I downloaded image today using Armbian Imager, and it asked me to run something like armbian-update. I installed the system afterward, but it didn’t work.

Ordered 2 more X96Qs off aliexpress. will see what versions i get. Will build images for them if they're different.

@SuzSinclair Start by reading the first post of this thread, which has all the information you should need to get started.

There is no way. You need a dedicated image for your hardware. https://docs.armbian.com/User-Guide_FAQ/

@Torte continued to help on his github site. The boot.img of the OEM firmware appears to set up a serial framebuffer screen and some shenanigans with the camera. I'm pausing the thread for now - need to figure out a path to reverse engineer the boot.img. Otherwise, alternative boards will need to be adapted.