Armbian 25.8.1 is now available as a significant update over the Armbian 25.5 release for this Debian-based Linux distribution focused on offering broad support for ARM64 and RISC-V single board computers as well as other devices.
Armbian 25.8.1 offers up the latest Linux 6.16 stable kernel for most hardware platforms opting for the “edge” branches while the “stable” branches are using the Linux 6.12 LTS kernel. There are also U-Boot and Arm Trusted Firmware updates to call out with Armbian 25.8.1.
Also notable with Armbian 25.8.1 is adding support for a number of newer single board computers plus expanding the support for some of the existing hardware targets. The release announcement sums up the new/improved hardware support as:
“One of the most exciting aspects of any Armbian release is its growing hardware support and v25.8.1 is no exception. This release introduces new Platinum-supported boards, including the Mekotronics R58 HD and NanoPi R3S LTS, alongside several community-supported targets such as the CAINIAO CNIoT-CORE, KickPi K2B, Radxa Cubie A5E, Banana Pi R4, and Orange Pi 5 Pro. These additions highlight Armbian’s ability to keep pace with the fast-moving SBC market, while also reflecting the collaborative contributions of its community.
Beyond new hardware, the release delivers important fixes and driver updates across existing platforms. Thermal sensors are now enabled on the Rock-5C, audio functionality has been restored on the RockPi-S, and the Wake-on-LAN service has been fixed on the Helios4. Driver support has been bolstered with new additions for the Realtek RTL8822CS and Innosilicon USB3 PHY, a touchscreen driver for the NanoPi M6 in mainline kernel, and key fixes for DSI displays on the Raspberry Pi 5. Together, these improvements strengthen Armbian’s position as a practical and versatile platform for everything from DIY smart home setups to demanding industrial applications.”
Debian 13 “Trixie” is also now a supported release for Armbian. Armbian’s armbian-config configuration utility has also seen major updates including WireGuard support and other enhancements.
Armbian 25.8.1 also introduces LoongArch 64-bit “Loong64” build support, an option to configure the number of CPU threads used by the build system, and many other device-specific changes.
Downloads and more details on the Armbian 25.8.1 release via Armbian.com.
