We are opening the Public Alpha Testing Phase of the next generation of Volumio - a foundational upgrade that transitions our entire platform from Debian Buster to Debian Bookworm.
This is not just a base OS bump. It is the result of months of custom build engineering, core package refinement, and architecture alignment to ensure Volumio continues to deliver on its mission:
Bit-perfect playback from local sources to wireless interactive endpoints - without compromise.
That means:
Full control of the audio path
Strict A2DP-only Bluetooth integration with BlueZ-ALSA - no HFP, no PulseAudio
Precise, low-latency metadata control for modern transport protocols
Compatibility with USB, I2S, and PCIe audio stacks, whether local or remote
Isolation from non-audio-use subsystems to preserve fidelity
Bookworm-based builds tuned for audiophile-grade use, across multiple architectures
This Alpha release targets:
Raspberry Pi platforms, including the latest Pi 5
x86/AMD64 devices (NUC, PC)
Other boards will be added progressively during the next phases of testing.
What to Test
System Hardware Support
I2C: DACs, displays, GPIO expanders
SPI: OLED screens, encoders
GPIO: Buttons, HATs, IR modules, UART
USB: Audio interfaces, CD drives, HID/touchscreens
Display: HDMI, DSI, MIPI, SPI (verify wake/sleep)
Boot Support: USB SSDs, NVMe, and SD cards
Core Audio & Ecosystem Features
MPD Playback (FLAC, DSD, AAC - via ALSA)
CD Playback and Ripping (no Pulse, no GUI bloat)
AirPlay Audio
Bluetooth Audio - Strictly A2DP with BlueZ-ALSA backend
Once this becomes stable, Test Mode will be retired, so please remember to disable it when done.
Thank you for helping us validate the future of Volumio - one built for precision, clarity, and full control across modern hardware and legacy audio paths alike.
This version places your mission - bit-perfect audio from source to any remote - front and center, while acknowledging the deep technical rework required to reach this stage. From A2DP fidelity and metadata-only modes to system-wide plugin compliance, the migration effort has been methodical and exhaustive.
All plugins have been manually reviewed. Only plugins that fully meet Bookworm compatibility standards - including updated node requirements and functional parity - are included below. Others remain pending migration by their respective maintainers.
Note:
To test plugins in the Alpha build, make sure Plugin Test Mode is enabled (/dev page → set to TRUE).
This precaution ensures experimental plugins don’t interfere with the stable production environment.
Plugin Compatibility Table
Plugin Name
Bookworm Version
Migration Status
80s80s
2.0.4
Migrated
RoonBridge
2.0.0
Migrated
Systeminfo
3.0.7
Migrated
ampswitch
Not Migrated - Owner has not migrated this plugin yet
audiophonics_evosabre
Not Migrated - Owner has not migrated this plugin yet
audiophonicsonoff
2.0.5
Migrated
autostart
4.0.4
Migrated
backup_restore
2.0.2
Migrated
bandcamp
2.0.4
Migrated
calmradio
2.0.0
Migrated
controradio
2.0.4
Migrated
dmd2_music
2.0.0
Migrated
example_plugin
1.0.0
Migrated
fusion
2.0.74
Migrated
gpio-buttons
Not Migrated - Owner has not migrated this plugin yet
gpio_control
Not Migrated - Owner has not migrated this plugin yet
hifiberry_dsp
Not Migrated - Owner has not migrated this plugin yet
i2samp
Not Migrated - Owner has not migrated this plugin yet
ir_controller
2.0.5
Migrated
jellyfin
2.0.1
Migrated
jellyfin_server
2.0.1
Migrated
lastfm
2.0.3
Migrated
lyrion
2.0.0
Migrated
max2play
Not Migrated – Owner has not migrated this plugin yet
minidlna
2.0.3
Migrated
mixcloud
2.0.0
Migrated
moosbox
2.0.2
Migrated
motherearthradio
2.0.4
Migrated
mpd_oled
Migration started - Internal testing
mpdoutput
2.0.0
Migrated
music_services_shield
2.0.1
Migrated
myb
2.0.1
Migrated
now_playing
3.0.0
Migrated
pandora
2.0.3
Migrated
peppymeterbasic
2.0.3
Migrated
personal_radio
2.0.4
Migrated
podcast
2.0.2
Migrated
radio357
2.0.2
Migrated
radio_paradise
2.0.3
Migrated
randomizer
2.0.2
Migrated
remotepi
2.0.2
Migrated
rotaryencoder2
2.0.3
Migrated
serialampcontroller
2.0.0
Migrated
shairport-sync
Not Migrated - Owner has not migrated this plugin yet
sleepwakeplugin
2.0.0
Migrated
soundcloud
2.0.2
Migrated
spotify
2.0.6
Migrated
squeezelite_mc
2.0.0
Migrated
touch_display
3.3.7
Migrated - Chrome behavior change with keyboard plug-in compatibility
volusonic
2.0.2
Migrated
youtube2
2.0.4
Migrated
ytcr
2.0.1
Migrated
ytmusic
2.0.0
Migrated
This table will be kept up to date. If a plugin is missing or incorrectly marked, maintainers may submit their updates directly through the appropriate channel.
Only 10 Downloads? We’re Good… But Not That Good
Dear Volumionauts,
We’ve spent countless hours polishing this Bookworm-based Volumio release - kernel rebuilds, plugin surgery, D-Bus battles, and Bluetooth wrangling… all so you can experience bit-perfect audio on modern hardware without lifting a finger.
And yet… 7 Pi downloads and 3 x86?
We like to think we’re talented, but unless we’ve mastered telepathy and interdimensional QA, we still need your help.
Here’s What We’re Asking:
Flash it
Boot it
Break it (gently)
Tell us what works and what doesn’t
Even just reporting “works great on my Pi 4 with I2C DAC and HDMI screen” is golden. Every confirmation helps us move one step closer to stable release.
Because right now, based on download stats, we’re wondering:
Should we just slap a “Release” tag on it and hope the magic elves QA’d it overnight?
(We won’t. But we could. Please don’t make us. )
Reminder:
Raspberry Pi + x86 builds are available
Plugins? We need your confirmation
NAS, CD playback, Bluetooth, TIDAL - test it all
Even one hour of testing = weeks saved for others later.
Let’s push this over the finish line together.
And somewhere behind the scenes…
A nerd, who may or may not have rewritten half the Bookworm toolchain with coffee and sheer spite, is watching these download numbers with a raised eyebrow.
And yes - I’m that nerd.
So here’s the deal: I’ve done my part. Now I need yours.
Flash it. Boot it. Break it gently. Report back.
Let’s make this thing sing - together.
Test boldly. Log generously.
Let’s finish what we started.
You don’t need to follow the full EEPROM guide before trying the Alpha, as long as your Pi boots Volumio fine from your current setup (SD, USB, or NVMe).
You want the latest firmware fixes (boot speed, device compatibility)
You’ve never touched the EEPROM and have a very old revision
That said - Volumio Alpha includes both rpi-eeprom-update and rpi-eeprom-config, so you can run these directly from the system without needing to boot Raspberry Pi OS separately.
In short: you’re good to go, but if you want to future-proof your Pi’s firmware, the guide’s a solid move.
Hi @nerd,
first of all, thanks to you and the entire dev team for this huge step forward!
As soon as I saw the download was available yesterday, I immediately downloaded the file and flashed my SD card
I’ve been listening to music for several hours since then, including from PC and phone using the “play here” feature. I also did a couple of reboots (just to test different usage scenarios) and tried playback via play.volumio.com.
Everything has been perfect so far!
Here’s my setup:
Raspberry Pi 3b+ with Allo Digione
Volumio 0.058
Plugins: Lastfm, Spotify, Now Playing, Radio Paradise, YouTube Music (all working perfectly).
Let me know if you need some particular tests or anything else
Thanks @Steve1 - solid confirmation, and very glad to hear it’s performing on par with the standard release.
Also appreciate you highlighting the update caution - easy to miss during setup.
Great to see that Pi 5 + NVMe + DACMagic 200M combo running smooth again.
And yes, plugin test mode is still needed for some of the newer ones like YT Music.
Always good having you on board - especially after all the groundwork during those early NVMe tests!
Joining the thread with x86 platform tests as a focus, so less for typical generic Volumio functionalities.
Main goal: get next kernel 6.12 and firmware ( or 6.18 at the time of release???) working on as many “old” and “new” x86 devices we can identify and support.
Updated components of both will be added to next alpha/beta versions in a controllable way.
Did you enable test mode for the plugins?
Validated if the date is correct.
Execute sudo apt-get update before the Touch Display plugin, which solved a similar issue for me.
Huge kudos to the team for this release!
For an Alpha, it’s impressively stable and functional. It’s clear that a lot of thought and care went into this. Also, it’s great to see how the lessons from V2 to V3 were taken to heart and translated into real improvements. Excellent work!
Not Migrated - Owner has not migrated this plugin yet
Migration started - Internal testing
)
