CoreELEC Amlogic-ng(4.9 kernel) for S905X/S905D/S905W - FunHouse builds

Development Development & Testing
#236

Not sure what you mean.
I can’t run CE-NG build, all I can see is CE logo and version in top left.
After few seconds box is getting restarted.
There’s no error, just restart all the time so I guess there’s no way to inject bl301?

There is no official update for this box, user made software only and im kinda afraid that it will brick device :stuck_out_tongue:

#237

Aah, I thought it was related to the bl30/bl31 blobs problem described by @kostaman above.
Did you try a fresh installation on a spare sd card?

#238

Yes, im doing fresh install on another sd card and im holding reset button on first boot.

#239

Since last post i have tested an Android 6.01 s905D 1GB/8gb box with Team CE
Real serious issues trying 1GB box with dtb.img and NG Kernel 4.9
Spent hours catching logs.
Time needed for a POSSIBLE fix

2 Likes
#240

FWIW, updating my X96 S905X 2/16G to Android 7.1.2 allows it to run the NG 9.2.4.2, in a stable manner. No more segmentation faults locking up the device and making it unusable. Is there some special sauce in Android 7.1.2 that makes it possible or was the stock firmware for my box just garbage? Who can say, but it finally works.

Thanks DEVs, you folks are amazing!

"Error dtb magic: a!" when using ceemmc tool to install ng build to internal
[solved] Recovery deleted?
#241

To try and give the simplest answer.

The vendors firmware doesn’t just include android, but also the boot loader which is made up of a couple different binary blobs.

Besides handling booting the device, these bits also handle some hardware access for the running OS, and stay running in a separate secure thread on the device. The kernel talks to this thread, and makes requests of it when it needs certain things.

This is were the the problems with old firmware come into play. The kernel expects to ask for stuff in a certain way, and get a certain answer back. As development continues some of this ends up changing, either to fix issues or to make things more flexible or efficient.

Normally when a vendor updates firmware, they update both the boot loader and kernel at the same time, so there doesn’t end up being any issues. This hasn’t been an issue for CoreELEC in the past because the 3.14 kernel was just as old as the old firmware. But, the 4.9 kernel is much newer, so there is a chance of issues with older firmware, and having a miscommunication that causes a problem. I have patched a few such issues, and will try to fix more of them when possible.

4 Likes
CoreELEC 19 Matrix Discussion (Kodi RC)
#242

Hi guys, I have two 1/8GB S905X boxes, an X96 and a Trongle X4, both kernel 3.14 internal installs. I’d like to upgrade them to NG but I don’t have their stock Android which IIUC is needed to upgrade internal installs.

Does anyone know if this ROM works on them?

#243

Ahhh. Thanks for the explanation. Makes more sense now.

#244

I haven’t had any experience with that one, I personally used the Tanix TX7 firmware, google: HQYG-TX7-nikodi-20180104. Wifi drivers, etc work on my X96. According to some lengthy forum reading on XDA/Freaktab, (which is how I came to it, however long ago), it’s reported to work on many boxes. I’ve personally used it on a few S905x varieties without issue. On one box, I wasn’t able to boot to CE using the toothpick method, I had to use the update from within Android method.

If you don’t have a working stock firmware, I’d personally be cautious as if it doesn’t work, you’re kinda hooped.

Do amlogic-ng builds work well on GXL(S905X/S905D/S905W) devices?
#245

Tanix firmware is for 2GB hardware

#246

Through Burn Card Maker, the original firmware is flashed without problems, this firmware is not. (vontar x96 1/8/100 s905x original firmware android 6.0.1-17.06.09).

#247

I have a vontar x96 1/8/100 s905x original firmware android 6.0.1-17.06.09. CoreELEC-Amlogic-ng.arm-9.2.4.2-Generic.img.gz -constant reboot (bootloop). CoreELEC-Amlogic -.arm-9.2.4.2-Generic.img.gz - ok.

#248

There is another issue with 1gbdevices which we have identified.
Issues with 4.9 Kernel
Stay with 3.14 for the time being.

1 Like
#249

Well, I’ll do that.

#250

Correct, however I have installed this rom without issue (with the exception of non-working wifi) on a friend’s cheapo 1/8GB box that arrived bricked with no available stock firmware that I could.

#251

Thanks for the input guys, I’ll wait for the fix for 1GB boxes and meanwhile do some more research on XDA and Freaktab.

#252

Hi,

I am using latest version (9.2.4.2) on La Frite with 1 GB RAM.
Everything works fine except CEC – I tried both versions of the CEC library.
On header 9J3, jumper is in left position (when HDMI connector is to the right).

#253

Hi,
I installed the 9.2.4-ng version on my S905D device. It mostly works but I have 2 problems.

  1. The ng version somehow modified bootloader even I replaced the aml_autoscript with my own script worked in non-ng version. Specifically, the ng version changed the ‘switch_bootmode’ uboot env-variable. This makes my device can not boot the non-ng version usb disk, but can boot ng-version. I had to change the variable back to boot non-ng version.
  2. The ng version can not play 4k HDR videos. My TV just loses signal when the 4k HDR video starts. I checked kodi log but no errors. The non-ng version plays the same videos without any problem.
#254

We have moved to [9.2.4.2 already.]
No need to keep your hardware model a secret either.

#255

Ok. Nothing secret here. The device is Phicomm N1. Actually I tried 9.2.4.2 too and the result is same.