NicoD

Hi all.
I've just finished a long video special where I talk about all my SBCs. In the order how I got them.
I show the specs of all of them. Say what I like, what's bad about them. What I use them for. What SBC is best for your goal.
Here's my video, I hope you enjoy it.

Greetings, NicoD.
 
 
P.S. : Pictures of anyone else their collection? Mine are not all on this pic, no room for them all. 

Hi all. 
For gaming on the Raspberry Pi 4 there is nothing better(opinion) than TwisterOS.
It is Raspberry Pi OS with a lot preinstalled tools for gaming. Also very nice skins to make your OS look like old Windows versions, or even MacOS.
You can play old Windows games with it thanks to Box86 + wine which is preinstalled and configured. 
Also native x86 Linux games run amazingly well with it. 
There is a Steam client preinstalled. Is must say I've never used it, since I've never used/liked Steam. 

You can download TwisterOS here : https://twisteros.com
The official TwisterOS reviewer on Youtube is @Salvador Liébana and his colleague from Pi Labs : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgfQjdc5RceRlTGfuthBs7g
If you got questions about TwisterOS you can go to Discord and find the TwitserOS group. And for Box86 there is also a Discord group.

I also made some videos about it. First how to install it and configure it to your choice. 
 
Next is Windows games on Twister OS 1 :

Here video number 2 of Windows games on TwisterOS.

You can also use TwisterOS to run old Windows programs. Here my video about that.

I still need to make videos about x86 Linux games on TwisterOS, and console emulation. 
When done I will also share these here.
Please share your experiences. 

Thank you for sharing that because it is hard to choose a SBC and disastrous to make the wrong choice. 
 
I buy SBC for projects. Projects require a limited number of feature for the SBC but good hardware and software for the purpose, and are time consuming : it implies not only the SBC itself but housing, electronic, cooling, powering, backups, storage, network, documentation, installation, wiring, maintenance, (useful and remote) logging, access, scalability and of course software stability.
 
This is why software and hardware stability is crucial : the project can simply not reach an end without stability and other projects must wait. Making a bad choice implies a lot of work done for nothing.
 
The most difficult for me was finding a solution for my desktop machine : I have just replaced my Banana PI M1 with a RPI4 ! Because :
- video driver now allow youtube video to run smoothly !
- video drivers allow using vlc and mplayer with acceleration quite "out of the box".
- it offers 2 hdmi output !
- USB3 allow to use a cheap SSD and nor rely on ?!*§@¤ SD Card or limited offer on eMMC solutions ! (but I couldn't use UASP with a JMicron controler)
- it is scalable with 2, 4, 8G RAM versions
- you can find cheap and efficient passive cooling housing !
- RPI is supported by my toolchains for espressif micro controllers (esp-idf, nodemcu, arduino).
(I still run on 32 bit because stability is more important than performance).
 
So my project really started when I could check all those requirements were fulfilled :  reorganize my workspace, servers, audio and TV setup, backups, archiving, project tools and management ...
 
Other vendors seems to me to lay behind for desktop : at least offering cheap multihead solution and memory for hungry browsers ?
 
So my other needs are - at present - much more easy : I use *old* SBC. BPI M1 for storage because (disastrous SATA performance is not a problem (yet) for my usage) and they are stable and power efficient for file/archive servers - just using an out-of-date armbian disto with 3.1.110 kernel. RPI zero for CAMs and TV tuner (need to be upgraded for stability and SDcard elimination). My Network Firewall / Gateway / proxy / MQTT server is a tiny nanopi (need to be replaced but I want something as power efficient that can also handle TVhat tuner.
 
My wifi gateway is a Gl-inet / openwrt device. My GPIO servers (IoT) are migrating to esp32 one after the other.
I wish I could have installed a mesh network. But I never could make Bluetooth work reliably on linux ! So I use wifi and reconnect handlers - because it rarely work smoothly out-of-the-box. (And all my SBC also need power and remote access control). When we loose count of network nodes, there is always something out of service somewhere.
So ?
 
It implies a lot of work - for armbian developers and maintainers as well for end users - to handle *useful* projects. SBC providers cannot simply assemble the last components for TV box or smartphone and "rely on community". For my use cases, Hardware power and functionality is nothing without software, and hardware and software is nothing until it has been integrated in a box with other components, wiring, and security (backup, documentation, spare parts, network ...).
 
Perhaps I am not a typical user ?

This is how it supposet to be, but its probably not - since people buy Raspberies one after another and then try to use them just for everything (RPi as NAS or some small service is totally stupid, but they use it) ... and IMHO this also means you are not a typical user. 
 

Thats quite a big jump  ... jump of generations.

... but I do agree that desktop / video capabilities of Rpi4 are decent. Nevertheles its a propriatery video player by design, but usually limitations are defining our choices. If relatively low memory and low IO speed combined with USB storage quirks doesn't bother you, why not. Compared to 1st version of Banana, this is a huge diff in all ways. If you would want 1.4Gbps SSD drive, you should go for some RK3399  

When its about workstation / desktop, I am staying with (high-end) x86. For ARM based worstation, which is in some plan - Honeycomb at minimum which mean Rpi doesn't qualify. NvME storage over PCI (v4 is desired) and fast RAM is expected. CPU power as well. Video output as well. I ran one large monitor, so three are not used ...

PCIe on H6 kind a works:
 

Hi all.
I've just finished a long video special where I talk about all my SBCs. In the order how I got them.
I show the specs of all of them. Say what I like, what's bad about them. What I use them for. What SBC is best for your goal.
Here's my video, I hope you enjoy it.

Greetings, NicoD.
 
 
P.S. : Pictures of anyone else their collection? Mine are not all on this pic, no room for them all. 

You waste our time not giving us the data we need to be able to help.
sudo armbianmonitor -u
What image? What kernel?

Mainline is still in development. Things are added, and other things break. That's just a fact of life.
We can't test every single thing.
Use Legacy if it fits your goal. Thank you for wasting my time too.
If you're not happy buy an x86 sbc and buy Windows for it. Then go complain to Microsoft like that. Please.

You waste our time not giving us the data we need to be able to help.
sudo armbianmonitor -u
What image? What kernel?

Mainline is still in development. Things are added, and other things break. That's just a fact of life.
We can't test every single thing.
Use Legacy if it fits your goal. Thank you for wasting my time too.
If you're not happy buy an x86 sbc and buy Windows for it. Then go complain to Microsoft like that. Please.

This is a FYI:
 
My armbian did not automount my USB-disk. Possbile reason "By default, disk drives do not auto-mount in Ubuntu Server Edition.".
 
Anyway: I solved it with usbmount:
 
First install usbmount.
 
Then, in /etc/usbmount/usbmount.conf change the line
 
#MOUNTOPTIONS="sync,noexec,nodev,noatime,nodiratime"  
to
 
MOUNTOPTIONS="sync,noexec,nodev,noatime,nodiratime,user,umask=0000"  
to make it writeable for all users. 
 
HTH
 

Yeah, it tried to add some sarcasms. Not sure if it worked 

Besides the good and warm feeling and the donator badge a new, exclusivly for donators available dark theme has been added to the forums. There is a preview attached to this posting. Special thanks to @NicoD for providing the background
If you have an active subscription you can select it from the Theme menu at the very bottom of the page.

 
If you do not have one, get it here: https://forum.armbian.com/subscriptions/
 
 
Also the white banners with red text mentioning to provide proper logs, contribute code or buy swag and so on will no longer be shown to donators.
 
 
Last but not least for all users a new editor icon has been added which allows to add inline code:
For example you can highlight a command like code { font-family: Consolas,"courier new"; color: crimson; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); padding: 2px; font-size: 105%; } armbianmonitor within a sentence.
 
 

That's cool.

...A long time ago in a galaxy far away...
...Tux was there to save the galaxy from the evil empires of Apple and Microsoft. Thanks to the rivalry of the two giants, the Linux rebels were able to grow their underground base. While Tux is on a secret mission to save the princess from lord Gates his hands. The other rebels are training to improve their skills.
For one day they'll come out of their dark places, into the light, and fight the evil empires until they crumble and die. Just like the once mighty Commodore before them. Hahaha, hahahaha, hahahahahahahaaaa.

Go TUX and his Linux Rebels.

"Advertisments" (you know the red text mentioning providing logs, buy swag ecetera...) are no longer visible to donators and moderators.
Also working on a dark theme for the mentioned groups above. @NicoD you might want to try it
 

Also available, install armbian desktop.
Install Panfrost on Armbian.
What is Armbian...
And a few more like install on TV-box.

I've plans for a video about armbian-config. Also a video for Windows users using Armbian for the first time(differences, how to install software, the filesystems,...).

The next SBC I'll review is the RockPiS. So installing headless was on the list too. Should've done it before with the NanoPi DUO2, but never got to make a video about it.
I've got data for tons of videos. But not enough time to put it all in a video. I don't have a smooth workflow. Takes me ages to film, edit, render, upload and process a video. I often wonder if it's worth my time(no it isn't, only costs me money).
I do need to fill my little spare time with something, in between all my other hobbies/jobs.

I would love it to be able to earn a bit of money with this so I could put in more time. But I don't see that happening soon. I ain't ETA-Prime(Cause I do put time into research ).

enable Ubuntu 20.10 Groovy as a CSC build option (need build parameter EXPERT="yes") update u-boot loader to 2020.10 on Allwinner platform (optional manual update via armbian-config) update all kernels update images for Helios 64 add option to build images from prebuild packages from repository which drastically improves build time in case you don't need to rebuild kernel  

Hi all.
@Werner and I have been working on an instruction video on how to install Armbian headless on your SBC.
Here it is.
Greetings,
NicoD

I started writing a script for the topic "how to contribute".
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oN2GnhN5uo57GTNSgKqeadt1Rn1pSHjfiEpIeyqG0aY/edit?usp=sharing
 
It is more or less finished but has still quite some rough edges. Though it is good enough to collect feedback about the covered topics.

Armbian does not support RaspberryPi's of any kind.
Besides that all clairvoyants are out of office today. (to say: insufficient information for further investigation).
The topic title is very inexpressively.
 
Closed

Hello. Sorry for the no-show at the IRC meeting, got the COVID and that precise day I was moving back to my home after being discharged. I'm better now, thanks be to God.
 
I have been investigating, and got to make a set of multimedia packages that will work with Buster or Focal. I think it is a good opportunity to close AR-151, and give to users some stable and well-proven multimedia solution, while exploring newer options as Mainline or Wayland for next releases.
 
The solution would be simply a set of packages, with some base meta-package to install them all, and do the necessary configs. We could then choose to install it at build time, or make it an option in Armbian-config, or just leave it for the user to do an "apt install armbian-multimedia-xxxx".
 
I think I can have the binary packages ready by the freeze date (this weekend), at least for some boards (RK3288, RK3399 and probably also RK3328 and XU4). @lanefu Do you think we can include it in this release?

The question that needs to be ask is "does my webcam run on Linux OOB?". If that question an be answered with yes, then it is most likely that it will run on Armbian as well.
 
I have adjusted the topic title to be more precise.

Also available, install armbian desktop.
Install Panfrost on Armbian.
What is Armbian...
And a few more like install on TV-box.

I've plans for a video about armbian-config. Also a video for Windows users using Armbian for the first time(differences, how to install software, the filesystems,...).

The next SBC I'll review is the RockPiS. So installing headless was on the list too. Should've done it before with the NanoPi DUO2, but never got to make a video about it.
I've got data for tons of videos. But not enough time to put it all in a video. I don't have a smooth workflow. Takes me ages to film, edit, render, upload and process a video. I often wonder if it's worth my time(no it isn't, only costs me money).
I do need to fill my little spare time with something, in between all my other hobbies/jobs.

I would love it to be able to earn a bit of money with this so I could put in more time. But I don't see that happening soon. I ain't ETA-Prime(Cause I do put time into research ).

Hi all.
@Werner and I have been working on an instruction video on how to install Armbian headless on your SBC.
Here it is.
Greetings,
NicoD

I've been following @xmixahlx work on pbp-tools.  I have an rk3399 board we're developing in house (kind of) and I'm tasked with seeing what it takes to get the VPU working.  Our build system won't work with the pbp scripts but I extraced the useful bits (urls, patches, etc.) from them to get a build working with the following components.  I also wrote a BASH test script for doing validation (see link below) up to and including attempting to decode and encode to the NULL device with ffmpeg.  I'm not getting the output I'm expecting and was wondering if I've missed a step.
 
This is what I have now.  This is the order I build them as well.
        1. Linux 5.8.5 w/local config plus pbp patch
            a. url: https://github.com/xmixahlx/pbp-tools/tree/master/resources/linux/5.8
            b. linux-5.8-rc4-hwaccel_20200709.diff
        2. v4l2-utils 1.20.0 (no patches)
        3. libva (git master) with patches
            a. url: https://patch-diff.githubusercontent.com/raw/intel/libva/pull/
            b. 332.patch
            c. 340.patch
            d. patches edited based on https://github.com/xmixahlx/pbp-tools/blob/master/pbp-install-libva
        4. libva-v4l2-request (git master) with patches
            a. url: https://patch-diff.githubusercontent.com/raw/bootlin/libva-v4l2-request/pull/
            b. 30.patch
            c. 32.patch
            d. Why not 28, 29 too? (31 doesn't exist: https://github.com/bootlin/libva-v4l2-request/pulls) - I think I found these may not be needed after all, but can't remember now why I left them out.
        5. libva-utils (git master, no patches)
        6. ffmpeg n4.3.1 with patches
            a. url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xmixahlx/pbp-tools/master/resources/ffmpeg/4.3/
            b. ffmpeg-4.3-v4l2request-rkvdec_20200709.diff
        7. v4l2-request-test (git master, no patches)
 
The test script, which I linked at the bottom of this post, is mostly just printing out what my setup looks like and responses to various v4l2, va and ffmpeg commands suggested here, the pbp forum and for ffmpeg.  I run it like this:
 
 
I can also run it without the -t option to enable decode/encode tests but those don't work and I think that's because of what the rest of the tests are telling me.  Most important is that vainfo is not showing any profile or entrypoints. 
One important fact for my build:  drm is not enabled yet.  We have it working on a 4.4.179 kernel and are working on a port to 5.4, but I have to wait for that before I port again to 5.8.5.  Not sure if that's going to be a show stopper for testing the VPU or not.  I thought with the va interface I wouldn't need that.
 
Any tips on what to try next would be appreciated.
 
Here is the output from the test.
VPU TESTS ==== CHECK FOR DRIVERS Drivers: hantro-vpu rkvdec ==== LIST DEVICES Video Devices: /dev/video1 /dev/video2 /dev/video0 Media Devices: /dev/media1 /dev/media0 ==== DUMP FORMATS AND CONTROLS ++++ /dev/video1: |---------------------------------------------------- JPEG Compression Controls compression_quality 0x009d0903 (int) : min=5 max=100 step=1 default=50 value=50 ioctl: VIDIOC_ENUM_FMT Type: Video Capture Multiplanar [0]: 'JPEG' (JFIF JPEG, compressed) |---------------------------------------------------- ++++ /dev/video2: |---------------------------------------------------- mpeg_2_slice_parameters 0x009909fa (unknown): type=103 flags=has-payload mpeg_2_quantization_matrices 0x009909fb (unknown): type=104 flags=has-payload vp8_frame_header 0x009910d0 (unknown): type=301 flags=has-payload ioctl: VIDIOC_ENUM_FMT Type: Video Capture Multiplanar [0]: 'NV12' (Y/CbCr 4:2:0) |---------------------------------------------------- ++++ /dev/video0: |---------------------------------------------------- Codec Controls h264_level 0x00990a67 (menu) : min=0 max=15 default=0 value=0 h264_profile 0x00990a6b (menu) : min=0 max=6 default=2 value=2 vp9_profile 0x00990b00 (menu) : min=0 max=0 default=0 value=0 hevc_profile 0x00990b67 (menu) : min=0 max=2 default=0 value=0 hevc_level 0x00990b68 (menu) : min=0 max=8 default=0 value=0 h264_sequence_parameter_set 0x00990ce8 (unknown): type=110 flags=has-payload h264_picture_parameter_set 0x00990ce9 (unknown): type=111 flags=has-payload h264_scaling_matrix 0x00990cea (unknown): type=112 flags=has-payload h264_slice_parameters 0x00990ceb (unknown): type=113 flags=has-payload h264_decode_parameters 0x00990cec (unknown): type=114 flags=has-payload h264_decode_mode 0x00990ced (menu) : min=1 max=1 default=1 value=1 h264_start_code 0x00990cee (menu) : min=1 max=1 default=1 value=1 hevc_sequence_parameter_set 0x00990cf0 (unknown): type=120 flags=has-payload hevc_picture_parameter_set 0x00990cf1 (unknown): type=121 flags=has-payload hevc_slice_parameters 0x00990cf2 (unknown): type=122 [16] flags=has-payload hevc_scaling_matrix 0x00990cf3 (unknown): type=123 flags=has-payload hevc_decode_mode 0x00990cf7 (menu) : min=1 max=1 default=1 value=1 hevc_start_code 0x00990cf8 (menu) : min=1 max=1 default=1 value=1 vp9_frame_context_0 0x009918a0 (unknown): type=400 flags=has-payload vp9_frame_context_1 0x009918a1 (unknown): type=400 flags=has-payload vp9_frame_context_2 0x009918a2 (unknown): type=400 flags=has-payload vp9_frame_context_3 0x009918a3 (unknown): type=400 flags=has-payload vp9_frame_decode_parameters 0x009918a4 (unknown): type=404 flags=has-payload ioctl: VIDIOC_ENUM_FMT Type: Video Capture Multiplanar [0]: 'NV12' (Y/CbCr 4:2:0) [1]: 'NV15' (10-bit Y/CbCr 4:2:0 (Packed)) [2]: 'NV16' (Y/CbCr 4:2:2) [3]: 'NV20' (10-bit Y/CbCr 4:2:2 (Packed)) |---------------------------------------------------- ==== SHOW HW ACCELS ffmpeg version n4.3.1-Kodi Copyright (c) 2000-2020 the FFmpeg developers built with gcc 7.5.0 (GCC) configuration: --prefix=/usr --arch=arm64 --target-os=linux --cross-prefix=aarch64-linux-gnu- --enable-cross-compile --sysr oot=/home2/qsys3/src/os/../aarch64-linux-gnu/install --pkg-config=aarch64-linux-gnu-pkg-config --enable-shared --disable-doc --enable-v4l2-request --enable-libdrm --enable-libudev --enable-pic --enable-avfilter --enable-postproc --enable-pthreads --e nable-gpl --enable-nonfree --enable-version3 --toolchain=hardened --enable-avfilter --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreety pe --enable-libxml2 --enable-openssl --enable-protocol=file --enable-protocol=pipe --enable-hwaccel=h264_vaapi --enable-hwacc el=hevc_vaapi --enable-hwaccel=mjpeg_vaapi --enable-hwaccel=mpeg2_vaapi --enable-hwaccel=mpeg4_vaapi --enable-hwaccel=vp9_vaa pi --enable-muxer=h264 --enable-muxer=mjpeg --enable-muxer=mpeg2video --enable-muxer=mp2 --enable-muxer=mp4 --enable-muxer=mo v --enable-muxer=null --enable-demuxer=mpegvideo --enable-demuxer=h264 --enable-demuxer=hevc --enable-demuxer=mov --enable-en coder=mjpeg_vaapi --enable-encoder=vp9_vaapi --enable-encoder=vp8_v4l2m2m --enable-encoder=vp8_vp8_vaapi --enable-encoder=hev c_vaapi --enable-encoder=hevc_v4l2m2m --enable-encoder=mpeg2_vaapi --enable-encoder=h264_vaapi --enable-encoder=h264_v4l2m2m --enable-encoder=wrapped_avframe --enable-encoder=pcm_s16le --enable-decoder=mjpeg --enable-decoder=vp9 --enable-decoder=vp8 --enable-decoder=vp8_v4l2m2m --enable-decoder=vp9_v4l2m2m --enable-decoder=hevc --enable-decoder=hevc_v4l2m2m --enable-decode r=h264 --enable-decoder=webp --enable-decoder=mpeg2video --enable-decoder=mpeg2_v4l2m2m --enable-decoder=mpeg4 --enable-decod er=mpeg4_v4l2m2m --enable-rpath --extra-ldflags=-ludev --libdir=/usr/lib --shlibdir=/usr/lib libavutil 56. 51.100 / 56. 51.100 libavcodec 58. 91.100 / 58. 91.100 libavformat 58. 45.100 / 58. 45.100 libavdevice 58. 10.100 / 58. 10.100 libavfilter 7. 85.100 / 7. 85.100 libswscale 5. 7.100 / 5. 7.100 libswresample 3. 7.100 / 3. 7.100 libpostproc 55. 7.100 / 55. 7.100 Hardware acceleration methods: vaapi drm |---------------------------------------------------- ==== SHOW VAINFO ++++ /dev/video1: |---------------------------------------------------- libva info: VA-API version 1.9.0 libva info: User environment variable requested driver 'v4l2_request' libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/dri/v4l2_request_drv_video.so libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_9 libva info: va_openDriver() returns 0 vainfo: VA-API version: 1.9 (libva 2.9.0.pre1) vainfo: Driver version: v4l2-request vainfo: Supported profile and entrypoints |---------------------------------------------------- ++++ /dev/video2: |---------------------------------------------------- libva info: VA-API version 1.9.0 libva info: User environment variable requested driver 'v4l2_request' libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/dri/v4l2_request_drv_video.so libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_9 libva info: va_openDriver() returns 0 vainfo: VA-API version: 1.9 (libva 2.9.0.pre1) vainfo: Driver version: v4l2-request vainfo: Supported profile and entrypoints |---------------------------------------------------- ++++ /dev/video0: |---------------------------------------------------- libva info: VA-API version 1.9.0 libva info: User environment variable requested driver 'v4l2_request' libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/dri/v4l2_request_drv_video.so libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_9 libva info: va_openDriver() returns 0 vainfo: VA-API version: 1.9 (libva 2.9.0.pre1) vainfo: Driver version: v4l2-request vainfo: Supported profile and entrypoints |---------------------------------------------------- Tests completed.  
Here is the test script.
 
 

Seems like words from frustrated people. Those give the worst advice.
It's sometimes good to be lazy but thoughtful. Think 2 times and only act once. Saved me a lot of time.

Perhaps this fits here: