Nick A

You’re more than welcome to clone my repository and fix the frame buffer console. All the sources are there except u-boot.

@Maxim Shell it’s possible to boot using USB OTG. You’ll need the latest u-boot. You can use my mainline build. Not sure if your stick has secure boot enabled. You can remove the secure boot patches if you don't need it. https://github.com/NickAlilovic/build/tree/mainline/patch/u-boot/u-boot-mainline git clone https://github.com/NickAlilovic/build.git --branch mainline cd build ./compile.sh build BOARD=transpeed-8k618-t BRANCH=edge BUILD_DESKTOP=yes BUILD_MINIMAL=no DESKTOP_APPGROUPS_SELECTED=browsers DESKTOP_ENVIRONMENT=xfce DESKTOP_ENVIRONMENT_CONFIG_NAME=config_base EXTRAWIFI=no KERNEL_BTF=no KERNEL_CONFIGURE=no RELEASE=bookworm https://linux-sunxi.org/FEL/USBBoot#Mainline_U-Boot_.28v2015.04_and_newer_versions.29 build/cache/sources/u-boot-worktree/u-boot/v2025.10/spl/u-boot-spl.bin You can mount the compiled image to get the other files. sun50i-h618-transpeed-8k618-t.dtb uImage boot.scr I haven't done this before. Let us know how it works out for you.

@Maxim Shell Does it have a SD card slot? If not then it won't be easy to install Armbian.

@Gavin Munday Try these images. Extract them first before you write to the SD card. https://github.com/NickAlilovic/build/releases/tag/Radxa-a7a-v0.3

@Phi Hùng Nguyễn that link looks nothing like Armbian. You shouldn’t install it on your tv box. Try my build it's unofficial Armbian but I provided source code. So you know what you are installing on your tv box. You can build it yourself if you want to. https://github.com/NickAlilovic/build/releases/tag/20250306

@Malay delete patch/u-boot/u-boot-aw/99-dump-dram-controller-regs.patch. Using your compiler it causes a fatal error. The compiler I'm using it creates a warning. You don't need it anyways, it's for ram debug messages. I removed it from my repository,

@Gavin Munday Did you compile a desktop or server image? Did you write the image onto a reliable sdcard? Remember there’s no framebuffer support. Server images need a usb to serial device attached to the UART. Having a usb serial device attached to the UART helps with these types of problems. https://docs.radxa.com/en/cubie/a7a/system-config/uart_debug Also, first boot might take awhile to boot. For desktop images wait at least 5 minutes for a display manager login screen.

@Gavin Mundayhttps://github.com/NickAlilovic/build/blob/Radxa-A7A/config/boards/radxa-cubie-a7z.csc

@zmxyz I added support for A7Z. But I haven't tested it yet. I don't own a A7Z. Compile an image and let me know if it works.

@Jeeva Kandasamy depends on which branch you are looking at? V20250306 hasn’t changed much. https://github.com/NickAlilovic/build/commits/v20250306/

@dale I had the same problem last night. Should be fixed now. Clone or update the repository. You will need to install Docker. https://github.com/NickAlilovic/build/commit/025e4487f87233bfb823c7d51162d877b2a9fd6f https://github.com/armbian/build/issues/8572

@Jeeva Kandasamy I noticed the same problem with my older builds. Should be fixed now. You'll need to install Docker. Also, if you see the build-root errors. Run the same compile options again and it continue where you left off.

Thanks @dale I'll test it out on my box first and add it later on today.

I found this thread https://forum.armbian.com/topic/47929-banana-pi-bpi-m2-ultra-with-armbian-stops-load-after-scanning-for-btrfs-filesystems/

@Shubham Singh To check if KVM is compiled into the kernel, use the following command: grep CONFIG_KVM /boot/config-$(uname -r) CONFIG_KVM=y CONFIG_KVM_MMIO=y CONFIG_KVM_VFIO=y CONFIG_KVM_GENERIC_DIRTYLOG_READ_PROTECT=y CONFIG_KVM_XFER_TO_GUEST_WORK=y A7A: Harware Virtualization https://forum.radxa.com/t/a7a-harware-virtualization/29745

@djoness you need to Disable Armbian kernel/firmware upgrades using the armbian-config tool. System -> Updates -> UPD002 - Disable Armbian firmware upgrades -> Disable Armbian kernel/firmware upgrades X96Q has many different variations of the same box. Read the bottom of this thread. https://github.com/warpme/miniarch/issues/102 If you want a well supported box get a Transpeed 8K618-t.

An apt error related to ntpdate typically indicates a time synchronization issue, as apt relies on accurate system time for validating package release files. https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=55588fd05011d482&rlz=1CDGOYI_enCA922CA922&hl=en-US&sxsrf=AE3TifMjcn14YNfEQNUHV48vtdb2hNOADw:1763573317647&q=How+to+fix+apt+error+around+ntpdate&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiLzojJ3v6QAxUbEFkFHatLG24Q1QJ6BAgQEAE&biw=390&bih=665&dpr=3

@qwerty keyboard H313/H616/H618 are pretty much the same. A133 and A64 are different SOC’s. You don’t need the dts for the dram settings.

@djonessIf you can find the source code for this image that would help. MiniArch-20231112-6.6.2-board-h313.x96_q-SD-Image.img Have you tried miniarch latest images?

@djoness My build uses the miniarch patches. https://github.com/NickAlilovic/build/releases/tag/20250306 Here's a direct link to X96q ddr3 server image. https://github.com/NickAlilovic/build/releases/download/20250306/Armbian-unofficial_25.05.0-trunk_X96q-ddr3_bookworm_edge_6.12.11_server.img.xz

@qwerty keyboard here are some links that will help you. Find your Dram settings https://forum.armbian.com/topic/29794-how-to-install-armbian-in-h618/#findComment-218660 Find boot.bin and extract dts. https://forum.armbian.com/topic/29794-how-to-install-armbian-in-h618/#findComment-187672 Uboot defconfig. I have two x96q builds with ddr3. https://github.com/NickAlilovic/build/blob/v20250306/patch/u-boot/u-boot-h616/151-add-x96-q-ddr3-defconfig.patch Or https://github.com/NickAlilovic/build/blob/v20250306/patch/u-boot/u-boot-h616/163-add-x96-q-ddr3-v5.1-defconfig.patch You can edit the patch and enter the new values. If you need to add a new line in the defconfig patch. At the bottom of the patch add your newline and put a "+" infront of it. Also, for x96q ddr3 increase @@ -0,0 +1,37 @@ to @@ -0,0 +1,38 @@ or for x96q ddr3 v5.1 @@ -0,0 +1,39 @@ to @@ -0,0 +1,40 @@. Download and compile my build: git clone https://github.com/NickAlilovic/build.git --branch v20250306 cd build ./compile.sh choose "Do not change kernel configuration" choose "Show CSC/WIP/EOS/TVB" choose "I understand and agree" choose "X96Q DDR3” or “X96Q DDR3 v5.1” choose "edge" rest is up to you.

@blackc Exact the original U-boot DRAM settings from your boot.bin or an update. https://forum.armbian.com/topic/29794-how-to-install-armbian-in-h618/page/23/#findComment-218660 If you are still having issues ask the sunxi guys on IRC. https://oftc.catirclogs.org/linux-sunxi/2025-11-14

Fixed the automatic first boot configuration on Bookwarm. Now you can boot the desktop image without a usb serial device.

You need to set this to y or m in your kernel config. https://github.com/NickAlilovic/build/blob/v20250306/config/kernel/linux-sunxi64-edge.config#L5745 https://www.kernelconfig.io/config_usb_acm

@eli It's compiled in the kernel https://github.com/NickAlilovic/build/blob/Radxa-A7A/config/kernel/linux-sun60i-legacy.config#L1659-L1672