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    [News from Armbian] - 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.

    Armbian Newsletter
    Armbian Newsletter
    Armbian Newsletter

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    [News from Armbian] - 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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    [News from Armbian] - 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 nextRockchip 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 nextSeedstudio 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 nextArmbian 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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    [News from Armbian] - 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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    [News from Armbian] - 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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    [News from Armbian] - 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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    [News from Armbian] - 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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    [News from Armbian] - 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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    [News from Armbian] - 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.

    Armbian 26.2 Goa
    Armbian 26.2 Goa
    Armbian 26.2 Goa
    Armbian 26.2 Goa

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    [News from Armbian] - Github Highlights

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    http://blog.armbian.com/content/images/2026/02/githubhighlights-2.png

    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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    [News from Armbian] - Github Highlights

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    http://blog.armbian.com/content/images/2026/02/githubhighlights-2-1.webp

    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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    [News from Armbian] - Github Highlights

    in SBC News

    Posted

    http://blog.armbian.com/content/images/2026/02/githubhighlights-2.webp

    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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