Configuration on First Boot

This guide will walk you through the initial setup of the Armbian system based on the RK3576 chip. After flashing the image and powering it on for the first time, the system will enter an interactive configuration interface.

Set the Root Password

The primary task upon system startup is to secure the root account.

Action: Enter the desired root password twice as prompted.

Note: Characters will not appear on the screen while typing (this is standard Linux security behavior).

Warning: If the password is too short, the system will display a Warning: Weak password message. It is highly recommended to use a more complex combination.

Select the Default Shell

The system will ask you to specify your preferred command-line interpreter (Shell). Options: 1) bash or 2) zsh. Recommendation: Select 1) bash for better compatibility and its status as the industry standard for scripts and tutorials.

Action: Type 1 and press Enter.

Create a Regular User Account

For enhanced system security, Armbian requires the creation of a non-root user for daily operations. Username Rules: Use lowercase letters and numbers only. Do not include hyphens - or underscores _ (for example, recomputer-rk would be flagged as an invalid character). Action: Enter your desired username (e.g., seeed). Set and confirm the password for this user. Enter your Full Name (you can simply press Enter to skip this). Privileges: This user will be automatically granted sudo privileges, allowing you to run administrative commands safely.

Timezone and Locale Settings

The system will attempt to automatically detect your location based on your network connection.

Timezone: Confirm whether the detected timezone (e.g., Asia/Singapore) is correct.

Locales (Language): * When asked Set user language based on your location? [Y/n], type y.

Select the specific language code from the provided list (e.g., selecting 1 for en_SG.UTF-8).

Please wait a moment. You will be directed to the login interface. Enter your configured username and password to access the desktop.