[9.0.0] LibreELEC builds for MX2/G18

can now start, but kodi freezes after 1 min

I can't say for LibreELEC but i've got the newest CoreELEC (which like pretty much all of them just another derivative of OpenELEC) to work ok on MX2 boxes ok... As said earlier you need to be picky with some of the emulator cores but most work fine. Kodi is at rc2 but needs to be played with as the older dual core Amlogic chips arent quite the same as the newer S9xx based cores. But making the newest releases work on the older dual core amlogics is doable im just not sure its worth the effort in light of the cost of newer boxes and for anyone not well versed with Kodi developement and coding its a stretch... Theres alot of changes in 18 as things move up to python3 and better streaming drivers are developed and implimented. but it does work.

On another note i find i don't use the newer methods of installing on the older S8xx and older boxes, i always install straight to the box and totally remove Android and use my own low level bootloader thats based on the actual box your messing with. that way whatever hardware is in that particular box is always right from the git go. The newer methods such as flash or dual boot based are great for the new S9xx bases Soc's but i find can be real hit and miss on the older boxes as theres so many clones and crap boxes that swap out chipset stuff making things not worth the effort.

Quote from emanuel4you

can now start, but kodi freezes after 1 min

Maybe trying adjusting scaling_max_freq=1512000 to a lower value

done...

I've found that box is not a G18REF.

Model ist Videostrong (vsip-166) or prima

It is the aml-8726M6 SoC (G02REF) board with DVB-S2 tuner (not working yet)

working kernel changes:

a) it needs his own *.dtd device-tree src

b) also a diffrent cpu voltage table (lower)

c) an other nand and bootloader layout or like me no layout (sd boot).

d) scaling_governor=interactive is a main killer for the SoC

e) new .config

So I've tryed using my kernel and:

CONFIG_CMDLINE="root=/dev/ram0 rdinit=/init console=ttyS0,115200n8 consoleblank=0 scaling_governor=conservative scaling_min_freq=200000 scaling_max_freq=1512000 systemd.show_status=auto"

echo "*** LibreElec(g02ref) linux 3.10.X boot script ***"
echo

usb reset
if fatexist usb 0:1 KERNEL
then
echo "booting LibreElec from usb..."
fatload usb 0 82000000 KERNEL
setenv bootargs "boot=/dev/sda1 disk=LABEL=LIBREELEC_DISK BOOT_IMAGE=KERNEL debug degugging nohlt vmalloc=256m mem=1024m logo=osd1,0x84100000,720p"
bootm
exit
else
echo "No LibreElec KERNEL found on usb, scanning sdcard...!"
fi

if fatexist mmc 0:1 KERNEL
then
echo "booting LibreElec from sdcard..."
fatload mmc 0 82000000 KERNEL
setenv bootargs "boot=/dev/mmcblk0p1 disk=LABEL=LIBREELEC_DISK BOOT_IMAGE=KERNEL debug degugging nohlt vmalloc=256m mem=1024m logo=osd1,0x84100000,720p"
bootm
exit
else
echo "No LibreElec KERNEL Image found on sdcard, exit"
fi

exit

sd 2GB p1=FAT (aml_autoscript, KERNEL, SYSTEM) p2=ext3 LABEL=LIBREELEC_DISK

And it worked for half an hour with out a crash. Even the red lamp went on stopping the box.

I've got some audio issues on one mediathek stream, but other worked well.

And remotecontrol "OK" do not work in "not mouse mode" (total different key-layout/ir-protokoll like MX2)

it is not fast build, but works.

@yuanqi tested that at the begin

Quote from emanuel4you

working kernel changes:

a) it needs his own *.dtd device-tree src

b) also a diffrent cpu voltage table (lower)

c) an other nand and bootloader layout or like me no layout (sd boot).

d) scaling_governor=interactive is a main killer for the SoC

e) new .config

@yuanqi tested that at the begin

Display More

Basically I have to modify cpu-freq.c and recompile the kernel then. Would you mind releasing your build?

ps. Your post got cut off

BTW, The Matricom link on the main post that is supposed to provide the installation instructions for OpenElec no longer works. Matricom has removed their support for the MX2.

Can anyone provide revised installation instructions?

I just realized there is a way to get Kodi 17/18 on these old boxes and would love to resurrect them.

Thanks!

Quote from buzzmarshall

On another note i find i don't use the newer methods of installing on the older S8xx and older boxes, i always install straight to the box...........

buzzmarshall Do you have a working version of CoreElec for S805 chipset? I'm sure that there are thousands of these boxes out there which could be saved from landfill.

Quote from yuanqi

Basically I have to modify cpu-freq.c and recompile the kernel then. Would you mind releasing your build?

ps. Your post got cut off

I could release yes. But I think it is better in an extra thread for G02ref.

I've got implemented a working nand layout for this box now.

But I've have strange conflicts with SPI NOR using BOOT_12 pin and shared use of this pin with nand.

wetek play box do not use this. I think to get rid of this. But G02ref kernel freezes without SPI NOR. I do not know why.

I want to fix this. because I can see it in the log. It has no influence to kodi. kodi works well.

also I'm playing around to get the Availink AVL6211+AV2011 DVB-S/S2 to work...

Quote from emanuel4you

I could release yes. But I think it is better in an extra thread for G02ref.

I've got implemented a working nand layout for this box now.

But I've have strange conflicts with SPI NOR using BOOT_12 pin and shared use of this pin with nand.

wetek play box do not use this. I think to get rid of this. But G02ref kernel freezes without SPI NOR. I do not know why.

I want to fix this. because I can see it in the log. It has no influence to kodi. kodi works well.

also I'm playing around to get the Availink AVL6211+AV2011 DVB-S/S2 to work...

Display More

Please do make a separate thread. Would also be interested in the patches you applied.

there it is:

and for all others got freeze problems on MX builds (g18/g02 boards)

[9.X-devel] LibreELEC builds for G02ref (Prima PM-6001, VS-IP166, VS-IP015, ...)

Sorry been away for a bit... Unfortunately the only builds i have for the older S8xx boxes are very specific to the boards in the boxes i was using back then, The methods pre-date the existence of LibreELEC and involved different methods to remove Android and install a Linux based Kodi build on a box. Things have got much easier these days with places like LibreELEC and CoreELEC and newer methods such as dual booting and how u-boot is currently being used. Currently i just mess with a old Matricom MX2 box I have just to see how well the newest kodi runs on the older dual-core boxes.

I do agree its a shame that so many older boxes are being pitched while people are forced to buy newer boxes. Personally i am not sure how well the older Dual Core boxes will do going forward because most of them are built with just 1 gig of ram and as Kodi moves forward its always best to have more ram for streaming. But easily I can see a lot of the S812 boxes sticking around for awhile. As a box developer only interested in a installed Linux system I will say that the S812 boxes are still good boxes in most cases out perform any of the S912 boxes I have coded for since their release a few years ago.

The S912 based boxes are really a total waste of money other then the larger Sram and Flash space when it comes to a Installed Linux system because of Amlogics anal attitude towards supporting Linux as there is no legal way to gain the actual hardware use of the Mali T8xx graphics chipset without the missing low level parts. The S912 only half-assed works graphically because of some Inventive coders that are using Android stubs or migrating to X11 based graphics trying to create a video driver the works. The only way I know of that can remedy the issue is for Amlogic to pony up to the table and pay Arm for the Mali ddk and actually release the missing parts or for people to scour the net to find a bootleg copy of the DDK and produce their own driver but then realize thats not something that can be released to the public. For anyone wanting to run Android on the S912 box then things are different because the canned version of Android that Amlogic provides its downstream vendors as least supports the graphix hardware (tho rather poorly performance wise).

People are better off just sticking with the S905 based boxes with the older Mali 450's which are well supported.

Hey guys,

Huge Kudos to KOPRajs for keeping this alive,

I decided to dig up my old MX2 and use it as a kodi client.

I am running kodi on multiple devices with latest stable version 17.6 and all sharing the same database on mysql.

some of my devices don't even support kodi 18 yet.

kodi is a bit sensitive regarding all kodi connecting to the same database running the same version.

how can I get kodi 17.6 on LibreELEC?

huge thanks in advance.