When you run ./compile.sh, the first thing it shows you is the kernel configuration screen (image 1). Select, "Show a kernel configuration menu before compilation".
When it finally arrives on the configuration menu (image 2), use the forward slash key (/) for search, enter ntsync. When the result comes up (image 3), press 1 to select it. It will take you right to it. It will be highlighted (image 4). Press the M key to select it as a module. The use the right arrow to move from Select to Exit, and keep doing that until you get to where you save it. Then keep going with the rest of the process.
I could be wrong about this, but I think you can build the kernel only without the whole armbian image too, with this (from the second link above);
./compile.sh kernel-config BOARD=orangepi5 BRANCH=edge
Image 1: Select Kernel Configuration
Here's How (this is very easy to do):
It just involves making one simple modification to the devicetree.
Note: I did this with the Edge kernel. My guess is that it will also work with the Current kernel. You can also try the Vendor kernel if its devicetree has the same code.
Update: I've addressed the Current and Vendor kernels in this comment below:
https://forum.armbian.com/topic/52118-hdmi-audio-and-analog-audio-do-not-work-on-opi5plus/#findComment-225009
I manually applied this patch:
https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-rockchip/patch/20250823-orangepi5-v1-1-ae77dd0e06d7@hotmail.com/
If you scroll to the bottom where it gives the patch, the GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW needs to be changed to GPIO_ACTIVE_HIGH in the given section of the devicetree.
Here's the simple / quick way to fix it, without having to go through any lengthy (re)builds.
Modify the already installed devicetree file (/boot/dtb/rockchip/rk3588-orangepi-5-plus.dtb).
1. Install the package: device-tree-compiler
2. Backup the original, and convert to .dts format as follows:
# Go to your devicetree directory
cd /boot/dtb/rockchip/
# Make a backup of your original devicetree:
sudo cp rk3588-orangepi-5-plus.dtb rk3588-orangepi-5-plus.dtb.bak
# Use device-tree-compiler to convert the file from the binary .dtb format to source (text) .dts format (ignore the warnings)
sudo dtc -I dtb -O dts -o rk3588-orangepi-5-plus.dts rk3588-orangepi-5-plus.dtb
# Safety-Check Part 1: Convert right back to .dtb format (another filename), ignore the warnings.
sudo dtc -O dtb -I dts -o rk3588-orangepi-5-plus-test.dtb rk3588-orangepi-5-plus.dts
# Safety-Check Part 2: Compare the newly converted file with the original. They should be identical (this command should produce no output)
cmp -l rk3588-orangepi-5-plus-test.dtb rk3588-orangepi-5-plus.dtb
3. Using a text editor in sudo mode, edit the source (text) file:
rk3588-orangepi-5-plus.dts
Search for this phrase: simple-audio-card,hp-det-gpios
I should appear exactly once in the file.
# Here is what that line looks like (for me):
simple-audio-card,hp-det-gpios = <0x133 0x1b 0x01>;
# This is that same line before original compilation
simple-audio-card,hp-det-gpios = <&gpio1 RK_PD3 GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW>;
4. Notice between the brackets, there are 3 values, separated by spaces. The third value is the value to modify from GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW to GPIO_ACTIVE_HIGH, or for us, from 0x01 to 0x00.
5. Convert your modified .dts file to a .dtb file (ignore the warnings):
sudo dtc -O dtb -I dts -o rk3588-orangepi-5-plus-fixed.dtb rk3588-orangepi-5-plus.dts
# Optional: Quick Comparison Check (this should output exactly 1 line with 3 numbers: [big number] 0 1)
cmp -l rk3588-orangepi-5-plus-fixed.dtb rk3588-orangepi-5-plus.dtb
6. Copy the new fixed file to (overwriting) your original:
sudo cp rk3588-orangepi-5-plus-fixed.dtb rk3588-orangepi-5-plus.dtb
7. Reboot (and have ES8388 analog audio out).
Note: Whenever you do a kernel change or update, you will need to repeat this process until the Armbian kernel updates catch up with this patch.
Here's the lengthier explanation (this is repeatable if you want to check it out yourself)
1. I downloaded the source code for version 25.8.1:
https://github.com/armbian/build/releases/tag/v25.8.1
2. I extracted the archive and started the building process (./compile.sh) with the edge kernel (and a desktop image).
It would not build because it rejected two of the kernel patches, but it did download everything into the cache.
3. I then found the file described in the patch:
./build-25.8.1/cache/sources/linux-kernel-worktree/6.16__rockchip64__arm64/arch/arm64/boot/dts/rockchip/rk3588-orangepi-5-plus.dts
4. In that file, I searched for the line indicated in the patch, just prior to the line to modify:
simple-audio-card,aux-devs = <&speaker_amp>, <&headphone_amp>;
...and found the appropriate section. I confirmed the line that followed matched the original (incorrect) version mentioned in the patch entry.
5. I then scrolled to the top of the .dts file and looked at the files #included, to find where the GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW macro was defined. I figured dt-bindings/gpio/gpio.h was a reasonable place to look first. I found it here:
./build-25.8.1/cache/sources/linux-kernel-worktree/6.16__rockchip64__arm64/include/dt-bindings/gpio/gpio.h
Near the top of the file were these #defines:
/* Bit 0 express polarity */
#define GPIO_ACTIVE_HIGH 0
#define GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW 1
6. See the simple fix above for the rest.
