CoreELEC 9.2.2 (KODI 18.6)

[sean99]

NOTE: This is for the Beelink GT King pro, T8 mini, T8s plus v2, Go V3.1 Projector, A95X plus and is not associated with Droix whatsoever.
This is an install guide to download and install from sdcard the latest CoreELEC system image, this will not affect the Android/ LibreElec firmware already installed on your device as you are booting an operating system from an external sdcard. When this sdcard is removed your box will boot as normal to Android/ LibreElec.

GT King pro CoreELEC image d/l:-
https://github.com/CoreELEC/CoreELE.../CoreELEC-Amlogic-ng.arm-9.2.2-Generic.img.gz or even better install dual boot mode android and CE on emmc internal memory. How to do that is in a few posts below.

T8 Mini, T8 plus v2 CoreELEC image d/l:-
https://github.com/CoreELEC/CoreELE...2.2/CoreELEC-Amlogic.arm-9.2.2-Generic.img.gz can only be istalled to emmc internal memory in single boot mode wiping over android, how to in a few posts below.

Go V3.1 Projector S905X:-
https://github.com/CoreELEC/CoreELE...2.2/CoreELEC-Amlogic.arm-9.2.2-Generic.img.gz would recommend running from sd card only on this device, also it is the latest CE test build that has the option to enhance your screen brightness during playback (is a gamechanger for this device imho) of which the stable 9.2.1 build doesn't currently have working. The next stable release will have this brightness option encorporated and I will update the f/w link.

A95X Plus and other S905x2 devices:- https://github.com/CoreELEC/CoreELE.../CoreELEC-Amlogic-ng.arm-9.2.2-Generic.img.gz (16gb quality usb stick needed) or even better install dual boot android and CE on emmc internal memory. How to do that is in a few posts below.

Rufus d/l link:-
https://rufus.ie/
Sdcard 2gb and above class 10 needed.

Download the CoreELEC zip file from above and use winrar/ winzip to extract the image file on your pc, insert sdcard and format to fat32.
Install rufus or your equivalent image burning software on your pc, open rufus and navigate the input to the extracted CoreELEC image, navigate the output to your sdcard/ usb stick and burn the image. If successful, the SD card will auto name to CoreELEC and the capacity will be shown as 512MB, this is OK as there is a second (hidden) partition for CoreELEC user data.

If burned correctly navigate to your sdcard and open it, delete the dtb.img file (if it exists in there) then open device_trees folder. Copy the gxbb_p200_2gb_1Gbit.dtb for the T8 mini and T8 plus v2. For the Go V3.1 Projector copy gxl_p212_2gb.dtb and paste in root of sd card and rename it to dtb.img.

g12b_s922x_beelink_gt_king_rev_a.dtb, g12b_s922x_beelink_gt_king.dtb. (yes there are 2x versions of this box rev a and rev b but beelink will not admit this) and paste into the root of sdcard, rename this to dtb.img.

For the A95X Plus open device_ tree folder, copy and paste to root of a decent quality 16gb + memory stick g12a_s905x2_4g_1gb.dtb and rename it to dtb.img.

Remove your sdcard/ usb stick from pc and insert the CoreELEC prepared media into your device, to boot the system for the 1st time use the toothpick method depressing the reset button. Disconnect the power supply and hold the reset button with the toothpick (gt king pro/ go v3.1 use a paper clip or similar), reconnect the power supply and press the power button (still having the reset button depressed) wait until the CoreELEC logo appears and release the toothpick from the reset button. Your system will now boot up into CoreELEC kodi 18.6 and you will need to setup your system upon boot. You now have kodi 18.6 running on linux.
If you are going to change the skin from the default estuary skin you will not have the option to reboot to eMMc/ android, so install this zip to regain that function in any skin, also essential for dual booting:-

https://github.com/trogggy/trogggy.scripts/raw/master/script.reboottonand.zip

If you are not sure of any part of this tutorial feel free to ask.
Thanks to the devs and members at CoreELEC for this insight and an excellent firmware.

 

[paolo]

Hi Sean,
Will CoreELEC be eventually available on other exisitng Droidbox models since LibrElec is no longer supported?

 

[Nigelar]

Hi Sean,
Will CoreELEC be eventually available on other exisitng Droidbox models since LibrElec is no longer supported?

2nd post in this thread is Droix's response to a similar question

https://droidboxforums.com/threads/new-droid-devices-no-librelec-no-10-1000.17461/

 

[Lippy2016]

Hi, followed Sean99's instructions on a T8 Mini and it has given the box a new lease of life - CoreELEC 9.2.1 with Kodi 18.5 is much more stable for IPTV channels. Surprised to see that CoreELEC gives you the option to reboot into android on exit, even though it's on an sd card.

Just successfully done an old iMXQPro V2 as well - it's very straightforward if you know which device tree image to use.

Question for Droix - I see that you are now advertising the Beelink GT King Pro with CoreELEC (same as offered in the US ). I assume this is by way of a bootable sd card and, if you are now into this, can you give us the correct device trees for your other boxes so we can all upgrade without guessing.

This would answer lots of (LibreELEC update) pleas on various recent threads in the forum

I've still got my T8 SE to do and just got the Droix 3 as well - would be grateful if you have the names of the correct device tree images for those or anyone else on here if you know them.

Once again many thanks to Sean99 for kicking this off and Droix for starting to offer CoreELEC

 

[sean99]

Glad someone got the job done on this and got CoreELEC installed and up and running. Currently have it installed dual boot to emmc giving the option to return to android on the a95x plus and gt king pro. Running from internal is very quick and responsive on both devices. @Lippy2016 try the CoreELEC forum and ask some questions with the specs of these boxes to hand that you are trying to port C E to. Also do some tinkering yourself. Cheers guys n gals

 

[Dave C]

Question for Droix - I see that you are now advertising the Beelink GT King Pro with CoreELEC (same as offered in the US ). I assume this is by way of a bootable sd card and, if you are now into this, can you give us the correct device trees for your other boxes so we can all upgrade without guessing.

Beelink supply the SD card as standard with all recent orders. It is not something we (DroiX) have included.

You can find a list of compatible devices and their respective Device Trees at https://coreelec.org/dtb/. If there is a device not listed there or you can not find the SoC, let me know and I can look into it.

 

[Daveblueboy]

Lippy could you please post instructions coreleec on imxqpro V2 would really like to purchase beelink GT with it already installed . But not available if anyone has ever used libreleec /coreleec they would understand

 

[Lippy2016]

Dave C, thanks for the answer but I think I've sussed out the device tree side.

Daveblueboy - With apologies to Sean99, I have repeated stuff specific to the iMXQPro box V2 to put it all in one place.


The Beelink box just has an sd card with CORELEC on it, the same as you will end up with here and 2G RAM is fine for COREELEC. The whole process is very straightforward.


Download the Latest CoreELEC image file – this is currently 9.2.01 and can be found here: https://github.com/CoreELEC/CoreELE...2.1/CoreELEC-Amlogic.arm-9.2.1-Generic.img.gz


This file will need to be unzipped to give you the COREELEC img file (without the .gz)


Then use Rufus : https://rufus.ie/ (or Windisk32imager) to copy this file onto a (formatted for FAT32 Class 10 micro sd card) – any size will do but must be at least 2GB (16Gb is probably the cheapest these days).


Windows Explorer may not recognise the card after and this keep asking you to format it – escape out and unmount the card then remount it and right click the start button > select Disk Management > locate the volume with COREELEC on it and right click the volume box then select add a drive letter from the drop down list. It should now show up in explorer with two drive letters for each partition.


Open the COREELEC partition and then open the Device tree file – this contains a number of image files for different devices and chipsets. You need to choose the image which corresponds to your box – this is usually based on the chipset (S905x etc) and the RAM (2G). Then copy the correct file from the device tree file into the main COREELEC folder and rename it dtb.img


At this stage I need to say that I had forgotten that I had given my son the iMXQPro box and so I had actually installed COREELEC onto a different brand box (they were virtually identical ) I’ll do his when he visits at Easter.


However this box also had a S905x chipset with 2G of RAM and I used the following device tree: gxl_p212_2g.dtb


Everything worked fine, but you can always find the correct device tree direct from your box by downloading the free ‘Terminal Emulator’ from the Play Store > start it and type in:


cat /proc/device-tree/amlogic-dt-id


the output will give you the device tree of your box. Please do this if you want to check that gxl_p212_2g.dtb is correct. if not you should see the output in the device tree folder.


Unmount the card, put it in your box then hold the reset button in whilst powering on the box. Keep the reset button in until the COREELEC logo appears.


(If anybody doesn’t have a reset button for their box you can use the same Terminal app and type in: reboot update)


Do the settings as you would a fresh install. I was able to restore with a USB backup from LibreELEC using the Indigo Fusion Backup/restore addon so there was no need to reload all my addons etc. although this might not always work but worth a try. COREELEC has it’s own backup/restore feature but I haven’t tried this out as used my T8 backup for the other boxes as well.


Now the box will always boot into COREELEC with the card in and if you select the power icon at the top left on the main menu you will get the option to reboot back to Android through emmc/NAND.


I’ve now done 3 boxes using this method and all work fine. For others the device tree for the T8 SE (S905x and 2G ram) is also the same as above.


I agree that COREELEC with Kodi Leia 18.5 is a huge improvement on the current LibreELEC/Kodi 17.6 setup. Yet again - thanks to Sean99

Good Luck - if I missed anything please read Sean99’s first post to check. I think I'll now start looking at install to internal

 

[sean99]

To install to emmc internal memory in either single or dual boot mode use putty to log in (user is root and password is coreelec) and use the command installtointernal for S905 devices, this will install CE on the emmc removing the android partition/ f/w (single CE boot mode). On newer S905x2 or S922x models using the command ceemmc -x you get the option to dual boot CE with android from the internal memory.

 

[paolo]

Hi everyone, I am looking to update to coreelec on my trusty T8 SE v2 libreelec and I have a question regarding VPN.
I currently had to insatall zomboided vpn software for librelec, would this be applicable also to coreelec?

 

[paolo]

Apologies for my bad spelling in above post.
It should say " I currently have zomboided software installed to access vpn, would this be applicable to on coreelec?"

 

[sean99]

Hi everyone, I am looking to update to coreelec on my trusty T8 SE v2 libreelec and I have a question regarding VPN.
I currently had to insatall zomboided vpn software for librelec, would this be applicable also to coreelec?

Yes OpenVPN works as it does in all Linux elec versions.

 

[paolo]

Hi Sean, thanks for update. I noticed on your initial instructions that we should you gbxx_p200_2gb_1Gbit.dtb file from device tree folder but I can only see gxbb_p200_2G_1Gbit file.
Is this just a typo error?

 

[sean99]

Yes its just a typo error

 

[Lippy2016]

Paolo, not sure what V2 was, but i have done my T8 SE and the device tree, for the T8 SE (S905x and 2G ram), is gxl_p212_2g.dtb

I was able to restore, from the T8 SE LibreELEC, using the Indigo Fusion Backup/restore addon in LibrELEC then loading the addon into CoreELEC to restore. So there was no need to reload all my addons etc - this included VPN Mgr which kept the configuration settings and booted straight into my vpn after the restore on CoreELEC.

Sean, thanks for the - x tip though not sure which box to try it on yet

 

[paolo]

Hi Lippy, many thanks for info but not sure if its helping me or confusing me even more regarding which device tree is right for my box.
Just for the record I have a droidbox T8 SE Libreelec receiver, confirmation of correct device tree to use would be most appreciated.

 

[Lippy2016]

Hi Paolo, I used the device tree gxl_p212_2g.dtb to install CoreELEC on my T8 SE last week and it works fine.

If you want to be certain, you can find the correct device tree direct from your box by downloading the free ‘Terminal Emulator’ app from Google Play Store

Open it and type in: cat /proc/device-tree/amlogic-dt-id

this will then show you the device tree of your box.

 

[paolo]

Hi Lippy, thanks once again. Will do exactly that later on!

 

[Lippy2016]

Hi Paolo, just to be clear - Sean99 is the expert, but his tutorial was for the T8 mini box, which has a different chipset from the T8 SE and so the device tree is not the same one.

The first box I did was my T8 mini and his device tree was absolutely correct for that box but you will need the different device tree (gxl_p212_2g.dtb) to match the S905x chipset and 2G ram in your box.

Good luck

 

[paolo]

I am having no success whatsoever with this coreelec update.
I have tried resetting box with an sd card following above instructions( I have even tried with a usb drive) but devices are not recognized, so obviously doing something wrong.
I also have downloaded " terminal emulator" app but again not showing any data when I type in: cat /proc/device-tree/amlogic-dt-id.
I have reset/updated this box previously using "the toothpick method" without problem so be grateful if anyone has any suggestions that can perhaps help.