[How to install armbian in h618?]

Hi @Nick A. Sorry the late feedback, but I'm still test some things...

 

On 7/23/2024 at 1:58 AM, Nick A said:

Here's an image you can test.

https://github.com/NickAlilovic/build/releases/download/v20240716/Armbian-20240716-unofficial_24.5.0-trunk_Transpeed-8k618-t_bookworm_edge_6.7.12_xfce_desktop_Secure_Boot.img.tar.xz

Yes, I finally could boot Armbian with this image successfully. Almost everything worked fine Just Bluetooth and the memory size still bad.

 

Desktop started OK;

HDMI - image and sound - OK (Not in u-boot);

Ethernet - OK;

WIFI didn't work in beginning, because my chip is the sp6330, but I could make it to work following this tip: https://forum.armbian.com/topic/16696-armbian-for-tanix-tx3-amlogic-s905x3-with-sp6330-wifibluetooth-module/?do=findComment&comment=117066;

Bluetooth still don't work. I see somewhere in this topic a tip about it, I'll look for it then;

The box just recognize 2GB instead 4GB (In u-boot shows 4GB, but in system for some reason, just recognize 2GB);

I could successfully install this image in internal EMMC with armbian-install and it works fine without the uSD inserted;

 

Obs.: I cant update/upgrade the system, because it make the system stop working, so I freezed kernel upgrades and now I can update and upgrade without break the system.

 

Thank for yours tips and efforts to help us.

[How to install armbian in h618?]

Thanks again @Nick A.

There are no kern.log file in /var/log, even in mini Arch that starts the kernel. Anyway, I will put here 3 files with consoles. A mini Arch with original transpeed dtb (UART_miniArch_transpeeddtb.txt), a mini Arch with yours armbian transpeed dtb (UART_miniArch_Nicks_transpeeddtb.txt) and an android logo of a functional rom(UART_Android_customROM.txt)  (I changed the original one for this, because the original is an Android TV and this is a pure Android with root).

 

UART_miniArch_transpeeddtb.txt UART_miniArch_Nicks_transpeeddtb.txt UART_Android_customROM.txt

[How to install armbian in h618?]

Hi @Nick A. Thaks for new answer.

I tried changing the verbosity=1 to 7, but the same problem.

tried extraargs=debug initcall_debug as the link you posted, but none change, still stops in "Starting kernel ..."

 

Quote

Is this your box?  

https://androidpctv.com/firmware-m98-8k-plus/

Yes. This is exactly the same as mine.

my wifi chip is the SP6330.

My board is exactly the same as @afiftyp posted in page 3 of this topic, but theirs is not with secure boot activated. As I understood, he could use Armbian with your image without modifications. Because of it I think that my problem is the demon of sunx secure boot.

 

Any way, I'm very thank for the effort of all of you in help me.

 

[How to install armbian in h618?]

Thanks for your reply @Nick A, but my bootlogo is already false. My armbianEnv.txt contents is the above:

verbosity=1
bootlogo=false
console=both
disp_mode=1920x1080p60
overlay_prefix=sun50i-h616
rootdev=UUID=6de22aaf-f6c2-4ed0-9715-b931c3d7602d
rootfstype=ext4
fdtfile=/allwinner/sun50i-h618-transpeed-8k618-t.dtb

 

 

I extracted my android dts, but don't know what to do with it.

I think there are a problem in boot armbian and boot secure, because some other with same M98 plus like mine told that theirs worked with your image untouched.

Anyway I will attach my extracted dts file that is very similar than the one you posted here in page 5.

Unfortunately I thik that I will have to give up to put Armbian in my Transpeed M98 plus.

dtb.0.dts

[How to install armbian in h618?]

Hi @kil, Thanks for your new information, but I just tried all dtb files in dtb folder, but with no sucess. Even with the new compilation that Nick posted in last massage.

What I see was that with armbian, with any dtb file, it stops in "Starting kernel ..." and with miniarch the kernel ran, but stop with kernel panic.

I tried with orangepi armbian with the transpeed dtb with same result than Nick's image.

 

BTW, for any dont know, to change the dtb file that will be used you need to change the armbianEnv.txt and write in the end of the file a "fdtfile=" and the path for fdt filelike "fdtfile=/allwinner/sun50i-h618-transpeed-8k618-t.dtb"

 

above is my uart with armbian:

 

U-Boot 2024.07-rc5 (Jul 16 2024 - 11:41:56 -0300) Allwinner Technology

CPU:   Allwinner H616 (SUN50I)
Model: Transpeed 8K618-T
DRAM:  2 GiB
Core:  59 devices, 21 uclasses, devicetree: separate
WDT:   Not starting watchdog@30090a0
MMC:   mmc@4020000: 0, mmc@4022000: 1
Loading Environment from FAT... Unable to use mmc 0:1...
In:    serial@5000000
Out:   serial@5000000
Err:   serial@5000000
Net:   No ethernet found.
starting USB...
Bus usb@5101000: USB EHCI 1.00
Bus usb@5101400: USB OHCI 1.0
Bus usb@5200000: USB EHCI 1.00
Bus usb@5200400: USB OHCI 1.0
scanning bus usb@5101000 for devices... 1 USB Device(s) found
scanning bus usb@5101400 for devices... 1 USB Device(s) found
scanning bus usb@5200000 for devices... 1 USB Device(s) found
scanning bus usb@5200400 for devices... 1 USB Device(s) found
       scanning usb for storage devices... 0 Storage Device(s) found
Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0
switch to partitions #0, OK
mmc0 is current device
Scanning mmc 0:1...
Found U-Boot script /boot/boot.scr
3259 bytes read in 2 ms (1.6 MiB/s)
## Executing script at 4fc00000
U-boot loaded from SD
Boot script loaded from mmc
209 bytes read in 2 ms (101.6 KiB/s)
35515 bytes read in 7 ms (4.8 MiB/s)
Working FDT set to 4fa00000
4203 bytes read in 6 ms (683.6 KiB/s)
Applying kernel provided DT fixup script (sun50i-h616-fixup.scr)
## Executing script at 45000000
18349552 bytes read in 765 ms (22.9 MiB/s)
23572488 bytes read in 982 ms (22.9 MiB/s)
Moving Image from 0x40080000 to 0x40200000, end=41910000
## Loading init Ramdisk from Legacy Image at 4ff00000 ...
   Image Name:   uInitrd
   Image Type:   AArch64 Linux RAMDisk Image (gzip compressed)
   Data Size:    18349488 Bytes = 17.5 MiB
   Load Address: 00000000
   Entry Point:  00000000
   Verifying Checksum ... OK
## Flattened Device Tree blob at 4fa00000
   Booting using the fdt blob at 0x4fa00000
Working FDT set to 4fa00000
   Loading Ramdisk to 48e80000, end 49fffdb0 ... OK
   Loading Device Tree to 0000000048e0e000, end 0000000048e7ffff ... OK
Working FDT set to 48e0e000

Starting kernel ...

[How to install armbian in h618?]

Quote

I haven''t done this before but I think you need to follow these instructions to compile u-boot with TOC0 support. I'm guessing the deconfig needs "CONFIG_SPL_IMAGE_TYPE_SUNXI_TOC0=y".

Hi @Nick A, thanks for your answer. The @kil already give me the path in private massage (He tell me that for any reason his messages in here were not working). The step I skip was "At uboot build step "make menuconfig" I changed one option inside "ARM architecture" from "SPL Image Type (eGON (normal))" to "SPL Image Type (TOC0 (secure))"" that I think is the same as change the .config file and change CONFIG_SPL_IMAGE_TYPE_SUNXI_TOC0=y as you say.

Now the u-boot is starting and give the wart logo. So I used your last image with this u-boot, but it stopped in "Starting kernel" I tried other images, some stopped in Kernel Panic others with some other errors, but none of them booted all the system.

I still don't have HDMI image, but I see in your past messages that I have to put some patches in u-boot. I still don't know how to do it, but I'm still reading and trying.

BTW I tried the miniArch that I had kernel panic or other error that I don't remember exactly.

 

Best regards

[How to install armbian in h618?]

Hi @kil, I have a Transpeed M98 with the same problem as yours T95H, this secure boot option, but different than you, I can't understood what to do in the links informed by Nick A. It's my fault, because I have a limitate knowledge in English. Can you help me with the exact steps you made to put the image to work in the SD card?

 

Thanks in advance.

[How to install armbian in h618?]

Thanks kajen for your reply. I read this Russian forum and tried boot with the firmware posted there burned with Phoenixcard without sucess. The Phoenix Usb and Phoenix suit didn't recognize my box, because none driver I tried work in my notebook. Tomorrow I'll try another computer or maybe with Linux. Anyway, I'm afraid of brick my box with it...

[How to install armbian in h618?]

Thanks for fast reply. I already tried it. My box didn't boot over SD. I tried either boot with an Android burned in PhoenixCard_v4.2.7 and nothing happens. Maybe I got a box with some blocked firmware. The mine is An Android TV. I enabled developer options without problem and turned on the USB debugging.

I could pull the dts files over adb as you teach, but cant boot over sd card or pen-drive. The SD is working and I could see it in Android and The Android could write its default folders in it.

There are any way to change its boot order.

Please, see my serial log attached With Armbian SD inserted and Without it I didn't see any important difference.

SerialLog-SD_Armbian.txt SerialLog_AndroidWO SD.txt

[How to install armbian in h618?]

Hi guys, first of all I want to thanks for Nike efforts and care with all people.

I Bought a Transpeed M98 plus and need your help. usually don't ask questions in topics, because almost always just have the answer in already posted in past messengers, but I read all the topic and tried everything relative to my box, but cant boot over SD Card ou USB stick.

If I power on my box pressing the bottom behind the P2 jack, The led is just red and no image in screen, In Uart there are none this way. If I boot no pressing the bottom, the Uart shows the logo, but doesn't appear the box try to boot from SD, it starts directly from internal memory.

I had same problem in a RK322x box and solved it installing a new loader in it, but I see no similar thing for the Transpeed M98 Plus.

I miss anything? You or other could help me with ant tips?

 

P.S. I'm Brazilian, and my English is not so good, sorry any mistake.

[CSC Armbian for RK322x TV box boards]

Hello guys, first of all, I'd like to thank @jock for your very powerful work, very patient with all us newbies and thanks too @fabiobassa for your always fast answer. 

I have the R29 box that didn't run HDMI neither WI-FI, so I tested the new multiboot and the new minimal firmware and as the most people, it works flawlessly boting in pendrive, I could install in internal EMMC and everything is OK. So, to go ahead I tried to install the XFCE desktop environment in armbian-config, but wen I did it, the HDMI stopped working. The system still works behind the screen with my pi-hole server, but without Image in HDMI.

I just see and it still in led7 option. There are anything I could do to try? Could a desmeg of my board help? Or is necessary both, before and after desktop installation to help?

Any test could I do to help you guys to improve this firmware?