DietPi, a lightweight, performance-focused Debian-based Linux distro for SBCs (such as Raspberry Pi) and server systems (with an option to install desktop environments), has released version 10.3 as the third maintenance update to its 10.x series.
This release adds support for the Orange Pi 4 LTS, including new images for the Rockchip RK3399-based board. Regarding software availability, DietPi 10.3 introduces Prometheus, an open-source monitoring and alerting toolkit, to its software catalog.
At the same time, the distro has removed QuiteRSS, noting that Debian dropped the RSS reader in Trixie due to its reliance on an outdated library and lack of development for over five years.
DietPi’s tools receive several updates in this release. DietPi-AutoStart now offers an Amiberry-Lite autostart option, using amiberry-lite.service to start it early during boot, similar to the existing Amiberry fast boot option.
Moreover, the drive manager now updates only the relevant entry in /etc/fstab when managing drives, rather than recreating the file. Plus, it now supports USB auto-mounting.
When enabled, DietPi installs a udev rule to mount USB storage devices under /media/<uuid> upon connection and unmount them upon removal. Devices defined in /etc/fstab follow their existing configuration, including x-systemd.automount and noauto entries.
Additionally, DietPi Display now supports Odroid C1 and XU4 systems using /boot/boot.ini.
Home Assistant installation now uses uv instead of pyenv for managing the Python environment. In light of this, Python no longer needs to be compiled from source, and DietPi retains and updates the existing Python environment when the version matches, avoiding unnecessary module reinstalls.
The update also includes several device-specific fixes. For Allwinner H5 and H6 systems, the update resolves a U-Boot regression that limited usage to one CPU core by flashing a corrected U-Boot build during the update.
For Rockchip RK356x devices, this release resolves random detection issues with PCIe devices, including M.2 SSDs and 2.5 GbE adapters on NanoPi R5S and R5C boards. The Orange Pi Zero 2W also receives a fix for its extension board Ethernet adapter, which failed after upgrading to Linux 6.18 due to a missing driver.
Additional fixes address DietPi-AutoStart, ensuring that switching from the Amiberry fast boot option now properly disables the service. DietPi-Config also resolves a DietPi 10.1 regression that caused WiFi SSIDs with spaces to display and apply incorrectly.
For more details, see the announcement.
