Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- hardware:radxa_zero [2021/09/30 10:20] – created (WIP) atari
+++ hardware:radxa_zero [2026/01/12 15:27] (current) – added dd progress feedback lbrpdx
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ====== Radxa Zero ======
-<WRAP center round todo 60%>
+{{ hardware:700px-radxa-zero_angle_view.jpg?nolink&300|Cute!}}
-Under construction. Be warned, some sets of instructions are incomplete.
-</WRAP>
+Supported since Batocera **v33**, this little chip is a micro-powerhouse!
-Some manual steps are required to install custom operating systems onto the Radxa Zero. You will need a computer with Python 3 (with PIP3) installed with a live environment running.
+The Radxa Zero comes with a u-boot from the factory that does not allow booting off the micro-SD card, so it is recommended instead to install Batocera to the eMMC storage. Incidentally, this means you can reserve the eMMC entirely for Batocera while using a larger micro-SD card to act as your userdata partition. Organization!
-== Flash onto micro-SD card ==
+You will need a computer with Python 3 (including PIP3) installed.
-This involves editing the eMMC, however only the bootloader will be flashed onto it. Batocera will be flashed onto the micro-SD card.
+===== Flash Batocera to the Radxa Zero's eMMC =====
+  - Remove any Micro-SD card that you might have in the Radxa Zero.
+  - Connect the Radxa Zero to the computer via ''USB2/PWR'' OTG USB-C port (can use a USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to full-sized USB-A cable). This is the port closest to the corner.
+  - Press the USB button underneath the board. The Radxa is now attempting to connect to your computer as a USB gadget (OTG).
+  - Download the latest nightly build of Batocera (despite its name, it's pretty stable): https://batocera.org/users/liberodark/nightly/radxa/batocera-s905gen2-33-20210929.img.gz
+==== Flash onto eMMC using Linux ====
+  - Install ''python3-pip'' for your distribution.
+  - Run the following: <code>sudo pip3 install pyamlboot
+wget https://dl.radxa.com/zero/images/loader/rz-udisk-loader.bin
+sudo boot-g12.py rz-udisk-loader.bin
+</code>
+  - Check ''lsusb'', you should now have a device that reads ''Bus 001 Device 082: ID 1b8e:2200 Amlogic, Inc.''
+  - Run ''lsblk'' or ''blkid'' to discover the mount point of your Radxa Zero (it is now acting like an ordinary USB storage device).
+  - Run the following: <code>
+dd if=batocera-s905gen2-<XX-XXXXXXXX>.img of=/dev/<your radxa mount point> bs=1M status=progress
+</code>
+  - Reboot your Radxa and enjoy! :-D
+==== Flash onto eMMC using Windows ====
+If on **Windows** you may have to install the driver using [[https://github.com/pbatard/libwdi/releases/download/b755/zadig-2.6.exe|Zadig]]:
+  - Install and run Zadig.
+  - Confirm that the device is ''GX-CHIP'' and that its USB ID is ''1B8E:C003''.
+  - Choose **libusb-win32** as the driver and install it.
+  - Download [[https://dl.google.com/android/repository/usb_driver_r13-windows.zip|Google's Windows Android driver]].
+  - Right-click ''android_winusb.inf'' and click **Install**.
+  - Reboot Windows. You always have to reboot Windows to do anything...
+When you no longer have an "unknown USB device" attached and it's coming up as the Radxa, continue on with the following:
+  - Ensure the latest [[https://www.python.org/downloads/windows/|Python 3]] is installed with the PIP3 module (check with ''pip3 version'' while inside an interactive Python 3 environment) and accessible in your command prompt from any directory.
+  - Download [[https://dl.radxa.com/zero/images/loader/rz-udisk-loader.bin|rz-udisk-loader.bin]] and store it somewhere easy to access.
+  - Open a command prompt with administrative privileges and run the following in the same directory you saved the BIN file to: <code>pip3 install pyamlboot
+boot-g12.py rz-udisk-loader.bin
+</code> <WRAP center round tip>
+You can open a command prompt at the currently opened directory by holding ''[Shift]'' while right-clicking the white space in file explorer.
+</WRAP>
+  - At some point the Radxa's internal eMMC should have appeared as a regular USB storage device on your computer. [[:install_batocera|Flash Batocera]] onto it as you would any other micro-SD card.
+  - Reboot your Radxa and enjoy. :-D
+===== Flash Batocera to the Radxa Zero's micro-SD card =====
+<WRAP center round important>
+Flashing to eMMC as mentioned above is the recommended and easier method, if you're a beginner with these sorts of things it's best just to stick to that. However, should you be a tinkerer, and for whatever reason you want to leave the eMMC completely unused and boot directly off the micro-SD card, then this is for you.
+</WRAP>
+This involves editing the eMMC, however only the bootloader will be flashed onto it. Batocera in its entirety will be flashed onto the micro-SD card.
   - [[:install_batocera|Flash Batocera]] onto the micro-SD card using an external reader.
   - Connect the Radxa Zero to the computer via ''USB2/PWR'' OTG USB-C port (can use a USB-C-to-USB-C or USB-C-to-full-sized USB-A cable). This is the port closest to the corner.
   - Press the USB button underneath the board.
-  - Open up a terminal window on your computer:
-    * If on **Arch Linux**:
+==== Flash to micro-SD card using Linux ====
-      - Run the following: <code>
-sudo pacman -S fastboot wget python3-pip
+  - Install ''python3-pip'' for your distribution.
+  - Run the following: <code>
 sudo pip3 install pyamlboot
@@ Line 38: / Line 86: @@
 sudo dd if=u-boot.bin of=/dev/sdx bs=512 seek=1
 </code>
-      - (Optional) Remove the downloaded files if you never intend to flash again.
+  - Reboot the Radxa to get into Batocera. :-D
-    * FIXME (these instructions are incomplete) If on **Windows**:
+  - (Optional) Remove the downloaded files if you never intend to flash again.
-      - Ensure [[https://www.python.org/downloads/windows/|Python 3]] is installed with the PIP3 module (check with ''pip3 version'' while inside an interactive Python environment) and accessible in your command prompt from any directory.
-        * You may have to install the driver using [[https://github.com/pbatard/libwdi/releases/download/b755/zadig-2.6.exe|Zadig]]:
-          - Install and run Zadig.
-          - Confirm that the device is ''GX-CHIP'' and that its USB ID is ''1B8E:C003''.
-          - Choose **libusb-win32** as the driver and install it.
-          - Download [[https://dl.google.com/android/repository/usb_driver_r13-windows.zip|Google's Windows Android driver]].
-          - Right-click ''android_winusb.inf'' and click **Install**.
-      - Download and extract [[https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools|Android's SDK Platform Tools for Windows]] to get the ''fastboot'' tool.
-      - Navigate to the ''platform tools'' folder.
-      - Download [[https://dl.radxa.com/zero/images/loader/rz-udisk-loader.bin|rz-udisk-loader.bin]] and save it to the ''platform tools'' folder.
-      - Open a command prompt with administrative privileges and navigate to the ''platform tools'' folder: <code>cd "C:\path\to\platform tools\"</code>
-      - Run the following (you should be in the same directory as where you saved the ''rz-udisk-loader.bin'' file to): <code>
-pip3 install git+https://github.com/superna9999/pyamlboot
-boot-g12.py rz-udisk-loader.bin
-rest of the code is WIP
+==== Flash to micro-SD card using Windows ====
-</code>
-  - Reboot the Radxa to get into Batocera.
-== Flash onto eMMC ==
+  - Ensure [[https://www.python.org/downloads/windows/|Python 3]] is installed with the PIP3 module (check with ''pip3 version'' while inside an interactive Python environment) and accessible in your command prompt from any directory.
+    * You may have to install the driver using [[https://github.com/pbatard/libwdi/releases/download/b755/zadig-2.6.exe|Zadig]]:
-  - Remove any Micro-SD card that you might have in the Radxa Zero.
-  - Connect the Radxa Zero to the computer via ''USB2/PWR'' OTG USB-C port (can use a USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to full-sized USB-A cable). This is the port closest to the corner.
-  - Press the USB button underneath the board. The Radxa is now attempting to connect to your computer as a USB device.
-    * If on **Windows** you may have to install the driver using [[https://github.com/pbatard/libwdi/releases/download/b755/zadig-2.6.exe|Zadig]]:
       - Install and run Zadig.
       - Confirm that the device is ''GX-CHIP'' and that its USB ID is ''1B8E:C003''.
@@ Line 70: / Line 98: @@
       - Download [[https://dl.google.com/android/repository/usb_driver_r13-windows.zip|Google's Windows Android driver]].
       - Right-click ''android_winusb.inf'' and click **Install**.
-  - Open up a terminal window on your computer:
+  - Download and extract [[https://androidmtk.com/download-minimal-adb-and-fastboot-tool|Android MTK's Minimal ADB and Fastboot Tool for Windows]].
-    * If on **Windows**:
+  - Navigate to the ''platform tools'' folder. With the default install location, it should be at ''C:\Program Files\Minimal ADB and Fastboot\platform tools\''.
-      - Ensure [[https://www.python.org/downloads/windows/|Python 3]] is installed with the PIP3 module (check with ''pip3 version'' while inside an interactive Python environment) and accessible in your command prompt from any directory.
+  - Download the following files into that folder:
-      - Download [[https://dl.radxa.com/zero/images/loader/rz-udisk-loader.bin|rz-udisk-loader.bin]] and store it somewhere easy to access.
+    * [[https://dl.radxa.com/zero/images/loader/rz-udisk-loader.bin|rz-udisk-loader.bin]]
-      - Open a command prompt with administrative privileges and run the following in the same directory you saved the BIN file to: <code>pip3 install pyamlboot
+    * [[https://dl.radxa.com/zero/images/loader/factory-loader.img|factory-loader.img]]
+    * [[https://dl.radxa.com/zero/images/loader/rz-fastboot-loader.bin|rz-fastboot-loader.bin]]
+  - Open a command prompt with administrative privileges and navigate to the ''platform tools'' folder: <code>cd "C:\<path\to\platform tools\>"</code>
+  - Run the following (you should be in the same directory as where you saved the ''rz-udisk-loader.bin'' file to): <code>
+pip3 install pyamlboot
 boot-g12.py rz-udisk-loader.bin
+boot-g12.py factory-loader.img
+fastboot flashing unlock_critical
+fastboot flashing unlock
+boot-g12.py rz-fastboot-loader.bin
+fastboot erase bootloader
+fastboot erase 0
+fastboot erase 1
+boot-g12.py rz-udisk-loader.bin
+dd if=u-boot.bin of=/dev/sdx bs=512 seek=1
 </code>
-    * If on a generic **Linux** distribution with coreutils and Python3:
+  - Reboot the Radxa to get into Batocera. :-D
-      - Install ''python3-pip'' for your distribution.
+  - (Optional) Remove the downloaded files if you never intend to flash again.
-      - Run the following: <code>sudo pip3 install pyamlboot
-wget https://dl.radxa.com/zero/images/loader/rz-udisk-loader.bin
-sudo boot-g12.py rz-udisk-loader.bin
-</code>
-  - At some point the Radxa's internal eMMC should have appeared as a regular USB storage device on your computer. [[:install_batocera|Flash Batocera]] onto it as you would any other micro-SD card.
-  - Reboot your Radxa and enjoy. :-D