Android TV Box gets unofficial Ubuntu 24.04 upgrade

For many users, hacking an Android TV box sounds daunting. However, developer Murray R. Van Luyn faced the challenge of looking for suitable alternatives to the Raspberry Pi during the Broadcom chip shortage. His collaborative efforts with the Armbian community developers have culminated in a straightforward process for converting an Android TV box into a full-fledged Linux system.

Though the process is straightforward, it is specific to the H96 MAX V56 RK3566, both the 4 GB or 8 GB version (on Amazon), and requires familiarity with Linux shell commands and detailed soldering skills. Additionally, the Armbian build for the Android TV box cross-compiles on an x86-64 machine running Ubuntu 22.04 x LTS. The guide offers resources for users attempting to compile the build using alternative operating systems, VirtualBox, or Docker images.

With the image in hand, users have two options for running it on the Android TV Box. The first method requires soldering a microSD card socket onto the PCB of the H96 MAX and using the newly added IO to directly run the image or install it to the built-in eMMC storage. The second option is to flash the eMMC storage directly. The guide details how shorting out the RK3566 SoC using the "CLK" and "GND" pads on the PCB can trick the system into booting into MASK ROM mode. At this stage, the user can upload the image using a USB 2.0 type-A to type-A cable and loader binaries for the user's variant. However, the guide notes that the process will require shorting out the PCB pads repeatedly, and a micro-switch controlling the short simplifies the process.

The final step is to create the initial Ubuntu configuration, to which the guide offers an "idiosyncratic installation with great potential to a point where that potential can later be fully realized." The project is a testament to the passion for unlocking the potential of hardware, and many users are excited about its potential expansion to other devices. For more information and to view the detailed guide, kindly visit the resources below.

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