Coreelec does not boot in X96 mini

So, you have downloaded an image, burnt it to a microsd card using etcher or rufus. You have then copied the device tree to the root renaming it to dtb.img.

You then inserted it, while plugging in the power lead, you pushed the reset button in, & released it, as the logo showed up. ?

Exactly!!! it is not my first installation.
I took the latest version of CE, burn it on a mircoSD with rufus, even change the sd cards to exclude the risk from SD card. Copy, paste the file from the device tree and change the name to dtb with the extension .img. Reboot update and it is freezing with the logo of x96mini. Can not start the first initial installation on the CE and respectively can not launch Kodi

Doesn’t it have a reset switch?

What image u use to burn the uSD?
Any chance to make a UART log? This will show why it’s not booting. All other help is just a look into the glass bowl…

@bubblegum57 i pushed the reset but not working, I mean the instalation is not loading

@Portisch CoreELEC-Amlogic.arm-9.2.4.2-Generic.img , do not know how to make an UART log

You need to open the box and search for the UART header or you can use the SDIO adapter:

Or just try the Amlogic-ng image!
Or you invest into a S905X3 or S922X…

Thanks for the support and ideas! Will see how to proceed

I had on it all previous versions, and it’s now running on 9.2.4.2. generic.
My box has a working reset switch in AV hole which I push and hold while applying power for at least 15 seconds, until CE logo shows.

So anyone managed an internal install on these yet, the SD is so slow .

I’m having the same issues with a x96 mini 1gb/8gb. It run’s CE 9.2.7 (legacy) fine. Trying to run CoreELEC 19.1-Matrix_rc4 (and previous versions rc2 and rc1) results in the box halting or bootlooping at the coreelec bootscreen (coreelec logo on screen). I’ve tried the appropriate dtb file (gxl_p212_1g.dtb), which works fine on 9.2.7 (legacy) but in matrix it won’t work. My x96 mini is amlogic s905x based, and is recognised as such by 9.2.7. When booting into matrix, it does go through the first boot when in resizes partitions etc. It then reboots , shows the coreelec logo (the logo even does is flashing thing), freezes for a while and then the box reboots. I have the same issue with another s905x based box.

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Since the problem is not being able to boot into CE, it seems the only solution would be this SDIO UART debug board. Now the only question remains, how one obtains such a board?

Order one?

I did as instructed :slightly_smiling_face:

After it’s arrival, i will post all that is needed. Let’s get these x96 mini / s905x devices to work with matrix!

x96 mini s905x 1g 8g boot fail coreelec matrix rc4.txt (9.3 KB)

Thanks to @Portisch, i now am able to upload boot logs. This log shows what happens until the unit reboots on it’s own (bootloop).

Thank you for your log. It shows a problem on boot, yes. I will need some time for analysis.

libfdt fdt_setprop(): FDT_ERR_NOSPACE
[rsvmem] bl31 reserved memory set addr error.
libfdt fdt_setprop(): FDT_ERR_NOSPACE
[rsvmem] bl31 reserved memory set addr error.
   Loading Ramdisk to 337c2000, end 33eb6200 ... OK
   Loading Device Tree to 000000001ffef000, end 000000001ffff773 ... OK

Please do while power on the device: hit “Enter” on your com terminal. It should stop booting and you end up in a console.

Please post the output of printenv

x96 mini s905x 1g 8g printenv.txt (6.1 KB)

Here it is.

Update: for those who are interested, progress is made! The sx96mini s905x now runs Coreelec. It’s all a bit premature, final works are to be made. But we have liftoff!

Thanks for your post. I just purchased a TX3 Mini from amazon and stuck at CE logo. Ran the command that was suggested and to my surprise it is running a S912 chip.
Its going back to Amazon tomorrow with a bad review for the seller.