7.0.3.011 build for S905/S905X

    Quote from Miks


    You must do this reset procedure first time, even you start from sd-card. (if you update android version, you must press again first time)


    Not necessary if installing to internal, and of course, not possible if there is no functional Reset Button ;)
    [hr]

    Quote from rkmfl


    Can you expand just a bit on how you were able to get it to boot into the SD/USB to install LibreElec, without using the reset?

    I chose the zip file (nand installation) from an earlier build and put the files onto an SD card.
    Then I put an empty zip file called dummy.zip on the same sdcard and chose that as the update source from the Android Update program.

    Once LE booted on the box I upgraded using the .gz file and device tree (actually not sure if I changed dtb.img) in the .update folder of Kodi via SSH

    I think the stock recovery had no menu and that is why it never appeared to boot to it.
    Once it had something to do, recovery was in fact present, and installed the update

    MAKE SURE YOU BACKUP THE ORIGINAL DTB FILE FROM ANDROID as, once LE is installed internally, the only way to recovery is with Android dtb.img and recovery.img on SD card and issue reboot recovery via SSH (or similar)
    [hr]

    Quote from wkchick


    Is it possible to flash another Android of other boxes

    Be careful with that one

    Edited once, last by Poida (January 1, 2017 at 9:45 AM).

    Lads this works painfully slow compared to android on my a95x....the microsd card i am running it on is class 4...kindly advise...

    Sent from my Redmi Note 3 using Tapatalk

    Quote from tharmor


    Thanks....will try that... Can i use usb to load this ?

    Sent from my Redmi Note 3 using Tapatalk


    Usb is even slower than fast sd card. On this boxes you are limited to usb 2.0. Get proper class 10 sd card, they don't cost much these days. But final solution is installing to internal, way faster.

    sent from my G2

    Poida, thank you.
    I had also tested the dummy .ZIP update based on another post in the thread and mine did the same (rebooted and attempted to apply the .ZIP)

    Unfortunately that caused a frozen boot. No problem, just one more AmLogic "USB Creation Tool" flash, then on to the next attempt, lol.

    I take it by your reply there is no other option, for example, there is no option to flash any LibreELEC builds by the AmLogic flash tool.

    Or .. Can the Amlogic Bootcard Maker (which formats an SD as a "bootable" device and is supposed to recover bricked devices) an option? My biggest problem is that I don't have the entire system backup (just recovery.img & btd.img) and the Bootcard Maker requires the full u-boot.bin based on my past attempts.

    Ugh .. two days lost to get a $40 box working. How embarrassing!

    Quote from rkmfl


    I take it by your reply there is no other option, for example, there is no option to flash any LibreELEC builds by the AmLogic flash tool.

    Have you tried to use TWRP recovery? Maybe try extracting recovery.img from TWRP for S905X (or version for your box, if not S905X) to fresh SD and try the dummy.zip method ( or a 3rd party rebooter / adb ).
    If it absolutely won't boot from SD, since you have a means of restoring the box, perhaps try flashing the recovery.img to internal using adb or Android App (such as Flashify ) and then reboot recovery

    Once you can get TWRP to boot, you have more control over this

    Edited once, last by Poida (January 2, 2017 at 7:06 AM).

    kszaq, Thanks so much you even work on this project on the New Year's day.

    I tested your latest 'boot_testing' build. I kept reboot the problematic 'M18+TV combination' 6 or 7 times without a single miss. Then a message prompt on the lower right corner saying that there is something wrong with 'Pulse-CEC adapter', I checked the CEC setting and make sure CEC is enabled. Then the next reboot started to fail. I check my TV, it didn't listed the M18 on the CEC list (means CEC is not working at all). Unplug the power to the M18 didn't help. I had to turn off my AVR (which also CEC enable) in order for the M18 to boot again and boot issues returned! I tried power up reboot (unplug and plug power) so many times, only turning my AVR off didn't help, then I found M18 is on the list of CEC devices of my TV, which means I need to turn both TV and AVR off in order for the M18 to boot.

    EDIT: I thought disabled the CEC would help but I was wrong. After 4 consecutive successful reboots, it failed again on the 5th one and thereafter.

    Edited once, last by wkchick (January 1, 2017 at 9:39 PM).

    Quote from Poida


    Then I put an empty zip file called dummy.zip on the same sdcard and chose that as the update source from the Android Update program.


    Quote from Poida


    MAKE SURE YOU BACKUP THE ORIGINAL DTB FILE FROM ANDROID as, once LE is installed internally, the only way to recovery is with Android dtb.img and recovery.img on SD card and issue reboot recovery via SSH (or similar)

    This is not going to help you if you have Android Firmware with no Recovery using Toothpick Method.
    You have to find Firmware that goes to Recovery using Reset button.
    Issuing reboot recovery wont get you anywhere if box wont recover from SD Card due to Android Firmware.

    For how long will the box function if I stop updating it? I would like to install Libreelec and give it away to my less technical brother. Will it stop working after a time because of not updating?

    Edited once, last by MasterPirlo (January 2, 2017 at 2:17 AM).

    Quote from kostaman


    This is not going to help you if you have Android Firmware with no Recovery using Toothpick Method.
    You have to find Firmware that goes to Recovery using Reset button.
    Issuing reboot recovery wont get you anywhere if box wont recover from SD Card due to Android Firmware.

    Worked for me on Nexbox A95's that had no functional reboot button ;)

    Quote from Poida

    Worked for me on Nexbox A95's that had no functional reboot button ;)

    #483
    I am probably talking about something different regarding recovery.
    There are some boxes coming out with Android Firmware that locks recovery from SD Card.
    Your box is not one of them.
    See link above that explains why i replied with info different to yours. :)

    Quote from kostaman


    I am probably talking about something different regarding recovery.
    There are some boxes coming out with Android Firmware that locks recovery from SD Card.
    Your box is not one of them.
    See link above that explains why i replied with info different to yours. :)

    No worries kostaman, I know this won't work for every box, I was just replying to rkmfl as to what worked with the boxes I had with non-functional reset buttons ;)

    Edited once, last by Poida (January 2, 2017 at 4:59 AM).

    Quote from MasterPirlo


    For how long will the box function if I stop updating it? I would like to install Libreelec and give it away to my less technical brother. Will it stop working after a time because of not updating?

    Currently the most stable version on my Tx5 Pro S905x is the current 7.0.3.011.
    On my S905 boxes the version 7.0.3.09 is stable due to the random boot Freezes.
    Give him the current stable version for his box hardware and he should be good until add-ons no longer work
    with Jarvis 16.1. That will be a very long time in my experience with Kodi.