How to install CoreELEC on the U22-XJ

Portisch

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This is a quick how to for installing CoreELEC onto the Minix NEO U22-XJ.

This guide applies to Windows users only, if you need further support then please make a post at the CoreELEC forums as you will receive help much quicker. Booting currently works on the U22-XJ via USB flash drives only.
  1. Goto the CoreELEC Download page here.
  2. Select Stable>New Installation>Minix NEO U22-XJ and press Download Image.
  3. Use Rufus or Etcher or any other similar utility to burn the downloaded image to a USB flash drive.
  4. Open the flash drive and copy the file X:/device_trees/g12b_s922x_minix_u22xj.dtb to X:/dtb.img
  5. Insert the flash drive into your U22-XJ and press the recovery button next to the WiFi antenna with a small paper clip or pin and press the power button, you must keep the reset button held until you see the CoreELEC screen and this is only necessary for the very first time you boot CoreELEC.
This completes the quick how to.

NOTES:
Remote control configuration:
If you plan to use the Minix remote or the A2/A3 remotes then save the following file here on the root of your flash drive as X:/remote.conf.

Ethernet not working:
There is an issue with the 9.2.2 release dtb, use the following one here.

Install to internal eMMC:
If you wish to install CoreELEC to the internal eMMC, then you will need to enable SSH and connect to your device and enter `ceemmc -x`, the default username and password is root/coreelec (WARNING: If you do a dual boot installation on eMMC then do not accept any future OTA or you will lose your CoreELEC install).

Sleep/Wakeup not working:
If you wish to use Sleep/Wakeup functions then you must do BL301 injection, to do this go-to Add-ons>CoreELEC Configuration>Hardware>Inject BL301 Blob and press OK>Continue then select IR Remote Power Code>Minix.
 
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First attempt ended with error in mount_sysroot. mount_common. Could not mount /flash/SYSTEM ***

Tried a different USB drive and installed without issues, plain sailing!! Hopefully Minix will be on board to assist again in getting this to boot off SD, always good to have options.

Thanks @CoreELEC for making projects like this available to the general public, much appreciated.
 
Hopefully Minix will be on board to assist again in getting this to boot off SD, always good to have options.

This is still an outstanding issue but to be fair to Minix we did not communicate it to them on purpose as we didn't want to complicate things by adding an extra issue to the mix but this is indeed a problem with the bootloader like USB that only Minix can fix.
 
Hello, sorry a very stupid sounding question from me. I see that we need to press the reset button on the Minix for the first boot. Will it actually reset the Minix to its factory settings as well? I'd like to try CoreElec but also hope to be able to fallback to my original Android setup in case something doesn't work.
Thanks
 
Hello, sorry a very stupid sounding question from me. I see that we need to press the reset button on the Minix for the first boot. Will it actually reset the Minix to its factory settings as well? I'd like to try CoreElec but also hope to be able to fallback to my original Android setup in case something doesn't work.
Thanks
No it does not factory reset, you are safe, it is only the first time you have to do this to allow the dual boot.
 
Hello, sorry a very stupid sounding question from me. I see that we need to press the reset button on the Minix for the first boot. Will it actually reset the Minix to its factory settings as well? I'd like to try CoreElec but also hope to be able to fallback to my original Android setup in case something doesn't work.
Thanks
Also FYI to perform Factory reset you have to get to the Recovery menu and select Wipe data/factory reset.

the reset button
It's actually really called the "Recovery button". ;)
 
Thanks! Tried a few times using the image burnt with Etcher but I always end up on the Android recovery menu. Guess I'd better not play with it for now
 
Yes I am. I read somewhere that only the usb c port would be bootable as I installed v003 via OTA (I was using another port). It seems to start now but I need to find a faster usb stick :)
 
Yes I am. I read somewhere that only the usb c port would be bootable as I installed v003 via OTA (I was using another port). It seems to start now but I need to find a faster usb stick :)
Yes sorry I forgot about that, I did a firmware flash instead of OTA.
 
I have got to say I am surprised and impressed that CoreElec have their OS running on the U22-XJ so quickly after official release. So a big Well Done to all the folks at CoreElec and those at Minix who assisted.
Time to order a U22-XJ (y)(y)(y):)
 
I have got to say I am surprised and impressed that CoreElec have their OS running on the U22-XJ so quickly after official release. So a big Well Done to all the folks at CoreElec and those at Minix who assisted.
Time to order a U22-XJ (y)(y)(y):)
And after testing CoreELEC on the U22 myself I can safely say you will be impressed once again by the performance (y)
 
In Kodi, when I right click on the mouse, it returns back to the main Kodi menu screen instead of the previous page. How do I configure right click to return to the previous page?
 
(WARNING: If you do a dual boot installation on eMMC then do not accept any future OTA or you will lose your CoreELEC install).
Candid question, how do we update the minix FW once in dual boot?
 
(WARNING: If you do a dual boot installation on eMMC then do not accept any future OTA or you will lose your CoreELEC install).
Candid question, how do we update the minix FW once in dual boot?
With dual boot you are either in CoreELEC or Android, if in Android then you would update the firmware as you normally do when you are alerted by the system that a FOTA updated is available.
 
With dual boot you are either in CoreELEC or Android, if in Android then you would update the firmware as you normally do when you are alerted by the system that a FOTA updated is available.

Thanks, then I don't understand the warning: (If you do a dual boot installation on eMMC then do not accept any future OTA or you will lose your CoreELEC install).
 
Thanks, then I don't understand the warning: (If you do a dual boot installation on eMMC then do not accept any future OTA or you will lose your CoreELEC install).
A little confusion!
The warning has been edited today.

It originally read...
(WARNING: If you do a dual boot installation then do not accept any future OTA or you will lose your CoreELEC install).

It now reads...
(WARNING: If you do a dual boot installation on eMMC then do not accept any future OTA or you will lose your CoreELEC install).

@Marty's post refers to a dual boot with a sd card/flash drive.
With dual boot you are either in CoreELEC or Android, if in Android then you would update the firmware as you normally do when you are alerted by the system that a FOTA updated is available.

@Marty did post this above but then removed it...
"I have amended the OP as the warning applies to installing CoreELEC onto the internal eMMC, if you were to then update via FOTA this would wipe CoreELEC. USB or SD Card install would not be affected."

He also added "on eMMC" in to your post just to confuse matters!!! :eek:

So now do you understand? :):unsure:
 
Thanks, then I don't understand the warning: (If you do a dual boot installation on eMMC then do not accept any future OTA or you will lose your CoreELEC install).
Just to clarify a little further.

Install to internal eMMC: This is the physical storage of the U22 where Android resides, if you were to choose to install CoreELEC on this storage then it shares the internal storage alongside Android, hence you are warned that if you update your U22 Android firmware via FOTA you lose your CoreELEC installation, it will be wiped so you would have to reinstall CoreELEC from scratch onto the eMMC.

Install on USB storage: If you install CoreELEC on a USB memory stick then you have nothing to fear after an Android update as your installation of CoreELEC remains untouched and available for your viewing pleasure.

Install on SD Card: This is not an option yet but hopefully will be in a future firmware update. @MINIX - John ;)
 
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