I have now been able to build server images for Raspberry Pi 5B and Radxa 5C, both having gpu hardware driver support. However, this only works with Ubuntu Noble as a distro base.

 

I would also like to make Debian Bookworm images, but when I do, I never get any gpu hardware driver support.  Why is that? What's so special about Ubuntu (which basically is Debian)?

Ubuntu is not just Debian.  Ubuntu has very different policies and sits on top of Debian.  For example, Ubuntu is more tolerant with regards to binary blobs and it very much possible that this would explain your finding.

 

I guess the question you should answer first is why not simply use Ubuntu if it works for you and Debian does not? 

Debian is "cleaner" and more true to the gnome desktop. Also, Ubuntu uses snaps, which is removed in Armbian and replaced with Debian packages, like Chromium. It's like a mix of two distros.

But, I'll be happy with one working distro

5 hours ago, sakittelsen said:

this only works with Ubuntu Noble as a distro base.

 

It is diffucult to add certain advanced features to both / all base packages versions - which is the core difference between Debian and Ubuntu. And later more difficult and certainly less fun is keeping features operational.

 

4 hours ago, sakittelsen said:

But, I'll be happy with one working distro

 

This is one of the main points behind providing both variants. Making assembly (Debian Bookworm, Ubuntu Jammy, Noble, ...) is easier, and cover several other aspects too, then adding and maintaining advanced features for both / all. Sometimes its nearly impossible (our resources are not endless and we have to remember we are in open source world - forks compete without contributions to commons) to add something to one, while its relatively easy adding it to another.

 

At the end of the day, it is, like you said, more important that some feature works.