I realize this is Raspberry Pi community, but considering the overlap, I hope Pi-adjacent is acceptable.
Looking at the Orange Pi Zero W2 for a project since it’s available with a lot more RAM than the Pi ZeroW2 (1-4 GB vs 512 MB). I’m not doing anything complex with it (no GPIO, USB gadget, etc), and it’ll basically just be a tiny server running Kiwix and possibly some light groupware and/or file share. Maybe even CodeServer if I go with the 4 GB model.
Essentially my requirements for it are:
- Wifi AP support so devices can connect to it. Preferably AP+STA so it can also provide internet and PiHole services.
- Runs a supported distro (e.g. not the one-and-done version from the manufacturer that’s never updated)
- Fairly stable
- Supports 256 to 512 GB SD card
According to what I’ve read, Armbian seems to be the go-to distro for these boards. It also seems to be supported by DietPi.
I’ve got a handful of Pi Zero’s (both 1 and 2) and they work well, but even with zram enabled, I’m limited by the 512 MB of memory, so these “fruit clone” ones are tempting. Anyone have hands-on experience with them? Is there a better distro besides Armbian? Should I just stick with Raspberry Pi and manage with the limited RAM?
Yeah, I’ve decided I’m just gonna splurge the ~$30 and buy a 4 GB model and see how it goes.