Armbian 26.2.1 can't boot from MTD on OrangePi5

[zjd]

I updated to Armbian 26.2.1 on OPi5, and it can't boot from MTD (rootfs at NVMe), and I have to use SD card to boot to NVMe as workaround.

 

After looking into this issue, I found rkspi_loader.img is no longer available for current (6.18.8 kernel) u-boot pkg and armbian-config flashes u-boot-rockchip-spi.bin ( or similar sata version) to /dev/mtdblock0 and I think this is wrong image for MTD bootloader. If I use older vendor image, which u-boot pkg has rkspi_loader.img, system can boot to NVMe rootfs and I notice that /dev/mtdblock0 has several gpt partitions including u-boot one, and flashing u-boot-rockchip-spi.bin erases partitions in SPI flash.

 

I noticed that several related changes were introduced since 25.11, such as https://github.com/armbian/build/commit/e5b845f9432abb0408287599bba5889a86e6d068 , but I couldn't do quick fix to bring back working rkspi_loader.img because I am not familiar with whole armbian build.

 

One thing to note that if board was flashed with old rkspi_loader.img and not updated with 26.2 MTD image, it still boots to NVMe  rootfs, but I have other issues such as video playback not working with 6.18 kernel likely due to mismatch u-boot and kernel version leading to wrong HW initialization.

 

BTW, I checked 26.2 u-boot pkg for Rock 5B (similar rk3588 board), and rkspi_loader.img is still included.

Edited February 8 by zjd

[zjd]

After digging into more details, I think Armbian has moved to use new U-Boot generated FIT image u-boot-rockchip-spi.bin for SPI boot, however, it doesn't work to boot NVMe rootfs and sometimes breaks the board and I have to erase SPI to get SD card booting. Couldn't find more information how Armbian does MTD boot now.

 

Note that older vendor SPI bootloader can boot kernel 6.18.8 but I ran into other issue like freezing system for a couple of minutes so that I'd say to avoid use old MTD image with 26.2 6.18 kernel.

[zjd]

I connected UART today and did some debugging, and it looks like that this u-boot 2025.10 for Armbian 26.02 doesn't see NVMe drive, i.e. 'nvme scan' returns nothing.

 

Is OPi5 NVMe support included in upstream mainline u-boot?

[Werner]

The related PR states this was tested. @Efe Çetin can you confirm this still works as expected?

[Efe Çetin]

On 2/13/2026 at 7:43 AM, Werner said:

The related PR states this was tested. @Efe Çetin can you confirm this still works as expected

Will check it when i back to PC, will be away from pc for around a week

[xsetiadi]

how about armbian 26.2.1 but still using vendor kernel? did we still have this problem?

Edited February 28 by xsetiadi

[zjd]

If you have flashed working rkspi_loader.img to MTD before, i.e. from previous releases, you can keep using it with vendor kernel w/o updating MTD.

The 26.2.1 image with vendor kernel uses new FIT u-boot loader as well, I doubt it will work with NVMe.

 

BTW, I need 6.18 kernel and new u-boot and noticed that 26.2.1 image default to vendor kernel instead of 6.18 kernel now.

[xsetiadi]

ok, i guess i just dd new image then.

have you read github release a few minutes ago? 

orangepi5: bump u-boot to v2026.04-rc3

[Igor]

On 2/27/2026 at 7:28 PM, xsetiadi said:

but still using vendor kernel?

Vendor kernel will stay for awhile (this year for sure) as mainline is not on this level yet.

 

10 minutes ago, xsetiadi said:

orangepi5: bump u-boot to v2026.04-rc3

 

This part might not be part of the release - you can grab it from nightly release - but most likely it won't have any affect to this topic.

[mircsicz]

Oh damn, wish I would have read this before I tried to install (26.2 with vendor kernel build on the 9th) from SD to Nvme...

How can I reflash MTD if I only have a MacBook available?

Note to self and the next one hitting that wall:
Going to maskrom mode kinda fixed it, after that I started again from a mSD and from that running ArmBian I flashed the same img to the Nvme on the board. Another reboot and it was started from the SSD 😉

Edited March 10 by mircsicz
Fixed it

[xsetiadi]

so today im finally reinstall my opi5, and when choose mtd to flash i got two option, i guess the sata version is if im using sata ssd instead of nvme ssd?

[Werner]

8 hours ago, xsetiadi said:

i guess the sata version is if im using sata ssd instead of nvme ssd?

correct

[xsetiadi]

i find it is very convenient now, not only able to choose boot from nvme or sata ssd. but can also install the image from armbian-config. last time im installing armbian i need to dd the image manualy into nvme. very nice work for armbian team

[Werner]

Well the only thing armbian-config does, is calling "armbian-install" which has been there for ages
 

[edgar-vincent]

Hi everyone,

I just got an Orange Pi 5 and am experiencing the same issue as the OP. I've since then installed the bootloader on the SD card and the rootfs on the NVME drive. I don't really understand what came out of the discussion here: is it possible to boot from the MTD?

Thanks a lot!

EV

[Werner]

Booting from mtd/nvme should just work.

Most common problems:

- dirty mtd/emmc. vendor/unmatching boot loader can cause issues.

- mixup between m.2 sata and actual nvme. Correct overlay/dt must be used

- wrong rootfs uuid in armbianEnv.txt after running armbian-install (after done, do not reboot but mount freshly written nvme to a random folder and check if the uuid is correct)