Is this a only or a/b system. - Samsung Galaxy M51 Questions & Answers

Is this a only or a/b system. - Samsung Galaxy M51 Questions & Answers

I check this in two apps both giving different answers.
Also I saw
andriyhar said:
Thank you.
Flash img ok.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He flashed a/b image
I check in the terminal using
getprop ro.build.ab_update
Got false
But when i flash havoc-os a only system it bootloop
So my question is am i suppose to flash a only or ab?

Also if you have used gsi i'd be glad to hear your experience.

Reading this thread
Aonly or A/B
Treble Check tell me Aonly and Treble Info tell me A/B. Which one must I choose?
forum.xda-developers.com
has lead me to believe
That i should flash a/b img

You can actually force A/B by flashing this zip:
MakeMeSAR.zip | by erfanoabdi for Generic Device/Other
Download GApps, Roms, Kernels, Themes, Firmware, and more. Free file hosting for all Android developers.
androidfilehost.com
Then it should flash A/B GSIs properly.

Will my recovery support it though.( Orange Fox by bekirakil)
Also I've only got 3.12GB system partition with no way of resizing it as this device has a dynamic partition
Plus the file name is makemesar and I'm sure that my devices is all ready system as root enabled.

This is just for ensuring you have AB, you can ignore it
System partition, hmmm, you can only flash small roms

I can confirm that you are suppose to use a/b img.
I flashed https://download.havoc-os.com/arm64-ab/Havoc-OS-v4.1-20210208-arm64-ab-Official.img.xz.
Unlike A-only img it booted and worked kindof.
I will not recommend this though as there is no way flash gapps for android 11 and not enough space to flash with a/b with gapps.
Also switched backed to lineage as it was causing random reboots.
Any help over making gsi stable will be much appreciated.

This post is meant for another fourm
When I restored the backup it failed but I was able to boot to lineage os which still contain gapps and magisk.
Since it showed failed I clean install everything again. The recovery read something like something something product partition, odm partion, system partiton.
Don't know if these logs are useful but I've attracted them below

Related

[GUIDE] Flash (almost) ANY GSI rom on Realme Q. RM5P should work too!

Original thread.
Code:
/*
* I'm not responsible for bricked devices, dead SD cards, thermonuclear war, or you getting fired because the alarm app failed (like it did for me...).
* Please do some research if you have any concerns about features included in the products you find here before flashing it!
* YOU are choosing to make these modifications, and if you point the finger at me for messing up your device, I will laugh at you.
* Your warranty will be void if you tamper with any part of your device / software. *This is not entirely true for Realme devices since bootloader unlock or custom rom flash via TWRP or fastboot does not void your warranty but rooting does.
* So I heard. But that's question of detail.
* Same statement for XDA.
[DETAILED DESCRIPTION]:
I've spent my whole afternoon testing. And found out there are way more well made gsi roms out there and theoretically all of them should work. First, you gotta read this one. Then pick a gsi rom. I recommend one that has everything (must be AB image) since we don't have a working twrp yet thus can't flash opengapps but if the image file contains it then it's good to go. Go there. Pick one. Make sure it has ab-gapps-su in it's name meaning it's A/B partition dependent treble rom. Gapps means it has gapps ofc. Su means it has built in superuser (that you can ignore later for you'll be replacing it with Magisk naturally). After picking a gsi rom image successfully you can download it to your external sd card and flash it via twrp (yes, that half ass twrp for rmq provided on xda) or you can flash it via fastboot flash system system.img. Wiping data, cache, dalvik, system is necessary before doing so. Also formatting data in twrp after flashing the system image helps a lot just as OP said. If you want to try out other gsi roms you must flash stock vendor image file and do the flashing circle again. If you don't flash stock rom or stock vendor img before doing so your new gsi rom won't be able to work with screen lock. At least that's what I got on 4 different gsi roms. And one more thing. These gsi systems doesn't seem to support exfat file system. Meaning they'll want to format your external sd card. This can by bypassed if you flash lineage os boot.img. And then Magisk and at last modified vbmeta.img for RMQ. That file will make realme vendor think nothing is changed and won't try to fck you over with recovery destroyed issue.
[Prerequisites]:
unlocked bootloader
twrp recovery
External SD card
[BUGS]:
Face unlock and fingerprint isn't present on gsi roms which means they cannot work
Screen lock issue in cases when you don't flash stock vendor.img before migrating from one custom rom, be it gsi or zip to system gsi.img
[STEP BY STEP TUTORIAL IN CASE YOU'RE COMING FROM OTHER ROM]:
!! Most of these steps are precaution !!
Read these points carefully to have a basic knowledge what you're about to do
Pick a gsi image of your choice (official Android 9 Pie, especially AOSP is highly advised)
Put your image file onto your external SD card for your internal one will likely be erased
You should grab the appropriate vendor.img and boot.img files for your device by decompressing the 7z files
Get the modified vbmeta.img file for spoofing system to boot
Get Magisk
Get SuperSu remover(Beware! It also removes Magisk if installed)
Get Lineage OS boot.img
It's better to be safe than sorry so you better download whole rom package too
Put all these files onto your external SD card
Make sure you have your twrp recovery on your external SD card too
If you done everything well you should have these on your external SD: twrp, desired system gsi.img as AB variant, your vendor.img, modified vbmeta.img, stock boot.img, Lineage OS boot.img, color os flashable.ozip/zip, Magisk, SuperSu remover
Wipe system, data, dalvik, cache
Flash stock vendor.img as vendor
Flash system gsi.img as system
Flash lineage os boot.img as boot
Flash twrp.img as recovery
Flash modified vbmeta.img as vbmeta
Reboot to system (if the device reboots into recovery you'll have to format data sadly)
After reboot successful and you've done the initial google setup steps reboot to recovery and flash superuser unroot
Flash Magsik
Reboot, now you should have a working aosp like system as I do
[STEP BY STEP TUTORIAL IN CASE YOU'RE COMING FROM COLOR OS]:
!! You could have the same files as above just to make sure but system gsi.img,vbmeta.img,SuperSu remover,Magisk and Lineage OS boot.img should be enough if everything goes as planned and system boots for first try !!
Read the frequently asked questions, step one previously
Get your desired system gsi.img
Put your system gsi.img, twrp.img, Magisk, SuperSu remover, vbmeta.img, Lineage OS boot.img onto your external SD card
Wipe data, system, cache, dalvik
Flash system gsi.img as system
Flash lineage os boot.img
Flash twrp.img as recovery
Flash vbmeta.img ad vbmeta
Reboot (if reboots to recovery you have to format data) then do the Android setup
Reboot to recovery
Flash SuperSu remover.zip
Flash Magisk.zip
Reboot
Now your device should have successfully booted up
In case the gsi rom would be stuck on boot logo then you may reboot back to recovery by holding down volume up + power button and flash permissiver_v5.zip. It helped me boot Pixel Experience gsi rom.
Update.:
As you already know development on realme devices suck beacuse of ****ty or incomplete sources, lack of developers interest and biggest reason is lack of community support.
Our man here @BabluS is a legendary developer of Asus Zenfone Max M1 Pro and is willing to compile stable ROMs for our device. But, he needs some donations to buy the device. He has already compiled Android 10 (PE) for our device which is 99% stable. To continue this tremendous work he needs to have the device in hand.
Reasons To Donate:
1. Official PixelExperience ROM
2. Official POSP ROM
3. Will maintain & provide public Device Trees/Sources (So anyone can compile ROMs)
4. More development for realme 5 Pro
Name : Baswanth Madhav Saladi
Donate Using UPI: [email protected]
Donate using Paypal : [email protected]
Send screenshots of payment to @orgasmtron
We have to reach 6-7k in total out of which we have collected 2.6k..
Keep donating & get closer to stable custom ROM experience. Kudos!
All the donations will be public.Anyone can view and verify them.All details will be transparent.
NOTE:
We will update money collection daily evening. All details will be transparent.
List of Donators will get updated here
CLICK HERE TO CHECK!

Has anybody got Android 10 working properly?

tonibm19 said:
Has anybody got Android 10 working properly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. Method is same.

greenys' said:
Yes. Method is same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah but I mean, everything is working fine?
Fingerprint? Camera?

tonibm19 said:
Yeah but I mean, everything is working fine?
Fingerprint? Camera?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dunno. As I said I never tried Android Q. But I presume fingerprint is missing and I'm quite sure no 48mp camera is present either.

What GSI File for Realme 5 Pro
what type GSI Image for Realme 5 pro, A or AB type?

Tegarcs142 said:
what type GSI Image for Realme 5 pro, A or AB type?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AB. On Android 9 and above you must use AB variant. It doesn't matter whether or not does your device use seamless updates. If you try to flash A only variant your device won't boot.

I installed GSI resurrection remix on my Realme 5 Pro and when I trying install Gapps get error not enough system partition. So I use resize file system in twrp and it worked.

Tegarcs142 said:
I installed GSI resurrection remix on my Realme 5 Pro and when I trying install Gapps get error not enough system partition. So I use resize file system in twrp and it worked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice. Which twrp did you use?

greenys' said:
Nice. Which twrp did you use?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3.3.1-0

Tegarcs142 said:
... So I use resize file system in twrp and it worked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, can you please tell me what option you clicked for resizing the system partition?
the steps you did.
I tried doing that but don't find the option in TWRP.

For better experience with using gsi make sure to check Screenshot resolution if it's lower than our Device
Change Resolution :
1) download termux app
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...?id=com.termux
2) run commands:
su
wm size 1080x2340
3) reboot*device
Enjoy better experience with gsi

greenys' said:
Original thread.
[DETAILED DESCRIPTION]:
I've spent my whole afternoon testing. And found out there are way more well made gsi roms out there and theoretically all of them should work. First, you gotta read this one. Then pick a gsi rom. I recommend one that has everything (must be AB image) since we don't have a working twrp yet thus can't flash opengapps but if the image file contains it then it's good to go. Go there. Pick one. Make sure it has ab-gapps-su in it's name meaning it's A/B partition dependent treble rom. Gapps means it has gapps ofc. Su means it has built in superuser (that you can ignore later for you'll be replacing it with Magisk naturally). After picking a gsi rom image successfully you can download it to your external sd card and flash it via twrp (yes, that half ass twrp for rmq provided on xda) or you can flash it via fastboot flash system system.img. Wiping data, cache, dalvik, system is necessary before doing so. Also formatting data in twrp after flashing the system image helps a lot just as OP said. If you want to try out other gsi roms you must flash stock vendor image file and do the flashing circle again. If you don't flash stock rom or stock vendor img before doing so your new gsi rom won't be able to work with screen lock. At least that's what I got on 4 different gsi roms. And one more thing. These gsi systems doesn't seem to support exfat file system. Meaning they'll want to format your external sd card. This can by bypassed if you flash lineage os boot.img. And then Magisk and at last modified vbmeta.img for RMQ. That file will make realme vendor think nothing is changed and won't try to fck you over with recovery destroyed issue.
[Prerequisites]:
unlocked bootloader
twrp recovery
External SD card
[BUGS]:
Face unlock and fingerprint isn't present on gsi roms which means they cannot work
Screen lock issue in cases when you don't flash stock vendor.img before migrating from one custom rom, be it gsi or zip to system gsi.img
[STEP BY STEP TUTORIAL IN CASE YOU'RE COMING FROM OTHER ROM]:
!! Most of these steps are precaution !!
Read these points carefully to have a basic knowledge what you're about to do
Pick a gsi image of your choice (official Android 9 Pie, especially AOSP is highly advised)
Put your image file onto your external SD card for your internal one will likely be erased
You should grab the appropriate vendor.img and boot.img files for your device by decompressing the 7z files
Get the modified vbmeta.img file for spoofing system to boot
Get Magisk
Get SuperSu remover(Beware! It also removes Magisk if installed)
Get Lineage OS boot.img
It's better to be safe than sorry so you better download whole rom package too
Put all these files onto your external SD card
Make sure you have your twrp recovery on your external SD card too
If you done everything well you should have these on your external SD: twrp, desired system gsi.img as AB variant, your vendor.img, modified vbmeta.img, stock boot.img, Lineage OS boot.img, color os flashable.ozip/zip, Magisk, SuperSu remover
Wipe system, data, dalvik, cache
Flash stock vendor.img as vendor
Flash system gsi.img as system
Flash lineage os boot.img as boot
Flash twrp.img as recovery
Flash modified vbmeta.img as vbmeta
Reboot to system (if the device reboots into recovery you'll have to format data sadly)
After reboot successful and you've done the initial google setup steps reboot to recovery and flash superuser unroot
Flash Magsik
Reboot, now you should have a working aosp like system as I do
[STEP BY STEP TUTORIAL IN CASE YOU'RE COMING FROM COLOR OS]:
!! You could have the same files as above just to make sure but system gsi.img,vbmeta.img,SuperSu remover,Magisk and Lineage OS boot.img should be enough if everything goes as planned and system boots for first try !!
Read the frequently asked questions, step one previously
Get your desired system gsi.img
Put your system gsi.img, twrp.img, Magisk, SuperSu remover, vbmeta.img, Lineage OS boot.img onto your external SD card
Wipe data, system, cache, dalvik
Flash system gsi.img as system
Flash lineage os boot.img
Flash twrp.img as recovery
Flash vbmeta.img ad vbmeta
Reboot (if reboots to recovery you have to format data) then do the Android setup
Reboot to recovery
Flash SuperSu remover.zip
Flash Magisk.zip
Reboot
Now your device should have successfully booted up
In case the gsi rom would be stuck on boot logo then you may reboot back to recovery by holding down volume up + power button and flash permissiver_v5.zip. It helped me boot Pixel Experience gsi rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
I wanna install fortnite on RMQ
Through epic games I should register a realme account (but I can do that only with a Chinese phone number which I don't have )
Any solution pls

Tarikooo said:
Hi
I wanna install fortnite on RMQ
Through epic games I should register a realme account (but I can do that only with a Chinese phone number which I don't have )
Any solution pls
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wth no. Idk. It's not even a gsi related thing. I have no idea sorry.

hi guys i tried flashing havoc 3.0 gsi, and it works great. which one gapps should i use?

Does fingerprint and face unlock work?

This method worked on global rm5p.

I tried to flash the GSI Miui Erfan, but when entered in the initial settings, the screen cannot be touched.

Salmankapuas said:
I tried to flash the GSI Miui Erfan, but when entered in the initial settings, the screen cannot be touched.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't bother with miui. Only aosp or caf.

i flashed GSI rom, pixel, OxygenOS but the system cannot boot, only stuck on boot loading screen, is that normal?? how do i fix it?

Question Gapps error 70, resize System Partition.

Hello.
After I received my new Poco f3, the first I've done was unlocking the bootloader. 7 days later, everything was done and I flashed lineageos.
>Fastboot boot twrp.img>advanced>flash current twrp.
After that I've wiped and format data. Then I flashed lineageos. After that I've tried to flash gapps, but that results in "error 70 Not enough space. I've tried pico and nano package. The question is now, how am I able resize the system partition ? I googled to find solutions but what I've found, just scared the sh*it out of me. Some people experimented with gparted and hardbricked their device, because they destroyed their bootloader.
In twrp>wipe>advanced wipe there is no system partition shown. Dunno why.
I didn't dare to >Fastboot erase system (Or Fastboot format system) before I flash los. Is this safe and could be a possible solution? I also don't understand how this "a/b" partitions Work. My old Poco f1 didn't had those.
would be really grateful for help.

Yeah this phone is really tricky to mod. I rooted mine and for some reason still didn't have write permissions on root folders.
Tried to delete lockscreen keys just for testing purposes and it messed up the phone. After that even twrp restore couldn't fix it. So I flashed the stock firmware via mi flash tool and locked the bootloader for good.
I find that what you get from rooting this phone is just not worth the risk with its tendency to mess things up really bad at the slightest mistakes, especially because the EDL is locked.
It used to be so simple with older phones. But unfortunately google is trying their best to make phones impossible to modify. And they're getting pretty close now.

user0u said:
I rooted mine and for some reason still didn't have write permissions on root folders.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same problem. I've read that just flashing magisk.apk in twrp isn't supported well anymore. You have to modify boot.img in magisk app, and then flash the modified boot.img with Fastboot. For me, that solves the problem (see Instructions. To extract the boot.img from rom.zip I used Payload dumper ).
Long story short, I still didn't managed to resize the system partition

I got an other idea! Is it possible to "inject" gapps into the system.img before I flash it ?!

Did you ever figure it out?

According to installation guide by lineageOS, MindTheGapps is the recommended Gapps for android 11
Google apps | LineageOS Wiki
wiki.lineageos.org
Downloads for : -Android- Generic Device/Other | AndroidFileHost.com | Download GApps, Roms, Kernels, Themes, Firmware and more. Free file hosting for all Android developers.
Download GApps, Roms, Kernels, Themes, Firmware, and more. Free file hosting for all Android developers.
androidfilehost.com
if you are gonna download MindTheGapps, then use the arm64 version

Fandroid Tech said:
Did you ever figure it out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I just jused arrowos with the integrated gapps package. Maybe I will try the "mindthegapps" version in the next weeks and give feedback

I'm using orange fox recovery, bugged by this error when I flash opengapps after flashing lineage0s 18.1.
Following is what fixed the issue for me.
1. download latest firmware for the device
2. update zip from ofox recovery- with vendor partition mounted.
3. reboot to recovery and then flashed opengapps nano (this time check the flag for unmount vendor)

❗📢🔔 Do you want to run the latest Android build? Are you brave? Help me test some theories. Project Lazarus! EXPERTS ONLY🔔📢❗

WARNING: This is an EXPERIMENT for EXPERTS ONLY and is NOT for beginners or the faint of heart. If results are good, a guide will be forthcoming to use these methods to update obsolete devices.
As many of us are aware, older devices often get left out in the cold when it comes to updates. Users of the Pixel series are well aware of this - devices are generally only supported for 3 years after their release. This means that users of the OG Pixel through the Pixel 4/4XL no longer receive any updates.
However, I think I may have found a way to get around this. To combat fragmentation, AOSP introduced Project Treble as a modular solution for Android builds on various devices. The idea here is that the device-specific software would be kept separate from the kernel and system images, which would be generic, meaning that any kernel or system image could potentially run on any device. The device and vendor specific code are supposed to be contained to partitions such as /vendor_boot, /product, etc.
So, my thinking here is we may be able to manually update the kernel and/or system images on obsolete devices, thereby giving them a bit more life.
Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to help me develop a way that older Android devices can be easily and painlessly updated to the latest Android builds.
Prerequisites:
Any Project Treble compliant device (Use this app to determine whether your device is compliant)
Unlocked bootloader
Knowledge of ADB/fastboot, device partitions, partition images, and what to do when something goes wrong
Now, the fun part.
Android Preview Generic System Image testing (should work on most devices)
Note: these builds are NOT up to date with current Pixel builds.
Download a Developer GSI release (make sure you're using the correct architecture for your device, use the GMS flavor if you want Gapps)
Extract system.img from the release zip and flash to /system (Not sure if vbmeta will be necessary)
More instructions here
AOSP Generic System Image testing
Note: These builds do NOT include GMS; you'll need to flash the GApps package of your choice. They ARE however updated continually.
Download a GSI from Android Continuous Integration:
master - Updated continuously. Builds below may be updated less frequently.
Android 13
Android 12
Android 11
Android 10
Extract system.img and flash to /system
If desired, flash the GApps package of your choice - unless someone can suggest otherwise, I believe this can only be done through TWRP
NikGapps
LiteGapps
MindTheGapps
Generic Kernel Image testing (may not work for all)
Download a Generic Kernel Image release that corresponds to your Android build (android12-5.10 is the 5.10 kernel for Android 12)
Extract boot.img from the release zip and flash to /boot
Pixel system "upgrade" (These are updated monthly, should work same as a GSI)
Download a full factory image for a newer device (Pixel 6, 7) from Factory Images for Nexus and Pixel Devices
DO NOT attempt to flash bootloader or radio images not intended for your device, this will result in a brick!
Extract system.img from the update image.zip and flash it to /system
Pixel feature "upgrade" (Most likely to have issues)
Download a full factory image for a newer device as described above
Again, DO NOT attempt to flash bootloader or radio images that are not for your device, this will result in a brick!
Extract system.img, system_ext.img, product.img from the update image.zip and flash them to their corresponding partitions
Feel free to try any one or combination of the above, and please share your results in this format:
Device
Original firmware/build
Type of experiment
Findings and notes
Other stuff:
To gain root, just patch your boot image in Magisk, then flash to /boot.
Samsung users: It's highly recommended that you use TWRP. However, if TWRP is not available, you can patch your stock recovery to enable Fastbootd, which will allow you to flash partitions directly from ADB command line.

Tried some experimenting on my Pixel 2
Is it possible to use fastboot update to update the device using the zip? No, fastboot update apparently expects to see a full update image starting with boot.img. Android-info.txt can be blank
Flashing system.img directly failed too, probably requires resizing /system
Tried to use this guide to resize system. Ended up nuking something important, device would no longer boot any image due to an authentication failure. Tried to flash factory firmware, after flashing bootloader and commanding reboot device is now stuck in EDL mode...but doesn't respond to EDL commands. Maybe only Pixel 3 and above are GSI ready?

Invitations for expert input:
@Lughnasadh
@Az Biker
@Namelesswonder
@roirraW "edor" ehT
@ipdev
Feel free to tag anyone else you think can provide some input and answer questions on this, as well as point out when something obviously won't work[/user]

V0latyle said:
WARNING: This is an EXPERIMENT for EXPERTS ONLY and is NOT for beginners or the faint of heart. If results are good, a guide will be forthcoming to use these methods to update obsolete devices.
As many of us are aware, older devices often get left out in the cold when it comes to updates. Users of the Pixel series are well aware of this - devices are generally only supported for 3 years after their release. This means that users of the OG Pixel through the Pixel 4/4XL no longer receive any updates.
However, I think I may have found a way to get around this. To combat fragmentation, AOSP introduced Project Treble as a modular solution for Android builds on various devices. The idea here is that the device-specific software would be kept separate from the kernel and system images, which would be generic, meaning that any kernel or system image could potentially run on any device. The device and vendor specific code are supposed to be contained to partitions such as /vendor_boot, /product, etc.
So, my thinking here is we may be able to manually update the kernel and/or system images on obsolete devices, thereby giving them a bit more life.
Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to help me develop a way that older Android devices can be easily and painlessly updated to the latest Android builds.
Prerequisites:
Any Project Treble compliant device (Use this app to determine whether your device is compliant)
Unlocked bootloader
Knowledge of ADB/fastboot, device partitions, partition images, and what to do when something goes wrong
Now, the fun part.
Android Preview Generic System Image testing (should work on most devices)
Note: these builds are NOT up to date with current Pixel builds.
Download a Developer GSI release (make sure you're using the correct architecture for your device, use the GMS flavor if you want Gapps)
Extract system.img from the release zip and flash to /system (Not sure if vbmeta will be necessary)
More instructions here
AOSP Generic System Image testing
Note: These builds do NOT include GMS; you'll need to flash the GApps package of your choice. They ARE however updated continually.
Download a GSI from Android Continuous Integration:
master - Updated continuously. Builds below may be updated less frequently.
Android 13
Android 12
Android 11
Android 10
Extract system.img and flash to /system
If desired, flash the GApps package of your choice - unless someone can suggest otherwise, I believe this can only be done through TWRP
NikGapps
LiteGapps
MindTheGapps
Generic Kernel Image testing (may not work for all)
Download a Generic Kernel Image release that corresponds to your Android build (android12-5.10 is the 5.10 kernel for Android 12)
Extract boot.img from the release zip and flash to /boot
Pixel system "upgrade" (These are updated monthly, should work same as a GSI)
Download a full factory image for a newer device (Pixel 6, 7) from Factory Images for Nexus and Pixel Devices
DO NOT attempt to flash bootloader or radio images not intended for your device, this will result in a brick!
Extract system.img from the update image.zip and flash it to /system
Pixel feature "upgrade" (Most likely to have issues)
Download a full factory image for a newer device as described above
Again, DO NOT attempt to flash bootloader or radio images that are not for your device, this will result in a brick!
Extract system.img, system_ext.img, product.img from the update image.zip and flash them to their corresponding partitions
Feel free to try any one or combination of the above, and please share your results in this format:
Device
Original firmware/build
Type of experiment
Findings and notes
Other stuff:
To gain root, just patch your boot image in Magisk, then flash to /boot.
Samsung users: It's highly recommended that you use TWRP. However, if TWRP is not available, you can patch your stock recovery to enable Fastbootd, which will allow you to flash partitions directly from ADB command line.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is very interesting. Definitely would like to see the results.

What command did you use to try to flash the system.img and did you try to flash from fastboot or fastbootd?
V0latyle said:
Tried some experimenting on my Pixel 2
Is it possible to use fastboot update to update the device using the zip? No, fastboot update apparently expects to see a full update image starting with boot.img. Android-info.txt can be blank
Flashing system.img directly failed too, probably requires resizing /system
Tried to use this guide to resize system. Ended up nuking something important, device would no longer boot any image due to an authentication failure. Tried to flash factory firmware, after flashing bootloader and commanding reboot device is now stuck in EDL mode...but doesn't respond to EDL commands. Maybe only Pixel 3 and above are GSI ready?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

You typically have to erase your system.img before flashing a new one, as well as the other partitions you've listed

Yeedatoy said:
What command did you use to try to flash the system.img and did you try to flash from fastboot or fastbootd?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bootloader
fastboot flash system <system.img>
Yeedatoy said:
You typically have to erase your system.img before flashing a new one, as well as the other partitions you've listed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I tried this. Unfortunately nothing more I can do now, bootloader is corrupted

tested on gogole pixel (sailfish) all has fine i expand system partition from this guide https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/guide-expand-the-system-partition-on-pixel-xl-pixel.4097839/
eased system and boot and flashed new one but after that it bootloop
did some one try this generic kernel (boot.img) or it need to run em with disable dm-verity ?

loonbgg said:
all has fine i expand system partition from this guide https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/guide-expand-the-system-partition-on-pixel-xl-pixel.4097839/
eased system boot but after that flashed them but it bootlopp
did some one try this generic kernel (boot.img) or it need to run em with disable dm-verity ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please follow the format in the OP:
Device
Original firmware/build
Type of experiment
Findings and notes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the GKI may include its own vbmeta image.

@ieatabiscuit Here's more information on GSIs, although I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to know what you're doing especially on devices that do not support Treble out of the box.

V0latyle said:
@ieatabiscuit Here's more information on GSIs, although I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to know what you're doing especially on devices that do not support Treble out of the box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't all the pixels support Treble? At least that's what googling it says.

ieatabiscuit said:
Doesn't all the pixels support Treble? At least that's what googling it says.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I honestly do not know. I think it's only the Pixel 3 and up. The previous versions follow a similar format (ramdisk and kernel in boot partition) but either I'm an idiot or installing a GSI is more complicated than it is on Treble devices

Here's something that may help someone. It directly references a detail about the pixel2/2xl in troubleshooting.

ieatabiscuit said:
Here's something that may help someone. It directly references a detail about the pixel2/2xl in troubleshooting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good find.
I wish I hadn't bricked my Pixel 2...lol
I'll probably be doing this on my Pixel 5 when official support ends.

V0latyle said:
Good find.
I wish I hadn't bricked my Pixel 2...lol
I'll probably be doing this on my Pixel 5 when official support ends.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are the differences between a GSI on your pixel 5 vs LOS on the same hardware? I have my 5 running LOS right now. When I tinker with my 2xl I'll post results, and what not.

ieatabiscuit said:
What are the differences between a GSI on your pixel 5 vs LOS on the same hardware? I have my 5 running LOS right now. When I tinker with my 2xl I'll post results, and what not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A GSI does not include a kernel and is meant to be used "by itself" with the stock kernel. LineageOS is generally developed as a "whole" OS, including kernel and recovery, so it's not just a system image.
There are LOS GSIs though.

Device: Taimen
Firmware/build: OEM Dec build stock ROM/kernel
Experiment: Repartition and install GSI
Outcome: Soft brick with flashing system.img, but success repartitioning. Flashing a full ROM unbricks

ieatabiscuit said:
Device: Taimen
Firmware/build: OEM Dec build stock ROM/kernel
Experiment: Repartition and install GSI
Outcome: Soft brick with flashing system.img, but success repartitioning. Flashing a full ROM unbricks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try booting TWRP to install the GSI?

V0latyle said:
Did you try booting TWRP to install the GSI?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not yet, I'm trying that next

ieatabiscuit said:
Not yet, I'm trying that next
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same as doing it through fastboot: I get a system corrupted error, then it powers off/reboots to bootloader. Reflashing stock fixes this, and sets up for the next experiment.

❗📢🔔 Do you want to run the latest Android build? Are you brave? Help me test some theories. Project Lazarus! EXPERTS ONLY🔔📢❗

WARNING: This is an EXPERIMENT for EXPERTS ONLY and is NOT for beginners or the faint of heart. If results are good, a guide will be forthcoming to use these methods to update obsolete devices.
As many of us are aware, older devices often get left out in the cold when it comes to updates. Users of the Pixel series are well aware of this - devices are generally only supported for 3 years after their release. This means that users of the OG Pixel through the Pixel 4/4XL no longer receive any updates.
However, I think I may have found a way to get around this. To combat fragmentation, AOSP introduced Project Treble as a modular solution for Android builds on various devices. The idea here is that the device-specific software would be kept separate from the kernel and system images, which would be generic, meaning that any kernel or system image could potentially run on any device. The device and vendor specific code are supposed to be contained to partitions such as /vendor_boot, /product, etc.
So, my thinking here is we may be able to manually update the kernel and/or system images on obsolete devices, thereby giving them a bit more life.
Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to help me develop a way that older Android devices can be easily and painlessly updated to the latest Android builds.
Prerequisites:
Any Project Treble compliant device (Use this app to determine whether your device is compliant)
Unlocked bootloader
Knowledge of ADB/fastboot, device partitions, partition images, and what to do when something goes wrong
Now, the fun part.
Android Preview Generic System Image testing (should work on most devices)
Note: these builds are NOT up to date with current Pixel builds.
Download a Developer GSI release (make sure you're using the correct architecture for your device, use the GMS flavor if you want Gapps)
Extract system.img from the release zip and flash to /system (Not sure if vbmeta will be necessary)
More instructions here
AOSP Generic System Image testing
Note: These builds do NOT include GMS; you'll need to flash the GApps package of your choice. They ARE however updated continually.
Download a GSI from Android Continuous Integration:
master - Updated continuously. Builds below may be updated less frequently.
Android 13
Android 12
Android 11
Android 10
Extract system.img and flash to /system
If desired, flash the GApps package of your choice - unless someone can suggest otherwise, I believe this can only be done through TWRP
NikGapps
LiteGapps
MindTheGapps
Generic Kernel Image testing (may not work for all)
Download a Generic Kernel Image release that corresponds to your Android build (android12-5.10 is the 5.10 kernel for Android 12)
Extract boot.img from the release zip and flash to /boot
Pixel system "upgrade" (These are updated monthly, should work same as a GSI)
Download a full factory image for a newer device (Pixel 6, 7) from Factory Images for Nexus and Pixel Devices
DO NOT attempt to flash bootloader or radio images not intended for your device, this will result in a brick!
Extract system.img from the update image.zip and flash it to /system
Pixel feature "upgrade" (Most likely to have issues)
Download a full factory image for a newer device as described above
Again, DO NOT attempt to flash bootloader or radio images that are not for your device, this will result in a brick!
Extract system.img, system_ext.img, product.img from the update image.zip and flash them to their corresponding partitions
Feel free to try any one or combination of the above, and please share your results in this format:
Device
Original firmware/build
Type of experiment
Findings and notes
Other stuff:
To gain root, just patch your boot image in Magisk, then flash to /boot.
Samsung users: It's highly recommended that you use TWRP. However, if TWRP is not available, you can patch your stock recovery to enable Fastbootd, which will allow you to flash partitions directly from ADB command line.

Tried some experimenting on my Pixel 2
Is it possible to use fastboot update to update the device using the zip? No, fastboot update apparently expects to see a full update image starting with boot.img. Android-info.txt can be blank
Flashing system.img directly failed too, probably requires resizing /system
Tried to use this guide to resize system. Ended up nuking something important, device would no longer boot any image due to an authentication failure. Tried to flash factory firmware, after flashing bootloader and commanding reboot device is now stuck in EDL mode...but doesn't respond to EDL commands. Maybe only Pixel 3 and above are GSI ready?

Invitations for expert input:
@Lughnasadh
@Az Biker
@Namelesswonder
@roirraW "edor" ehT
@ipdev
Feel free to tag anyone else you think can provide some input and answer questions on this, as well as point out when something obviously won't work[/user]

What command did you use to try to flash the system.img and did you try to flash from fastboot or fastbootd?
V0latyle said:
Tried some experimenting on my Pixel 2
Is it possible to use fastboot update to update the device using the zip? No, fastboot update apparently expects to see a full update image starting with boot.img. Android-info.txt can be blank
Flashing system.img directly failed too, probably requires resizing /system
Tried to use this guide to resize system. Ended up nuking something important, device would no longer boot any image due to an authentication failure. Tried to flash factory firmware, after flashing bootloader and commanding reboot device is now stuck in EDL mode...but doesn't respond to EDL commands. Maybe only Pixel 3 and above are GSI ready?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

You typically have to erase your system.img before flashing a new one, as well as the other partitions you've listed

Yeedatoy said:
What command did you use to try to flash the system.img and did you try to flash from fastboot or fastbootd?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bootloader
fastboot flash system <system.img>
Yeedatoy said:
You typically have to erase your system.img before flashing a new one, as well as the other partitions you've listed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I tried this. Unfortunately nothing more I can do now, bootloader is corrupted

tested on gogole pixel (sailfish) all has fine i expand system partition from this guide https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/guide-expand-the-system-partition-on-pixel-xl-pixel.4097839/
eased system and boot and flashed new one but after that it bootloop
did some one try this generic kernel (boot.img) or it need to run em with disable dm-verity ?

loonbgg said:
all has fine i expand system partition from this guide https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/guide-expand-the-system-partition-on-pixel-xl-pixel.4097839/
eased system boot but after that flashed them but it bootlopp
did some one try this generic kernel (boot.img) or it need to run em with disable dm-verity ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please follow the format in the OP:
Device
Original firmware/build
Type of experiment
Findings and notes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the GKI may include its own vbmeta image.

@ieatabiscuit Here's more information on GSIs, although I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to know what you're doing especially on devices that do not support Treble out of the box.

V0latyle said:
@ieatabiscuit Here's more information on GSIs, although I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to know what you're doing especially on devices that do not support Treble out of the box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't all the pixels support Treble? At least that's what googling it says.

ieatabiscuit said:
Doesn't all the pixels support Treble? At least that's what googling it says.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I honestly do not know. I think it's only the Pixel 3 and up. The previous versions follow a similar format (ramdisk and kernel in boot partition) but either I'm an idiot or installing a GSI is more complicated than it is on Treble devices

Here's something that may help someone. It directly references a detail about the pixel2/2xl in troubleshooting.

ieatabiscuit said:
Here's something that may help someone. It directly references a detail about the pixel2/2xl in troubleshooting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good find.
I wish I hadn't bricked my Pixel 2...lol
I'll probably be doing this on my Pixel 5 when official support ends.

V0latyle said:
Good find.
I wish I hadn't bricked my Pixel 2...lol
I'll probably be doing this on my Pixel 5 when official support ends.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are the differences between a GSI on your pixel 5 vs LOS on the same hardware? I have my 5 running LOS right now. When I tinker with my 2xl I'll post results, and what not.

ieatabiscuit said:
What are the differences between a GSI on your pixel 5 vs LOS on the same hardware? I have my 5 running LOS right now. When I tinker with my 2xl I'll post results, and what not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A GSI does not include a kernel and is meant to be used "by itself" with the stock kernel. LineageOS is generally developed as a "whole" OS, including kernel and recovery, so it's not just a system image.
There are LOS GSIs though.

Device: Taimen
Firmware/build: OEM Dec build stock ROM/kernel
Experiment: Repartition and install GSI
Outcome: Soft brick with flashing system.img, but success repartitioning. Flashing a full ROM unbricks

ieatabiscuit said:
Device: Taimen
Firmware/build: OEM Dec build stock ROM/kernel
Experiment: Repartition and install GSI
Outcome: Soft brick with flashing system.img, but success repartitioning. Flashing a full ROM unbricks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try booting TWRP to install the GSI?

V0latyle said:
Did you try booting TWRP to install the GSI?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not yet, I'm trying that next

ieatabiscuit said:
Not yet, I'm trying that next
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same as doing it through fastboot: I get a system corrupted error, then it powers off/reboots to bootloader. Reflashing stock fixes this, and sets up for the next experiment.

❗📢🔔 Do you want to run the latest Android build? Are you brave? Help me test some theories. Project Lazarus! EXPERTS ONLY🔔📢❗

WARNING: This is an EXPERIMENT for EXPERTS ONLY and is NOT for beginners or the faint of heart. If results are good, a guide will be forthcoming to use these methods to update obsolete devices.
As many of us are aware, older devices often get left out in the cold when it comes to updates. Users of the Pixel series are well aware of this - devices are generally only supported for 3 years after their release. This means that users of the OG Pixel through the Pixel 4/4XL no longer receive any updates.
However, I think I may have found a way to get around this. To combat fragmentation, AOSP introduced Project Treble as a modular solution for Android builds on various devices. The idea here is that the device-specific software would be kept separate from the kernel and system images, which would be generic, meaning that any kernel or system image could potentially run on any device. The device and vendor specific code are supposed to be contained to partitions such as /vendor_boot, /product, etc.
So, my thinking here is we may be able to manually update the kernel and/or system images on obsolete devices, thereby giving them a bit more life.
Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to help me develop a way that older Android devices can be easily and painlessly updated to the latest Android builds.
Prerequisites:
Any Project Treble compliant device (Use this app to determine whether your device is compliant)
Unlocked bootloader
Knowledge of ADB/fastboot, device partitions, partition images, and what to do when something goes wrong
Now, the fun part.
Android Preview Generic System Image testing (should work on most devices)
Note: these builds are NOT up to date with current Pixel builds.
Download a Developer GSI release (make sure you're using the correct architecture for your device, use the GMS flavor if you want Gapps)
Extract system.img from the release zip and flash to /system (Not sure if vbmeta will be necessary)
More instructions here
AOSP Generic System Image testing
Note: These builds do NOT include GMS; you'll need to flash the GApps package of your choice. They ARE however updated continually.
Download a GSI from Android Continuous Integration:
master - Updated continuously. Builds below may be updated less frequently.
Android 13
Android 12
Android 11
Android 10
Extract system.img and flash to /system
If desired, flash the GApps package of your choice - unless someone can suggest otherwise, I believe this can only be done through TWRP
NikGapps
LiteGapps
MindTheGapps
Generic Kernel Image testing (may not work for all)
Download a Generic Kernel Image release that corresponds to your Android build (android12-5.10 is the 5.10 kernel for Android 12)
Extract boot.img from the release zip and flash to /boot
Pixel system "upgrade" (These are updated monthly, should work same as a GSI)
Download a full factory image for a newer device (Pixel 6, 7) from Factory Images for Nexus and Pixel Devices
DO NOT attempt to flash bootloader or radio images not intended for your device, this will result in a brick!
Extract system.img from the update image.zip and flash it to /system
Pixel feature "upgrade" (Most likely to have issues)
Download a full factory image for a newer device as described above
Again, DO NOT attempt to flash bootloader or radio images that are not for your device, this will result in a brick!
Extract system.img, system_ext.img, product.img from the update image.zip and flash them to their corresponding partitions
Feel free to try any one or combination of the above, and please share your results in this format:
Device
Original firmware/build
Type of experiment
Findings and notes
Other stuff:
To gain root, just patch your boot image in Magisk, then flash to /boot.
Samsung users: It's highly recommended that you use TWRP. However, if TWRP is not available, you can patch your stock recovery to enable Fastbootd, which will allow you to flash partitions directly from ADB command line.

Tried some experimenting on my Pixel 2
Is it possible to use fastboot update to update the device using the zip? No, fastboot update apparently expects to see a full update image starting with boot.img. Android-info.txt can be blank
Flashing system.img directly failed too, probably requires resizing /system
Tried to use this guide to resize system. Ended up nuking something important, device would no longer boot any image due to an authentication failure. Tried to flash factory firmware, after flashing bootloader and commanding reboot device is now stuck in EDL mode...but doesn't respond to EDL commands. Maybe only Pixel 3 and above are GSI ready?

Invitations for expert input:
@Lughnasadh
@Az Biker
@Namelesswonder
@roirraW "edor" ehT
@ipdev
Feel free to tag anyone else you think can provide some input and answer questions on this, as well as point out when something obviously won't work[/user]

What command did you use to try to flash the system.img and did you try to flash from fastboot or fastbootd?
V0latyle said:
Tried some experimenting on my Pixel 2
Is it possible to use fastboot update to update the device using the zip? No, fastboot update apparently expects to see a full update image starting with boot.img. Android-info.txt can be blank
Flashing system.img directly failed too, probably requires resizing /system
Tried to use this guide to resize system. Ended up nuking something important, device would no longer boot any image due to an authentication failure. Tried to flash factory firmware, after flashing bootloader and commanding reboot device is now stuck in EDL mode...but doesn't respond to EDL commands. Maybe only Pixel 3 and above are GSI ready?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

You typically have to erase your system.img before flashing a new one, as well as the other partitions you've listed

Yeedatoy said:
What command did you use to try to flash the system.img and did you try to flash from fastboot or fastbootd?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bootloader
fastboot flash system <system.img>
Yeedatoy said:
You typically have to erase your system.img before flashing a new one, as well as the other partitions you've listed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I tried this. Unfortunately nothing more I can do now, bootloader is corrupted

tested on gogole pixel (sailfish) all has fine i expand system partition from this guide https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/guide-expand-the-system-partition-on-pixel-xl-pixel.4097839/
eased system and boot and flashed new one but after that it bootloop
did some one try this generic kernel (boot.img) or it need to run em with disable dm-verity ?

loonbgg said:
all has fine i expand system partition from this guide https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/guide-expand-the-system-partition-on-pixel-xl-pixel.4097839/
eased system boot but after that flashed them but it bootlopp
did some one try this generic kernel (boot.img) or it need to run em with disable dm-verity ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please follow the format in the OP:
Device
Original firmware/build
Type of experiment
Findings and notes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the GKI may include its own vbmeta image.

@ieatabiscuit Here's more information on GSIs, although I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to know what you're doing especially on devices that do not support Treble out of the box.

V0latyle said:
@ieatabiscuit Here's more information on GSIs, although I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to know what you're doing especially on devices that do not support Treble out of the box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't all the pixels support Treble? At least that's what googling it says.

ieatabiscuit said:
Doesn't all the pixels support Treble? At least that's what googling it says.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I honestly do not know. I think it's only the Pixel 3 and up. The previous versions follow a similar format (ramdisk and kernel in boot partition) but either I'm an idiot or installing a GSI is more complicated than it is on Treble devices

Here's something that may help someone. It directly references a detail about the pixel2/2xl in troubleshooting.

ieatabiscuit said:
Here's something that may help someone. It directly references a detail about the pixel2/2xl in troubleshooting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good find.
I wish I hadn't bricked my Pixel 2...lol
I'll probably be doing this on my Pixel 5 when official support ends.

V0latyle said:
Good find.
I wish I hadn't bricked my Pixel 2...lol
I'll probably be doing this on my Pixel 5 when official support ends.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are the differences between a GSI on your pixel 5 vs LOS on the same hardware? I have my 5 running LOS right now. When I tinker with my 2xl I'll post results, and what not.

ieatabiscuit said:
What are the differences between a GSI on your pixel 5 vs LOS on the same hardware? I have my 5 running LOS right now. When I tinker with my 2xl I'll post results, and what not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A GSI does not include a kernel and is meant to be used "by itself" with the stock kernel. LineageOS is generally developed as a "whole" OS, including kernel and recovery, so it's not just a system image.
There are LOS GSIs though.

Device: Taimen
Firmware/build: OEM Dec build stock ROM/kernel
Experiment: Repartition and install GSI
Outcome: Soft brick with flashing system.img, but success repartitioning. Flashing a full ROM unbricks

ieatabiscuit said:
Device: Taimen
Firmware/build: OEM Dec build stock ROM/kernel
Experiment: Repartition and install GSI
Outcome: Soft brick with flashing system.img, but success repartitioning. Flashing a full ROM unbricks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try booting TWRP to install the GSI?

V0latyle said:
Did you try booting TWRP to install the GSI?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not yet, I'm trying that next

ieatabiscuit said:
Not yet, I'm trying that next
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same as doing it through fastboot: I get a system corrupted error, then it powers off/reboots to bootloader. Reflashing stock fixes this, and sets up for the next experiment.

Develop Bugs

welcome