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Is Armbianan operating system?

Is ArmbianOS?

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Whyisn’t it possible to use ageneric image onmySBC the same way it works on a standard PC?

Whynogeneric image on SBC?

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WhydoesArmbianask forsupport if the software is free?

Why Armbianasks forfunding?

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Whydoes hardware feature XY workinan older kernel but not in a newer one?

Whyfeatures failinnew kernels?

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I have no technical knowledge.How can I help?

How can I help without tech skills?

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<ahref="#why-are-older-distributions-like-ubuntu-focal-or-debian-buster-no-longer-supported"class="md-nav__link">

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Whyare older distributions like Ubuntu Focal or Debian Buster no longer supported?

Whyno support for old distros?

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Whydoesn’t Armbian support tablets orTV boxes, even though the market is huge?

Why TV boxes aren’t supported?

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A new boardjust launched - will Armbiansupport it?

Is new boardgettingsupport?

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What WiFi adapters are most likely to workout of the box?

Bestout-of-box WiFi adapters?

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Why isthere noimagefor [board] with [Bookworm/Jammy/Noble/Trixie] and [Minimal/CLI/Gnome/KDE/Xfce] with [vendor/legacy/current/edge] kernel?

Why is imagevariant missing?

<h1id="frequently-asked-questions">Frequently asked questions<aclass="headerlink"href="#frequently-asked-questions"title="Permanent link">&para;</a></h1>

<p><strong>This information is mainly for new/inexperienced users but could be useful for others too.</strong></p>

<h2id="is-armbian-an-operating-system">Is Armbian an operating system?<aclass="headerlink"href="#is-armbian-an-operating-system"title="Permanent link">&para;</a></h2>

<p>Yes. But it is more than that. Armbian is a<ahref="https://github.com/armbian/build">build</a> framework that allows users to create ready-to-use images with kernels in variable userspace configurations for various single board computers (SBCs).</p>

<h2id="why-isnt-it-possible-to-use-a-generic-image-on-my-sbc-the-same-way-it-works-on-a-standard-pc">Why isn’t it possible to use a generic image on my SBC the same way it works on a standard PC?<aclass="headerlink"href="#why-isnt-it-possible-to-use-a-generic-image-on-my-sbc-the-same-way-it-works-on-a-standard-pc"title="Permanent link">&para;</a></h2>

<h2id="is-armbian-os">Is Armbian OS?<aclass="headerlink"href="#is-armbian-os"title="Permanent link">&para;</a></h2>

<p>Yes. But it is more than that. Armbian is a<ahref="https://github.com/armbian/build">build</a> framework that allows users to create<ahref="#what-is-armbian">ready-to-use images</a> with kernels in variable userspace configurations for various single board computers (SBCs).</p>

<h2id="why-no-generic-image-on-sbc">Why no generic image on SBC?<aclass="headerlink"href="#why-no-generic-image-on-sbc"title="Permanent link">&para;</a></h2>

<p>The x86 architecture consistently includes a traditional BIOS or UEFI, providing a standardized interface between the operating system and hardware. In contrast, most single-board computers (SBCs) lack such consistency. Although the ARM ecosystem is advancing through initiatives like ARM ServerReady and ARM SystemReady certifications, adoption remains limited. Many SBC vendors operate with tight budgets and minimal engineering resources, making full compliance with these standards difficult. Additionally, since much of the SBC market relies on open-source communities to fill software gaps, vendors often see little commercial incentive to invest in standardization beyond what is strictly necessary to boot the hardware.</p>

<p>In the absence of standardized boot protocols, vendors often resort to forking low-level bootloaders like U-Boot, applying only minimal changes necessary to get their hardware running.</p>

<h2id="why-does-armbian-ask-for-support-if-the-software-is-free">WhydoesArmbianask forsupport if the software is free?<aclass="headerlink"href="#why-does-armbian-ask-for-support-if-the-software-is-free"title="Permanent link">&para;</a></h2>

<h2id="why-armbian-asks-for-funding">Why Armbianasks forfunding?<aclass="headerlink"href="#why-armbian-asks-for-funding"title="Permanent link">&para;</a></h2>

<p>Because building and maintaining it requires time, expertise, infrastructure, and ongoing effort—just like commercial software, but without the backing of licenses or corporate funding. Armbian supports a wide range of ARM-based boards that often lack proper vendor support, which means our small team has to do the heavy lifting: writing board support, maintaining patches, testing, and handling updates across many platforms. This work demands thousands of euros worth of time and infrastructure every day.</p>

<p>We also provide forums, documentation, and user support—all of which take real effort. While the software is free to use, supporting it is not. Each support request and feature demand pulls time away from development, and solving complex hardware-specific problems requires specialized knowledge that very few people have. Our team of 10–15 volunteers maintains this project in their spare time, and we operate in the open so that others can freely reuse our work. Unfortunately, the burden often stays with us, while others build on top of it without contributing back.</p>

<p>On top of that, we face commercial competitors who repackage our work and offer similar services—without investing anything into the research, development, or long-term maintenance. This puts even more pressure on our limited resources. That’s why we ask for your help—not to pay for software, but to help sustain the people and systems that make it possible.</p>

<h2id="why-does-hardware-feature-xy-work-in-an-older-kernel-but-not-in-a-newer-one">Whydoes hardware feature XY workinan older kernel but not in a newer one?<aclass="headerlink"href="#why-does-hardware-feature-xy-work-in-an-older-kernel-but-not-in-a-newer-one"title="Permanent link">&para;</a></h2>

<h2id="why-features-fail-in-new-kernels">Whyfeatures failinnew kernels?<aclass="headerlink"href="#why-features-fail-in-new-kernels"title="Permanent link">&para;</a></h2>

<p>Hardware vendors typically develop board support using fixed, often outdated, long-term support (LTS) kernel versions and customized U-Boot forks. These implementations are tailored just enough to make the hardware work, with minimal long-term maintainability in mind. Unfortunately, this code is rarely submitted upstream to the mainline Linux kernel, and vendors seldom update their public sources—if those are made available at all.</p>

<p>Armbian, on the other hand, actively tracks mainline development to offer up-to-date kernels with modern features and security patches. However, this forward-looking approach can reveal gaps in hardware support. If a vendor-specific driver hasn’t been ported to newer kernel versions, some features may stop working or become unstable.</p>

<p>Due to limited resources, Armbian can only conduct basic functional testing of images—ensuring essential features like boot, networking, and USB operate as expected. Deep testing of every hardware feature across every board simply isn&rsquo;t feasible without broader community or vendor support.</p>

<p>For a detailed explanation of these support categories and what they imply, visit:

<ahref="https://docs.armbian.com/User-Guide_Board-Support-Status/">https://docs.armbian.com/User-Guide_Board-Support-Status/</a></p>

<h2id="i-have-no-technical-knowledge-how-can-i-help">I have no technical knowledge.How can I help?<aclass="headerlink"href="#i-have-no-technical-knowledge-how-can-i-help"title="Permanent link">&para;</a></h2>

<h2id="how-can-i-help-without-tech-skills">How can I help without tech skills?<aclass="headerlink"href="#how-can-i-help-without-tech-skills"title="Permanent link">&para;</a></h2>

<p>You don’t need to be a developer to contribute to Armbian. We welcome help from people with all kinds of skills. In fact, non-technical contributions are often just as valuable.</p>

<p>Without community involvement, developers are left to do everything: maintaining the website, managing infrastructure, moderating forums, handling support requests, running operations, communicating with partners, and even fundraising—all on top of writing and maintaining code.</p>

<p>By helping with tasks like documentation, community moderation, translations, outreach, fundraising, or even just spreading the word, you allow developers to focus on development—which benefits everyone.</p>

<p>If you’re willing to contribute, no matter your background, we’ll find a place for you.</p>

<h2id="why-are-older-distributions-like-ubuntu-focal-or-debian-buster-no-longer-supported">Whyare older distributions like Ubuntu Focal or Debian Buster no longer supported?<aclass="headerlink"href="#why-are-older-distributions-like-ubuntu-focal-or-debian-buster-no-longer-supported"title="Permanent link">&para;</a></h2>

<h2id="why-no-support-for-old-distros">Whyno support for old distros?<aclass="headerlink"href="#why-no-support-for-old-distros"title="Permanent link">&para;</a></h2>

<p>Armbian operates with very limited human and financial resources compared to larger projects like Debian or Ubuntu, so we focus on maintaining only the most up-to-date and relevant operating system releases. Supporting outdated distributions such as Ubuntu Focal or Debian Buster—which often lack upstream maintenance—would divert resources away from improving and securing current versions.</p>

<p>We focus on the latest stable releases from both<ahref="https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/">Debian</a> and<ahref="https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases">Ubuntu</a> only.</p>

<h2id="why-doesnt-armbian-support-tablets-or-tv-boxes-even-though-the-market-is-huge">Whydoesn’t Armbian support tablets orTV boxes, even though the market is huge?<aclass="headerlink"href="#why-doesnt-armbian-support-tablets-or-tv-boxes-even-though-the-market-is-huge"title="Permanent link">&para;</a></h2>

<h2id="why-tv-boxes-arent-supported">Why TV boxes aren’t supported?<aclass="headerlink"href="#why-tv-boxes-arent-supported"title="Permanent link">&para;</a></h2>

<p>While there are a few hardware vendors that follow best practices—such as providing schematics, upstream support, and occasional engineering assistance—this is the exception, not the rule. When proper documentation and minimal collaboration are available, software development becomes much more feasible, which is critical for a volunteer-driven project like Armbian.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, most TV boxes and tablets offer none of this. They often lack public documentation, change internal components without notice, and rely on closed-source boot mechanisms. As a result, nearly all Armbian builds that circulate for these devices are unofficial community efforts or experimental hacks.</p>

<p>Despite the size of the market, the absence of upstream support and public interest in long-term maintenance makes official involvement unsustainable. Supporting these devices would consume a disproportionate amount of our limited time and resources—without any guarantee of stability or return. That’s why, as a general rule, Armbian does not support tablets or TV boxes.</p>

<h2id="a-new-board-just-launched-will-armbian-support-it">A new boardjust launched - will Armbiansupport it?<aclass="headerlink"href="#a-new-board-just-launched-will-armbian-support-it"title="Permanent link">&para;</a></h2>

<h2id="is-new-board-getting-support">Is new boardgettingsupport?<aclass="headerlink"href="#is-new-board-getting-support"title="Permanent link">&para;</a></h2>

<p>Possibly. Official Armbian support depends on several factors, including the availability of technical documentation from both the board vendor and the SoC manufacturer, access to production samples, a usable Board Support Package (BSP), and—most importantly—available time and interest from a willing maintainer within the Armbian development team.</p>

<p>When a vendor actively collaborates with the Armbian project—by contributing resources, documentation, or development support—the chances of official support being added increase significantly.</p>

<h2id="what-wifi-adapters-are-most-likely-to-work-out-of-the-box">What WiFi adapters are most likely to work out of the box?<aclass="headerlink"href="#what-wifi-adapters-are-most-likely-to-work-out-of-the-box"title="Permanent link">&para;</a></h2>

<h2id="best-out-of-box-wifi-adapters">Bestout-of-box WiFi adapters?<aclass="headerlink"href="#best-out-of-box-wifi-adapters"title="Permanent link">&para;</a></h2>

<p>WiFi adapter compatibility depends heavily on chipset support in the Linux kernel. Adapters based on well-supported chipsets (such as certain models from Intel, Atheros, or Realtek) are more likely to work without needing additional manual installation steps.</p>

<p>For detailed guidance, including tested adapters, performance benchmarks, and notes on driver availability, refer to our documentation:

<ahref="https://docs.armbian.com/WifiPerformance/">https://docs.armbian.com/WifiPerformance/</a></p>

<p>Keep in mind that WiFi adapters can behave differently across boards due to varying power delivery, USB/PCI controller quirks, and kernel driver maturity. Whenever possible, consult our documentation before purchasing new hardware.</p>

<h2id="why-is-there-no-image-for-board-with-bookwormjammynobletrixie-and-minimalclignomekdexfce-with-vendorlegacycurrentedge-kernel">Why isthere noimagefor [board] with [Bookworm/Jammy/Noble/Trixie] and [Minimal/CLI/Gnome/KDE/Xfce] with [vendor/legacy/current/edge] kernel?<aclass="headerlink"href="#why-is-there-no-image-for-board-with-bookwormjammynobletrixie-and-minimalclignomekdexfce-with-vendorlegacycurrentedge-kernel"title="Permanent link">&para;</a></h2>

<p>It would be VERY ressource intensive and just insane to pre-create andprovide images forall possible combination ofkernels, userspaces anddesktops/CLI forallavailable boardsand last but not least provide support for them. We simply cannot afford doing this since our ressources in both human and financial are limited. Therefore we provide a small selectionfor each board only.<br/>

However withthe Armbian build framework it is very easyandconvenient tocreate an image of your desire by yourself.<br/>

If there is enough public interestfor acertain combination we mayoccasionally adjust our build targets.</p>

<h2id="why-is-image-variant-missing">Why is imagevariant missing?<aclass="headerlink"href="#why-is-image-variant-missing"title="Permanent link">&para;</a></h2>

<p>Pre-generating andmaintaining images forevery possible combination ofkernel, userspace, anddesktop environment acrossallsupported boardswould be extremely resource-intensive—both technically and financially. With limited development capacity, we focus on providing a carefully selected set of well-tested imagesfor each board.</p>

<p>However, thanks tothe<ahref="https://docs.armbian.com/Developer-Guide_Build-Preparation/">Armbian build framework</a>, you can easily build a custom image that matches your exact needs. The process is well-documentedanddesigned tobe accessible even to moderately experienced users.</p>

<p>If there is enough public interestin aparticular combination, we mayconsider expanding ourdefaultbuild targets over time.</p>