Armbian, a lightweight Linux distro optimized for ARM-based single-board computers, announced the availability of its latest version, 25.8.1.
On the kernel side, most platforms now run Linux 6.16 on the EDGE branch, while the STABLE branch continues to rely on the long-term supported 6.12 series.
Alongside the kernel bump, U-Boot and Arm Trusted Firmware have been updated across multiple boards. These changes aren’t just for show—they bring important security patches, better performance, and smoother hardware support.
On the hardware support side, two new Platinum boards join the lineup: Mekotronics R58 HD and NanoPi R3S LTS. Several new community-supported boards are in the mix as well, including CAINIAO CNIoT-CORE, KickPi K2B, Radxa Cubie A5E, Banana Pi R4, and Orange Pi 5 Pro.
Fixes also affect existing platforms—thermal sensors now work on the Rock-5C, audio is restored on the RockPi-S, and Wake-on-LAN is operational again on the Helios4. Driver updates add support for the Realtek RTL8822CS, Innosilicon USB3 PHY, a NanoPi M6 touchscreen driver, and DSI display fixes on the Raspberry Pi 5.
Another major highlight is the added Debian 13 “Trixie” support. Images have been tested and marked stable, while minimal Bookworm images remain available for broader compatibility. Updates include login screen alignment fixes, refreshed boot logos, and changes to keep package signing keys in sync with older setups. On the build side, Armbian now supports the loong64 architecture.
The configuration utility, armbian-config, also gets attention. Networking support has been improved with better WireGuard integration for both client setups and LAN routing. Pi-hole integration now works more smoothly with Unbound, Docker installation has been hardened, and overlay handling is more reliable.
Last but not least, continuous integration sees improvements in duplicate module detection and automated container cleanup. New features include Cockpit with KVM integration and modules like Ghost CMS.
For more information, see the announcement or refer to the full changelog.
