Quick question:
I changed Nameservers settings for my active WiFi connection under LE Settings.
Does this imply the new settings for Nameservers would also apply to an Ethernet connection on my Amlogic TV box, and also to other WiFi SSIDs?
(Don't have Ethernet handy, so can't test !)
Hi All,
Old question since the TV boxes in question are the X96 and MXQ Pro ones with the S905/X/W CPU and the old nasty SSV 6051 WiFi chipset.
I was informed that the SSV6051 driver for the Amlogic CPUs couldn't run a WiFi hotspot, but only act as WiFi station.
Then I read about knaerzche wonderful work to bring LE on RK3229 as well, where the SSV6051 driver update is included by Rockchip to run WiFi hotspot as well. Apparently, that driver can't be ported to Amlogic builds ?
Does anyone have pointers on running SSV6051 WiFi hotspot on these cheap, popular boxes ? ( I bought a few of them !)
Hope this is the correct place...
When I install Internet Radio addons from the Kodi official Repo, like radio.de ( green logo) or Shoutcast, I don't get the bottom player menu by pressing Enter on my remote.
So I am unable to pause or stop the radio play! However by long pressing on Enter button, the context menu allows me to click on Play with... menu item. From there I can switch to the VideoPlayer from the default PAPlayer. Then I get the bottom player menu on screen and all is hunky dory.
Did much googling only to find out that with video addons, the default player is VideoPlayer while with music addons the default is PAPlayer.
So is there a setting in eg advancedsettings.xml I can change to switch the default for my music addons to give me a player menu as in VideoPlayer ?
(I tried <audio> <defaultplayer> VideoPlayer </defaultplayer> </audio> but this didn't work.) 
Btw, I am running on X96MINI but this shouldn't make a difference. There are a number of fixes for PulseAudio given online for running on Windows/Ubuntu re: codecs and multiple streams and also External Player settings in corefactory xml setup, but they are not relevant.
I just want a bottom menu which I can currently only get by pressing the context menu everytime ! I want persistence with switch to the VideoPlayer as with video addons by default.
Edit ( Solved !) After some fiddling with the USB remote, toggling between background and foreground, I got the bottom menu !
The reason the SSV6051P driver works on the RK BSP kernel (and current Amlogic BSP kernels) has nothing to do with RK having better open-source compatibility. It is simply due to RK using an old kernel. I forget the exact kernel version where things break, but once you move beyond Linux 4.11 or 4.12 there are major crypto API changes and the driver no longer compiles. If you're lucky RK might task one of their internal devs to rewrite it at some point, but IMHO that's a long shot.
The last time I checked for an LE S905/x/w image for a generic box with SSV6051P wifi chipset, c. Sep 2019, the AP mode didn't work.
So is there an LE S905/x/w image version on which the AP mode does work?
I know this is more an LE question, but then it helps to compare with RK image too which works with AP mode.
Thanks, this is all I needed 😏 I can check Armbian for further developments, as you said.
Thanks here 😊 too. Yes, LE/CE have got the SSV 6051P .so driver but it will only work in WiFi sta mode, which is no big loss as you pointed.
The fact that RK kernel has the SSV driver built in points to RK open source compatibility, and also that this driver is not transferable to Amlogic !
Good luck on your Armbian integration. Looking forward to it !
1. I was only trying to compare Armbian v LE performance quickly, which is relevant to both forums.
In principle Armbian should be slower than LE, all other things being equal, since LE is a lightweight Kodi JeOS ( just enough OS) by design.
But if you are only streaming at 720p, maybe there isn't much performance difference with 2GB RAM or even 1GB RAM? That was the question.
Above 720p+, you get into all kinds of h264v 265 and GPU/VPU hw acceleration support issues. However if CPU software decoding is good enough for 720p, then Armbian v LE may not be much different in performance, with the standard h264.
2. The other issue, use of SSV6051P RK3229 .so driver for Amlogic S905/x/w is dependent upon respective architectures.
Display Moregood afternoon all
after long journey it seems many efforts are done in merging different studies into one common road of a better usable box
I wrote this ( pardon for cross posting other forum but i see also @knaerzche is trying to do some studies on armbian)
long story LINUX on rk3229 rockchip - TV boxes - Armbian forum
and also tried librelec that is running smoothly even on old devices
hope all of us will produce a good result
Hi fabiobassa !
I actually quoted this same link of yours on Jan 19 ( see above on same page ...) 😎
So looks like knaerzche is working on integration as he mentioned at the time.
Meanwhile do you have any insights into my #2 and #3 questions in my post with your original link?
Also how does Armbian now work on RK3229 generic boxes?
This project is awesome.
1. Your Armbian recipe sounds intriguing 😏
Better than the Entware hack I suppose.
I found this related thread:
long story LINUX on rk3229 rockchip - TV boxes - Armbian forum
2. Will then there be any performance difference between RK 3229 Armbian and RK 3229 LE for 720p streaming on 1/8 and 2/16GB devices?
Will it be kernel 4.4?
I know mxq project has poo pooed RK3229 but I believe it is a decent chip, with RK putting in more effort than AML to open source code.
3. Good to know about ssv6051P dual mode- WiFi chip still comes in x96 and MXQ models which are popular on the cheap end.
Btw, can your SSV 6051P drivers work for gen S905* LE boxes too? What driver files need be updated via SSH?
Great job! Will have to find my discarded old mxq pro RK3229 boxes now...
Mxq project has a YouTube out saying MAJOR DEVELOPMENT 😂
It is, given the effort. Nobody else wanted to touch it.
1. HDMI/AV auto select is a great feature. Again one other devs ignored.
2. Will the SSV6051P work in both WiFi sta and AP modes? Old chipset, company dead.
3. Any possibility to add a package manager like Entware (Openwrt), opkg ?
Hi All ! 😋
I am back after many months since a summer issue.
Thanks to Christian for fixing my account ID and for helpful notes on vdec issues, and to Oleg ( balbes150) for doing some magic including referral to two of his Armbian threads ( I posted him on his main Armbian thread for S9xxx.)
So I have a tip and many questions, after reading through the last 6 months of this thread and of the above 3 balbes150 Armbian threads:
1. Tips for many (including me) still confused about multiboot, and booting LE balbes builds after CE boot (from SD card or emmc.)
A. Here are the instructions from Post#1 of Oleg's Armbian S9xxx thread, if you are booting a fresh Android Box, i.e., one that hasn't had CE/AE/other distro booted from before:
ARMBIAN for Amlogic S905 and S905X (ver 5.44 =<) - TV boxes - Armbian forum
B. It's not clear to me if the above basic method will work for prior CE/AE boot, which has tripped many.
In this case, you should first follow below instructions to change u-boot (modified by CE/AE) back to the original Android u-boot.
(Thanks ukmark62 !)
This method looks simpler ( correct me) than having to change back to original Android u-boot via using USB Amlogic burn tool on PC that will then install original Android firmware on emmc of the affected Android Box:
Test LibreELEC images with KODI-18 for S9xxx
This method first resets Box to original Android reboot, then you follow partial (A) instructions ( A instructions minus the Update &Backup steps for restoring original Android uboot), in its later steps.
Edit. My concern about A v B is: In B, the (first) reboot occurs once and the box then boots to Android ( then you follow remaining instructions in A.) In the A scenario, there are two reboots ( boot into Android after first reboot?) and the box then boots to LE balbes OS.
It is also true ( from a subsequent @balbes 150 remark on method B) that the files required for B already are all part of the img.gz for LE balbes builds now.
So it appears to me that in both cases (a fresh Android S9xxx box or a CE/AE booted Android S9xxx box), method A should suffice. But I will wait for guidance ...
C. My 2c on why Oleg is using this more complex universal multiboot boot method:
To integrate development of various OSes ( LE versions, Armbian, Debian) and various hardwares ( Amlogic gxl, gxm, gxbb, g12, Rockchip 3288, 33**, Allwinner H series.)
He already is working on a single Armbian image for above hardwares, and might just do so for LE too.
Now my questions !
My use case here is a generic S905/x/w box with 1/8 or 2/16 GB, streaming 720p ( no 1080 p or 4K.)
2. Is LE mainline u-boot the same as above universal multiboot u-boot Oleg is using?
3. Which last kernel version for LE balbes does support emmc install?
4. The balbes Yandex Kodi 18 folder is grayed out.
Can I just use the Kodi 19 builds with the same features and compatible addons support as for Kodi 18, for 720p streaming on a gen S905/x/w box?
If not, where can I find the last LE balbes build for Kodi 18?
I ask because I was informed of video decoding issues with Kodi 19 ( need to be kernel compatible.) But I don't know if this suggestion of switching off hardware acceleration for gxl and g12 boards also affects the gxl variety for 720p streaming.
4a. On p66 of this thread, ukmark62 says that hardware video performance is better on another distro with bespoke kernel (3.14.29 ? 😏.)
Does this apply to 720p or higher res?
5. I am looking for some boot script(s) such that I don't have to go into Kodi menu after boot.
Rather, at boot time, after splash screen etc, the OS should have screen prompt for the user configuring WiFi ( AP mode, or input WiFi sta mode SSID available and password.)
I know some wifi chips like ssv6051P (e.g., on x96) don't work in WiFi AP mode, given old drivers. But Realtek wifi chipsets should.
Also a boot script for switching between HDMI and AV output.
( I am told LE mainline does auto switch, but don't know about LE balbes.)
This way I can SSH later and edit if I need to !
Unluckily I am not a dev/coder, but I can follow instructions and try to emulate someone else's script.
6. Is there a performance/features difference between Armbian Kodi and balbes LE distro for a S905* tv box with 1/8GB ?
How about for 2/16 GB variety for 720p streaming?
I guess the Armbian should be slower, but it'll be nice to hear from someone else.
And yes, Happy Holidays and a great New Year 🎉 2020.
This CE 3.14 vs LE 4.x/5.y really is a *stupid* debate, fueled by some insecure folks !
The comparison is just damn wrong. LE 3.14 also works, if you forget. If balbes150 et al are trying to move the goalposts by experimenting with the new kernel (and calling it *experimental*) we should appreciate these efforts.
Remember all these dev folks are volunteers. They owe you nothing, but you as user owe them a lot !🐵🐵
I always mix up VPU and GPU, since VPU terminology is seldom used.
Anyway appreciate your clearing up the HW enabling confusion. ☺
Thanks.
1. Yes I do understand Codec Factory is for Android OS only 😃 So basically it just takes out the bad decoders if you can identify them !
2. For 720p streaming, Kodi 18.2 means you have less CPU load given software decoding.
3. Is there a list of AML 3.14 updates for Kodi 18.2? Are they mainly just bug fixes or some streaming improvements too?
One thing I don't understand: Is 720p or below decoding always in CPU ( soft decode) for AML S905/912?
Why waste the GPU as idle?
Why not use hardware decoding for 720p/below too given extra CPU load, or can you set it optionally either way?
Can someone comment on the latest Kodi 18.2 release, in particular the stuff about GLES/AML updates "after years of no love" and the Android Codec Factory settings from xml files?
Kodi "Leia" 18.2 Release | Kodi | Open Source Home Theater Software
1. What impact is on LE kernel 3.14 and 4.x/5.y releases, if any?
2. Do the Codec Factory settings lessen the TV box firmware issues, and somehow make Android on TV boxes better in performance?
Well I actually didn't mind getting kicked out for violating "GDPR rules ( what???)" as 1/76 Members out of a "5000+" community. Presumably for cross forum posting besides my usual bad attitude 😈👹🐵👺
I got better support elsewhere.
Thanks much for clarification ! I was just worried about moving to 4.x distros like from balbes here.
So I just use S905, X, W with 1/8GB preferably, streaming 720p or sometimes 1080p. Right now S912, S905X2/Y2 are too high tech for me ...what is the point of JeOS if you still need more memory and CPU ?🐵🐵🐵
Maybe the next interesting project would be to dual USB boot a home Openwrt router, the $15-20 AliExpress TPlink variety- should be possible 👺👺 Perhaps it can't do Kodi, but VLC possibly.
Just FYR, this Shippy in comments below is *not* me !
Panfrost is an Open Source Driver for Arm Mali Midgard GPUs
I do have great respect for chewitt and balbes150 plus other contributors in this forum 👻👻
Btw, one question: isn't Lima ready for Mali 400/450 on S905 series Amlogic?
And if you just want to stream 720p how much would the kernel 4.x dev issues affect you for HDMI or AV output?
SSID/passphrase can be set in LE settings. No idea about connman supporting LTE but it's a moot point as LE doesn't build support for anything but wifi and ethernet.
1. I actually tried to reset, but both revert in LE Config 👺👺
Are there any ssh commands you recall?
2. Hmm...I didn't realize that LE will need special LTE setup. Thought that networking is independent.
