Announcement: NCZ 26.5 "Reinhardt" — Ubuntu 25.10 questing on Sky1, using your kernel work

[perlowja]

Hi Sky1-Linux folks 👋

I wanted to surface a downstream that's using your kernel work in case it's useful to others landing on this repo looking for a "Linux you can flash and go" on Sky1 hardware.

I just shipped NCZ 26.5 "Reinhardt" — an ARM64 Linux distribution targeting Cix Sky1 / CP8180 (Minisforum MS-R1, Radxa Orion O6, Framework 13 CP8180).

It packages a custom Yocto-built dual-kernel layout — linux-cix-sky1 6.18.26 LTS (default, production) and 7.0.3 NEXT (BETA, side-by-side via systemd-boot for testing) — with Ubuntu 25.10 questing userspace, an XFCE desktop, working NPU inference (via FyrbyAdditive's Linux port + ArmChina's cix-noe-umd 2.0.2), Mali-G720 acceleration via mesa-sky1's panvk + zink, and an opt-in agent container stack.

Pick the kernel from the systemd-boot menu at boot: cixmini-lts.conf (6.18 LTS, default), cixmini-next.conf (7.0.3 NEXT, [BETA] sort-key), or cixmini-rescue.conf. Both kernels carry the full Sky1 driver set; NEXT 7.0.3 has documented SCMI transition warnings on current MS-R1 BIOS but boots and runs.

Acknowledging your work directly — sky1-firmware, mesa-sky1, linux-sky1, and the broader BSP enablement are load-bearing for this project. The credits in the release notes point back to your repos.

• Blog: https://techbroiler.net/honey-i-built-a-linux-distribution/
• Release page (ISO + SHA + notes): https://gitlab.com/nclawzero/cix-installer/-/releases/v26.5-r74-Reinhardt
• Source: https://gitlab.com/nclawzero/cix-installer

If anything in NCZ exposes Sky1-side regressions or fixes you'd want to see flow back, ping me here or on the NCZ repo. Happy to file kernel issues upstream.

— Jason Perlow

[zeldin]

I tried the prebuilt kernel on this ISO on my Orion O6, but it gave me exactly the same sort of PCIe issues as in #20.

Did you test this on an O6? What BIOS version did you use?

Thanks

[perlowja]

we have not tested on O6. but let me see if I can address. If you give me the DMESG output I can see if we can resolve.

…

On Thu, May 7, 2026 at 12:18 PM Marcus Comstedt ***@***.***> wrote: *zeldin* left a comment (Sky1-Linux/linux-sky1#29) <#29 (comment)> I tried the prebuilt kernel on this ISO on my Orion O6, but it gave me exactly the same sort of PCIe issues as in #20 <#20>. Did you test this on an O6? What BIOS version did you use? Thanks — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#29 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/BGW2SJFGVXA5D3UL5NCBRS34ZSZOZAVCNFSM6AAAAACYSRUTNKVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHM2DGOJYHEYDOMBYGY> . You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

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[zeldin]

Certainly. I put it here so as not to clobber this issue with a lot of similar lines. 😄

It fails to enumerate any PCIe devices at all, which leads to the NVMe not being available for mounting the root FS. And there is lots of spam about the root complex' dev_sts.

[perlowja]

I've requested an O6 from Tom at Radxa; let's see what he says. Will certainly help me debug these issues better.

[perlowja]

Tom is sending the entire current Radxa product line for testing, so the O6 and also the new Qualcomm board will be first-class build targets once I get them working.

[perlowja]

26.5 "Magnetar" based on Ubuntu 26.4 has superseded this release with a new Debian net install ISO (614MB)

nclawzero/meta-cix#1

Hi Sky1-Linux folks 👋

I wanted to surface a downstream that's using your kernel work in case it's useful to others landing on this repo looking for a "Linux you can flash and go" on Sky1 hardware.

I just shipped NCZ 26.5 "Reinhardt" — an ARM64 Linux distribution targeting Cix Sky1 / CP8180 (Minisforum MS-R1, Radxa Orion O6, Framework 13 CP8180).

It packages a custom Yocto-built dual-kernel layout — linux-cix-sky1 6.18.26 LTS (default, production) and 7.0.3 NEXT (BETA, side-by-side via systemd-boot for testing) — with Ubuntu 25.10 questing userspace, an XFCE desktop, working NPU inference (via FyrbyAdditive's Linux port + ArmChina's cix-noe-umd 2.0.2), Mali-G720 acceleration via mesa-sky1's panvk + zink, and an opt-in agent container stack.

Pick the kernel from the systemd-boot menu at boot: cixmini-lts.conf (6.18 LTS, default), cixmini-next.conf (7.0.3 NEXT, [BETA] sort-key), or cixmini-rescue.conf. Both kernels carry the full Sky1 driver set; NEXT 7.0.3 has documented SCMI transition warnings on current MS-R1 BIOS but boots and runs.

Acknowledging your work directly — sky1-firmware, mesa-sky1, linux-sky1, and the broader BSP enablement are load-bearing for this project. The credits in the release notes point back to your repos.

• Blog: https://techbroiler.net/honey-i-built-a-linux-distribution/
• Release page (ISO + SHA + notes): https://gitlab.com/nclawzero/cix-installer/-/releases/v26.5-r74-Reinhardt
• Source: https://gitlab.com/nclawzero/cix-installer

If anything in NCZ exposes Sky1-side regressions or fixes you'd want to see flow back, ping me here or on the NCZ repo. Happy to file kernel issues upstream.

— Jason Perlow