[News from Armbian] - Github Highlights

This week’s Armbian development saw significant progress across multiple areas, including desktop environment enhancements, kernel updates, and expanded hardware support. Notable changes include the addition of GNOME desktop options, improvements to XFCE organization, and updates to U-Boot for several boards. The team introduced new board images and logos, refined Docker automation and documentation, and standardized numerous software modules for better maintainability. Kernel advancements featured bumps to 6.19-rc8, integration of ZFS v2.4.0, and targeted fixes for Rockchip and Odroid platforms. Community governance and build processes were also strengthened, alongside the deprecation of Matrix and OFTC chat utilities. These updates collectively improve user experience, system stability, and future development agility.

• Add community governance and improve documentation. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#197
• Add DESKTOP_APPGROUPS_SELECTED to stable XFCE desktop target. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#198
• Add documentation for ARMBIAN_DOCKER_AUTO_PULL build switch. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/documentation#865
• Add GNOME desktop and reorganize XFCE in stable targets. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#199
• Add Khadas Mind, Minisiforum logo and Orangepi 6 Plus. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#203
• Add manual append for standard UEFI images. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#204
• Add zfs-zed to GLOB pattern in ZFS configs. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/os#426
• armbian-kernel: add AMD DC support for UEFI boards. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9324
• armbianmonitor: fix error message at the end of every report. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9325
• bcm2711 Family: Remove post_family_tweaks_bsp__rpi_firmware func. by @pyavitz in armbian/build#9331
• Board images for Orange Pi RV2 and Orange Pi R2S. by @sven-ola in armbian/armbian.github.io#201
• Bump BesTV R3300-L U-Boot. by @retro98boy in armbian/build#9303
• Bump CAINIAO CNIoT-CORE U-Boot. by @retro98boy in armbian/build#9304
• Chat utilities: remove missing package. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9334
• ci: run all unit tests on schedule and main branch workflow_dispatch. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#727
• clang: enable colored diagnostic output for kernel compilation. by @iav in armbian/build#9310
• Deprecate Matrix. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9318
• Deprecate OFTC and matrix. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/documentation#872
• docker: add automatic image pull cronjob and cleanup system. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9265
• feat: add reusable board definitions to image JSON generator. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#202
• Fix missing Cinnamon menu by removing outdated Cinnamon menu applet blob.. by @schwar3kat in armbian/build#9300
• fix(software): correct stderr redirection placement in docker commands. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#746
• fix(software): fix netdata module issues and add test cleanup. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#747
• fix: motd: handle empty temperature values in printf. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9296
• followup #9164 2ba0766 - add ubuntu resolute,questing to optional-cli. by @iav in armbian/build#9320
• forge1: switch to RK3506J variant and add OPTEE support. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9326
• json: add kernel_version field to images output. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#206
• Kernels 6.18 needs ZFS v2.4.0. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/os#425
• mainline-kernel: bump 6.19 to 6.19-rc8. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9332
• mainline: bump to 6.19-rc7. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9294
• networking: relax networkd-wait-online to avoid multi-NIC timeouts. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9311
• Odroid XU4: remove upstreamed patches. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9306
• odroidm1: u-boot v2026.01 + kernel fix for ethernet. by @rpardini in armbian/build#9333
• OrangePi 3 LTS: Update U-Boot to v2026.01 and Linux DTS "and other fixups". by @pyavitz in armbian/build#9323
• Re-enable build targets after fixing their assembly. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#200
• refactor(docker): use upstream docker-ce for bookworm, distro for others. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#726
• refactor(immich): standardize module and update postgres interface. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#733
• refactor(network): standardize modules and add hidden WiFi support. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#739
• refactor(pihole): standardize module with docker.io and improve detection. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#734
• refactor(software): move docker check to install command. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#738
• refactor(software): standardize 33 docker modules with modern patterns. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#736
• refactor(system): harden armbian_firmware module with standard conventions. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#744
• refactor(system): standardize headers and ZFS modules with improved hardening. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#742
• refactor(wireguard): consolidate status checks and simplify module interface. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#731
• refactor: standardize ghost and mysql docker modules. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#728
• Resolving boot issues. by @rvdr in armbian/build#9329
• Rockchip 6.19: drop upstreamed patches. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9309
• rockchip/64: import mainlined patch to fix gpio . by @paolosabatino in armbian/build#9328
• rockchip64-6.18: fix helios64 pcie patch. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/build#9315
• rockchip64-current: rewrite patches. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9313
• rockchip64-current: rewrite patches due to upstream changes in 6.18.8. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9319
• rockchip64: fix clang build error. by @paolosabatino in armbian/build#9307
• rockchip: fix gpio-ir-recv stack dumps, other minor fixes. by @paolosabatino in armbian/build#9317
• SMART AM40: Bump U-Boot. by @retro98boy in armbian/build#9302
• sun55i aftercare. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9321
• sunxi a523: Adding support for PCIe, SPI Flash and Iommu. by @rvdr in armbian/build#9280
• sunxi: drop unneeded patches. by @EvilOlaf in armbian/build#9312
• targets: change community builds from forky to trixie. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#207
• Update header level for Pi-hole Explained section. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/configng#748
• Update odroidxu4-current to 6.6.122. by @belegdol in armbian/build#9322
• Update sm8250 current kernel config. by @retro98boy in armbian/build#9292
• Use EDGE branches for Orangepi 6 and Minisforum R1S. by @igorpecovnik in armbian/armbian.github.io#205
• uwe5622: fix compilation with clang on Linux 6.19. by @iav in armbian/build#9314
• [RFC] qcs6490: fix patched dtb not compiled. by @amazingfate in [#9301](https://github....

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