So You Didn't Buy a Raspberry Pi: Step 1

If you buy a Raspberry Pi, the order of operations is simple. Go to the website, download the imager, pick your board, and you’re good.

But what if you buy a NotRaspberryPi™? That usually involves digging through forums, GitHub repos, and the occasional shady Google Drive link. And for what? A cobbled-together Linux image that technically boots… if you’re lucky.

This chart tells a story: Raspberry Pi is a full-stack company. While others slap “development board” on the box and leave the software to you, Raspberry Pi builds both. You get a functional block of silicon right out of the box.

Sources: Raspberry Pi Investor Relations | Raspberry Pi IPO Prospectus | Newark/element14 Global SBC Survey

ARMBIAN IMAGER

This is where Armbian, and more recently, Armbian Imager come in. It is a delightfully simple tool for downloading and flashing Armbian OS to a wide range of NotRaspberryPi™ hardware.

And just to keep things interesting, we’re taking the Pepsi challenge with Radxa’s ROCK 5 ITX+ because an SBC crammed with so much neatness deserves a full-fledged Linux distro that doesn’t break if you look at it sideways.

DOWNLOAD AND SETUP

Our adventure begins on the Armbian Imager GitHub page. This can be confusing for new users, but don’t worry. All you need to focus on is the New Releases section.

Here we can find the correct AppImage for our system. I’m on an AMD/Intel system running Linux, so I will need to download the amd64.AppImage.

• Armbian.Imager_amd64.AppImage – AMD / Intel Linux systems
• Armbian.Imager_aarch64.AppImage – ARM Linux systems
• Armbian.Imager_x64-setup.exe – AMD / Intel Windows system

The next step is making the AppImage executable, and there are a couple of ways to go about that. The easiest is right clicking the AppImage in your file manager and finding the execute toggle.

Or you can crack open a terminal and run the following command.

chmod +x *.AppImage

Now all that’s left to do is double click on the AppImage, and BAM!

From here, it’s as simple as selecting your SBC manufacturer, board model, and choosing what flavour of Armbian you want to slather it with.

I need to take minute and go over the differences between Platinum, Standard, and Community Maintained. You might think this reflects the level of hardware supported on each board. Instead, it reflects whether or not the board is actively maintained.

This means SBCs with Platinum support could be missing features, while Community Maintained SBCs might be 100% functional.

Anyway, I decided to go with Armbian 25.11.1 Noble running the GNOME desktop.

All that’s left to do is pop a SD card into the writer, hand over some password digits, and find something to do for the next five or so minutes.

Time to extract the SD card, feed it to the Rock 5 ITX+, and cross our pinky toes.

BOOTING ARMBIAN

I’m not glossing over anything here. Installing Armbian is really as simple as setting the root password, selecting a shell, creating a user, and picking a language.

After a bit of antici-pation, you’re rewarded with desktop sporting a polygonally challenged penguin.

SYSTEM HEALTH CHECK

One of the things you can count on with Armbian is that most of the important bits work out of the box. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and sound are usually ready to go on supported SBCs.

And there are plenty of desktop applications to get you started, with even more available in the app store and on Flathub.

INSTALLING ARMBIAN TO DISK

Getting your Armbian install off the poky SD card and over to a wicked fast (insert anything here with the possible exception of a USB floppy drive) drive is delightfully simple thanks to armbian-install.

Crack open a terminal and type out this magic moon-command.

sudo armbian-install

You’ll be greeted with an easy-to-follow installer that will get to work, freeing you from the shame of having to boot from such peasant media.

The installer says it will take around 20 minutes to finish up, so you have about four, possibly five, minutes to grab a drink.

All that’s left to do now is power off and pop out the SD card.

And here’s the ROCK 5 ITX+ running on the hottest NVMe tech available, when sorted by price from low to high on Amazon.

VERDICT

I’m really impressed with how well the Rock 5 ITX+ works with Armbian. Armbian Imager makes it even easier to get things up and running; it really is a fantastic tool for anyone getting started with a NotRaspberryPi™.

Just remember to check the Armbian website before buying a new SBC to see if it’s supported. If it isn’t? Don’t buy it. If you already own a board running a half-functional OS, download Armbian Imager and give it a try.

You might be surprised how much better your hardware can actually be.

PRODUCT LINKS

All the links in this article go directly to the sources they reference. There are no affiliate links and no backlinks to unrelated articles. If you would like to support Interfacing Linux, you can use the affiliate links listed below, pick up something from the wishlist, or consider joining the Patreon. Thank you.

• Rock 5 ITX+ on Aliexpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4t2nK3D

Some posts contain affiliate links. If you click on an affiliate link and later make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. Money earned via affiliate links helps to keep this site up and running.

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