Hqnicolas

Update on 0.7:
 
Led Display works perfectly Wifi works perfectly after reboot (i would suggest it on screen after the driver is built) Unable to test USB3 at the moment Installed Kodi, unable to get video acceleration (it says llvmpipe with CPU at almost 100%, clearly is running software rendering)  
@serovan did you reboot after first boot? But yes, probably your revision has different pinout for the peripherals (wifi and PHY)

@Ovaday First of all, thank you for the initiative.

This repository contains the files that will be used as example to enable your board in Armbian:
https://github.com/hqnicolas/ArmBoardBringUp

The example file you're referring to is this one:
https://github.com/hqnicolas/ArmBoardBringUp/blob/main/config/boards/h96-tvbox-3566.tvb

The boot settings you should use may vary considerably from this reference, but your device will need a configured bootloader.
https://github.com/hqnicolas/ArmBoardBringUp/tree/main/patch/u-boot/v2026.04/board_h96-tvbox-3566

You will need to focus on the new kernels like:
https://github.com/hqnicolas/ArmBoardBringUp/tree/main/patch/kernel/archive/rockchip64-7.1/dt

The repository you need to interact with to include these files is this one:
https://github.com/armbian/build

You need to validate everything before publishing, so do some hard work using this compiler:
https://docs.armbian.com/Developer-Guide_Overview/

 

@Ovaday First of all, thank you for the initiative.

This repository contains the files that will be used as example to enable your board in Armbian:
https://github.com/hqnicolas/ArmBoardBringUp

The example file you're referring to is this one:
https://github.com/hqnicolas/ArmBoardBringUp/blob/main/config/boards/h96-tvbox-3566.tvb

The boot settings you should use may vary considerably from this reference, but your device will need a configured bootloader.
https://github.com/hqnicolas/ArmBoardBringUp/tree/main/patch/u-boot/v2026.04/board_h96-tvbox-3566

You will need to focus on the new kernels like:
https://github.com/hqnicolas/ArmBoardBringUp/tree/main/patch/kernel/archive/rockchip64-7.1/dt

The repository you need to interact with to include these files is this one:
https://github.com/armbian/build

You need to validate everything before publishing, so do some hard work using this compiler:
https://docs.armbian.com/Developer-Guide_Overview/

 

Created a Pull Request:
https://github.com/armbian/linux-rockchip/pull/500

Final DTB: rk3566-box-X88PRO20-npu.dtb

@Hqnicolas do you know how I can add the board as selectable from the Armbian website? Do I have to also add DTS that will work for latest kernel?
 

Author: @WINEDS 

How to Build Armbian with Maxio Ethernet Support for H96 V56 (2025 Model)
 
If you own the H96 V56 (2025 model) TV box and want to run Armbian with full Gigabit Ethernet support, you might have noticed that the stock kernel doesn't always support the Maxio Ethernet chip out of the box.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the most accessible method to build a custom Armbian image with the necessary kernel modules using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).
 
Refer to https://docs.armbian.com/Developer-Guide_Build-Preparation/ and note hardware requirements then in a Windows Powershell console select Ubuntu (using down arrow in title bar) and type to update the system:
 
sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade  
Prerequisites
A Windows PC with WSL (Ubuntu) installed. The specific patch file (my_v2_patch.patch) and DTB file (my_board_df.dtb) mentioned in the documentation. Patience (the build process can take a few hours). Step 1: Prepare Your Environment
First, ensure your WSL instance has enough resources. Go to your WSL settings (typically via a .wslconfig file or the settings menu) and allocate about 75% of your CPU cores and RAM to ensure the build doesn't crash.
Open your Ubuntu terminal in Windows PowerShell and update your system:
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
 
Step 2: Get the Armbian Build System
Clone the official Armbian build repository and enter the directory:
 
git clone [https://github.com/armbian/build](https://github.com/armbian/build) cd build
 
Step 3: Apply the Kernel Patch
You need to patch the kernel to support the specific hardware. Create the directory tree for the patch:
 
mkdir -p ./userpatches/kernel/archive/rockchip64-6.12
 
Using Windows File Explorer, copy your my_v2_patch.patch file into this newly created directory (rockchip64-6.12).
 
Step 4: Run the Build Command
Now, kick off the compilation process. We will build a Gnome desktop image based on the Noble release. Run the following command (copy and paste this as one line):
 
./compile.sh build BOARD=h96-tvbox-3566 BRANCH=current BUILD_DESKTOP=yes BUILD_MINIMAL=no DESKTOP_APPGROUPS_SELECTED=browsers DESKTOP_ENVIRONMENT=gnome DESKTOP_ENVIRONMENT_CONFIG_NAME=config_base KERNEL_CONFIGURE=yes RELEASE=noble
 
Step 5: Configure the Kernel (Crucial Step)
After the build runs for a while, the blue Kernel Configuration menu will appear. This is where you enable the Ethernet driver.
Use the arrow keys to navigate to Device Drivers.
 

Select Network device support. Select PHY Device support and Infrastructure. Scroll down to find MAXIO PHYs. Press the Space bar until you see an <M> next to it (this modularizes the feature). Once selected, use the Tab key to select Exit and keep selecting Exit until you leave the configuration menu. Select "Yes" when asked to save the kernel configuration. Step 6: Retrieve Your Image
The build will continue (potentially for a few hours). Once finished, your new image file will be located in:
output/images
 

 
 
Step 7: Post-Installation Setup
Flash the image to your SD card/eMMC and boot the device. To get the Ethernet working, you need to update the Device Tree Blob (DTB).
Copy the file my_board_df.dtb to /boot/dtb/rockchip/ on the device. Edit the boot environment file: sudo nano /boot/armbianEnv.txt Change the fdtfile line to point to your new DTB: fdtfile=rockchip/my_board_df.dtb
 
Press Ctrl+X, then Y to save.
Reboot your H96 V56, and you should now enjoy full Gigabit Ethernet speeds!
my_board_df.dtb

Patched the .dtb for v6.1, currently not yet in final format. I will probably create a commit to Armbian with a .dts for our board.
I am attaching the dtb/dts just to keep track of the progress.

Here are results of the RKNN test launch:
 
rknn_api/rknnrt version: 2.3.2 (429f97ae6b@2025-04-09T09:09:27), driver version: 0.9.8 model input num: 1, output num: 1 input tensors:   index=0, name=input, n_dims=4, dims=[1, 224, 224, 3], n_elems=150528, size=150528, fmt=NHWC, type=INT8, qnt_type=AFFINE, zp=0, scale=0.007812 output tensors:   index=0, name=MobilenetV1/Predictions/Reshape_1, n_dims=2, dims=[1, 1001, 0, 0], n_elems=1001, size=2002, fmt=UNDEFINED, type=FP16, qnt_type=AFFINE, zp=0, scale=1.000000 custom string: Begin perf ...    0: Elapse Time = 8.06ms, FPS = 124.12 ---- Top5 ---- 0.935059 - 156 0.057037 - 155 0.003881 - 205 0.003119 - 284 0.000172 - 285

So:
CPU: OK
GPU: OK via Panfrost
NPU: OK, RKNN inference works on RKNPU
rk3566-box-X88PRO20-npu.dtb rk3566-box-X88PRO20-npu.dts

The first iteration of mainline kernel driver support has just been posted.
So a kernel build with this patch set applied should give a playground for initial experiments.

I extracted DTB/DTS from the Android FW (files attached).
 
For whatever reason they are signed in the image as rk3568. No ideas why.
02_dtbdump_rockchip,rk3568-evb.dtb 02_dtbdump_rockchip,rk3568-evb.dtb.dts
 
 
Attention: They are for Android! Linux might not boot with them!

I know it was already written here in some of the messages that these devices are not secure. But now I got a message from Telekom that they detected a Chineese spyware connection:



The timeframe is exactly when I have switched the device on with an Android on board.

@guenter
I have resolved the NVMe SSD detection issue. The updated device tree access path is listed below.
https://github.com/Arthur97172/Armbian-Community-Build/blob/main/patch/kernel/archive/rockchip64-6.18/dt/rk3568-yy3568.dts

somehow I'm in troble to run the armbian build into 24.04 localhost.
 
cd build ./compile.sh BOARD=h96-tvbox-3566 BRANCH=edge BUILD_DESKTOP=no BUILD_MINIMAL=yes KERNEL_CONFIGURE=no RELEASE=resolute  
[💥] Problem detected [ Docker installed but not usable ] [💥] Exiting in 10 seconds [ Press <Ctrl-C> to abort, <Enter> to ignore and continue ] [🔨] E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages. [💥] error! [ Failed to install host packages; make sure you have a sane sources.list. ] [💥] Exiting with error 43 [ at /home/nicolas/Downloads/build/lib/functions/logging/traps.sh:1
so let's try docker,
cd build ./compile.sh docker BOARD=h96-tvbox-3566 BRANCH=edge BUILD_DESKTOP=no BUILD_MINIMAL=yes KERNEL_CONFIGURE=no RELEASE=resolute
then also docker:
 
Failed to update binfmts [ update-binfmts --enable qemu-aarch64 ] ... arm64: not supported on this machine/kernel
how to fix:
sudo apt update sudo apt install -y qemu-user-static binfmt-support sudo systemctl restart systemd-binfmt update-binfmts --display qemu-aarch64 docker run --privileged --rm tonistiigi/binfmt --install all docker run --rm --platform linux/arm64 arm64v8/ubuntu uname -m
now, run the build inside the docker shell:
 
cd build newgrp docker ./compile.sh docker-shell ./compile.sh BOARD=h96-tvbox-3566 BRANCH=edge BUILD_DESKTOP=no BUILD_MINIMAL=yes KERNEL_CONFIGURE=no RELEASE=resolute

Now let's prepare this board for kernel 7

Bump to uboot 2026.04
tested with kernel 7.0.5
no mods, just pure mainline
 
Boot Logs:
https://paste.armbian.com/ujumalanuc

Github Pull request:
https://github.com/armbian/build/pull/9807
 
Tested with kernel 7.0.6
Boot Logs:
https://paste.armbian.com/jabokoqusa 
 
 

 

With the help of AI, dts writing (kernel 5.10) has been achieved. It's basically error-free. Only applicable to shutuo v8 version
Results:
Wired network is normal
Wireless network is normal
USB interface is normal
rk3288-shutuo-v8.dtb rk3288-shutuo-v8.dts

when using your fork, it worked
https://github.com/fensoft/rk3528-tvbox
 

I finally managed to boot in Maskrom mode by shorting the clock pin (red circle on the picture) to ground, then loading the loader (rk3528_spl_loader_v1.07.104.bin) and u-boot with rkdeveloptool. 

Here are the modified latest official Armbian-supported images for Radxa Zero 3W/3E. Everything works for me, including hardware-accelerated YouTube playback in Chromium (however, with a caveat):
Armbian_26.2.1_hk1-rbox-r3_trixie_vendor_6.1.115_minimal.img.xz
Armbian_26.2.1_hk1-rbox-r3_noble_vendor_6.1.115_gnome_desktop.img.xz

MD5:
28654e87a39ac3e0b2bec4ce4211f5ca *Armbian_26.2.1_hk1-rbox-r3_noble_vendor_6.1.115_gnome_desktop.img.xz ce74829c43c6d27b02bdf314580c4dc4 *Armbian_26.2.1_hk1-rbox-r3_trixie_vendor_6.1.115_minimal.img.xz  
What you MUST do after installing Armbian:
Freeze auto-updates for the bootloader and DTB (kernel updates are OK, except for these two packages since we use a different bootloader, not for Radxa Zero 3):
sudo apt-mark hold linux-u-boot-radxa-zero3-vendor linux-dtb-vendor-rk35xx  
Install dependencies for hardware-accelerated playback Youtube in Chromium:
sudo apt update sudo apt install chromium-codecs-ffmpeg-extra ffmpeg  
In Chromium, install the enhanced-h264ify extension. Then, in the extension's options, leave only AV1 disabled (i.e., enable VP8 and VP9).
 
Screenshots:
 
Instructions on how to modify any Armbian image yourself:
 
Source: 4PDA

Regarding the vendor kernel I also managed to get the GPU going with some AI help, but the HDMI hotplug issue persists. Will probably revisit it in the future. (the dtb should go in packages/blobs/h96-m9_original.dtb and the defconfig in patch/u-boot/legacy/u-boot-radxa-rk35xx/deconfig)
 
 
h96-m9.csc h96-m9_original.dts h96-m9-rk3576_defconfig h96-m9_original.dtb

I've made some improvements of .dts for H96 MAX M9S, tested on Linux version 6.19.0-edge-rockchip64 (build@armbian)
 
What's new:
GPU working USB 3.0 mode working  
Currently working:
both USB ports, incl. USB 3.0 mode GPU (using Panfrost driver) HDMI (audio+video) Ethernet port Wifi (using aic8800 DKMS drivers provided by https://github.com/radxa-pkg/aic8800/releases) Leds  
Not working:
NPU Bluetooth S/PDIF  
rk3576-evb1-v10-main-h96-v5.dts dmesg-19.0.txt

@GBEM yes the service file can be improved, also it might be worth it to blacklist some unuseful module like:
sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
# Add:
blacklist btusb
blacklist btrtl
blacklist btbcm
blacklist btintel

@jock Hi, I have updated the build source for the leds overlay files (leds 6 and 7) for both the the rockchip64  H50 tvbox and the T9 tvbox, for kernels 6.12 (old non scrolling driver) and 6.18 (new scrolling driver) the version for 6.18 is also fine for 6.19.
Have a look at my  fork in https://github.com/gpaesano/build.
Some modifications are just refinements other are functional.
I have built all the images and variants on a ubuntu linux and are running well.
 I am not familiar with pull requests and do not want to be impolite, so If you think there is some added value please support it. 
All the best
@GmP

Take some time but I was able to identify the CLK pin.  
Shorting the marked pins (CLK and GND in this case) was able to switch MaskRom mode. 
Note: in early boot stages the eMMC CLK only working in legacy mode (24Mhz).

Thank you all... I was able to install Armbian on the H96 Max M9 thanks to all of your help.

Greetings, H96 Max V56 developers,
 
I got 1Gb Ethernet, basic WiFi6, and the full Bluetooth5.4 suite of capabilities from the new H96 hardware, running my 6.12.44 kernel, Home Assistant OS port.

Thanks especially @WINEDS for the stellar foundation, and to @GmP for the final piece of the Bluetooth puzzle.

GBEM 👽
 

Heya,
 
Of interest to anyone encountering the 2025 AIC8800 WiFi and Bluetooth hardware, and who is using Buildroot; this is the package that builds and installs everything into a Home Assistant image.

Of academic interest in the present discussion also, offering minor suggestions in dts and service file. The build process may be portable?

👽
aic8800.zip

Didn't warn ffmpeg from a guts feel years ago that they will issue a takedown if no action is taken? So I'm not surprised. Kind of.