Ubuntu-25.10-desktop-arm64.iso can boot and run using uefi boot

[stevepringle]

So yesterday, I bit the bullet and flashed the emmc on my Radxa rock 5 itx board with the EDK2 UEFI firmware for Rockchip RK3588 platforms available from https://github.com/edk2-porting/edk2-rk3588 to allow uefi booting.

I then downloaded the ubuntu-25.10-desktop-arm64.iso image from the ubuntu web site and wrote it to a usb stick. I put a blank nvme SSD in the itx board and powered it up with the usb plugged in.

After a few second the radax logo was displayed and it then proceeded to boot the live ubuntu image from the usb stick and came up with the usual ubuntu installer optiuons of try or install ubuntu.

I opted to install it to the nvme drive, and after answering the usual installation questions, the install proceeded without any issues. When complete, I shut down the live image and it instructed me to remove the install media and hot the enter key. It then restarted and booted the newly installed ubuntu from the nvme disk.

The vulkan driver is working with hardware accelerated graphics and hdmi sound fully functional. Ethernet and wifi networking are working fine.

For me this is now fully functional as a working desktop system using the official ubuntu release, so happy days :-)

Features are still being added to the upstream mainline kernel and the state of the current support can be seen here:-

https://gitlab.collabora.com/hardware-enablement/rockchip-3588/notes-for-rockchip-3588/-/blob/main/mainline-status.md

I think this would work on any of the radxa rk3588 based rock 5 boards.

If you are interested in having a go, this web site gives a fuller description of the process. https://interfacinglinux.com/2025/08/25/edk2-uefi-for-the-rock-5-itx

Note, as long as your current linux installation includes the gnome disks application, and your board exposes the emmc as a disk drive visible to linux, you should be able to flash the emmc using the method in the web page, otherwise you will have to flash the emmc using the methods appropriate for your board.

[FreeWilly2022]

Wow, that is great news, thanks for posting this update. I may wait for 6.18 to do this to my OPi5, since that will probably be more difficult.

[stevepringle]

Hm, just checked in more detail, the kernel does have pwm-fan support built in, but it seems to be incorrectly configured, I'll need to investigate further ...

[pascal71]

@hakotani-o thanks; but I am using active cooling on my radxa's :)

[pascal71]

@stevepringle yes. it appears we do not to have the overlays in place. But frankly I am still struggling how to use/recompile them. There is also a way to preload them using the UEFI. Also for the UEFI for Rockchip there changes pending for the Rock5b plus. But they are in the pipeline for quite some time now. But.. I of course also try to compile it myself and document it. :)

[stevepringle]

I have just run some stress tests on my rock 5 itx and the fan does kick in at the correct temperature. I can't make sense of the configuration, the sensors app reports the fan as present, but shows it in manual control, which it obviously isn't, as it kicked in when the temperature exceeded the 50C trip point.

[stevepringle]

I've just checked the fan behaviour on my RPI5 and running ubuntu 25.10 it's exactly the same as on my rock 5 itx. The sensors app shows the fan as in manual control, but the fan correctly kicks in when the temperature trip point is exceeded.

[pascal71]

Have SUSE MicroOS working on Rock5b and Rock5b-plus now with RK3588-UEFI. Including POE FAN!

[bagong]

Yea, OpenSuse Tumbleweed is up there too, Kernel 6.18 & Mesa 25.3. Might even have a go at the NPU support, that is supposed to be there now. Is there software that makes use of it?