First time messing with this phone
followed the instructions for unlocking bootloader, installing TWRP, and rooting here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-5t/how-to/oneplus-5t-unlock-bootloader-flash-twrp-t3704592
Successfully unlocked bootloader, flashed TWRP, but now hung up on SuperSU.
Flashed SuperSU VV2.82 zip from http://www.supersu.com/download in TWRP
Wiped dalvik and cache
reboot
Now it's been about 10 minutes. Blank screen and blue LED.
Hold power until it reboots again, Android sometimes has issues with new boot.imgs at first
l3ones said:
Hold power until it reboots again, Android sometimes has issues with new boot.imgs at first
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did, three times.
I ended up flashing the latest complete OTA to get it back to being able to boot.
Are you on Oreo? I don't know if SuperSU is compatible with it. I switched to Magisk a few weeks ago.
Macusercom said:
Are you on Oreo? I don't know if SuperSU is compatible with it. I switched to Magisk a few weeks ago.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
was on the latest stock OTA, which was 8.0.0
Flashed Mgisk after flashing the latest OTA, and everything is working swimmingly
Exact Same thing happened to me last night.
And I lost my internal sdcard.
Eventually flashed stock recovery didn't do anything different so flash twrp again and got sdcard back.
It was a strange one.
Now I'm waiting for an update or the right file for root.
Maybe this has something to do with Keymaster?
So, I've been trying to get my OP5t working for a solid six hours straight, and I'm just about to loose my mind.
I'm sorry if this isn't the right place to post this. I've always just sorta lurked about in here.
Here's the deal for my OP5t.
Now I'm stuck in a situation where I can get my phone to boot on all of the OOS versions I've mentioned, but always without root. And If I do manage to get it booting, I end up loosing TWRP and having to reflash it through fastboot.
Since I've always just relied on Titanium backup (yes I know, how silly) I've never had any trouble restoring my backups, but since I've now lost root and being unable to obtain it again, I'm locked out of all my sweet app data. It's all a bit messy now, and I think I'm begging to repeat previous steps and combinations, but here's a list of what I've tried. I really hope some white knight comes to the rescue.
It all happened when I tried doing a clean flash wiping caches, data and system of OOS 5.0.3 (coming from the latest official OOS Nougat build). It all started when I tried to flash the magisk 15.3 after this boot, which resulted in ERROR 1.
- I've tried installing both the old version the previous nougat build and the two most recent stable oreo ones. Wiping thoroughly inbetween even, since at this point I have nothing left to loose.
- Whenever I try to flash magisk 15,1 /3 or 4 I get error 1. Whenever I try to flash supersu (s.82 included the modded SR5 version) I Just don't get root or end up in an endless +1 screen (before the spinner) for 12+ minutes.
- I've tried flashing the stock boot.img
- I've tried all of the above in combination with bluspark recovery 8.61 and 69 + the r100 kernel
- I've tried using codeworks cheesburger and dumpling recoveries
What am I missing here? I assume my phone is encrypted since it asks for a code to open TWRP.
I've never had any issues so grave that I couldn't just search my way through it, but this time I'm at my wits end, and just about ready to settle(tm) for no root.
I've never tried exporting a log, but I sense that I do that from TWRP and then grab it via a file manager from some folder?
Use codeworkx dumpling TWRP, dirty flash your ROM, boot it once, then reboot to recovery and flash Magisk 15.3. Should be all you need.
For Nougat, I think it's better to flash Magisk 14, on some ROMs.
New apps
Great information provided by many users. I have just joined this group and read many experts advice. Thanks
Latest SuperSU (beta 2.85 i believe) don't work on OP5T Oreo update (stable or Open Beta). Don't know why, but I had to use Magisk. ANd I must say, I'm pretty happy with it, too!
Elfomze said:
So, I've been trying to get my OP5t working for a solid six hours straight, and I'm just about to loose my mind.
I'm sorry if this isn't the right place to post this. I've always just sorta lurked about in here.
Here's the deal for my OP5t.
Now I'm stuck in a situation where I can get my phone to boot on all of the OOS versions I've mentioned, but always without root. And If I do manage to get it booting, I end up loosing TWRP and having to reflash it through fastboot.
Since I've always just relied on Titanium backup (yes I know, how silly) I've never had any trouble restoring my backups, but since I've now lost root and being unable to obtain it again, I'm locked out of all my sweet app data. It's all a bit messy now, and I think I'm begging to repeat previous steps and combinations, but here's a list of what I've tried. I really hope some white knight comes to the rescue.
It all happened when I tried doing a clean flash wiping caches, data and system of OOS 5.0.3 (coming from the latest official OOS Nougat build). It all started when I tried to flash the magisk 15.3 after this boot, which resulted in ERROR 1.
- I've tried installing both the old version the previous nougat build and the two most recent stable oreo ones. Wiping thoroughly inbetween even, since at this point I have nothing left to loose.
- Whenever I try to flash magisk 15,1 /3 or 4 I get error 1. Whenever I try to flash supersu (s.82 included the modded SR5 version) I Just don't get root or end up in an endless +1 screen (before the spinner) for 12+ minutes.
- I've tried flashing the stock boot.img
- I've tried all of the above in combination with bluspark recovery 8.61 and 69 + the r100 kernel
- I've tried using codeworks cheesburger and dumpling recoveries
What am I missing here? I assume my phone is encrypted since it asks for a code to open TWRP.
I've never had any issues so grave that I couldn't just search my way through it, but this time I'm at my wits end, and just about ready to settle(tm) for no root.
I've never tried exporting a log, but I sense that I do that from TWRP and then grab it via a file manager from some folder?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same kind of problem here. After clean flashing Oreo can't root anymore. Flashing Magisk ends up in Bootloop. Tried various combinations of TWRPs and Magisk versions, no use. :/
Kunjuuuz said:
Same kind of problem here. After clean flashing Oreo can't root anymore. Flashing Magisk ends up in Bootloop. Tried various combinations of TWRPs and Magisk versions, no use. :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay so I managed to figure it out. The problem seemed to be that where one TWRP version could flash magisk, another wouldn't be able to decrypt the phone properly, which I think is what caused the bootloops/non sticky root for me (though I'm by no means sure of this).
I managed to get it worked out by fiddling around a bit more with the different versions and using the a Remix ROM to remove the pin (which I probably should've done initially). I also noticed that I didn't originally pay attention to the fact that codeworks' (non universal) recoveries are aimed at 8.0 and 8.1 respectively, which might have complicated things a bit more for me.
Sorry for spamming up the thread. I hope you figure things out though
The latest SuperSu does not work with 8.1 for us and some other (or all other) 8.1 phones.
And... SuperSu is no longer in development.
Rumor has it a slightly older SuperSu version works in 8.1 but I never got around to trying it and forget the version # now.
And Lineage has not released a SuperSu/superuser for 8.1 yet.
It bums me out because I want that Magisk alternative.
Not a fan of Magisk yet.
Elfomze said:
Okay so I managed to figure it out. The problem seemed to be that where one TWRP version could flash magisk, another wouldn't be able to decrypt the phone properly, which I think is what caused the bootloops/non sticky root for me (though I'm by no means sure of this).
I managed to get it worked out by fiddling around a bit more with the different versions and using the a Remix ROM to remove the pin (which I probably should've done initially). I also noticed that I didn't originally pay attention to the fact that codeworks' (non universal) recoveries are aimed at 8.0 and 8.1 respectively, which might have complicated things a bit more for me.
Sorry for spamming up the thread. I hope you figure things out though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Locking the bootloader, wiping, and unlocking the bootloader again fixed the issue for me.
Hi guys,
I am using the stock rom now since the day I got it and unlocked the BL and installed Magisk for root and SafetyNet. Phone worked fine all the time (lazy me never changed the rom) until recent.
Most applications like Instagram, Snapchat (and all that garbage) and others randomly crash recently.. Application stopped working or process.media whatever stopped. Did try to do the usual stuff removing cache, but now this also does not work anymore. Also it's time to update because the WiFi driver has this RCE flaw(CVE-2017-13292) in it and well, lots of other bugs in the rom. The most irritating bugs that all my android devices had. The flashlight stops working because of the camera initialization or something, need to reboot the phone in order to use the flashlight again (when I was with a hot soldering iron in my car waiting for the device to reboot to solder some ****ing wires under the dashboard pissed me off really good. Though long time ago, but you get the idea... )
I did try to update my device using OTA (I knew it wasn't going to work, because mine is rooted). I did try it and the update failed(lol), luckily the phone still booted :cyclops:
What should I do now, can I just flash a stock rom using twrp or is there another stable rom that is clean like the lenovo roms without all the garbish? Which ones are advised?
The version of the rom I am using as of now is in my signature. I do not really need Magisk anymore for now, I had it installed mostly for NFC emulator but the company I emulated the card for no longer exists so meh.. No need for emulating anymore Pachting ads away with luckypatcher is also not worth it and there's like no proper way of blocking ads so I'll rather live with it instead of messing around and putting effort in it.
NiTrOwow said:
Hi guys,
I am using the stock rom now since the day I got it and unlocked the BL and installed Magisk for root and SafetyNet. Phone worked fine all the time (lazy me never changed the rom) until recent.
Most applications like Instagram, Snapchat (and all that garbage) and others randomly crash recently.. Application stopped working or process.media whatever stopped. Did try to do the usual stuff removing cache, but now this also does not work anymore. Also it's time to update because the WiFi driver has this RCE flaw(CVE-2017-13292) in it and well, lots of other bugs in the rom. The most irritating bugs that all my android devices had. The flashlight stops working because of the camera initialization or something, need to reboot the phone in order to use the flashlight again (when I was with a hot soldering iron in my car waiting for the device to reboot to solder some ****ing wires under the dashboard pissed me off really good. Though long time ago, but you get the idea... )
I did try to update my device using OTA (I knew it wasn't going to work, because mine is rooted). I did try it and the update failed(lol), luckily the phone still booted :cyclops:
What should I do now, can I just flash a stock rom using twrp or is there another stable rom that is clean like the lenovo roms without all the garbish? Which ones are advised?
The version of the rom I am using as of now is in my signature. I do not really need Magisk anymore for now, I had it installed mostly for NFC emulator but the company I emulated the card for no longer exists so meh.. No need for emulating anymore Pachting ads away with luckypatcher is also not worth it and there's like no proper way of blocking ads so I'll rather live with it instead of messing around and putting effort in it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android Pie ROMs are pretty stable and usable now (everything works but be aware that all custom ROMs will have darker video recording in comparison to stock)
ROMs of choice:
On Oreo: RR(Unofficial final builds by fullbustah),CrDroid,Arrow or Xtended
On Pie: CrDroid(has an extended desktop bug), SuperiorOs,ArrowOs,AospExtented
I also recommend installing a modded Gcam version because that will significantly boost your camera quality without any throwback or setback.
To install a pie ROM, I have written a tutorial somewhere in our guides section. You will find it pretty quickly.
Also Magisk 18.1 (latest for now) and Adaway still blocks ads perfectly. (Systemless hosts enabled in Magisk settings needed)
I recommend joining Lenovo P2 telegram group for latest news, support and download links.
sm00th4f3 said:
Android Pie ROMs are pretty stable and usable now (everything works but be aware that all custom ROMs will have darker video recording in comparison to stock)
ROMs of choice:
On Oreo: RR(Unofficial final builds by fullbustah),CrDroid,Arrow or Xtended
On Pie: CrDroid(has an extended desktop bug), SuperiorOs,ArrowOs,AospExtented
I also recommend installing a modded Gcam version because that will significantly boost your camera quality without any throwback or setback.
To install a pie ROM, I have written a tutorial somewhere in our guides section. You will find it pretty quickly.
Also Magisk 18.1 (latest for now) and Adaway still blocks ads perfectly. (Systemless hosts enabled in Magisk settings needed)
I recommend joining Lenovo P2 telegram group for latest news, support and download links.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright thanks for the information. I will try to flash my phone next week. I do have one more question. Is there a hardware selftest or test menu in the stock recovery or bootloader because I have a bad feeling that my board might be about to fail. I think this because all kinds of funky things did happen the last few days (I hope the mainboard is still fine, fingers crossed).. I know my old Lenovo had this menu and this way I found out it was dead. Well it was obviously dead but for sure after the test failed because Android didn't boot anymore, and was not able to flash another rom and get that one to boot up.
NiTrOwow said:
Alright thanks for the information. I will try to flash my phone next week. I do have one more question. Is there a hardware selftest or test menu in the stock recovery or bootloader because I have a bad feeling that my board might be about to fail. I think this because all kinds of funky things did happen the last few days (I hope the mainboard is still fine, fingers crossed).. I know my old Lenovo had this menu and this way I found out it was dead. Well it was obviously dead but for sure after the test failed because Android didn't boot anymore, and was not able to flash another rom and get that one to boot up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure if the p2 owns a menu like that.
You might wanna boot to bootloader and navigate through the small menu via volumekeys.
But otherwise...no idea.
Good luck!
So, I got an A50, and I'm really happy that I did. However, switching from a phone that had TWRP and Magisk is something I am not finding easy, even if the phone is much faster than my old one. So, of course, after thoroughly reading my warranty, which had no mention of not covering software device damage, I decided to to go ahead and try to flash TWRP and then install Magisk. I went ahead and easily figured out that my model is SM-A505FN (which would have been all that I needed for my old phone). Seeing that there were successful attempts at installing TWRP and Magisk on this model, I decided to try it out, but quickly found myself with a soft bricked phone, so off to finding a Stock ROM I went. After booting it up again I did more digging, but that yielded no result, however, I decided to try using Magisk manager to patch the AP file and then tried patching that. Sadly, no luck. I even went as far as trying a few of those programs that would root your phone from your PC, but that proved to be a waste of time as even that didn't work (which I suspected would happen, but whatever).
While fondling with the phone, I noticed something in the recovery. It wrote a50xx and then I realized that that must have been the reason for nothing working. And now we get to the title of this post. Has anybody been successful at rooting or flashing TWRP on an a50xx device, and, if so, would you be so kind as to elaborate on how you did it?
If not, I guess I should either wait, or look into trying to port TWRP to a50xx myself.
Edit: In case I do decide to port TWRP, any help or pointers are welcome.
Hello @BrainReader,
Same problem here! I tried rooting my device (sm-a505fn as well) by flashing the ap-file using magisk manager. I kept ending in a bootloop. I tried the latest version v20.x and even tried v19.3 which should work stable according to this thread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-a50s/how-to/guide-root-galaxy-a50s-magisk-v19-3-t4001271.
I hope this thread gets more attention and someone finds a solution for rooting the a50!
Kind regards,
Shademaster639
I have a rooted a505fn twrp is not working but rooting with magisk works fine. Every magisk version above 19.3 is giving problems. The latest magisk give very much reboots. What I did I first installed the newest software with Odin. Then install magisk 19.3 after that I set in magisk the update channel to get no further then 19.3.
That patch the AP file and reflash everything with the patched version.
It works without problems.
You must flash complete firmware stock
Then reflash complete firmware with mm agisk ap
Code:
/*
* Your warranty is now void.
*
* I am not responsible for bricked devices, dead SD cards,
* thermonuclear war, or you getting fired because the alarm app failed. Please
* do some research if you have any concerns about features included in this ROM
* 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.
*/
This is tested on my SM-T976B, but I think the same should work on other models as well.
1. WARNING AND DISCLAIMER
Just unlocking the bootloader will not trip the warranty bit yet, so you can still go back at this point.
The warranty bit will be tripped (0x1) as soon as you actually try flashing something unofficial via Odin. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
Make sure you back up all the important files in your internal storage, as you need to disable encryption with Multi-Disabler in order to let TWRP access the data partition, which would require you to format the data partition (wiping everything in the process). Additionally, keep a few nandroid backups with you so you can recover yourself in case something goes wrong.
2. Requirements
- Bootloader unlocked
- ianmacd's TWRP
- Neutralized vbmeta*
- (Optional**) vendor.img from Android 10 stock FW (I used ATK3, but any A10 vendor should do)
- Multi-Disabler
* An empty vbmeta is not recommended. You need to patch the vbmeta of the stock FW you're currently on.
** UPDATE (2022-08-29): It seems Magisk now works with recent A11 GSIs using A11 vendor, so there's no explicit need to flash A10 vendor in the following tutorial steps, unless you run into issues. Thanks to @AnonVendetta for testing and confirming. Using a more recent version of Magisk is recommended.
3. Flashing
Since this device uses dynamic partitions. Flashing system images is not as straightforward as before but not impossible.
azteria2000's GSI Flasher provided a good example on how to use dd/simg2img to flash dynamic partitions using just recovery. This is extremely helpful, as TWRP currently doesn't support fastbootd, which would make flashing even easier.
(1). Extracting Android 10 vendor.img (Optional, unless you have issues with your current vendor)
While you can boot recent GSIs with Android 11 vendor, Magisk currently doesn't work with it. Android 10 vendor is required for Magisk to work properly.
The Android 10 vendor can be extracted from the factory image's super.img. You need to unsparse the image using simg2img then use lpunpack to extract it, and you'll obtain the vendor.img.
(2). Flashing GSI and (Optional) Android 10 vendor.img
The entire flashing process can be done from TWRP.
NOTE 1 (UPDATE 2022-08-29): Flashing A10 vendor is no longer necessary now, unless you have issues.
NOTE 2: At present, Multi-Disabler expects /system_root to be mountable r/w, which cannot be done with a non-vndklite GSI. As such, if you're about to flash /vendor at this step, use a vndklite GSI, or if you're coming from stock, flash Multi-Disabler before actually flashing GSI (a reboot is needed after flashing /vendor to make it accessible).
The corresponding block devices for system and vendor are as follows:
Code:
/dev/block/dm-0 - system
/dev/block/dm-1 - vendor
First set the block devices to r/w so you can flash images.
Code:
# blockdev --setrw /dev/block/dm-0
# blockdev --setrw /dev/block/dm-1
Now actually flash the images with dd. Change the "if" parts to point to where the GSI system image and Android 10 vendor image are.
Code:
# dd if=<GSI image here> of=/dev/block/dm-0 bs=1m
# dd if=<vendor image here> of=/dev/block/dm-1 bs=1m
In rare cases that the GSI image you're about to flash is sparsed, run the following command instead of dd. You need to point to your sparsed GSI image here.
The vendor.img you obtain from super.img is not sparsed and can be flashed directly using the dd command above.
Code:
# simg2img <sparsed GSI image here> /dev/block/dm-0
If nothing goes wrong, you've flashed the GSI as well as Android 10 vendor.
Android 10 vendor flashed this way will work even if you have upgraded past BUC1 (which blocked the downgrade to Android 10).
It's advised to reboot recovery before trying to access system and vendor, to avoid potential issues.
NOTE: If you flashed vendor in this step, DO NOT REBOOT TO SYSTEM JUST YET.
(3). Flashing Multi-Disabler
You need to flash Multi-Disabler to disable encryption of internal storage so TWRP could access it.
If you flashed the vendor.img when flashing GSI, you MUST flash Multi-Disabler again if you have already disabled encryption with it before.
After flashing Multi-Disabler, you can now try booting to see if the GSI of your choice works.
4. Important Notes
(1). Neutralizing Software (Platform) Watchdog
There's a software (platform) watchdog that by default doesn't get fed while running GSI, causing system to reboot about 100 seconds after boot due to "platform watchdog bite". See this issue and this issue for details.
It's possible to disable this watchdog after boot, by executing the following command using a root shell.
Code:
# echo 'V' > /dev/watchdog
You need to look for a way to execute the command above at boot to automatically disable the problematic watchdog so the GSI can function normally. There are several ways to do this, like putting the command into a Magisk module's service.sh so it gets executed when the Magisk module loads.
EDIT: I've filed an issue regarding the matter here. After some testing, it seems /dev/watchdog0 is the real culprit for our device. Disabling either /dev/watchdog or /dev/watchdog0 will work this around.
UPDATE (2021-09-11): I can confirm that DragKernel is not affected by this issue. The offending watchdog is not present and the system won't reboot after 100 seconds.
UPDATE (2022-08-29): The watchdog is mainly an issue if you use A10 vendor. You may not have issues with that watchdog if using A11 vendor but it's still recommended to get it disabled.
(2). Uncertified Device
Since phh-AOSP v303 and onwards, the device is considered uncertified which will prevent you from logging in to your Google account.
Manually registering the device is required for using Google Play Services, but for some reasons that didn't work for me, so I recommend using NanoDroid with microG if applicable (requires Magisk).
(3). Offline Charging Icon
With some GSIs, when powered off, plugging in the charger would make the tablet enter a screen with a white charging battery icon in the middle, that I couldn't easily get out of by pressing POWER button alone. Although I did manage to get out of that screen and boot to the system, I don't really know which button combination is required, and how long I should be holding them. So for now, charging while powered off is not advised...
(4). Potential soft bricks with Securize
UPDATE (2022-08-29): Should have pointed this out earlier that if you attempt to Securize on official phh-AOSP, the device will softbrick. Additionally, merely removing phh-SU is enough to cause the softbrick (thanks to AnonVendetta again for confirming).
While the cause is uncertain, it's quite likely that the tablet cannot work if not using any form of root (be it phh-SU or Magisk) due to Samsung's security mechanisms getting in the way.
5. Working Stuffs
- 120 fps working (by forcing FPS using Phh-Treble Settings).
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth work fine.
- S-Pen works as a pointer device.
- Alternate Audio Policies (from Phh-Treble Settings) is needed to get audio out through USB Type-C.
- Front and rear camera appears working.
6. Not Working Stuffs
- MTP does not appear to work properly for some reasons. You'll need ADB for transferring files.
- USB Type-C audio adapters may or may not work depending on GSI, Kernel or maybe other aspects.
- Bluetooth audio currently has issues that cause the system to freeze.
7. Untested Stuffs
- Haven't tested telephony-related stuffs as I'm not using a SIM card on the tablet yet.
- Haven't tested fingerprint sensors as I'm not using it.
There are still some functionalities I haven't tested yet, but anyone is free to test if you want to use a GSI.
Special thanks to: ianmacd, phhusson, Bushcat, Vntnox, azteria2000, dron39 and many more...
Original GSI progress issue: here
I finally got this working on my SM-T970. Though I had some troubles getting it working by following your instructions exactly, it would still boot loop even after neutralizing vbmeta.img (perhaps I changed the wrong offset?). Though for some reason flashing magisk made it boot perfectly? I assume Magisk disables AVB entirely or something. Thank you for this guide, may this tablet live a long life thanks to treble!
sambow23 said:
I finally got this working on my SM-T970. Though I had some troubles getting it working by following your instructions exactly, it would still boot loop even after neutralizing vbmeta.img (perhaps I changed the wrong offset?). Though for some reason flashing magisk made it boot perfectly? I assume Magisk disables AVB entirely or something. Thank you for this guide, may this tablet live a long life thanks to treble!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i also got SM-T970 please help me to get back to android 10... Most of the game which play crashes in the middle for android 11 ... Can you please help me to do what you did ... i am new to this custom ROMs and flashing so help me..
As I know, you can't. All android 10 bootloaders are XXU1 - if you upgraded to XXU2 then nothing can be done.
ivanox1972 said:
As I know, you can't. All android 10 bootloaders are XXU1 - if you upgraded to XXU2 then nothing can be done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, didn't notice there were new posts in my actual thread...
While you certainly can't flash XXU1 firmware via Odin once you upgraded to XXU2, you can follow the instructions to use dd in TWRP to flash the logical partitions. This is how I used to flash vendor image extracted from Android 10 FW, as due to SELinux policy issues, Android 11 vendor does not work well with GSIs on Samsung Qualcomm devices in general. Magisk won't work, and the tablet would semi-brick if you attempt to use Securize from Phh-Treble settings.
While I mostly use Android 11 GSIs, the same should work with Android 10 GSIs of your choice, but I haven't tested, as most A10 GSIs are no longer maintained. GSI image of your choice (/system) and A10 vendor (/vendor) are all you need, as GSIs do not care about /odm and /product so it's safe to leave them as-is.
A WARNING: I DO NOT recommend flashing A10 stock FW using this method as you're literally violating the rollback protection which has the risk of causing A HARD BRICK!!! Similar cases have happened on other devices of other vendors before.
ONE MORE WARNING: Due to the ongoing case of Samsung disabling cameras on Z Fold 3, I seriously advise against upgrading the device any further, especially in case a XXU3 firmware comes out in the future, as there are potential signs that such crippling behavior might spread to existing devices.
@LSS4181 thanks dor for deep explanation, but I'm afraid my level is not high enough to understand all of this. I am also tempted to try gsi but not want to risk lot...
So, can it be installed over stock android 11, new bootloader XXU2?
Thanks
ivanox1972 said:
@LSS4181 thanks dor for deep explanation, but I'm afraid my level is not high enough to understand all of this. I am also tempted to try gsi but not want to risk lot...
So, can it be installed over stock android 11, new bootloader XXU2?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't guarantee A10 GSI will work on such environment, but GSIs probably won't have issues with rollback protections. It's just stock ROM might have something that would do dirty stuffs in case such violation happens so I personally would not recommend such use case.
However, A11 GSIs will certainly work fine, just that with A10 vendor you need to use DragKernel as the stock one has a watchdog that'll reboot the system after 100 seconds.
@LSS4181 - thank you for the guide, I've had a T970 for nearly 1 year now, always wanted to run a custom rom on it!
I've tried your guide twice now, but it results in failures for me.
I've unlocked the bootloader, flashed TWRP (twrp-gts7xl-3.5.0_10-A11_3_ianmacd.img), running ATK3.
Not sure if TWRP for Android 11 and ATK3 being Android 10 makes a difference?
I extracted a vbmeta.img.lz4 from the ATK3 pack online, decompressed it to get the vbmeta.img, and wrote 0x03 to decimal offset 123.
(Tried to follow the instructions exactly)
I think it's the flashing/dd part.
After I dd the gsi img to dm-0, I can not reflash the multidisabler anymore. It tells me something like:
"Failed to mount '/system_root' (Invalid argument)"
Then, I can't even mount 'system' in TWRP, the checkbox is unselectable.
To get back to a working state, I have reflashed the stock rom (ATK3).
The GSI I tried to use was: system-roar-arm64-ab-vanilla.img.xz - from AOSP 11.0 v313
Is this the correct version to use (A, A/B etc?)
And how can I tell if the image file is sparsed or not?
Any input is appreciated, thank you!
zxczxc4 said:
@LSS4181 - thank you for the guide, I've had a T970 for nearly 1 year now, always wanted to run a custom rom on it!
I've tried your guide twice now, but it results in failures for me.
I've unlocked the bootloader, flashed TWRP (twrp-gts7xl-3.5.0_10-A11_3_ianmacd.img), running ATK3.
Not sure if TWRP for Android 11 and ATK3 being Android 10 makes a difference?
I extracted a vbmeta.img.lz4 from the ATK3 pack online, decompressed it to get the vbmeta.img, and wrote 0x03 to decimal offset 123.
(Tried to follow the instructions exactly)
I think it's the flashing/dd part.
After I dd the gsi img to dm-0, I can not reflash the multidisabler anymore. It tells me something like:
"Failed to mount '/system_root' (Invalid argument)"
Then, I can't even mount 'system' in TWRP, the checkbox is unselectable.
To get back to a working state, I have reflashed the stock rom (ATK3).
The GSI I tried to use was: system-roar-arm64-ab-vanilla.img.xz - from AOSP 11.0 v313
Is this the correct version to use (A, A/B etc?)
And how can I tell if the image file is sparsed or not?
Any input is appreciated, thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uh... I should have mentioned earlier. Multi-Disabler expects /system_root to be mountable r/w, which cannot be done with a non-vndklite GSI.
As such, to disable encryption, you'll initially need to flash a vndklite GSI, or simply just do that before you actually flash the GSI (stock ROM can be mounted r/w). As Multi-Disabler is only needed once per /vendor flash, you'll be able to use non-vndklite GSI afterwards.
EDIT: If you are experienced in modifying recovery zips, you can edit the Multi-Disabler install script and comment out the parts actually involving /system or /system_root.
EDIT 2: I just realized this... I recall that phh AOSP GSI is sparsed. You need to use simg2img command instead of dd to flash it.
@LSS4181 - thank you for the reply.
I am not sure if the images I was trying to us were sparsed or not.
Since you mentioned vndklite images, I tried those - `simg2img` told me that the hash/magic was not valid, so at least these ones are not sparsed.
But good idea to attempt to use `simg2img` if you are not sure about an image, it doesn't hurt to try.
I flashed phh's v313 ab vndklite image, my device was stuck on the samsung boot screen for about 10 minutes (the screen with "your device is unlocked" etc...) I then held some buttons to force reboot/power down. I powered back on and I finally saw the rom booting.
Vanilla AOSP was a bit boring, so flashed LOS 18.x (vndklite again) and that is great. Dark mode can be made BLACK which I really appreciate.
No issues with the watchdog/no reboot after 100 seconds.
I did try to install microg... tried to install (adb push) to /system/priv-data but must have done something wrong.
It gave me bootloops, tried to reflash the gsi twice but didn't seem to change anything...
I ended up reflashing stock again, repeated the whole process (apart from microg!) and my system is up working again.
I should go and ask on the lineage os gsi thread for advice about microg.
Thanks again for the guide.
zxczxc4 said:
@LSS4181 - thank you for the reply.
I am not sure if the images I was trying to us were sparsed or not.
Since you mentioned vndklite images, I tried those - `simg2img` told me that the hash/magic was not valid, so at least these ones are not sparsed.
But good idea to attempt to use `simg2img` if you are not sure about an image, it doesn't hurt to try.
I flashed phh's v313 ab vndklite image, my device was stuck on the samsung boot screen for about 10 minutes (the screen with "your device is unlocked" etc...) I then held some buttons to force reboot/power down. I powered back on and I finally saw the rom booting.
Vanilla AOSP was a bit boring, so flashed LOS 18.x (vndklite again) and that is great. Dark mode can be made BLACK which I really appreciate.
No issues with the watchdog/no reboot after 100 seconds.
I did try to install microg... tried to install (adb push) to /system/priv-data but must have done something wrong.
It gave me bootloops, tried to reflash the gsi twice but didn't seem to change anything...
I ended up reflashing stock again, repeated the whole process (apart from microg!) and my system is up working again.
I should go and ask on the lineage os gsi thread for advice about microg.
Thanks again for the guide.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could always flash magisk and use the microg module, works perfectly for me
sambow23 said:
You could always flash magisk and use the microg module, works perfectly for me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly what I ended up doing.
Originally I wanted to avoid the 'newer' style, using Magisk etc, it seems more complicated than just using a rom that is already rooted. For my use case of this device, I don't care about safetynet etc, don't care about keeping system untouched etc.
BUT! Flashing Magisk was so easy, no need to patch any images... I simply flashed the latest version of the Magisk apk via TWRP.
On restart, Magisk app wanted to finish the install itself... but failed? So I simply installed the same apk myself, and it's been working perfectly
Thank you @LSS4181 for the exquisitely detailed instructions! I think have enough experience with this stuff to be succesful, but have not yet bought this tablet to try it (currently using a rooted, debloated S6).
Questions:
Which vendor does it ship with? ATK3? I wouldn't do any upgrades when I got it, but would immediately start flashing.
Has anyone succesfully used XPrivacyLua (XPL) on this? I currently use XPL Pro, and I know that it depends on a working EdXposed (or Lsposed, which I've never used) which requires a working Magisk. From reading this thread, the Magisk part seems Okay, but what about Ed/L Xposed?
Thanks again.
TiTiB said:
Thank you @LSS4181 for the exquisitely detailed instructions! I think have enough experience with this stuff to be succesful, but have not yet bought this tablet to try it (currently using a rooted, debloated S6).
Questions:
Which vendor does it ship with? ATK3? I wouldn't do any upgrades when I got it, but would immediately start flashing.
Has anyone succesfully used XPrivacyLua (XPL) on this? I currently use XPL Pro, and I know that it depends on a working EdXposed (or Lsposed, which I've never used) which requires a working Magisk. From reading this thread, the Magisk part seems Okay, but what about Ed/L Xposed?
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
XPrivacyLua/LSPosed does work, I'm able to pass safetynet thanks to it
TiTiB said:
Thank you @LSS4181 for the exquisitely detailed instructions! I think have enough experience with this stuff to be succesful, but have not yet bought this tablet to try it (currently using a rooted, debloated S6).
Questions:
Which vendor does it ship with? ATK3? I wouldn't do any upgrades when I got it, but would immediately start flashing.
Has anyone succesfully used XPrivacyLua (XPL) on this? I currently use XPL Pro, and I know that it depends on a working EdXposed (or Lsposed, which I've never used) which requires a working Magisk. From reading this thread, the Magisk part seems Okay, but what about Ed/L Xposed?
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got my tablet early so it was on an earlier version than ATK3.
If your device ships with BUBB or before, you should be able to downgrade directly if you know how to use Odin.
Flashing ATK3 (or earlier) vendor via dd from TWRP is only needed if your device is on BUC1 or later, as from that version onwards SW REV has been incremented so you can't downgrade via Odin anymore.
sambow23 said:
XPrivacyLua/LSPosed does work, I'm able to pass safetynet thanks to it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which Xposed are you using? I'm not very familiar with Lsposed.
Thanks ag
LSS4181 said:
I got my tablet early so it was on an earlier version than ATK3.
If your device ships with BUBB or before, you should be able to downgrade directly if you know how to use Odin.
Flashing ATK3 (or earlier) vendor via dd from TWRP is only needed if your device is on BUC1 or later, as from that version onwards SW REV has been incremented so you can't downgrade via Odin anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks again for the detailed response. The info you've shared gives me confidence. Now I just need to convince myself that I 'need' to buy it.
@LSS4181: I've been running the stock Android 11 firmware since I bought the Tab S7+ SM-T970, about halfway into this year. Mine shipped with a version 2 bootloader, so there is no possibility of running stock 10 for me.
Then I saw your note about Bluetooth earbuds not working. This would be a big deal for me on a GSI. I don't want to use a USB C headphone jack adapter, since it would prevent charging while using them. And it would wear out the charging port by constantly inserting/removing.
What BT earbuds do you use? Does it happen on all GSIs that you've tried? I saw your recent issue on GitHub, and noticed that no one else has commented.
GApps is another big deal for me, a must have. I used to use MicroG on my daily driver devices, but stopped using it about a year ago due to issues that I was unable to find solutions for.
Can you elaborate a bit more on how to modify vbmeta and what to change? I'm not particularly skilled with the usage of hex editors, so not sure how to proceed here or what to edit.
I know there will probably be issues inherent to running to a GSI, but I'd like to change things up a bit and experiment. If I don't like what I see, I can always return to stock rooted. I'm not a big fan of stock firmwares, but so far it has been very stable for me. However, if I can get a custom ROM like AOSP, RR, LOS, etc running reliably, then I'd definitely switch. There are no features on stock besides Dex and Secure Folder, that are compelling enough to me me stay on it.
AnonVendetta said:
@LSS4181: I've been running the stock Android 11 firmware since I bought the Tab S7+ SM-T970, about halfway into this year. Mine shipped with a version 2 bootloader, so there is no possibility of running stock 10 for me.
Then I saw your note about Bluetooth earbuds not working. This would be a big deal for me on a GSI. I don't want to use a USB C headphone jack adapter, since it would prevent charging while using them. And it would wear out the charging port by constantly inserting/removing.
What BT earbuds do you use? Does it happen on all GSIs that you've tried? I saw your recent issue on GitHub, and noticed that no one else has commented.
GApps is another big deal for me, a must have. I used to use MicroG on my daily driver devices, but stopped using it about a year ago due to issues that I was unable to find solutions for.
Can you elaborate a bit more on how to modify vbmeta and what to change? I'm not particularly skilled with the usage of hex editors, so not sure how to proceed here or what to edit.
I know there will probably be issues inherent to running to a GSI, but I'd like to change things up a bit and experiment. If I don't like what I see, I can always return to stock rooted. I'm not a big fan of stock firmwares, but so far it has been very stable for me. However, if I can get a custom ROM like AOSP, RR, LOS, etc running reliably, then I'd definitely switch. There are no features on stock besides Dex and Secure Folder, that are compelling enough to me me stay on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bluetooth audio works if you disable the a2dp hardware offload in the phh treble app
AnonVendetta said:
@LSS4181: I've been running the stock Android 11 firmware since I bought the Tab S7+ SM-T970, about halfway into this year. Mine shipped with a version 2 bootloader, so there is no possibility of running stock 10 for me.
Then I saw your note about Bluetooth earbuds not working. This would be a big deal for me on a GSI. I don't want to use a USB C headphone jack adapter, since it would prevent charging while using them. And it would wear out the charging port by constantly inserting/removing.
What BT earbuds do you use? Does it happen on all GSIs that you've tried? I saw your recent issue on GitHub, and noticed that no one else has commented.
GApps is another big deal for me, a must have. I used to use MicroG on my daily driver devices, but stopped using it about a year ago due to issues that I was unable to find solutions for.
Can you elaborate a bit more on how to modify vbmeta and what to change? I'm not particularly skilled with the usage of hex editors, so not sure how to proceed here or what to edit.
I know there will probably be issues inherent to running to a GSI, but I'd like to change things up a bit and experiment. If I don't like what I see, I can always return to stock rooted. I'm not a big fan of stock firmwares, but so far it has been very stable for me. However, if I can get a custom ROM like AOSP, RR, LOS, etc running reliably, then I'd definitely switch. There are no features on stock besides Dex and Secure Folder, that are compelling enough to me me stay on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sambow23 said:
Bluetooth audio works if you disable the a2dp hardware offload in the phh treble app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't know if audio issues might be caused by using a different kernel (as I've switched to using DragKernel for this tablet). I don't recommend using stock kernel, though, due to a nasty 100-second watchdog that you need to manually disable after system startup (DragKernel has that removed from config).
I recall it's now possible to patch vbmeta using Magisk now. Simply provide the vbmeta of your FW version to Magisk and it'll patch it for you. I haven't tried, though, as I always do this by hand with a hex editor (it's just to change a single byte, which the recent Magisk versions would do).
Back then I couldn't get the device certified so I switched to microG which is working well. I recommend using NanoDroid as it comes with a modded Play Store which allows you to purchase apps as well as IAPs. The modded Play Store still works, despite being quite dated.
I don't really have anything blocking me from using microG now. If you need real GApps and know about the workflow for uncertified devices, you may try flashing a bgN flavor GSI as opposed to bvN (g means the GSI ships with GApps).