Related
After a long time thinking about it, I finally decided to try to root my Nexus 4 and install the Franco kernel. I wanted to do this mainly to get some control over the audio output of my device.
The amazing Wugfresh Toolkit got me up and running as root. I then used the Cyanogen auto-installer to install Cyanogenmod 11. I was very happy, and went ahead and downloaded the paid version of the Franco Kernel Updater from the Play store.
All good, but then when I went to lauch the Franco Kernel, I got an error saying 'You're root, but Superuser seems to be denying access. Open Superuser, choose 'forget' and come back to the Franco Kernel and you will likely be asked to allow it'.
So I went to Superuser (took me a while to find it because it used to be an icon on my desktop but it seems that it went away after I installed a custom theme, and I found it only at the bottom of the settings list). I couldn't find anything about 'forgetting', but I could see a log that showed 'deny' then 'allow'. So I went back to to the Franco app and voila! It was open and allowed me to look into all the different functions.
Using the video which is up at the Franco Kernel page at the Play store as my guide., I tried to go into 'Kernel Settings' to access those audio controls... and strangely, there were only 4 items there, the vibration control and 3 others. None of the audio control choices were there.
I thought I had to flash the Kernel so I went ahead and did that. After restart, I again got the 'Superuser' access error. I opened Superuser, but this time I could not get it to 'allow' the Franco Kernel. I could see the log with lots of 'Deny' events. I then did something I probably shouldn't have - I clicked the 'trash' icon. Now, it just says 'There are currently no Superuser app policies'.
So I'm at a standstill. I'm not a huge tech guy but I thought I would give this a try because how else will I learn, right?
Can anyone help me figure out
a) How to simply get the Franco Kernel app open again (by configuring Superuser to stop denying it), and
b) Why I can't see those audio controls in Franco Kernel?
Sorry for such a long post
Nick
Wow.
I saw that there was an option to 'Disable' Superuser permissions. So I tried that, but the Franco Kernel error message still popped up.
I went back to Settings to open Superuser and reset it to where it was... and now the Superuser icon has disappeared from the list at the bottom of the Settings page!
It doesn't show up in the list of Apps either (but it never did, even when I was searching for it earlier and found it on the Settings page).
CyanogenMod has their own implementation of superuser. And as such they can put it in settings instead of in an app.
Here is how you re-enable the superuser menu http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=39903306&postcount=5
As for your how to allow root action, see if there is an option in the superuser menu for something like a default action and make sure that it's set to ask for permission.
Sent from my Nexus 4, want to know my current project? Check http://team-fun.eu
SMillerNL said:
Here is how you re-enable the superuser menu http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=39903306&postcount=5
As for your how to allow root action, see if there is an option in the superuser menu for something like a default action and make sure that it's set to ask for permission.
Sent from my Nexus 4, want to know my current project? Check http://team-fun.eu
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for the response. I was able to tap 7 times and get back to Develope Mode. I then clicked Developer Options and turned it 'on' as instructed. However, in the long list of items on that 'Developer Options' list, I could not find anything that says 'Root Access'.
Can you give me any indication where 'Root Access' can be found?
Thanks again, I will try to Google it in the meantime.
Unfortunately, I just cannot get Superuser to allow the Franco request. I can see the 'deny' event and I have played with everything available to me via Superuser-->Settings, but there's nothing there that says 'Forget', which the error message from Franco tells me to look for, and there's nothing that says 'Permissions' or anything else with which I can allow Franco!
tradernik said:
Unfortunately, I just cannot get Superuser to allow the Franco request. I can see the 'deny' event and I have played with everything available to me via Superuser-->Settings, but there's nothing there that says 'Forget', which the error message from Franco tells me to look for, and there's nothing that says 'Permissions' or anything else with which I can allow Franco!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you open the superuser tab of the settings app, you should get a list of all allowed and denied apps. When you then long-press on one of the apps, you get another window where you should be able to deny access (to the apps that are allowed) or vice versa
Moreover, Franco kernel is not officially compatible with cm, so don't expect a bug-free experience even if you get it working.
Sent by carrier pigeon
Isn't Franco recommanded only for AOSP roms ?
laufersteppenwolf said:
When you open the superuser tab of the settings app, you should get a list of all allowed and denied apps. When you then long-press on one of the apps, you get another window where you should be able to deny access (to the apps that are allowed) or vice versa
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the response. Unfortunately, when I open SU, the main window is empty and there's a message saying
"There are currently no Superuser App policies".
Trying to open Franco and allowing SU to deny it doesn't populate this window - it just says the same thing. When I click on Settings or Logs in SU, I can see the logs with the denial events. Even long pressing on those doesn't pop up a box which allows me to give Franco access.
Any thoughts?
klvnhng said:
Moreover, Franco kernel is not officially compatible with cm, so don't expect a bug-free experience even if you get it working.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see. Okay, I wasn't aware of that.
It looks more and more like I am going to let Wugfresh re-configure my phone. I am assuming that in its current state, I can ask Wigfresh to just re-do the root process. Everything was going great until i installed Cyanogen and then Franco.
As an aside, rooting the phone has solved a problem I was having with my Gmail app. One initial startup each day, I would have to do a restart to get the Gmail app to pull emails in. It was always exactly two starts that were necessary, and it always worked on the second start. The native Andorid app which was handling my Hotmail didn't have that problem.
So rooting has been a positive for me so far.
AndyTimE said:
Isn't Franco recommanded only for AOSP roms ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aha, okay. Well, maybe the thing for me to do is let Wugfresh re-do the root process and then try an AOSP ROM. Of course, the thing about CM is that there was that handy self-installer.
This is a slippery slope, I can see that. I have seen a few good guides here for doing this stuff manually. Maybe the time has come for me to really figure it out...
In fact the phone is definitely a bit unstable now. It's working fine but the screen is flashing at me a lot. The Swiftkey keyboard intermittently disappears when I am writing an email or a text.
I think I'll start over again. If possible, can someone confirm for me that I can just use the Wugfresh toolkit and ask it to do the root process again from the phone's current state, or do I have to do a restore back to factory and then do the root process again from there?
Hello,
I've tried both nightly and snapshot versions of CM11 on my Nexus 10. I have also tried the nightly version of Omnirom.
All gave me problems with multi users: I've created 2 more users (one normal, one restricted), but when I tried to switch to one of the users, I got error messages of system apps crashing - launcher crashed, system UI crashed, etc.
Multi user work fine on stock 4.4.2 rom (rooted), I've also tried the deodexed stock rom published here, and it also work. But for some reason it doesn't work for me on CM11 or Omnirom...
Is this a known issue? Is there something I can do in order to make it work?
Can someone who uses these roms test it and tell me if you also have issues with multi users?
Any help would be appreciated!
Animor said:
Hello,
I've tried both nightly and snapshot versions of CM11 on my Nexus 10. I have also tried the nightly version of Omnirom.
All gave me problems with multi users: I've created 2 more users (one normal, one restricted), but when I tried to switch to one of the users, I got error messages of system apps crashing - launcher crashed, system UI crashed, etc.
Multi user work fine on stock 4.4.2 rom (rooted), I've also tried the deodexed stock rom published here, and it also work. But for some reason it doesn't work for me on CM11 or Omnirom...
Is this a known issue? Is there something I can do in order to make it work?
Can someone who uses these roms test it and tell me if you also have issues with multi users?
Any help would be appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was testing earlier today on last night's CM11 and had errors. The issue was a missing part of the commit on proper security labeling of multi-user data directories. It should be fixed in tonight's release but you will likely have to delete the users you added.
https://github.com/CyanogenMod/android_frameworks_native/commit/f2337c9cdf1e167a4a383961755392e3dd9aa3c1#commitcomment-5825564
Thank you very much! I will be waiting for the fix.
Meanwhile I have opened a JIRA on CM website:
https://jira.cyanogenmod.org/browse/CYAN-3783
sbradymobile said:
I was testing earlier today on last night's CM11 and had errors. The issue was a missing part of the commit on proper security labeling of multi-user data directories. It should be fixed in tonight's release but you will likely have to delete the users you added.
https://github.com/CyanogenMod/android_frameworks_native/commit/f2337c9cdf1e167a4a383961755392e3dd9aa3c1#commitcomment-5825564
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
I've just checked with the latest nightly (cm-11-20140328-NIGHTLY-manta), and the problem is still there.
I tried to create a restricted profile/user, and got an error message and freeze. I can't get to home screen on that user.
I did full wipe before installing this version.
I wanted to add some additional settings that may be helpful with the multi-user experience. As described at http://www.pocketables.com/2013/03/how-to-enable-multiple-user-mode-on-cyanogenmod-10-1-and-some-other-android-4-2-2-roms.html, the user there needed to add a couple settings to build.prop:
fw.max_users=8
lockscreen.rot_override=true
The first apparently helps with enabling multiple user (like with showing the users menu under Settings). The second makes it so the lockscreen can rotate to landscape mode, as only in landscape mode (at least for phones) only in landscape mode are the users shown.
If the builds automated getting these properties (or programmatic equivalents thereof) then it would avoid the need to hack them in.
I still don't know whether this is all that is needed though. I just installed cm-11-20140329-NIGHTLY-toro.zip to my old Galaxy Nexus and it didn't have the main fix, so when I create a Restricted User, the user must go through the whole Cyanogenmod setup, and at the end I get "Unfortunately, Cyanogenmod Account has stopped." as described in the Jira issue.
Animor said:
Hi,
I've just checked with the latest nightly (cm-11-20140328-NIGHTLY-manta), and the problem is still there.
I tried to create a restricted profile/user, and got an error message and freeze. I can't get to home screen on that user.
I did full wipe before installing this version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For a restricted user you have to turn a launcher on in the settings for the user.
sbradymobile said:
For a restricted user you have to turn a launcher on in the settings for the user.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks very much! I went into the settings for the restricted profile, and enabled the "*HPROF" app as you mentioned on the JIRA page, and the profile now loads.
Well...I spoke too soon, it seems. The Restricted User does not gain access to any apps after first login; I can install new apps on my regular User account and then give the Restricted User access, but when I actually log in with the Restricted User, they don't show up in the apps listing. It does gain access to apps that I give it access to prior to first login though. This unfortunately makes the Restricted User feature useless to me in CM11.
I was going to submit a bug in JIRA, but I'm using a nightly build (I had initially installed it hoping it would have better multi-user support) and they don't accept bug reports from there.
Looks like I may need to downgrade to stable if I want to actually submit a bug, but at any rate, for now it's on here.
tg2k said:
Well...I spoke too soon, it seems. The Restricted User does not gain access to any apps after first login; I can install new apps on my regular User account and then give the Restricted User access, but when I actually log in with the Restricted User, they don't show up in the apps listing. It does gain access to apps that I give it access to prior to first login though. This unfortunately makes the Restricted User feature useless to me in CM11.
I was going to submit a bug in JIRA, but I'm using a nightly build (I had initially installed it hoping it would have better multi-user support) and they don't accept bug reports from there.
Looks like I may need to downgrade to stable if I want to actually submit a bug, but at any rate, for now it's on here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no point in opening a new JIRA anyway, since there is already the JIRA I've opened (see the link above) on this subject. I took the effort to install snapshot version...
So please comment to this JIRA with what you wrote here, to give more information to the dev team about this bug. Hopefully they will fix all related issues to multi user on CM11.
tg2k said:
Well...I spoke too soon, it seems. The Restricted User does not gain access to any apps after first login; I can install new apps on my regular User account and then give the Restricted User access, but when I actually log in with the Restricted User, they don't show up in the apps listing. It does gain access to apps that I give it access to prior to first login though. This unfortunately makes the Restricted User feature useless to me in CM11.
I was going to submit a bug in JIRA, but I'm using a nightly build (I had initially installed it hoping it would have better multi-user support) and they don't accept bug reports from there.
Looks like I may need to downgrade to stable if I want to actually submit a bug, but at any rate, for now it's on here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This just requires a slight change to Trebuchet so that it loads the updated app list when a restricted user logs in. I am attaching an apk with the change to load the app list if you want to test.
Hi,
Can you please write it in the JIRA? So CM dev team would implement your solution for future releases?
https://jira.cyanogenmod.org/browse/CYAN-3783
sbradymobile said:
This just requires a slight change to Trebuchet so that it loads the updated app list when a restricted user logs in. I am attaching an apk with the change to load the app list if you want to test.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My apologies for not knowing how to do this, but I get the App Not Installed error: An existing package by the same name with a conflicting signature is already installed.
I looked this up and the general recommendation for most apps seems to be to uninstall and then install the new one. Given that I'm actively using the launcher I would replace, this seems like a dangerous idea and I don't want to brick the phone. What alternatives are there? Switch to another launcher temporarily, then uninstall Trebuchet, and then install and switch over to your updated version? Or does it involve ADB? I haven't used ADB since I had a G1, so I've had a long time to forget whatever I once knew there.
tg2k said:
My apologies for not knowing how to do this, but I get the App Not Installed error: An existing package by the same name with a conflicting signature is already installed.
I looked this up and the general recommendation for most apps seems to be to uninstall and then install the new one. Given that I'm actively using the launcher I would replace, this seems like a dangerous idea and I don't want to brick the phone. What alternatives are there? Switch to another launcher temporarily, then uninstall Trebuchet, and then install and switch over to your updated version? Or does it involve ADB? I haven't used ADB since I had a G1, so I've had a long time to forget whatever I once knew there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FWIW, I switched launchers and the other launcher I tried had no issues here. I am not able to simply remove the original Trebuchet though. At least the other launcher seems to work in this regard though.
This is a guide to debloat the KIW-AL10 and make stock Chinese usable.
First download Minimal adb and fastboot from here and install it.
Download HISuite and use that to install huawei drivers
Next Make sure developer options by hitting build number 7 times then open developer options and make sure usb debugging is activated in the developer options.
Plug phone into computer and install drivers, any unknown device will be adb so right click and select choose driver from list then select android devices then adb interface, always choose the older driver version for this phone.
One you have that installed you need to unlock your bootloader a great guide is here
Once you have unlocked the bootloader download install twrp using minimal adb and fastboot
First reboot into fastboot..
First check the device is present. using the command :adb devices
then boot into bootloader using the command : adb reboot-bootloader
if that doesn't work turn off device then switching on quickly hold down the volume down button while inserting the cable into the device
The device should then have a white screen with a robot and say unlocked in green writing
find the recovery image you downloaded and if its a different name rename it twrp.img so you know which one it is, files everywhere can get quite messy !
Now right click on the minimal adb link on the desktop and click open file location..
Now put the twrp.img file into the folder with the minimal adb files and close the window.
now flash the recovery using the command: fastboot flash recovery twrp.img
Voila if everything is sucessful your phone now has twrp recovery !
Next use the following command: adb reboot recovery, if that doesnt work force a shutdown by holding the power button then let the phone boot while holding down the volume up button, it should boot into recovery.
Next MAKE A BACKUP THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT AND WHEN ITS DONE COPY IT TO A SAFE DRIVE DO NOT KEEP IT JUST ON YOU SD CARD IN CASE YOUR CARD DIES ! BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THIS PHONE AND THE FACT THAT YOU CANT FLASH NON VOLTE ROMS ON THIS PHONE THIS IS YOUR ONLY WAY OF RESTORING THE PHONE SO GUARD IT LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT !
Now get a cup of coffee and have a break its not good to rush things
Now to root your phone..
Finish your coffee.
Download supersu from here
Put the zip onto your phones sd card and boot into recovery, select install and select the supersu zip and let it install, once done reboot the phone, it may reboot a few times thats normal dont panic, once the phone has finished booting check you have the su app installed, if so now we can do the rest of the stuff.
Next download google play store from here and install it
After opening the play store and signing in you will probably be told to update google services, let it do it then reboot the phone
Next using the play store download root explorer
Next stage is to make the dialer English. and remove yellow pages.
Using root explorer navigate to /cust/alltelecom/cn/prop
hard press on the file local.prop and select open in text editor using the 3 dots on the top right
Look for the following lines of code ro.product.locale.region=CN or similar
Change this to ro.product.locale.region=GB (or whatever your location is such make sure the country code is in CAPS )
Save the file
Now navigate to /system and open build.prop in text editor and change the following lines of code so they end in County matching code not cn
Example
ro.product.locale.region=GB (or whatever your location is such )
ro.product.locale.language=en (or whatever your location is such )
ro.product.locale.region=GB
Go slow there is lots of lines there but you will see them if you take your time
select save and exit from root explorer then reboot.. viola the chinese and yellow pages is gone !
After reboot you may get a baidu warning about location tracking, dont panic we will kill that bugger next !
Next install system app safe remover from the play store https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jumobile.manager.systemapp&hl=en_GB I always use this as its simple and keeps a backup of the removed app (just in case of problems)
Use that to remove all the chinse apps from the system including hivoice or it will interfere with google assistant, they are self explanatory
as they are all in chinese !
Next remove hi app
hi care
huawei id
network location (this is the one causing the nag screen dont worry work it will still work.
then reboot phone, there should be no more warnings about baidu location.
Now to get services google working.
You my have notice that despite installing a google account you contacts havent synced. we will fix that now..
To get google contacts to sync you need to install google contacts sync adaptor 6.0.1 from here
After you have installed it open up system apps and check it permision contacts is allowed, also open the battery setting and check it runs at boot and while screen is off, if there are no options for that ignore that bit and exit.
while you are there check google play services permission are all on especially contacts then reboot
Now install the google app from the app store
next install google assistant from the play store
now install google photos from the play store
Next install google chrome from play store
next install google calendar from the play store
next install google plus from the play store
next install google maps from the play store
next install youtube from the play store
Next install gboard from the play store
Then when all is done reboot the phone
After reboot check all the permissions of the apps and make sure all the google apps run at boot and keep running after screen off or they wont sync etc then reboot again.
Change horrible huawei keyboard to gboard in language settings
Open the google app and setup google and check your contacts have synced. set up the rest of your settings
Get a decent launcher as the huawei one sucks I use nova launcher prime its worth every penny but the free one is still good
Open settings app and click advanced, here you can change default launcher and select default app setting then select assistance and voice input, selectassist app as google select use text from screen and select use screenshot
I think that pretty much it, the rest you should be able to do yourself, have fun and good luck, any questions just ask.
I wrote this guide as there is very little info on the AL10,
Happy modding !
Very useful
Very useful post, my first venture into phone modding, enabled me to use my KIW-AL10 with Google functionality and to avoid the worst excesses of the stock Chinese software. Thanks!
Ed_shred said:
Very useful post, my first venture into phone modding, enabled me to use my KIW-AL10 with Google functionality and to avoid the worst excesses of the stock Chinese software. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the thanks ! glad it was of use to you, I wrote another guide which enables volte to be removed and put lineage os on instead which you may find useful, its a fairly lengthy process but foolproof and doesn't brick the phone which was my main concern as there is nowhere to download the stock roms for these 3gb variants, cheers
swukjay said:
Thanks for the thanks ! glad it was of use to you, I wrote another guide which enables volte to be removed and put lineage os on instead which you may find useful, its a fairly lengthy process but foolproof and doesn't brick the phone which was my main concern as there is nowhere to download the stock roms for these 3gb variants, cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, the phone worked ok for a month, but then started restarting itself all the time. I deleted loads of apps, but it didn't solve the problem. Now, I decided to try to solve the problem by installing a custom ROM, so first step was to wipe the phone with TWRP. After wiping, I no longer had root access, and now installing SuperSU doesn't work, I can install the .zip through TWRP recovery, but I still don't have root access afterwards, according to Root Checker. Any ideas? Thanks!
Ed_shred said:
So, the phone worked ok for a month, but then started restarting itself all the time. I deleted loads of apps, but it didn't solve the problem. Now, I decided to try to solve the problem by installing a custom ROM, so first step was to wipe the phone with TWRP. After wiping, I no longer had root access, and now installing SuperSU doesn't work, I can install the .zip through TWRP recovery, but I still don't have root access afterwards, according to Root Checker. Any ideas? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Repeated the process, ticked a few boxes in SuperSU, seems to be solved for now, thanks...
swukjay said:
Thanks for the thanks ! glad it was of use to you, I wrote another guide which enables volte to be removed and put lineage os on instead which you may find useful, its a fairly lengthy process but foolproof and doesn't brick the phone which was my main concern as there is nowhere to download the stock roms for these 3gb variants, cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, so I have tried quite a few times to install Lineage OS 14.1 and Viper, with both they get stuck in a bootloop. Trying to install Lineage with this guide https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/kiwi/install, the 'format data' stage is not successful. I get a message saying ' E:Unable to wipe '/data' - unknown file system 'auto Unable to format to remove encryption '.
I'm not totally committed to a custom ROM, but I'd like this phone to work. Any ideas, either how to troubleshoot the ROM flashing issue, or to get the phone stable with the stock de-Chinesed stock ROM? Thanks!
Intro
I decided to put together this all-in-one guild compiling all the research and testing I've done. I've seen a lot of the same questions and misunderstandings come up over and over in the various threads, most of which I had myself. I've spent lots of time, since I got my new Google Pixel 2 XL, searching XDA, following all the guides the fine folks here put together, flashing, restoring, testing, etc. I've been using Android since my Google Nexus One, so I've been messing around with all this for quite some time now. The Android community is amazing and I've learned a lot over the years, so it's my turn to hopefully help someone out.
I'll also share some of the caveats, issues and fixes I had to do with this setup. This was all done with a Google Pixel 2 XL on Project Fi with an eSIM & physical SIM, so this guide was written and tested with that, however it should work the same in theory with other carriers, but your results may vary.
NOTE: I am not a developer by any means. I've toyed with creating my own custom ROM, but I'm not a ROM or Kernel developer. I just got really good at using the stuff the other amazing smart people here developed and shared with the community.
NOTE 2: Following these steps WILL wipe your device, so make backups if needed!
Thanks
I would like to give thanks to the following folks for the guides, development and help; @topjohnwu, @nathanchance, @Dees_Troy, @luciusfox, @thedude420, @Quinny899, @airmaxx23, @matt1313, @sharkie405, @Tulsadiver, and @zachman1750. Please forgive me if I forgot to mention you directly as I've gone through many threads and guides at this point. I also thank the community for helping each other out and providing their experiences and testing as well.
Why Root?
I get the same question from everybody all the time, "why do you root your phone?" Well, many reasons, which I'll list a few below, but because I spent a lot of money on my phone and I feel I should have full access to it. If your phone is leased or company owned, I understand why you wouldn't, but if you own it outright, why not have full access to do what you want with it? I mean, how would you feel if you purchased a computer (I'll use Windows in this analogy) and it came with one user account that was only part of the "Users" group, no local Administrator or account part of the Administrators group and no way to grant your one user account Admin rights? I'd be upset as I wouldn't be able to do much with it including; remove bloatware, install my own applications, replace the stock AV/Malware software, upgrade my video driver or even start from scratch. I mean the first thing I do when I get a new computer is format the HDD lol. I know it might be a silly analogy, but I don't see how it's any different than having root access on my phone.
- Remove bloatware (system apps you don't want/need)
- Custom Kernels (though the stock kernel on this phone is amazing out to the box, custom gives us more access to manage wakelocks, color control, vibrations, among other kernel items) (EXKM and Kernel Adiutor are a couple great apps to tweak your custom kernel)
- Customer recovery (easy backup/recovery, easy flashing of Zips, etc...)
- Untethered system theming including; custom fonts, launcher tweaks, status/navbar tweaks, etc...)
- System wide ad blocking
- Full system backup/restore (Titanium Backup is amazing for full system backups and then upload to cloud storage of your choice)
- Terminal root access (every have horrible battery drain and can't figure out exactly why quick and easy? Drop to terminal, elevate using su, then run top and and see what app is hogging the CPU)
- Xposed modules for system customizations (I've used a lot over the years, but not on this phone yet. You will also FAIL SafetyNet if you use the Xposed Framework.)
- AUDIO MODS! I honestly don't know how I lived my life without apps like ViPER and Dolby on my phone
A/B Partitions
To hopefully help clear up some confusion here, I'll list some important points to take note of.
- The whole point of the dual partition setup is to make OTA updating easier, allowing for updating the OS in the background
- There are two system, two boot and two vendor partitions, but only one data partition
- Only one system and its corresponding boot partition are active at one time
- Whichever system/boot partition is active will use the one data partition
- Flashing a custom kernel, mod zip or Magisk will flash to the current active slot from recovery, however flashing the Google Image or a custom rom will flash to the inactive slot
- The recovery is part of the boot partition, meaning anytime you flash the stock or custom kernel, for example, you'll need to reflash your custom recovery again (unless you install a kernel zip created with AnyKernel2 by @osm0sis)
My Build
Sharing these details as if you are on a different image, kernel, carrier, etc... your results may vary.
Phone: Google Pixel XL 2 Black 128GB - purchased from Google Store / Hardware Version: rev_10
Carrier: Project Fi with eSIM & physical SIM
Android Version: Official 8.1.0 / Security Patch Level: February 5, 2018
Build Number: OPM1.171019.018
Kernel: 4.4.119-FlashKernel-Taimen-v2.20 (clang version 6.0.0)
Root: Magisk Manager 5.6.1(105) (patched dtbo NOT preserving "force encryption" or "AVB2.0/dm-verity") & Magisk 16.0(1600) / Modules: Busybox for Android NDK 1.28.1, Magisk Manager for Recovery Mode (mm) 2018.1.31, Single User Mod 1.4, ViPER4Android FX Materialized 1.5.1 (2.5.0.5)
Recovery: TWRP 3.2.1-0
APKs: SELinuxModeChanger v11.0, AdAway 3.2-60, Dolby, MinitBatteryResrouces
Convenient Play Store Apps: 3Minit Battery Settings, FiSwitch, Kernel Adiutor, Light Manager, Root Explorer, substratum (Swift Black), TiBu Pro (I do scheduled backups of my phone to my Google Drive) & Terminal Emulator (great to use Busybox commands like "traceroute" or "top" to find that app killing your battery!)
Android Platform Tools Install
1. Download the latest version for your computer OS (PC/Mac/Linux) from Google: https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools.html
2. Unzip the downloaded file to your hard drive somewhere and:
- Windows: add to your PATH (google "add adb to path")
- Mac/Linux: From terminal of your choice "sudo install adb /usr/local/bin && sudo install fastboot /usr/local/bin" (run from within the extracted directory and enter your password when prompted)
- Windows 10 & macOS High Sierra detect the phone automatically, but older versions you may need Android Device Drivers. Just Google what you might need and how to do it if your phone is not detected automatically.
Unlocking
1. Turn your phone off.
2. Press and hold Volume Down, then press and hold Power.
3. Plug your phone into your computer.
4. From command prompt/terminal on your computer (run Command Prompt as Admin in Windows throughout this guide):
- fastboot flashing unlock
- fastboot flashing unlock_critical
NOTE: I've read a lot of back and forth on if we should unlock_critial or not. This is just my opinion, but if you're here to do all this stuff to your phone, want complete access to do whatever you want to it, just do it. It's better to be ready now for the future because every time you unlock or relock, it will factory reset your phone. I've been unlocked both regular and critical since the first boot when I took my phone out of the box. I'll also mention, I’m not entirely sure what steps will work or not work in this guide if you don't since I've never not been unlocked with critical.
5. Follow the instructions on the phone screen to do the factory reset.
Clean Start
1. Download the "taimen" for Pixel 2 XL factory image [8.1.0 (OPM1.171019.018, Feb 2018)]: https://developers.google.com/android/images
2. Turn your phone off.
3. Press and hold Volume Down, then press and hold Power.
4. Plug your phone into your computer.
5. Unzip the downloaded file to your hard drive somewhere and from the directory you extracted the files (CMD/Terminal):
- Windows: flash-all.bat
- Mac/Linux: ./flash-all.sh
- Unplug your phone from your computer
Initial Config/Prep
1. Go through the initial phone setup steps.
- Make sure you setup your Google account so you have access to the Play Store and you can activate your eSIM if that's what you're using.
NOTE: When setting up with only an eSIM, I ran into some bugs and caveats I had to figure out on my own as Google support couldn't figure it out let alone understand what I was trying to explain to them. I ordered a physical SIM and now have both an eSIM and a physical SIM installed and can switch between them.
Verizon SIM: As @jrbxx7 was kind enough to share below; if running a Verizon SIM, wait till after setup is complete before inserting it. That way the vzw apps don't get installed on google setup.
eSIM Caveat: If you have 2 Step Authentication turned on for your Google account and your phone is your only device with the Google Authenticator App or Google Prompt, you will have to use one of your backup codes to log back into your account as your phone will not be activated until it's completed in the Project Fi application.
eSIM Bug: After you go through the initial phone setup, let Play Store finish its updates and don't reboot yet. Open Play Store and search for "Project Fi", then click "Enable", but DON'T update it. Just open Project Fi, complete the activation then reboot your phone. You can update the Project Fi app after the activation is successful. I've tested this through three factory restores and the result is the same every time.
Physical SIM: No issues since your phone will just be activated after boot so you can receive SMS codes.
2. Enable Developer Mode: tap "Build number" under "About phone" 7 times.
3. Under "Developer options", enable "USB debugging".
4. Download necessary files:
- Magisk 16.0(1600): https://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/magisk/official-magisk-v7-universal-systemless-t3473445
- SELinuxModeChanger 11.0: https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.mrbimc.selinux/
- AdAway 3.2-60: https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.adaway/
- Dolby: https://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-2-xl/how-to/viper-dd-atom-t3724096
- Kernel. I use @nathanchance Flash Kernel: https://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-2-xl/development/taimen-flash-kernel-1-00-t3702057
NOTE: You can use whatever kernel you want, but I've only used/tested with Flash. Flash Kernel also has the proper drives to resolve the TWRP touch issues. I've read other custom kernels do as well.
- TWRP 3.2.1-0 (image & installer): https://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-2-xl/development/twrp-alpha-pixel-2-xl-t3698148
5. Plug your phone into your computer.
- If prompted on your phone, save and allow USB Authorization for your computer.
6. Push downloaded files to your phone (CMD/Terminal):
- adb push <path_to_Magisk_file>.zip /sdcard/Download
- adb push <path_to_SELinuxModeChanger_file>.apk /sdcard/Download
- adb push <path_to_AdAway_file>.apk /sdcard/Download
- adb push <path_to_Dolby_file>.zip /sdcard/Download
- adb push <path_to_Kernel_zip_file>.zip /sdcard/Download
- adb push <path_to_TWRP_image_file>.img /sdcard/Download
- adb push <path_to_TWRP_installer_file>.zip /sdcard/Download
Install Kernel & TWRP
NOTE: As of the Google February security image release, TWRP will no longer decrypt. You have three options to flash in TWRP until it's fixed; disable security before booting to TWRP, use USB storage via your OTG adapter, or put the files you need in the /data partition.
1. adb reboot bootloader (CMD/Terminal while your phone is still plugged into your computer)
2. Flash TWRP:
- fastboot boot <path_to_TWRP_image_file>.img
- Once in TWRP, install the TWRP_installer.zip file
- Reboot into TWRP
- Install Kernel.zip file
- Install the Magisk_16.0(1600).zip file
- Reboot to System.
3. Configure Magisk:
- Open Magisk Manager
- (OPTIONAL) Patch dtbo by unchecking both "force encryption" and "AVB2.0/dm-verity", tap "Install", tap "Install", tap "Direct Install (Recommended), then reboot
NOTE: By patching dtbo, you will receive a message on every boot that says something along the lines of "There's an internal problem with your device". This is perfectly normal when patching the dtbo and can be ignored as nothing is broken. Now, to be honest, I patch dtbo as I can't get certain things to work properly without, like Dolby, and the message doesn't bother me as it's only on boot up. I know patching dtbo is necessary for some things. For example, I don't think you can do manual build.prop edits without editing dtbo, if I'm not mistaken. I have had a few others on other threads say they were able to get Dolby to work without patching dtbo and just using SELinux in "permissive" mode, but I couldn't. Up to you, hence the "optional" part. If you decide to patch dtbo and want to go back, just flash the stock dtbo image file in fastboot or TWRP.
- Open Magisk Manager
- Goto Settings and tap "Hide Magisk Manager"
- Reopen Magisk after it's done
- Goto Settings and make sure "Magisk Hide" and "Systemless hosts" are both enabled
- Gogo Magisk Hide and check the applications you need to hide from Root (banking apps, authenticators, etc...)
4. If Play Store is not showing as "Certified" under Play Store Settings, clear Data and Cache on the Play Store under Phone Settings. Your Play Store will now be "Certified" under the Play Store Settings.
Install/Configure SELinuxModeChanger and AdAway
NOTE: It's my understanding that SELinux does not need to be set to "permissive" for ViPER and Dolby to work, but I can't get them to work otherwise. My Dolby will FC without setting SELinux to "permissive", which is why I'm adding it to my guide in case someone else is having the same issue. You can use the Magisk Module script if you want, but I like the convenience of the App to turn on and off easily.
1. Open "Downloads" from the App Launcher on your phone.
2. Install both SELinuxModeChanger.apk and AdAway.apk.
3. Open SELinuxModeChanger:
- Tap "Permissive"
- Tap "Automatically start on boot"
4. Open AdAway:
- Open Preferences and make sure "Enable systemless mode" is enabled". It's normal to be Greyed out. This is verification from the Magisk Settings you set above.
- Tap "Download files and apply ad blocking"
5. Reboot phone.
Install & Configure Magisk Modules / Dolby
1. Open Magisk Manager and go to Downloads:
- Download "Busybox for Android NDK" (some root apps need this, but it's also nice to have these utilities)
- Download "Single User Mod" (needed for latest TWRP install to my understanding, but it worked for me without. I like this anyway because I don't share my phone)
- Download "ViPER4Android FX" (make sure to get the v1.5.1(2.5.0.5) version) / during install you will be asked what version and theme, chose the 2.5.0.5 driver version and the Materialized version (needed for Dolby).
- Reboot Phone
2. Open ViPER 4 Android FX application:
- Under Settings tap "Turn on developer mode" then tap "Disable SELinux"
3. Reboot Phone.
- After reboot, open ViPER 4 Android FX application and enable/configure the effects you want.
NOTE: Be patient after a phone reboot. It sometimes takes a minute for the Magisk modules to load.
4. Reboot to TWRP.
- Install Dolby.zip file
- Reboot into System
5. Open Dolby, and if it force closes, make sure your SELinux is "permissive" first and if you still have force closes, patch dtbo following instructions above.
Themes & Mods - Screenshots attached below!
I use substratum and Swift Black from the Play Store for my system wide theme. I use Light Manager from the Play Store for custom status lights for applications, etc... You can also get more customization of what icons to show or not show on your status bar by pulling down the notifications at the top of the phone and holding down the Settings gear icon until you feel a vibrate. You'll now have "System UI Tuner" under Settings->System. I'm also using the following Mods:
- SearchLess Launcher: https://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-2-xl/themes/mod-pixel-2-xl-launcher-mods-8-1-0-dp1-t3701939
- Rosemary Font: https://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-2-xl/themes/font-flashable-ubuntu-font-zip-pixel-2-t3710892
- Various Mods Aroma w/ 3Minit Battery: https://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-2-xl/themes/various-mods-8-1-december-update-t3721741
- Substatum /w Swift Black (I dont theme System UI or System UI Navigation as part of my setup with the Various Mods Aroma)
- ViPER w/ Audiophile X profile & Dolby using Music profile (Volume Leveler / Surround Virtualizer / Intelligent EQ: Open)
Updating
I'm going to keep these steps kind of generic and provide the order in which things have to be done (order is important), however for the details just follow the steps for each part above. You shouldn’t have to do the setup for Magisk Modules again unless:
- You ran into issues and needed to do a clean start with Magisk using the Magisk Uninstaller
- You are doing a Google Image update
Magisk - Push the updated Magisk Zip to your /sdcard/Download folder, boot into TWRP, flash new Magisk Zip, reboot into System, go through Magisk setup steps again.
Kernel – Push the updated Kernel Zip file to your /sdcard/Download folder, make sure you have the Magisk Zip file in your /sdcard/Download folder as well. Reboot to TWRP, flash new Kernel, flash Magisk, boot System and setup Magisk again.
TWRP – Push the updated TWRP Zip to your /sdcard/Download folder, reboot to TWRP, flash new TWRP Zip, boot into TWRP to test, boot System.
Google -
1. Disable any screen security you have.
2. Disable and uninstall Substratum themes, if you have any.
3. Full backup of some sort recommended!
4. Boot to Bootloader and do a flash-all (without -w) of 8.1 factory image, boot to System and allow the update to finish.
5. Boot back to Bootloader, boot TWRP, install TWRP, reboot to TWRP, install Kernel Zip file, install Magisk Zip file, boot back to System.
6. Complete Magisk setup steps (Magisk hide, App hide, systemless, etc..), check SafetyNet.
7. Apply any mods and themes in Substratum.
Have fun!
Right on brother. My own journey is pretty much a mirror of your write up and I can't think of a single thing to add. Nice work. We have the same setup. Lol
CyberpodS2 said:
Right on brother. My own journey is pretty much a mirror of your write up and I can't think of a single thing to add. Nice work. We have the same setup. Lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks man! Yeah, this stuff has always been fun to me. I don't mind "breaking" my phone so I have to figure out how to fix it. lol I lost count how many times I wiped, flashed, etc to come up with my list.
I've also updated the guide to include "updating" stuff.
felosisman said:
Thanks man! Yeah, this stuff has always been fun to me. I don't mind "breaking" my phone so I have to figure out how to fix it. lol I lost count how many times I wiped, flashed, etc to come up with my list.
I've also updated the guide to include "updating" stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly, I got really quick at starting from scratch... Lol
Nice write up! One note if u feel like adding it, if running a verizon sim, wait till after setup is complete before inserting it. That way the vzw apps dont get installed on google setup.
jrbxx7 said:
Nice write up! One note if u feel like adding it, if running a verizon sim, wait till after setup is complete before inserting it. That way the vzw apps dont get installed on google setup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the addition, I"ll add it now! I don't have a VZW SIM so I would never have known lol.
This is the best guide on XDA now! I've been reading 10 different threads to do stuff, but someone who understands how it all works together can make it so much easier... Thanks again [emoji106]
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
slaydog said:
This is the best guide on XDA now! I've been reading 10 different threads to do stuff, but someone who understands how it all works together can make it so much easier... Thanks again [emoji106]
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome! I'm happy to know this is helpful to folks.
Sticky?
Mods,
Is there any way to make this thread a sticky so it's easier for everybody to find?
Thanks!
jrbxx7 said:
Nice write up! One note if u feel like adding it, if running a verizon sim, wait till after setup is complete before inserting it. That way the vzw apps dont get installed on google setup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What exactly is installed for Verizon apps? I didn't notice them on my install. Not saying they are not there, just didn't notice the changes.
felosisman said:
Mods,
Is there any way to make this thread a sticky so it's easier for everybody to find?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think this thread is worth a sticky because it covers a lot of stuff that other guides don't, and covers them well. TWRP wasn't even a viable option when other guides were made, and it has made things much simpler...
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Thank you for the guide. So I assume that if I were to brick the device I could use the factory images and fastboot to restore? Does anyone know what would happen if you tried to flash an older factory image street upgrading through OTA?
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
andrewjt19 said:
Thank you for the guide. So I assume that if I were to brick the device I could use the factory images and fastboot to restore? Does anyone know what would happen if you tried to flash an older factory image street upgrading through OTA?
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should always be able to restore using the factory images from Google. In all the years I've been doing this, I've never once actually bricked a device to where is wouldn't work anymore. Just basically boot up to the bootloader and run the flash-all script. You can get the full Google images and instructions here: https://developers.google.com/android/images
As for downgrading, I've not personally done it. I know folks have gone from the 8.1 DPs back to 8.0, but if I'm not mistaken Google is making it hard to downgrade for security reasons. Once 8.1 is officially released, we may not be able to go back to 8.0, for example. I'll let others chime in with their experiences.
EDIT: After reading your post again, if you mean you took the November OTA you will be fine. The latest factory image from Google is the same as the Nov OTA.
please delete
felosisman said:
You should always be able to restore using the factory images from Google. In all the years I've been doing this, I've never once actually bricked a device to where is wouldn't work anymore. Just basically boot up to the bootloader and run the flash-all script. You can get the full Google images and instructions here: https://developers.google.com/android/images
As for downgrading, I've not personally done it. I know folks have gone from the 8.1 DPs back to 8.0, but if I'm not mistaken Google is making it hard to downgrade for security reasons. Once 8.1 is officially released, we may not be able to go back to 8.0, for example. I'll let others chime in with their experiences.
EDIT: After reading your post again, if you mean you took the November OTA you will be fine. The latest factory image from Google is the same as the Nov OTA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks buddy for the reply. That's what I figured but my personal policy had always been to "find" the fix before I tamper with anything. Once I unlock the bootloader I'm assuming I cannot take OTA's in typical fashion right? Also is relocking the bootloader the same as unlocking (obviously using the opposite command)? Thanks so much.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
andrewjt19 said:
Thanks buddy for the reply. That's what I figured but my personal policy had always been to "find" the fix before I tamper with anything. Once I unlock the bootloader I'm assuming I cannot take OTA's in typical fashion right? Also is relocking the bootloader the same as unlocking (obviously using the opposite command)? Thanks so much.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome! Absolutely, might as well be prepared just in case.
So, I've not tried it myself from "System Updates", but to my understanding you can still take OTA with the bootloader unlocked. I think the OTAs stop working when the System partition has been modified. But considering pretty much everything we do these days is Systemless, I think it'd be fine. I did manually install the November OTA from fastboot with my bootloader unlocked and it worked fine. To relock, yeah the command is pretty much just the opposite.
"fastboot flashing lock" would relock your device. Keep in mind though, every time you lock or relock it will wipe your device.
Sticky Request
I've done sone searching and can't figure it out, but does anybody know if there is an official way to request this to be a sticky?
felosisman said:
I've done sone searching and can't figure it out, but does anybody know if there is an official way to request this to be a sticky?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your guide helped
Cheers ?
You using any other mods
Sent from my Google Pixel 2 XL using XDA Labs
Prattham said:
Your guide helped
Cheers
You using any other mods
Sent from my Google Pixel 2 XL using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent, happy it was helpful!
No, I'm only using what I've got posted; ViPER, Single User and BusyBox.
I'll go ahead and ask this here since the Viper thread is so busy and I have seen a lot of answers and it's things that I've already tried over and over again. But, no matter which Viper version I download whether it be through magisk or a zip install via TWRP, I can never ever ever get the drivers to install. You got Viper in the title of your thread but I only seen one line of Viper in the op and that's to do with setting selinux to permissive, which I already have set to.
So does anybody have any out-of-the-box advice on what to do to get that Viper driver to install on a pixel 2 XL running 8.1 .0 DP2?
I'll spend all my 8 thanks for the day thanking somebody if they can help me figure this out.
Edit: I did just notice some more Viper instructions, my bad. I will try those out and report back
Edit 2: So I followed your instructions to the T, and the driver still won't install. Anyone got any ideas? It's not some sort of bug with the program is it where the driver has really been installed already but it's just saying that it's not?
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using XDA Labs
This guide is to install AOSP 7.1.2 and GApps on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, model GT-P7500 ("p4"). It has also been reported working on the Wifi-only version GT-P7510 ("p4wifi") with minor changes, noted in the instructions. I will update this main post as better information becomes known.
Updated 2018-Aug-06
After a couple dozen wipe-and-retry sessions, I thought I'd share my current setup which to date has been the most stable configuration I've had between Nougat and Oreo. I've had absolutely no stability issues so far with this setup, and I even have fully functional Google search, voice search (and Ok Google), and voice typing - no crashes. Anyone who's tried to install a modern GApps on these devices will know the frustration of literally endless and unstoppable "....has stopped" messages!
Here's what I've got working on my GT-P7500:
- AOSP Nougat 7.1 (all thanks to @decatf)
- Fully functional Google Apps - NO "... has stopped working"/"... keeps crashing" issues. None.
- Google Search, Google Now, voice search, voice typing, and other voice-related services ALL WORK. No crashing.
I should also mention that I have NOT included the instructions to create the 1GB /system partition. I figured this out when I was trying to install modern GApps that needed more space; in the end the instructions below turned out to be the best and do not require the expanded space. I have posted the file in another thread if anyone wants it for other purposes.
Installation Instructions:
Download these files to your PC. Some files are different for different variants of the device - make sure you get the right ones for your device!
Odin v1.85 (download)
Use only this version, the newer ones don't work well with this device.
TeamWin Recovery Project
Custom unofficial versions for p4* by @decatf. Direct download links below; select the right one for your device. (original thread / downloads page) Some have reported issues with TWRP 3.1.1; if you experience issues, try TWRP 2.8.7.0 instead.
TWRP 3.1.1.0 - for GT-P7500/p4 (download) - for GT-P7510/p4wifi (download) - for SGH-T859 (download)
TWRP 2.8.7.0 - for GT-P7500/p4 (download) - for GT-P7510/p4wifi (download) - for SGH-T859 (download)
Android Open Source Project 7.1.2 Custom Built for Galaxy Tab 10.1 - AOSP 7.1.2 built for p4* by @decatf (downloads page) (original thread).
decatf's AOSP 7.1.2 2017-10-05 - for GT-P7500/p4 (download) - for GT-P7510/p4wifi (download) - for SGH-T859 (download)
SuperSU v2.82 (download) (original thread).
Custom GApps from decatf's Lollipop release (download) (original thread).
Yes, really, the Lollipop version. Just trust me.
Boot into Download mode (instructions).
Connect to PC.
Start up Odin v1.85.
If the device is properly recognized, it will show up in the first of the row of white squares at the top. If not, install the Samsung USB Drivers and start again.
Use Odin 1.85 to install TWRP 3.1.1 Custom.
Reboot to Recovery mode (instructions).
Wipe the device, including the /system partition.
Transfer the AOSP, SuperSU, and GApps files to the device.
Install decatf's AOSP 7.1.2.
Install SuperSU v2.82.
Do NOT install GApps at this time, despite all the instructions everywhere else that you would normally install GApps before the first boot. This older release is being used to get a version of the Google app that works on this tablet's no-longer-supported CPU, and the install is done after first boot to bypass Google's Setup Wizard which will put you in an impossible-to-exit loop.
Reboot to System, and allow complete boot-up. Note that the boot will take several minutes as Android 7 does its thing setting up - be patient!
Once fully booted, wait a minute for the system to settle, then reboot back into Recovery.
Install custom GApps.
Reboot to System. Boot should be much faster this time.
You can do this part later, but the final steps will be smoother if you do this first.
Install a CPU Speed Control program of your choice. Device Control, 3C Toolbox, No-Frills CPU, heck even Automate or Tasker if you already have a script setup.
Set your CPU Max speed to 1400 MHz (1.4 GHz). I find stability issues at anything above 1400 on my device; your mileage may vary. When testing speeds, do not set them to apply on boot until you are certain it is still stable, or you may have some difficulty reverting.
Optionally Set your CPU Governer to Performance. This results in a smoother system overall, and doesn't seem to have much of an effect on battery life. I also use some settings to drop the Governer to Interactive when the screen is off, back to Performance on screen on. You can do this using any number of programs like Automate, Tasker, IFTTT, 3C Toolbox, and many others...
Most important step - open Play Store, go to My Apps, select Google, click the Menu in the top-right corner, and uncheck Auto-Updates. Alternately, you can go to Play Store Settings, and disable auto-updates altogether, but that is more troublesome than simply inhibiting the single app.
Update Google Play Services. It will need to be updated before most of the newer apps will function, so might as well do it now.
Install all the other Google apps you want from the Play Store, and any updates... you will need to update Play Services before most of the newer apps will function... but never, ever update the main Google app.
Open Settings.
Scroll to the bottom, and open Language and Input. Select Physical Keyboard settings, and enable "Show Virtual Keyboard". This ROM fakes having a physical keyboard always connected for some reason, so you will never see an on-screen keyboard unless you turn this on.
As long as we're in Settings, go to Security, and enable Unknown Sources. You'll probably want this.
Set up your Wi-Fi connection.
Adjust any of your other preferred settings.
You're finished! Try installing some of the software below.
Known issues:
Browser will crash once or twice during the first few minutes of operation for unknown reasons. Doesn't seem to happen again after that.
Recommended software that works: (I'll add Play Store links later...)
3C Toolbox / 3C Toolbox Pro - I've found this to be an excellent package for numerous functions including CPU control, app control, and battery reporting - I was able to quickly determine which of my chargers would charge it fastest. Also gives options for optimizing device on each boot and a number of other useful functions.
Via Browser, a modern browser built to be slim and speedy "for geeks". It is surprisingly responsive compared to the other two options on this old device.
decatf's Chromium for Tegra 2 CPUs (direct link to Downloads). This is a modern browser with all the features you expect, but compiled to run on the older CPU. It is a little bit slow but is essentially Chrome without the official branding, including the ability to sync with Chrome on other devices. @decatf is nice enough to keep compiling new versions to keep it roughly on par with Chrome, let's hope he keeps it up.
Firefox Focus, a privacy-focused version of the Firefox browser maintained separately. For whatever reason, this one is still compiled for older devices where the full browser is not. It is a modern and relatively speedy browser which can be nice to have on hand, but purposely eliminates features most people want in a daily-use browser, like bookmarks, history, etc.
Got suggestions for useful software that functions well on this old device? Let me know!
Mainstream software that WILL NOT WORK, even though it shows up as compatible in the Play Store and will install fine (but complain about your CPU type or report 'unsupported device'):
Google Chrome browser - as an alternative, check out decatf's Chromium, noted above.
Mozilla Firefox browser - as an alternative, check out Firefox Focus and Via Browser, noted above.
Find another one? Let me know! There were more but I've forgotten.
Original post...
You read it. I have a Tab 10.1 (GT-P7500) which I have managed to configure with decatf's AOSF Nougat 7.1, Google Apps with fully functional Google App and Voice Search (NO crashes), and with an enlarged /system partition so there is actually room on the partition to install some extra system apps without mucking about with linking or anything.
I slapped a quick guide to the GApps bit on the end of decatf's 7.1 thread in Development, but I wonder if there is enough of an interested audience for me to write up how I did the whole thing?
Disclaimer: It may or may not involve pentagram carvings and Satanic rituals.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I could find little to no information on how to do any of this, but I pieced it all together, experimented, and got it working. I've solved most of the problems I was having, including the ones that seem to be most commonly posted here from what I can see.
So here's what I've got working on my GT-P7500:
- decatf's AOSF Nougat 7.1
- Fully functional Google Apps, NO "... has stopped working"/"... keeps crashing" issues. None.
- Google App WORKS. No crashing.
- Google Now WORKS. No crashing.
- Voice search WORKS. No crashing.
- Voice typing and other voice-related services WORK. No crashing.
- Larger /system partition.
What I haven't figured out or haven't worked on yet:
- Some apps do not seem to be reading the compass properly, but I think a test app showed it as working, so needs more investigation...
- Get (standard) Firefox running.
- Which partitions can be safely reduced or eliminated to increase available data space.
- Experimenting to see if any voltage adjustments will allow 1.6GHz overclocking to function without freezing up. My device will only run stable at 1.4GHz
pOST the instructions
please post instructions
Yes Please!
Please post the instructions. I still use the OG Galaxy Tab 10.1 regularly. Yes its slow as all heck, and barely runs 2 apps at a time. But Id like to do this just for giggles before my Yoga Book comes in the mail and i lay my 6yr old Tab to rest.
I'd also be very much interested in this. I just got one of these as a gift for a NGO that I'm working for, and would love to be able to use it...
yes please!
Please post instructions/guide. Would love to able to update the tablet. My daughter uses it and it's so slow
pls advice if said method can be aplied to P7100
I am also interested in what you did to get everything working (for me, the Setup Wizard continually crashes right after the first screen).
Was this guide ever posted and has anyone tried it
robbinmoreka said:
Was this guide ever posted and has anyone tried it
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Yes they posted it here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=75777254&postcount=1046
I followed all the steps up until I got to 'install SuperSU'. First root I did, it stopped the home button/recent apps button from working. So I started again and didn't install it
GApps worked perfectly and I was able to login to google and download all my apps
Once I rebooted the system, the tablet was stuck on the "Android" logo for about 5-8 mins so I left it and then it loaded normally. 2nd time it loaded perfectly.
Installed Device Control [root] but it said it wasn't able to access the processor tab so uninstalled.
FYI, I had to use TWRP 2.8.7.0 available at the same link https://forum.xda-developers.com/devdb/project/dl/?id=24424 for my p4wifi. I tried the latter one, but didnt work so just copied over the older tar file, installed in TWRP itself, rebooted recovery, and then the rest of the steps worked. Thanks OP for trying to bring this old tablet back to life!
When I install aosp-7.1-p4-20171005.zip, I got:
E3004: This package is for "p4" devices; this is a "p4wifi"
and stop installing
How to solve this?
oncinc said:
E3004: This package is for "p4" devices; this is a "p4wifi"
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My bad, so sorry, I forgot to provide the links for multiple devices! I've fixed the main post. You want to get this file: https://forum.xda-developers.com/devdb/project/dl/?id=26886
Perfect guide, thank you! Brought my long forgotten tab back to life with some extra sparkle. I too had to use TWRP 2.8.7.0 to get the ROM to install on my P4. (Donwload link to 2.8 Recovery as the main thread links were down : https://get.xda-developers.com/dl/1....md5?key=juCucVnKuO7-Lt_mR3qH6g&ts=1534633325)
Word/Excel
Hi! I can't launch Microsoft Word/Excel/PowerPoint from Play Store. I get a message "This device uses a processor that doesn't meet the system requirements for installing Office.". Have I done something wrong during the update? Thanks!
Mine is running very smoothly including internet and video, however, I am having the following issues:
- home screen circle and task history triangle buttons in the bottom menu are not working
- when I plug in the USB cable my computer recognizes the device but no menu pops up on the tablet allowing me to select file sharing
- I can't access developer options in the settings menu (tapping 7 times on the build version does not bring it up)
So right now I can't move any files to the tablet.
robert_vdv said:
Mine is running very smoothly including internet and video, however, I am having the following issues:
- when I plug in the USB cable my computer recognizes the device but no menu pops up on the tablet allowing me to select file sharing
So right now I can't move any files to the tablet.
Click to expand...
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Slide down the notification bar. Select Nougat symbol to switch the USB mode.
Can you run Microsoft Word?
astepkin said:
Slide down the notification bar. Select Nougat symbol to switch the USB mode.
Can you run Microsoft Word?
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Unfortuntately, something is wrong with my onscreen menus. I can't swipe down to expand the menu, so I only see the top row of symbols (wifi, user, flashlight, auto-rotate, Bluetooth) and can't get to any other symbols. I'm kind of new to this so I'm not sure what impact different versions of TWRP would have - my version is 3.0.3. Maybe I should update to the version noted in the post.
I get the same error for Word.
Good guide, but some inconsistencies in the sequence.
For example, you indicate to disable the auto-update on the Google app BEFORE to fill in your Google account: it's impossible.
And even after you enter your Google account, you need to install at least one application (and therefore activate the wifi) to see the Google app in the list "My applications".
Other than that, it's more stable than my previous installation, and just for that: thank you!
f4t2
Good guide, I successfully installed Nougat on my Tab 10.1. following your steps. Very smooth. BTW, I didn't install any Gapps son I can't provide any feedback about it. I can say overclocking to 1400 Mhz seems pretty stable on my unit.
Regarding the non-NEON issue, I found this guy built a relatively recent Firefox 59 package compatible with our device. It's not the latest version, but it's better than what we had. It works fine for me.:good:
If you're interested the project is here:
https://github.com/schmaller/Fennec4Tegra2