Osama Khattab

Author: @WINEDS 

How to Build Armbian with Maxio Ethernet Support for H96 V56 (2025 Model)
 
If you own the H96 V56 (2025 model) TV box and want to run Armbian with full Gigabit Ethernet support, you might have noticed that the stock kernel doesn't always support the Maxio Ethernet chip out of the box.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the most accessible method to build a custom Armbian image with the necessary kernel modules using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).
 
Refer to https://docs.armbian.com/Developer-Guide_Build-Preparation/ and note hardware requirements then in a Windows Powershell console select Ubuntu (using down arrow in title bar) and type to update the system:
 
sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade  
Prerequisites
A Windows PC with WSL (Ubuntu) installed. The specific patch file (my_v2_patch.patch) and DTB file (my_board_df.dtb) mentioned in the documentation. Patience (the build process can take a few hours). Step 1: Prepare Your Environment
First, ensure your WSL instance has enough resources. Go to your WSL settings (typically via a .wslconfig file or the settings menu) and allocate about 75% of your CPU cores and RAM to ensure the build doesn't crash.
Open your Ubuntu terminal in Windows PowerShell and update your system:
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
 
Step 2: Get the Armbian Build System
Clone the official Armbian build repository and enter the directory:
 
git clone [https://github.com/armbian/build](https://github.com/armbian/build) cd build
 
Step 3: Apply the Kernel Patch
You need to patch the kernel to support the specific hardware. Create the directory tree for the patch:
 
mkdir -p ./userpatches/kernel/archive/rockchip64-6.12
 
Using Windows File Explorer, copy your my_v2_patch.patch file into this newly created directory (rockchip64-6.12).
 
Step 4: Run the Build Command
Now, kick off the compilation process. We will build a Gnome desktop image based on the Noble release. Run the following command (copy and paste this as one line):
 
./compile.sh build BOARD=h96-tvbox-3566 BRANCH=current BUILD_DESKTOP=yes BUILD_MINIMAL=no DESKTOP_APPGROUPS_SELECTED=browsers DESKTOP_ENVIRONMENT=gnome DESKTOP_ENVIRONMENT_CONFIG_NAME=config_base KERNEL_CONFIGURE=yes RELEASE=noble
 
Step 5: Configure the Kernel (Crucial Step)
After the build runs for a while, the blue Kernel Configuration menu will appear. This is where you enable the Ethernet driver.
Use the arrow keys to navigate to Device Drivers.
 

Select Network device support. Select PHY Device support and Infrastructure. Scroll down to find MAXIO PHYs. Press the Space bar until you see an <M> next to it (this modularizes the feature). Once selected, use the Tab key to select Exit and keep selecting Exit until you leave the configuration menu. Select "Yes" when asked to save the kernel configuration. Step 6: Retrieve Your Image
The build will continue (potentially for a few hours). Once finished, your new image file will be located in:
output/images
 

 
 
Step 7: Post-Installation Setup
Flash the image to your SD card/eMMC and boot the device. To get the Ethernet working, you need to update the Device Tree Blob (DTB).
Copy the file my_board_df.dtb to /boot/dtb/rockchip/ on the device. Edit the boot environment file: sudo nano /boot/armbianEnv.txt Change the fdtfile line to point to your new DTB: fdtfile=rockchip/my_board_df.dtb
 
Press Ctrl+X, then Y to save.
Reboot your H96 V56, and you should now enjoy full Gigabit Ethernet speeds!
my_board_df.dtb