THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR THE SGH-730G VARIANT OF THE SAMSUNG DISCOVER. USE OF ANY OF THESE GUIDES AND METHODS FOR ANY OTHER VARIANT OF THE PHONE IS AT THE RISK OF THE USER
This thread is a guide on how to root and install CWM recovery on the Samsung Galaxy Discover (SGH-730G) which is the Tracfone (Net10, Straight Talk) variant of the device. These instructions are for Windows users only. If someone knows how to do it through Linux distro or Mac, please let me know and we will add those instructions to this post.
IMPORTANT: THIS GUIDE ASSUMES THAT YOU HAVE A PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF THE TOOLS AND TERMS USED. ROOTING YOUR DEVICE WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY! STOP NOW IF THIS IS SOMETHING YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT! IF YOU PROCEED, FOLLOW ALL THE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY. USE OF THIS GUIDE AND THESE TOOLS IS AT THE RISK OF THE USER! I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE OR NEGATIVE OUTCOMES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SOFT BRICK, HARD BRICK, EXPLODING BATTERIES, NUCLEAR WAR, GIANT SQUID PEOPLE, OR SPONTANEOUS JUSTIN BIEBER CONCERTS IN YOUR LIVING ROOM
***First let's get all the tools and files you will need to complete this process***
Samsung USB Drivers: Click HERE to download the USB drivers for the SGH-730G.
UnlockRoot Pro (Free Download) - Click HERE and scroll down to "UnlockRoot Pro" and click the "Free Download" button. *Note*: Your computer may tell you that this program is malicious. You may have to disable antivirus in order to download.
Odin3 v3.07 - Click HERE to download Odin. This program will be used to flash CWM recovery to your phone.
CWM Recovery (thanks to JohnnyGalto) - Click HERE to download CWM recovery for your phone.
***Now that you have all the tools downloaded let's get them installed and ready for use.***
1) Install the USB drivers (should be self-explanatory).
2) Click on UnlockRoot_downloader_by_UnlockRoot.exe to start the installation. You may have to grant it administrator privileges. I DO NOT RECOMMEND INSTALLING ANY OF THE SPECIAL OFFERS THAT FIRST COME UP WHEN YOU OPEN THE FILE. CLICK SKIP until the automatic download begins. This is the download for the program itself. Once that is finished, follow the instructions to install the program on your computer.
3) Extract Odin Files: I recommend creating a folder on the desktop named "Odin" simply for easy access. However, feel free to choose whatever directory you want. Simply extract all the files to a designated folder.
4) CWM Revovery Tar: Move this file into the same folder where you extracted Odin. This will make it easier to access in a little while.
***If you have followed all the instructions correctly, you are now ready to install CWM recovery and root your device! You will periodically see a yellow triangle on the Samsung boot logo screen throughout this process. But have no fear, we will take care of this later on.***
1) Put your phone into download mode by holding VOLUME DOWN + POWER. A warning screen about custom OS will appear. Press VOLUME UP to confirm this is what you want to do. You should then be showing a screen with the Android logo and the "Downloading... Do not turn off target!!" text.
2) Now connect your phone to the computer using the USB cable, and open Odin from the folder you extracted it to. If your phone is connected properly you should see something similar to "0:[COM10]" in the box under ID:COM in the upper left of the window.
**VERY IMPORTANT** MAKE SURE THE ONLY TWO BOXES CHECKED UNDER "OPTIONS" ARE AUTO REBOOT AND F. RESET TIME!! NO OTHER BOXES SHOULD BE CHECKED
3) Under "Files [Download]" click the PDA button. Navigate to where you placed the CWM tar file and click okay.It is important that you ONLY click "PDA" for this. If you have followed the directions carefully, Odin should check the MD5 sum of the file to verify validity. If the file comes back invalid or you get any errors, STOP, and report them in the thread.
4) Click "Start". DO NOT TURN OFF OR DISCONNECT YOUR PHONE DURING THIS PROCESS. If everything goes well, your phone will reboot automatically after install. To check if your install worked properly, follow the next instructions to boot into recovery and make a stock backup.
OPTIONAL BUT RECOMMENDED SAFETY STEP BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH ROOT (REQUIRES AN EXTERNAL MICRO SD CARD) - CWM recovery works without root permission. It is HIGHLY recommended that you make a complete backup of your stock image before proceeding. This will make it easier to recover from a soft brick, or to return your phone to stock in the future should you choose to do so. A)Power off your phone. To boot into recovery, hold VOLUME UP+POWER until the Samsung logo is displayed. After the logo displays, release the POWER button. Keep holding the VOLUME UP button until your phone boots into the CWM recovery screen. B) Using the volume keys to navigate the menu, scroll down to "backup and restore". Use the power button to select. C) Select backup using the power button. D) After your backup is complete, go back to the main menu and select "reboot system now".
5) Before using UnlockRoot Pro, go to your Settings menu and scroll down to "Developer Options". Be sure to select "USB debugging", "Allow mock locations", and just to avoid potential disaster, choose "Stay awake". After this is all done, you can go back and unselect these.
6) With USB debugging enabled on your phone, launch UnlockRoot (not the UnlockRoot PRO shortcut the program installs on the desktop). Click the big green "Root" button. **NOTE** During the process it will ask you if you want to install other apps. DO NOT INSTALL THEM. Once the program is finished, if all went well, you now have a rooted SGH-730G!
7) There are a number of apps available in the Play Store that check to see if you are rooted. Alternatively, this is how I check my devices. A) Download and install "Terminal Emulator" from the Play Store. This app is like using ADB on your phone. B) Once it is installed, open the app. Type in the command "su" (without the quotes) and hit enter. If rooting was successful, your phone should show a pop-up message asking you to grant it root privileges. Go ahead and say yes and rejoice in the fact you were successful. If you receive the error "permission denied", then the root was unsuccessful.
**Dealing with the pesky yellow triangle on the Samsung boot screen**
The yellow triangle on the Samsung boot screen is a visual warning that you are running custom software. To get rid of it, click the following thread link. "Triangle Away" is a paid app in the Play Store, but the awesome Chainfire has made it available in the forums. Read the thread carefully and follow all the instructions for using the app. Neither I, nor him, nor your pet are responsible for the misuse of the app. - http://forum.xda-developers.com/member.php?u=631273
THAT'S IT!!! If you followed all the directions carefully, you now have a rooted SGH-730G and the sky is the limit now. Currently there is no known custom roms for this device. However I am working on building a Stock+Root Deodexed version of the factory firmware, and will upload it when I can verify it is stable to be released. Following that, I will be developing a custom rom based on the stock firmware. But of course, if you have the experience and know-how, feel free to start developing your own roms for this phone. The more the merrier.
And as always, if you were successful using this guide, or it helped you in any way, please inflate my ego by clicking that thanks button.
I will try to answer as many questions as possible if you run into problems during the process, or if you have other questions about what you can do with this device now that it is rooted.
I CURRENTLY DO NOT KNOW OF A WAY TO MANUALLY UNLOCK THE PHONE. IT'S A LITTLE BIT BEYOND MY SKILLS. I HAVE HOWEVER SEEN PEOPLE IN OTHER FORUMS GETTING PEOPLE TO DO IT USING REMOTE ACCESS TO THEIR COMPUTERS WITH THE PHONE PLUGGED IN TO IT. I DON'T KNOW ALL THE DETAILS ABOUT HOW IT WORKS, BUT COMMON SENSE TELLS ME THIS ISN'T A VERY TRUSTWORTHY THING TO BE DOING. IT'S TOTALLY UP TO YOU IF YOU REALLY TRUST A COMPLETE STRANGER TO HAVE VIRTUAL ACCESS TO YOUR COMPUTER AND YOUR PHONE. BE I'D BE WEARY.
:good: Thanks (in no particular order) to andronald for the original thread about the 730M variant of this device, Without that thread, this thread would not be possible. FitAmp for his contributions to the project over there, JohnnyGalto for the CWM recovery image, cshmitt for his help in getting me started working on a custom rom for this device. :good:
Soft Brick Recovery
SOFT BRICK RECOVERY FOR SGH-730G
Right now, I am working on a tar Odin flashable system image to make it easier to recover from a soft brick of the device. Once it is completed and tested, I will update this post to include a download of it.
***This post will help you recover from a soft brick or bootloop error on your SGH-730G after rooting. This quick guide assumes that you still have access to CWM recovery and/or are able to boot into download mode. (See OP for instructions on how to boot into recovery and download mode.)***
If you followed the instructions and recommendations in the previous post, then you should have made a backup of the stock image using CWM recovery. This is what you will use to help recover your phone so you can start the process again, or not, depending on how gutsy you feel.
IF YOU ARE STILL ABLE TO BOOT INTO CWM RECOVERY
1) Power off your device. You may have to pull the battery to do this if you are stuck with a bootloop or other booting issues.
2) Boot into CWM recovery (see OP for instructions)
3) Scroll down to "backup and restore"
4) Select restore
5) You should then see a restore point to select. The format is usually "YYYY-MM-DD.HOUR". The hour is usually in 24h format.
6) Select the file then select "Yes".
7) If everything works correctly, your stock backup should be restored and you should be able to boot your phone again.
**Note** If you lose root while restoring your stock backup, just use the guide in the OP to try again.
**If you cannot boot into CWM recovery after installation and making a backup.**
Try to reinstall the CWM recovery image using the instructions in the OP.
Again, as soon as it is ready, I will upload a tar that can be flashed through Odin to restore the factory image to your phone, and instructions on recovering and returning to stock will be posted here.
As always, if this helps you in any way, inflate my ego by clicking that thanks button.
Fun with the SGH-730G
So far there are a few fun things I have found work for this phone so far.
For those who may want overclock features, check out this thread. The reason I didn't include it in the OP is because I didn't have success in changing the max value for CPU speed. It stayed constant at 1000 and produced a little too much battery drain for my taste.
SetCPU - This app only works to change the minimum allowed CPU speed of the stock kernel. I run the "ondemand" settings with a minimum of 600MHz and max of 800Mhz. This has helped to reduce some lag from the stock speeds the kernel likes to run and doesn't produce a noticeable battery drain.
Seeder - The seeder lag reduction app makes a huge difference in smoothness of the device.
Xposed Framework: If you don't know what this is, search the XDA forums and you will be able to learn just about everything you want about it. So far I have tested features of the XBlast module and Xposed Additions. Center clock and clock color change, 4-way reboot menu with screenshot, Volume button tweaks, all from Xblast. Xposed Additions can be used to remap the buttons for different functions. I was able to remap the back key to kill the foreground app on long-press. Very useful to limit the amount of running apps in the background.
Notification Toggle - This nifty little app allows you to place toggles for wifi, mobile data, brightness, etc, in the notification dropdown screen. Saves a little time from having to navigate through the settings on the phone, and saves home screen space by not having to use the power widget.
Rom Toolbox - Some features may work, but it is better to have the rom deodexed to take full advantage. (A deodexed version of the stock rom will be available soon).
Auto Killer Memory Optimizer: This is a personal favorite of mine. I own the pro version which is well worth the money. It allows custom settings to optimize RAM usage and free up memory. Makes the phone so much smoother.
If you find any other fun mods that work with this phone, pleas share!
Thank you very much. Been waiting for this for a while. Again thanks.
Nomad692000 said:
Thank you very much. Been waiting for this for a while. Again thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My pleasure. I felt it was necessary to separate this phone version from the other versions to avoid confusion. I'll be (hopefully) updating the soft brick recovery in just a moment. Currently testing a new method. Glad you liked the thread. Stick around, things may start to get interesting soon
So far I haven't had any luck creating an Odin package of the factory system image. I have written to Tracfone to see if they could provide me with the factory image but I'm not going to have high hopes it will happen.
Hopefully this week I will be able to provide a deodexed and debloated version of the stock rom that will run a little faster and take up a little less space on the device.
A custom kernel is in the works for those interested in overclocking, though I think anything past the stock max speed will cause a good amount of battery drain.
Sent from my SGH-S730G
So you building a custom rom for the tracfone version (730G)?
(Dominix) said:
So you building a custom rom for the tracfone version (730G)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Slowly but surely yes. Haven't gotten as much done this week as I had hoped but it is in the works.
Sent from my SGH-S730G
i need stock rom please
TheGeekyNimrod said:
Slowly but surely yes. Haven't gotten as much done this week as I had hoped but it is in the works.
Sent from my SGH-S730G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i mistakingly picked up the wrong phone..the discover and the centura are very similar....i accidently installed custom rom for the centura onto the discover...it is the 730g. i did not make a back up...do you have the stock rom and can you post or email it to me?? [email protected]
:crying:
j.nunez123 said:
i mistakingly picked up the wrong phone..the discover and the centura are very similar....i accidently installed custom rom for the centura onto the discover...it is the 730g. i did not make a back up...do you have the stock rom and can you post or email it to me?? [email protected]
:crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right now I do not have a copy of the stock rom. I'm still trying to create an Odin flashable of the basic system partition files, recovery, and boot. Wish I could help you. This is why it's always important to make a backup. You might can try one of the 730M Discover threads and see if someone can send you a back up of theirs, but keep in mind that is the Canadian version of the phone. I'm not quite sure what all of the differences in them are.
Based on what I have been able to find out, other than the tracfone custom boot screen and sound, the android on this phone is just stock android 4. No touchwiz (thank God and all that it holy) no bloatware extras, no nothing. So you could probably take the stock Android 4.0.4 I think it is and work from that.
Sent from my SGH-S730G using xda app-developers app
little trouble
Ive downloaded everyting just fine, but when I try and install the unlockroot it keeps telling me Better installer host has stopped working. Is that something on my end or something on theirs? because i cant seem to figure anything out about better installer and have never seen it before downloading this. You have any suggestions on what is causing this problem?
[sgh-s730g] Discover Straight talk PR Rooted
I will reccomend you to start over as it is in [Root] [CWM] Samgsung Galaxy Discover (SGH-730G) Tracfone Variant ONLYthread, which is in the first page. Do a factory reset if it can be done, and wipe all the catches. format your sd card and be patient, because i followed all the instructions and mine works fine. the only thing i haven't done is get rid of the yellow triangle but I'll doit later on because I'm Working to find the unlocking code for mine. Wish you luck and do be afraid. Just be Patient :good:
Cristiandando said:
I will reccomend you to start over as it is in [Root] [CWM] Samgsung Galaxy Discover (SGH-730G) Tracfone Variant ONLYthread, which is in the first page. Do a factory reset if it can be done, and wipe all the catches. format your sd card and be patient, because i followed all the instructions and mine works fine. the only thing i haven't done is get rid of the yellow triangle but I'll doit later on because I'm Working to find the unlocking code for mine. Wish you luck and do be afraid. Just be Patient :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am getting this error on my computer not on my cell phone, My cell is a discover from straight talk. when i downloaded unlockroot from their website onto my computer and go to run it it wont even install. just keeps saying better installer stopped working. Again this is on my computer not on my cell phone.
Uninstall then re-download UnlockRoot .. I had that problem first time I tried to run it. Also, there is the actual free program, amd another program file that pulls up an order and download program for the pro version. Maybe you clicked that one instead?
Sent from my SGH-S730G
I have a debloated, deodexed, zip aligned, rooted version of the stock rom completed. Working on the updater script which is being a pain in my ass. Soon as it is done and tested I'll post it.
I've been behind on it as my volunteer work and family obligations have been my primary focus. But it is something I still try to work on to give this phone a little boost.
Sent from my SGH-S730G
Here it's what you're looking for my Friend
pokesmot88 said:
I am getting this error on my computer not on my cell phone, My cell is a discover from straight talk. when i downloaded unlockroot from their website onto my computer and go to run it it wont even install. just keeps saying better installer stopped working. Again this is on my computer not on my cell phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Il' PM you the unlock root pro with the serial because I can't post it until I make 10 or more post. Download both items, install the software and then copy > paste the serial and start rooting your phone. Don't forguet to make a back up of your original not rooted rom and save it in your computer and sd card in case something goes wrong just restore it to it's original state.
TheGeekyNimrod said:
I have a debloated, deodexed, zip aligned, rooted version of the stock rom completed. Working on the updater script which is being a pain in my ass. Soon as it is done and tested I'll post it.
I've been behind on it as my volunteer work and family obligations have been my primary focus. But it is something I still try to work on to give this phone a little boost.
Sent from my SGH-S730G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a SGH-S730M that I bought unlocked off of ebay, and wound up giving it to my wife. After looking at the specs for the SGH-S730G it sounds like they are identical other than one being sold by Telus and the other being sold by net10. Is the SGH-730G unlocked by default? I'm interested in getting one to try my hand at modifying. One of my few key complaints about the SGH-S730M was that even though it didn't have the touchwiz launcher it still had the samsung style lock screen instead of the stock ICS lock screen. Would xposed or any of the other stuff you mentioned allow me to change that back to stock?
Also the battery issue you mentioned also seems to affect the S730M as well, it is more than a little annoying.
doctor_evil said:
I have a SGH-S730M that I bought unlocked off of ebay, and wound up giving it to my wife. After looking at the specs for the SGH-S730G it sounds like they are identical other than one being sold by Telus and the other being sold by net10. Is the SGH-730G unlocked by default? I'm interested in getting one to try my hand at modifying. One of my few key complaints about the SGH-S730M was that even though it didn't have the touchwiz launcher it still had the samsung style lock screen instead of the stock ICS lock screen. Would xposed or any of the other stuff you mentioned allow me to change that back to stock?
Also the battery issue you mentioned also seems to affect the S730M as well, it is more than a little annoying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are pretty much the same device yes. The 730G I bought was through StraightTalk so it wasn't unlocked. I'm sure you could find one unlocked on Ebay or maybe Swappa or something similar. I do hate the Samsung stock lockscreen too. Stock, Xposed won't do the AOSP lockscreen style. Once I have the deodexed working and ready it should. There is another way to bring it up, but it's a little beyond my experience, but also requires a deodexed system.
TheGeekyNimrod said:
They are pretty much the same device yes. The 730G I bought was through StraightTalk so it wasn't unlocked. I'm sure you could find one unlocked on Ebay or maybe Swappa or something similar. I do hate the Samsung stock lockscreen too. Stock, Xposed won't do the AOSP lockscreen style. Once I have the deodexed working and ready it should. There is another way to bring it up, but it's a little beyond my experience, but also requires a deodexed system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool I will be watching this thread for updates. I just bought a used SGH-730G that I am willing to do test flashes on the rom if you need a tester. I got it for a super super cheap price so I won't get upset if it gets bricked.
Any help is greatly appreciated, I have no experience with Google phones, I was years into Sony.
I have just bought a Pixel 2 XL from a local shop in Greece, and of course, I want to root it and be able to install custom roms etc.
I have a few questions that I am searching everywhere recently and I would really appreciate if someone can make it clear to me:
1) I have read that you have to buy your phone from Google so you are able to unlock it? Can someone explain this to me? (My phone is not a specific carrier) How do I know if I am able to unlock my bootloader?
2)I have flashed roms and kernels in the past on my Sony phones, however I haven't really messed with the bootloader other than just unlocking it in the beginning. So now on the Pixel 2 XL I am reading so much about the unlock_critical vs the normal unlock, and I can admit I cannot understand the difference. Why does someone want to flash a bootloader? ( I do not understand what does "flash a bootloader" mean)
What I want to be able to do is flash custom roms, flash factory images to revert back to stock whenever I want, flash custom kernel, flash stock kernel, make a nandroid backup with twrp and restore a nandroid backup with twrp. That is all I want to be able to do without facing any errors with the bootloader,so do I need the unlock_critical ? And why?
3)If I unlock the bootloader with any of the two ways, am I able to re-lock it like nothing has happened? For example if the screen has dead pixels for some reason and I want to send it back for warranty but the bootloader is unlocked, can I lock it without it being logged? Or once unlocked, there is no going back to the warranty by re-locking? On many Sony phones we could do that.
4)If I unlock the bootloader and install TWRP I read that I will not be able to receive official updates from settings any more (OTA):
"NOTE #1: If you have mounted /system as rw at any point (like in TWRP), you must upgrade using the factory image method. OTAs will fail because they cannot verify the integrity of the disk since its verity data has been changed."
My question is, if I flash a stock image, does that get fixed? ( so if I flash 8.1.0 stock manually, will I be able to get an official update e.g. 9.0.0 from settings?)
Or if I just grab the stock boot.img of my current version of android and flash it with fastboot, then will I be able to get official updates from settings normally again?
5)Can I do the following on this order? :
Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking
Unlock the bootloader (either critical or normal, whatever works)
Boot into Fastboot
Boot the twrp image from fastboot to the device
Flash the twrp zip to the phone to install TWRP
Flash the magisk zip so I root the device
Reboot and everything works? (Or do I need a custom kernel for TWRP or Magisk to work?)
Is there any issue you see with the above plan of mine?
6) Before I tweak my device in any way, is it okay if I update the device fully? So can I install any update available (OTA) and then unlock the bootloader and root etc? Or do I have to be on a specific version and not on the latest?
7)I have read something about 2 different slots on some flashing forums here, slot a and slot b, but it is not clear to me what that is. Does anyone know what that is? At which point may I face this?
Thank you very much.
A quick and not complete response to get you going
Plan 5 seems solid, unlock the bootloader to allow custom stuff. At boot you will get a warning screen to let you know.
I forgot if I only unlocked the bootloader or also the critical, try it etc.
Personally I never had to tinker with the A/B slots, within TWRP you can choose which to use.
Before Magisk, I used to flash another recovery like cwm or twrp but it is not required. You must however boot to twrp.img to flash the magisk zip.
As far as I know it is indeed the altering of the /system folder that denies future OTA (when using factory image). A manual flash (of future OTA) is easy but may require altering (removing) a switch command in the install.bat file to remove the -w (wipe).
As to the custom kernels, I never noticed the need and am running the latest v10 image with only Magisk flashed to get root.
My main goal is to get rid of ads. I use AdAway.
To get that to work in v10 you need to enable systemless host module im the Magisk manager app (reboot after).
A final feedback; when you get to sideload and need to get to recovery you may get the screen 'no command' or so; press volume-up and click power or power->click volume.
Let us know if you worked it etc!
arismelachrinos said:
Any help is greatly appreciated, I have no experience with Google phones, I was years into Sony.
I have just bought a Pixel 2 XL from a local shop in Greece, and of course, I want to root it and be able to install custom roms etc.
I have a few questions that I am searching everywhere recently and I would really appreciate if someone can make it clear to me:
1) I have read that you have to buy your phone from Google so you are able to unlock it? Can someone explain this to me? (My phone is not a specific carrier) How do I know if I am able to unlock my bootloader?
2)I have flashed roms and kernels in the past on my Sony phones, however I haven't really messed with the bootloader other than just unlocking it in the beginning. So now on the Pixel 2 XL I am reading so much about the unlock_critical vs the normal unlock, and I can admit I cannot understand the difference. Why does someone want to flash a bootloader? ( I do not understand what does "flash a bootloader" mean)
What I want to be able to do is flash custom roms, flash factory images to revert back to stock whenever I want, flash custom kernel, flash stock kernel, make a nandroid backup with twrp and restore a nandroid backup with twrp. That is all I want to be able to do without facing any errors with the bootloader,so do I need the unlock_critical ? And why?
3)If I unlock the bootloader with any of the two ways, am I able to re-lock it like nothing has happened? For example if the screen has dead pixels for some reason and I want to send it back for warranty but the bootloader is unlocked, can I lock it without it being logged? Or once unlocked, there is no going back to the warranty by re-locking? On many Sony phones we could do that.
4)If I unlock the bootloader and install TWRP I read that I will not be able to receive official updates from settings any more (OTA):
"NOTE #1: If you have mounted /system as rw at any point (like in TWRP), you must upgrade using the factory image method. OTAs will fail because they cannot verify the integrity of the disk since its verity data has been changed."
My question is, if I flash a stock image, does that get fixed? ( so if I flash 8.1.0 stock manually, will I be able to get an official update e.g. 9.0.0 from settings?)
Or if I just grab the stock boot.img of my current version of android and flash it with fastboot, then will I be able to get official updates from settings normally again?
5)Can I do the following on this order? :
Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking
Unlock the bootloader (either critical or normal, whatever works)
Boot into Fastboot
Boot the twrp image from fastboot to the device
Flash the twrp zip to the phone to install TWRP
Flash the magisk zip so I root the device
Reboot and everything works? (Or do I need a custom kernel for TWRP or Magisk to work?)
Is there any issue you see with the above plan of mine?
6) Before I tweak my device in any way, is it okay if I update the device fully? So can I install any update available (OTA) and then unlock the bootloader and root etc? Or do I have to be on a specific version and not on the latest?
7)I have read something about 2 different slots on some flashing forums here, slot a and slot b, but it is not clear to me what that is. Does anyone know what that is? At which point may I face this?
Thank you very much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) The reason for this is Google had an exclusivity contract to sell through the US cellular company, Verizon; much like the original Apple iPhone did (at first) with AT&T. And, for reasons that are most likely stupid, foolish, and unconvincing in its justifications, Verizon locks their device's bootloaders. So, not that it's "locked" or "unlocked" in terms of carriers, but more-so whether a device is "locked bootloader" or unlockable because it was purchased from Google (or elsewhere, but at least originally Google) and not from Verizon. If you're wondering further, getting it from Verizon would allow Verizon subscribers and customers to be able to "lease" and pay the Pixel off in increments with their usual cell phone bill; but it's not all too exclusive because Google offers to lease if you purchase from them also! The only caveat is you have to pass a credit check when leasing from Google; but, then again, you have to pass a credit check when signing up for a Verizon cell plan as well!
2) So, with my limited understanding between the difference between just a regular "unlock" and an "unlock_critical" is that it might be that a regular unlock allows you to get a R/W access (root access) to the various vital partitions (i.e. system, data [not to be confused with userdata], even boot to a degree) while unlock_critical allows you to straight modify and replace partitions (i.e. what would've been the recovery partition [but now there's no such thing and recovery just resides in the boot partition], the whole system & data partition to have/run custom ROMs, bootloading screen, etc.). But it all is rather convoluted that Google probably agreed and, so you can/should be aware, they updated things within the past few months (I'm guessing June or July) where they rid the need to "unlock_critical" and bootloaders that are newer than a certain point/month no longer needs that fastboot command to unlock the bootloader and everything else in order to flash custom anythings...
3) Okay, so here's a very tricky thing to this.... Technically, yes you can relock the bootloader as well as there have been many who have successfully done so; BUT there are so many more that have COMPLETELY and permanently bricked their device attempting to do so and most (if not all) the experts here would advise anyone to just leave well enough alone. But, if it is insisted and must be, the way to do it is to remove all Magisk modules (because, for whatever reason, these modules can survive a complete flashing of a Full Factory stock image), run a Full Factory image where the flash-all command is left intact (meaning “-w” is unedited; I’ll go more into this later), running it through the initial set up process, then (for good measure, this step might not be at all absolutely necessary) switch slots and run the flash-all command on the other slot, running the initial set up process again, then rebooting to Bootloader Mode and running the fastboot locking command, then unticking (if wished and insisted) unticking the OEM unlocking. Again, a word of warning, that so many have relocked the bootloader and unticked the OEM unlocking which allows the unlocking of the bootloader, then find that their device goes into a bootloop; and since they had just locked the bootloader in 2/all different ways, it leaves rescuing the device with all but the fewest options – usually because it’s forgotten in one way or another returning all of the device back to stock.
If anything, what has been said around these forums is that, if returning to Google, there hasn’t been an (proven) instance that Google refused to repair/replace it because it had its bootloader unlocked. But it’s usually for that fear or re-selling the device in which this is usually sought; but in most (if not all) cases (the experts here figure), having the bootloader unlocked would be refused or looked down upon.
4) So, most of what you assumed here is correct; but may be a bit misguided due to not knowing some things – which, of course, can be expected since you had just said you just moved to this device from a totally different manufacturer (Sony). If you are rooted (Magisk), there is absolutely no way you can update via the regular System Update from an OTA from within the Settings in the OS. And even having just an unlocked bootloader will cause OTAs to not work -- but there are conflicting reports stating differently, but I, personally, am under the understanding that even at that point you cannot.
But here’s the key thing; there really isn’t any reason to install updates by download and using OTAs anyways. Most (if not all) the experts here actually forego the OTAs and merely download the Full Factory stock images from Google’s Developers website and flash those. Here’s the reason; in the “olden days”, flashing a stock Full Factory image would erase absolutely everything and return the device to a complete factory state. But Google, in their “infinite wisdom”, allowed it to be possible to flash this but still withhold and save/keep all of one’s apps, settings, and data – essentially leaving both device data and userdata untouched! This is achieved by simply editing a batch file called “flash-all.bat” (or “flash-all.sh” for Linux and MacOS) and removing the 3 characters “-w” (3rd character would be a space “character”) from within its code. In this manner, OTAs can be considered a “dirty flash” because, while a Full Factory will completely overwrite (I could be wrong, but I believe it erases and formats it) the system, radio, bootloader, boot, etc., which would/should take care of any erroneous bugs or glitches, while OTA’s do not necessarily do this and just “modifies” the existing data; and therefore bugs and glitches may still remain being more on the root of things and/or OTAs would just modify “on top” or elsewhere where those glitches may reside.
And in either/both cases, one would still be required to reflash/reinstall everything root.
But, if insisted, there are multiple methods to achieve a state where you can run an OTA; either downloading an OTA image from Google and manually flashing it (“sideloading”), or unrooting temporarily to be able to use & download the regular System Updater (can be found HERE : https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk/blob/master/docs/tutorials.md#ota-installation under the “Devices with A/B Partitions” which is my preferred method if I was to do this sort of thing, but I have never done this so I’m unsure if it even is successful in our device). I even wrote out an in-depth and step-by-step guide, but it is rather convoluted and was written in the beginnings of our taimen and there are most likely more updated methods now; but if you want to check it out, you can HERE.
But, to answer your questions directly; No, flashing the stock image will not allow you to user the stock System Updater; although there are conflicting reports, I am under the impression that anything other than a locked bootloader will allow the stock System Updater to work.
5)More correctly, you boot into “Bootloader Mode” to be able to use the “fastboot” commands. And no, you do not need to permanently flash a custom recovery (TWRP), a custom kernel, or anything else to achieve root – although I do highly recommend it – as you can temporarily boot into TWRP (by downloading the TWRP image file (*.img) and install Magisk in that manner – I do not suggest you root/install Magisk using the app. Other people have had success, but many (most?) have issues that you wouldn’t run into if you installed it via TWRP – but here’s a key thing; no matter what you intend to flash and install, unless you need to have root for it to already be installed, you should always flash Magisk last. Moreso, as the great Az Biker of ‘round thes’ parts greatly suggests, you should even reboot to bootloader after each and every flash separately. Explanation is, for whatever reason and even though many claim to be able to “detect” and modify their flash for an already modified boot and dtbo (where modifications must happen for root access), most don’t play well with Magisk and Magisk must modify the boot and dtbo after all other modifications or else problems can arise (or at least it has for me).
Just keep these things in mind, but, for the most part, your “order” of things will do well enough. Again, just keep in mind that if you are going to install a custom recovery or kernel, try to do that before Magisk as well as if you can avoid it, don’t use the Magisk app to install or manually flash any boot.img if you can help it.
6)No, you don’t have to stick to a specific version; it might even be suggested to update it stock before doing anything. BUT (of course there is a caveat), consider this; many things (especially anything root and specifically TWRP) aren’t really “playing nice” with Android Q/10; so, if you update and go to the most up to date, but don’t wish to run into those glitches/bugs and wish to “hold off” (like I am, actually and for the same reasoning), then of course you should only go up to August (I believe that was the last before the upgrade to Q/10) Full Factory.
7) There are many great resources on the information on having the 2 different slots; I apologize if I can’t recall where I even saw them – other members (maybe an RC or Mod even) input a URL to read and I can’t for the life of me recall where it possibly could be. But, for the most part, you would really only run into identifying and manually changing to a specific one if you were attempting to rescue or deeply modify your device; I can say that me and the great @Az Biker have never felt the necessity to manually change or choose a certain, specific slot. And, my guess, is that, because the coding and flashing output when running the Full Factory states something about “system_other” or a “system_b”, but while the main system can be close to 3GB, the system_other is closer to 300MB, and that boot, dtbo, vendor, and something called lafb has a “_b” partition, I’m thinking it’s something as a safety or backup, maybe something like what used to be in old laptops a sort of RAM to help load things up faster. In any case, it seems that going from one to the other, a to b or vice-versa, doesn’t seem to be too key or much of a hassle, so….take that for what you will.
Alright…hopefully I was able to answer all your inquiries. And, if you have any more, please feel free to ask them…that’s what we’re all about here. And I know I can run on and get wordy, so thank you for bearing with me with all of this.
I mean, it’s really good to have a user/member who really does their research, reading, and due diligence before getting into their new device; there are so many instances here and in my own experience where the “…if I only knew that beforehand…” would be supremely helpful, and supremely easier on everyone else! So that’s to be commended and reinforced…!
Hope this helps and welcome to your Pixel and this taimen forum!
I really cannot thank you enough for your time. I truly appreciate it very much.
1) Very clear.
2) Do you happen to have a link or do you know how to check if my phone supports unlock_critical? How can I check if I have that newer bootloader? Or do you remember where did you learn this?
3) Thank you so much about that. Very clear aand you just saved my phone
4) Very clear.
5) Thank you for the info! Interesting, I was searching on how to root the device running Android 10 (I have fully updated and I really am not going back to Android 9 ), and I saw that you have to patch your boot.img with the Magisk app, and then flash it with fastboot. So first you get the factory image from google and you extract the boot.img and insert it to the phone. Then you load it into Magisk app and patch it. Then moving the patched to the PC, booting to bootloader and flash it on boot partition. This is the way I saw on how to get root working fine with Android 10, not sure if it is the best method or the worst.
6) What do you mean with "go up to August"? Do you mean that the "oldest" image I can flash is "9.0.0 (PQ3A.190801.002, Aug 2019)"? So one cannot go back to 8.0.0 and Google has done something to prevent us from doing that? Also, if I wanted to go back to that August image or any "compatible", the procedure is just to run the flash-all.bat file of that image?
I used to experement a lot with custom roms, custom kernels and mods with my Sony devices, but that was mainly because I wanted stock android and some more features. The thing is that I have almost anything I need with this device, with some minor wishes. So I can leave without flashing custom roms and kernels, but I wanted to just root and at least install Adaway(!!!!!! I cannot leave with those ads!!!!!!), Titanium Backup and some other similar root apps that don't really do any harm. Have you tried rooting Android 10 and it was unusable? Do you suggest that it is not really worth it? The thing is that I love Android 10, the gestures and all the features, and I could not go back to Android 9, even though I only used the phone for a week, I am used to it and really like the way it currently is.
7)Hmm okay so I should not really mess with that. Maybe as I saw online, when flashing stock or unrooting, it is best to flash the same thing to both a and b slots, seems a bit complicated but whatever
Thank you for being so helpful!!
arismelachrinos said:
I really cannot thank you enough for your time. I truly appreciate it very much.
1) Very clear.
2) Do you happen to have a link or do you know how to check if my phone supports unlock_critical? How can I check if I have that newer bootloader? Or do you remember where did you learn this?
3) Thank you so much about that. Very clear aand you just saved my phone
4) Very clear.
5) Thank you for the info! Interesting, I was searching on how to root the device running Android 10 (I have fully updated and I really am not going back to Android 9 ), and I saw that you have to patch your boot.img with the Magisk app, and then flash it with fastboot. So first you get the factory image from google and you extract the boot.img and insert it to the phone. Then you load it into Magisk app and patch it. Then moving the patched to the PC, booting to bootloader and flash it on boot partition. This is the way I saw on how to get root working fine with Android 10, not sure if it is the best method or the worst.
6) What do you mean with "go up to August"? Do you mean that the "oldest" image I can flash is "9.0.0 (PQ3A.190801.002, Aug 2019)"? So one cannot go back to 8.0.0 and Google has done something to prevent us from doing that? Also, if I wanted to go back to that August image or any "compatible", the procedure is just to run the flash-all.bat file of that image?
I used to experement a lot with custom roms, custom kernels and mods with my Sony devices, but that was mainly because I wanted stock android and some more features. The thing is that I have almost anything I need with this device, with some minor wishes. So I can leave without flashing custom roms and kernels, but I wanted to just root and at least install Adaway(!!!!!! I cannot leave with those ads!!!!!!), Titanium Backup and some other similar root apps that don't really do any harm. Have you tried rooting Android 10 and it was unusable? Do you suggest that it is not really worth it? The thing is that I love Android 10, the gestures and all the features, and I could not go back to Android 9, even though I only used the phone for a week, I am used to it and really like the way it currently is.
7)Hmm okay so I should not really mess with that. Maybe as I saw online, when flashing stock or unrooting, it is best to flash the same thing to both a and b slots, seems a bit complicated but whatever
Thank you for being so helpful!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It’s really my pleasure! And I’m just as thankful that you/anyone would even go through the trouble of reading all of that…!
1) Thank you for the compliment
2)Usually, if your bootloader version is within a certain version – which you can find when in bootloader mode – then you either do or do not need unlock_critical. I can’t remember how many months prior to Android 10/Q, it was within 6 I believe, so any bootloader version from 5 or 6 months ago to now, and obviously if you’re on 10/Q, you would not need to run the command unlock_critical. But, if anything, you don’t have to have any fear of it, whether you need to or not, or don’t know your bootloader version, running the “fastboot flashing unlock_critical” when you don’t need to will just amount to a simple error and nothing bad will happen. And if it does end up doing something, well, then that’s a good thing. It almost amounts to unlock_critical-ing twice, the second on will just state that it’s already unlocked and that’s it.
If anything, I believe I found the resource here from the great Az Biker: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=78908055&postcount=2843
If you are very curious, it should address much of what you’re seeking and/or at least point you to where you might find that information.
3) You’re very welcome. It really is a good thing that saves you in the future, and saves those who try to help some grief as well.
4) Thank you for the compliment.
5) I would say that the process you described is certainly doable, but is far from the best/easiest. From my experience helping many here on this forum, many bugs or things go wrong when loading the stock boot.img to the phone, having Magisk modify it, then getting the modified boot.img and successfully flashing it. More often than not, one ends up having a device turn into a boot loop and are usually forced to flash the stock boot.img and have to give it a number of tries.
The best way (subjectively) is to download the Magisk installation .zip. Then boot into TWRP (which doesn’t mean you have to replace the stock recovery since you can temporarily boot into it), and “Install” it using the .zip. Then everything is automated and done for you, if anything goes wrong you have an output log you can use to troubleshoot, but it seems best to leave it to the experts who created all this than us manually attempting to ourselves.
Oh and AFAIK this method still works on Android 10/Q as it has for Pie and Oreo.
6) I meant that, if you did not wish to update to 10/Q, then you shouldn’t do anything newer than from August’s security update/patch, since all the Full Factory images and updates are of 10/Q. But, if you go to Google’s Developers site, you’ll see that they pretty much list and make available all the Full Factory images ever published; to the point that there are some that go back to Oreo!
And everything you’ve said is understandable. And I kinda feel the same way. For me, in my humble opinion, it is supremely good idea to root and for whatever issues you get doing that, the returns are incalculable. It is most definitely worth it/rooting! The extra options and customizations and modifications all make it worth while and more! And, even if rooting gives the capability of rendering the device rather unusable, take confidence in that Google, in all their “infinite wisdom”, gave us “Bootloader Mode”…and pretty much, as long as you can get into Bootloader Mode and successfully connect to a computer, your phone would never be considered too far lost/gone. I’ve only witnessed that be opposite on less than a handful of cases.
But, most importantly, and if you have been in the rooting and ROMing game, you should well know this, but the most vital part of having root access is the ability to make the best backups! So, as long as you make sure to backup (Nandroid is best) and key times, running into some pitfalls here and there shouldn’t take you all the way out of the game….
7) Yeah…I mean, it is rather fascinating, and when up against an issue and you have an idea that deals with it, that’s when you can read up and learn about it and experiment I imagine. But for me and one of the great ones here in all of XDA, we’ve done all the custom ROM, custom recovery, custom kernel, Full Factory recover, root, Magisk modules, theming, Xposed, and countless other things, and all without the need to ever mess with manually or forcing an assignment between the two.
Again, it’s my pleasure. And if you any further questions or thoughts, bring them on! I’d be happy to address them…
Hope these are helpful….
arismelachrinos said:
I really cannot thank you enough for your time. I truly appreciate it very much.
1) Very clear.
2) Do you happen to have a link or do you know how to check if my phone supports unlock_critical? How can I check if I have that newer bootloader? Or do you remember where did you learn this?
3) Thank you so much about that. Very clear aand you just saved my phone
4) Very clear.
5) Thank you for the info! Interesting, I was searching on how to root the device running Android 10 (I have fully updated and I really am not going back to Android 9 ), and I saw that you have to patch your boot.img with the Magisk app, and then flash it with fastboot. So first you get the factory image from google and you extract the boot.img and insert it to the phone. Then you load it into Magisk app and patch it. Then moving the patched to the PC, booting to bootloader and flash it on boot partition. This is the way I saw on how to get root working fine with Android 10, not sure if it is the best method or the worst.
6) What do you mean with "go up to August"? Do you mean that the "oldest" image I can flash is "9.0.0 (PQ3A.190801.002, Aug 2019)"? So one cannot go back to 8.0.0 and Google has done something to prevent us from doing that? Also, if I wanted to go back to that August image or any "compatible", the procedure is just to run the flash-all.bat file of that image?
I used to experement a lot with custom roms, custom kernels and mods with my Sony devices, but that was mainly because I wanted stock android and some more features. The thing is that I have almost anything I need with this device, with some minor wishes. So I can leave without flashing custom roms and kernels, but I wanted to just root and at least install Adaway(!!!!!! I cannot leave with those ads!!!!!!), Titanium Backup and some other similar root apps that don't really do any harm. Have you tried rooting Android 10 and it was unusable? Do you suggest that it is not really worth it? The thing is that I love Android 10, the gestures and all the features, and I could not go back to Android 9, even though I only used the phone for a week, I am used to it and really like the way it currently is.
7)Hmm okay so I should not really mess with that. Maybe as I saw online, when flashing stock or unrooting, it is best to flash the same thing to both a and b slots, seems a bit complicated but whatever
Thank you for being so helpful!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As @simplepinoi177 said, I'm part of the community that just let's the factory image flash the slot it needs/wants to, and it's never once been an issue.
Look at it like this; some people prefer to simply copy/paste a link or block of text in the PC, some people prefer to CTRL + C then CTRL + V.... BOTH take you to the same end.
Plus, knowing me, the more I manually mess with Slot A vs Slot B, the more chance there is for me to screw something up
Best of luck with your 2 XL, it's a FICKLE device, but it's a really, really great device once you get it as you want it.
Thank you all very much! I am pretty busy these days so once I find some time I will do more research and root it.
@simplepinoi177
I am not sure if your paypal address works, I felt like buying you a coffee earlier, the least I could do with all the time you spent explaining
Oh forgot to ask some minor things,
to make a nandroid backup, I just send twrp.img via fastboot to the phone and boot into it and make it? And if I want to revert back I do the same and restore it?
Also if TWRP asks me the question about if I want to enable modification to the system, what do I answer? Either for the nandroid backup, the restore or for flashing magisk.zip? Do any of those require that enabled?
Lastly, I understood that just unlocking the bootloader alone can result in no OTAs. But, will I keep getting the security updates? I heared something about security updates that are frequently available from the playstore or something like that but I have the phone for less than a week and haven't gotten anything. No OTAs mean no security updates as well? Or they are irrelevant and I will keep getting those security updates once rooted?
arismelachrinos said:
Oh forgot to ask some minor things,
to make a nandroid backup, I just send twrp.img via fastboot to the phone and boot into it and make it? And if I want to revert back I do the same and restore it?
Also if TWRP asks me the question about if I want to enable modification to the system, what do I answer? Either for the nandroid backup, the restore or for flashing magisk.zip? Do any of those require that enabled?
Lastly, I understood that just unlocking the bootloader alone can result in no OTAs. But, will I keep getting the security updates? I heared something about security updates that are frequently available from the playstore or something like that but I have the phone for less than a week and haven't gotten anything. No OTAs mean no security updates as well? Or they are irrelevant and I will keep getting those security updates once rooted?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, about booting TWRP...
You can temporarily boot into TWRP just the one time if you wish. If you are using the newest version of TWRP (for the Pixel 2), they actually give an option to flash and replace the recovery with TWRP from within their recovery environment; I'm guessing they use the temporarily booted twrp.img to install. In any case, you can find the option in the Install section. In any case, it's up to you whether you install it as your custom recovery, but it's easy enough to restore it back to stock recovery either by manually flashing the stock boot.img (and maybe dtbo.img for good measure, as I'm unsure...) and/or if you update your device via a Full Factory (or even a downloaded OTA) image, as that will update and replace the boot partition regardless...
So, about the alert for enabling modification to the system; In the past, I had always enabled it. Of course you would want to have r/w and mounting capabilities towards the device's system and data partitions. But keep this in mind...until the TWRP team updates the latest version, there is no write capabilities/permissions. It will pull up an error that it either can't mount or doesn't write -- For this reason, I'm holding off so I don't have firsthand experience... -- but installing and flashing and backing up from within TWRP does work even if it spits up some errors. What you should be careful about is if/when it asks to install it as a "system service" or something, as general consensus says at no circumstance should you do this as it "forks" up many other things while at it.
But, to answer your question directly, I'm unsure whether you can or cannot install Magisk root or restoring without enabling this "modification" capability, but I say it can't hurt.....
As for your inquiries on OTAs, as I understand it (so anyone please correct me if I'm wrong), but the monthly security updates come with the OTAs (also monthly, so I believe they may be one in the same). I'm unsure about the whole seeing the security updates on the Play Store or something like that, but I highly doubt that is the case. Conventional knowledge says that you can only get these either from the stock System Updater or if you download them yourself and either sideload or "flash-all" it. That's why many (most) experts will download the Full Factory image every month (usually first Monday of the month) and we have this whole step-by-step process in updating platform-tools, unregistering Magisk modules and screenlocks/fingerprints, running the flash-all, temporarily booting TWRP, installing all custom modifications (Magisk last), rebooting after each and every flash/install, then going back into the OS and resetting up the screenlock/fingerprints and Magisk modules. As it would be nice if we could simply and always use the stock System Updater, but in any case, one would need to re-install all the custom modifications anyways. So, it is one of the sacrifices/compromises having a rooted Pixel 2….
But it is peculiar that you haven’t gotten any alert (unless you inadvertently updated to the latest already), for it still should alert you that there is an update available, and usually, if you have unlocked your bootloader, while it’s downloading and attempting to install, it will throw up an error; but everything would look like normal up to that point. But, then again, Google notifying updates on their various devices are intermittent at best. It would be simpler and best if you just keep it in mind that there’s usually the monthly update on/after the first Monday of the month and do what we all do and have to manually install the updates to keep most up to date.
If there’s anything else, you know you can ask…
Good luck and hope this helps…!
I'm on 10 with an unlocked bootloader, 1st gen Pixel. I still get security updates. Twrp doesn't mount /system or /vendor, so I take system/vendor IMAGE backups with no issue. Not sure if I'll get updates still after unrooting. I've always flashed factory after rooting. Theoretically it should return to stock if you flash the Magisk uninstaller. The boot image (boot + recovery + base system) will be restored. You should then be able to get OTA updates. They will be installed to the OTHER slot, so if the phone fails to boot (3 times?) it will switch back to the first slot. If you have issues and want to go back, you can manually switch slots in fastboot or go into twrp, tap reboot, tap the other slot, then reboot system. It will show a message that the slot has changed. You can of course always check the active slot in fastboot to make sure. If you want to roll back an OTA update, reboot to twrp, change the active slot, then reboot system, and it should boot to the older version. Make sure to turn off automatic updates or else it will redownload the same update again. I believe I've lost twrp by installing an OTA update, which installs to the inactive slot, which overwrites recovery, and then boots to that slot. Meaning if you don't have a pc to switch slots in fastboot, you can't go back to the first slot which still has twrp. The command is fastboot set_active, something like that. Quick google search.. No pc means no restore if something goes wrong while you're away from a computer. The only way I know of to change slots at that point is to hard reset 3 times, which will trigger the phone to switch slots. ALWAYS reboot after flashing bootloader/radio. I'm decently sure that the bootloader has to match the system, so if you install lineage Pie, you need to flash the bootloader/radio from Pie or the phone won't boot. Flash bootloader, reboot, flash radio, reboot, flash matching rom. It is technically possible to have dual boot, where one slot is lineage and the other is stock, as long as they're the same Android versions. Lineage Pie/stock Pie for example, because the bootloader won't match if you flash Lineage Oreo/stock Pie. Keep in mind OTAs will overwrite twrp with stock recovery, so if you reboot, you might lose access to twrp, and I don't know of a way to OTA and reboot on the same slot. I don't know if there is an app or command for this, WHICH WOULD BE REALLY FREAKING NICE. Also, when restoring boot from twrp, I always reflash twrp to make sure. It will install to both slots. You can keep a copy of twrp on your data partition. To reflash twrp from within twrp, Install > Select Image > find twrp.img > flash to RAMDISK. If you flash to boot, it will overwrite system, and leave you with only twrp. When installing in older twrp's, I believe it will install to the same slot. With newer twrp's that specifically support Treble, it will flash to the other slot. Don't quote me on that. Due to the single data partition, there's a chance Lineage will have issues with stock data. I've never seen it though. I've dirty flashed a couple times with few issues. I think I've even dirty flashed different OS versions. If you get app crashes, open that app's info, delete its storage/cache, and reopen the app. Most of the app data is the same across versions anyway. The Pixel is a complete pain in the ass when coming from non Treble phones. Sorry if this is repeated info, the posts above are LONG lol. Hope this helps.
Edit- not sure if relevant to you, but I get bootloops when flashing twrp to the ramdisk. There should be an option in twrp to fix it. I always do this after flashing twrp this way.
.
rodagola said:
Hello everyone on xda, please bare with me. Here's my story
I own a Redmi Note 8 pro, chinese rom model. It was running miui 11.0.3 over android 9 If I recall correctly.
Ok so... I was tired of some of the china apps pushing their notifications over and over and auto installing stuff, so I looked up how to apply adb commands to remove such bloatware, which was a fairly simple process. I copied and pasted a list of safe stuff to delete I found around some forums.
then... there were some other packages I checked out using an app called "app inspector", which directly tells you which app is under which package (totally useful for this purpose).
I tried to be careful not go overboard since I don't have any root access, or custom recovery, and wasn't really planning to have these, just wanted to keep this as my simple daily driver cellphone, but also perform this little maneuver to get rid of some bloatware.
little did I know, I was about to somehow softbrick it. More info: I did not use a screen lock method other than the "swipe up".
Ok, so I uninstalled some packages I cannot remember exactly how they went, but they had the terms "xman" and "yman" on them I think, I wasn't so sure about them because I looked them up on the web yet they didn't appear anywhere. I think they went something among the lines of "com.android.miui.xman". I also uninstalled 2 or 3 more, but after googling, they seemed unsuspecting.
Anyways, I'm aware there's a command to reinstall the packages because they're still on the phone's ROM image. That is in case I had to restore anything back to normal. Turns out I later rebooted the phone and when it launches the lock screen, I keep swiping up but it won't take me over to the actual MIUI launcher. The screen is frozen on the lock screen.
I'm not freaking out at this time because I still tried to connect the device to the pc, and it still shows as connected, I then go to the adb console and type "adb devices", it is still recognized, however, it says next to it that it is unauthorized... damn it. So now I might not be able to run the commands that allow me to reinstall the exact packages that are rendering the phone softbricked (I guess), plus I'm not really sure which package caused this.
After about a minute or two on the lock screen, the phone takes me to the "redmi-recovery 3.0",
which displays 3 options:
Reboot to system: which basically forms a loop
Wipe date: godforbid... really don't want to do it since I likely had many files not backedup
Contact miassistant: not sure what to do with this, says "pcsuite.mi.com" at the bottom
on the miassistant option you can apparently sideload stuff, idk how to go about this, maybe it allows me to install a slightly upgraded ROM, which in turn will work the same as if it was an OTA update (so it will keep my data as it was instead of wipe)? Because the point is not to erase my user data!!
I'm not sure how to feel or what to do without losing my pictures, notes and documents
I have hopes this situation can be turned around back to normal, and like the title implies... I'm WILLING to PAY you through paypal or something to WHOEVER offers to guide me through in the best way possible. Please if you have the knowledge/experience don't hesitate I'll also be grateful timelessly.
I'm not an expert at these scenarios so I might as well ask on xda where most are really skilled! Thanks in advance to those amazing souls
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Click to collapse
tldr;
If you can boot into fastboot mode you can just flash a official MIUI fastboot ROM:
Xiaomi Firmware Updater (where you can download official MIUI ROMS): https://xiaomifirmwareupdater.com/
This is the current hard unbrick method: https://telegra.ph/Installing-Redmi-Note-8-Pro-firmware-via-SP-Flash-Tool-01-21
It should also work in your case and there's even a video guide.
This is another video guide for fixing a hard brick:
Both methods above will format your phone though (afaik all data will be lost).
Compass.
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rodagola said:
are these the kind of roms that you unzip and have the BL, AP, CP, CSC files? I could try that, but I've heard installing home_csc will not override/wipe my personal data. If this is what you meant, can you confirm? Or do you reckon these linked video tutorials would not wipe the data?
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Nope, it doesn't.
If you can boot into Fastboot, flash the ROM using Mi Flash, otherwise, use this tutorial:
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Compass Linux and juliusjr have told you the method, so I will just add supplemential infos.
In your case, I think simple upgrade will do the trick, dirty flash is applicable both via fastboot flash (mi flash) and recovery flash (the mi assistant method). If you want to stop the ads, I will recommend you to unlock your bootloader, move to global, root, and use an adblocker (a bare minimum config, in trade of some bangking apps being blocked).
I don't know the corresponding version for miui china rom, but in global rom, prior 12.0.0.7 (the one with the early 2021 security update), you can dirty flash back and forth while keeping your data.
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rodagola said:
Hi, thanks for your info, I would like to try the mi flash tool as I've been told before the stock recovery thing has less chances of working. However, I had dev options turned on before but didn't manage to turn on the "OEM unlock" option, will flashing original ROMs work this way? or did I need that option toogled on? That's my last doubt, and thanks a lot. Btw, the China ROM this Redmi N8P had never ever showed me any ads, but thanks a lot as well for such input
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Click to collapse
You still have a locked bootloader? (How do I know? You will see "Unloked" on the bottom of the screen everytime your device reboots and showing mi logo if your device is unlocked)
Hmm, mechanically it work like normal ota update. Full recovery update will ony erase nessesary partitions (system, boot, and some other things) while keeping your data intact. So doing this to your phone technically safe. You can do this with MiFlashPro, do a recovery update using a recovery rom (the 2 gigs one) greater than your current MIUI version. But please bear in mind that I have never done this before to a locked phone. A same distribution version IS A MUST (i.e. global with global).
Oh and it will need you to log in to your xiaomi account. My guess is you need the flash permission open for your account (if you have unlocked your phone you shouldn't have a problem). I have never flashed with an account that never have been used to unlock a bootloader, so I might be wrong.
If your phone is bootloader unlocked, Mi Flash is the least demanding and it can retain your data with "save user data" in the bottom right corner option on, regardless your miui version (but I think there will be some problem with installed apps if you downgrade from A10 to A9).
Hope this help.