Dear Armbian Community,

We are thrilled to announce Armbian Release 25.2, packed with significant updates across our entire ecosystem! These updates are aimed at enhancing functionality, expanding hardware support, and refining the user experience for both developers and everyday SBC users. Let’s dive into the exciting new features!

Key Highlights

  • New Board Support: Rock 2A and 2F, NanoPi R3S, Retroid Pocket RP5, RPMini, Rock 5T, GenBook, MKS-PI, SKIPR, Armsom CM5, NextThing C.H.I.P, Magicsee C400 Plus
  • Rockchip 3588 Improvements: Upgrade to latest vendor kernel v6.1.99 and mainline to 6.12.y, including HDMI driver updates, USB3 fixes, and Bluetooth support updates.
  • Wireless Enhancements: RTW88 driver additions and kernel stability fixes, added automatic wireless testing infrastructure.
  • Kernel Upgrades: most of kernels were upgraded from 6.6.y  to 6.12.y, with extensive refinements in all areas.
  • U-Boot Updates: Most of boot loaders were updated to its last stable version,  2024.10 or more recent
  • Easy deployment of tools like AdGuardHome, Pi-Hole, Home Assistant, Utime Kuma, NetData, Grafana, Cockpit with KVM management, NextCloud, … via armbian-config
  • Expanded build and mirror network with additional sites in Amsterdam, Vienna and Nuremberg (In partnership with netcup)
  • CDN Upgrade: We have upgraded our Content Delivery Network (CDN) to support users affected by global conflicts, ensuring better accessibility worldwide. (Forum Announcement)
  • Improve torrent download speed for community download targets by mirroring GitHub downloads at our CDN.

You can find a detailed report here.

Help Armbian Grow – Join Our Mission!

Armbian is growing, and we need your support! To expand development, improve support, and strengthen our team, we’ve launched a crowdfunding campaign. If you value open-source innovation, consider contributing and joining our mission.

Platinum Support & Community Contributions

Our focus remains on boards with platinum support, where vendors assist in mitigating costs, ensuring top-tier support, and contributing to open-source efforts. If you’re looking for the best-supported boards, we highly recommend selecting from this category.

We’re incredibly grateful to our new partner netcup for generously providing us additional computing and hosting capacity. Your support is driving our mission forward!

Armbian remains a community-driven project. We cannot maintain this large and complex ecosystem without your support. Whether it’s rewriting manuals, scripting, or reviewing contributions, there’s a place for everyone.

Production Use Recommendations

For production environments, we recommend:

  • Opting for hardware labeled platinum or standard support.
  • Utilizing stabilized point releases around Armbian Linux 6.12.y
  • Becoming an Armbian support partner to gain access to professional services.

Recognizing Our Contributors

We extend our deepest gratitude to the remarkable contributors who played a pivotal role in this release.
Special thanks to: @igorpecovnik, @github-actions, @rpardini, @amazingfate, @The-going, @brentr, @halfa, @ginkage, @EvilOlaf, @paolosabatino, @tjstyle, @efectn, @pyavitz, @CodeChenL, @JohnTheCoolingFan, @andyshrk, @dependabot, @chainsx, @SuperKali, @dimitry-ishenko, @adeepn, @way5, @ArendJan, @alex3d, @jomadeto, @nyanmisaka, @HeyMeco, @belegdol, @marcone, @timsurber, @Tonymac32, @bmilde, @AaronDewes, @3V3RYONE, @lanefu, @walmis, @pykpkg47, @Ryzer58, @swissiety, @janvolck, @akinomyoga, @jpy794, @WiseLord, @torte71, @blieque, @domin144, @qbisi, @mlegenovic, @retro98boy and many others.

A special thanks to our dedicated support staff: Igor, Didier, Lane, Adam, Werner, Barry, Metka, Aaron, Michael and more for their continuous efforts and support.

Join the Armbian Community

Armbian thrives on community involvement. Your contributions are crucial to sustaining this vibrant ecosystem. Whether you’re an experienced developer or just getting started, there’s always a way to contribute.

Thank you for your continued support!
The Armbian Team