Database Develop

Most stable Custom ROM upgrade and HOWTO for Droid 4

Hi everyone:
I'm an ex IT tech. but don't know that much about smartphone tech. I say that because I'll follow along quickly if people can use metaphors that relate back to PCs. I've used Linux a bit but am not a Linux expert.
I have a Droid 4 with Jelly Bean on it. I'd like to upgrade it to whatever is the most stable later custom version of Android. Do people recommend CyanogenMod 12? Some LineageOS version? Stability and having everything work as much as possible is what's most important to me. Speed would be a bonus, but it not as important as stability/functionality.
I've done the following to prepare for this:
-Taken a screenshot and put it on my PC to keep track of which version of Android I have.
-Downloaded SafeStrap 3.75, but don't know if I have the right version for this phone. Somewhere I saw something about
a special version for the Droid 4.
-I'm not sure which gapps version to download. Will later versions have more apps but be more likely to
have compatibility issues with an older version of Android?
-I know how to get into developer mode
-I know how to get into Fastboot mode
Any help would be appreciated.

Shplad said:
Hi everyone:
I'm an ex IT tech. but don't know that much about smartphone tech. I say that because I'll follow along quickly if people can use metaphors that relate back to PCs. I've used Linux a bit but am not a Linux expert.
I have a Droid 4 with Jelly Bean on it. I'd like to upgrade it to whatever is the most stable later custom version of Android. Do people recommend CyanogenMod 12? Some LineageOS version? Stability and having everything work as much as possible is what's most important to me. Speed would be a bonus, but it not as important as stability/functionality.
I've done the following to prepare for this:
-Taken a screenshot and put it on my PC to keep track of which version of Android I have.
-Downloaded SafeStrap 3.75, but don't know if I have the right version for this phone. Somewhere I saw something about
a special version for the Droid 4.
-I'm not sure which gapps version to download. Will later versions have more apps but be more likely to
have compatibility issues with an older version of Android?
-I know how to get into developer mode
-I know how to get into Fastboot mode
Any help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
see the index for correct safestrap version, 3.75 is latest, but you need the Droid 4 one
[INDEX] Development Motorola Droid 4
GApps are android version specific, opengapps.org are good
I haven't used the Droid 4 much since cm11, it's likely still a good option
sd_shadow's How-To Videos for Droid 4
Sent from my XT1254 using XDA Labs

Thanks, however I was looking for something a little more newibe-friendly. There are literally dozens and dozens of pages to read. On top of that, the link to the SafeStrap is dead, and there are circular links, all of which appear to go that dead link. As well, the page to download the patch to enable the GSM on CDMA Global phones also has dead links.
Nothing simpler?

Shplad said:
Thanks, however I was looking for something a little more newibe-friendly. There are literally dozens and dozens of pages to read. On top of that, the link to the SafeStrap is dead, and there are circular links, all of which appear to go that dead link. As well, the page to download the patch to enable the GSM on CDMA Global phones also has dead links.
Nothing simpler?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The link for safe strap is not dead there are two versions. One from stargo and the other is a modified safe strap for unused partitions redone by some one else. You need to look in the correct posts and thread. Here is the download: http://www.internauta37.altervista....afestrap-maserati-v3.75-unused-partitions.apk
As far as for gsm keep looking you'll probully find something. I can't help you with that because I never needed to use but it shouldn't be to hard to do or figure out.
As far as wich rom you want to use just try a few different ones and see wich one you prefer to use as a daily driver.

Shplad said:
Thanks, however I was looking for something a little more newibe-friendly. There are literally dozens and dozens of pages to read. On top of that, the link to the SafeStrap is dead, and there are circular links, all of which appear to go that dead link. As well, the page to download the patch to enable the GSM on CDMA Global phones also has dead links.
Nothing simpler?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Shplad,
It all seems a bit overwhelming at first, but there isn't that much to it really. So, if you've got some IT experience, I'm sure you'll be fine. I always use the latest version (out of curiosity), but from what I've read, CM11 is considered pretty stable, but 12 and 13 are good too. And you'll probably find you don't need the GSM patch as it'll just work automatically - I think it was required in CM12 at one point, but that might be fixed now.
You haven't mentioned rooting. If you haven't already done that, you may as well get that done first, and it's covered in the pages that sd_shadow linked to. And I had a quick look at the links to safestrap in the pages that sd_shadow linked to, and they all seemed ok to me (as OGdroidster has just said also). You just need to make sure you've got the one with 'maserati' in the filename.
So, (from memory - could be wrong), you just need to:
- root the phone
- download your chosen rom and gapps
- install safestrap
- in safestrap install file system then boot into recovery mode
- create yourself a slot in the boot options
- make sure your new slot is the active one (it tells you at the top)
- install your chosen rom and gapps in the install section
- reboot
And if you get stuck, you could just ask, and I'm sure someone will answer pretty quickly.
Good luck

So, which versions of Android are CM11 and CM12? Can anyone else chime in and let me know if CM12 is better or more stable than CM11?
It turns out I could not download the Safestrap because my firewall was blocking some advertising/metric site which was required to go that page. Got it now.
Not sure what the GSM code you refer to is for. Will the upgraded phone with CMxx not work by default on GSM networks, or is something different?
Thanks
moodroid said:
Hi Shplad,
It all seems a bit overwhelming at first, but there isn't that much to it really. So, if you've got some IT experience, I'm sure you'll be fine. I always use the latest version (out of curiosity), but from what I've read, CM11 is considered pretty stable, but 12 and 13 are good too. And you'll probably find you don't need the GSM patch as it'll just work automatically - I think it was required in CM12 at one point, but that might be fixed now.
You haven't mentioned rooting. If you haven't already done that, you may as well get that done first, and it's covered in the pages that sd_shadow linked to. And I had a quick look at the links to safestrap in the pages that sd_shadow linked to, and they all seemed ok to me (as OGdroidster has just said also). You just need to make sure you've got the one with 'maserati' in the filename.
So, (from memory - could be wrong), you just need to:
- root the phone
- download your chosen rom and gapps
- install safestrap
- in safestrap install file system then boot into recovery mode
- create yourself a slot in the boot options
- make sure your new slot is the active one (it tells you at the top)
- install your chosen rom and gapps in the install section
- reboot
And if you get stuck, you could just ask, and I'm sure someone will answer pretty quickly.
Good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Shplad said:
So, which versions of Android are CM11 and CM12? Can anyone else chime in and let me know if CM12 is better or more stable than CM11?
It turns out I could not download the Safestrap because my firewall was blocking some advertising/metric site which was required to go that page. Got it now.
Not sure what the GSM code you refer to is for. Will the upgraded phone with CMxx not work by default on GSM networks, or is something different?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CM11 is KitKat (4.4), CM12 is Lollipop (5), CM13 is Marshmallow (6) and CM14 is Nougat (7).
I was referring to the GSM patch (that you queried above). What I was saying, was that in most versions of CM, GSM automatically works, so you won't need to apply the patch. But if you did have a problem, the links seem to work fine to me.
If I was you, I'd try out a few versions and find which version you prefer, as I don't think anyone will be able to tell you which is 'best'. I would have thought you'd be fine with 11, 12 or 13 though, and because you can have multiple roms installed with safestrap, you could install all 3 if you wanted!

Thanks. I guess I wasn't aware that you could use any CM. I thought only 11 or 12 could work properly on a Droid 4. So, any of those ROMs might work?
Also, at what stage do you install the GSM patch if it is necessary?
moodroid said:
CM11 is KitKat (4.4), CM12 is Lollipop (5), CM13 is Marshmallow (6) and CM14 is Nougat (7).
I was referring to the GSM patch (that you queried above). What I was saying, was that in most versions of CM, GSM automatically works, so you won't need to apply the patch. But if you did have a problem, the links seem to work fine to me.
If I was you, I'd try out a few versions and find which version you prefer, as I don't think anyone will be able to tell you which is 'best'. I would have thought you'd be fine with 11, 12 or 13 though, and because you can have multiple roms installed with safestrap, you could install all 3 if you wanted!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Shplad said:
Thanks. I guess I wasn't aware that you could use any CM. I thought only 11 or 12 could work properly on a Droid 4. So, any of those ROMs might work?
Also, at what stage do you install the GSM patch if it is necessary?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I understand it (which could be totally wrong), 11 and 12 are no longer being developed and will only receive security updates, so from that point of view, I guess they will be more stable. But 13 and 14 will work, but there may be the odd issue here and there (particularly with 14 which is still quite new). You'd have to have a quick scan through the comments to see if there's anything that's like to be a problem for you.
With reagrds to GSM, I should just try it and see if it works to begin with. If it doesn't, then download the patch, reboot, go into safestrap, install the zip then reboot.

Hi,
If you are going to use a ROM with ART (Lollipop CM12x and above) Do not use CM12. It is old, outdated, and laggy. CM13 (LineageOS 13) provides a superior experience. Once LOS 14.1 becomes official for our devices, I would highly recommend upgrading to it, as it provides superior memory management.
Sent from my Motorola Droid RAZR using XDA Labs

Wow, this is a lot to take in. Thanks. So, I don't quite understand the repercussions. Once I root, does that mean any ROM OS that boots is somewhat more vulnerable, cause it's like being logged on as root in Linux, or does it depend which ROM I'm using or something else?
Bobcus Leper said:
Hi,
If you are going to use a ROM with ART (Lollipop CM12x and above) Do not use CM12. It is old, outdated, and laggy. CM13 (LineageOS 13) provides a superior experience. Once LOS 14.1 becomes official for our devices, I would highly recommend upgrading to it, as it provided superior memory management.
Sent from my Motorola Droid RAZR using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Okay, I figured out after my last post that root status depends on which ROM you are running, and of course installing a ROM without root status would put you back to unrooted status.
I downloaded Lineage OS 13 and verified the MD5SUM. I rooted the phone using Shadow's video.
Now I want to make an image of my NAND or have some other method of restoring the stock ROM before I install a new ROM. At what stage in the process do I do that and what is the safest tool / method to do that? RSDLite? Adding another ROM slot and using Nandroid backup?
Awaiting anxiously...

Alright, I learned from Googling that RSDLite can restore a ROM to the phone directly from your PC.
Does that wipe out any upgraded, more modern ROMS that I put on the phone, such as Lineage OS 13? Is it like having multiple partitions or hard drives on a PC?
How safe is the RSDLite procedure? Can someone explain the pros/cons of doing it that way versus (as I understand it) having 2 ROMs on the NAND available? I see a lot of HOWTOs, but very few explanations/diagrams/theory. If I could relate this back to PCs, I'd be able to understand better.

Shplad said:
Alright, I learned from Googling that RSDLite can restore a ROM to the phone directly from your PC.
Does that wipe out any upgraded, more modern ROMS that I put on the phone, such as Lineage OS 13? Is it like having multiple partitions or hard drives on a PC?
How safe is the RSDLite procedure? Can someone explain the pros/cons of doing it that way versus (as I understand it) having 2 ROMs on the NAND available? I see a lot of HOWTOs, but very few explanations/diagrams/theory. If I could relate this back to PCs, I'd be able to understand better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I understand it, and again, this could be wrong, using RSDLite is usually a last resort in the unlikely event that you've completely messed up your phone. You will lose everything, and your phone will back to how it was when you bought it. I've never needed to use RSDLite myself, but from what I've read, it's a pretty reliable way to get your phone working again. As long as you follow all the instructions, and install CM (LOS) 13 into another slot, it's very unlikely that you'll damage your original stock rom and you'll still be able to boot into if ever you need to. Hopefully, someone who knows more about it will comment also...

I got Safestrap 3.75 special version for unused partitions installed. I didn't realize it allows you to make TWRP ROM backups.
I made a backup of the stock ROM. The first time I did that, I got an error stating it couldn't find or access /boot.
Strangely, the second time I tried, it seemed to work fine.
I copied the folder with the stock ROM backup to my PC, just in case. I managed to flash with Lineage OS 13. It booted fine, but I forgot to select the Gapps zip as well. It does not appear to be rooted after bootup.
1. Do I need to reinstall Lineage 13 or is there way to install the apps without reinstalling Lineage?
2. What is the normal state of this ROM? I'm not sure if I have to root Lineage 13. If I don't enable root, will I be unable to run TWRP recovery and add the Gapps zip file and reinstall? I don't want to be stuck with a successful Lineage install and no apps. I'd find another way to install the apps, but I'm guessing you can't without the apps themselves, no?
Help!

Okay, I figured out how to install just gapps 5.1-2015-05-23-24 . However, during configuration, I cannot get the phone to connect to gmail via WiFi (I don't have a data plan).
"Validating Server Settings...
Couldn't open connection to server."
I see other people had this in other version of Android. Is this a particular problem in Lineage 13? Any solutions known?
...AAAANDDD Google Play Services has closed.
Hmm...this does not seem very stable at all. Has anyone actually tried Lineage 13 on this phone or was it just a guess that it might work?
EDIT:
I tried these suggestions, just in case.
https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/gmail/ACSvDiQoufI
Now, I'm getting the error:
"Problem with account setup
Username or password is incorrect"
Google Play Services keeps closing. Should I uninstall the gapps and install a more compatible one? I think network connectivity is not stable.

Shplad said:
Hmm...this does not seem very stable at all. Has anyone actually tried Lineage 13 on this phone or was it just a guess that it might work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi. I don't use gapps, and I'm uisng LOS 14 myself. But there's 57 pages of comments for LOS 13, so I think it's fair to say people have tried it! Now you've got it installed, you could post in the LOS 13 thread, and ask people which version of gapps they are using.
P.S. The first post in the Droid 4 LOS 13 thread appears to suggest using OpenGApps and has some details on how to install, or you could read through that thread for other tips.

moodroid:
Thanks, but on which website? There are quite a few Lineage OS forums.
moodroid said:
Hi. I don't use gapps, and I'm uisng LOS 14 myself. But there's 57 pages of comments for LOS 13, so I think it's fair to say people have tried it! Now you've got it installed, you could post in the LOS 13 thread, and ask people which version of gapps they are using.
P.S. The first post in the Droid 4 LOS 13 thread appears to suggest using OpenGApps and has some details on how to install, or you could read through that thread for other tips.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Shplad said:
moodroid:
Thanks, but on which website? There are quite a few Lineage OS forums.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I meant on this website. In the 'Droid 4 Android Development' section (https://forum.xda-developers.com/droid-4/development), there a thread for each of the roms. The one for CM (LOS) 13 is https://forum.xda-developers.com/droid-4/development/cm13-0-marshmallow-unofficial-builds-t3270938

moo:
Thanks for that. I didn't post there earlier because I thought it was only for developer reports of bugs, and my coding skills are exactly zero. Should I wait to see what happens in that other thread and not post back here until I hear something from there?

[ROM][UNOFFICIAL] LineageOS 15.1 for the Essential PH-1 (mata)

LineageOS is a free, community built, aftermarket firmware distribution of Android 8.1 (Oreo), which is designed to increase performance and reliability over stock Android for your device.
It should go without saying, but do not lock your bootloader with this installed. You must be 100% stock, I'd suggest on both slots, in order to re-lock your bootloader. Doing otherwise will likely lead to a brick that Essential really shouldn't warranty.
Code:
#include <std_disclaimer.h>
/*
* Your warranty is now void.
*
* We are 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 us for messing up your device, we will laugh at you.
*
*/
LineageOS is based on the Android Open Source Project with extra contributions from many people within the Android community.
All the source code for LineageOS is available in the LineageOS Github repo. And if you would like to contribute to LineageOS, please visit our Gerrit Code Review.
Unofficial LineageOS Builds
Essential PH-1 (mata): https://updater.invisiblek.org/mata
Google apps
Google apps (opengapps nano) are baked in to these builds. This is due to the A/B partition layout and complications backing up/restoring gapps between builds. This is not ideal, and is the major road block to getting this device in to official status with Lineage. At this time I do not plan to release non-gapps builds. Users who require this will have to build their own.
Source
Device | Kernel
Here's a local_manifest for those who want to build at home.
Prerequisites
Unlocked bootloader
OPM1.180104.092 firmware - even if you were on this build, you should flash this firmware package to ensure the firmware is on BOTH slots.
Fastboot and ADB set up (use your google-fu to figure this out)
Installation
This device is different than what most people are familiar with due to the A/B partition layout. If you're familiar with Pixel devices, then you already know what this means. This thread isn't really designed to explain how it all works, that should be handled somewhere else. Instead, I'll assume you can either follow directions or do some research on your own. Additionally I have a discord set up where there are several people who may be able to help if you run in to a snag.
The initial install should go rather smooth, and future updates can be taken through the built-in Lineage updater app (yes, the are the seamless updates you may have heard about). Due to A/B, the recovery's ramdisk is actually on the boot.img partition (the rom's ramdisk is on the system partition now). What this means is once you flash the rom, it essentially (lol) replaces the TWRP that you have installed. This shouldn't be a problem since with the seamless updates, you shouldn't have to ever go into recovery. If you find yourself needing recovery, you'll have to re-flash TWRP to get there.
Phew, now some instructions.
See the prerequisites. You really do need these or things aren't going to work for you.
Boot into bootloader mode and wipe data with:
Code:
fastboot -w
Download twrp (mirror) and flash it with this command:
Code:
fastboot flash boot twrp-mata_11.img
(no, this isn't a typo, you are flashing twrp to the boot partition)
While still in bootloader mode, use vol down to select "Recovery mode" and hit the power button. This should boot you in to TWRP. Enter your previous lock screen password or pin (if it asks) to decrypt your data partition.
Put the device in sideload mode with:
Code:
adb shell twrp sideload
Install the zip via adb sideload with:
Code:
adb sideload <zip name here>
When finished, reboot.
Profit!
The LineageOS team would like to thank everyone involved in helping with testing, coding, debugging & documenting! Enjoy!
XDA:DevDB Information
[ROM][UNOFFICIAL] LineageOS 15.1 for the Essential PH-1 (mata), ROM for the Essential Phone
Contributors
invisiblek
Source Code: [url]https://github.com/LineageOS[/URL]
ROM OS Version: 8.x Oreo
ROM Kernel: Linux 4.x
Version Information
Status: Testing
Created 2017-11-12
Last Updated 2017-11-11

Q: What is broken?
A: Nothing I'm aware of
Q: Can I use the stock Essential camera app?
A: Yes
Q: Does the 360 cam work?
A: No.
Q: Is this rooted?
A: No. You're on your own for that.
Q: Does this pass SafetyNet?
A: Yes. Android pay, Pokemon Go, etc work fine. If you root, depending on your root method, you may lose this ability. But the ROM itself does pass SafetyNet.
2017-11-20 FAQ rollup: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=74580036&postcount=189
FAQ site with some more info (be gentle with the terrible, or should i say complete lack of, css)

"Why no work" bug reports incoming in 5,4,3,2,1....
EDIT: @invisiblek if you need this post for anything, let me know.

THANK YOU!! So glad to see this. Just ordered the essential yesterday.

Any known bugs? How is performance compared to stock? Thanks for this!

Install it and find out. It's a testing build.

Awesome! Mine will be here soon.. glad to see development!!
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

First time with an A/B device, so everytime you update with a new build to the updater site it will prompt us and begin updating in the background? Don't have to be specific with the process itself but I was just curious as I'd like to stay up to date as possible if I start the custom ROM endeavor since it's still early on in development. Thanks!

installing now.. OP the link to twrp is broken

Thanks OP!
Got it up and running, seems pretty solid for the first build. The initial setup wizard hung at the last step for me but after a reboot it worked.
Oh, and the night mode works great!
^TWRP link worked for me about 30 mins ago
Update: I have installed most all of my apps and have been playing around setting up the phone for the last ~30mins....no stutters, no mistouches, everything is working great. LTE+ on VZW works, as well as Verizon messaging app. The phone apk has the option for vvm, haven't tested. Overall I can't believe how well this runs...ROM development has come a long way from the initial releases I'm used to on non nexus devices.

360 Camera doesn't work.....

CaptainElwood said:
Thanks OP!
Got it up and running, seems pretty solid for the first build. The initial setup wizard hung at the last step for me but after a reboot it worked.
Oh, and the night mode works great!
^TWRP link worked for me about 30 mins ago
Update: I have installed most all of my apps and have been playing around setting up the phone for the last ~30mins....no stutters, no mistouches, everything is working great. LTE+ on VZW works, as well as Verizon messaging app. The phone apk has the option for vvm, haven't tested. Overall I can't believe how well this runs...ROM development has come a long way from the initial releases I'm used to on non nexus devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same feelings here. I really hope vvm works. Will test tomorrow... The ROM already kept me up tik now 3:09am
---------- Post added at 09:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:09 AM ----------
Also on vzw don't see LTE + though.

Has installing lineage fixed the low signal strength problem for those people that have been experiencing it?
Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk

Works great! Found a wifi bug
Following the instructions posted, wifi stops working after flashing twrp and rebooting back into LOS. I flashed addonsu-14.1-arm64-signed.zip to enable App access to root. It worked, but wifi is broken on reboot. It turns itself off immediately after turning on.
Replication steps:
1. Follow steps in OP.
2. Reboot to bootloader (adb reboot-bootloader)
3. Flash twrp_mata-6.img (fastboot flash boot twrp.img)
4. adb push addonsu-14.1-arm64.zip /sdcard/
5. Install .zip in TWRP
6. Reboot
Anybody else getting this issue? The only way I've been able to fix it is to re-flash LOS.
EDIT: Thanks to @bmg1001, this issue is resolved (for me at least) by using this build of TWRP... Sorry, I can't post links yet! Can someone link this please?
https:// drive.google. com/file/d/1Pp9Hep-EEGNHLl6I_ob7ugihpKfrAcWm/view?usp=sharing
Note that flashing this TWRP build will allow you to reboot to recovery at any time without having to reflash TWRP, as mentioned in the OP.

omvir said:
Has installing lineage fixed the low signal strength problem for those people that have been experiencing it?
Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My signal strength improved from 2 bars to 3 bars at home, but I'm not sure if the reception has improved or just the number of bars displayed at certain signal strengths..

back2you said:
360 Camera doesn't work.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You betrayed Sony

TWRP DL link not working
tclaybor said:
Following the instructions posted, wifi stops working after flashing twrp and rebooting back into LOS. I flashed addonsu-14.1-arm64-signed.zip to enable App access to root. It worked, but wifi is broken on reboot. It turns itself off immediately after turning on.
Replication steps:
1. Follow steps in OP.
2. Reboot to bootloader (adb reboot-bootloader)
3. Flash twrp_mata-6.img (fastboot flash boot twrp.img)
4. adb push addonsu-14.1-arm64.zip /sdcard/
5. Install .zip in TWRP
6. Reboot
Anybody else getting this issue? The only way I've been able to fix it is to re-flash LOS.
EDIT: Thanks to @bmg1001, this issue is resolved (for me at least) by using this build of TWRP... Sorry, I can't post links yet! Can someone link this please?
https:// drive.google. com/file/d/1Pp9Hep-EEGNHLl6I_ob7ugihpKfrAcWm/view?usp=sharing
Note that flashing this TWRP build will allow you to reboot to recovery at any time without having to reflash TWRP, as mentioned in the OP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good Morning!
The URL for TWRP isn't working for me. I copy pasted it in chrome address bar. Could someone please kindly help? I'm drooling to get started!

makbomb said:
Good Morning!
The URL for TWRP isn't working for me. I copy pasted it in chrome address bar. Could someone please kindly help? I'm drooling to get started!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to the rooting guide and it's in there. Use the mirror
---------- Post added at 01:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:29 PM ----------
One thing I noticed is cell service is much weaker so far. In this same spot if my bedroom used to go from 99 to 103 dbm. Now it's at a118. Will monitor and report.
Shows 0 bars of service. Used to be 2-3

strictlyphat said:
Go to the rooting guide and it's in there. Use the mirror
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but it sounds like @tclaybor is using a different version, provided to him by @bmg1001 , since you'll see he was trying to link a google drive to that version?

makbomb said:
Thanks, but it sounds like @tclaybor is using a different version, provided to him by @bmg1001 , since you'll see he was trying to link a google drive to that version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The one in bmg1001 thread worked. But have to click mirror.
---------- Post added at 02:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:54 PM ----------
If u do get it installed let me know about signal. Mine taking big hit.

[Sofia(p)(r)][Recovery][WIP] TWRP 3.4.0.0

vache said:
Here you go : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x4t6ca8TLf1bNHrQa-jjCN_AhdV2W78u/view?usp=drivesdk
Boots on sofia (g power), sofiar (g8 power), sofiap (g stylus), sofiap_ao (g pro)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I started the thread, but did not make this build. Everything should work. Thank @vache.

Quick update I did get TWRP to build successfully. Unfortunately it just sits on the boot logo but doesn't go back to fastboot, but that was just a quick see what happens build. I haven't added everything I need to yet. Will work on it more tonight, but progress is good so far.

@CodyF86 thanks for taking the lead on porting TWRP to the G Power. The G Power appears to be the best "bang for the buck" phone on the market currently, and has been widely covered by the media so far. I expect that the Moto G Power sub will grow steadily in the upcoming months, leading to custom rom development for the G Power. Having TWRP ported would be a start to paving way for custom rom development.

So another quick little update. I have the device repo basically where it should be...give or take heh. It's changed a bit from what is on my github, but it's pretty close. The only issue i'm having is that compiling it with the minimal manifest isn't going to work. It doesn't compile right. It compiles, but it doesn't copy things over correctly and/or at all depending on what it is.
My repo is pretty close to what the moto one power and the g8 power have, at least for their android 9 device tree, and I can get TWRP to boot, if I use the moto one power image and just dump the moto g power kernel into it.
So short version is i'm downloading the full manifest, basically all of Omni, which should hopefully sort it out. It's downloading right now.
EDIT:
Actually it helps to read the documentation I guess lol.
https://source.android.com/devices/bootloader/system-as-root#using-vendor-overlay
Will keep playing with it.

This is exciting! Thanks for your hard work.

CodyF86 said:
Will keep playing with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for taking this on! Having TWRP recovery for "sofia" will really make this phone great!

GoodOlDan said:
Thank you for taking this on! Having TWRP recovery for "sofia" will really make this phone great!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I "should" have it working in a day or two...(or even tonight...) The Code Aurora repos have been helping greatly.
https://source.codeaurora.org/quic/la/platform/vendor/qcom/trinket/tree/BoardConfig.mk?h=LA.UM.8.11.r1-03800-NICOBAR.0

Quick question, is the Moto g power the same as Moto g8 power? If they get custom Rom they'll unified? From what I know, the g power is the us variant release of the g8 power, right?. Thx in advance

Been making changes and even trying to repack some files from our devices into chef from when I got chef to boot with a repacked kernel but the touch screen wouldnt work and it couldnt see any partitions really.
Part of the problem seems to be the build system. It's not populating the output image fully. It's not even putting the TWRP directory in there lol.....
Going to keep trying. Going to try to find a native android 10 device that has twrp working unless there isnt one yet. Also our device is a little different it actually puts certain things in /system where in android 9 they went into /vendor. Spent about 3-4 hours on it today, but not going to give up.
I think there is an issue with the OMNI build system though also.

CodyF86 said:
Been making changes and even trying to repack some files from our devices into chef from when I got chef to boot with a repacked kernel but the touch screen wouldnt work and it couldnt see any partitions really.
Part of the problem seems to be the build system. It's not populating the output image fully. It's not even putting the TWRP directory in there lol.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HI, I'd be willing to help with this, I'm a developer, I worked with @tecknight on TWRP for a phone called the Wiko Ride. We never quite got a working TWRP but learned quite a bit about AVB and such. I've already got my Sofia (US unlocked retail, running on Boost Mobile) rooted and could use a new challenge.
I too have been quite baffled by the Android build process at times - the docs that exist seem to assume a LOT of prior knowledge - the barrier to entry seems higher than ordinary Linux kernel hacking by quite a bit.

rlrevell said:
HI, I'd be willing to help with this, I'm a developer, I worked with @tecknight on TWRP for a phone called the Wiko Ride. We never quite got a working TWRP but learned quite a bit about AVB and such. I've already got my Sofia (US unlocked retail, running on Boost Mobile) rooted and could use a new challenge.
I too have been quite baffled by the Android build process at times - the docs that exist seem to assume a LOT of prior knowledge - the barrier to entry seems higher than ordinary Linux kernel hacking by quite a bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look at my github you can see the cluster ef of changes I made to at least get to a console. Ironically if you repack the kernel into the chef version of TWRP it boots to the GUI but the touch screen doesnt work.. Our device is weird although it is android 10 native but it has a /system folder. Also on android 10 you can just add things to the vendor partition without using the product partition as an overlay.
Unpack the stock recovery. I went back to the basics and am basically going to mirror the stock recovery then inject the twrp binary, but its weird, the omni build system isnt doing some things correctly it seems also.
This will be your greatest resource. Code Aurora has the answers.
https://source.codeaurora.org/quic/la
https://source.codeaurora.org/quic/la/platform/vendor/qcom/trinket/tree/?h=LA.UM.8.11.r1-03800-NICOBAR.0
https://github.com/codyf86/device_motorola_sofia
LA.UM.8.11.r1-03800-NICOBAR.0 is our current CAF version tree.
Actually I just started the repo over the commits were nasty. Everything important and pertinent is in the initial commit now.
Ive been compiling and hacking kernels for 10 years, building Android for probably the same and this switch to the new partition layout + TWRP has so far been the... I don't want to say hardest but longest thing i've tried to do without any forward movement.
Like I said I got farther just by repacking the our kernel into the moto chef kernel, but they have a system_root directory and we dont. We just have system.
Theyre lib64 goes in /vendor ours goes in /system.
unpack the stock recovery image to start also TWRP uses init.qcom.recovery.rc to do things on the init and init.rc hand off where as stock recovery version of that file is different.

Actually I know partially why it wont boot. I have the paths in the init.recvoery.qcom.rc messed up, but also [email protected] doesn't exist in our lib64/hw directories, but there is a [email protected] file in the stock recovery so going to try that, plus were building bootctrl.trinket.

Nm i found the -service binaries for the boot gatekeeper keymaster libraries etc. think I made some progress but I have to build it and make sure everything gets in the right spot. will keep on keeping on.

The current code I have on my github will boot the stock recovery lol (the build system is being weird)....the build system isn't putting things in the right spot still. I was able to get TWRP to boot by rearranging some things manually, but it isn't pretty. So there is some progress, but the build system is part of the problem at this point at least for android 10. I'm still working on it.

CodyF86 said:
The current code I have on my github will boot the stock recovery lol (the build system is being weird)....the build system isn't putting things in the right spot still. I was able to get TWRP to boot by rearranging some things manually, but it isn't pretty. So there is some progress, but the build system is part of the problem at this point at least for android 10. I'm still working on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, do you have a telegram account for easier conversing? I feel we might be able to help each other here?(I'm working on sofiar)

Dark98 said:
Hey, do you have a telegram account for easier conversing? I feel we might be able to help each other here(I'm working on sofiar)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can make one and ill dm you.
Here are my questions so far / some observations.
The init.rc that the twrp build system puts in the build is incorrect. It needs to be manually added...I think there is a flag for that actually, but I had to change it once it was built. (I was able to make it boot to the first screen by dropping in things in /sbin from https://github.com/TeamWin/android_device_motorola_chef)
The build system doesn't add the twrpres folder to the built image lol; or the twrp binaries to /sbin.
I literally had to copy them over from chef.
Also for example servicemanager and hardwaremanager aren't in the chef repo but they are in /sbin when you unpack the recovery image (chef), is the build system building them or putting them in from somewhere or are the repos not actually the final product and they had to hack the image a bit too.
I had ours added in then took it out when I couldnt find them in anyones device tree but they are there when you unpack all of the recovery images lol.
edit: It's actually putting most of the stuff (adbd) and symlinks in /system/bin including the recovery bin which is twrp, so let me readjust the init scripts.
our device is different it still has /system and not system_root.
another edit: Looking at android_bootable_recovery/crypto/ex4crypt I think im missing some libraries still.

Okay, if/when you do message me on there please, I hardly check XDA other than when I'm updating a Rom I maintain? @Dark998 is my username

@CodyF86
Interested and surprised to see that twrp for native android 10 is in the works.
After reading Dees Troy's article in late 2019 regarding twrp on android 10, I had resigned myself to the notion that twrp is more or less dead for android 10+...
https://twrp.me/site/update/2019/10/23/twrp-and-android-10.html
Hope you're able to get it working!

Q9Nap said:
@CodyF86
Interested and surprised to see that twrp for native android 10 is in the works.
After reading Dees Troy's article in late 2019 regarding twrp on android 10, I had resigned myself to the notion that twrp is more or less dead for android 10+...
https://twrp.me/site/update/2019/10/23/twrp-and-android-10.html
Hope you're able to get it working!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was absolutely able to get it to boot with adb up but with no touch screen and it couldn't see any paritions, but ive adjusted the fstab file.
Also slightly embarassed to say I repo synced and forgot to drop twrp 10 back in, but i need a libinit with twrp 10 and it actually gave me a couple solutions to that accidentally doing that, accidentally building aosp recovery once time lol xD

CodyF86 said:
I was absolutely able to get it to boot with adb up but with no touch screen and it couldn't see any paritions, but ive adjusted the fstab file.
Also slightly embarassed to say I repo synced and forgot to drop twrp 10 back in, but i need a libinit with twrp 10 and it actually gave me a couple solutions to that accidentally doing that, accidentally building aosp recovery once time lol xD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was thinking that if twrp isn't possible, how difficult would it be to modify stock recovery to remove signature verification?
With stock recovery signature verification disabled, at least side loading would be possible. Thoughts?
Also, I'm willing to help test if needed

Need help with device tree SM-T380

Ok, got a T380. Device specs show it should be much more snappy and responsive than it is. I want to build an ASOP or lineage build for it. There are no custom ROMs right now for my device. Can any dev point me in the direction of a tutorial for building the device tree and obtaining the proprietary blobs? I have been googling for weeks and most of them tell me to get the blobs from a similar device running LOS. I have some coding, flashing and linux expericence, so I am not going in as a complete noob. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. TIA

I started compiling roms in August so I have been through this journey in which you are about to start. I'm not a developer, but this is what I learned so far.
If you have a supported lineageos device, I suggest you build that first following the guides they have written. This will ensure you have the proper toolchain, tools, OS, memory, hard disk space, etc setup properly. Here is an example.
https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/gtelwifiue/build
For the device tree, I did a search using "github sm-t380" and it came up with
https://github.com/tangalbert919/android_device_samsung_gta2swifi
Once I knew the code name, gta2swifi, then I searched "github gta2swifi" which lead to
https://github.com/lilindian16/android_device_samsung_gta2swifi
which looks like a good start.
In order to build the rom, you need 5 things.
1) device tree
2) kernel source
3) vendor blobs
4) roomservice.xml
5) twrp
For kernel source, the T380 has open source code at
https://opensource.samsung.com/main
Type T380 in search box and download the Pie kernel source code.
For vendor blobs, if the
https://github.com/lilindian16/android_device_samsung_gta2swifi/blob/master/proprietary-files.txt
is correct, there's over 2300 files that you need to copy over.
For roomservice.xml, take an existing one that is close to the T380 and make modifications to it. I built the T350 and you can look at the roomservice.xml file at
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...ficial-lineageos-17-1-galaxy-tab-8-0-t4162573
For twrp, use an existing T380 twrp.
Video tutorials that I found useful in building roms.
https://www.youtube.com/c/AlaskaLinuxUserAKLU/videos

Thanks so much for the help. I am pretty much in the same spot. I have rooted and flashed just about every device I have ever owned and feel pretty confident I can build a ROM for this device. I already have rooted and TWRPed my T380 it was the vendor files and proprietary blobs that were totally dumbfounding me. I will check your links and work through it. Again, thanks so much for the links.

Okiera29 said:
it was the vendor files and proprietary blobs that were totally dumbfounding me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you haven't noticed, the vendor blobs are at
https://github.com/lilindian16/android_vendor_samsung_gta2swifi
One other tip. For your first build, build an eng build so you have adb logcat enabled right away. It took me days to figure that out when the boot animation was stuck or the tablet was boot looping. The magic command is
TARGET_BUILD_TYPE=debug TARGET_BUILD_VARIANT=eng make -j2 bacon
-j2 because my machine is only dual core and I only have 12GB DRAM to build.
It's the only way to see debug and information messages while the tablet is booting.

Thanks man! Still trying to get it set up right. I tried to build a debloated, deknoxed stock rom with Android Kitchen and failed. Luckily, had a TWRP back up so the soft brick wasn't an issue. I am determined to figure this out and get a thin custom ROM built for this sucker. I need to figure out overclocking too. You have been a tremendous help!!!

@Okiera29 Were you able to get a working LineageOS rom for your T380. If you don't mind telling me what you have tried and if you had success that would help me out a lot. I'm a newbie trying to find my way around custom roms

I forgot that I participated in this thread. I don't have the SM-T380, but one of the links I referenced earlier shows activity in the last month for the SM-T380 and as recent as < 48 hours.
Looking through the commit history, @andr01dfr3ak might actually have a running 18.1 because enforcing selinux is usually done last after the build is up and running.
Albert, aka andr01dfr3ak also worked on earlier versions of the SM-T350 with 15.1. Since then, I have helped build SM-T350 16.0 with some people and then built 17.1 and 18.1 basically on my own.

I do not have the SM-T380 either, so I am not sure if what I have right now even works. I just know that I can build LineageOS for this device.

@andr01dfr3ak built this rom for me I posses a SM-T380 but I don't have it rn I got stuff removed... for awhile.... If @retiredtab has the device may I suggest having @andr01dfr3ak give @retiredtab the rom to run?
{Mod edit: Link removed} my Discord Server.

i'm trying to download the rom from @andr01dfr3ak but there aren't any available mirrors on androidhost

Want to chime in here -- I too have a Samsung SM-T380, rooted and have TWRP 3.2.3-1 flashed to recovery. I downloaded an image lineage-18.1-20220114-UNOFFICIAL-gta2swifi.zip from somewhere, which is what I think @andr01dfr3ak has been working on.
I am able to successfully install the image, but when booting, the following message is displayed at initial splash screen: "KERNEL is not seandroid enforcing"
And then the display goes dark.
I'm more than happy to provide logs and/or test images if that would be helpful? Please let me know if there's anything I can do to move this along so we have a stable Lineage 18.1 image for the SM-T380!

I've (somehow) got this tree to boot. Whatever the manifest in the tree was doing, it wasn't working, but reverting to the stock one (and downgrading everything) seemed to do it.
I can't get the camera HAL to detect any cameras, though. I think Bluetooth also has issues, but at least WiFi/sound/earbuds are working so at the very least you can use it as a media consuming tablet. And I also have no idea if it works outside of my own device either.
Am a little uncomfortable uploading something that barely works, though, but if anyone capable of building it wants to find out, I have a tree here:
https://github.com/lifehackerhansol-android/android_device_samsung_gta2swifi
https://github.com/lifehackerhansol-android/android_vendor_samsung_gta2swifi

@lifehackerhansol Mind DM'ing me a link to your build? I'd like to work on this a bit and reviewing your progress would be helpful!

christophershaw said:
@lifehackerhansol Mind DM'ing me a link to your build? I'd like to work on this a bit and reviewing your progress would be helpful!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I no longer have this device, it has been given to a family member and reverted to stock. So I can't really make a build and confirm that it's working. The device tree I left above is exactly as I left it back when it did work, so you can go off that.
Sorry, I lost the existing build since. Had to reinstall Linux on my machine and all.

I now have another SM-T380. (lol)
The camera was a kernel issue. Turns out we were using j4primelte's kernel, and it worked all the way until it tried to initialize cameras, because our device's cameras aren't supported in that kernel. It's a miracle anything else worked... Well that was the first problem. The second one was that the blobs were old and Samsung botched their upgrade to 9.0 so I had to deal with several workarounds for that. Anyway camera fixed.
Currently in the middle of mucking with SELinux. When that looks clean I'll push a build(?)

Unofficial Unofficial TWRP and Gsi Android 11 or 12(kinda)

Hi guys. First post here and I'm not around my files so it will be a straight forward guide with no downloads right now, you're smart, you know where to source them...
Ok first and foremost, Unlock your bootloader, Motorola makes it easy and there are good guides on this site to do that.
Once your bootloader is unlocked your going to look for an Unofficial TWRP package for the Lenovo K12 Pro... "What?", You say... Yep K12 Pro. Download it and jump over to your boot loader and flash it or just boot to it through fastboot and now you have a way to install root permanently, or not if you would rather not, but you have that option now.
Next find the lastest Magisk apk and get that joker installed using TWRP. Now reboot into system and everything should load up as normal BUT now you have root with TWRP recovery. I have did this at least 100 times since figuring it out and sometimes I do this with a fresh factory flash and sometimes I do this as is without even wiping user data before or after. I'm no expert and I don't care to lose my files so on the rare occasion that I do have a boot loop or soft brick, I get myself into recovery and flash ANY of the cebu firmwares and do it all over again...
Ok, so now we know how to get root and custom recovery... Next find an AB version of Gsi 11 or "borrow" the latest system.img from an Android 12 update or firmware image and open up fastboot again and flash only the system.image to the system partition. Wipe or don't wipe, up to how lucky you're feeling, and then reboot to system... 11 will take 2-3 minutes to boot the first time and I had nearly all functionality when it did. 12, well, that's a little different, it took 3-4 minutes to boot to the setup screen and then lagged like crazy BUT it eventually started downloading a few files it was missing and got better. I couldn't get my calls or messaging to work right but I could hear my phone ring but it never called the phone app to open and let me answer... Weird stuff BUT FYI 12 is a pretty nice to look at OS and maybe one of you guys can take this to the next level and get some true usefulness out of it. I know it's not very technical but when one of you true geniuses try it and get it worked out please feel free to post a true guide with proper instruction and proper terms.
That's all I got guys. Thanks for reading this and ALSO if anybody has a complete list of fastboot and adb commands for the g9 Power or the K12 Pro please share them with me. I've gotten better at getting around but I'm not near as good as if like to be.

Obligatory safety PSA:
The Lenovo K12 Pro is just the Moto G9 Power sold under a different name, however, there could be minor differences that could cause problems.
Also, while searching for this unofficial TWRP build, I only found it on websites like unofficialtwrp.com, and the like. I couldn't find one on XDA. I was unable to find the device tree, or the kernel sources used by this website anywhere on the internet, and as such, the TWRP images provided on such websites are literal blackboxes.
TWRP images created and shared on XDA can be trusted, the source code used to create the image is displayed on the posts of the images, and XDA itself is a trusted site.
Here is what the official TWRP team have to say on the matter:
Unofficial TWRP Downloads
Like the TWRP team say, it is up to you to flash these images or not, but be careful.

mistersmee said:
Obligatory safety PSA:
The Lenovo K12 Pro is just the Moto G9 Power sold under a different name, however, there could be minor differences that could cause problems.
Also, while searching for this unofficial TWRP build, I only found it on websites like unofficialtwrp.com, and the like. I couldn't find one on XDA. I was unable to find the device tree, or the kernel sources used by this website anywhere on the internet, and as such, the TWRP images provided on such websites are literal blackboxes.
TWRP images created and shared on XDA can be trusted, the source code used to create the image is displayed on the posts of the images, and XDA itself is a trusted site.
Here is what the official TWRP team have to say on the matter:
Unofficial TWRP Downloads
Like the TWRP team say, it is up to you to flash these images or not, but be careful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, I posted as a proof of concept so people with more know how could improve upon. Use this at your own discretion and have fun in doing so.

Is there a way you could post a detailed, step by step instructions of this, please?
I've found the unofficial twrp, but haven't rooted a phone in over 2 years, so I'm a bit rusty, plus things have changed a lot these last couple years.
I'd really appreciate if you could take your time for that.
Thanks in advance.

I don't mind helping you out but I can't post publicly because the rules of the forum and the fact that it's unofficial. I'll get a guide wrote up and PM you. I've had no issues with my device at all but remember it is use at your own discretion.

Dauksza72 said:
I don't mind helping you out but I can't post publicly because the rules of the forum and the fact that it's unofficial. I'll get a guide wrote up and PM you. I've had no issues with my device at all but remember it is use at your own discretion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be awesome mate!
I really appreciate that!
Thanks in advance.

Dauksza72 said:
I don't mind helping you out but I can't post publicly because the rules of the forum and the fact that it's unofficial. I'll get a guide wrote up and PM you. I've had no issues with my device at all but remember it is use at your own discretion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was able to boot into TWRP but when I flash Twrp.img to recovery it won't stick, I always had to do fastboot into recovery if I try to boot into recovery it just reboots back into system, also can't remove any junkware from system, it always gives me error when I tried to remove it using root browser, im still on stock

zfk110 said:
I was able to boot into TWRP but when I flash Twrp.img to recovery it won't stick, I always had to do fastboot into recovery if I try to boot into recovery it just reboots back into system, also can't remove any junkware from system, it always gives me error when I tried to remove it using root browser, im still on stock
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check out https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/recovery-unofficial-twrp-3-5-2-cebu.4279917/
for TWRP.
As for removing junkware, as you may or may not know, dynamic partitions is a thing since Android 10. In it, the /system, /product and /vendor partitions have been subsumed under a /super partition. And Google has conveniently used a type of ext4 filesystem for that /super partition, that is read-only.
TL;DR: You cannot modify Android using any sort of "root browser" or inside TWRP, for that matter, anymore.
Off the top of my head, the only way you can remove "junkware" is through some Magisk modules, and even they might not even work.

There are three ways to debloat AFAIK:
Magisk - this is my preferred method. You either replace apks you want removed or empty the /product/etc/nondisable folder so they can be disabled. Takes minimal effort to figure out how to make modules and no scripting knowledge required.
Cross-flashing - you can flash retail software, often including modem firmware, to most Moto phones. The result is a clean system with no carrier junkware.
System R/W Scripts - this is the most nonsensical of the options(IMO), but this option exists if you look around and want to experiment. The big drawback here is that you have to redo everything after every update.

Dauksza72 said:
I don't mind helping you out but I can't post publicly because the rules of the forum and the fact that it's unofficial. I'll get a guide wrote up and PM you. I've had no issues with my device at all but remember it is use at your own discretion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello. I know you're new and welcome. I just want you to know, being an unofficial twrp isn't necessarily bad by itself. It's that the sources can't be verified. Lots of devces don't have official TWRPs, yet still have a rockin development section with TWRP instructions, as long as it's shared on a trusted site (I only trust 1 other) and lists it's sources and, even then, it should have the warning. Lots of scam sites target root noobs, as you've probably noticed. I don't think sharing instructions would have been against the rules, but should include a warning to let people know it's a questionable twrp build and it poses a risk, but all of our phones are at risk anyway. We don't have to worry about it anymore though since we have an official and still we are at risk, just far less risk. It comes with the territory. On the other hand, I've been I've been doing this for a very long time with countless phones and I've never noticed any malicious activity on any on any of them.