A Cheap Android TvBox with Amlogic S905w SOC

Specs

CPU: 4x Cortex-A53 @ 1.2GHz

GPU: Mali-450 MP3

Memory: 1gb Linux 2gb Android?

Ethernet: 100M

Wireless: 2.4GHz, 802.11b/g/n

Video Decoding: H.265 4K@30fps, H.264 4K@30fps

Video Encoding: H.264 1080p@60fps

Official OS: Android 9 // Tablet version it seams

Unofficial OS: Armbian Linux // no GPU Support

Description

Mine the CPU is Downclocked from 2.0Ghz to 1.2Ghz because it runs Hot, Proably because of the stupid layout of having the Board inside upsidedown with a aluminum heatshink that gets vertically no airflow and if you flip it upsidedown it runs cooler

Install Armbian

--You Can Run Armbian on this device turning it into a very low power server

To Run Armbian you will want to get the latest s905w bullseye debian or noble ubuntu .img.gz from this link

https://github.com/ophub/amlogic-s9xxx-armbian/releases

"Altatively get it in Mirror dir at this Capsule's home"

Then Flash the .Img with a program of your choice or just use dd

tar -xf Armbian_24.5.0_amlogic_s905w_bullseye_6.1.87_server_2024.05.02.img.gz
sudo dd bs=1M if=Armbian_24.5.0_amlogic_s905w_bullseye_6.1.87_server_2024.05.02.img of=/dev/sdx # < your drive

Once your done flashing put the micro sdcard in the tv box and when it boots up it should show armbian linux if not go and find a app in android that has updater in the name and click local update it should show and file in the micro sd card for you to use

Configure Armbian

It should guide you trough a setup process once you are done make sure to run

sudo apt update

before trying to install any packages

Now What

--It can be used for the following things

• Gopher Sevrer // join the club
• Gemini Server // gohper 2.0
• Jellyfin libary // as long as you do no transcoding
• A Slow NAS // limited to 100Mbps
• A NFS Server for kodi clinets to use
• Minetest Server // make sure not to use intensive mods or games
• Crypto Mining CryptoNight Coins like monero //you wont get much and it won't be very power efficient since x86 is better at this
• Terminal only Computer // with tmux nnn lynx and even games like cataclysm-dda you can have system without a gui
• Web Server // if ya wana be lame