X96 mini

[SteeMan]

TV Box Status Information Template Version 1.0

TV Box Name (example: TX3 mini): X96 mini

CPU (example: amlogic s905w): amlogic s905w

Armbian build file name: Armbian_20.10_Arm-64_focal_current_5.9.0_desktop.img.xz

DTB file used: meson-gxl-s905w-gxl-s905w-p281.dtb

Kernel Version: 5.9.0

Distribution Installed (focal, buster, etc): focal

Working Ethernet (Yes/No): Yes

Max Ethernet Speed that works (100/1000): 100

Does wifi work (Yes/No): No

Does bluetooth work (Yes/No): No

Does HDMI audio work (Yes/No): No

Additional Comments (provide any additional information you feel is important): HDMI was unstable during boot and when connected to a 4K monitor.  Once I connected to a 1080p monitor the display was stable after booting, still had issues during the boot.

[aminders]

I  bought two x96 mini 1GB/8GB + two SunDisk 32 GB Ultra. Followed your example and now I have two Linux servers working all right. I'm working on getting WiFi working but my LAN is allmost wired so it's o for now.

Cheap solution.

Thanks Steeman

 

Aminders

[SteeMan]

22 hours ago, aminders said:

I'm working on getting WiFi working

Most of these boxes have a sp6051p wifi chip which doesn't have a supported driver in mainline kernels, so wifi isn't an option.

[SteeMan]

Adding a link to the following thread that talks about hardware differences on some newer? x96 mini models that require changes to the dtb: https://forum.armbian.com/topic/15665-new-x96mini-hardware-upgraded-but-no-emmc-found

 

[unmesh]

I'm looking for a small and low powered Linux box to run a non-demanding application called nut-server and there is a $30 1G/8G version of this on Amazon that would fit the use case.

 

@SteeMan and @aminders

 

Before I buy one, can you guys check if nut-server is available on the repository for whichever OS build you're running?

 

Thanks

[Werner]

5 hours ago, unmesh said:

Before I buy one, can you guys check if nut-server is available on the repository for whichever OS build you're running?

The more interesting question is why do you want to spend cash on a shitty tvbox without proper hardware/software support instead of checking if something that is actually well supported does fit your needs too? All supported devices

https://www.armbian.com/download/?device_support=Supported

[unmesh]

@Werner

 

your point about not struggling through support issues is a good one and I will take a look at the units at your link. 

 

Thanks

 

P.S. The delayed response is because I'm new and am only allowed to make one post a day

[unmesh]

@Werner

 

I'm hoping you can offer a point of clarification between hardware that is Supported vs CSC. Is it the case that only the former is amenable to upgrading from the network repositories through something like "apt update && apt upgrade" whereas the latter would need a new .img file to be reflashed?

 

Thanks.

[Werner]

8 hours ago, unmesh said:

@Werner

 

I'm hoping you can offer a point of clarification between hardware that is Supported vs CSC. Is it the case that only the former is amenable to upgrading from the network repositories through something like "apt update && apt upgrade" whereas the latter would need a new .img file to be reflashed?

 

Thanks.

CSC stands for community supported configuration which means somebody took time to make Armbian work on specific device. However the device may not have an active maintainer that takes care of future kernel versions and supporting so it could break any time with upgrading since Armbian often does not even have a sample of the device in the lab to make basic functional tests. Also if something breaks and nobody is around that knows the device and how to fix it it stays broken. Armbian developers may/can/will not help.

[unmesh]

@Werner

 

Thanks for the clarification.

 

I learned a lot from a recent Armbian installation on an Allwinner H6 TV box and will now research fully supported hardware with reasonable power and temperature characteristics

[Saru]

I was hoping to use the tv box as a cheap PC, because I have a bluetooth connection thanks to the CSR 4.0 adapter and a wifi connection thanks to the TL-WN722N v1.0 adapter
Version: Armbian 20.10 Focal with Linux 5.9.0-arm-64, using dtb for TX3 mini (I had previously used a rom for this device on my TV Box, so I tried my luck and it did not cause me any problems)
Model: X96 mini [CPU: S905w, RAM: 2GB, EMMC: 16GB, WiFi: SV6051P (they say there is a driver that maybe works, but nobody wanted to rewrite it)]
Micro SD: SanDisk Ultra 32GB Class 10 A1
There are several things that I do not know because I am a newbie to this topic and I would like to get the full potential of the TvBox so I will do my best with the information from the forum.

[Translated from Spanish with Google translator].

[dorin]

I have a very strange problem with my X96 mini with S905W.

About 2 years ago I followed the instructions for https://forum.armbian.com/topic/2419-armbian-for-amlogic-s905-and-s905x-ver-544/ and I got it working.
But now using the newer unified image (the exact same the author of this topic used) it doesn't boot from USB anymore.

 

I used the same dtb /dtb/amlogic/meson-gxl-s905w-p281.dtb and u-boot-s905 as u-boot.ext and the AV button pressed using a toothpick but there's no signal on HDMI. Using the old USB drive flashed with the 5.1.15 (2019-07 ?) version it still boots fine. 

 

Now if this new unified image still can't work for whatever reason I'd like to flash a fresh USB drive using the old version but I see the archive links have been deleted.. 

[dorin]

I come back with a couple of updates.

After about 30 seconds of no HDMI signal, it came back booting. I thought yayyy so good. And I flashed to eMMC. And I managed to brick the box, getting stuck into a reboot loop.

It turns out I used the wrong u-boot due to confusing instructions from balbes150 - though I'm still thankful for his great technical work - (for S905W it should be u-boot-s905x-s912) and I also used the wrong eMMC installtion script (should be install-aml.sh). This post luckily clarified it for me: https://forum.armbian.com/topic/17106-installation-instructions-for-tv-boxes-with-amlogic-cpus

Now in order to unbrick the box I had to use this method of shorting resistor pad to GND
It was a very tricky procedure of trial and error timing the shorting / release of the pad, had the windows burning tool crash a few times... Better to not brick in the first place.

After unbricking with original android I was able to retry the armbian procedure successfully.

 

 

[SteeMan]

@dorin I was going to suggest that you look at which u-boot you were using, but you figured it out before I had time to reply.

[unmesh]

@dorin

 

Which Armbian image were you successful with?

 

Thanks

[Saru]

@unmesh
Post / Guide of @balbes150 (09/15/2019):

https://forum.armbian.com/topic/12162-single-armbian-image-for-rk-aml-aw-aarch64-armv8/

Post / Guide of @SteeMan (21/02/2021):

https://forum.armbian.com/topic/17106-installation-instructions-for-tv-boxes-with-amlogic-cpus

Folder with the files to flash the microSD with balenaEtcher and the deb "linux-headers" "linux-image", thanks to balbes150:

https://users.armbian.com/balbes150/arm-64/

[Tutorial by i12bretro] Installing Armbian on Amlogic S905w Android TV Box (Tanix TX3 Mini):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n54aEMdXj7I

[Tutorial by i12bretro]Install Armbian Onto Android TV Box eMMC Internal Storage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hTXgf8iIJ4

My knowledge on the subject is very little, so I was sad to find that balbes150 left the tvbox because I use the X96mini (Q6X v2.3, CPU: s905w).
I recommend that you start armbian for the first time with the dongles connected (WiFi, Bluetooth) and maybe avoid configuring them manually, I did not have a pleasant experience using YouTube and I do not know if there is hardware acceleration or if mali450 is being used, but for other types of pages works fine (I think it does).
Use a class 10 A1 microSD because otherwise it will be worse than expected and improve the ventilation of your tvbox or else XD will melt.

@SteeManI would like to know if armbian and android can be used at the same time in the same emmc, it would be great :).

Edited September 21, 2021 by Saru
I forgot a link XD. If a television box with armbian sticks behind a television, would it become a cheap all-in-one? XD

[gcsuri]

Hi,

 

 I have just made a 5.15.13 bullseye image based on the latest public 5.0.9 image.

Sorry guys, someone removed the link from my post... If you would like to download it, please send me PM.

 

best regards, gcsuri

[hobapli]

Hi everybody. İ have tried many images but couldnt boot them correctly. its booting android recovery mode only...
My device is x96 mini 2/16 

 

I've renamed u-boot.ext  and changed extlinux.conf correctly. But never boot yet. I boot up only android recovery mode. Please help. 

[SteeMan]

There is only one image available if you are following the instructions in the FAQ.

What images are you trying and what instructions are you following?  You have provided no useful information for anyone to help you.

 

[prol]

On 1/10/2022 at 5:22 PM, gcsuri said:

Hi,

 

 I have just made a 5.15.13 bullseye image based on the latest public 5.0.9 image.

Sorry guys, someone removed the link from my post... If you would like to download it, please send me PM.

 

best regards, gcsuri

Hi,

I installed version from ..users.armbian.com/balbes150.. and it went fine, but there is a problem is that after shutdown or restart the box does not boot from emmc, only after booting with SD card and rebooting it boots from emmc and it looks like it's a common problem for what I've googled, so I wonder if "your" version doesn't have this problem?

[SteeMan]

@prol I workaround for this issue that I am testing is to use the /boot partition from the sd card but the /root partition from your emmc.  Since the boot parttion is essential not used after boot you don't really need to worry about sd card wear or speed.  To do this you need to modify the boot command in the extlinux.conf file (on your sd card) to use 'root=LABEL=ROOT_EMMC'

and then change the fstab file (on your emmc) to mount the correct /boot.

I then cleaned up my sd card by deleting the /root partition and cleaned up my emmc and deleted the /boot partiation, but that isn't necessary.

 

As I said I am testing this and by that I mean it works to boot, but I haven't put it through enough reboots to feel 100% confident that this will always work.  But I haven't had any issues since I implemented this work around a couple of weeks ago.

[Kawlible]

Hi maybe I'm dumb or something, but I installed armbian to this TV Box and it shut down after installing but the remote is no longer working... So I can't turn it back on it's on a red LED any ideas? 

[pleite]

Hello friends, do you know which is the latest bullseye version of armbian that works on this tv box?