[Updated] recovery.img and dtb.img from Nexbox A95X S905 (non-X) original firmware needed (badly)

  • I'm in the process of reverting my Nexbox A95X S905 (non-X) from LibreElec (installed on eMMC) to Android. According to the LibreElec install FAQ, I simply need the original firmware's recovery.img and dtb.img on a FAT32 USB coupled with the toothpick boot:

    I don't have access to the original firmware and the two files mentioned above aren't anywhere to be found online.

    Can anyone offer the dtb.img and recovery.img from the Nexbox A95X S905's original firmware?

    Clarification 1: I have also tried with Konsta's TWRP (renamed recovery.img) along with Kszag's dtb.img. No luck, likely due to the LE-oriented dtb.img, as the FAQ warns.

    Clarification 2: Running LibreElec or Balbes' Ubuntu/Debian from SD card or USB works as intended, via toothpick boot. Just can't get to reflashing Android.

  • Progress, at last - yet, still a long way to go, it seems. I can now successfully boot into stock recovery or TWRP recovery (hooray) - but from USB only (sigh).

    No matter how much I flash stock recovery or TWRP recovery via the USB-loaded stock recovery/TWRP recovery, it doesn't 'stick'. Doesn't matter if I flash a recovery zip or flash the image version via TWRP. When I unplug the USB and boot to recovery from NAND, I get nothing but the logo (for 20 minutes - that's when I give up waiting). No boot into eMMC recovery. I can only boot into recovery from USB.

    I have wiped system, done a factory reset and also wiped everything. And I have tried to reinstall an OS, as well - both prior to flashing the recovery and following a recovery flash.

    What basic step am I missing here?

    The only error message I receive from stock recovery is that /misc is failing during update, when I flash a new OS.

    How on earth do I flash recovery and a new OS, when reverting from LibreElec?

  • Last-mile issue.

    OK, so I followed the Amlogic USB Tool guide to the letter. Install (2.0.8) went fine, driver installed nicely. But I cannot tooth-pick boot into recovery from the S905 device/NAND itself successfully (stalls on boot logo), but only from the USB recovery.img via the toothpick. Whether the USB-loaded recovery.img is the issue or not, I am unsure of, but the device never registers with the Amlogic USB Tool, as it is supposed when booted into (USB) recovery. This non-registering presents both with the stock recovery image and the TWRP recovery image - both on USB.

    So, no luck with booting device/NAND recovery or USB-based recovery, whether stock or TWRP. Though the device boots into recovery mode on the two latter USB-based images, the correctly installed Amlogic USB Tool does not register or connect with the device, which has the drivers installed automatically during the Amlogic USB Tool install process, while the device was powered on normally (non-recovery).

    Anyone able to pinpoint options for booting into a non-functional NAND recovery OR USB-based (functional) recovery, that will facilitate a successful connection to Amlogic USB Tool for this S905 box in USB-based recovery or non-functional (logo stall) device/NAND recovery? Or other strategies/new alternatives?

    Update: Also tried the 'Bootcardmaker' option (2.0.2). And got a nice USB drive with aml_sdc_burn.ini, aml_sdc_burn.UBOOT and NEXBOX-A95X_8189etv_8g1g_160812_uBootFix.img as a result. Tooth-pick recovery boot, flashing LED on USB...and logo. Nothing more. Damn. Puzzled, oh so puzzled.

    Edited once, last by fxfxfx: Added Amlogic USB Tool version info. Updated with Bootcard attempt. (June 8, 2017 at 7:28 PM).

  • When I tooth-pick boot to USB recovery and try to flash an OS image, I get two errors:

    1) cannot load volume /misc!

    2) failed to mount /dev/block/mmcblk0