Goby Posted January 11 #1 Posted January 11 Hi all, It's been several days I try to understand how to activate HW transcoding on my 918+ and I am a little bit lost. My config : - DS918+ - DSM 7.2.1 update 6 (Want to keep this one to have video station) - Loader RR 24.11.11 - Addon : codecpatch, cpuinfo, photosfacepatch. - S/N : The true one I have on a real DS216j - AME activated and Codec activated with the Darknebular Wrapper (https://github.com/darknebular/Wrapper_VideoStation) - The hardware is in my signature. I would like to use the iGPU of the intel I3 to ease the video transcoding. I don't have /dev nor /dev/dri folder. Thanks for your help. Quote
Peter Suh Posted February 1 #2 Posted February 1 On 1/11/2025 at 11:25 PM, Goby said: Hi all, It's been several days I try to understand how to activate HW transcoding on my 918+ and I am a little bit lost. My config : - DS918+ - DSM 7.2.1 update 6 (Want to keep this one to have video station) - Loader RR 24.11.11 - Addon : codecpatch, cpuinfo, photosfacepatch. - S/N : The true one I have on a real DS216j - AME activated and Codec activated with the Darknebular Wrapper (https://github.com/darknebular/Wrapper_VideoStation) - The hardware is in my signature. I would like to use the iGPU of the intel I3 to ease the video transcoding. I don't have /dev nor /dev/dri folder. Thanks for your help. It would be nice to know your hardware specs (especially CPU), Assuming you are using Intel 4th generation or later, the model that is perfect for transcoding is SA6400, not DS918+. SA6400 is superior to DS918+ in every way. You don't need AME patch or genuine SN. Just install it and check /dev/dri directory right away. Also, verify the normal installation of i915 module with the following command. dmesg | grep i915 lsmod | grep i915 rr is perfect of course, but my mshell is also sufficiently verified on SA6400. There is a link to download the latest release on my profile. Quote
Peter Suh Posted February 1 #3 Posted February 1 Do you have an i3-9100? It's more than enough for transcoding. Quote
ed_co Posted May 7 #4 Posted May 7 (edited) Hello @Peter Suh, does it work with an Intel 12th generation processor? Is there a full comparative between SA6400 vs DS918+? Thank you!! Edited May 7 by ed_co Quote
Peter Suh Posted May 7 #5 Posted May 7 1 hour ago, ed_co said: Hello @Peter Suh, does it work with an Intel 12th generation processor? Is there a full comparative between SA6400 vs DS918+? Thank you!! Certainly! Here is the explanation in English: --- ## Suitable Model for Intel 12th Gen CPU in a Hackintosh (Synology DSM) Environment ### 1. DS918+ Model - The DS918+ officially supports Intel CPUs from 4th generation (Haswell) up to 9th generation, with hardware transcoding reliably working on 7th generation and newer CPUs. - Intel 12th Gen CPUs are outside the official support range of the DS918+, and there are compatibility issues with core recognition and the i915 GPU driver, which limit the ability to fully utilize hardware transcoding. - Although recent i915 drivers have started including 12th Gen GPU IDs, enabling possible future support via custom drivers or patches, the current state is not stable or recommended for production use. ### 2. SA6400 Model - The SA6400 officially supports Intel 12th and 13th Gen CPUs and runs on newer kernels (DSM 7.2 and above). - Hardware transcoding using the integrated GPU on 12th Gen Intel CPUs works well, and users have reported that transcoding functions without needing a genuine Synology serial number or additional AME installation. - However, the SA6400 requires complex kernel patches and bootloader configuration, and AMD CPU-based versions do not support GPU acceleration-so using an Intel CPU is essential. - Early DSM 7.2 versions had kernel stability issues, but these have been improving steadily. ### 3. User Experience and Community Feedback - For custom NAS builds with 12th Gen Intel CPUs, models like Pentium Gold G7400 or i3-12100 offer good power efficiency and integrated graphics performance, sufficient for Plex transcoding and similar tasks. - The DS918+ struggles to fully support 12th Gen CPUs, limiting transcoding capabilities and overall performance. - The SA6400 offers better compatibility with 12th Gen CPUs and smoother hardware transcoding support, making it a more suitable choice for this generation. --- ## Summary Table | Aspect | DS918+ | SA6400 | |--------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------| | 12th Gen CPU Support | Not officially supported; limited compatibility | Officially supported; stable compatibility | | Hardware Transcoding | Unstable; requires driver patches | Smooth; works without genuine SN | | Setup Complexity | Medium to high (custom patches needed) | High (kernel and bootloader patches required) | | Recommended Use | Best for CPUs up to 9th Gen | Best for 12th Gen CPU-based NAS builds | --- ## Conclusion If you plan to use an **Intel 12th Gen CPU**, the **SA6400 model is the better choice** due to official support and stable hardware transcoding capabilities. The DS918+ cannot fully leverage the 12th Gen CPU’s transcoding features and may face compatibility issues. Although SA6400 requires more complex setup, it provides superior performance and compatibility for modern Intel CPUs in a XPE Synology environment. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/2baf5a1a-524e-4430-a0a1-42001f83282a#1 1 Quote
ed_co Posted May 8 #6 Posted May 8 9 minutes ago, Peter Suh said: - However, the SA6400 requires complex kernel patches and bootloader configuration, and AMD CPU-based versions do not support GPU acceleration-so using an Intel CPU is essential. | Setup Complexity High (kernel and bootloader patches required) Oh, nice info, thanks. What kernel patches would I need? Does not work with the official native ones? What other potential bootloader patches could I need? Quote
Peter Suh Posted May 8 #7 Posted May 8 2 hours ago, ed_co said: Oh, nice info, thanks. What kernel patches would I need? Does not work with the official native ones? What other potential bootloader patches could I need? For sa6400, that part may or may not be true. It depends on which video package you are using. Quote
Peter Suh Posted May 8 #9 Posted May 8 4 minutes ago, ed_co said: I am using plex if you mean that. Plex is the easiest. No patches required. Just a premium pass subscription. Quote
Spats Posted May 8 #10 Posted May 8 Guys what is the commands to check for the dev/dri folder. I have setup SA6400 Model away from ds918+ got an Asus Prime Z270-P m/b i5-6400 processor intel X520-2 10gbe intel 1gbe Cheers Spats Quote
Peter Suh Posted May 8 #11 Posted May 8 (edited) 23 minutes ago, Spats said: Guys what is the commands to check for the dev/dri folder. I have setup SA6400 Model away from ds918+ got an Asus Prime Z270-P m/b i5-6400 processor intel X520-2 10gbe intel 1gbe Cheers Spats ll /dev/dri also use this. dmesg | grep i915 admin2@NAS4:~$ ll /dev/dri total 0 drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 80 May 7 20:47 . drwxr-xr-x 18 root root 14740 May 7 20:50 .. crw------- 1 root root 226, 0 May 7 20:47 card0 crw-rw---- 1 root videodriver 226, 128 May 7 20:47 renderD128 admin2@NAS4:~$ dmesg | greo i915 -sh: greo: command not found admin2@NAS4:~$ dmesg | grep i915 [ 16.210144] i915 0000:00:02.0: Direct firmware load for i915/kbl_dmc_ver1_04.bin failed with error -2 [ 16.219428] i915 0000:00:02.0: Falling back to user helper [ 16.235395] i915 0000:00:02.0: Failed to load DMC firmware i915/kbl_dmc_ver1_04.bin. Disabling runtime power management. [ 16.246306] i915 0000:00:02.0: DMC firmware homepage: https://01.org/linuxgraphics/downloads/firmware [ 16.491815] [drm] Initialized i915 1.6.0 20171222 for 0000:00:02.0 on minor 0 [ 16.558679] i915 0000:00:02.0: fb0: inteldrmfb frame buffer device [ 29.599305] Module [i915] is removed. [ 45.342879] [drm] Finished loading DMC firmware i915/kbl_dmc_ver1_04.bin (v1.4) [ 46.419996] [drm] Initialized i915 1.6.0 20171222 for 0000:00:02.0 on minor 0 [ 46.465612] i915 0000:00:02.0: fb0: inteldrmfb frame buffer device admin2@NAS4:~$ uname -a Linux NAS4 4.4.302+ #72806 SMP Thu Sep 5 13:42:01 CST 2024 x86_64 GNU/Linux synology_apollolake_918+ Edited May 8 by Peter Suh 1 Quote
Spats Posted May 8 #12 Posted May 8 ll /dev/dri ls: cannot access '/dev/dri': No such file or directory dmesg | grep i915 I dont get anything uname -a Linux Spats 5.10.55+ #72806 SMP Thu Sep 5 13:41:48 CST 2024 x86_64 GNU/Linux synology_epyc7002_sa6400 tried with root as well using sudo -i command any ideas cheers Quote
Peter Suh Posted May 8 #13 Posted May 8 (edited) 1 hour ago, Spats said: ll /dev/dri ls: cannot access '/dev/dri': No such file or directory dmesg | grep i915 I dont get anything uname -a Linux Spats 5.10.55+ #72806 SMP Thu Sep 5 13:41:48 CST 2024 x86_64 GNU/Linux synology_epyc7002_sa6400 tried with root as well using sudo -i command any ideas cheers What kind of loader? Edited May 8 by Peter Suh Quote
Spats Posted May 8 #14 Posted May 8 (edited) 6 minutes ago, Peter Suh said: What kind of loader? Its Arc Loader mate Cheers EDIT: when i use this command, cat /usr/syno/etc/codec/activation.conf I get this> "success":true,"activated_codec":["h264_dec","h264_enc","mpeg4part2_dec","vc1_dec","vc1_enc","hevc_dec","ac3_dec","h264svs_dec","h264svs_enc"],"token":"17 Edited May 8 by Spats Added more txt Quote
ed_co Posted May 8 #15 Posted May 8 6 hours ago, Peter Suh said: Plex is the easiest. No patches required. Just a premium pass subscription. Weird. I was having transcoding without a premium pass (at least before). Quote
Peter Suh Posted May 8 #16 Posted May 8 2 hours ago, Spats said: Its Arc Loader mate Cheers EDIT: when i use this command, cat /usr/syno/etc/codec/activation.conf I get this> "success":true,"activated_codec":["h264_dec","h264_enc","mpeg4part2_dec","vc1_dec","vc1_enc","hevc_dec","ac3_dec","h264svs_dec","h264svs_enc"],"token":"17 sa6400 should have /dev/dri activated without any separate activation process. Would you like to change it to my tcrp-mshell? https://github.com/PeterSuh-Q3/tinycore-redpill/releases/tag/v1.2.3.3 1 Quote
Peter Suh Posted May 8 #17 Posted May 8 51 minutes ago, ed_co said: Weird. I was having transcoding without a premium pass (at least before). At some point, it was switched to not possible without a premium pass. S/W transcoding is possible without a subscription, but it can be hard to notice unless you monitor your CPU load. If it's not Plex, you have the other two options. 1 Quote
Spats Posted May 9 #18 Posted May 9 18 hours ago, Peter Suh said: sa6400 should have /dev/dri activated without any separate activation process. Would you like to change it to my tcrp-mshell? https://github.com/PeterSuh-Q3/tinycore-redpill/releases/tag/v1.2.3.3 Thanks bud, When i change over to your m-shell is it just replacing the Arc loader with yours and setup the system, but will i lose any content on my hdd's I do have a Plex Premium pass. cheers Spats Quote
Peter Suh Posted May 9 #19 Posted May 9 (edited) 3 hours ago, Spats said: Thanks bud, When i change over to your m-shell is it just replacing the Arc loader with yours and setup the system, but will i lose any content on my hdd's I do have a Plex Premium pass. cheers Spats I simulated changing the loader from ARC with SA6400 7.2.2 installed to MSHELL. No issues were found and the data disk was safe. Edited May 9 by Peter Suh 1 Quote
Spats Posted May 9 #21 Posted May 9 Sorry, the page you are looking for is not found. Not letting me into DSM after changing loaders any ideas Went from ARC to M-shell. (BareMetal) cheers Spats Quote
Peter Suh Posted May 9 #22 Posted May 9 (edited) 15 minutes ago, Spats said: Sorry, the page you are looking for is not found. Not letting me into DSM after changing loaders any ideas Went from ARC to M-shell. (BareMetal) cheers Spats You should delete all URL addresses and only use IP and port 5000. http://<YOUR IP>:5000 Other URLs may say the page cannot be found. It should be http, not https. And you may have to wait a long time. Just because there is a ping response doesn't mean you can connect right away. You have to wait another 1-2 minutes after the ping response. Edited May 9 by Peter Suh 1 Quote
Spats Posted May 9 #23 Posted May 9 4 minutes ago, Peter Suh said: You should delete all URL addresses and only use IP and port 5000. http://<YOUR IP>:5000 Other URLs may say the page cannot be found. It should be http, not https. And you may have to wait a long time. Just because there is a ping response doesn't mean you can connect right away. You have to wait another 1-2 minutes after the ping response. ON the Syno assistant it says ready. HDD's are still working. how to delete all URL's mate Cheers Spats Quote
Peter Suh Posted May 9 #24 Posted May 9 8 minutes ago, Spats said: ON the Syno assistant it says ready. HDD's are still working. how to delete all URL's mate Cheers Spats Please use a web browser. Quote
Spats Posted May 9 #25 Posted May 9 (edited) 13 minutes ago, Peter Suh said: Please use a web browser. I am using web browser mate, MS edge and Firefox and chrome, all say the same. my URL's are the same with MSHELL, with ARC it was https://myip:5001 is it possible to ssh in to the nas and delete any URL's I can ssh into dsm. root@Spats:~# dir total 28 drwx------ 4 root root 4096 May 9 14:26 . drwxr-xr-x 24 root root 4096 May 9 14:48 .. drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 Apr 22 09:44 .cache -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Apr 19 2023 'FOR SYSTEM USE ONLY. DO NOT UPLOAD FILES HERE.' -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1313 Apr 19 2023 .profile -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2043 Apr 19 2023 .profile.size_check -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 285 May 9 14:31 .wget-hsts drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 4096 May 9 14:48 Xpenology_backup Edited May 9 by Spats Quote
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