Overview

What it does?

• Builds custom kernel, image or a Debian based Linux distribution optimized for low-resource hardware,
• Include filesystem generation, low-level control software, kernel image and bootloader compilation,
• Provides a consistent user experience by keeping system standards across different platforms.

graph LR A[./compile.sh] --> B{Change<br>kernel<br>config}; B ---> |yes| C["HW"]; B ---> |no| C["HW"]; C ---> |branch| D["legacy<br>vendor<br>current<br>edge"]; D --> |base| E["Debian<br>Ubuntu"]; E ---> |type| F["CLI"]; F ---> |type| G["Server"]; F ---> |type| H["Minimal"]; E ---> I["Desktop"]; I ---> K["XFCE"]; I ---> L["Gnome"]; I ---> M["Cinammon"]; I ---> N["KDE Neon"];

Key Advantages

• Simplicity with interactive graphical interface.
• Generates widely recognized and well maintained userspace
• Fast learning curve for complex operations

Check other similarities, advantages and disadvantages compared with leading industry standard build software.

Function	Armbian	Yocto	Buildroot
Target	general purpose	embedded	embedded / IOT
U-boot and kernel	compiled from sources	compiled from sources	compiled from sources
Board support maintenance	complete	outside	outside
Root file system	Debian or Ubuntu based	custom	custom
Package manager	APT	any	none
Configurability	limited	large	large
Initramfs support	yes	yes	yes
Getting started	quick	very slow	slow
Cross compilation	yes	yes	yes

Framework Structure

├── cache Work / cache directory │   ├── aptcache Packages │   ├── ccache C/C++ compiler │   ├── docker Docker last pull │   ├── git-bare Minimal Git │   ├── git-bundles Full Git │   ├── initrd Ram disk │   ├── memoize Git status │   ├── patch Kernel drivers patch │   ├── pip Python │   ├── rootfs Compressed userspaces │   ├── sources Kernel, u-boot and other sources │   ├── tools Additional tools like ORAS │   └── utility ├── config Packages repository configurations │   ├── targets.conf Board build target configuration │   ├── boards Board configurations │   ├── bootenv Initial boot loaders environments per family │   ├── bootscripts Initial Boot loaders scripts per family │   ├── cli CLI packages configurations per distribution │   ├── desktop Desktop packages configurations per distribution │   ├── distributions Distributions settings │   ├── kernel Kernel build configurations per family │   ├── sources Kernel and u-boot sources locations and scripts │   ├── templates User configuration templates which populate userpatches │   └── torrents External compiler and rootfs cache torrents ├── extensions Extend build system with specific functionality ├── lib Main build framework libraries │   ├── functions │   │   ├── artifacts │   │   ├── bsp │   │   ├── cli │   │   ├── compilation │   │   ├── configuration │   │   ├── general │   │   ├── host │   │   ├── image │   │   ├── logging │   │   ├── main │   │   └── rootfs │   └── tools ├── output Build artifact │   └── deb Deb packages │   └── images Bootable images - RAW or compressed │   └── debug Patch and build logs │   └── config Kernel configuration export location │   └── patch Created patches location ├── packages Support scripts, binary blobs, packages │   ├── blobs Wallpapers, various configs, closed source bootloaders │   ├── bsp-cli Automatically added to armbian-bsp-cli package │   ├── bsp-desktop Automatically added to armbian-bsp-desktopo package │   ├── bsp Scripts and configs overlay for rootfs │   └── extras-buildpkgs Optional compilation and packaging engine ├── patch Collection of patches │   ├── atf ARM trusted firmware │   ├── kernel Linux kernel patches | |   └── family-branch Per kernel family and branch │   ├── misc Linux kernel packaging patches │   └── u-boot Universal boot loader patches | ├── u-boot-board For specific board |    └── u-boot-family For entire kernel family ├── tools Tools for dealing with kernel patches and configs └── userpatches User: configuration patching area  ├── config-example.conf User: example user config file  ├── customize-image.sh User: script will execute just before closing the image     ├── atf User: ARM trusted firmware     ├── extensions User: Extend build system with specific functionality     ├── kernel User: Linux kernel per kernel family     ├── misc User: various     └── u-boot User: universal boot loader patches