Legacy v9.2 (LTS) builds for Amlogic S805/S8X2, S905/S912 and all WeTek boxes

    • Have you tried the Toothpick method? (If not, please give it a try.) Yes I did. Every time I boot with a new image I use the Toothpick method.
    • What is the size of the SD card you wrote the image on? (If it's larger than 32GB, it isn't good. Please try a smaller one.) SD cards are : 2GB ,4Gb,8GB and 16GB. All of these SD cards work with no problem with the n200 image but not with the new M8 image.
    • If there is a write-protect switch on the side of the SD card (or SD adapter), make sure it does not switch to "read-only" position when inserted into the box. Yes there is switch and I made Shure it was not on the " read only" position.
    • One other think I noticed on the first boot is that the n200 image takes a lot longer (60+seconds) were it print out "RESIZE PARTITION" and then it reboot, compered to the M8 image first boot
    • (5 -6 seconds)
    • Thank you.

    Just out of curiosity, does: LibreELEC-S8X2.arm-8.2.3-M8.img.gz from his repository at https://androidfilehost.com/?w=files&flid=170774? If so, you may want to take a stab at his last drop at https://androidfilehost.com/?w=files&flid=305958 but use Android Image Kitchen to unpack the "kernel.img" file and substitute the DTB file from the working package with any equivalent image for the S8X2 target and then repack it.

    Copy it back onto the SD card and use the toothpick method to start it up. Plus, if you rename the "SYSTEM" file to something else, you will be dropped to a command shell and then you can use "dmesg" to see what happens on boot. While each platform is built for specific architectures and their drivers, most share much of the same components that can enable you to do some of the forensic legwork. When the box comes up, the "LibreELEC Configuration" tool will show the actual platform that it was built for, so you will need to use the ".nocompat" fix incorporating subsequent DTB changes by using Android Image Kitchen to update the "kernel.img" file on the LE9 images containing the drivers for the hardware you are using.

    Thank you Synerworks for trying to help. My knowledge on this subject is zero, but I took the challenge and I got Android Image Kitchen unpacked and then I unpacked LibreELEC-M8.arm-9.2.8.3.img.gz to get the image file( LibreELEC-S8X2.arm-8.2-M8.img. Then I dropped this image file in the Android Image Kitchen folder and then I run unpackimg.bat form that folder, but I got "unrecognized format. Error!). You wrote: "use Android Image Kitchen to unpack the "kernel.img" file". Which file are you referring to? What am I doing wrong? Thanks. Error message: unpacking.txt

    Edited once, last by tico (December 18, 2021 at 7:14 PM).

    Once you use the LibreELEC imager tool to create your SD cards with the Demetris releases, you will find the "kernel.img" on the SD card. This is the file to use with AIK to unpack it. There will be a "split_img" folder created with the DTB file being saved as "kernel.img-second". Copy this file somewhere else, fetch the LE9 version of the Demetris build, also create the SD card and redo the previous process with AIK to unpack the new "kernel.img". The saved copy of this previously verified to be working DTB can be copied back into the "split_img" folder in order to change the DTB that it was originally built for. Then repack the "kernel.img" with AIK. Copy the "kernel.img" file back onto the latest SD card so that the modified image can boot in your box.

    If you have no trouble with the Demetris builds, then you can do the same for the Dtech builds since they are also based on the legacy Amlogic Linux 3.10.108 kernels.

    tico  Synerworks

    The only problem is that the two dtb files are completely identical (md5sum: b2f8802cdd0cf49256791ac128be79f2), not just the source code, but the binary as well. So this whole operation is a waste of time. The problem will be somewhere else because I ran into this error earlier:

    MIKMXIII

    Unfortunately, the wireless connection in these boxes is a joke, because it is not enough for HD content, and live streams (e.g. IPTV) will be constantly sequence faulty due to fluctuating latency. I recommend Ethernet by default.

    Quote from dtech

    tico  Synerworks

    The only problem is that the two dtb files are completely identical (md5sum: b2f8802cdd0cf49256791ac128be79f2), not just the source code, but the binary as well. So this whole operation is a waste of time. The problem will be somewhere else because I ran into this error earlier:

    MIKMXIII

    Unfortunately, the wireless connection in these boxes is a joke, because it is not enough for HD content, and live streams (e.g. IPTV) will be constantly sequence faulty due to fluctuating latency. I recommend Ethernet by default.

    The intended purpose for identification of problems was to establish at least a known baseline prior to guessing as to what the issues are was by using initially the Demetris build since it was disclosed as to be working. I am aware that the DTB potentially matched, however, had it not, it was a trivial to fix. I know that your release follows his and built upon the same framework with important corrections, therefore saving you precious cycles on chasing an issue that may have been inherent originally in the Demetris build. I already use a "SYSTEM" mod to get the dmesg information in cases where the UART log cannot be obtained from the box for troubleshooting. Chiming in was to help not to add to your burden.

    Thank you Synerworks for the detailed instruction, they where very useful. I created SD Cards from Demetris LE9 and Dtech K200 images and they all worked well, but they all had the same Problem

    no ethernet just like the Dtech original k200 image. I also renamed "SYSTEM" and was able to run

    "dmesg".  

    It printed the log file but I don't know how to save it or how to read it from the top. So it looks like

    I have hit a brick wall. Thank you guys for your help and if you have any more suggestion feel free

    to ask, I am willing to learn.

    Good, so the matter for attention would be to identify what the dependency is on the specific ethernet hardware and not relating to the build release itself. While the "SYSTEM" rename will allow you to drop to a shell and see the "dmesg" information, the kernel-overlays are embedded within the SYSTEM containing all the relevant supporting hardware drivers. These are loaded dynamically once the SYSTEM is mounted, after which the "dmesg" dump would give the much needed details. The output from "dmesg" can be written to the SD card by remounting the /flash partition as read-write instead of read-only from the command line and copying to /flash already containing the kernel and SYSTEM files. When you reboot and take the SD card out, you can take the file from the card and submit it.

    You can also look at what LibreELEC is doing on startup by inspecting the "/init" script file, and performing the respective commands iteratively when trying to identify what the problems may be on startup. When the specific hardware component is found, the driver object can be manually added to the squashfs "SYSTEM" file or added to the build criteria when generating from source.

    Quote from Synerworks

    Good, so the matter for attention would be to identify what the dependency is on the specific ethernet hardware and not relating to the build release itself. While the "SYSTEM" rename will allow you to drop to a shell and see the "dmesg" information, the kernel-overlays are embedded within the SYSTEM containing all the relevant supporting hardware drivers. These are loaded dynamically once the SYSTEM is mounted, after which the "dmesg" dump would give the much needed details. The output from "dmesg" can be written to the SD card by remounting the /flash partition as read-write instead of read-only from the command line and copying to /flash already containing the kernel and SYSTEM files. When you reboot and take the SD card out, you can take the file from the card and submit it.

    You can also look at what LibreELEC is doing on startup by inspecting the "/init" script file, and performing the respective commands iteratively when trying to identify what the problems may be on startup. When the specific hardware component is found, the driver object can be manually added to the squashfs "SYSTEM" file or added to the build criteria when generating from source.

    Can you be more specific on how to do that, remember I am new at this. Thanks

    So far it appears that both the Demetris and Dtech releases exhibit the same behaviour with the Ethernet interface. The primary motivation on testing any build with at least a working lan was that the DTB could have been sourced from it and then added to the Dtech build had anything been found. The worst case would be for the DTB being pulled from the Android image for the exact box known to work and checking the variances in configuration when decompiled. What I see so far is that the lan interface comes up, but fails to get a DHCP address, pointing to a configurational issue or caused by one of the existing compatible lan drivers being loaded not specifically geared for the exact hardware on the box and not functioning.

    Quote from Synerworks

    So far it appears that both the Demetris and Dtech releases exhibit the same behaviour with the Ethernet interface. The primary motivation on testing any build with at least a working lan was that the DTB could have been sourced from it and then added to the Dtech build had anything been found. The worst case would be for the DTB being pulled from the Android image for the exact box known to work and checking the variances in configuration when decompiled. What I see so far is that the lan interface comes up, but fails to get a DHCP address, pointing to a configurational issue or caused by one of the existing compatible lan drivers being loaded not specifically geared for the exact hardware on the box and not functioning.

    Did you try the latest snapshot image? The problem with the previous M8 image was that it didn't boot. The Ethernet interface was bad on M8 with the n200 image/dtb. In addition the n200 is an S812 device, but M8 is just an S802.

    The Ethernet entries in dtb for Meson8/S802 (k200*) and Meson8m2/S812 (n200*) are completely different.

    M8:

    n200:

    Code: meson8m2_n200_ap6330_2G.dtd
    ///    -    Ethernet
        ethmac: ethernet@0xc9410000{
         compatible = "amlogic,meson8m2-rgmii-dwmac", "snps,dwmac";
                reg = <0xc9410000 0x10000
                       0xc1108108 0x4>;
                interrupts = <0 8 1>;
                interrupt-names = "macirq";
                clocks = "clk81";
                clock-names = "stmmaceth";
        };
    Quote from dtech

    tico  Synerworks

    I compared the dtb source files on the M8 (k200) and n200 and tried to transfer a few things to the M8 dtb that could affect the boot process from the SD card. You should give it a try to see if it boots now.

    hxxp://http://libreelec.dtech.hu/snapshots/20211221/

    There is also a significant difference in the Ethernet section of the dtb, so if it boots, you should check to see if the wired connection is working.

    I tried the new image and it doesn't boot. At first boot it act the same a the other M8 image. Thanks

    Any success with the older cuts of the Demetris builds, as referenced previously, say the early LE8? Worked with Matricom S802 boxes before, so I would expect quite a bit of success. How about a picture of the back of your box to know the exact model so that if the Android firmware is available, it can be extracted and inspected?

    How about any of the antique builds by Oleg Ivanov, at https://disk.yandex.com/d/CxRZ4LFOuHcJW/Libreelec, the S812 images still boot with the various flavours of ethernet hardware on S802 platforms.

    Edited once, last by Synerworks: Added balbes150 stuff. (December 21, 2021 at 7:14 PM).

    The back of the box says - OTT TV BOX - Android Player- Model M8N - Made in China -and when it comes on displays M8. I tries the Oleg Ivanov and I get libreelec logo and then reboot over and over again I also tried Demetri "LibreELEC-S802.M8.arm-8.0.RC4.img" with no success. Tanks

    Edited once, last by tico (December 21, 2021 at 11:14 PM).

    Quote from tico

    The back of the box says - OTT TV BOX - Android Player- Model M8N - Made in China -and when it comes on displays M8. I tries the Oleg Ivanov and I get libreelec logo and then reboot over and over again I also tried Demetri "LibreELEC-S802.M8.arm-8.0.RC4.img" with no success. Tanks

    I have not located a source for the stock Android firmware for your OTT box, but the specs for it appear identical to the Matricom G-BOX Q, https://matricom.net/product/g-box-q/, that I had worked with, so I have attached a copy of the DTB as pulled using Android Image Kitchen that you can try on either the Demetris or Dtech "kernel.img" images.

    kernel.img-second.zip

    Dear Dhath me on my 1 Giga MXIII and with Ap 6181 I have installed your libreelec 823 mxiii ap6330 taken from third parties and everything is ok but the WiFi is very slow and the videos are very baffering while the last of Demetrio is very good. can't you change this for Ap 6181? unfortunately I cannot connect it with an ethernet cable because it is too far from my ruter