Firmware Installation

⚠️ Important Installation Warnings

Before flashing — very important to avoid bricking or failed installs:

• Use a good quality SD Card, see this Reddit Post as to why.
• Do NOT have the charger plugged in during the first-boot process
• Remove the Second SD Card if installed and wait until the installation is complete before re-inserting.
• The ArkOS Wiki recommends avoiding Balena Etcher for this device (many users report failures)
• If you use the Second SD Card, follow the instructions below.

Step-by-Step Installation

Step 1: Download the latest image from:

→ Goto the Releases page and download the latest release.

• Do not extract/unzip the file yet, or use WinRAR; move onto step two

Step 2: Extract the .img file using 7-Zip, download here.

a. Select the file, hold the Shift key and Right Click

b. Select "Extract to"

c. Image will now extract into the new folder.

d. Navigate into the new folder to view the image

Step 3: Check the hash (Optional but Highly recommended).

a. Ensuring the image is not selected, hold the Shift key right-click into the folder and select "Open in Terminal"

b. Run the command Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA1 -Path .\dArkOS_G80CA-RE_trixie_02062026.img and check the generated hash against the release page.

Step 4: Flash the image to a good-quality microSD card using one of these tools (all confirmed working):

• USB Image Tool (My preference for working with images)
• Raspberry Pi Imager
• Rufus (Windows)
• Avoid Balena Etcher if possible

a. Select the SD-Card Reader with the SD-Card, Click "Restore", select the image and click "Ok"

Step 5: Update the dtb files (files are being rebuilt for the R36S Control service).

Windows

1. Double-click on "SELECT MODEL" in the boot partition.

2. Enter the number that matches your device and press Enter.

3. Press Y to confirm.

4. Press any key to exit.

MAC and Linux

1. Delete all the files from the root that have a .dtb extension.

2. Copy the files from the path below to the root of the BOOT partition.

Motherboard ID (Variant/Panel)	Type	Path in BOOT partition
HL-R36H-V20 2024-05-18	r36s	dtb/r36s/HL-R36H-V20 2024-05-18
R36S-V12 2023-08-18 Panel 0	r36s	dtb/r36s/R36S-V12 2023-08-18 Panel 0
R36S-V12 2023-08-18 Panel 4	r36s	dtb/r36s/R36S-V12 2023-08-18 Panel 4
R36S-V21 2024-12-18	r36s	dtb/r36s/R36S-V21 2024-12-18
R36S-V22 2024-12-18	r36s	dtb/r36s/R36S-V22 2024-12-18
G80C-MB V1.1-20250319 Panel 8	clone	dtb/clone/G80C-MB V1.1-20250319 Panel 8
G80C-MB V1.1-20250319 Panel 9	clone	dtb/clone/G80C-MB V1.1-20250319 Panel 9
G80CA-MB V1.2-20250422 Panel 8	clone	dtb/clone/G80CA-MB V1.2-20250422 Panel 8
G80CA-MB V1.2-20250422 Panel 9	clone	dtb/clone/G80CA-MB V1.2-20250422 Panel 9
G80CA-MB V1.2-20250423 Panel 8	clone	dtb/clone/G80CA-MB V1.2-20250423 Panel 8
G80CA-MB V1.2-20250423 Panel 9	clone	dtb/clone/G80CA-MB V1.2-20250423 Panel 9
G80CA-MB V1.3-20251212 Panel 8	clone	dtb/clone/G80CA-MB V1.3-20251212 Panel 8
R36S-V12 2023-08-18 Variant 1 Panel 3	clone	dtb/clone/R36S-V12 2023-08-18 Variant 1 Panel 3
R36S-V12 2023-08-18 Variant 2 Panel 1	clone	dtb/clone/R36S-V12 2023-08-18 Variant 2 Panel 1
R36S-V12 2023-08-18 Variant 3 Panel A	clone	dtb/clone/R36S-V12 2023-08-18 Variant 3 Panel A
Y3506_V03_20241104	soysauce	dtb/soysauce/Y3506_V03_20241104
Y3506_V03_20241210	soysauce	dtb/soysauce/Y3506_V03_20241210
Y3506_V03_20250317	soysauce	dtb/soysauce/Y3506_V03_20250317
Y3506_V04_20250529	soysauce	dtb/soysauce/Y3506_V04_20250529
Y3506_V05_20251215 2551	soysauce	dtb/soysauce/Y3506_V05_20251215 2551
Y3506_V05_20251215 2601	soysauce	dtb/soysauce/Y3506_V05_20251215 2601

Step 6: Insert the card (no second ROM card yet) → power on

This video shows the entire first boot process, which takes around 2 to 3 minutes.

If the screen is blank, then it is likely you have a Panel 9 device. Wait until the install is completed, or reflash the card and follow the Step 5 instructions

Step 7: Final boot → you should land in EmulationStation

Adding ROMs on Second SD Card (Optional)

You can use a second SD card (SD2) to store your games (ROMs), BIOS files, and extra data. This keeps your main OS card (with themes and settings) uncluttered. On R36S device, there can sometimes be boot issues like missing themes if the cards aren't set up right. To avoid this, give your second SD card a unique name (label) like "ROMS2" – don't use "EASYROMS" like the main card.

Step 1: Prepare Your Second SD Card on Your Computer

• Get a Good SD Card: Use a high-quality one (e.g., SanDisk or Samsung, 64GB+). Insert it into your computer.
• Remove all existing partitions if you have used the card before
  • Windows: see this page on how to load Disk Manager.
    • Do not delete your Windows hard drive.
• Format It (This erases everything on the card – back up first!):
  • Windows:
    • Open File Explorer, right-click the SD card drive → Format.
    • File system: exFAT.
    • Allocation unit: Default.
    • Volume label: Type "ROMS".
    • Quick format: Checked.
    • Click Start.
  • Mac:
    • Open Disk Utility (search in Spotlight).
    • Select your SD card on the left (be careful – pick the right one!).
    • Click Erase.
    • Name: "ROMS" (or unique name).
    • Format: exFAT.
    • Scheme: Master Boot Record.
    • Click Erase.
• Copy the Original Folder Structure:
  • Option 1: From the original card
    • Insert the Firmware SD Card
    • Select all the Files in the EASYROMS Partition and copy them to an empty folder.
    • Insert the ROMS card
    • Copy all the folders from the empty folder to the ROMS Card
  • Option 2: Download the ROMS folder template.
    • Download the ROMS template ZIP from here
    • Extract the contents of the ZIP file to the ROMS SD Card.

Step 2: Switch to the Second SD Card on Your Device

• Power off your device completely.
• Insert the prepared second SD card.
• Power on.
• In EmulationStation (the main menu),
  • press START → Options

    

  • press Advanced

    

  • press Switch to SD2 for Roms.

    

  • This sets up the card for games.
• Shutdown and eject the card.
• Add Your Games: Copy your ROMs, BIOS, etc., to folders on the card.
• Eject the card safely and remove it.
• After starting, your games should show up. Themes (from the main card) should still work.

Tips:

• Use the same format (exFAT) for easy file copying from your computer.
• If you mess up, run Switch to Main SD for Roms to go back.
• For more help, check the dArkOS wiki or community forums (links below).