Posts by ilmich

    Hi all

    I released the first build of libreelec 11 and then libreelec 10 goes into maintenance mode for a while.

    This build is an alpha release (not for daily usage), it contains some changes that break the update from 10 and it is strongly recommended to install only on sdcard (currently) and stay with libreelec 10 if something doesn't work.

    I also changed my approach, in the past release I backported some drivers from the legacy kernel for better usability.

    With this version, I don't want to do it because my goal is to make my project an official port.

    This doesn't mean that it will be less functional, but that it will take time to develop the missing drivers.

    What I know is not working

    - some remote controls (tested only mine). please follow this guide https://wiki.libreelec.tv/configuration/ir-remotes and I'm happy to add yours

    - some strange wifi chip (only 6051p works for now)

    - some strange usb wifi chip (I can add it if you help me)

    - NAND (this is the hard part and the only legacy piece that remains)

    - DDR3 frequency scaling (work in progress)

    - blue/red/green leds (work in progress)

    - wakeup from remote

    - only one generic box supported (work in progress)

    What is not working

    - let me known and help me to fix :)

    Extra Features

    - nice UI improvements thanks to backported patches https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/pull/22919 https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/pull/21557

    Cheers

    Michele

    thanks Gul-Dukat , that's my goal :)

    but then the freeze is after a period of inactivity!? Normally it works without problems?!

    However, studying legacy kernel I discovered that each box has tolerances for voltages. Who tolerates low voltages and who doesn't.

    I have to create a small driver to handle this, but in this period I can work very little on it :(

    But I'll try to give you some dtb's as soon as possible.

    You can also continue to use the installation that works for you, and help me with troubleshooting by simply switch dtb.

    There are no significant evolutions in the latest builds.

    In the meantime, I also found this patch which looks very promising

    Implement front to back rendering by sarbes · Pull Request #22919 · xbmc/xbmc
    Description The PR splits the GUI rendering into two passes, if enabled in the advanced settings. In a first pass, all opaque elements get rendered in front to…
    github.com

    and would seem to greatly improve the UI performance on our beloved boxes. Fingers crossed.

    I suspect that the issue you fixed for LibreELEC could be similar for multitool. What do you think? Sadly, multitool doesnt boot at all, with any methods that i tried.

    you are right, but multitool is a little operating system based on legacy u-boot and legacy rockchip kernel etc etc.

    My Libreelec instead, is based on legacy-uboot but 5.10.x mainline kernel.

    I hope you get a script working, and on my side I will try to learn how to flash IMGs with rkdeveloptool using a live Ubuntu (im not good with linux but I can learn).

    I suggested you wait for my script because it's a safer choice.

    You can though, but it's a thing for those who know what they're doing, do it directly from the sd card.

    If you copy the libreelec image to the sd card and run the following command

    Code
    dd if={path_of_image} of=/dev/rknand0

    the internal memory will be overwritten.

    But keep in mind:

    - to allow booting, libreelec build scripts tag partitions with unique ids. These ids change with each build and are used to detect the boot partition.

    So if you download an image and flash it to both nand and sdcard, then boot will always go to sd card if you reinsert the same.

    You don't run the risk of breaking anything, I see you handy in the flash of the box and therefore you can easily restore it. But I just wanted to tell you what you can get into.

    Hi ochentay4,

    but what did you install in nand!? Android or legacy libreelec!?

    Anyway for the multitool keep asking for help in the armbian forum and follow any indications from jock2 and fabiobassa . They are my mentors, but it's not always easy for someone on the other side of the forum to help if someone just says "it doesn't work".

    However I'm working on a script that automates the installation to internal memory, but it will take me a while.

    Hi, thanks a lot

    the last test,

    https://ilmich.libreelec.tv/test/LibreELEC-RK322x.arm-10.0-nightly-20230302-b1e877a-rk322x.img.gz

    unfortunately not having the board I don't know how to help you if it doesn't work.

    However, I see that the sd controller is not working.

    This may depend on

    - the controller is not active (strange)

    - you are using a bad or incompatible sd card (with the mainline kernel).

    The rk3229 can also support uhs sd cards but in practice, it depends on the box

    In my build, the speed of the sd bus doesn't go to the maximum to have better compatibility.

    The error you are getting is related to the kernel not being able to detect your sd card (or controller).

    Please try running the dmesg command from the prompt you see in the error phase (connect a USB keyboard to type it) and send some useful info.

    Otherwise I don't know how to help you, the causes of the failed boot can be many. Having a box with nand also depends on what you have installed as a bootloader in internal memory.

    However, as soon as I have some time, I'll do a test by installing legacy libreelec in one of my boxes to try to understand something.

    Hi Habitual6824

    thank you very much for the support you are giving me to make my port better.

    Technically when using hardware decoding the cpu/gpu shouldn't be fully loaded so the temperature rise may be due to the ram clock.

    I can certainly try to improve something, but keep in mind that to lower the price and save on components, the heat dissipation in these boxes is often non-existent. In some boxes there is not even a passive heat sink, and in others, it's too small.

    For the 4k speech, maybe it's better if we try the same thing. So I ask you to try any of these videos

    Samples - Official Kodi Wiki

    both locally and via the network and share results. In this way, if you show me the problematic ones, I try to reproduce them in my box to understand what can be done ((if anything can be done).

    I don't have a 4k TV so I usually see full HD content at most.

    However, I will prepare a dtb similar to the legacy (which will become the default for the other boxes too)

    Thanks again

    Michele

    edit: on mainline kernels, hardware decoding is implemented differently than on official rockchip kernels.

    It's already a miracle that there is very good rockchip support for hardware decoding, and that's thanks to the immense effort of volunteers. This is to say that not everything that is supported by the legacy rockchip kernel, currently works on my port as well.

    Hi Habitual6824,

    thanks for your patience and your help :)

    Hoping it hasn't crashed again, I ask you please to try the following dts

    - rk3229-box-mxq4kpro.dtb.cpu --> I've reenabled 1.4 Ghz CPU clock (with dmc disabled and GPU max 400Mhz)

    - rk3229-box-mxq4kpro.dtb.dmc --> I've reenabled dmc (ddr3 frequency scaling) (with CPU at 1.3Ghz and GPU max 400Mhz)

    - rk3229-box-mxq4kpro.dtb.gpu --> I've reenabled 500Mhz GPU clock (with CPU at 1.3Ghz and dmc disabled)

    so I can try to figure out where the problem lies. Obviously, the important thing is to avoid crashes, but if I can get the most out of our rockchip it's better.

    regarding hardware video decoding, I noticed that you use kodi debug. Try turning it off. If I remember correctly the overlay showing cpu stats forces kodi not to use the best video decoding method (drmprime)

    for booting from sd I don't know what to say. Probably the bootloader I use has some incompatibility with your board. I would need lower level logging via the UART serial port. Anyway, I'll try to take a look at it.

    Hi Habitual6824,

    the problem of booting from the sd card is strange because in your dmesg I see that it is correctly loaded.

    Code
    [    0.795338] mmc_host mmc0: Bus speed (slot 0) = 50000000Hz (slot req 50000000Hz, actual 50000000HZ div = 0)
    [    0.795454] mmc0: new high speed SDHC card at address 0007
    [    0.796741] mmcblk0: mmc0:0007 SL16G 14.5 GiB
    [    0.799982]  mmcblk0: p1

    But if you have patience we will try to fix everything :)

    But nothing starts!? Or is there an error you can send me!?

    Quote

    If there's no error in logs, does it mean that it crashes before it could log what causes the error?

    yes

    To avoid conflicts I ask you to delete the internal memory (via multitool) and try again with the sd card.

    Also try with this dtb (like before), I reduced the clock frequency of cpu and gpu.

    I also ask you to tell me which version of legacy libreelec works for you so that I can create an ad-hoc dts for your box.

    Thank you