Purpose of This Repository

The Armbian Linux Build Framework creates minimal, efficient, and fully customizable operating system images based on Debian or Ubuntu. It is designed specifically for low-resource single board computers (SBCs) and other embedded devices.

This toolchain compiles a custom Linux kernel, bootloader, and root filesystem, providing fine-grained control over:

• Kernel versions and configuration
• Bootloader selection and customization
• Filesystem layout and compression
• Additional firmware, overlays, and device trees
• System optimizations for performance and size

The framework supports native, cross, and containerized builds for multiple architectures (x86_64, aarch64, armhf, riscv64), and is suitable for development, testing, production deployment, or automation pipelines.

It ensures consistency across devices while remaining modular and extensible through a variety of configuration files, templates, and user patches.

Quick Start

git clone https://github.com/armbian/build
cd build
./compile.sh

Resources

Documentation • Website • Blog • Community Forums

Build Host Requirements

• Supported Architectures: x86_64, aarch64, riscv64
• System: VM, container, or bare-metal with:
  • ≥ 8GB RAM (less with KERNEL_BTF=no)
  • ~50GB disk space
• Operating System:
  • Armbian / Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble) for native builds
  • Any Docker-capable Linux for containerized setup
• Windows: Windows 10/11 with WSL2 running Armbian / Ubuntu 24.04
• Access: Superuser rights (sudo or root)
• Important: Keep your system up-to-date — outdated tools (e.g., Docker) can cause issues.

Download

Prebuilt Armbian OS Images: https://www.armbian.com/download

Contribute

Learn how to report issues, suggest improvements, or submit code: CONTRIBUTING.md

Support

Armbian offers multiple support channels, depending on your needs:

• Community Forums
  Get help from fellow users and contributors on a wide range of topics — from troubleshooting to development.
  👉 forum.armbian.com

• Discord / IRC/ Matrix Chat
  Join real-time discussions with developers and community members for faster feedback and collaboration.
  👉 Community Chat

• Paid Consultation
  For advanced needs, commercial projects, or guaranteed response times, paid support is available directly from Armbian maintainers.
  👉 Contact us to discuss consulting options.

Contributors

Thank you to all the people who already contributed to Armbian!

Armbian Partners

Armbian's partnership program helps to support Armbian and the Armbian community! Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with our Partners.