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http://blog.armbian.com/content/images/2026/01/coverleter.pngWelcome 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. http://blog.armbian.com/content/images/2026/01/image-2.pngJoin 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 stationThe 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 tohttp://blog.armbian.com/content/images/icon/favicon-40.icoArmbian blogMecid Urgancihttp://blog.armbian.com/content/images/thumbnail/T6-Plus-01.pngSponsored Github HighlightsThis 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 andhttp://blog.armbian.com/content/images/icon/favicon-36.icoArmbian blogMichael Robinsonhttp://blog.armbian.com/content/images/thumbnail/githubhighlights-2-2.webpForget third-party utilities: meet Armbian ImagerArmbian Imager eliminates the guesswork from flashing SBC images. Real-time board detection, persistent caching, and built-in safety make installation fast, simple, and risk-freehttp://blog.armbian.com/content/images/icon/favicon-37.icoArmbian blogDaniele Brigugliohttp://blog.armbian.com/content/images/thumbnail/introducing-armbian-imager.pngArmbian 2025: by the numbersOpen 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 missionhttp://blog.armbian.com/content/images/icon/favicon-39.icoArmbian blogMichael Robinsonhttp://blog.armbian.com/content/images/thumbnail/New_review1.pngView the full article

http://blog.armbian.com/content/images/2026/01/githubhighlights-2-2.webpThis 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. Add automatic target YAML generation from image-info.json. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#184Add board-level extension to mask Wayland desktop sessions. by @schwar3kat in armbian/build#9268Add cache mirror support to redirector update workflow. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#189Add edge branch support to community targets. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#195Add exposed.map download step to download index workflow. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#190Add Hetzner server creation with cloud-init, swap, and configurable runners. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/actions#13Add new binary files for various RK35 series components. by @ghhccghk in armbian/rkbin#42Add regulator-boot-on to meson-sm1-odroid and -hc4 to fix power cycle during boot. by @ean365 in armbian/build#9217Add scripts/generate_targets.py to workflow push trigger. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#185Add workflow for enabling 16 Hetzner ARM64 runners. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#196arm64: enable AMD DC display controller for RDNA2 GPU support. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9273atf: rk3399: fix PL330 DMA controller initialization. by @iav in armbian/build#9285Bump sm8250. by @CodeChenL in armbian/build#9180Change actions folder to actions-report. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#188Change exposed.map minimal patterns from bookworm to trixie, add forky as fallback. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#194chore: use release-signing policy for Windows artifacts. by @SuperKali in armbian/imager#87ci: add PR build artifacts with public download links. by @SuperKali in armbian/imager#81ci: use Docker containers for unit tests. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#720cli: kernel-dtb: check dtc for version 1.7.2 before producing normalized dts. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9270config: arch: amd64: fix building kernel amd64 target with on arm64 host. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9271deps: update dependencies and document glib vulnerability. by @SuperKali in armbian/imager#88Enable debug. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/actions#14Enable Firefox download from PPA, drop Jammy and Oracular. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/os#424Exclude non-community trunk builds from promotion. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#193extension: grub: deploy qemu binary when doing cross build. by @amazingfate in armbian/build#9282feat: add image status warning for nightly builds and community boards. by @SuperKali in armbian/imager#83fix api change since v6.17. by @Spider84 in armbian/bcmdhd-dkms#5fix api change since v6.19. by @amazingfate in armbian/bcmdhd-dkms#6Fix uptime-kuma Docker image detection regex. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#722fix: reduce board image scale and improve CI cache strategy. by @SuperKali in armbian/imager#86fix: regenerate Tauri updater signatures after SignPath code signing. by @SuperKali in armbian/imager#89fix: use any_changed output for reliable changed files detection. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#725fix: use published_at for release sorting. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/community#46Framework: Add "Repeat Build Options" string at the end in case of er…. by @iav in armbian/build#9276framework: add custom_kernel_make_params extension hook. by @iav in armbian/build#9284Generate separate exposed.map patterns for stable and community boards. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#192Include community boards in exposed.map generation. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#191Initial support for kernel 6.18 on Ayn odin2. by @kasimling in armbian/build#9286mainline: bump to 6.19-rc6. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9278memoize: add user feedback and configurable timeout for flock. by @iav in armbian/build#9262NanoPi R5C: Update to v2026.01; enable BTRFS support. by @okrc in armbian/build#9291orangepi5-plus: u-boot: restore vendor uboot with blobs. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9287orangepi5-plus: u-boot: use mainline ATF; bump to v2026.01; drop funky CE config options. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9261Override new yaml files - drop the code here if it works.. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/os#423radxa-e54c: board config: replace 'hacky' Wayland fix with wayland-sessions-mask extension. by @schwar3kat in armbian/build#9281radxa-zero2/khadas-vim3l: u-boot: disable LWIP. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9272refactor: conditionally hide custom image button when manufacturer is selected. by @SuperKali in armbian/imager#85refactor: standardize redis module and improve workflow reliability. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#723Reload redirector after we check all mirrors. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#178Remove browsers from RISC-V desktop app groups. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#186Rockchip 6.18.y: drop upstreamed patches. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9288Rockchip EDGE: drop up-streamed patches. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9290rockchip64: station-m3: Enable USB type-C port. by @kasimling in armbian/build#9246rootfs: enable loong64 in qemu binfmt registration. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9279scripts: use git commit date for 'edited' timestamp instead of filesystem mtime. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#177Switch Docker module to distribution maintained packages. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#719Update CI documentation to reflect automated target generation. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/documentation#867Use armbian-apps config for app-specific images. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#187work-around Ubuntu Rust coreutils bug in dirname affecting linux-headers board-side compile of scripts/mod. by @iav in armbian/build#9264View the full article

The Evolution of SBCs: From Hobby Boards to Edge ComputingOver 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, AI, and connected infrastructure around the world. From Prototypes to PossibilityEarly SBCs were humble experiments — small circuit boards combining processor, memory, and I/O on one platform. For years they lived quietly inside industrial machines and educational kits. The real turning point came in the early 2010s with boards like the Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, and Cubieboard, which brought Linux to the maker community at a scale and price that anyone could access. These boards opened the floodgates for innovation. Suddenly, home labs, classrooms, and startups could prototype full Linux systems for the cost of a dinner. The appeal wasn’t just price — it was openness, GPIO access, and a thriving community that treated hardware as something to explore, not just consume. The Rise of a Global EcosystemAs demand grew, more vendors entered the field: Orange Pi, FriendlyElec, Radxa, and dozens of others expanded on the idea, each offering faster SoCs, more memory, and better I/O. Modern SBCs can now host NVMe storage, multiple displays, gigabit networking, and dedicated NPUs for AI workloads — features once reserved for full desktops or servers. They power digital signage, smart gateways, home servers, and even small AI clusters. Developers began caring not just about hardware specs, but also kernel stability, upstream drivers, and long-term support — exactly where Armbian excels. What’s NextLooking ahead, the direction is clear: AI acceleration everywhere – NPUs and neural engines are becoming standard on SBCs.Unified software stacks – Containers, orchestration tools, and reproducible builds are reaching the edge.Energy-aware computing – Solar and battery-powered deployments highlight the need for lean, resilient systems.Armbian’s role in this landscape is to provide the stable software foundation that ties it all together — open, optimized, and reliable across dozens of architectures. In SummarySBCs have grown up. They are no longer just learning tools or proof-of-concept boards — they are the quiet engines running modern infrastructure at the edge. Armbian sits at the heart of that transformation, helping these devices boot faster, run cleaner, and stay useful long after their first flash. The evolution of the SBC mirrors the story of open computing itself: innovation born from community effort, refined through shared knowledge, and extended by software that stays light enough to go anywhere. View the full article

http://blog.armbian.com/content/images/2026/01/githubhighlights-2.png This week’s Armbian development saw a major cleanup of legacy toolchain code, alongside numerous board-specific improvements and kernel updates. Support was added for the Nuvoton MA35D1 NuMaker IoT board, while the BananaPi CM4/M2S and Khadas VIM3L boards received updated U-Boot bootloaders. Several fixes addressed hardware compatibility, including Bluetooth on Orange Pi Zero2, Type-C issues on Helios64, and build stability for the Raspberry Pi 4B. The release also introduced enhanced audio support for Genio devices and new AV1 patches for Rockchip64. Continuous integration workflows were reorganized, and the Ubuntu Resolute image build was enabled, reflecting ongoing efforts to streamline and modernize the Armbian build system. "get completely rid of dead code toolchain stuff", pt2. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9218"get completely rid of dead code toolchain stuff", pt3. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9252"get completely rid of dead code toolchain stuff", pt4 - fixes. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9256Add post-build Armbian extension for burnable JetHub boards. by @QwaSeeK in armbian/build#8844BananaPi CM4/M2S: Update u-boot to v2026.01. by @pyavitz in armbian/build#9250board: add Nuvoton MA35D1 NuMaker IoT board support. by @TuAFBogey in armbian/build#9205bunch o' fixes: 6.18/current .configs (uefi-all/meson64) + boards KERNEL_TARGET + meson64 6.18 pcie debork again-again. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9247ci: organize GitHub Actions into meaningful categories. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9260Enable Ubuntu Resolute image build. by @iav in armbian/build#9164Fix OP-TEE build on Ubuntu Jammy (older binutils). by @TuAFBogey in armbian/build#9249Fix Panther-X2. by @sicXnull in armbian/build#9243Fix typec on pinebook pro. by @amazingfate in armbian/build#9245genio: add alsa-ucm-conf + ucm2 config for working audio in userspace. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9235genio: collabora: bump to collabora's 6.19-rc5. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9251Helios64: fix Type-C PHY registration. by @iav in armbian/build#9158khadas-vim3l: u-boot: update v2026.01 u-boot fanciness. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9257mainline: bump edge to rc5. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9244Meson64: Delete patches that are not required. by @pyavitz in armbian/build#9239meson64: remove upstreamed patch for 6.18.6 and rewrite the rest. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9266mixtile-core3588e: alias ethernet0 to gmac0 for stable MAC address. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9237orangepizero2: fix bluetooth in edge kernel. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9242radxa-zero2: fancy u-boot v2026.01 // minimal+full fusb302 enablement. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9253rockchip64-6.19: arm64: dts: rockchip: describe pcie ethernets on FriendlyElec NanoPC-T6. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9238Rockchip64: Add verisilion av1 patches. by @amazingfate in armbian/build#9240rockchip64: Helios64: fix Type-C PD negotiation. by @iav in armbian/build#9255rpi4b: fix build and boot issues. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9267sunxi-current: recover lost Makefile entries. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9236sunxi: bump current and edge to latest minor. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9229sunxi: resolve some cross patch dependencies. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9232sunxi: switch current and edge back to auto bumping. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9234u-boot: run binwalk on all the produced u-boot bins (always). by @rpardini in armbian/build#9192Update jethome j200 kernel patchset, uboot to 2025.04. by @adeepn in armbian/build#9231View the full article

http://blog.armbian.com/content/images/2026/01/introducing-armbian-imager.pngWe all know that feeling. You have a new Single Board Computer (SBC) in your hands, ready to be transformed into a home server, a media center, or a testing lab. The excitement is high until you hit the first roadblock: installation. Which image is right for this exact model? Which kernel should I choose? Did I download the correct variant, or will I end up with a system that won't boot? For years, this process has been a "guessing game" involving web searches, manual downloads, and the constant fear of causing damage with the terminal. It is time to end this frustration.Today, we are proud to present Armbian Imager, the official flashing utility that completely changes the rules of the game. It is not just a new program: it is the missing bridge between you and your hardware. Why Armbian needed its own imagerFor years, the Armbian community relied on valid but ultimately "blind" tools. Utilities like BalenaEtcher are great for writing data, but they have no idea what they are writing. They see binary files, not the complexity of an Orange Pi or a Rockchip. The "expert" alternative, the dd terminal command, is powerful but ruthless: one wrong character and you can say goodbye to the data on your main disk. We wanted something different. We wanted a context-aware tool. A tool that knows exactly which board you are using and what it needs. That is why we created Armbian Imager. http://blog.armbian.com/content/images/2026/01/image-1.pngNo more confusing windows. A clean, modern interface ready to use.The heart of Armbian Imager: power and simplicityWe threw away the old instruction manual. Here's what makes the new workflow not just fast, but genuinely enjoyable. Your hardware catalog, directly in the app: Forget ten browser tabs. Armbian Imager connects in real-time to our database. Select your board from over 300 supported models, and it does the rest. You don't have to worry about architectures or compatibility: the app knows your board better than you do. Bandwidth saved, time gained: How many times have you re-downloaded the same image just to try a new board? With Persistent Cache, this is just a memory. Once an image is downloaded, Armbian Imager keeps it ready. Flashing the second, third, or tenth card becomes instant. Zero wait, pure efficiency. Safety that lets you sleep soundly: We have integrated automatic integrity checks and safeguards to prevent accidentally selecting your computer's main disk. Flashing becomes a risk-free operation, finally accessible to everyone. When things go wrongEven with the best preparation, sometimes things don't go as planned. That's why we've integrated a detailed logging system with direct upload to paste.armbian.com. With a single click, you generate a shareable link and QR code for the forum or support channels. What users are sayingWe're not the only ones who believe in this project. Here are some reactions from the community and tech press: "A godsend for non-Raspberry Pi SBC owners." — Sourav Rudra, It's FOSS"A fantastic tool for getting people started with non-Raspberry Pi boards." — Interfacing Linux"It's super easy to write an operating system... I'm always happy when an Armbian version comes out because you've got more stability and much more compatibility." — leepspvideo, YouTube"According to Armbian, this results in less RAM and storage usage and a faster experience." — Jordan Gloor, How-To GeekAre you ready to streamline your work?Stop struggling with obsolete tools or manual procedures. Switch to the official, safe, and fast method. Armbian Imager is available now for Linux, Windows, and macOS. It's time to focus on your project, not the installation. Download it now: GitHub - armbian/imagerDocumentation: Getting Started GuideTalk to us: Armbian ForumView the full article

http://blog.armbian.com/content/images/2026/01/T6-Plus-01.pngThe 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 handle heavy virtualization, 8K media, and AI workloads effortlessly. Its core hardware is ideal for power users and enterprise integration. The dual 2.5GbE Ethernet ports ensure you can maximize the speed of high-bandwidth wired connections, while multiple M.2 slots (M-Key for NVMe and E-Key for Wi-Fi/BT) allow for blazing-fast storage arrays and wireless expansion. More importantly, the switch to LPDDR5 memory significantly boosts bandwidth, unleashing the full potential of the 8-core CPU and NPU. With Armbian, managing this SBC is simple and utilizes the device's full potential. To configure your system or install complex software stacks, just launch the terminal and run: sudo armbian-config. Navigate to Software and select from pre-packaged installers like Docker, Home Assistant or JellyFin. This single step leverages the RK3588’s processing power for seamless containerization and service hosting, combating supply chain bottlenecks with older LPDDR4X boards. Finally, the PCIe 3.0 x4 interface is perfect for attaching high-speed NVMe SSDs, instantly turning the T6 Plus into a high-performance NAS or media server capable of real-time transcoding. This is just one example of usage. It can serve as a compact 8K workstation, an advanced NVR surveillance hub, a powerful emulation gaming box, or a local LLM host utilizing the 6 TOPS NPU and RKLLM. Thanks to its rich interface options—including HDMI 2.1 output and 2.0 HDMI input—the T6 Plus excels in scenarios where multimedia performance and raw compute power are essential. From segmented home labs to industrial control systems. Combined with the efficiency of the new memory architecture and solid software support, it offers an unrivaled balance between performance, expandability, and reliability. Hardware specifications Feature Specification SoC Rockchip RK3588 CPU Octa-core ARM (4× Cortex-A76 @ 2.4GHz + 4× Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz) GPU ARM Mali-G610 MP4 Compatible with OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0/3.2, OpenCL 2.2, Vulkan 1.2 NPU 6 TOPS (INT8) Supports INT4, INT8, INT16, FP16 VPU 8K@60fps H.265 / VP9 / AVS2 decoder 8K@30fps H.264 decoder 8K@30fps encoder (H.265 / H.264) Memory 16 GB / 32 GB LPDDR5 (Upgraded from LPDDR4X) Storage 32GB / 64GB / 256GB eMMC 5.1 1 × M.2 M-Key (PCIe 3.0 x4) for NVMe SSD microSD (UHS-I) Ethernet 2 × 2.5 GbE ports (RTL8125BG) Wireless Optional via M.2 E-Key (PCIe 2.1 x1 + USB 2.0) Video Output 2 × HDMI 2.1 (Up to 8K@60fps) 1 × USB-C (DisplayPort 1.4) Video Input 1 × HDMI 2.0 Input (Up to 4K@60fps) USB 1 × USB 3.0 Type-A 1 × USB-C (Data/DP) Misc USB 2.0 headers Expansion 40-pin GPIO header Mini-PCIe connector Power Input DC 12V/2A (5.5 x 2.1mm jack) PCB 8-layer PCB, 110 × 80 mm Operating Temp 0 °C to 70 °C View the full article

With openwrt-one-debian, you can now install and run a full Debian system leveraging the OpenWrt One’s NVMe storage, enabling everything from custom services and containers to development tools and lightweight server workloads, all on open hardware. View the full article

At this year's edition of FOSDEM Collabora will be present with 6 talks! Join us to get the latest on video capture on Rockchip SoCs, Tyr, machine learning in GStreamer, and more! View the full article

http://blog.armbian.com/content/images/2026/01/githubhighlights-2-1.webpThis week in Armbian development saw a significant round of kernel updates, board support enhancements, and workflow improvements. Notable changes include refactoring of the sunxi patchset, multiple kernel bumps for Rockchip and sunxi platforms, and the introduction of parallel repository management. Several device-specific fixes were implemented, such as improved fan control and USB support for the Station M3, and initial support for the OrangePi 4A. Deprecated and problematic drivers were removed to streamline builds, while eBPF options and bootloader updates further enhance system capabilities. The team also addressed various patching, locale, and build issues, ensuring smoother operations across supported hardware. sunxi: refactor full patchset. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9219Apply rtl8723cs bluetooth only with kernels above 6.1. by @paolosabatino in armbian/build#9184armbian-kernel: more eBPF-oriented options for userspace tooling. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9193atf: once again no-warn-rwx-segment woes. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9162Drop USB wireless driver that doesn't want to compile. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9202Enable OrangePi 4A CSC Initial Support. by @juanesf in armbian/build#9185evict device trees from patches into bare dt. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9215extensions/mtkflash: mtk-flash --no-erase-mmc1 landed upstream as --preserve-boot1. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9198extensions/ufs: don't check sfdisk version also when BUILDING_IMAGE!=yes. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9161feat: implement parallel repository management workflow. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9224Fix broken patch due to upstream changes, drop edge kernel as its not used. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9200Fix locale warnings during chroot operations. by @iav in armbian/build#9160Fix rootfs compilation (dropping deprecated gtk2 engines), drop broken patch on meson64. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9199framework & kernel config - rework the optionality of kernel builtins vs modules. by @tabrisnet in armbian/build#9165framework - extension_hook_opt_out. by @tabrisnet in armbian/build#9178genio/radxa-nio-12l: OPTEE/u-boot/TF-A/FIP bootloader + EXT=mtkflash + fixes. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9159genio: kernel quality-of-life enhancements. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9167grub: remove invalid hack for hvc0. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9189Helios64: update uboot to v26-01. by @iav in armbian/build#9125host-release: allow to build on resolute. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9190mixtile-blade3: board: disable 'edge' kernel, as it's not ready for end-users yet. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9181mvebu64: re-revitalize espressobin - can build (under noble) again. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9182NanoPi R3S LTS: Update to u-boot-v2026.01. by @pyavitz in armbian/build#9207opt-out of driver_rtl8723cs in some legacy kernels so they build again. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9176patching: introduce add-only mode for DT Makefile AutoPatcher. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9204PR actions scripts: fix workflow execution name. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9186rock-3a: unset BOOTFS_TYPE for non-vendor builds. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9068Rockchip bump current to 6.18 and edge to 6.19. by @paolosabatino in armbian/build#9169Rockchip maint: drop upstreamed patch. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9196rockchip/uefi-loong64 6.19: rewrite patches against 6.19-rc4. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9172rockchip64-6.18: Enable audio for HDMI0 on station-m3. by @kasimling in armbian/build#9170rockchip64: bump edge to 6.19; current 6.12 -> 6.18. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9067rockchip64: patch ATF 2.13 to build on gcc-14+ (ref rk3399's m0). by @rpardini in armbian/build#9208rtl8723cs: stop including proprietary driver for kernel 6.19 onwards. by @paolosabatino in armbian/build#9171station-m3: Fix fan speed and enable USB 3.0 Type-A port. by @kasimling in armbian/build#9177sun55iw3.conf bump u-boot to v2026.01 (final). by @juanesf in armbian/build#9197sunxi-6.18: rename patch that does fixups for clarity. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9213sunxi: Add CONFIG_TTY_OVERY_SDIO to edge kernel config. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9226sunxi: bump edge to 6.18.4. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9188sunxi: bump current and edge to latest minor. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9229sunxi: bump current to 6.12.64. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9195sunxi: cleanup old patchsets. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9212sunxi: move overlays from various patches into auto-patcher. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9211thinkpad-x13s: bump arm64-sc8280xp to steev's 6.18.y. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9173tools/repository/extract-repo.sh: simplify extraction by copying directly from pool. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9174u-boot: allow custom LOGLEVEL with UBOOT_LOGLEVEL (default to 6). by @rpardini in armbian/build#9191u-boot: bump u-boot to v2026.01 (final) for boards that had -rcX. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9179kernel-make: clang: Remove -Wno-error=unknown-warning-option from clang KCFLAGS.. by @iav in armbian/build#9183View the full article

http://blog.armbian.com/content/images/2026/01/githubhighlights-2.webpThis week’s Armbian development saw significant kernel upgrades across multiple platforms, including meson64, rockchip64, and UEFI, with several branches bumped to versions 6.18 and 6.19. Notable hardware support enhancements were introduced, such as SPI controller support for Allwinner A523, new board additions like mixtile-core3588e, and improved compatibility for devices including Radxa and Youyeetoo. The build system received stability and performance improvements, featuring parallel repository generation, refined CI scripts, and fixes for repository management in concurrent environments. Kernel configuration updates enabled additional filesystems and tickless idle for mvebu devices. Several patches addressed hardware initialization, network, and desktop issues, while deprecated packages were removed for a leaner build. Overall, the changelog reflects a strong focus on expanding hardware support, refining build infrastructure, and maintaining kernel currency. add allwinner: a523: Support SPI controllers patch series. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9124allow build on forky host. by @amazingfate in armbian/build#9153CI: add watchdog action script and adjust log cleaning parameter. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9147Fix repository management script for parallel execution. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9163fix: replace comm with grep to support uutils coreutils. by @cantalupo555 in armbian/build#9148kernel configs - enable EROFS as module, ditto overlayfs & F2FS. by @tabrisnet in armbian/build#9135kernel: mvebu: enable tickless idle. by @neheb in armbian/build#9139meson64-6.19: de-bork PCIe, again (missed a patch from 6.18). by @rpardini in armbian/build#9151meson64: bump edge to 6.19; current 6.12 -> 6.18. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9069meson64: bump edge to 6.19; current 6.12 -> 6.18 (nonsquash). by @rpardini in armbian/build#9146Missing variable in board config - address JSON matrix warnings. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9144mixtile-core3588e: add board with vendor and edge branches (Joshua Riek + fixes). by @rpardini in armbian/build#9119Modify radxa-e54c board config to fix leds, network and Gnome desktop init.. by @schwar3kat in armbian/build#9111radxa-cubie-a5e: maint and fixes. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9152Remove libfuse2t64 from package list. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9155Repo tools: add parallel repository generation support. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9150Revert few Rabbit's suggestions that broke repository management. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9156rockchip64-6.18: Enable HDMI1 and audio for HDMI0/1 on CM3588-NAS. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9138rockchip64: add edge kernel support for Youyeetoo YY3588. by @SuperKali in armbian/build#9137rockchip64: fix broken patch in 6.18.3, rewrite everything. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9157uefi-all: bump edge to 6.19 (except loong64); legacy 6.6 -> 6.12; current/cloud 6.12 -> 6.18. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9086uefi-loong64-edge: bump to 6.19. by @amazingfate in armbian/build#9149View the full article

Open hardware is growing faster than ever and breaking in new ways.http://blog.armbian.com/content/images/2025/12/New_review1.png2025 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 remains clear: providing a consistent, reliable build framework that generates operating system for an increasingly diverse hardware landscape. Hardware diversity and development velocityThe most visible metric of our growth is hardware support. This year, the team successfully integrated 61 new boards into the ecosystem. This represents thausands of engineering hours dedicated to debugging, kernel patching, and testing to ensure a stable experience for the end user, regardless of the underlying silicon. The heartbeat of this activity remains our build Framework, which saw 1,946 commits this year. This framework is the engine that allows Armbian to scale across architectures. Our specialized repositories also saw significant contributions: 795 commits to Rockchip Linux, 304 commits to Armbian Config, and 88 commits to the Armbian Imager. Repository2025 CommitsPrimary RoleBuild Framework1,946Core image generation engineRockchip Linux795Kernel support for Rockchip SoCsArmbian Config304System management and TUIArmbian Imager88Cross-platform flashing utility The CI/CD powerhouse: 9.2 years of compute!To maintain quality across hundreds of supported boards, our automated workflows are essential. In 2025, Armbian’s infrastructure ran for a total of 4,885,668 minutes. To put that in perspective, our servers performed the equivalent of 9.2 years of continuous compute time in a single calendar year. This massive undertaking involved 1,510,771 individual job runs, ensuring that every code contribution was properly assembled and tested and every image was built to specification before reaching your SD card. Community: more than just codeArmbian is a community-first project that thrives on shared expertise. While code is our foundation, documentation and education are what empower our users. Newsletter team is seeking contributors to create technical documentation, share practical experience, and write clear instructions and tutorials. If you have a unique project, a "how-to" guide, or an interesting Armbian use case, we encourage you to share your knowledge with the community via the Armbian Forum. Support the MissionMaintaining the infrastructure required for millions of job runs is a significant financial undertaking. If Armbian provides value to your business, research, or hobby, please consider supporting us. Contribute Expertise: Visit our Get Involved Guide to help with development or testing.Financial Support: You can donate via PayPal, Liberapay, or BTC or become a GitHub Sponsor.Every contribution directly funds build infrastructure, CI runners, mirrors, development tools, and hardware enablement, ensuring Armbian remains reliable and up to date. View the full article

http://blog.armbian.com/content/images/2025/12/githubhighlights-2.pngThis week in Armbian development saw a series of refinements and maintenance updates across the build and configuration repositories. Contributors focused on workflow standardization, cosmetic improvements such as board name adjustments, and documentation enhancements. Several technical fixes addressed typos, property mispellings, and package issues, while platform support was expanded with kernel and boot improvements for devices like the Mekotronics R58-4x4 and MusePi Pro. Notable changes also included vendor reorganization and the addition of fallback logic for Ubuntu LTS releases. Overall, the activity reflects ongoing efforts to streamline processes and bolster hardware compatibility. Adjusting board names - cosmetic issue. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9116chore: cleanup mirror_to_codeberg.yml workflow. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9133chore: standardize workflow names. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9130chore: update copyright years to 2026. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9129Create mirror_to_codeberg.yml. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9131docs: improve README and add Armbian Imager promotion. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9128dts: orangepi-4-lts: fix mispelled disable properites. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9123Fix dialog typo. by @SergeantSerk in armbian/configng#716fix(apt-utils): add fallback for Ubuntu LTS releases without -updates suffix in JSON. by @adeepn in armbian/build#9117fix(rootfs): unset GIT_FIXED_WORKDIR after debootstrap/mmdebstrap clone. by @QwaSeeK in armbian/build#9132Genio: Change INSTALL_ARMBIAN_FIRMWARE to 'yes'. by @HeyMeco in armbian/build#9134gha: check-pr-pictures: allow declare -g BOARD_VENDOR=. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9142mekotronics-r58-4x4: enable edge branch with mainline kernel & u-boot. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9127Missing upstream package mousetweaks. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9143Move boards with vendor intel_amd under generic vendor. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9122SpacemiT: Fixup eMMC boot on the MusePi Pro "SPINOR". by @pyavitz in armbian/build#9141sunxi: backport A523/T527 related patches from 6.19-rc1 and #8831. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9106View the full article

http://blog.armbian.com/content/images/2025/12/holiday1-1.pngFrom major kernel milestones to expanding our support for the latest ARM and RISC-V hardware, 2025 has been a year of growth and grit for Armbian. As we wrap up the final commits of the year, we’re looking back with gratitude at how far this project has come. The holiday season is our favorite time to reflect on the power of open source - where a global community comes together to make hardware work better for everyone. Thank you for being part of our story this year. Happy Holiday Hacking! Public beta: new Armbian OS image flasher. Clean, simple, open-source tool for flashing Armbian or any other disk image to your single board computer. Download for Linux / Window / MacOS Nanopi R76SThe ultimate travel router and secure hotspot Forget insecure hotel Wi-Fi. The NanoPi R76S, powered by the performance-optimized Armbian OS, is your ticket to a truly secure, high-speed mobile network. This pocket-sized device is built around the powerful Octa-core Rockchip RK3576 SoC and supports up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM,http://blog.armbian.com/content/images/icon/favicon-35.icoArmbian blogIgor Pecovnikhttp://blog.armbian.com/content/images/thumbnail/r67-1.jpgSponsored Post Armbian flashing toolWe’ve added a powerful new Image Flashing Tool to Armbian! You can now browse, download, and flash Armbian images directly to your device’s internal storage or boot media - no external tools required. Everything happens seamlessly inside armbian-config, making installation and re-installation faster, safer, and easier than ever.http://blog.armbian.com/content/images/icon/favicon-32.icoArmbian blogIgor Pecovnikhttp://blog.armbian.com/content/images/thumbnail/ChatGPT-Image-Dec-8--2025--11_11_38-PM.pngGithub HighlightsThis week in Armbian development saw significant progress across board support, kernel updates, and codebase improvements. Notable additions include support for the SpacemiT MusePi Pro and Friendlyelec NanoPi Zero2, alongside expanded compatibility for TI AM62x SoC boards. Multiple platforms, such as Rockchip, Meson64, and Sunxi, received kernel bumpst to newhttp://blog.armbian.com/content/images/icon/favicon-34.icoArmbian blogMichael Robinsonhttp://blog.armbian.com/content/images/thumbnail/highligts-2.pngView the full article

The ultimate travel router and secure hotspothttp://blog.armbian.com/content/images/2025/12/r67.jpgForget insecure hotel Wi-Fi. The NanoPi R76S, powered by the performance-optimized Armbian OS, is your ticket to a truly secure, high-speed mobile network. This pocket-sized device is built around the powerful Octa-core Rockchip RK3576 SoC and supports up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, giving it the muscle to handle demanding, encrypted traffic effortlessly. 💡This device is officially supported by Armbian at the Platinum level, providing long-term maintenance, high reliability, and priority software support.Its core hardware is ideal for the road. The dual 2.5GbE Ethernet ports ensure you can maximize the speed of any high-bandwidth wired connection, while the M.2 E-Key slot allows for adding an optional Wi-Fi card to create a high-speed, personalized hotspot. More importantly, the powerful CPU is a VPN champion. With Armbian, setting up an encrypted connection is simple and utilizes the device's full potential. To create a persistent, secure tunnel for all your devices, just launch the terminal and run: sudo armbian-config. Navigate to Software and select the pre-packaged WireGuard install. This single step leverages the RK3576’s processing power for blazing-fast encryption and decryption, eliminating the speed slowdowns common with weaker travel routers. Finally, the USB 3.2 is perfect for attaching a portable SSD, instantly turning R76S into a secure, mobile NAS for backing up your files. This is just one example of usage. It can be served as a compact home or office server, Home Assistant hub, a high-performance network gateway with advanced firewalling and VPN termination, or a lightweight virtualization host for containers. Thanks to its dual 2.5 GbE interfaces, the R76S excels in scenarios where fast, reliable networking is essential. From segmented home labs and development environments to branch-office routing and monitoring. Combined with low power consumption and solid software support, it offers an impressive balance between performance, flexibility, and efficiency in a remarkably small form factor. Hardware specifications SoCRockchip RK3576 CPUOcta-core ARM (4× Cortex-A72 + 4× Cortex-A53) GPUARM Mali-G52 MC3 OpenGL ES 1.1 / 2.0 / 3.2, Vulkan 1.2, OpenCL 2.0 VPU8K@30fps H.265 / VP9 decoder 4K@60fps encoder NPU6 TOPS (INT8) Supports INT4, INT8, INT16, FP16, BF16, TF32 Memory2 GB / 4 GB LPDDR5 Storage32 GB eMMC microSD (UHS-I) Ethernet2 × PCIe-based 2.5 GbE WirelessOptional M.2 SDIO Wi-Fi USB1 × USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A HDMI HDMI 1.4 / 2.0 Up to 10-bit Deep Color Up to 1080p@120Hz or 4096×2304@60Hz 3D video support DebugUART (3-pin 2.54 mm, 3.3 V, up to 1.5 Mbps) GPIO1 × 8-pin GPIO connector Indicators3 × GPIO-controlled LEDs (SYS, LED1, LED2) ButtonsPower, User, MASK (eMMC update) RTC2-pin RTC battery connector (HYM8563TS) Power InputUSB-C, 5 V PCB8-layer PCB, 58 × 58 × 1.6 mm Operating Temperature0 °C to 70 °C View the full article

http://blog.armbian.com/content/images/2025/12/highligts-2.pngThis week in Armbian development saw significant progress across board support, kernel updates, and codebase improvements. Notable additions include support for the SpacemiT MusePi Pro and Friendlyelec NanoPi Zero2, alongside expanded compatibility for TI AM62x SoC boards. Multiple platforms, such as Rockchip, Meson64, and Sunxi, received kernel bumpst to new LTS 6.18.y and patch refinements, enhancing stability and hardware support. The team also improved consistency in function naming, streamlined vendor relations, and addressed driver issues for Rockchip64. Workflow enhancements were made to enforce image availability for new boards and reduce review noise. Additionally, legacy UEFI images for WSL2 were removed, and documentation output processes were refined. These updates reflect Armbian’s ongoing commitment to robust hardware support and development efficiency. Add board SpacemiT MusePi Pro and update linux patching. by @pyavitz in armbian/build#9058Add support for Friendlyelec NanoPi Zero2. by @sapphic-kitten in armbian/build#8886adjust function names for the sake of consistency. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9108Board vendors adjustements for generic targets. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9109Bump Rockchip edge to 6.18.y. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9104CodeRabbit review noise reduction. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9074compress-checksum: introduce COMPRESS_OUTPUTIMAGE=zst. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9101DevTree overlays to enable RK3308 UARTS. by @brentr in armbian/build#9072extensions/gen-sample-extension-docs: output Markdown to userpatches/extensions. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9075Fix missing board vendor relations. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9110Fix PR comments for forked submissions. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9089GHA: Enforce board and vendor image availability for newly added boards. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9087meson64: 6.18: drop cacheref S922X fix patch as it landed on 6.18.2. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9100Meson64: linux-6.18.y: Improve 6.18.y support for G12/SM1. by @pyavitz in armbian/build#9070radxa-e24c: enable edge branch by picking from Kwiboo's WiP tree. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9102rockchip64: Fix IEP driver. by @fwolter in armbian/build#9107rpi4b: bump legacy, current and edge to new major version. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9097rpi4b: enable EXTRAWIFI again for edge. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9073sunxi: adjust patch for H616 overlays. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9096sunxi: bump current and edge to latest minor, rewrite patches. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9103sunxi: bump edge to 6.18. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9049sunxi: fix missing dt overlays. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9094TI SK-AM62-SIP Remove Edge Target. by @Grippy98 in armbian/build#9105ti: configs: boards: Add additional AM62x SoC board support. by @jonaswood01 in armbian/build#9081ti: configs: family: k3: Update baseline to 11.02.08. by @jonaswood01 in armbian/build#9091Update odroidxu4-current to 6.6.119. by @belegdol in armbian/build#9037WSL2: Drop UEFI images designed specially for WSL2. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9098View the full article