CoreELEC - MINIX U9-H

Skynet

Administrator
CoreELEC installation.

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CoreELEC is a 'Just enough OS' Linux distribution for running Kodi on popular low-cost hardware. CoreELEC is a minor fork of LibreELEC, it's built by the community for the community. CoreELEC website.

Difference LE vs CE
LibreELEC is focused mainly on x86 and RPi.
Most of the CoreELEC team is focused on Amlogic, also collaborate with the OSMC developers who are also focused on Amlogic because of their Vero4K device.
It wouldn’t be appropriate to say which is better.
Builds consist of the OSMC kernel and numerous patches which fix a number of problems related to running Kodi on Amlogic hardware along with the very latest and bleeding edge version of Kodi.

wrxtasy builds are Krypton (17.6) where as CoreELEC is Leia (18).
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Links
https://coreelec.org
https://discourse.coreelec.org/

https://github.com/CoreELEC/CoreELEC/releases

download the .tar file...
also unzip
CoreELEC-S912.arm-8.95.5\3rdparty\bootloader\device_trees
gxm_q200_2g_minix_neo_u9.dtb this file should be renamed to dtb.img and put into root
the zipped tar file you can write like LE in the creator tool
 
Short CoreELEC installation tutorial (for advanced user only)

  • Download Rufus (https://rufus.akeo.ie/)
  • Download last *.img.gz CoreELEC release S912 Soc (https://github.com/CoreELEC/CoreELEC/releases)
  • Download S912 dtb file (https://github.com/CoreELEC/device-trees-amlogic). For Minix U9-H : gxm_q200_2g_minix_neo_u9.dts
  • Format an microSD card with FAT32 filesystem.
  • Create with Rufus an bootable card with *.img.gz image file. When it’s done, copy/paste .dts file to SD root and rename it dtb.img.
  • Turn off your Minix U9-H. Insert SD card, Plug power cord while pressing power button for several seconds until CoreELEC boot screen appears. It will reboot once and it’s done!
  • Now you have two choices :
    • You can stay on external/SD card installation : every time you’re booting, you have to do the power button trick to boot CoreELEC from your SD card or standard Android MINIX OS will start. It’s the safest way.
    • You can install it on internal NAND : log on your box with SSH (Putty for example) and type installtointernal. Reboot when asked. If you have a corrupted systemfile message on boot : turn off, boot from SDcard (hold power button) and install to internal once again. It should solve the problem. Do this only if you know what your’re doing !!
 
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Short CoreELEC installation tutorial (for advanced user only)

  • Download Rufus (https://rufus.akeo.ie/)
  • Download last *.img.gz CoreELEC release S912 Soc (https://github.com/CoreELEC/CoreELEC/releases)
  • Download S912 dtb file (https://github.com/CoreELEC/device-trees-amlogic). For Minix U9-H : gxm_q200_2g_minix_neo_u9.dts
  • Format an microSD card with FAT32 filesystem.
  • Create with Rufus an bootable card with *.img.gz image file. When it’s done, copy/paste .dts file to SD root and rename it dtb.img.
  • Turn off your Minix U9-H. Insert SD card, Plug power cord while pressing power button for several seconds until CoreELEC boot screen appears. It will reboot once and it’s done!
  • Now you have two choices :
    • You can stay on external/SD card installation : every time you’re booting, you have to do the power button trick to boot CoreELEC from your SD card or standard Android MINIX OS will start. It’s the safest way.
    • You can install it on internal NAND : log on your box with SSH (Putty for example) and type installtointernal. Reboot when asked. If you have a corrupted systemfile message on boot : turn off, boot from SDcard (hold power button) and install to internal once again. It should solve the problem. Do this only if you know what your’re doing !!
Moved to the correct thread ;)
 
Creator tool option
 
Thank you guys, that really helps a lot. Could you expand on "log on your box with SSH (Putty for example)"? What is SSH and Putty?
 
Ok, thank you. Any chance you. or someone, could write a walkthrough as to how to use SSH and Putty to flash the LE/CE image to the U9-H. Or even point me at a tutorial somewhere.

Sorry for all the dumb questions. :rolleyes:
 
Yes, Thank You d-vine. That looks like just what I wanted. I will give it a try over the weekend and let you know how it goes.
 
I installed the S912 8.95.5 image and copied the gxm_q200_2g_minix_neo_u9.dts (renamed as dtb.img) to root of the SD card.
However, my U9-H hangs at the green android holding up the white MINIX logo when I long-press the power button with the formatted SD card installed. If I pull the SD card and cycle the power, it boots to Android on the internal storage.

I formatted the card with the LibreElec tool as well as RUFUS with the same result.
I have root on the Android install; could this be the cause of interference? I wouldn't think so, given that the long-press apparently is the equivalent of changing boot order.

Edit: Figured it out. The .dts file from Github seems to be the fly in the ointment. I tried 8.95.4 and extracted its included .dts file to root and CoreElec booted. Worked from USB too, in case anyone wonders if a stick would work instead of SD.
 
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Edit: Figured it out.
The .dts file from Github seems to be the fly in the ointment. I tried 8.95.4 and extracted its included .dts file to root and CoreElec booted. Worked from USB too, in case anyone wonders if a stick would work instead of SD.

Thanks for figuring this out....
I started with version 8.95.4 then made a update inside kodi to 8.95.5. Only the first time / clean install the rename .dts file is needed.
Remember these version are still beta's.

question:
Did you extract the .tar file and use that .dts file or did you use the direct link to the device tree?
 
question:
Did you extract the .tar file and use that .dts file or did you use the direct link to the device tree?

I burned the image and then pulled the U9's .dts file from the conveniently provided device_trees folder within the image. The direct Github link was giving me the trouble, it seems. I'm too lazy to go compare them to see what the problem was.
 
Just like on libereelec.
Led light stays green when turn off
external hdd stays powerd on
And screen is 24 hz intstead 60hz
 
Just like on libereelec.
Led light stays green when turn off
external hdd stays powerd on
And screen is 24 hz intstead 60hz

I don't have that problem. I can switch on or off in kodi and led returns like it should.
I tested screen settings 720p, 1080p, 4k and 4k full at 24 and 60HZ settings. All went fine
My TV responded with those settings like I put the settings in kodi. Kodi zelf played all kind of movies no mater what kind of movie I played.
TV respons to those movies and also switch on HDR if a movie had one

Setup:
Panasonic CX800 [ HDMI on auto - modes 2 ]
Marantz SR6010 [ No upscaling or other settings that could mess up the signal ]

The external hdd I could not test..
 
I don't have that problem. I can switch on or off in kodi and led returns like it should.
I tested screen settings 720p, 1080p, 4k and 4k full at 24 and 60HZ settings. All went fine
My TV responded with those settings like I put the settings in kodi. Kodi zelf played all kind of movies no mater what kind of movie I played.
TV respons to those movies and also switch on HDR if a movie had one

Setup:
Panasonic CX800 [ HDMI on auto - modes 2 ]
Marantz SR6010 [ No upscaling or other settings that could mess up the signal ]

The external hdd I could not test..
The hz problem is fixed with some chances in settings

The light on your box goes out?
 
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The hz problem is fixed with some chances in settings
The light on your box goes out?

I made a mistake with the led. Tested for you.
I switch complete off the power when I go to bed. (do this with home automation) Did not pay that much attention on the led.
First when power on system LED = ON
switch on the U-9 LED = BLUE
Switch of kodi LED = GREEN
so no off.

For me it's not a problem but i understand for you it is.
You can report or ask at the CoreELEC forum about this problem, maybe it's build this way for some reason.

The resolution settings:
Only at 4k full frame the option 60hz is NOT available ( 4096 × 2160 )
All other settings I got the 60hz ( 4k 3840 × 2160 , HD and less)
 
I made a mistake with the led. Tested for you.
I switch complete off the power when I go to bed. (do this with home automation) Did not pay that much attention on the led.
First when power on system LED = ON
switch on the U-9 LED = BLUE
Switch of kodi LED = GREEN
so no off.

For me it's not a problem but i understand for you it is.
You can report or ask at the CoreELEC forum about this problem, maybe it's build this way for some reason.

The resolution settings:
Only at 4k full frame the option 60hz is NOT available ( 4096 × 2160 )
All other settings I got the 60hz ( 4k 3840 × 2160 , HD and less)

Oké thanks for the information.
The led is not really a problem because I also completely power it off at night.
But the hdd stays active so for a save shutdow I Have to power off the hdd
Not really a big issue but I Wil try to report it to coreelec.
 
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