dArkOSen 07202026

Boot & Startup

• everyone gets new boot logos! (1024x768 and 720x720 supported)
• new dArkOSen loading images
• fixed boot logo for 1024x768 devices, everyone uses the same image/build now
• added Recovery boot service
  • '/boot/recovery.sh' is called before ES loads
  • 'recovery.sh' can be anything, allowing to fix an unbootable system
  • system loads as normal if 'recovery.sh' not present
• hostname and hosts changed to 'MYDEVICE'
• updater changed to 'Update-dArkOSen.sh'
• fixed ownership of root folder
• fixed fstab to prevent boot failure with 2 SD cards

Kernel & Hardware

• added new dArkOSen OC kernel (a heatsink is recommended if using overclocking)
• USB gadget (ECM/RNDIS/EEM + mass storage) enabled in kernel
• all dtbs for genuine R36S models are patched for accurate battery reporting
• new dtbs added to selector:
  • R36S-Plus-V20 2025-03-18 2551
  • R36S-V22 2024-12-18 2534
  • HL-R45H-V20 2025-11-18

Networking

• added NetworkManager dispatcher to disable IPV6 for faster PC connections
• fixed missing battery and bluetooth icons
• updated Wi-Fi Manager and BT Manager

System Utilities

• updated 'Switch to SD2 for ROMs' to copy '/roms/tools' to '/roms2/tools' during setup
• added R36 Tuner to the System folder (thanks to u/z3nmode-adri)
• added R36 Boot Volume to the System folder (default set to 60%)
• added Kodi Remover to the Advanced folder
• added dArkOSen_dtb_patcher_v1.1 to the Advanced folder
  • if you added your own dtb run dtb patcher to access overclocking

Audio

• added more delay to volume-resume-fix, raised to 0.65s as some buffer pops were still leaking in ES

Themes & Graphics

• major update to Gameboy and NGP overlays in Retro Shaders
• updated R36 Theme Patcher

How the Overclock Works

• Chips get a factory "grade" based on quality — lower-grade chips get told to stay slow
• Unlocked new speed steps (1368–1512MHz) in the DTB that didn't exist before
• Kernel now pretends the chip has a top-tier grade when max_cpufreq=1512 is set — without this, clock reports higher but real performance stays capped

Risk

• Not measuring the actual chip's real quality — just assuming top-tier and running top-tier voltage
• If a specific chip isn't actually top-tier: possible instability, crashes, or faster long-term wear (over years not hours)

Safeguards Still in Place

• DTB voltage ceiling (1.4V) — hard cap, can't be exceeded regardless of cmdline
• boot_cpufreq floor (1296MHz default) — always boots safe, only ramps up if userspace raises it
• Requests above the DTB ceiling get rejected

Not Yet Built

• Thermal step-down (auto-drop speed if running hot) — still on the to-do list, nothing currently stops sustained heat