Since RISC-V is still in its infancy, devices that use this new technology are still a bit lacking in compatibility and performance. However, RISC-V is definitely making progress – and the Milk-V Jupiter is proof of that. After testing the Mini-ITX motherboard earlier this month, I started looking at other operating systems that I could use with the device.
Besides an OVM-based derivative of Bianbu OS, there was another customized version of the operating system that revolves around the multi-cloud file manager Kodbox. Since I had never heard of Kodbox before, I just had to try it out. And it's probably one of the best decisions I've made recently, because this is an incredible operating system for the RISC-V motherboard!
Installation and first start
A fairly straightforward process
I know I've said this a few times in my previous article, but I just can't get over how easy it is to install operating systems on the Milk-V Jupiter. After testing the Milk-V Mars earlier this month, I was worried that the installation process for the Kodbox-based Bianbu OS would give me a lot of headaches. Thankfully, the installation process was extremely smooth and I was able to log into the Bianbu OS terminal after flashing the image to a microSD card.
With that I ran the IP address command to find the IP address of the Kodbox server and used it to connect to the Kodbox web UI from my main PC. The system installation wizard gave me several options to choose from, although I chose the defaults for SQLite and file cache. After setting a password for the root user, I finally got to the file manager.
Software and features
Lots of plugins and not a single compatibility issue in sight!
If you've used Nextcloud before, you'll feel right at home with Kodbox. Kodbox is designed to simplify file sharing between all your client devices. It's more of a personal cloud platform than a full-fledged NAS operating system. Uploading files is a breeze, as is arranging them into folders. Video playback works surprisingly well, and I had no trouble making backups of previously uploaded files. Kodbox also has a nice desktop UI, but the real star of the show is its extensive plugin support.
The network error that occurs when you install plugins without updating the firmware
When I used OpenMediaVault on the Milk-V Jupiter, I was extremely disappointed with the lack of support for most plugins. First of all, the Plugin Center was unable to update the existing plugins. Additionally, installing new plugins would display a network error. Fortunately, updating the Kodbox version resolved these issues and the OS was finally able to connect to the plugin repository. I tested pretty much every free plugin I could find, including Exceldraw, Minder, Drawio Diagram, and Photopea, and to my surprise, they worked without any performance or compatibility issues.
But before I wrap up this post, I need to point out two minor drawbacks of Kodbox: Many of the UI elements are not available in English. Of course, you do have the option to translate from Mandarin, but there are a few tabs that may not allow you to access the English translation feature. Another issue is that Kodbox requires you to purchase a premium license to access some of the advanced features. While I can understand why certain enterprise plugins like Office Online and Autodesk Viewer are locked behind a paywall, the addition of a premium license leaves a bad taste in my mouth (even though most users don't need access to the paid features anyway).
Kodbox: A fantastic addition to the RISC-V ecosystem
It may sound like I'm worshipping Kodbox, but after spending a lot of time trying to get things to work on RISC-V systems (and failing miserably several times), the OS was a refreshing change. While Ubuntu and OpenMediaVault worked fine for the most part, the Kodbox version of Bianbu OS is the only OS where everything just works without a hitch. And that's something I really hope to see in the future of the RISC-V space.
