Best Options - For a ‘Rad-/-Axa’ Rockchip Single Board Experience
Download Options and Flavors - ( I cant mention more than 10 users but thank you all ).
Official / Rock 5A
/ Rock 5B
/ SPI Reset
/ RadxaOS
Armbian /
the best ARM framework
Ubuntu / Rock 5A
Arch Linux Installer /
BredOS / Forum
FydeOS /
OpenFyde /
Guide / Alpha
Debian Image Builder /
DietPi
Alpine / Official
FreeBSD
Radxa Android /
AndroidTV /
EmteriaOS
Batocera /
AmigaOS /
RetroPie /
LibreElec /
RockNix
1usOS (One Day) by kwankiu
EndeavourOS ARM (Maybe) by @Pudge
TwisterOS (Maybe) by @dangeruss26
Manjaro (Maybe) by @Spikerguy
ARMory by @monka
Linux Bios - UEFI 
EDK2 UEFI - Forum
Windows 11 ARM - Docs
Fedora - Forum
OpenSuse - Forum
Void Linux - Forum
NixOS - Rock 5B - Forum
More images to find here at the Radxa - Docs 
Notes:
-
if downloading with wget use condition –no-check-certificate to avoid the download to fail or use an app like jdownloader or motrix.
-
After starting the system you most likely have to open your disk storage and perform a disk resize
-
Some systems start in x11 so you will notice that the system fails to deliver its brilliant performance at launch make sure you switch to wayland.
-
Very important grab a proper type C charger/cable for your device!
🪁 Fan options 
For the fan heatsink to work: (Armbian - might not be required in further armbian updates.)
git clone https://github.com/lukaszsobala/fan-control-rock5b
cd fan-control-rock5b
make package
sudo dpkg -i fan-control*.deb
sudo systemctl enable fan-control
systemctl start fan-control
Manage the fan manually 
Prevent the system to take over fan control - Automatically.
sudo apt install i2c-tools -y
sudo echo step_wise > /sys/class/thermal/thermal_zone0/policy
sudo echo user_space | sudo tee /sys/class/thermal/thermal_zone0/policy
sudo i2cset -y -f 2 0x18 0x8A 0x2
(Fan speed 0x41 = 50%, 0x64 = 100%)
📱Bluetooth options 
The fix for some Bluetooth Modules (A8, AX210, etc.):
sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
then add these lines somewhere (at the bottom of the file is fine):
blacklist pgdrv
blacklist btusb
blacklist btrtl
blacklist btbcm
#blacklist btintel
Then press Ctrl+X, then Y.
sudo apt install bluez or bluetooth – not needed to install since latest armbian version
systemctl status bluetooth CTRL+ C
systemctl start bluetooth
Then reboot .
🌐 Wifi options 
For AX210 Wifi and BT to Work - You will need ethernet to do this.
#wifi
sudo wget -P /lib/firmware https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/plain/iwlwifi-ty-a0-gf-a0-59.ucode
sudo mv /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-ty-a0-gf-a0.pnvm /lib/firmware/iwlwifi-ty-a0-gf-a0.pnvm.bak
#bt
sudo wget -P /lib/firmware/intel https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/plain/intel/ibt-0041-0041.sfi
sudo wget -P /lib/firmware/intel https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/plain/intel/ibt-0041-0041.ddc
📢 Audio options 
Audio Tutorial for Bluetooth devices: – (not required since armbian latest versions)
Some valid information on how to fix issues with audio be free to explore.
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:pipewire-debian/pipewire-upstream
sudo nala install pipewire pipewire-audio-client-libraries gstreamer1.0-pipewire libpipewire-0.3-{0,dev,modules} libspa-0.2-{bluetooth,dev,jack,modules} pipewire{,-{audio-client-libraries,pulse,media-session,bin,locales,tests}} -y
systemctl --user daemon-reload
systemctl --user --now disable pulseaudio.service pulseaudio.socket
systemctl --user --now enable pipewire pipewire-pulse
pactl info
reboot
💽 Flashing Software 
Flashing Images via Rockchip Dev Tools App:
- Use
rkdevtoolson Windows.
Image Preparation
-
Decompress Images: Use WinRAR to decompress
.img.xzfiles to.img, not the Windows ‘Extract All’ option.
- Tick ‘Write by Address’
Rockchip Boot Loader SPL File
- Download and use the rockchip Boot loader spL file for Rockchip RK35/88/82/S2/S: rk3588_spl_loader_v1.15.113.bin.
For SPI / select SPINOR and use the SPI Image
(Short guide for Flashing via Terminal) SPI flashing on the board itself:
wget https://dl.radxa.com/rock5/sw/images/others/zero.img.gz
gzip -d zero.img.gz
sudo dd if=zero.img of=/dev/mtdblock0
Wait ~5 minutes for the command to complete, check that sudo md5sum /dev/mtdblock0 returns 2c7ab85a893283e98c931e9511add182. Then:
wget https://dl.radxa.com/rock5/sw/images/loader/rock-5b/release/rock-5b-spi-image-g49da44e116d.img
sudo dd if=rock-5b-spi-image-g49da44e116d.img of=/dev/mtdblock0
Wait ~5 minutes for the command to complete, check that this time sudo md5sum /dev/mtdblock0 returns 46de85de37b8e670883e6f6a8bb95776. Then:
sync
reboot
🥛 App Manager Hubs 
Raspberry Pi App Store for Open Source Projects.
wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Botspot/pi-apps/master/install | bash
FlatHub - Hundreds of apps and games for Linux.
sudo apt install flatpak -y ; sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo ; sudo flatpak update -y
More flathub apps
Chromium Browser & Extension Manager
sudo flatpak install flathub org.chromium.Chromium -y
sudo flatpak install flathub com.mattjakeman.ExtensionManager -y
Some random apps
sudo flatpak install flathub org.gnome.Boxes -y
sudo apt install libvirt -y
sudo flatpak install flathub io.github.ungoogled_software.ungoogled_chromium -y
sudo flatpak install flathub io.github.realmazharhussain.GdmSettings -y
sudo flatpak install flathub tv.kodi.Kodi -y
sudo flatpak install flathub io.github.dosbox-staging -y
sudo flatpak install flathub com.dosbox_x.DOSBox-X -y
Emulation stuff for old school games
sudo flatpak install flathub org.ryujinx.Ryujinx -y
sudo flatpak install flathub org.libretro.RetroArch -y
sudo flatpak install flathub net.kuribo64.melonDS -y
sudo flatpak install flathub org.ppsspp.PPSSPP -y
sudo flatpak install flathub org.duckstation.DuckStation -y
sudo flatpak install flathub org.DolphinEmu.dolphin-emu -y
sudo flatpak install flathub com.github.Rosalie241.RMG -y
sudo flatpak install flathub io.mgba.mGBA -y
sudo flatpak install flathub io.github.simple64.simple64 -y
sudo flatpak install flathub com.vba_m.visualboyadvance-m -y
Bauh – a Manager for Your Multi-Package Needs
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip python3-yaml python3-dateutil python3-pyqt5 python3-packaging python3-requests -y ; sudo pip3 install bauh ; sudo pip3 install bauh --upgrade
sudo nala install obs-studio obs-gstreamer obs-plugins xdg-desktop-portal pipewire qtwayland5 librga2 gstreamer1.0-rockchip1 -y
#RESTART here and then run OBS with:
MESA_GL_VERSION_OVERRIDE=3.3 MESA_GLSL_VERSION_OVERRIDE=330 obs
💫 Graphics Acceleration / Performance 
LiuJianFeng & PPA Graphics Panfrost/fork on Wayland
OpenCL runtime (libmali)
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:rockchip-linux/ppa
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:liujianfeng1994/rockchip-multimedia
sudo apt update ; sudo apt install mali-g610-firmware rockchip-multimedia-config glmark2 glmark2-es2 glmark2-es2-wayland mesa-utils malirun -y ; sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:liujianfeng1994/panfork-mesa
sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:liujianfeng1994/rockchip-multimedia
glxinfo|grep OpenGL -- check actual status of things
mkdir -p ~/tmp/libmali && cd ~/tmp/libmali
wget 'https://github.com/tsukumijima/libmali-rockchip/releases/download/v1.9-1-55611b0/libmali-valhall-g610-g13p0-gbm_1.9-1_arm64.deb'
sudo dpkg -i ./libmali-valhall-g610-g13p0-gbm_1.9-1_arm64.deb
Max out the SoC performance (Optional) - That’s if you want some real performance at the cost of being hot and power-hungry.
sudo echo performance | sudo tee /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpufreq/policy6/scaling_governor
sudo echo performance | sudo tee /sys/class/devfreq/fb000000.gpu/governor
sudo echo performance | sudo tee /sys/class/devfreq/dmc/governor
sudo echo performance | sudo tee /sys/class/devfreq/fdab0000.npu/governor
Or add to startup script /etc/rc.local
Or if you want a shortcut for performance / ondemand and powersave do nano .bash_aliases and add these instructions - save it Ctrl X, Yes, restart and after just type the governor you desire Terminal: performance to trigger it.
alias performance="echo performance | sudo tee /sys/bus/cpu/devices/cpu[046]/cpufreq/scaling_governor /sys/class/devfreq/dmc/governor /sys/class/devfreq/fb000000.gpu/governor"
alias ondemand="echo ondemand | sudo tee /sys/bus/cpu/devices/cpu[046]/cpufreq/scaling_governor && echo dmc_ondemand | sudo tee /sys/class/devfreq/dmc/governor && echo simple_ondemand | sudo tee /sys/class/devfreq/fb000000.gpu/governor"
alias powersave="echo powersave | sudo tee /sys/bus/cpu/devices/cpu[046]/cpufreq/scaling_governor /sys/class/devfreq/dmc/governor /sys/class/devfreq/fb000000.gpu/governor"
🚧 OpenCL Libmali Malirun 'Hack' 
OpenCL runtime (libmali) For Mali to Work on Armbian Panfrost
Do a performance boost on apps with malirun as trigger !
malirun chromium-browser #do this to other apps too
📄 External Guides 
Switching Between Mali Blobs and Panfrost - for experts to run X11 like a Pro
🤖 Redroid for Rockchip ARM64 
Only works on Panfrost kernel 5.10
Android Emulator to your ARM system (ReDroid with Scrcpy and Docker):
sudo apt install docker.io scrcpy android-tools-adb -y
sudo docker run -d -p 5555:5555 -v ~/redroid-data:/data --restart unless-stopped --name redroid --privileged cnflysky/redroid-rk3588:13.0.0-latest androidboot.redroid_height=1920 androidboot.redroid_width=1080
Currently only working on Panfrost.
adb disconnect localhost:5555 ; adb connect localhost:5555 ; scrcpy -s localhost:5555
Just add this alias in nano .bash_aliases and run it as malior each time:
alias malior="malior-droid stop ; adb disconnect localhost:5555 ; malior-droid start ; adb connect localhost:5555 ; scrcpy -s localhost:5555 ; malior-droid resize 720x1280"
Change it to english this way. Just drag and drop your .apk file into the android window it will auto install it .
🧑🏻🔧 Fix the google play store by doing this
To become certified with access to the play store you have to:
1 - Install a device ID apk to get this Device ID and register it on your google account.
2 - Register it here: https://www.google.com/android/uncertified/
3 - Restart Malior-Droid again and add your google account manually on settings.
4 - Send apkpure the emulator window and start installing apps like a boss !
🧑🏻🔬 Kernel modules required
``` CONFIG_STAGING=y CONFIG_ASHMEM=y CONFIG_ANDROID_BINDER_IPC=y # CONFIG_ANDROID_BINDERFS is not set CONFIG_ANDROID_BINDER_DEVICES="binder,hwbinder,vndbinder" # CONFIG_ANDROID_BINDER_IPC_SELFTEST is not set CONFIG_ESD_FS=y ``` 🪀 Waydroid for Panthor 
Credits to @Willzen - The Armbian vendor kernel version now includes Panthor, and will soon be able to run it as well.
Works with the current Panthor Install it!
sudo apt install curl ca-certificates -y
curl https://repo.waydro.id | sudo bash
sudo apt install waydroid -y
sudo wget -P https://github.com/WillzenZou/armbian_fork_build/releases/download/willzen-armbian-24.5.0/2.waydroid-panthorv10-240416-v1.img.tar.gz
cd /usr/share ; sudo mkdir waydroid-extra ; cd waydroid-extra ; sudo mkdir images ; cd
sudo tar -xf 2.waydroid-panthorv10-240416-v1.img.tar.gz -C /usr/share/waydroid-extra/images
sudo waydroid init -f -i /usr/share/waydroid-extra/images
Apps will be re-sizable but never the show-full-gui
sudo waydroid container stop ; waydroid session stop ; sudo waydroid prop set persist.waydroid.multi_windows true ; sudo waydroid session start ; waydroid show-full-ui
Supposedly resizes the full-gui
sudo waydroid container stop ; waydroid session stop ; sudo waydroid prop set persist.waydroid.multi_windows true ; sudo waydroid prop set persist.waydroid.width 720 ; sudo waydroid prop set persist.waydroid.height 1280 ; systemctl restart waydroid-container ; waydroid session start
Install Google Store
Select gapps and microG from Android 13 off the Script - For your Waydroid Android 11
sudo apt install lzip -y
git clone https://github.com/casualsnek/waydroid_script
cd waydroid_script
python3 -m venv venv
venv/bin/pip install -r requirements.txt
sudo venv/bin/python3 main.py
Other commands
waydroid app install com.app.apk
waydroid app launch com.app
waydroid app list
🎮 Steam Installation Tutorial 
Steam Installation Tutorial
Easier method: Just install steam via Pi-Apps
wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Botspot/pi-apps/master/install | bash ; pi-apps
FEX-EMU or NicoD Armbian-Gaming Script
Desktop Ricing #Unixporn
🎛️ Tweaks and Shell Extensions🎚️
Getting the Gnome Shell Extensions
sudo apt install gnome-tweaks gnome-shell-extension-manager chrome-gnome-shell -y
Open Tweaks and enable the dam Titlebar buttons (Why is this even disabled -.-’ )
You can now install ‘el’ gnome extensions:
- Enable User Themes
- Dash to Panel or Dash to Dock
- Freon or Vitals
- Compiz for an wobble effect.
-
Burn my Windows to keep your system lit.
- Screenshot Tool
Rice your Desktop 
Themes / Icons - Shell - The Rice
Download this .themes
Download these .icons
Download this Wallpaper
sudo tar -xf Graphite-teal-nord-rimless.tar.xz -C /usr/share/themes
sudo tar -xf Zafiro-Nord-Black.tar.xz -C /usr/share/icons
/home/$USER/.themes & /home/$USER/.icons (if they dont exist just mkdir them).
Giving /home/.themes & .icons writting permissions can work.
You can also use /usr/share/themes by sudo tar -xf Cold-Metal-No-Logo-GTK.tar.xz -C /usr/share/themes
Then user themes extension from gnome shell extensions has to be enabled by sudo apt install chrome-gnome-shell -y and when user themes is enabled we can then apply shell themes on Tweaks.
Open Tweaks application and select these themes.
☄️ Rice your Login Manager 🌍 ▼
Not all SDDM themes found on github works on non archlinux systems. If you find a way let me know
Install these requirements
sudo apt install -y sddm qtdeclarative5-dev qml-module-qtgraphicaleffects qml-module-qtquick-controls qml-module-qtquick-controls2 libqt5svg5 qt6-wayland qt6-5compat-dev qtcreator ; QT_QPA_PLATFORM=xcb
#systemctl disable gdm
#systemctl disable lightdm
#systemctl enable sddm
For theme setting:
sudo nano /etc/sddm.conf.d/theme.conf.user
or
sudo nano /etc/sddm.conf
Theme folders for installing and ls:
cd /usr/share/sddm/themes/
Test your themes before applying:
sddm-greeter --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/maya
sddm-greeter-qt6 --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm-astronaut-theme
sudo git clone https://github.com/Keyitdev/sddm-astronaut-theme.git /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm-astronaut-theme
sudo cp /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm-astronaut-theme/Fonts/* /usr/share/fonts/
echo "[Theme]
Current=sddm-astronaut-theme" | sudo tee /etc/sddm.conf
sddm-greeter-qt6 --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm-astronaut-theme
sudo git clone https://github.com/JaKooLit/simple-sddm-2.git /usr/share/sddm/themes/simple-sddm-2
echo "[Theme]
Current=simple-sddm-2" | sudo tee /etc/sddm.conf
sddm-greeter --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/simple-sddm-2
sudo git clone https://github.com/RadRussianRus/sddm-slice.git /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm-slice
echo "[Theme]
Current=sddm-slice" | sudo tee /etc/sddm.conf
sddm-greeter --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm-slice
sudo git clone https://github.com/Match-Yang/sddm-deepin.git
cd sddm-deepin
bash ./install.sh
sddm-greeter --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/deepin
sudo git clone https://github.com/Michal-Szczepaniak/sddm-theme-amadeus.git /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm-theme-amadeus
echo "[Theme]
Current=sddm-theme-amadeus" | sudo tee /etc/sddm.conf
sddm-greeter --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm-theme-amadeus
sudo git clone https://github.com/m-wynn/sddm_wynn-theme.git /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm_wynn-theme
echo "[Theme]
Current=sddm_wynn-theme" | sudo tee /etc/sddm.conf
sddm-greeter --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm_wynn-theme
sudo git clone https://github.com/3ximus/abstractdark-sddm-theme.git /usr/share/sddm/themes/abstractdark-sddm-theme
echo "[Theme]
Current=abstractdark-sddm-theme" | sudo tee /etc/sddm.conf
sddm-greeter --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/abstractdark-sddm-theme
sudo git clone https://github.com/AlfredoRamos/urbanlifestyle-sddm-theme.git /usr/share/sddm/themes/urbanlifestyle
echo "[Theme]
Current=urbanlifestyle" | sudo tee /etc/sddm.conf
sddm-greeter --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/urbanlifestyle
🏝️ Try Other Desktop Environments for ARM 🦅
#ubuntucraft for arm isnt there yet..
#curl -LO https://github.com/archcraft-os/archcraft-arm/releases/download/1.0/archcraft-arm.tar.gz
tar -xzvf ubuntucraft.tar.gz
cd ubuntucraft
# nano customize.sh (optional)
# user/pass archcraft
sudo bash ./install.sh
#choose sddm not gdm3
Fix the top bar modules for each theme being on this example the “default” one:
1 - nano ~/.config/openbox/themes/default/polybar/config.ini
2 - Find the line modules-right =. This should be line 147.
3 - Remove the “battery” module, replacing it with “temperature”
Paste this instead:
modules-right = temperature dot volume dot network dot LD sysmenu RD
git clone --depth=1 -b Ubuntu-24.04-LTS https://github.com/JaKooLit/Debian-Hyprland.git ~/Ubuntu-Hyprland
cd ~/Ubuntu-Hyprland
chmod +x install.sh
./install.sh
SUPER Environments often needs changed from SUPER to FN+SUPER
# Look for $mainMod = SUPER
nano ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf
nano ~/.config/hypr/configs/Keybinds.conf
# Change it to $mainMod = FN+SUPER
Try Cloud Gaming its perfect!
Discord for a more direct approach: Radxa Discord
