Axzez has officially released its updated Interceptor OS Installer, now featuring full support for the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5. Designed for performance and simplicity, the installer is built on Debian Bookworm and integrates modern kernel versions — 6.12.19-v8 for Raspberry Pi and 6.12.20 for Banana Pi.

According to the announcement, this release delivers a unified image supporting both Raspberry Pi CM4 and CM5 variants, reducing setup time and improving compatibility across platforms. Users can choose between server and desktop configurations based on their deployment needs.

This version includes:

• Integrated PoE drivers and modern kernel support
• Compatibility with Raspberry Pi and Banana Pi modules
• A single OS image for Raspberry Pi CM4 and CM5
• Server and desktop options available for diverse use cases

For Raspberry Pi CM5 boards with eMMC, flashing the OS requires an I/O board due to the lack of USB boot support when paired with the Interceptor. SD card installations are supported for all Banana Pi variants and for Raspberry Pi boards using the Interceptor 2.0. The OS can be downloaded directly from the Axzez website: axzez.com/software-downloads

The company also announced a price reduction for the Interceptor Carrier Board v2.0, lowering it from $89.00 to $79.00. The board was originally launched last year.

Interceptor PoE Board
(click image to enlarge)

For reference, this carrier board supports up to five HDDs or SSDs using a JMB585 PCIe to SATA controller, with features like drive sleep and standby, and software RAID options including RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10. Networking is handled by four gigabit Ethernet ports through an onboard RTL8367 switch.

For connectivity, the board includes four USB 2.0 ports—two via USB-B and two through a 9-pin header. Dual full-size HDMI 2.0 outputs support 4Kp60, and an RS-485 port enables serial communication.

Interceptor Carrier Board v2.0
(click image to enlarge)

Other features include a microSD card slot, a battery-backed RV3028 real-time clock, a standard 24-pin ATX power connector, four 3-pin fan headers, and an 8-pin header for power LED, button, and UART access. Two 40-pin FFC connectors support one or two Interceptor PoE boards, allowing up to 16 PoE+ ports.

Further information

For more information, refer to the Axzez announcements and online store.