Armbian
Armbian is a lightweight Linux distribution for ARM motherboards, known for its stability, high performance, and excellent hardware support. It provides Debian and Ubuntu-based systems optimized for various ARM single-board computers.
Radxa Dragon Q6A requires the latest UEFI firmware to run Armbian. Firmware download: Dragon Q6A Firmware Snapshot
System Image Downloads
Armbian provides multiple system images for Radxa Dragon Q6A:
Stable Release Images
Based on Linux kernel 6.18, providing a stable user experience:
- Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble) - Gnome Desktop: Full desktop environment for daily use
- Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble) - Minimal: Lightweight system for IoT applications
Rolling Release Images
For Linux enthusiasts who want cutting-edge packages:
- Debian 14 (Forky) - Minimal
- Ubuntu 25.04 (Plucky) - Minimal
Rolling releases are only suitable for experienced Linux users and not recommended for production environments.
Download: Armbian Dragon Q6A Download Page
Flashing to UFS Storage
To flash the Armbian image to UFS storage, you can use the same edl-ng tool used for flashing firmware:
./edl-ng --loader prog_firehose_ddr.elf --memory UFS write-sector 0 *.img
First Boot Configuration
On first boot, the system will guide you through basic configuration:
- Set root password
- Create a regular user account
- Confirm language settings
- (Optional) Transfer system to internal storage
You can also use the armbian-config tool for system configuration, including:
- Network settings (static/dynamic IP, hotspot)
- Change login shell (ZSH)
- Enable SSH two-factor authentication
- Install common software
- System optimization, etc.