Armbian Imager 2.5 is out

Key points

Armbian has released Armbian Imager 2.5, its tool for writing Armbian images to boards. The release adds a guided way to create first-boot profiles, an extra safety check on the target storage before writing, and a dedicated Settings page. Greek and Serbian bring the interface to twenty languages.

First-boot profiles

• A first-boot profile puts network, user account, SSH keys, language and time zone onto the card, so the board is configured when it first starts.
• The New profile flow now asks one question at a time: connection type, login user, language and time zone, and sign-in method. Any step can be skipped.
• A column beside the questions shows the profile as it is built.
• Static network settings that cannot work, such as the subnet's broadcast address or a gateway outside the subnet, are flagged during typing.
• SSH keys can be pulled from GitHub, GitLab or a URL, and Imager lists the keys it retrieved.
• Typos in user names are shown immediately instead of surfacing as a failed first login.
• A profile can apply to all boards or only to selected ones. It is picked from a menu just before writing, with icons for Wi-Fi or cable, user, time zone and keys.
• Profiles also work with self-built Armbian images.
• Boards with no screen and no network no longer stop at the "Connect via wireless?" first-login prompt, because the profile answers it.
• Any Wi-Fi country accepted by the Linux wireless regulatory database can be selected.

Write safety

• Right before writing, Imager re-checks the target. It only writes to a writable disk it detected itself, and only at the size the user confirmed.
• Swapping cards while the password prompt is open can no longer redirect the image to a different device.
• Writing stops before anything is erased if the image is too large for the storage or the file is empty.
• When a device cannot be used, Imager explains why in the interface language.
• The operation can be cancelled at any point, including while the image is still being prepared.
• The final screen shows the type of target written: SD card, USB drive or disk.
• For Qualcomm boards in EDL mode, the selected board is matched by serial number so the image goes only to that board.

Interface

• The gear icon opens a full Settings page with five sections: General, Writing, First-boot profiles, Downloads and storage, and About and support.
• Each section has a small animation tied to its settings. Theme and reduced-motion changes can be previewed before saving.
• Page numbers under the manufacturer and board grids are replaced by a floating pager that expands on hover, giving the grid the full window.
• Board names are no longer truncated, and vendor logos keep their colours.
• On first launch the app uses the system language.

Troubleshooting and updates

• If Armbian's servers do not respond, Imager reports it and offers a Retry button.
• Upload Logs sends the current session's log to paste.armbian.com and returns a link for bug reports, plus a QR code.
• Settings sections that fail to load now say so.
• Checksum, verification and decompression errors include a plain-language explanation.
• New versions are announced in the sidebar and under About and support. Install downloads the update in the background, and Restart Now applies it.
• A restart is held back until any running write finishes.

Development

• Debug builds include a scenarios panel that simulates SD cards, USB drives, EDL boards, write errors and network failures. The release video was recorded with it.
• Release builds are checked to confirm that this code is not included.
• CI now audits dependencies and checks the Windows code.

Availability

• Version 2.5 is available for macOS, Linux and Windows as free and open-source software.
• Users on 2.0 or later will be offered the update inside Imager.
• Credited contributors include Superkali, the main developer, plus reviewers of the Greek and Serbian translations and contributors to static IP checks, the wireless prompt fix, Wi-Fi country codes and the device type on the final screen.

Summary by DistroNews, based on the original post.