Releases: Yumi-Lab/SmartPi-armbian
Release list
v1.8.0-rc4 - Instant boot logo, 4K screen support, fixed console
Release candidate. Validated on real SmartPi One hardware (boot, display, SSH over USB), not yet production-proven.
This release replaces v1.8.0-rc3, which should not be used: its boot script broke the HDMI console after startup.
New
Yumi boot logo built into U-Boot
The Yumi logo is now embedded in the U-Boot binary itself and drawn centered on screen the instant the video output is initialised, before anything is read from the SD card. The boot console then runs normally alongside it.
The previous approach (displaying boot.bmp from the boot partition through the boot script) is gone: it delayed the logo and broke the boot console. boot.bmp is no longer read at all.
Fixed
HDMI console visible again after boot
simpledrm is now blacklisted (module_blacklist=simpledrm on the kernel command line, plus a modprobe blacklist). It used to grab the U-Boot framebuffer and conflict with the native sun4i-drm driver, leaving a black screen or a console drawn to the wrong framebuffer after startup.
Works on 4K UHD screens
The display output is fixed to 1280x720 at 60 Hz on the kernel command line (video=HDMI-A-1:1280x720@60). The H3 is an HDMI 1.4 SoC and cannot drive a 4K screen at its preferred 4K@60 mode; with the forced mode, every screen from the SmartPad panel to a 4K UHD monitor accepts and upscales the picture, and the console is readable everywhere. Remove the parameter from /boot/armbianEnv.txt to let the kernel negotiate the native resolution instead.
SSH over USB now works on macOS
The USB gadget on the OTG port switched from RNDIS to NCM. A single cable still powers the board and provides SSH access at 172.22.1.1 (set 172.22.1.2/24 on the computer side). Linux, Windows 11 and macOS are all supported out of the box.
Unchanged since v1.8.0-rc2
- Kernel packages (
linux-image,linux-headers,linux-dtb,linux-u-boot) matching the images ship with the release, for both kernel branches (current6.18 andlegacy6.12). Install headers from this release, not from apt.armbian.com, to build DKMS modules. - Boot partition is FAT, readable from any computer.
- CPU overclock 1368 MHz at 1.40 V, DRAM at 576 MHz.
- The SmartPi One device tree (
sun8i-h3-smartpi-one.dtb) is used by both U-Boot and the kernel.
v1.8.0-rc3 - Boot logo and macOS-compatible SSH over USB
Do not use this build. The boot script it ships breaks the HDMI console after startup (the logo displayed from the boot script leaves the kernel with two framebuffers), and 4K screens are not handled. Superseded by v1.8.0-rc4.
Release candidate. Validated on real SmartPi One hardware.
This release completes the two features introduced in rc2, both of which were only partly working there.
Fixed since rc2
Boot logo now displays. U-Boot only decodes 8-bit BMP images unless CONFIG_BMP_*BPP is set, so the 24-bit logo shipped in rc2 was silently rejected. 16/24/32-bit decoding is now enabled. The logo is also drawn immediately after the boot configuration is read, and U-Boot output is routed to the serial console so no text is painted over it. U-Boot's own top-right logo is disabled.
SSH over USB now works on macOS. The OTG port previously used the RNDIS protocol, which macOS enumerates but cannot use. It now uses CDC NCM, supported natively by macOS, Linux and Windows.
Features
SSH over USB (OTG port)
A single cable between the SmartPi and a computer both powers the board and carries the network — no Ethernet or WiFi needed.
# Set 172.22.1.2/24 on the computer side, then:
ssh root@172.22.1.1Unplugging the cable also cuts power. For sustained workloads at the 1368 MHz overclock, use a dedicated 5V/2A supply: a computer's USB port may not supply enough current.
Customizable boot logo
U-Boot displays /boot/boot.bmp at power-on. The boot partition is FAT32 and mounts on macOS and Windows, so the logo can be replaced or deleted from any computer. Use an uncompressed BMP no larger than the display resolution.
Kernel packages for DKMS
The exact .deb packages matching these images are attached below — linux-image, linux-headers, linux-dtb, linux-u-boot — for both kernel branches (current 6.18 and legacy 6.12). To build DKMS modules on the device, install the headers from this release rather than from apt.armbian.com, whose generic builds do not match this custom kernel.
Automatic SmartPad screen rotation
The SmartPad is a SmartPi One fitted with a 4.3" 800x480 touchscreen mounted upside-down. Rather than shipping separate pre-rotated images, the panel is detected at runtime (800x480 resolution plus a touchscreen) and the display is rotated 180 degrees only when found. On a regular HDMI monitor the orientation is untouched.
Images
| Distribution | Server | Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Debian 11 (bullseye) | yes | — |
| Debian 12 (bookworm) | yes | yes |
| Debian 13 (trixie) | yes | yes |
| Ubuntu 22.04 (jammy) | yes | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 (noble) | yes | yes |
All images include a 1368 MHz CPU overclock, a custom U-Boot (DRAM 576 MHz, ZQ calibration, ODT) and the YUMi SmartPi One device tree.
DietPi variant
A DietPi image built from the Debian 13 server build is published in DietPi-SmartPi: about 293 MB compressed, roughly 87 MB RAM at idle, with an unattended first boot.
First boot
Log in as root with password 1234; a password change is required on first login. To verify the board:
cat /proc/device-tree/model # YUMi SmartPi One
cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/cpuinfo_max_freq # 1368000v1.8.0-rc2 - SSH over USB, boot logo, kernel packages
Release candidate. Validated on real SmartPi One hardware (boot, SSH, DietPi conversion), not yet production-proven.
New
SSH over USB (OTG port)
The OTG port now runs as a USB network gadget. A single cable between the SmartPi and a computer both powers the board and provides SSH access, with no Ethernet or WiFi.
- Board address:
172.22.1.1(set172.22.1.2/24on the computer side) - This RC uses the RNDIS protocol: works on Linux and Windows, not on macOS. The switch to NCM (macOS-compatible) is already merged for the next release.
Customizable boot logo
U-Boot displays boot.bmp from the FAT boot partition at power-on. Replace or delete the file from any computer to change or disable it.
- Not working in this RC: U-Boot was missing 24-bit BMP decoding support. Fixed for the next release.
Kernel packages for DKMS
Each release now ships the exact .deb packages matching the images — linux-image, linux-headers, linux-dtb, linux-u-boot — for both kernel branches (current 6.18 and legacy 6.12).
To build DKMS modules on the device, install the headers from this release. The ones on apt.armbian.com are generic builds that do not match this custom kernel:
wget https://github.com/Yumi-Lab/SmartPi-armbian/releases/download/v1.8.0-rc2/linux-headers-current-sunxi_26.08.0_armhf__6.18.40-S221f-D398d-Pfbd9-C38b8-H1ee3-HK01ba-V014b-B2c8c-R448a.deb
sudo dpkg -i linux-headers-current-sunxi_*.debBoot partition readable everywhere
The FAT boot partition is now tagged as standard FAT32, so it mounts on macOS and Windows for editing configuration before first boot.
Fixed
- Build chain repaired. U-Boot patches stopped being applied when Armbian moved to U-Boot 2026.07 with a versioned patch directory, so earlier images shipped with neither the custom defconfig nor the SmartPi One device tree.
- SmartPi One device tree actually applied for the first time:
/proc/device-tree/modelnow readsYUMi SmartPi One. The previous patch could never apply (wrong config symbol, incorrect hunk line counts). - Debian 11 (bullseye):
rng-toolsfailed to install in CI because an emptyCOLUMNSvariable was forwarded into the build container. - Ubuntu 22.04 desktop removed. Armbian's desktop package set requires
pipewire-libcamera,gstreamer1.0-libcameraandglmark2-x11, none of which exist on Ubuntu 22.04 armhf. The server variant is unaffected.
Images
| Distribution | Server | Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Debian 11 (bullseye) | yes | — |
| Debian 12 (bookworm) | yes | yes |
| Debian 13 (trixie) | yes | yes |
| Ubuntu 22.04 (jammy) | yes | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 (noble) | yes | yes |
All images include a 1368 MHz CPU overclock, a custom U-Boot (DRAM 576 MHz, ZQ calibration, ODT), the YUMi SmartPi One device tree, and automatic SmartPad screen rotation (runtime detection of the 800x480 panel plus a touchscreen).
DietPi variant
A DietPi image derived from the Debian 13 server build is available in DietPi-SmartPi: about 293 MB compressed, roughly 87 MB RAM at idle.
First boot
Log in as root with password 1234; a password change is required on first login. To verify the board:
cat /proc/device-tree/model # YUMi SmartPi One
cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/cpuinfo_max_freq # 1368000Release v1.8.0-rc1
Yumi SmartPi / SmartPad — v1.8.0-rc1 (Pre-release)
Release candidate for testing. Main new feature: H3 CPU overclock to 1368 MHz.
What's new
- H3 CPU Overclock — 1368 MHz @ 1.40V via kernel patch. The CPU scales up to 1368 MHz under load (stock: 1296 MHz, +5.5%). Managed automatically by the cpufreq governor. Thermal throttle protects at 85°C.
- Kernel headers pre-installed — allows compiling and loading kernel modules directly on the board (WiFi drivers, GPIO drivers, DKMS modules, etc.) without needing a cross-compilation setup
- Bullseye compatibility —
dwarvespackage installed to providepaholeon Debian 11
Overclock details
| Frequency | Voltage | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1296 MHz | 1.34V | stock |
| 1368 MHz | 1.40V | enabled |
No configuration needed — the governor handles frequency scaling automatically. Heatsink + active fan recommended for sustained load.
Verify after boot
# Max frequency (should show 1368000)
cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/cpuinfo_max_freq
# Temperature
cat /sys/class/thermal/thermal_zone0/tempSupported boards
| Board | SoC | RAM |
|---|---|---|
| SmartPi One | Allwinner H3 | 1GB |
| SmartPad | Allwinner H3 | 1GB |
Available images
| Distro | Server | Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Debian 11 Bullseye | SmartPi1, SmartPad | — |
| Debian 12 Bookworm | SmartPi1, SmartPad | SmartPi1, SmartPad |
| Debian 13 Trixie | SmartPi1, SmartPad | SmartPi1, SmartPad |
| Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy | SmartPi1, SmartPad | SmartPi1, SmartPad |
| Ubuntu 24.04 Noble | SmartPi1, SmartPad | SmartPi1, SmartPad |
How to flash
- Download the
.img.xzfile for your board and distro - Verify integrity:
sha256sum -c <filename>.img.xz.sha256 - Flash to SD card with balenaEtcher or
xzcat image.img.xz | sudo dd of=/dev/sdX bs=1M - Boot — Armbian will prompt you to create a root password and a first user account
Release v1.7.0
Yumi SmartPi / SmartPad — v1.7.0
What's new
- Kernel headers pre-installed — allows compiling and loading kernel modules directly on the board (WiFi drivers, GPIO drivers, DKMS modules, etc.) without needing a cross-compilation setup
- Bullseye support fixed —
dwarvespackage installed to providepaholeon Debian 11 - Unified board definition —
smartpi1andsmartpadnow share the same hardware config
Supported boards
| Board | SoC | RAM |
|---|---|---|
| SmartPi One | Allwinner H3 | 1GB |
| SmartPad | Allwinner H3 | 1GB |
Available images
| Distro | Server | Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Debian 11 Bullseye | SmartPi1, SmartPad | — |
| Debian 12 Bookworm | SmartPi1, SmartPad | SmartPi1, SmartPad |
| Debian 13 Trixie | SmartPi1, SmartPad | SmartPi1, SmartPad |
| Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy | SmartPi1, SmartPad | SmartPi1, SmartPad |
| Ubuntu 24.04 Noble | SmartPi1, SmartPad | SmartPi1, SmartPad |
How to flash
- Download the
.img.xzfile for your board and distro - Verify integrity:
sha256sum -c <filename>.img.xz.sha256 - Flash to SD card with balenaEtcher or
xzcat image.img.xz | sudo dd of=/dev/sdX bs=1M - Boot — Armbian will prompt you to create a root password and a first user account
Release v1.6.0
Nouvelle version v1.6.0 disponible
Release 1.5.2
24.2.1-20240302-2147
fix: fix faulty dpms configuration fix: fix faulty dpms configuration