Android TV box as Ham Computer

(This post is very much a work-in-progress when posted, and I mostly wrote up from my notes on configuring the box)

I've been wanting to set up a couple of projects that would be best served by something like a Raspberry Pi - lightweight processes that are always on. Unfortunately, they're impossible to find. I had been considering replacing my TV computer (really my spouse's old laptop) with an Android/Chromecast device, and after a little research I found a review of one sold by Walmart for $20. That lead me to the question every nerd should ask when they see a device that cheap... does it run Linux? I didn't find an answer to that question, but I found many similar generic Android TV boxes for sale on various websites. Surely those run Linux, and of course they do.

(Side note: I've variously tried to run my ham projects on WSL and not had much luck on my old Windows 10 machine. Remote GUI was a pain, and Linux audio is always a difficulty. So back to a dedicated Linux box.)

There are a variety of these, powered by a number of SoC processors, but the Amlogic S9xx series seems well supported by the Armbian project, and readily available. (Note: After ordering this board, I found some concerns about Armbian's practices.)

After searching for various devices and comparing specifications with prices, I decided to buy one for around $30 that included 64GB eMMC storage and 4GB RAM, but only 100M ethernet. For $30, this should be sufficient for my ham shack machine, and maybe enough to run a few other services. Following their instructions, and these extra steps to configure booting.

Boot configuration

My model wasn't specifically listed (Sunisery H96 Max, says s905x2 CPU with 4G RAM), a similar sounding "X96 MAX" was available, so I ended up trying this dtb file: meson-g12a-x96-max.dtb. It seems to work. When trying to reboot the TV box into linux, don't forget to hit the reset button (inside the AV port) to enable multiboot.

Next Steps

Now that I have Linux booting on this device, I can work towards the following - WSJT-X configuration with SDR for 6m/VHF reception - Shack Control box to remotely turn on radio and run remote antenna switch. - APRS iGate with KISS TNC, GPS module, old 2m radio?

Concerns

• Ethernet not functional: Have not investigated this one yet.
• Unable to change passwords: Solution - I just needed to use sudo passwd from my account.
• Long term support of Armbian?: Armbian states that their mission is to extend support for these unsupported ARM SoCs, which I greatly appreciate. I feel like I've been burned on dev boards going out of support before, so I'm still a little worried.
• Power draw from small power supply: Plugging in my Griffin iMic USB sound card works fine. A beefier USB sound card (with RCA inputs and several more channels) appeared to draw too much power. I have a powered USB 2.0 hub that I should test it with.