Armbian on Amlogic S905X3 ARM Mali-G31-MP2 (Nokia streambox 8000)

[erykdev]

Hello,

I am a owner of a Nokia streambox 8000. I have been trying to install Armbian on it, but without luck.

 

The board specification of the tv box:

Board: Amlogic S905X3 ARM Mali-G31-MP2

I have been using the images from here: (external link to site not affiliated with Armbian). I tried the S905X3 jammy and bullseye versions.

 

The installation procedure that I have been trying out is as following:

1. Download armbian_s905x3 img from github repository releases.

2. Use balenaEtcher to burn the image into a USB stick.

3. Once burned; Open the BOOT drive.

4. Rename u-boot-s905x2-s922.bin to u-boot.ext

5. Edit /extlinux/extlinux.conf and change the .db path to use meson-sm1-sei610.dtb

6. Insert the USB into the tv box.

7. Hold reset with toothpick while powering it on.

8. Boots into recovery mode and selext reboot from bootloader.

9. It boots up again but the display stays black.

 

If i boot it up without the reset with the USB inserted it just displays a black screen. If i remove the USB then it boots normally.

 

I have tried to connect it to LAN to see if it was exposing an IP that I could ssh into, but there was nothing.

 

I would love to get armbian running on the tv box. Am I doing something wrong here? By the way I’m open to both softmod and hardmod suggestions. Thanks!

Edited December 8, 2022 by SteeMan
Removed link to external source

[SteeMan]

The link you posted is to a site not affiliated with Armbian.  They have a fork of armbian but continue to use the Armbian name without permission.  They do not participate in Armbian development, nor to they contribute to these forums.  You should direct your question to those that are providing you the code you are using.

[RMG]

Looks like You should try few more DTB files.

I have posted thread here in same Section, but it requires some additional work like creating FAT partition manually and renaming the files.

 

was able to run on S905 X3 by using image from Odroid HC4 desktop build.

 

 

[erykdev]

@SteeMan Thank you. I didn’t know that the repository was not associated with armbian nor this website. I’m open to use installation images from this site.

 

@RMG Woah, big help with your post. I’ll try to follow it. I’ll try your partitioning method and different dbt files. In your experiments with did you use the reset toothpick method to boot from the sd/usb?

[SteeMan]

1 hour ago, erykdev said:

I’m open to use installation images from this site.

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

 

[RMG]

<In your experiments with did you use the reset toothpick method to boot from the sd/usb?>

 

 

Yes, toothpick method is used.

In F3Air box it is inside av port at backside, some other box like K3pro have hole at the bottom.

[erykdev]

I haven’t been able to succes booting armbian. I have a suspicion that i am not able to multi-boot with a USB stick. I’ve tried different dbt’s and now I have opened the case. The board looks like it got an empty micro sd card module and USB. Is it possible to hardmod this board to boot armbian? Any help is appreciated! I have attached images of the board. 🙂

[SteeMan]

Could you provide more information on what is happening when you try to boot?  The only info you have provided is when you tried with the distributions from the other site (which is meaningless for what you are trying now with the official armbian community builds).  Simply saying "I have been unable to sucessfully boot" doesn't provide us much information to help you with.

 

Also, what dtbs have you tried?

[maka]

If you get black screen with usb stick that means the board is booting but i'm afraid you need a compatible dtb file and is not easy to find one. U200 is the first device i would try.

[erykdev]

@SteeMan When I insert the USB and boot up, then the device turns on, but stays on with a black screen without displaying or proceding to something else. Here is the list of the different dbt's that I have currently tried:

 

meson-sm1-x96-max-plus.dtb	X
meson-sm1-x96-max-plus-q2.dtb	X
meson-sm1-x96-max-plus-q1.dtb	X
meson-sm1-x96-max-plus-oc.dtb	X
meson-sm1-x96-max-plus-ip1001m.dtb	X
meson-sm1-x96-max-plus-ip1001m-2.dtb	X
meson-sm1-x96-max-plus-100m.dtb	X
meson-sm1-x96-air.dtb	X
meson-sm1-x96-air-gbit.dtb	X
meson-sm1-ugoos-x3.dtb	X
meson-sm1-ugoos-x3-oc.dtb	-
meson-sm1-tx3-qz.dtb	X
meson-sm1-tx3-qz-oc.dtb	-
meson-sm1-tx3-bz.dtb	X
meson-sm1-tx3-bz-oc.dtb	-
meson-sm1-skyworth-lb2004-a4091.dtb	X
meson-sm1-sei610.dtb	X
meson-sm1-odroid-hc4.dtb	X
meson-sm1-odroid-c4.dtb	X
meson-sm1-khadas-vim3l.dtb	X
meson-sm1-hk1box-vontar-x3.dtb	X
meson-sm1-hk1box-vontar-x3-oc.dtb	-
meson-sm1-h96-max.dtb	X
meson-sm1-h96-max-x3.dtb	-
meson-sm1-h96-max-x3-oc.dtb	-
meson-sm1-bananapi-m5.dtb	X
meson-sm1-a95xf3-air.dtb	-
meson-sm1-a95xf3-air-gbit.dtb	X
meson-gxm-x92.dtb	X
meson-gxm-wetek-core2.dtb	X
meson-gxm-vega-s96.dtb	X
meson-gxm-tx9-pro.dtb	X
meson-gxm-tx8-max.dtb	
meson-gxm-t95z-plus.dtb	
meson-gxm-s912-libretech-pc.dtb	
meson-gxm-rbox-pro.dtb	
meson-gxm-q201.dtb	
meson-gxm-q200.dtb	
meson-gxm-q200-mod.dtb	
meson-gxm-phicomm-t1.dtb	
meson-gxm-octopus-planet.dtb	
meson-gxm-nexbox-a2.dtb	
meson-gxm-nexbox-a1.dtb	
meson-gxm-minix-neo-u9h.dtb	
meson-gxm-mecool-kiii-pro.dtb	
meson-gxm-khadas-vim2.dtb	
meson-gxm-fake-octopus-planet.dtb	
meson-gxm-beelink-gt1.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905x-vero4k.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905x-tx9.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905x-tbee.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905x-p212.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905x-nexbox-a95x.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905x-libretech-cc.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905x-libretech-cc-v2.dtb	X
meson-gxl-s905x-khadas-vim.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905x-hwacom-amazetv.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905x-b860h.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905w-x96-mini.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905w-tx3-mini.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905w-p281.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905w-jethome-jethub-j80.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905l3b-m302a.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905l2-x7-5g.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905l2-ipbs9505.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905d-vero4k-plus.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905d-sml5442tw.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905d-phicomm-n1.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905d-phicomm-n1-thresh.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905d-p231.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905d-p230.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905d-mecool-m8s-plus.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905d-mecool-kii-pro.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905d-mecool-ki-pro.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905d-mecool-ki-plus.dtb	
meson-gxl-s905d-libretech-pc.dtb	
meson-gxl-s805x-p241.dtb	
meson-gxl-s805x-libretech-ac.dtb	
meson-gxbb-wetek-play2.dtb	
meson-gxbb-wetek-hub.dtb	
meson-gxbb-vega-s95-telos.dtb	
meson-gxbb-vega-s95-pro.dtb	
meson-gxbb-vega-s95-meta.dtb	
meson-gxbb-p201.dtb	
meson-gxbb-p200.dtb	
meson-gxbb-odroidc2.dtb	X
meson-gxbb-nexbox-a95x.dtb	
meson-gxbb-nanopi-k2.dtb	
meson-gxbb-mxq-pro-plus.dtb	
meson-gxbb-minix-neo-u1.dtb	
meson-gxbb-mecool-kii-pro.dtb	
meson-gxbb-mecool-ki-plus.dtb	
meson-gxbb-kii-pro.dtb	
meson-gxbb-beelink-mini-mxiii.dtb	
meson-gxbb-beelink-mini-mx.dtb	
meson-g12b-ugoos-am6b1.dtb	
meson-g12b-ugoos-am6b-plus.dtb	
meson-g12b-ugoos-am6b-plus-oc.dtb	
meson-g12b-ugoos-am6.dtb	
meson-g12b-ugoos-am6-plus.dtb	
meson-g12b-s922x-khadas-vim3.dtb	
meson-g12b-radxa-zero2.dtb	
meson-g12b-odroid-n2.dtb	
meson-g12b-odroid-n2-plus.dtb	X
meson-g12b-gtking.dtb	
meson-g12b-gtking-pro.dtb	
meson-g12b-gtking-pro-rev_a.dtb	
meson-g12b-gtking-pro-rev_a-oc.dtb	
meson-g12b-gtking-pro-h.dtb	
meson-g12b-gtking-pro-h-oc.dtb	
meson-g12b-gtking-oc.dtb	
meson-g12b-gsking-x.dtb	
meson-g12b-dreambox-two.dtb	
meson-g12b-dreambox-one.dtb	
meson-g12b-a311d-khadas-vim3.dtb	
meson-g12a-x96-max.dtb	
meson-g12a-x96-max-rmii.dtb	X
meson-g12a-u200.dtb	X
meson-g12a-tanix-tx5max.dtb	
meson-g12a-sei510.dtb	
meson-g12a-s905l3a-m401a.dtb	
meson-g12a-s905l3a-e900v22c.dtb	
meson-g12a-s905l3a-cm311.dtb	
meson-g12a-radxa-zero.dtb	
meson-axg-s400.dtb	X
meson-axg-jethome-jethub-j100.dtb	X
meson-a1-ad401.dtb	X

 

I have tried to use the dbt's that are denoted with an X letter. Should I continue trying them out or might I be out of luck and won't be able to find one that matches my board?

 

@maka Thanks for the tip!

[RMG]

Some time TV/monitor may not be able to adjust for the box output Signal resolution try adding below at the end of the extlinux.conf in the line which starts with APPEND root witout quotes.

 

"video=1280x720"   or  "video=HDMI-A-1:1280x720M@60D"

 

example

 

APPEND root=LABEL=ROOTFS rootflags=data=writeback rw console=ttyAML0,115200n8 console=tty0 no_console_suspend consoleblank=0 fsck.fix=yes fsck.repair=yes net.ifnames=0 video=1280x720

[SteeMan]

15 hours ago, erykdev said:

 

I have tried to use the dbt's that are denoted with an X letter

That list of dtbs you provided are not from official builds.  I don't know what code you are using and therefore can't provide help.  But the s905x3 would use a meson-sm1-* dtb.

[SteeMan]

One other comment is have you tried to conned via ssh?  And have you tried to install a server/cli build, to see if the basic system is working.