We're excited to announce Openterface_QT v0.4.0, a major step forward in stability, cross-platform support, and performance—specifically optimized for the uConsole portable device!
This release focuses on robust static builds, ARM64 compatibility, and embedded system performance, making it the most reliable version yet for portable deployments.
⚠️ Release Note: In this release, we are only officially releasing the
arm64static build for uConsole, and the Audio function for this version still not working.
Other platform packages (e.g.,amd64) are currently unstable due to recent changes in the build system and are not recommended for production use.
We appreciate your patience as we stabilize the multi-platform build pipeline.
🔧 Key Highlights
✅ uConsole Optimized Static Builds
- ✅ Static binaries with FFmpeg & GStreamer support for seamless deployment on embedded systems like uConsole (#340).
- ✅ Dynamic dlopen wrapper now supports selective loading of VAAPI and graphics libraries, improving compatibility across diverse hardware (#343).
🐳 Robust & Reproducible Build System
- ✅ Docker-based build environments for both dynamic and static builds, ensuring consistent packaging (#332).
- ✅ Cross-compilation support for ARM64 using QEMU, enabling native-like performance on ARM devices (#317).
- ✅ Improved GitHub Actions for reliable
arm64package builds (#337). - ✅ Fixed static build issues and GHCR image naming for smoother CI/CD (#333, #335).
⚙️ Performance & Stability Improvements
- ✅ Reduced CPU usage on Linux – major optimization for smoother operation on low-power devices (#331).
- ✅ Fixed screen flickering on small displays after resize operations (#319).
- ✅ Serial port thread optimized and initial device selection fixed for more reliable hardware communication (#339).
🖥️ Hardware & Input Support
- ✅ KVM Go support added for enhanced virtualization control (#312).
- ✅ EDID setting tool included to help manage display compatibility (#320).
- ✅ FFmpeg backend enhanced with device hotplug detection and better error handling (#342).
- ✅ Belgian AZERTY keyboard layout started (early support) – thanks to our new contributor! (#240).
🛠️ Developer & Build Convenience
- ✅ One-line build script added for faster local development (#316).
- ✅ Default serial baud rate changed to 9600 for better compatibility with common devices (#341).
🎉 New Contributor Welcome
A big thank you to @Fescron for their first contribution adding support for the Belgian AZERTY keyboard layout! We're thrilled to have you on board 🎉
📦 Downloads
Available for this release:
- ✅
openterface_qt-v0.4.0-linux-arm64-static– Recommended for uConsole
❌ Other builds (e.g.,
amd64) are not stable in this release due to ongoing build system changes. Please avoid using them in production.
🛠️ Installation Guide for uConsole
Follow these steps to install and run Openterface_QT on your uConsole:
1. Install Required Dependencies
Ensure your system has the necessary graphics and multimedia libraries:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y libxcb-cursor0 libva-dev vainfo va-driver-all💡 These packages enable VAAPI hardware acceleration, which improves video performance and reduces CPU usage.
2. Download and Extract
# Download the static package from GitHub Releases
unzip openterfaceQT-v0.4.0-linux-arm64-static.zip3. Run the Application
Make the binary executable and start Openterface_QT:
chmod +x openterfaceQT
./openterfaceQT✅ You're all set! The static version requires no installation—just run and enjoy.
Remark, if the keyboard and mouse is not responding, please try to switch the baudrate to 9600 and restart the serial port in Advance menu.
✔️ Tested Distributions
Below is a summary of tested OS images on uConsole (CM4 2GB version) with performance and functionality observations:
| Distribution | Video Backend | CPU Usage | Input (Mouse/Keyboard) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clockwork (Official Image) | GStreamer | 50% – 80% | ✅ Fast & responsive | Recommended backend |
| FFmpeg | 80% – 100% | ✅ Fast & responsive | Higher CPU use | |
| Bookworm 6.6y for uConsole | GStreamer | 50% – 80% | ✅ Fast & responsive | Stable performance |
| FFmpeg | 80% – 100% | ✅ Fast & responsive | Higher CPU use | |
| Kali for uConsole | GStreamer | ~100% | ❌ Not working | Input devices fail |
| FFmpeg | ~100% | ⚠️ Lagging | Poor input response |
📝 Recommendation: Use GStreamer backend on supported distributions for best performance. And use 9600 as serial baudrate to reduce CPU usage for keyboard and mouse.
Kali-based images show significant issues—please consider using Clockwork or Bookworm for optimal experience.