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To check Ubuntu compatibility, identify the board and revision exactly, open that board’s page in Canonical’s supported-board documentation, select the Ubuntu release and image type shown there, then read the page’s limitations for every peripheral you need. A board appearing in a download catalogue proves that an image exists for that board; it does not prove that its Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI, USB, PCIe card, NVMe drive, audio device or camera works.
Compatibility is also tied to the processor’s RISC‑V ISA profile and to the Ubuntu release. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS supports RVA20 hardware, while Ubuntu 25.10 and Ubuntu 26.04 LTS require RVA23S64. If your processor is not RVA23-ready, the supported route is Ubuntu 24.04.5 LTS rather than assuming a newer image will boot.
What “Ubuntu supports this board” actually means
Ubuntu board support has several separate parts. A page can provide a bootable image while still documenting major limitations in graphics, wireless networking or expansion buses. Treat these as independent checks:
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- Boot and installation instructions: The guide explains the storage medium, firmware settings, serial console and first-boot procedure for that board.
- Kernel and firmware coverage: The Ubuntu kernel and required firmware contain drivers for the board’s controllers.
- Peripheral behavior: Individual interfaces and chipsets work at the documented level. This can differ by port, kernel version or expansion-card class.
- Support status: The image is Canonical-built and maintained, a partner preview, or a community/custom build with a different support promise.
Canonical describes its supported-board pages as listing known board variants, available Ubuntu images, installation instructions and known hardware limitations. Use that exact page as the authority for your board instead of inferring support from another RISC‑V model with a similar processor.
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Step 1: Identify the exact hardware before checking Ubuntu
Write down the complete product name, board revision and any carrier or baseboard. “VisionFive,” “Mars” or “Nezha” is not precise enough if several revisions or modules exist. Record the following before opening the Ubuntu documentation:
- Board and module name, revision or SKU.
- System-on-chip and processor core configuration.
- Carrier/baseboard model, if the compute module is removable.
- Installed memory and boot storage type.
- Display connectors and their physical function.
- USB ports, including whether each is USB 2.0 or USB 3.0.
- Ethernet controller and whether networking uses an external PHY.
- Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth chipset, if fitted.
- PCIe slot or exposed connector, including its intended device class.
- NVMe, SD, eMMC, audio, camera and serial-console connections.
Photographs and marketing names often hide board revisions. Check the silkscreen, purchase documentation and vendor hardware manual. If the board is a module, identify both the module and the carrier: Ubuntu may support one combination but not another.
Step 2: Find the board’s official Ubuntu page
- Open Canonical’s current Ubuntu RISC‑V download catalogue and supported-board index.
- Search for the exact product name, then compare the listed variant with the text printed on your board.
- Open the dedicated installation guide rather than relying on the catalogue entry alone.
- Note the Ubuntu release, image channel and storage target shown in that guide.
- Read the sections titled limitations, known issues, hardware support, installation or troubleshooting before purchasing accessories.
The catalogue currently lists Canonical-built image paths for AllWinner Nezha, DeepComputing FML13V01, Microchip PIC64GX1000 Curiosity Kit, Microchip PolarFire SoC FPGA Icicle Kit, Milk‑V Mars and Mars CM, Pine64 Star64, QEMU, SiFive Unmatched, Sipeed LicheeRV Dock, and StarFive VisionFive 2 and 2 Lite. The maintained hardware documentation also points to QEMU, the SiFive HiFive Unmatched and SpacemiT K3. These lists can differ by image channel and update timing, so the individual board page and the current download choice take precedence.
Some guides offer a preinstalled image; others provide a live installer or a board-specific image that must be written to microSD or another storage device. Follow the page’s exact image and card instructions. Do not substitute an image for a similarly named board or module.
Step 3: Match the Ubuntu release to the RISC‑V ISA profile
RISC‑V support is release-specific. The processor must implement the ISA profile required by the Ubuntu kernel and userland for the release you choose.
| Ubuntu release or path | ISA requirement or compatibility statement | Practical decision |
|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | The RISC‑V userland is compatible with RVA20 hardware. | Use this release for boards that meet RVA20 but are not ready for RVA23. |
| Ubuntu 24.04.5 LTS | Canonical continues support for hardware that is not RVA23-ready. | This is the maintained fallback when a newer release’s ISA requirement is too high. |
| Ubuntu 25.10 | The RISC‑V kernel requires RVA23S64. | Hardware that does not satisfy RVA23S64 cannot run this release. |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | Canonical upgraded the required RISC‑V ISA profile to RVA23S64. | Confirm RVA23S64 support before selecting a 26.04 image. |
Do not confuse a userland compatibility statement with a guarantee that every board has a bootable kernel image. The board page still has to list an image for your exact hardware, and the kernel must support its boot firmware, storage and controllers.
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When the processor documentation is unclear, identify the SoC model and consult the board guide or vendor’s technical documentation for the implemented profile. An image that downloads successfully can still fail at early boot if the CPU lacks required instructions.
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Step 4: Turn your use case into a peripheral checklist
List only the devices your project needs, then check each one separately in the board guide. A useful checklist includes:
- Wired Ethernet link and MAC/PHY behavior.
- Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth, including the exact chipset.
- HDMI or other display output.
- Every USB connector and its supported speed.
- PCIe slot, lane configuration and intended card class.
- NVMe storage.
- SD or eMMC boot and data storage.
- Audio input/output.
- Camera interfaces.
- UART or other serial console.
Search for the device name, controller, connector and known limitations. “PCIe works” is too broad: a guide may support NVMe while rejecting Wi‑Fi cards or graphics adapters on the same bus. Likewise, “USB works” may apply to three USB 3.0 ports but not a separate USB 2.0 connector.
Milk‑V Mars: why the exact limitation text matters
The Ubuntu guide for Milk‑V Mars documents several distinctions that a catalogue entry would not reveal:
- The onboard GPU is unsupported.
- PCIe support is incomplete.
- NVMe storage can work.
- PCIe Wi‑Fi cards do not work.
- External GPUs do not work.
- Three USB 3.0 ports work.
- The USB 2.0 port is unsupported by the 6.8 kernel.
These are board- and kernel-specific statements, not universal RISC‑V rules. If a later image changes the kernel, re-read the current Mars guide before assuming the USB 2.0 or PCIe behavior is unchanged. For a Mars system that needs fast local storage, an NVMe drive is within the documented use case; a wireless card or external graphics adapter is not.
Allwinner Nezha D1: vendor-kernel dependencies can decide support
The Nezha D1 guide says Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth are not working because the Wi‑Fi driver is available only in the vendor kernel. Installing Ubuntu’s standard kernel does not turn that driver into a supported device. Plan for wired networking or a different, explicitly supported adapter rather than assuming the radio is enabled because the board includes the hardware.
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The same guide documents Ethernet MAC-address behavior and warns that SD-card modules need to be built into the kernel or included in the initramfs. That requirement affects whether the board can find its root filesystem during boot. If your deployment depends on SD storage, verify that the image’s kernel and initramfs meet this condition before troubleshooting userspace.
Point-release issues can look like permanent hardware failures
Ubuntu 24.04.2 release notes list broken HDMI output on the Nezha D1 and Sipeed LicheeRV Dock because a kernel module is missing. This is a point-release-specific known issue, not proof that HDMI can never work on either board. Check the release notes and board guide for the exact image version you intend to install, and look for a newer image or documented workaround before replacing cables or displays.
Record the Ubuntu release, kernel version and image date whenever you report a failure. A result from 24.04.2, a 6.8 kernel image or a vendor kernel cannot automatically be applied to another point release.
How to evaluate storage, USB and expansion claims
NVMe and PCIe
Verify the storage device class, not merely the presence of a PCIe connector. On Mars, Ubuntu documents NVMe as usable but does not support PCIe Wi‑Fi cards or external GPUs. A generic PCIe adapter may require a driver, firmware or interrupt behavior that the board image does not provide.
USB
Read the limitation for each physical port. Count the connectors and note their advertised generation. Mars demonstrates why: three USB 3.0 ports work, while a separate USB 2.0 port is unsupported by the 6.8 kernel. A hub attached to a supported port does not make an unsupported controller functional.
Display output
Check the connector, GPU support and release-specific kernel modules together. A board may boot headlessly while its onboard GPU is unsupported, or HDMI may be broken in one point release because a module is absent.
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- Standard Pin Configuration – Features USB Type-A male and TTL 5-pin female header (3.3V, RST, TXD, RXD, GND). Compatible with both 3.3V and 5V logic levels, ensuring broader hardware support.
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Wireless
Match the exact Wi‑Fi/Bluetooth chipset to the driver stated in the guide. If the driver exists only in a vendor kernel, treat standard Ubuntu support as unavailable unless Canonical’s guide explicitly provides that kernel path.
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Confirm which medium is supported for first boot and whether storage drivers must be built into the kernel or supplied through the initramfs. A board that reaches a bootloader but cannot load its root filesystem is not fully usable for the intended installation.
Canonical-built, partner-preview and custom images are different choices
| Image path | What it establishes | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Canonical-built board image | A documented Ubuntu image and board-specific installation path exist. | Every onboard device or expansion card works. |
| Partner-built image | A partner has produced an image for the hardware. | Production readiness, Canonical security updates or Canonical support. |
| Custom image for unsupported hardware | Engineers can build an image for hardware not yet supported by the standard catalogue. | Plug-and-play compatibility or a maintained support commitment. |
Canonical labels partner-built RISC‑V images as developer previews: they are not production-ready and do not include Canonical security updates or support. Use such an image for evaluation only after confirming who supplies kernel fixes, firmware and security maintenance.
Ubuntu’s hardware documentation also describes custom image-building for hardware not yet supported. That route is appropriate for board bring-up and engineering work. It requires you to own the kernel, boot firmware, device tree, drivers and update process; the existence of a custom build is not evidence that the board is supported by the normal Ubuntu release.
What to do when your board is not listed
- Search the current supported-board index using the full product name, module name and carrier name.
- Check whether a partner supplies an image, then read its developer-preview status and maintenance terms.
- Compare the SoC’s ISA profile with the Ubuntu release you want.
- Ask the board vendor for an image-specific support statement covering your exact revision and kernel.
- If you build a custom image, document the bootloader, device tree, kernel configuration, firmware and update method.
Until a guide or vendor statement covers a peripheral, mark it unverified, not compatible. This is especially important for cameras, audio codecs, wireless modules and PCIe cards, whose drivers may not be included even when the underlying bus works.
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A repeatable pre-purchase and pre-install checklist
- Capture identity: record board, revision, module and carrier/baseboard.
- Select a release: verify RVA20 or RVA23S64 requirements before downloading.
- Choose the image: use the exact board page’s preinstalled, live-installer or storage image.
- Prepare boot media: flash the documented image to the specified microSD or other medium.
- Plan console access: if the system is headless or fails early, use a USB-to-TTL serial adapter only with the wiring and voltage specified by the board guide.
- Audit peripherals: check each required chipset, connector and device class in the limitations section.
- Check version scope: note kernel and point-release caveats, such as Mars’s 6.8 USB 2.0 limitation or the 24.04.2 HDMI issue.
- Classify support: label the result Canonical-built, partner preview, custom, supported, limited or unverified.
- Test in dependency order: boot and storage first, then Ethernet, display, USB, wireless and optional expansion cards.
How to troubleshoot a failed compatibility check
The image does not boot
Recheck the board variant, ISA profile, image release and boot medium. A non-RVA23 board cannot run Ubuntu 25.10 or 26.04, even if the image was intended for a related model. Confirm that the image is for your carrier/baseboard and that the required storage driver is built in or present in the initramfs.
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Ubuntu boots but networking is absent
Separate Ethernet from Wi‑Fi/Bluetooth. Nezha D1’s documented radio limitation is a vendor-kernel driver issue, while Ethernet has its own MAC behavior. Verify the chipset and kernel path instead of changing network configuration repeatedly.
A display stays blank
Check whether the onboard GPU is supported, whether the connector is covered by the guide and whether your point release has a known kernel-module issue. The Nezha D1 and LicheeRV Dock HDMI problem in Ubuntu 24.04.2 is an example of a release defect rather than a conclusive hardware diagnosis.
A card works in another operating system but not Ubuntu
Compare kernel, firmware and driver provenance. A vendor image may contain a driver absent from Ubuntu’s kernel, as with the Nezha D1 Wi‑Fi path. On Mars, a PCIe bus that can host NVMe does not imply support for Wi‑Fi cards or external GPUs.
Boot logs are needed
Use the serial-console procedure in the board guide. Do not assume a universal pinout or voltage for USB-to-TTL adapters; incorrect wiring can damage hardware. Capture the early boot output together with board revision, image release and kernel version when requesting help.
What a reliable compatibility decision looks like
A defensible answer has five parts: the exact board and revision; the Ubuntu release and ISA requirement; the image source and support status; a peripheral-by-peripheral result; and the kernel or firmware conditions attached to each result. “Ubuntu supports this board” is incomplete without those qualifiers.
Use the official board guide as the final authority, because no single Ubuntu page provides an exhaustive matrix for every peripheral model on every RISC‑V board. If a device is absent from the guide, keep it in the unverified category and obtain confirmation for the exact board revision, kernel, firmware and device model before committing to the design.
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