ODroid XU4 and RetroPie

Wulf

I've tried, but wasn't able to get my setup running but, for your sound issue, there's a blurb about how to fix sound issues in that link that Buzz sent (https://github.com/retropie/retropie-setup/wiki/Odroid) at the very bottom.

Since I'm not even getting to the point you are at, I can't do any testing, but I hope that it helps you.

krujak23

@Wulf You are almost there. Try those commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt dist-upgrade
sudo apt install linux-image-xu3

The last command is the most important in your case.

krujak23

In my case the installation steps were:

Download the Ubuntu minimal image for the xu3 from the hardkernel website (xu3 is fully compatible with xu4)
As the fresh install of Ubuntu includes only the root user (password: odroid) a new user has to be created:

adduser NameOfYourChoice

and add this new created user to the sudo group

usermod -a -G sudo NameOfYourChoice

Upgrade your system including the kernel:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt dist-upgrade
sudo apt install linux-image-xu3
shutdown -r now

Adjust your time and timezone:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure tzdata

and follow the wizard

Install the odroid-utility in order to resize the root partition:

sudo apt-get install unzip
wget https://github.com/mdrjr/odroid-utility/archive/master.zip
unzip master.zip
./odroid-utility-master/odroid-utility.sh

and follow the wizard

Set the locale settings:

apt-get install language-pack-en-base
update-locale LC_ALL="en_US.UTF-8"
update-locale LANG="en_US.UTF-8"
update-locale LANGUAGE="en_US.UTF-8"
dpkg-reconfigure locales

check your settings using command "locale". My settings looks as follows:

LANG=en_US.UTF-8
LANGUAGE=en_US.UTF-8
LC_CTYPE="en_US.UTF-8"
LC_NUMERIC="en_US.UTF-8"
LC_TIME="en_US.UTF-8"
LC_COLLATE="en_US.UTF-8"
LC_MONETARY="en_US.UTF-8"
LC_MESSAGES="en_US.UTF-8"
LC_PAPER="en_US.UTF-8"
LC_NAME="en_US.UTF-8"
LC_ADDRESS="en_US.UTF-8"
LC_TELEPHONE="en_US.UTF-8"
LC_MEASUREMENT="en_US.UTF-8"
LC_IDENTIFICATION="en_US.UTF-8"
LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8

Install the nano editor:

apt-get install nano

Reboot and login as the new created user and follow the steps for the odroid C2 and Ubuntu 16 according to documentation on the RetroPie website:

RetroPie Documentation

Wulf

@krujak23

thanks for the guide, I installed the ubuntu-16.04.2-mate-odroid-xu4-20170510 image when I was trying. I can already see one of my errors. I gave the base user (called odroid) sudo group access (I'm guessing this was root?).

Should I still use the same image I used previously, and "sudo apt install linux-image-xu3" as well? I'll mess around and try to get this to work based on what you wrote.

krujak23

@Wulf you can give a try. Should work. I have followed this steps yesterday and managed to install RetroPie without problems.

krujak23

@BuZz If someone from the RetroPie team would have some questions regarding the specific issues of the XU4, then here is a short list of persons who successfully managed to compile the libretro cores:

Nadenislamarre and his batocera.linux (Buildroot)

Kivutar and his Lakka distro (LibreElec)

Meveric and his ODROID GameStation Turbo with XBMC for XU3/XU4 distro (Debian Jessie)

Meveric is very active on the odroid forum and he is a guru for xu4 / Linux / retro gaming, what's more he is very helpful!

krujak23

@Wulf I have installed Ubuntu minimal xu3 (not mate).

https://odroid.in/ubuntu_16.04lts/

Here you can find the Ubuntu minimal image for xu3

stikoyan74

I had to rerun apt-get update && apt-get upgrade && apt-get dist-upgrade and am now able to auto start right into retropie

krujak23

@BuZz The menntioned value of the boot argument "no_console_suspend" in the C2 doc does not exist in xu4 boot.ini.

New argument with the value of "no_console_suspend consoleblank=0" has to be manually added to boot.ini.

BuZz

@krujak23 Thanks. the wiki needs a new page for xu4 install - feel free to create one based on the C2 page. I don't have the free time.

krujak23

@BuZz I can create a xu4 guide in form of a formatted text file, but someone else will have to edit it and include it in the RetroPie wiki...

herb_fargus

@krujak23 why? Anyone can create a new page here:

https://github.com/retropie/retropie-setup/wiki

It's in markdown which is even simpler than html

krujak23

@herb_fargus OK. I will prepare the docu. Which graphic driver is it better to use sdl2 or gl?

Wulf

@krujak23

I tried what you mentioned and was able to go much further than before. The only problem is that, for some reason, my system froze while in the menu to install cores (wasn't even installing/updating at the time). After turning it off and on with the built in switch, text started scrolling and then it ultimately ended in a black screen.

I'm guessing I've corrupted my system. I'll look into it later to see if I can salvage it, otherwise, I'll probably have to start from scratch again.

Anyways, I was able to get into emulationstation before the crash, though I haven't tested any games. A big step forward from before. Thanks for your guidance (as well as everyone else that has put effort into this project)!

krujak23

@Wulf I was doing the whole installation over SSH on my mobile, so I didn't notice the physical screen on my TV going black, but it will surely happen if you didn't also add the "no_console_suspend consoleblank=0" to the boot.ini.

I also started the whole process with the Ubuntu 16.04 minimal xu3 and not Ubuntu 16.04 mate.

The compilation process of RetroPie takes quite a while, after you select from the configuration Wizard the basic installation...

Wulf

@krujak23

There were two steps that I can remember not doing from the guide and that was one of them. I couldn't find "no_console_suspend" in /media/boot/boot.ini to replace with "no_console_suspend consoleblank=0." I wasn't sure if I should add it (or even if it mattered where it was placed). I skipped and then forgot about it.

The other step was the "Killing X sudo service lightdm stop and open new terminal ctrl+alt+F1" under install EmulationStation. I had no idea what this meant while in the script menu.

I'll try SSH and open up boot.ini. I'm guessing/hoping that it won't matter where I put "no_console_suspend consoleblank=0." I appreciate the help, but I don't want to take up anymore of your time with my silly mistakes. If I run into anymore issues, I'll wait until the guide is up and bounce what I'm doing against that. Once again, thanks for the help that you've already given.

krujak23

@BuZz Which RetroArch graphic (sdl2 vs gl) and audio (alsa vs sdl2) driver is recommended for the XU4?

Steve0

Wow, wasn't going to start looking at this until this week, and I see a flurry of activity... thanks!

Before I saw all this I had tried the installation with the minimal image, and was having Mali driver issues. I did then install the mate version, (removed the lightdm) and was able to get retropie up and running fairly easily, it only took a few steps. Today/tomorrow I was going to start testing the different systems and see what worked and didn't. I did notice no Kodi option to install, no attract mode, and a lack of theme downloads, but none of which were a surprise.

I do have documentation of my steps, but I think I'll image my current setup, and then may try building the the minimal version before I go further. Is the general consensus that we should work off the minimal image?

BuZz

@krujak23 I've only tested gl.

BuZz

@Steve0 No Kodi as we only only include Kodi for RPI and PC. You can add a 3rd party odroid repo if there are any that have a working Kodi.

ES themes should be the same as on RPI.

Not all packages are available - but most of the main/optional ones are.

Since RetroPie on the Odroid XU3/4 runs from the framebuffer, it's easier to start with a minimal image, rather than removing/disabling the desktop stuff.