Almost a month after the 9.16 release, 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 just unveiled its latest iteration, version 9.17.
One of the biggest changes is in DietPi-Backup. Backups now make use of rsync --link-dest, which stores unchanged files as hard links instead of duplicating them. In plain terms, that means faster backup creation, reduced disk usage, and fully self-contained backup iterations.
On the Raspberry Pi side, support for HiFiBerry sound cards has been updated to handle newly split overlays and recent models. Users upgrading to the Linux 6.12 kernel stack are prompted to re-select their sound card to ensure continued functionality.
In DietPi-Software, the built-in software installer and manager, several improvements stand out. Navidrome now follows upstream defaults when fetching album art, pulling not only from embedded media but also dedicated directories and even Last.fm if needed.
Roon Server, a proprietary music platform designed for high-quality playback and whole-home audio setups, gains an early access toggle, letting users switch between stable and early builds. NZBGet, a Usenet downloader, has been updated, too, to remove the insecure RC4-MD5 TLS cipher, address connection errors, and strengthen overall security.
There are also several important bug fixes. SPI bootloader flashing issues on Rockchip SoCs have been resolved, with dialog replaced by whiptail to avoid failures when multiple U-Boot images are present. Debian Trixie users hit by LightDM login failures will find the problem solved with automatic KMS/DRM enablement.
Other fixes cover regressions in CPU frequency limits, Docker socket handling in Portainer, masked service installations, and missing dependencies in Home Assistant.
Lastly, DietPi images are now shipped without ext3/ext4 journals. Instead, the journal is created after filesystem expansion, ensuring it’s properly located and sized.
Refer to the release announcement for a detailed overview of all changes. Downloads are available here.
