Armbian Leaflet #17: Latest Updates to Armbian

Armbian, a popular Linux distribution for single-board computers (SBCs), has recently released a comprehensive update to enhance the user experience. The latest updates include improvements to the Armbian Build Framework, kernel upgrades, merging of Rockchip kernel families, and device-specific updates.

The Armbian Build Framework now includes official Github Action scripts, making it easier for users to re-compile images for their hardware. These scripts allow users to choose different configurations with or without customization. The framework can be accessed through the GitHub Marketplace.

Kernel upgrades have been completed for the current kernel selection, with the default upcoming kernel on most platforms now based on the most recent LTS kernel base 6.6.y. Additionally, EDGE kernels are already distributed with the latest 6.7.y.

Efforts are also underway to merge disassociated Rockchip kernel families, which will streamline maintenance and provide a more cohesive user experience.

In terms of device-specific updates, LicheePi 4A now has current kernel support, although it is still a work in progress (WIP). The old 32-bit Marvell kernel has also been successfully updated, ensuring that the popular NAS, Helios4, will continue to receive updates and maintainer support.

Several bug fixes and improvements have been made, including fixing a significant bug that affected network speed on RockPi S, applying numerous patches to address issues with display, wireless, Bluetooth, and DVFS on H616/H618 Zero2 and Zero3 series, and changing the default CPU governor to schedutil to optimize performance and responsiveness.