enjoy a solid foundation for their devices.

    Github Highlights
    This week in Armbian development saw a significant expansion of hardware support, including new board images and compatibility for devices such as the Ariaboard Photonicat 2, SpacemiT MUSE Book, NanoPC T6 Plus, and Mekotronics R58S2. Kernel patches were updated across multiple platforms, notably for Rockchip and Sunxi families, enhancing stability
    Armbian NewsletterArmbian blogMichael Robinson
    Armbian Newsletter
    My First embedded world and I Already Can’t Wait for the Next
    I’d been putting this off for years. Every March, I’d read someone else’s embedded world recap, tell myself “next year”, and go back to my terminal. This year I actually went and I’m still processing everything I saw. First things first: the team Before I talk about any stand or
    Armbian NewsletterArmbian blogDaniele Briguglio
    Armbian Newsletter
    Armbian Q1 2026: Technical Milestones and the Road to Embedded World
    The first quarter of 2026 has been a period of significant technical consolidation for the Armbian project. Driven by the v26.02 (Goa) release cycle, the project has focused on three core pillars: aggressive framework refactoring, the stable rollout of the Linux 6.18 LTS kernel, and the maturation of
    Armbian NewsletterArmbian blogMichael Robinson
    Armbian Newsletter

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Armbian Q1 2026: Technical Milestones and the Road to Embedded World

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    Armbian Q1 2026: Technical Milestones and the Road to Embedded World

    The first quarter of 2026 has been a period of significant technical consolidation for the Armbian project. Driven by the v26.02 (Goa) release cycle, the project has focused on three core pillars: aggressive framework refactoring, the stable rollout of the Linux 6.18 LTS kernel, and the maturation of the Armbian Imager utility.

    Core Framework Refactoring

    A primary objective this quarter was the reduction of technical debt within the armbian/build repository. The development team initiated a systematic cleanup to improve build reliability and maintenance.

    • Toolchain Optimization: Through a series of pull requests, including #9218, #9252, and #9256, significant "dead code" was removed from the internal toolchain. This refactoring simplifies the logic required to support a diversifying array of ARM and RISC-V architectures.
    • mmdebstrap Transition: The framework has officially transitioned to mmdebstrap as the exclusive engine for rootfs creation (#9512). By deprecating the legacy debootstrap method, the project ensures faster, more consistent, and reproducible builds across varied host environments.
    • Bash Modernization: Internal build scripts have been transitioned from POSIX to Bash syntax to leverage modern shell features and enhance overall script reliability.

    Kernel and Hardware Integration

    Q1 marked the broad adoption of the Linux 6.18 LTS kernel series, providing improved driver support and hardware abstraction for tier-1 platforms.

    • Linux 6.18 LTS Rollout: Stable support for the 6.18.y kernel was merged for major families, including meson64, rockchip64, and UEFI targets (#9069, #9086).
    • Hardware Support Expansion:
      • SpacemiT MusePi Pro: Full integration and kernel patching were completed (#9422).
      • Orange Pi RV2: Initial support and nightly build availability were established for this RISC-V target.
      • Radxa Rock 4D & ODROID M2: These boards were elevated to the stable support tier within the 26.02 release.
    • Firmware Updates: U-Boot was bumped to v2026.01 for several platforms. Notably, boot delays on the Orange Pi 5 series were addressed via updated U-Boot candidates (#9450).

    Ecosystem Tools: Armbian Imager

    The Armbian Imager has transitioned from a utility to a cornerstone of the project’s user experience, with a focus on security and onboarding efficiency.

    • Cross-Platform Security: Code signing was implemented for both macOS and Windows artifacts to reduce installation friction for non-Linux users (imager#87).
    • Performance Improvements: The utility now features optimized image decompression and enhanced device disconnect detection (imager#28).
    • Automated Reporting: A new AI Actions Report workflow (armbian.github.io#165) was implemented to automate development highlights, providing greater transparency into the commit history for the community.

    Strategic Industry Alignment

    The technical trajectory of Q1 was intentionally aligned with Armbian’s presence at Embedded World 2026 in Nuremberg.

    By showcasing the framework and Imager as guests of Seeed Studio, the project demonstrated its readiness for industrial-scale deployment. The shift toward mainline kernel and U-Boot support—specifically targeting the retirement of vendor-specific bootloaders—remains a priority for long-term security and professional-grade stability.

    Contributors & Credits

    The progress in Q1 2026 is the result of sustained contributions from the Armbian Dev team and the wider community. Detailed changelogs and commit histories are available at github.com/armbian/build.

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    [Armbian newsletter] - My first embedded world and I already can't wait for the next

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    My first embedded world and I already can't wait for the next

    I'd been putting this off for years. Every March, I'd read someone else's embedded world recap, tell myself "next year", and go back to my terminal. This year I actually went and I'm still processing everything I saw.

    First things first: the team

    Before I talk about any stand or chip, I need to tell you what made this trip different from anything I've done before. There were five of us from the Armbian team at the show: Igor, Werner, Meko, amazingfate, and me. Five people. Four countries. Some of us had worked together for years and never met in person.

    You know how it is in open-source, you collaborate through GitHub, you argue about patches on the mailing list, you review each other's code at odd hours. But you don't always know the face behind the username. Meeting those people for real, shaking their hand, having a coffee together, that's something no pull request can replicate. And honestly, it was worth the trip on its own.

    The show itself: I wasn't ready for this

    Arriving at the Nuremberg Messe for the first time is a genuine shock. I knew embedded world was big. I did not know it was this big. Enormous halls, thousands of exhibitors, tens of thousands of attendees. On day one I got genuinely lost between the pavilions spent a solid half hour wandering with no idea where I was. I'm told this is a rite of passage.

    What surprised me most about the atmosphere is how concrete everything felt. This isn't a conference where people pitch vaporware from behind polished booths. Engineers and developers everywhere, talking about real problems, showing real hardware. You can walk from a giant like Qualcomm to a small team doing something fascinating with a handful of sensors and both conversations feel equally substantive.

    What we saw on the floor

    Rockchip was a mandatory stop for us, and they didn't disappoint. On their stand: the RK3572 EVB an evaluation board we hadn't seen in person before. Reading specs in a datasheet is one thing. Seeing the board running, understanding its real-world size, its connectors, how it behaves, that's a completely different kind of knowledge. The kind you can only get by showing up.

    My first embedded world and I already can't wait for the next
    Rockchip Employees (Most left and right) and Jianfeng Liu, Mecid Urganci & Igor Pecovnik

    Seeed Studio had live demos of AI Vision and AI Sound, and the one that genuinely impressed me was their AI camera with a built-in NPU doing real-time object recognition. I'm not talking about laggy, stuttering inference, it was smooth. Fluid. The kind of performance that makes you stop walking and just stare for a minute. Seeing that level of real-time AI running on a compact edge device was one of those moments where the future stops feeling abstract.

    My first embedded world and I already can't wait for the next
    Seedstudio x Armbian (Maximilian Riedl , Igor Pecovnik, Jianfeng Liu, Daniele Briguglio)

    Qualcomm brought the Arduino Ventuno Q, and this is where things got interesting and a little funny. meko had already run his benchmarks on the board when amazingfate noticed something: Chromium's hardware acceleration wasn't enabled. So he enabled it. Right there. Directly on the board. In front of the stand staff.

    The reaction from the Qualcomm team? Complete, genuine astonishment. They didn't see it coming. That's what happens when you bring a group of Armbian developers to a trade show, we don't just look at things, we poke at them.

    My first embedded world and I already can't wait for the next
    Armbian at the Foundries.io booth

    Collabora was present at the show, and amazingfate got to meet some of the team. Their kernel and GPU driver work is always relevant to what we do, so that conversation mattered even if I wasn't there for it personally.

    The moment that hit hardest: Armbian on the BeagleBadge

    During a meeting with the BeagleBoard.org team inside the show, they showed us their brand new project: the BeagleBadge. Launched right there at embedded world 2026, it won Best in Show in the Wearables category; a Linux-powered wearable badge with a 4.2" ePaper display, dual-core ARM Cortex-A53, Wi-Fi 6, LoRa, and more sensors than I can list here. Built around the Texas Instruments AM62L32, manufactured by Seeed Studio.

    Impressive hardware. But here's the part that actually stopped me in my tracks: Armbian was running on it. There's an official "Armbian BeagleBadge demo for EW2026" image — Debian Trixie, Linux 6.12 — listed right on the BeagleBoard.org site.

    Our OS. On a Best-in-Show winning badge. At the world's biggest embedded show.

    That's not a small thing. That's the community's work showing up exactly where it matters.

    My first embedded world and I already can't wait for the next

    What embedded world taught me about where this industry is going

    Three days of walking, talking, and observing gives you a pretty clear picture of the currents moving through the embedded world right now.

    Edge AI is not a trend anymore, it's infrastructure. Every major vendor had something running inference locally, without cloud, on modest hardware. This is real, it's shipping, and it's going to reshape what we expect embedded systems to do.

    Open-source has earned its seat at the table. I half-expected it to be the hobbyist corner of the show. It wasn't. Companies are building on Linux, on open stacks, on ecosystems maintained by communities like ours. That's not charity, it's strategy. And it means the work we do in Armbian matters more than we sometimes give ourselves credit for.

    The line between prototype and product is razor thin. At most stands you'd see a mix: shipping products, reference designs, things that will exist in six months. That gap is where the interesting information lives; what's coming, which platforms are getting serious investment, which vendors are committed to mainline Linux support. You don't learn that from a datasheet. You learn it by being there.

    Would I go back?

    Without a second thought.

    If you're an Armbian community member who's been putting this off the same way I was stop putting it off. The technical exposure is valuable. The networking is real. And meeting the people you build things with, face to face, is something that doesn't have a substitute.

    The show runs every year in Nuremberg. I'll be there.

    See you in 2027. 🇩🇪

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Github Highlights

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    Github Highlights

    This week in Armbian development saw a significant expansion of hardware support, including new board images and compatibility for devices such as the Ariaboard Photonicat 2, SpacemiT MUSE Book, NanoPC T6 Plus, and Mekotronics R58S2. Kernel patches were updated across multiple platforms, notably for Rockchip and Sunxi families, enhancing stability and performance. Several new modules were introduced in the configuration framework, including browser-based code-server, memory management, Docker log viewing, and subscription tracking. Improvements to documentation, security hardening, and code formatting were also implemented. Notable fixes addressed USB, Ethernet, and device-specific issues, while ZFS functionality and tuning interfaces received updates. The release continues Armbian’s commitment to broad hardware support and robust system features.

    Changes

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Armbianmonitor saves the day!

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    Diagnosing System Issues and Getting Support with Armbianmonitor

    Armbianmonitor saves the day!

    Armbian is a lightweight operating system based on Debian/Ubuntu, highly optimized for single-board computers (SBCs) like the Raspberry Pi, Orange Pi, and many others. When facing system problems on an SBC running Armbian, the built-in utility armbianmonitor is an essential diagnostic tool. It quickly gathers crucial system data, making troubleshooting faster and more accurate for both the user and the community providing support.

    Key Diagnostic Functions

    The primary use of armbianmonitor is to generate real-time performance and system configuration reports. By running the command without any arguments, you get a menu of options, but the most vital functions for diagnosis are:

    • System Status (armbianmonitor -m): This provides a live monitoring dashboard. It displays key metrics like CPU frequency, load average, temperature, memory usage, and disk I/O. By watching this output while a problem (like a system freeze or slowdown) occurs, you can often pinpoint the bottleneck—for instance, a sudden spike in CPU temperature indicating a cooling problem, or sustained high memory usage pointing to a resource leak.
    • System Information (armbianmonitor -u or -d): This is the most crucial function for seeking online support. It gathers a comprehensive, anonymized report including details about the kernel version, device model, installed packages, boot logs, and hardware configuration. This data is essential because the performance and stability of SBCs are often highly dependent on the specific kernel and hardware drivers used for that model.

    Getting Support Online

    When seeking help on platforms like the Armbian forum or GitHub, simply describing the symptoms is rarely enough. The person helping you needs to know the exact state of your system.

    By running armbianmonitor -u, the utility uploads the detailed diagnostic report to a public pastebin service (like https://www.google.com/search?q=paste.armbian.com) and provides a unique, short URL. You can then include this URL directly in your support request. This allows community members to instantly access the exact configuration, eliminating back-and-forth questions about device type, OS version, and log file locations. This standardized method is the fastest way to receive targeted, effective assistance and ensures your issue is diagnosed accurately.

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Github Highlights

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    Github Highlights

    This week in Armbian development saw significant enhancements across multiple areas, including expanded board support and improved hardware compatibility. Notable additions include new images and configurations for Qidi X-6, X-7, and Ariaboard Photonicat2 mainboards, as well as refined kernel patch maintenance and updates for various platforms. The build system received important fixes, such as resolving compilation errors and device tree issues, alongside improvements in Docker utilities and offline mode detection. Several refactoring efforts streamlined backend processes and enhanced user interface elements. The team also introduced automatic fallback mechanisms for Hetzner server types, optimizing runner scaling. Overall, these updates reinforce Armbian's commitment to stability, broader hardware support, and a smoother user experience.

    Changes

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Github Highlights

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    Github Highlights

    This week in Armbian development saw significant progress across board support and kernel updates. New boards such as the Cainiao CNIOT Core, EByte ECB41-PGE, DG SVR 865 Tiny, and NORCO EMB-3531 received initial support, expanding hardware compatibility. Kernel patches were rewritten for the meson64 and rockchip64 platforms, aligning with version 6.18.18, while edge releases were bumped to 7.0-rc3 and rc4. Improvements included enhanced SD card and audio support for SpacemiT and Youyeetoo YY3588 boards, as well as refined configuration checks and display fixes. Several upstream patches were dropped or disabled, and the Dependabot schedule was updated for daily maintenance. Additional fixes addressed USB modes, Docker host-gateway resolution, and Xorg display issues, rounding out a productive week for the Armbian project.

    Changes

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Github Highlights

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    Github Highlights

    This week’s Armbian development saw a wide range of improvements and fixes across the project’s build framework, kernel support, and device compatibility. Notable changes include the transition from POSIX to Bash syntax for enhanced script reliability, expanded support for new hardware such as the Norco-EMB-3531 board, and the addition of Vulkan and improved 3D package descriptions. Several device-specific updates were made, including kernel enhancements for sm8250, mainline support for SpacemiT, and fixes for wireless and HDMI functionality on various boards. The team also introduced new features like a cache manager modal in the imager and improved marking for container-based software. Multiple bug fixes addressed issues with OS image duplication, patch timestamps, and device quirks. Security was bolstered with hardened GitHub Actions, ensuring a more robust development pipeline.

    Changes

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Armbian 26.2 Goa

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    Armbian 26.2 Goa

    Welcome to the latest Armbian Newsletter, your source for updates, community highlights, and behind-the-scenes news from the world of open-source ARM and RISC-V computing.

    Streamlining the ecosystem

    This past quarter development has taken a significant step forward for Armbian. We've been busy cleaning up and optimizing our codebase, merging over 150 improvements primarily focused on advancing kernel support for Rockchip and Allwinner platforms. A significant secondary effort was dedicated to modernizing the project's infrastructure and build tools, driven largely by a core group of dedicated contributors.

    Hardware support continues to expand. We're thrilled to introduce new LTS kernel v6.18 based images and support for exciting new boards like the SpacemiT MusePi Pro, Radxa Rock 4D, Orangepi RV2, Odroid M2, ... We've also brought back KDE Neon desktop builds and added RISC-V XFCE desktop support for those exploring new territory.

    Our user tools have received major upgrades too. Armbian Imager now features faster decompression, enhanced security with code signing for macOS and Windows, AI-powered translations, and a new settings panel with developer options. Behind the scenes, we've strengthened our build infrastructure to keep everything running reliably as we grow.

    Whether you're trying the new stable kernel or experimenting with our latest builds, this update reinforces our commitment to delivering a professional, accessible Linux experience for ARM and RISC-V hardware.

    Join Armbian at Embedded World 2026. Meet us in Hall 3, Booth 3-556 (Seeed Studio), where we’ll be showcasing the Armbian build framework and how it powers reliable, production-ready Linux for ARM devices.

    Download the latest release and experience Armbian today.

    SPONSORED
    Armbian 26.2 Goa

    Join us in making open source better! Every donation helps Armbian improve security, performance, and reliability — so everyone can enjoy a solid foundation for their devices.

    Release v26.2.1 · armbian/build
    Changes sunxi: refactor full patchset. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9219 “get completely rid of dead code toolchain stuff”, pt2. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9218 “get completely rid of dead cod…
    Armbian 26.2 GoaGitHubarmbian
    Armbian 26.2 Goa
    Forget third-party utilities: meet Armbian Imager
    Armbian Imager eliminates the guesswork from flashing SBC images. Real-time board detection, persistent caching, and built-in safety make installation fast, simple, and risk-free
    Armbian 26.2 GoaArmbian blogDaniele Briguglio
    Armbian 26.2 Goa
    Armbian 2025: by the numbers
    Open hardware is growing faster than ever and breaking in new ways. 2025 has been a productive year for the Armbian project. As the Single Board Computer ecosystem continues to fragment and expand, Armbian has consolidated its position as the universal glue holding the open-source hardware world together. Our mission
    Armbian 26.2 GoaArmbian blogMichael Robinson
    Armbian 26.2 Goa
    The Evolution of SBCs
    The Evolution of SBCs: From Hobby Boards to Edge Computing Over the past two decades, single-board computers (SBCs) have transformed from experimental maker tools into the backbone of modern embedded and edge systems. What started as a handful of affordable hobby boards has grown into a diverse ecosystem powering automation,
    Armbian 26.2 GoaArmbian blogMichael Robinson
    Armbian 26.2 Goa

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Github Highlights

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    Github Highlights

    This week’s Armbian development saw significant progress across board support, software modules, and workflow enhancements. Notable additions include new board images for ForLinx OK3506-S12, Cix-ACPI, and expanded support for Raspberry Pi 400, 500, and RPi3 series. Improvements to build targets and kernel patches were implemented, alongside fixes for overlayfs module logic and OpenMediaVault installation. The imager received updates for macOS compatibility and enhanced handling of write-protected devices. Several workflow optimizations and cleanup tasks were completed, streamlining concurrency and retry logic. Updates also targeted Debian trixie/sid for app builds and refined base images for specific boards. Overall, the changelog reflects a strong focus on broadening hardware compatibility, improving reliability, and optimizing development processes.

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Github Highlights

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    Github Highlights

    This week in Armbian development saw significant advancements across kernel, firmware, and build targets. The release of 6.18.y kernel UEFI images marks a major update, alongside expanded desktop build options including Cinnamon and KDE Neon for UEFI systems. Notable board support enhancements include the addition of custom build targets for Amlogic TV Boxes, the Raspberry Pi Zero 2W as a virtual board, and improved support for Orange Pi 3 LTS and Odroid M2 devices. Automation improvements streamline inventory rebuilds and board data management, while new features such as Armbian board auto-detection and browser enablement for Riscv64 boards enhance usability. Several bug fixes and configuration updates address issues across Hyper-V images, kernel configs, and u-boot versions. The changelog also highlights upgrades to wireless firmware, dependency management, and support for BTRFS on NanoPi R3S-LTS, reflecting ongoing efforts to broaden compatibility and stability.

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Github Highlights

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    Github Highlights

    This week’s Armbian development saw significant progress across multiple areas, including desktop environment enhancements, kernel updates, and expanded hardware support. Notable changes include the addition of GNOME desktop options, improvements to XFCE organization, and updates to U-Boot for several boards. The team introduced new board images and logos, refined Docker automation and documentation, and standardized numerous software modules for better maintainability. Kernel advancements featured bumps to 6.19-rc8, integration of ZFS v2.4.0, and targeted fixes for Rockchip and Odroid platforms. Community governance and build processes were also strengthened, alongside the deprecation of Matrix and OFTC chat utilities. These updates collectively improve user experience, system stability, and future development agility.

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Armbian Newsletter

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    Armbian Newsletter

    Welcome to the latest Armbian Newsletter: your source for the latest developments, community highlights, and behind-the-scenes updates from the world of open-source ARM and RISC-V computing.

    Armbian Newsletter

    Join Armbian at embedded world 2026. Meet us in Hall 3, Booth 3-556 (Seeed Studio), where we’ll be showcasing the Armbian build framework and how it powers reliable, production-ready Linux for ARM devices.

    FriendlyElec’s NanoPC T6 Plus: The flagship edge computing powerhouse and media station
    The NanoPC T6 Plus, powered by the performance-optimized Armbian OS, is your ticket to a truly professional, high-speed edge computing experience. This industrial-grade device is built around the flagship Octa-core Rockchip RK3588 SoC and now features a massive upgrade to LPDDR5 RAM (up to 32GB), giving it the muscle to
    Armbian NewsletterArmbian blogMecid Urganci
    Armbian Newsletter

    Sponsored

    Github Highlights
    This week’s Armbian development saw a wide range of updates focused on automation, hardware support, and workflow improvements. Key highlights include the introduction of automatic YAML target generation, expanded support for Hetzner ARM64 runners, and enhancements to the redirector update workflow with cache mirror support. Several board-specific fixes and
    Armbian NewsletterArmbian blogMichael Robinson
    Armbian Newsletter
    Forget third-party utilities: meet Armbian Imager
    Armbian Imager eliminates the guesswork from flashing SBC images. Real-time board detection, persistent caching, and built-in safety make installation fast, simple, and risk-free
    Armbian NewsletterArmbian blogDaniele Briguglio
    Armbian Newsletter
    Armbian 2025: by the numbers
    Open hardware is growing faster than ever and breaking in new ways. 2025 has been a productive year for the Armbian project. As the Single Board Computer ecosystem continues to fragment and expand, Armbian has consolidated its position as the universal glue holding the open-source hardware world together. Our mission
    Armbian NewsletterArmbian blogMichael Robinson
    Armbian Newsletter

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Github Highlights

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    Github Highlights

    This week’s Armbian development saw a wide range of updates focused on automation, hardware support, and workflow improvements. Key highlights include the introduction of automatic YAML target generation, expanded support for Hetzner ARM64 runners, and enhancements to the redirector update workflow with cache mirror support. Several board-specific fixes and feature additions were made, including improved power cycle handling for meson-sm1 devices and new binary files for RK35 series components. The team also advanced kernel support, notably enabling RDNA2 GPU compatibility and initial kernel 6.18 support for Ayn odin2. Continuous integration and build reliability received attention through Docker-based unit tests and improved artifact management. Overall, these changes reflect ongoing efforts to streamline development processes and broaden hardware compatibility across the Armbian ecosystem.

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Armbian Development Highlights

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    Armbian Development Report: Continued Progress and Community Momentum

    Over the past two weeks, the Armbian project has made steady and meaningful progress across core infrastructure, board support, and kernel development. From bootloader improvements to expanded hardware compatibility, our contributors continue to push the platform forward. This update highlights recent technical advancements, bug fixes, and community contributions that help power the Armbian ecosystem.

     

    Highlights

    • Pcduino2/3 Gain HDMI and Display Fixes
      HDMI output is now supported, and a regression affecting display output on Pcduino2 and Pcduino3 boards has been resolved.
      #8341

    • Key Bootloader and Memory Enhancements
      Updates include a boot fix for Inovato Quadra, u-boot bumps for Banana Pi Zero3 and 2W, and the addition of 1.5GB memory support.
      #8334

    • Enhanced Repository Security
      Improvements include a new signing key, dual signing support, and better GPG key handling via APA.
      #8323, #8320, #8316

    • Improved TI Board Support
      Texas Instruments boards now benefit from a custom Debian repo, pre-installed packages, and a Real-Time (RT) kernel config option.
      #8305, #8280

    • Meson64 Security Boost
      Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (KASLR) is now enabled by default to improve runtime security.
      #8354

    New Features

    Bug Fixes

    Improvements

     Community Contributions

    📅 Stay Connected with the Community

    Looking to join live chats with Armbian developers and users? The Armbian Community Calendar lists upcoming voice chats, planning sessions, and community events. Stay informed and be part of the conversation!

     

    The post Armbian Development Highlights first appeared on Armbian.

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Armbian Weekly Updates

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    Armbian Development Highlights: June 2–9, 2025

    This week’s Armbian updates focused on kernel improvements, bootloader modernization, and several core enhancements to the build infrastructure. Key work spanned platforms like Rockchip, Sunxi, and Odroid, emphasizing kernel stability and broader compatibility across boards.

    Kernel Upgrades

    Several boards received kernel updates:

    Patches also landed to adapt Wi-Fi drivers to 6.15-era changes, including fixes for xradio and uwe5622 on Sunxi, contributed by The-going:

    Bootloader and U-Boot Work

    Improvements were made to bootloader support:

    Build System Changes

    Several build system enhancements landed this cycle:

    • PR #8276 by Ayush1325 prevented unintentional conversion of built-in kernel drivers to modules.
    • A new helper function chroot_sdcard_custom_with_apt_logic was introduced in PR #8245 by rpardini, streamlining SD card build logic.
    • PR #8279 by igorpecovnik removed obsolete Trixie package references.

    Networking Improvements

    PR #8259 and commit cdf71df by djurny expanded DHCP configuration in netplan to automatically include interfaces matching lan* and wan*, simplifying initial setup across devices.

    Miscellaneous

    Contributors This Week

    The post Armbian Weekly Updates first appeared on Armbian.

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Armbian Development Highlights: End of May 2025

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    As the Armbian project transitions from spring into summer, the final week of May 2025 brought a dense flurry of development activity, delivering improvements across kernel support, bootloader updates, system performance, and user experience enhancements. With over 35 pull requests merged, this week showcased the Armbian community’s continued dedication to modernizing and stabilizing its build framework and board support packages.

    Performance & Build System Optimizations

    A notable performance enhancement arrived via #8248, where build engineer @rpardini delivered a major speed-up in Docker extension handling, cutting processing time by over 50%. Complementing this, PR #8249 addressed inefficiencies in rootfs-to-image by avoiding --sparse, significantly improving I/O speeds on various filesystems.

    Kernel version parsing and custom kernel description functionality also landed with #8152, thanks to @Grippy98, enabling displaying kernel versioning within build branches.

    Board Support Enhancements & Bootloader Upgrades

    A slew of boards received attention this week. The NanoPC-T6 series saw a key modernization in #8219 and #8239, switching to mainline Arm Trusted Firmware and bumping U-Boot to v2025.04 final. The Quartz64A board followed suit in #8250, while the Odroid HC4, Khadas VIM3, and Mixtile Blade3 all received U-Boot updates or reverts to improve stability.

    Legacy and edge kernel support was also improved. Notably, Rockchip64 edge kernel configuration gained CONFIG_NETKIT=y (#8237), and fixes for display mode handling on RK3588 boards were added (#8253).

    Meanwhile, the Orangepi 5 Ultra switched to a mainline kernel source (#8252), reinforcing Armbian’s ongoing effort to shed legacy components and embrace upstream compatibility.

    Infrastructure & Usability Improvements

    Behind the scenes, @igorpecovnik contributed multiple usability tweaks, including a fix for HiDPI detection (#8236) and @rpardini added improved serial console fallback behavior in GRUB (#8247). The GPG key placement was standardized across distros (#8128), simplifying build reproducibility.

    Device Tree and Service Fixes

    The smart am40 received a long-needed RTC node and U-Boot bump (#8214), while the Helios4‘s wake-on-LAN service was fixed (#8235), reinforcing Armbian’s commitment to community-requested board maintenance.

    Wrapping Up

    This week’s burst of activity highlights the Armbian community’s tireless commitment to refinement and modernization. Whether through performance enhancements, kernel bumps, or quality-of-life fixes, the project continues to evolve rapidly. Users can expect a more responsive, stable, and future-proof experience across a growing roster of supported hardware.

    Stay tuned for further updates as June unfolds.

    The post Armbian Development Highlights: End of May 2025 first appeared on Armbian.

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Armbian 25.5

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    Armbian v25.5: Expanding Horizons, Honoring Community, and Powering the ARM Ecosystem

    The Armbian team is proud to announce the release of Armbian v25.5—a significant update that reinforces the project’s commitment to delivering a reliable, high-performance Linux experience for ARM-based devices. This release highlights continued progress across the system, including deeper hardware support, enhanced tooling, and growing application modularity through armbian-config.

    In addition to the technical achievements, the community has received international recognition for its leadership and innovation in open-source infrastructure: Armbian has been awarded the 2025 NetBox Hero Award by NetBox Labs, joining a prestigious list of projects that have demonstrated meaningful impact in automation and open infrastructure practices.

    What’s New in v25.5

    This release brings dozens of contributions from across the Armbian community, targeting system performance, configuration management, and hardware enablement. Noteworthy improvements include:

    • Extended board support: The release introduces or improves compatibility for several boards including the TI SK-AM69 (PR #7885), Banana Pi M2+ (PR #8127), BeagleBone AI-64 (PR #7918), BeaglePlay (PR #7917), and PocketBeagle2 (PR #7897). These additions reflect Armbian’s growing footprint across both legacy and cutting-edge single-board computers (SBCs).

    • Upstream firmware integration: Rockchip devices like the Rock 5B and Youyeetoo R1 now enjoy better audio and HDMI support (PR #7925, PR #7934). U-Boot versions were bumped for key platforms to align with upstream.

    • Kernel upgrades: Devices based on Rockchip64 now run on Linux kernel 6.14 (edge branch), bringing better performance and peripheral support. Additionally, kernel patching logic is now configurable (PR #8149), allowing developers to build plain mainline kernel.

    • Filesystem and boot enhancements: Improvements to EFI partition alignment (PR #8053) and BTRFS subvolume support further refine system boot behavior and make image generation more flexible for custom installations.

    • Stability and quality improvements: Updates include boot script fixes, enhanced serial console support, and a simplified logging framework, all designed to improve diagnostics and system reliability during early boot and provisioning phases.

    armbian-config: Simplifying Post-Install System Management

    One of the biggest areas of growth in Armbian v25.5 is the continued evolution of armbian-config—a system utility for configuring Armbian images after installation. Whether setting up a home automation server or managing Docker containers at the edge, armbian-config now offers an impressive set of tools in a modular and approachable interface.

    • Application library: Users can now deploy popular self-hosted applications directly from armbian-config, including Home Assistant (PR #235), Stirling PDF (PR #295), Navidrome (PR #367), Grafana (PR #351), NetData (PR #289), and Immich (PR #575). These modules are installed in isolated environments, making them easy to deploy, manage, and remove.

    • Network and system settings: A more robust Wi-Fi station detection system improves wireless setup reliability (PR #286). New schematics and better documentation provide helpful context during network interface configuration (PR #278, PR #280).

    • Overlay and BSP switching: Logic for board-specific overlays is now dynamically loaded, ensuring options are shown only where supported (PR #285). The BSP switching tool has been patched to correctly detect the branch being used (PR #281), and header installation logic was refactored to reduce redundancy (PR #277).

    These improvements reinforce armbian-config as a trusted utility for both new users and experienced developers building production or custom systems.

    NetBox Hero Award: Community Excellence Recognized

    Armbian’s impact reaches beyond code. In this release cycle, the project was selected as one of the winners of the 2025 NetBox Hero Awards by NetBox Labs. This award celebrates the community’s dedication to infrastructure innovation, automation, and transparency.

    Armbian was recognized specifically for its “elegant and extensible use of NetBox in support of a broad set of infrastructure needs.” This acknowledgment affirms the project’s alignment with modern infrastructure tooling and its unique role at the intersection of embedded systems and open infrastructure platforms.

    Read more: https://netboxlabs.com/blog/announcing-the-netbox-hero-award-winners-for-2025/

    Recognized Contributors

    This release wouldn’t be possible without the contributors who authored the pull requests featured in v25.5. We thank:

    We also extend our appreciation to those who helped through bug reporting, testing, translations, documentation, and community moderation.

    Get Involved

    Armbian is open to all. Whether you want to contribute code, write documentation, test releases, or just ask questions—there’s a place for you.

    Looking Ahead

    Armbian v25.5 is not just a technical milestone—it’s a testament to the collaborative power of open source. With a stronger foundation, broader hardware support, and a growing ecosystem of modular tools, Armbian is well-positioned to lead the future of ARM-based Linux computing.

    Full change logs: build framework, armbian-config

     

    The post Armbian 25.5 first appeared on Armbian.

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    [Armbian newsletter] - Armbian Updates: OMV support, boot improvents, Rockchip optimizations

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    This week, the Armbian development team pushed several noteworthy enhancements, with improvements spanning user experience, bootloader upgrades, and broader system support. Notably, this week saw the debut of OpenMediaVault in Armbian’s software installer, a move that brings plug-and-play NAS functionality to supported boards.

    OpenMediaVault is a feature-rich platform that enables users to turn single-board computers into fully-fledged network storage devices. Thanks to a contribution by Igor, the integration is now available through armbian-config interface, giving users a streamlined way to install and configure OpenMediaVault without needing to manually manage services or packages.

    The usability of the software stack also saw a meaningful improvement. A previously persistent “Disable Wireless Hotspot?” prompt was eliminated when no hotspot had been enabled, reducing unnecessary friction during the setup process. This fix helps clarify Armbian’s default network behavior for users during first boot, particularly when configuring headless or appliance-style deployments.

    On the hardware front, the Orange Pi 5 Max received a key upgrade: it now boots using mainline U-Boot. This transition replaces vendor-specific boot code with upstream-supported U-Boot, easing future updates and kernel integration. A related improvement was made to the PocketBeagle2, which migrated to extlinux for boot configuration—bringing it in line with Armbian’s broader standardization efforts.

    Further enhancements came to the Rockchip64 platform. Previously missing Operating Performance Points (OPPs) were added to ensure proper voltage and frequency scaling across supported boards, which improves energy efficiency and stability under load. In addition, older workarounds for wireless firmware issues were removed, as upstream drivers have now resolved the compatibility concerns that necessitated them.

    Finally, infrastructure refinement continued with the cleanup of unused or deprecated build artifacts, keeping the codebase lean and future-proof. The team also laid the groundwork for upcoming testing initiatives to ensure that new features like OpenMediaVault are validated across a wide array of supported devices.

    For those interested in exploring OpenMediaVault or other curated software installations, the updated documentation is available in the Armbian Software User Guide.

    The post Armbian Updates: OMV support, boot improvents, Rockchip optimizations first appeared on Armbian.

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