Maintained by @gdyuldin and open to contributors, this project is more than just a visual refresh — it’s a full GUI replacement that runs directly on the X6100’s internal Linux-based system.

What Is X6100 LVGL GUI?

At its core, X6100 LVGL GUI is a lightweight graphical interface built with Qt, specifically tailored for the small touchscreen on the X6100. It replaces the original UI (or runs alongside it) and offers improved usability for:

• Spectrum and waterfall display
• Band switching
• Mode selection
• Audio and filter control
• FT8 operation (including logging)
• System settings, CAT control, and more

All of this is accessible with a cleaner layout, responsive performance, and real-time feedback.

Why You Might Want It

The stock UI works, but it often feels cramped, dated, and hard to use with fat fingers. X6100 LVGL GUI fixes that with:

• Large, responsive buttons
• Logical page organization
• Real-time signal metrics
• Digital mode tools like FT8 built-in
• Touch-friendly menus and indicators
• Battery-aware features (auto-shutdown)
• Modular layout for quick access to controls

Whether you’re working SOTA, logging in POTA, or just ragchewing on the weekend, the improved UX can make a big difference in day-to-day operations.

FT8 Support Built Right In

One of the standout features is native FT8 support. No need for external Raspberry Pi setups or messy serial connections — the GUI handles:

• FT8 decoding
• Logging (ADIF-compatible)
• Band and frequency auto detection
• Force save if the QSO is complete but wasn’t logged

Perfect for digital ops on the go. And yes, it can save to ADIF, so you can import your QSOs later into Logbook of the World or QRZ.com.

Actively Maintained, Actively Improved

This isn’t a dead repo with a single commit. The developer is actively pushing updates, fixing bugs, and implementing feedback from users.

Recent additions include:

• Auto-level spectrum/waterfall control
• Better battery handling (auto shutdown)
• Separate settings pages for general/interface/audio
• Enhanced knob info display
• Stability fixes for FT8 and CAT control

It’s also modular — if you don’t like something, turn it off or tweak it.

Version v0.31.0, freshly released just days ago by @gdyuldin and the team, brings another solid round of quality-of-life improvements. Let’s take a look at what’s new, what’s fixed, and why this update matters if you’re out in the field with your X6100.

What’s New in v0.31.0?

1. Auto Level Offset for Spectrum/Waterfall
   Tired of the auto-level messing with your visibility? You can now adjust the spectrum/waterfall levels with an offset slider. Perfect for those of us who want more control over how signals pop out visually.
2. Refreshed Settings Interface
   The settings app is now broken into clear sections — General, Interface, and Voice. A cleaner way to find what you need without scrolling endlessly.
3. FT8 Gets a “Force Save” Option
   Ever had a full QSO decoded in FT8 but the logging didn’t trigger? You now get a “Force QSO Save” button on the second page of the FT8 app. No more missed logs when things get funky.
4. Automatic Shutdown on Low Battery
   This one’s big for SOTA, POTA, and field ops: the X6100 will now automatically power down when voltage drops too low. Save your battery. Save your finals.
5. Knob Status Info Overlay
   You now see real-time info from the knobs. Great for debugging or learning what parameter you’re tweaking — and yes, you can turn it off in settings if it clutters your screen.

Bug Fixes That Count

• FT8 Crash Fix – No more crashing when upper filter values go too high.
• CAT Command Clean-Up – Fixed issue with CAT mode switching without filters.
• Better Spectrum Display – DNF no longer ghosts itself on AM/FM spectrum.
• Improved S-Meter and Noise Level Calculations – Expect more realistic readings across the board.

Open Source = Community Power

Everything is under the GPLv3 license, meaning you can freely modify, distribute, and improve it. The community has already started doing that — new contributors are submitting bug reports, pull requests, and ideas. It’s a real open collaboration from hams for hams.

Ready to Try It?

Head over to https://github.com/gdyuldin/x6100_gui. There’s a full README with install steps, build info.

Important: Back up your current system before flashing anything new. Be cautious — this is still in active development.

Final Thoughts

x6100_gui is a brilliant example of the ham radio ethos: experimentation, openness, and problem-solving. It doesn’t just make the X6100 prettier — it makes it more usable, more powerful, and more aligned with how modern hams operate.

The post X6100 LVGL GUI – Breathing New Life into the Xiegu X6100 appeared on Hamradio.my - Amateur Radio, Tech Insights and Product Reviews by 9M2PJU.

If you’re into amateur radio and love tinkering with Linux, you’ve probably heard of the Xiegu X6100—a portable HF transceiver that combines solid performance with an open, hackable platform. But what if you could take it further and run a full Armbian Linux system directly on it?

Thanks to the work by Links2004, it’s now possible.

Why Run Armbian on the X6100?

The X6100 runs on a Quad-Core Cortex-A7 SoC, originally intended for embedded systems and Android. Xiegu ships it with a custom Linux build, but it’s minimal, locked down, and missing common developer tools. For power users and developers, this is limiting.

By installing Armbian—a Debian-based lightweight Linux distro optimized for ARM devices—you can:

• Get full access to the system
• Use standard packages and development tools
• Enable remote access via SSH
• Customize the firmware environment

It essentially transforms your X6100 from just a radio into a mini portable Linux server.

What This Project Offers

The x6100-armbian project provides:

• A working Armbian image for the X6100’s internal eMMC or external SD card
• A ready-to-use u-boot bootloader configuration
• A tailored Linux kernel and device tree for X6100 hardware
• Instructions for flashing and booting Armbian
• Tools for creating your own image

The goal is to make your X6100 boot into Armbian like any SBC (think Raspberry Pi, but with a radio attached).

What Works (and What Doesn’t Yet)

According to the repo, here’s what works:

Serial console over USB
Ethernet over USB
WiFi
GPIO, I2C, SPI
Audio input/output
LCD panel
Battery status

This makes it possible to use the device for advanced scripting, monitoring, and even remote ham operations via the internet.

As with all bleeding-edge projects, some features may still need refinement—so treat this as experimental <– WARNING.

Getting Started

To try this out:

1. Clone the Repository
   Start by cloning the GitHub repo:
   git clone https://github.com/Links2004/x6100-armbian
2. Build or Download an Image
   You can either build the image from scratch using the Armbian build system, or download a prebuilt one (if available in the repo).
3. Flash to SD or eMMC
   Flash the image to an SD card using dd, Etcher, or your favorite tool. Boot it via the SD card first before flashing to internal storage.
4. Boot and Connect
   Connect to the serial console via USB or use the onboard Ethernet-over-USB to SSH in. You’ll be greeted with a full Armbian environment.

Use Cases

So what can you do once you’ve got Armbian running?

• Host a digital mode gateway (FT8, JS8Call, APRS)
• Develop custom X6100 tools using Python or C++
• Create a remote-controlled ham station over the web
• Run audio processing, logging software, or cloud sync scripts
• Harden and sandbox the radio for secure field deployment

The possibilities are only limited by your creativity—and your battery life!

Final Thoughts

Running Armbian on the X6100 breathes new life into an already impressive device. It opens up a playground for experimentation, automation, and integration, bridging the gap between the Linux SBC world and amateur radio.

Whether you’re a hacker, a maker, or a serious ham radio operator, this project is well worth a look. Just keep in mind: this is a community-driven effort, not an official Xiegu firmware, so proceed with care—and make backups! No warranty! This is not for normal users.

Credit:
All thanks and credit to Links2004 on GitHub for pioneering this project. You can view the full project and contribute at:
https://github.com/Links2004/x6100-armbian

The post Running Armbian on the Xiegu X6100 appeared on Hamradio.my - Amateur Radio, Tech Insights and Product Reviews by 9M2PJU.

If you’re running a Xiegu X6100 and find yourself itching to explore what lies beneath its firmware, you’re not alone. But cracking it open safely and consistently? That’s where x6100-fw-mangler by @j0ju shines.

This project makes customizing and experimenting with X6100 firmware reproducible, debuggable, and way less painful—whether you’re tweaking system internals, creating multiboot images, or just injecting some extra userland tools.

Why This Project Exists

Because modding your radio should be fun, not a guessing game.

The X6100 is a fantastic device for amateur radio operators—but modding it has traditionally been tricky. The x6100-fw-mangler was built to:

• Simplify custom firmware builds
• Enable modifications without risking a brick
• Make the process transparent, reversible, and Dockerized

It’s a tool not just for flashing, but for learning, poking, and understanding how the X6100 boots and behaves.

What It Does

• Generates bootable SD card or eMMC update images
• Applies modifications to firmware safely inside a container
• Adds Alpine Linux userland tools to enhance functionality
• Builds multiboot setups (Xiegu stock + R1CBU open firmware)
• Supports original and open-source firmware (R1CBU)

You’ll be able to fully customize the system image and boot your X6100 from SD or flash it to internal storage.

Key Features

• Docker-powered, no need to pollute your host with toolchains.
• Uses qemu-user-static to emulate ARM and modify firmware even on x86.
• Custom SD card images with:
  • Alpine utilities
  • Bluetooth pairing scripts
  • Shell and serial tweaks
  • Automount disabled
  • GUI recoloring (cyan instead of red)

Supported Image Types

Hold the left-most button during boot to switch to the R1CBU firmware.

Example Commands

make xiegu-v1.1.7-modded.sdcard.img
make r1cbu-v0.17.1-modded.update.img
make multiboot-modded.sdcard.img

Need to unpack a random unknown .img file?

cp my-image.img unknown-beauty.img
make unknown-beauty.tar

This gives you a .tar archive of the image content for analysis.

How It Works (Under the Hood)

1. A Docker image called x6100:img-mangler is built with required tools.
2. .url files download official firmware (stock or R1CBU).
3. Firmware images are unpacked into /target.
4. Mods are applied (via Docker layers).
5. New .sdcard.img or .update.img files are output.

Linux users with binfmt_misc can chroot into the ARM image using QEMU—no real device needed.

WiFi + Console Tips

To connect to WiFi from serial console:

nmcli device wifi connect YOUR_SSID password YOUR_PASS

If you’re having issues with WPA3:

nmcli conn down YOUR_SSID
nmcli conn edit YOUR_SSID << EOF
  set wifi-sec.key-mgmt wpa-psk
EOF
nmcli conn up YOUR_SSID

Frequency Extension (TX Unlock / MARS Mod)

Want to transmit outside official HAM bands? Be warned—it’s your responsibility.

In firmware 1.1.7, edit:

/etc/xgradio/xgradio.conf

and change to fullband-tx=enable

Then restart the radio. You now TX on all supported frequencies. But this might violate local laws and could damage the hardware’s filtering. Proceed wisely.

Boot Process Summary

• Device starts with BROM
• Checks SD card → eMMC for EGON signature
• Loads U-Boot, reads MBR, looks for uboot.scr
• uboot.scr boots the kernel
• Environment var devnum:
  • 0 = booted from SD
  • 1 = booted from eMMC

The official u-boot-sunxi-with-spl.bin is used for boot sectors.

Credits

This entire toolchain was created and maintained by @j0ju.
Massive respect for building a clean, reproducible, and open solution for the Xiegu X6100 firmware community.

GitHub: github.com/j0ju/x6100-fw-mangler

The post X6100 Firmware Mangler: The Way to Hack and Tinker Your Xiegu X6100 (MARS mod) appeared on Hamradio.my - Amateur Radio, Tech Insights and Product Reviews by 9M2PJU.