Simple Step-by-Step-Guide: How to Unbrick the LeEco Le 2 (X52x/Snapdragon), Unlock and Clean Install a Rooted Free/Libre and Open Source Android 8.1 Distribution (LineageOS 15.1) with OTA updates
You can also read this document in the Markdown format over on this GitLab Snippet!
Yes, this probably has been documented somewhere before, but I still want to share it. It took me more than two complete days to figure this out and probably this could help someone, so why not?
Prerequisites
LeEco Le 2 (X52x/Snapdragon)
3A USB charger
GNU/Linux (tested on Fedora 28 GNU/Linux) with root access or Windows workstation with administrative priviledges
Disclaimer
This will wipe all data on your phone, so do a backup before if still possible.
Code:
/*
* I'm not responsible for bricked devices, dead SD cards, thermonuclear war, or you getting fired because the alarm app failed (like it did for me...).
* Please do some research if you have any concerns about features included in the products you find here before flashing it!
* YOU are choosing to make these modifications, and if you point the finger at me for messing up your device, I will laugh at you.
* Your warranty will be void if you tamper with any part of your device / software.
* Same statement for XDA.
*/
Fixable Phone States
This method should work on pretty much every state the phone is in, even a fully working one. I've tested it on the following ones:
LED is blinking/flashing red, no visible charging process
A flashing process failed halfway through (TWRP, Modem, QFIL, whatever)
Bootloop
... (everything that didn't destroy the internal debug bridge that Qualcomm provides)
Personally, I tried to install LineageOS 15.1 on a Le 2 using an outdated version of TWRP without OEM unlocking in the stock ROM. Stuff only went downwards from here on, with the backups failing, TWRP getting corrupted, flashing processes failing midway (because I forgot to charge the phone before and I kept in plugged into my computer which did not provide enough amperage ... yes I know that this is a stupid thing to do), to the phone having a deeply discharged battery and not wanting to turn on, with only the red light blinking/flashing.
My System
This guide will work using pretty much any GNU/Linux, but you will need to have access to a Windows machine to use the proprietary Qualcomm flash tool. This is only necessary if you have the red blinking/flashing light brick or you have locked the OEM unlock function and can't flash the stock rom to unlock it (both happened to me).
Code:
[[email protected] ~]$ screenfetch
/:-------------:\ [email protected]
:-------------------:: OS: Fedora 28 TwentyEight
:-----------/shhOHbmp---:\ Kernel: x86_64 Linux 4.17.2-200.fc28.x86_64
/-----------omMMMNNNMMD ---: Uptime: 3d 6h 39m
:-----------sMMMMNMNMP. ---: Packages: 2305
:-----------:MMMdP------- ---\ Shell: bash 4.4.23
,------------:MMMd-------- ---: Resolution: 5120x2160
:------------:MMMd------- .---: DE: GNOME
:---- oNMMMMMMMMMNho .----: WM: GNOME Shell
:-- .+shhhMMMmhhy++ .------/ WM Theme:
:- -------:MMMd--------------: GTK Theme: Adwaita [GTK2/3]
:- --------/MMMd-------------; Icon Theme: Adwaita
:- ------/hMMMy------------: Font: Cantarell 11
:-- :dMNdhhdNMMNo------------; CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K @ 4x 3.9GHz [27.8°C]
:---:sdNMMMMNds:------------: GPU: AMD TAHITI (DRM 2.50.0 / 4.17.2-200.fc28.x86_64, LLVM 6.0.0)
:------:://:-------------:: RAM: 5947MiB / 12018MiB
:---------------------://
I used an old HP EliteBook 2740p as my Windows machine (running Windows 10).
[GUIDE 2] Unbrick, Unlock the LeEco Le 2 (X52x/Snapdragon) and Install LineageOS 15.1
Necessary Files
Editor's Note: I know that I should not mirror some of these. I'm still going to do it for preservation's sake, but please consider using the official ones if possible. Mirroring files, like I am doing below, is simply necessary in the custom ROM world as they they tend to disappear quite quickly otherwise. For example, at the time of writing this, the modem files have already disappeared from the internet. Take a look at projects like the Interplanetary File System that try to solve such problems and contribute if you are able to.
Code:
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=monospace][COLOR=#333333]| File | Needed Platform | Usage | Official Info Site | Official Download Site | Unofficial Download Mirror |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------- | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`QPST_2.7.438.3 By Tech Poison.zip`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Windows | Flashing official factory images | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]Tech Poison[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://www.techpoison.in/2017/12/how-to-flash-letv-le-2-x526-stock.html)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]MediaFire[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](http://www.mediafire.com/file/avfo9ql599suxdb/QPST_2.7.438.3+By+Tech+Poison.zip)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | (Not available yet, sorry) |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`x526.zip`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Windows | Official factory image | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]xdadevelopers[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://forum.xda-developers.com/le-2/development/tools-unbrick-thread-leeco-le-2-x52x-t3634609/post72975107#post72975107)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]Mega[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://mega.nz/#!65xR2AiB!crBkfNh8eLAsvl3ts1SZBMYzjCQZdgkA-YamUz0NysM)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | (Not available yet, sorry) |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`QDLoader HS-USB Driver .rar`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Windows | Qualcomm Drivers 1 | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]xdadevelopers[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://forum.xda-developers.com/le-2/development/tools-unbrick-thread-leeco-le-2-x52x-t3634609/post72975107#post72975107)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]Mega[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://mega.nz/#!ughHVAqK!79wHiYqTDZDk3_6flBu6G9JtlSDRpYctqd-op2584iA)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | (Not available yet, sorry) |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`QUD.WIN.1.1 Installer-10037.3 Setup .zip`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Windows | Qualcomm Drivers 2 | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]xdadevelopers[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://forum.xda-developers.com/le-2/development/tools-unbrick-thread-leeco-le-2-x52x-t3634609/post72975107#post72975107)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]Mega[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://mega.nz/#!e4YCTS4Z!YpNK36Mc6jk5ncDkYmMlriYVAixO5ldMBlglvU3ipb8)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | (Not available yet, sorry) |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`MSM8976.TA.2.0.0.c18-00004-8976_GEN_PACK-1.65238.1.66782.1.zip`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | GNU/Linux/Windows | Modem (fixes WiFi + cellular ) | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]xdadevelopers[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://forum.xda-developers.com/le-2/how-to/modem-lineageos-rr-case-messed-zips-t3533570)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]Google Drive[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1CAcz7jct9jcllxNmNIcVRnbmM/view)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | (Not available yet, sorry) |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`twrp-3.2.1-0-s2.img`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | GNU/Linux/Windows | TWRP recovery | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]TeamWin - TWRP[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://eu.dl.twrp.me/s2/)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]TeamWin - TWRP[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://eu.dl.twrp.me/s2/)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | (Not available yet, sorry) |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`minimal_adb_fastboot_v1.4.3_setup.exe`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Windows | ADB + Fastboot tools | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]xdadevelopers[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2317790)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]Android File Host[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://androidfilehost.com/?fid=746010030569952951)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | (Not available yet, sorry) |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`adb`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] and [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`fastboot`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] packages | GNU/Linux | ADB + Fastboot tools | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]Debian[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://packages.debian.org/search?searchon=names&keywords=android-tools)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Run [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`apt install android-tools-adb android-tools-fastboot`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] on Debian/Ubuntu or [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`dnf install android-tools`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] on Fedora | Not relevant |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`lineage_s2-2018-08-13-12-03-21.zip`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | GNU/Linux/Windows | LineageOS 15.1 (Unofficial) with OTA | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]xdadevelopers[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://forum.xda-developers.com/le-2/development/x52x-lineage-15-1-ota-t3821001)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]Own Server[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](http://vps533936.ovh.net/ota/zip/s2/)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | (Not available yet, sorry, but check out the [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]source code[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]) |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`Magisk-v16.7.zip`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | GNU/Linux/Windows | Root Permission Manager | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]GitHub[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]GitHub[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk/releases)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Not available yet, sorry, but check out the [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]source code[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://gitlab.com/le2_lineage)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]) |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`FDroid.apk`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | GNU/Linux/Windows | Free/Open Source Software App Store | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]F-Droid[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://f-droid.org/)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]F-Droid[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://f-droid.org/)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | (Not available yet, sorry, but check out the [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]source code[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://gitlab.com/fdroid)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]) |[/COLOR]
[/FONT][/COLOR]
Preparation
We start with the worst state possible - the blinking/flashing red light brick. If this is not the case for you, just continue after these first steps, but I encourage you to read through them anyways as they are quite fascinating problems.
Hardware
If the phone is still charging, make sure you have enough (50% +) battery left to avoid going through extra steps
Make sure that the cable you are using is in good shape and does not have a flimsy connection (yes, this is important - the original LeEco cable is of quite bad quality, and it should not fail during a flashing process)
Software
Install QDLoader HS-USB Driver .rar, QUD.WIN.1.1 Installer-10037.3 Setup .zip, QPST_2.7.438.3 By Tech Poison.zip and minimal_adb_fastboot_v1.4.3_setup.exe on Windows. If you are using GNU/Linux, you'll have to use Windows machine to do the unbrick at first, but you'll be able to use GNU/Linux as soon as it has finished.
Fixing the Blinking/Flashing Red Light
This one nearly gave me a heart attack, but it's quite simple to fix. It simply means that the battery is deeply discharged and thus the phone can't boot. To continue to the next step, do the following:
Use a 3A charger. This one is crucial, as less powerfull chargers might not be able to fix the deeply discharged battery.
Use a working cable that is in good shape. This one is also crucial - the original LeEco cable seems to be of rather bad quality, so replace it with a better on if possible in case the brick does not go away after continuing.
Try plugging the USB cable into the charger and connecting the phone to it. The blinking/flashing red light should show up.
Leave the phone plugged in for some time. This will take longer, depending on your charger (it took about 3 minutes with the official 3A charger, but nearly a whole night with a 500mA one - so use the official one)
Press power and volume-up repeatedly for 15s+. Sooner or later, the LED will stop blinking/flashing and the phone will no longer charge. If the phone is bricked, it is now in Download mode - follow the next steps now. Note that the phone does no longer seem to be charging (I checked it with a power meter), but don't worry - this seems to be intentional. If the phone does not show up on your computer, just repeat steps 3-4 over and over again. It will work sooner or later. This is the same procedure as with the Redmi Note 4, in case someone is interested.
Entering Download Mode
Editor's Note: This is different from Recovery or Fastboot Mode, even though you can also download things through both of them.
The LeEco Le 2 has different "modes" which it can be in. You can enter them like this:
Code:
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=Fira Mono][COLOR=#333333]| Mode | Key Combination |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| ------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#986801][B]**Normal**[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Press [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`power`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] for 15s |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#986801][B]**Recovery**[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Press [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`power`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] and [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`volume-up`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] for 15s |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#986801][B]**Fastboot**[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Press [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`power`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] and [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`volume-down`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] for 15s |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#986801][B]**Download**[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Press [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`power`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333], [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`volume-up`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] and [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`volume-down`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] for 15s (yes, all of them at once!) |[/COLOR]
[/FONT][/COLOR]
To unbrick the phone, enter the Download mode as described above.
Editor's Note: The screen will be black and there will be no visible feedback. This is intentional.
Connect to the Computer
Now, with the phone in Download mode, connect it to the computer using a USB-C to USB-A cable (such as the original one provided with the phone). Open up "Device Manager" and take a look at "Other Devices" - Something with "Qualcomm" should show up.
Extract the Factory Image
Extract x526.zip using 7-Zip.
Open QFIL and select the phone's COM port
Editor's Note: Make sure that you are using version 2.0.0.5 of the tool. Older and/or newer versions might not work (>= 2.0.0.5 did not work for me).
Open up QFIL from the start menu (the tool you've installed from above). Next, click on Select Port in the top right and select something with "Qualcomm" in the name (your phone). Make sure it actually is your phone - in my case, my laptop's mobile broadband module showed up as well, and we don't want to brick that (obviously ...).
Select the Extracted Factory Image
Below Select Build Type, select Flat Build
Below Select Programmer, select prog_emmc_firehose_8976_ddr.mbn from the extracted factory image's root directory
Below Select Build, select the factory image's root directory
Below Download, click on Load XML. First, select rawprogramm0.xml, click Open, then select patch0.xml and click Open again.
Check if the Download button is not striped anymore. This means that we can start the flashing process.
Flash the Factory Image
IMPORTANT: If you want to avoid the blinking/flashing red light brick alltogether, make sure that the following two requirements are met:
The phone is charged. Note that your computer might not provide enough amperage to sustain the phone in Download mode, so charge it before continuing, in case your phone does not suffer from the blinking/flashing red light brick yet.
The cable is plugged in correctly and can't slip out easily. While it is not the end of the world of the cable slips out during the flash, it will lead to the blinking/flashing red light brick more easily (as the loading bar won't show up anymore)
To flash the image, click on the blue Download button. In the Status output below the log of the flashing process can be seen. After it has finished, you should see "Download Succeed" in blue.
Test Out the Factory Image
If the flash was successful, enter Normal Mode, and test out the ROM and other phone functionality. The first boot might take some time (5-10 minutes).
Editor's Note: WiFi and cellular might not work just yet, at least it didn't for me (Hong Kong version/X520)
Enable OEM unlock
This is crucial - if you don't do this, you won't be able to flash a the recovery (TWRP) and/or any custom ROM.
Editor's Note: This is the part that got me into trouble in the first place.
To enable OEM unlocking, enter Normal Mode, and then do the following:
Open up Settings
Open up "About Device" (at the bottom)
Tap the "Build Number" 7 times (a toast should come up saying "Developer Settings have been enabled" or something like that)
Open up "Developer Settings"
Enable OEM unlock. Accept any warnings and double-check that the switch has actually been turned on.
[GUIDE 3] Unbrick, Unlock the LeEco Le 2 (X52x/Snapdragon) and Install LineageOS 15.1
Flash the Recovery (TWRP)
Editor's Note: You may use GNU/Linux from now on. Just be sure to prefix the fastboot and adb commands with sudo to use them, as they would not be able to see the device otherwise. Yay, UNIX permissions!
If you are using Windows, copy the twrp-3.2.1-0-s2.img to the installation directory of "Minimal ADB and Fastboot" (in my case, that is C:\Program Files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot). Then open up "Minimal ADB and Fastboot" using the start menu. GNU/Linux users don't have to do this - just be sure that you are in the directory in which the twrp-3.2.1-0-s2.img file is (for example ~/Downloads - enter it by typing cd ~/Downloads).
First, enter Fastboot mode as described above.
In the terminal (or command promt on Windows, which should have opened up when opening "Minimal ADB and Fastboot" using the start menu), type the following (on GNU/Linux, make sure that you are in the directory in which the twrp-3.2.1-0-s2.img file is):
Code:
fastboot oem onlock-go
fastboot boot twrp-3.2.1-0-s2.img
The phone will now reboot into TWRP. If it asks for changing the system partition, don't do that - if it asks for an encryption password, click Cancel.First, wipe the data by clicking on Wipe, then Format Data and typing yes. Afterwards, click on the home key at the bottom of the screen, then Reboot and then Bootloader. This will put you into Fastboot mode again.
Now, run this:
Code:
fastboot oem unlock-go
fastboot flash recovery twrp-3.2.1-0-s2.img
Then, reboot into Recovery mode as described above.
Flash the Modem
As you might have noticed, WiFi and cellular have probably not worked when you've tried out the stock ROM. If they did - that's great, you can simply skip this step!
First, while you are in Recovery mode, plug the phone into your computer. Using the file manager (Files on GNU/Linux or Explorer on Windows), copy and paste the MSM8976.TA.2.0.0.c18-00004-8976_GEN_PACK-1.65238.1.66782.1.zip file to the phone's internal storage. I prefer to create a ROMs folder on the phone and paste it into there for clarity, but this is certainly not necessary. Once you've copied the file to the phone's internal storage, in TWRP, click on Install, and select the file. Flash the modem by swiping the bar on the bottom. Afterwards, put the phone into Normal mode and try out whether you can use WiFi and cellular.
Flash LineageOS 15.1
Until now, you've been using the proprietary LeEco stock ROM. Of course, in order to stay safe, have the freedom to do whatever we want with our devices and to stop the spying, we want to wipe it of the phone. Thankfully, since a long time now, Android custom ROMs exist for such reasons - they give you the freedom to do whatever you want with your system. One such free (as in freedom)/libre distribution of Android is LineageOS, so this is what we are going to install. LineageOS gives you the following four essential freedoms:
Editor's Note: Yes, array's start at 0. This is not Lua.
The freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose (freedom 0).
The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it does your computing as you wish (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help others (freedom 2).
The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others (freedom 3). By doing this you can give the whole community a chance to benefit from your changes. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
As of my experience, LineageOS 15.1, which is based on Android 8.1 Oreo, is very stable, in fact much more so than the stock ROM. It also is much more up-to-date and thus much more secure. Fingerprint, Camera, ... everything is working perfectly fine!
Editor's Note: This sounds nice, so let's do it!
Put the phone into Recovery mode
Wipe the phone again. This will not wipe the modem however, which is intentional. To do so, in Recovery mode, click on Wipe, then Advanced, and select every option except for USB OTG and Boot. Swipe the bottom bar to confirm the wipe.
Copy the lineage_s2-2018-08-13-12-03-21.zip and Magisk-v16.7.zip files to the phone's internal storage (preferably by creating a ROMs folder and copying the file into there). The Magisk-v16.7.zip will give you the freedom to have full root access to the device.
Tap the home key, select Install, select lineage_s2-2018-08-13-12-03-21.zip, click on Add another zip, select Magisk-v16.7.zip and swipe the bottom bar to confirm the installation. This might take some time.
After the installation has finished, click on Reboot System. This will put your phone back into Normal mode.
Editor's Note: Some guides recommend you to install something called "GAPPS", or Google Apps, right after the LineageOS installation. This used to be necessary back when proprietary software (such as "GAPPS") where necessary for all basic functionality, but this has changed dramatically over the last year. No worries - you'll still be able to install proprietary software in case you rely on it (I do for example depend on WhatsApp). You just won't have to install it through the proprietary Google Play Store, but a free/libre software alternative. Running proprietary software on top of a free/libre and open source operating system is still better than a) the other way round or b) proprietary software on a proprietary OS.
Setting Up LineageOS 15.1
Out of the box, LineageOS comes as a minimal distribution (which is a thing I really appreciate about it). No bloatware at all - just the basics! One essential part of a modern OS however is missing - the package manager (or "App Store/Play Store") to install and update apps. In order to install it, do the following:
Windows: Open "Minimal ADB and Fastboot"
(Also Windows): Copy the FDroid.apk file to the directory in which "Minimal ADB and Fastboot" is, in my case C:\Program Files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot. If you are using GNU/Linux, make sure that you're in the directory in which the FDroid.apk file is (in my case, that is ~/Downloads - enter it by typing cd ~/Downloads).
Plug your phone into your computer using a USB cable
Run adb install FDroid.apk (you might have to accept the computer's fingerprint on your phone in a dialog that will pop up)
Now that you've installed F-Droid, you can install apps on your phone! The first one, I guess, should be a web browser. To install it:
Open up F-Droid
Search for Fennec (a liberated version of the Firefox browser)
Click on the first result and then on Install
Great, now you've got a web browser! F-Droid really is a nice package manager. You should always use it when possible - every app in it is Free/Libre and Open Source Software. In fact, most apps the average user needs are available in it - I personally really enjoy using the Simple Mobile Tools, the NewPipe YouTube client as well as Open Camera, which are all available in F-Droid.
But what if you need to install proprietary/non-free/non-libre software like WhatsApp or Spotify? Well, sure, technically you could just download the APK with Fennec from something like UpToDown or APKMirror, but this way you won't have any updates. Well, guess what, someone wrote another Free/Libre and Open Source Software to solve your problem, and it's called APKUpdater! Unlike what it's name suggests, it's actually a bit more than "just" and updater - it is able to download apps from many different sources, even the Play Store - without a Google account! To install it, do the following:
Open apkmirror.com/apk/rumboalla/apkupdater/ with Fennec, download and install the APK (you might have to enable Fennec as a "trusted source" for software during the installation)
Open "APKUpdater" from your home screen
Using APKUpdater, you can search and use an infinite amount of APKs (app packages) - in fact, far more than there are on the Google Play Store! Consider also checking out the settings of the app - there are even more sources that you can enable. Since your phone is now rooted, these apps can also update themselves in the background without any user interaction - very useful!
Maintaining LineageOS 15.1
It should be noted that the version of LineageOS that is being used in this guide is still unofficial (the official version for the Le 2 is 14.1, which is based on Android 7.1), but not only can you expect OTA updates (you'll get a notification an can update without any data loss), but also there might be an official LineageOS 15.1 for the Le 2. Consider contributing on the ROMs GitLab project.
Editor's Note: Yay, that's it! You're done!
Thanks a lot for reading my little tutorial! I hope it helped you in some way - after all, not everyone has two days to spend on unbricking a phone, so it's great that I'm still a student If you've appreciated my work here, consider clicking the "thanks" button - and as always, feel free to leave a comment, suggestion or correction in the thread! You might also be interested in some of my other free/libre and open source software and hardware projects, although they might be a little more obscure: consider following me on my GitLab, GitHub or Twitter accounts.
Copyleft 2018-08-18 @pojntfx under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 license.
Hi, thanks for your tutorial, sorry about my english, but i have a problem after tutorial. My x520 is freezing and restating, on the unlock screen, and red light is blink.
Do you have any idea what can i do?
Thanks and sorry about my english!
Wonderful guide.
I followed it to the T. But i am back to the same problem because of which i was here. The phone freezes on the unlock screen and reboots. I had a locked bootloader to start with, with no developer options selected, and my phone started freezing. Reset it from stock recovery and since then, no matter which Rom i flash thru QFIL, always i get stuck at or before login screen, sometimes even at language selection screen. The phone just freezes and reboots.
Any help appreciated.
TIA
dgarcia said:
Hi, thanks for your tutorial, sorry about my english, but i have a problem after tutorial. My x520 is freezing and restating, on the unlock screen, and red light is blink.
Do you have any idea what can i do?
Thanks and sorry about my english!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey,
are you able to see the LeEco pre-boot screen ("I'm getting smarter everyday" etc.) or are you able to access the recovery? If not, have you tried starting from the "Red Light Brick" section (red blinking light means that the battery is deeply discharged)?
Forthe55 said:
Wonderful guide.
I followed it to the T. But i am back to the same problem because of which i was here. The phone freezes on the unlock screen and reboots. I had a locked bootloader to start with, with no developer options selected, and my phone started freezing. Reset it from stock recovery and since then, no matter which Rom i flash thru QFIL, always i get stuck at or before login screen, sometimes even at language selection screen. The phone just freezes and reboots.
Any help appreciated.
TIA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey,
thanks for reading the guide. Sadly, I do not know what might be causing this problem - could you try to access the logs of the device to get further diagnostic info? Probably https://developer.android.com/studio/command-line/logcat or https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2882253/how-do-i-get-the-logfile-from-an-android-device#2888222 could be helpful, but I don't know if ADB logging is possible before enabling USB debugging in the developer settings. It is of course also possible that the modem is responsible for the crash - probably disabling Wifi etc. could help here (had this problem once on a Xiaomi Redmi Note 3).
Thanks again for guiding. I somehow miraculously managed to unlock the bootloader and enable adb. What i did was while flashing the minimalist indian rom again, failed half way ( rather at 25%), because of low battery. But surprisingly i managed to start the phone and this time it didnt ask for google verification, nor it had to be connected to net. immediately enabled developer options and oem unlock and usb debugging before it hung/froze again. This way i managed to get past the hurdle and flashed twrp recovery and lineage os as described here.
but Alas, the problem persists, the lineage rom managed to get to the lineage icon screen and as soon as the bottom button light goes up, it hangs.
Tried some other roms like ASOP (Official), lineage (Official), but these didnt see anything but LeEco boot screen.
i has been able to extract the Log file from twrp , but its so jumbled, cant understand anything. I feel that the internal flash storage may be at fault, but cant confirm unless i can parse the logfile.
Hoping someone can help me unbrick this phone. I can upload the log file if anyone is will to read/parse it.
Forthe55 said:
Thanks again for guiding. I somehow miraculously managed to unlock the bootloader and enable adb. What i did was while flashing the minimalist indian rom again, failed half way ( rather at 25%), because of low battery. But surprisingly i managed to start the phone and this time it didnt ask for google verification, nor it had to be connected to net. immediately enabled developer options and oem unlock and usb debugging before it hung/froze again. This way i managed to get past the hurdle and flashed twrp recovery and lineage os as described here.
but Alas, the problem persists, the lineage rom managed to get to the lineage icon screen and as soon as the bottom button light goes up, it hangs.
Tried some other roms like ASOP (Official), lineage (Official), but these didnt see anything but LeEco boot screen.
i has been able to extract the Log file from twrp , but its so jumbled, cant understand anything. I feel that the internal flash storage may be at fault, but cant confirm unless i can parse the logfile.
Hoping someone can help me unbrick this phone. I can upload the log file if anyone is will to read/parse it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all, sorry for the late reply - I've been quite busy. Feel free to share the log file, that could be quite useful! If the internal storage is the problem, that could be hard to fix - but let's at least try it
I will upload the log files which i was able to get hold on through twrp file browser, once i get back to my laptop. Meanwhile i have searched the net and i found a lot many people with similar problem of system freezing in sone other leeco devices also without any clear-cut solution. One guy was able to fix it by deleting Google playstore data and cache (i cant reach to settings-> apps->playstore, as the device seems to freeze at or before that point. I suspect it has to do with some software conflict leading to freezing/hanging.
Lets see. TIA
PojntFX said:
Necessary Files
Editor's Note: I know that I should not mirror some of these. I'm still going to do it for preservation's sake, but please consider using the official ones if possible. Mirroring files, like I am doing below, is simply necessary in the custom ROM world as they they tend to disappear quite quickly otherwise. For example, at the time of writing this, the modem files have already disappeared from the internet. Take a look at projects like the Interplanetary File System that try to solve such problems and contribute if you are able to.
Code:
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=monospace][COLOR=#333333]| File | Needed Platform | Usage | Official Info Site | Official Download Site | Unofficial Download Mirror |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------- | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`QPST_2.7.438.3 By Tech Poison.zip`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Windows | Flashing official factory images | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]Tech Poison[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://www.techpoison.in/2017/12/how-to-flash-letv-le-2-x526-stock.html)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]MediaFire[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](http://www.mediafire.com/file/avfo9ql599suxdb/QPST_2.7.438.3+By+Tech+Poison.zip)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | (Not available yet, sorry) |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`x526.zip`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Windows | Official factory image | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]xdadevelopers[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://forum.xda-developers.com/le-2/development/tools-unbrick-thread-leeco-le-2-x52x-t3634609/post72975107#post72975107)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]Mega[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://mega.nz/#!65xR2AiB!crBkfNh8eLAsvl3ts1SZBMYzjCQZdgkA-YamUz0NysM)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | (Not available yet, sorry) |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`QDLoader HS-USB Driver .rar`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Windows | Qualcomm Drivers 1 | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]xdadevelopers[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://forum.xda-developers.com/le-2/development/tools-unbrick-thread-leeco-le-2-x52x-t3634609/post72975107#post72975107)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]Mega[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://mega.nz/#!ughHVAqK!79wHiYqTDZDk3_6flBu6G9JtlSDRpYctqd-op2584iA)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | (Not available yet, sorry) |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`QUD.WIN.1.1 Installer-10037.3 Setup .zip`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Windows | Qualcomm Drivers 2 | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]xdadevelopers[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://forum.xda-developers.com/le-2/development/tools-unbrick-thread-leeco-le-2-x52x-t3634609/post72975107#post72975107)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]Mega[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://mega.nz/#!e4YCTS4Z!YpNK36Mc6jk5ncDkYmMlriYVAixO5ldMBlglvU3ipb8)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | (Not available yet, sorry) |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`MSM8976.TA.2.0.0.c18-00004-8976_GEN_PACK-1.65238.1.66782.1.zip`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | GNU/Linux/Windows | Modem (fixes WiFi + cellular ) | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]xdadevelopers[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://forum.xda-developers.com/le-2/how-to/modem-lineageos-rr-case-messed-zips-t3533570)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]Google Drive[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1CAcz7jct9jcllxNmNIcVRnbmM/view)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | (Not available yet, sorry) |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`twrp-3.2.1-0-s2.img`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | GNU/Linux/Windows | TWRP recovery | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]TeamWin - TWRP[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://eu.dl.twrp.me/s2/)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]TeamWin - TWRP[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://eu.dl.twrp.me/s2/)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | (Not available yet, sorry) |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`minimal_adb_fastboot_v1.4.3_setup.exe`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Windows | ADB + Fastboot tools | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]xdadevelopers[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2317790)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]Android File Host[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://androidfilehost.com/?fid=746010030569952951)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | (Not available yet, sorry) |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`adb`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] and [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`fastboot`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] packages | GNU/Linux | ADB + Fastboot tools | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]Debian[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://packages.debian.org/search?searchon=names&keywords=android-tools)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Run [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`apt install android-tools-adb android-tools-fastboot`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] on Debian/Ubuntu or [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`dnf install android-tools`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] on Fedora | Not relevant |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`lineage_s2-2018-08-13-12-03-21.zip`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | GNU/Linux/Windows | LineageOS 15.1 (Unofficial) with OTA | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]xdadevelopers[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://forum.xda-developers.com/le-2/development/x52x-lineage-15-1-ota-t3821001)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]Own Server[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](http://vps533936.ovh.net/ota/zip/s2/)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | (Not available yet, sorry, but check out the [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]source code[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]) |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`Magisk-v16.7.zip`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | GNU/Linux/Windows | Root Permission Manager | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]GitHub[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]GitHub[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk/releases)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Not available yet, sorry, but check out the [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]source code[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://gitlab.com/le2_lineage)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]) |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`FDroid.apk`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | GNU/Linux/Windows | Free/Open Source Software App Store | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]F-Droid[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://f-droid.org/)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]F-Droid[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://f-droid.org/)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | (Not available yet, sorry, but check out the [/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42][[/COLOR][COLOR=#4078f2]source code[/COLOR][COLOR=#383a42]][/COLOR][COLOR=#a626a4](https://gitlab.com/fdroid)[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]) |[/COLOR]
[/FONT][/COLOR]
Preparation
We start with the worst state possible - the blinking/flashing red light brick. If this is not the case for you, just continue after these first steps, but I encourage you to read through them anyways as they are quite fascinating problems.
Hardware
If the phone is still charging, make sure you have enough (50% +) battery left to avoid going through extra steps
Make sure that the cable you are using is in good shape and does not have a flimsy connection (yes, this is important - the original LeEco cable is of quite bad quality, and it should not fail during a flashing process)
Software
Install QDLoader HS-USB Driver .rar, QUD.WIN.1.1 Installer-10037.3 Setup .zip, QPST_2.7.438.3 By Tech Poison.zip and minimal_adb_fastboot_v1.4.3_setup.exe on Windows. If you are using GNU/Linux, you'll have to use Windows machine to do the unbrick at first, but you'll be able to use GNU/Linux as soon as it has finished.
Fixing the Blinking/Flashing Red Light
This one nearly gave me a heart attack, but it's quite simple to fix. It simply means that the battery is deeply discharged and thus the phone can't boot. To continue to the next step, do the following:
Use a 3A charger. This one is crucial, as less powerfull chargers might not be able to fix the deeply discharged battery.
Use a working cable that is in good shape. This one is also crucial - the original LeEco cable seems to be of rather bad quality, so replace it with a better on if possible in case the brick does not go away after continuing.
Try plugging the USB cable into the charger and connecting the phone to it. The blinking/flashing red light should show up.
Leave the phone plugged in for some time. This will take longer, depending on your charger (it took about 3 minutes with the official 3A charger, but nearly a whole night with a 500mA one - so use the official one)
Press power and volume-up repeatedly for 15s+. Sooner or later, the LED will stop blinking/flashing and the phone will no longer charge. If the phone is bricked, it is now in Download mode - follow the next steps now. Note that the phone does no longer seem to be charging (I checked it with a power meter), but don't worry - this seems to be intentional. If the phone does not show up on your computer, just repeat steps 3-4 over and over again. It will work sooner or later. This is the same procedure as with the Redmi Note 4, in case someone is interested.
Entering Download Mode
Editor's Note: This is different from Recovery or Fastboot Mode, even though you can also download things through both of them.
The LeEco Le 2 has different "modes" which it can be in. You can enter them like this:
Code:
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=Fira Mono][COLOR=#333333]| Mode | Key Combination |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| ------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#986801][B]**Normal**[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Press [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`power`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] for 15s |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#986801][B]**Recovery**[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Press [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`power`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] and [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`volume-up`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] for 15s |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#986801][B]**Fastboot**[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Press [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`power`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] and [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`volume-down`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] for 15s |[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333]| [/COLOR][COLOR=#986801][B]**Download**[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] | Press [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`power`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333], [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`volume-up`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] and [/COLOR][COLOR=#333333]`volume-down`[/COLOR][COLOR=#333333] for 15s (yes, all of them at once!) |[/COLOR]
[/FONT][/COLOR]
To unbrick the phone, enter the Download mode as described above.
Editor's Note: The screen will be black and there will be no visible feedback. This is intentional.
Connect to the Computer
Now, with the phone in Download mode, connect it to the computer using a USB-C to USB-A cable (such as the original one provided with the phone). Open up "Device Manager" and take a look at "Other Devices" - Something with "Qualcomm" should show up.
Extract the Factory Image
Extract x526.zip using 7-Zip.
Open QFIL and select the phone's COM port
Editor's Note: Make sure that you are using version 2.0.0.5 of the tool. Older and/or newer versions might not work (>= 2.0.0.5 did not work for me).
Open up QFIL from the start menu (the tool you've installed from above). Next, click on Select Port in the top right and select something with "Qualcomm" in the name (your phone). Make sure it actually is your phone - in my case, my laptop's mobile broadband module showed up as well, and we don't want to brick that (obviously ...).
Select the Extracted Factory Image
Below Select Build Type, select Flat Build
Below Select Programmer, select prog_emmc_firehose_8976_ddr.mbn from the extracted factory image's root directory
Below Select Build, select the factory image's root directory
Below Download, click on Load XML. First, select rawprogramm0.xml, click Open, then select patch0.xml and click Open again.
Check if the Download button is not striped anymore. This means that we can start the flashing process.
Flash the Factory Image
IMPORTANT: If you want to avoid the blinking/flashing red light brick alltogether, make sure that the following two requirements are met:
The phone is charged. Note that your computer might not provide enough amperage to sustain the phone in Download mode, so charge it before continuing, in case your phone does not suffer from the blinking/flashing red light brick yet.
The cable is plugged in correctly and can't slip out easily. While it is not the end of the world of the cable slips out during the flash, it will lead to the blinking/flashing red light brick more easily (as the loading bar won't show up anymore)
To flash the image, click on the blue Download button. In the Status output below the log of the flashing process can be seen. After it has finished, you should see "Download Succeed" in blue.
Test Out the Factory Image
If the flash was successful, enter Normal Mode, and test out the ROM and other phone functionality. The first boot might take some time (5-10 minutes).
Editor's Note: WiFi and cellular might not work just yet, at least it didn't for me (Hong Kong version/X520)
Enable OEM unlock
This is crucial - if you don't do this, you won't be able to flash a the recovery (TWRP) and/or any custom ROM.
Editor's Note: This is the part that got me into trouble in the first place.
To enable OEM unlocking, enter Normal Mode, and then do the following:
Open up Settings
Open up "About Device" (at the bottom)
Tap the "Build Number" 7 times (a toast should come up saying "Developer Settings have been enabled" or something like that)
Open up "Developer Settings"
Enable OEM unlock. Accept any warnings and double-check that the switch has actually been turned on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I cant dind these files
prog_emmc_firehose_8976_ddr.mbn
rawprogramm0.xml
patch0.xml
from where these files get? cant seen in extracted file
PojntFX said:
Select the Extracted Factory Image
Below Select Build Type, select Flat Build
Below Select Programmer, select prog_emmc_firehose_8976_ddr.mbn from the extracted factory image's root directory
Below Select Build, select the factory image's root directory
Below Download, click on Load XML. First, select rawprogramm0.xml, click Open, then select patch0.xml and click Open again.
Check if the Download button is not striped anymore. This means that we can start the flashing process.
Flash the Factory Image
IMPORTANT: If you want to avoid the blinking/flashing red light brick alltogether, make sure that the following two requirements are met:
The phone is charged. Note that your computer might not provide enough amperage to sustain the phone in Download mode, so charge it before continuing, in case your phone does not suffer from the blinking/flashing red light brick yet.
The cable is plugged in correctly and can't slip out easily. While it is not the end of the world of the cable slips out during the flash, it will lead to the blinking/flashing red light brick more easily (as the loading bar won't show up anymore)
To flash the image, click on the blue Download button. In the Status output below the log of the flashing process can be seen. After it has finished, you should see "Download Succeed" in blue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a problem - I was installed all things in order but when I trying to flash it stuck for a while in "Looking for file 'userdata_56.img'" and then I see FireHose Fail :/ any tips?
Dear, why quote the previous message completely? Just leave a hint!
where I can download everything I need?
flashing failed, how shoud I reset the phone now? it's stuck in download mode, I tried pressing for 15 seconds everything
Can I root the x526 without a pc..can u suggest any apps???
I felt so close this time. But still didn't worked. First I tried adb, so: oem unlock ect. Still locked can't unlock and can't disk data partition or something fails. Your methode via download felt so close but I got error. Download fail, sahara fail, Fail:QSaharaServer Failrocesfail. Tried everything but lots of dead ends.
Also I may have a different custom boot. But can't connect because it needs google verification and network. But there is somehow no network or wifi. (Maybe WAPI not installed?) But so that means I cant proceed anyhow.
My leeco x522 also doesn't have SD-card so it other options are pretty impossible.
What should I do??
---------- Post added at 02:21 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:35 AM ----------
Wow that lucky how you got past that google verification. I'm here still stuck I am wondering if there was a way to force to device to edit storage or force some custom boot.
I think the same. Storage at fault. My whole phone bricked because I tried playing a video via camera. Haha what a mess. What should I do.
Hi,
A few days ago, my Fire HD10(2019) refused to power on, or rather it would show some life (amazon screen IIRC), but go no further. Now it doesn't even do that.
On a PC I can see whats its doing across USB. "Bus 002 Device 083: ID 0e8d:0003 MediaTek Inc. MT6227 phone" on usb for about 45 seconds, then it disconnects for maybe 20s, and then repeats. Now I take the 0e8d:0003 device to be the amazon bootloader - so looks to me like the bootloder works, but crashes hard and restarts as soon as it tries to start android. So looks like the box is bricked.
I've tried the various buttons to go into fastboot - no success. Neither "adb devices" nor "fastboot devices" can see the device. On first booting, the machine brings up a serial interface (USB ACM device), alas I've not been able to connect to this.
So what are my options of getting into the machine? If I can't access the bootloader via the serial interface, are there UART pins on the board? If so where? If I can access the bootloader, can I switch to fastboot mode, so I can reflash the android OS? Where is the best place to look for info like this?
davidsummers said:
Hi,
A few days ago, my Fire HD10(2019) refused to power on, or rather it would show some life (amazon screen IIRC), but go no further. Now it doesn't even do that.
On a PC I can see whats its doing across USB. "Bus 002 Device 083: ID 0e8d:0003 MediaTek Inc. MT6227 phone" on usb for about 45 seconds, then it disconnects for maybe 20s, and then repeats. Now I take the 0e8d:0003 device to be the amazon bootloader - so looks to me like the bootloder works, but crashes hard and restarts as soon as it tries to start android. So looks like the box is bricked.
I've tried the various buttons to go into fastboot - no success. Neither "adb devices" nor "fastboot devices" can see the device. On first booting, the machine brings up a serial interface (USB ACM device), alas I've not been able to connect to this.
So what are my options of getting into the machine? If I can't access the bootloader via the serial interface, are there UART pins on the board? If so where? If I can access the bootloader, can I switch to fastboot mode, so I can reflash the android OS? Where is the best place to look for info like this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is actually the mediatek bootrom (your device can have mtk-su temp root access, if you downgrade). You must have one of the early release ones that have access to it. My guess there is something wrong with the preloader... While i can't pin it down, the information to reload is all in this thread...
New Fire HD10 2019 Bootless Root Method + Bootloader Unlock Brainstorming
There's a new Fire 10 coming out, with an Octacore processor, USB-C charging, and FireOS based on Pie: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/10/amazons-new-fire-hd-10-tablet-costs-149-and-charges-via-usb-c/ I most certainly don't need any more...
forum.xda-developers.com
Yes it was an early device. Alas it connected to the web, and updated itself from 7.3.1.0 before I disabled most of the amazon processes. So the original mtk-su for 7.3.1.0 never worked on my machine. Alas can't use this any more - as can't get into android any more.
I'm up to page 30 of the thread you posted, alas nothing read so far has managed to get into the machine.
And first progress - bypass_utility version 1.4.2. can connect (when run as root) and gives:
[2023-01-22 14:32:12.028038] Waiting for device
[2023-01-22 14:32:39.691833] Found port = /dev/ttyACM0
[2023-01-22 14:32:40.083041] Device hw code: 0x788
[2023-01-22 14:32:40.083391] Device hw sub code: 0x8a00
[2023-01-22 14:32:40.083586] Device hw version: 0xca00
[2023-01-22 14:32:40.083770] Device sw version: 0x0
[2023-01-22 14:32:40.083959] Device secure boot: True
[2023-01-22 14:32:40.084143] Device serial link authorization: False
[2023-01-22 14:32:40.087904] Device download agent authorization: True
[2023-01-22 14:32:40.088223] Disabling watchdog timer
[2023-01-22 14:32:40.092031] Disabling protection
[Errno 5] Input/Output Error
[2023-01-22 14:32:41.464834] Payload did not reply
davidsummers said:
And first progress - bypass_utility version 1.4.2. can connect (when run as root) and gives:
[2023-01-22 14:32:12.028038] Waiting for device
[2023-01-22 14:32:39.691833] Found port = /dev/ttyACM0
[2023-01-22 14:32:40.083041] Device hw code: 0x788
[2023-01-22 14:32:40.083391] Device hw sub code: 0x8a00
[2023-01-22 14:32:40.083586] Device hw version: 0xca00
[2023-01-22 14:32:40.083770] Device sw version: 0x0
[2023-01-22 14:32:40.083959] Device secure boot: True
[2023-01-22 14:32:40.084143] Device serial link authorization: False
[2023-01-22 14:32:40.087904] Device download agent authorization: True
[2023-01-22 14:32:40.088223] Disabling watchdog timer
[2023-01-22 14:32:40.092031] Disabling protection
[Errno 5] Input/Output Error
[2023-01-22 14:32:41.464834] Payload did not reply
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It has been a long time. Maybe try disconnecting the battery, not sure if it is staying in bootrom mode.... I remember mine had to have the battery removed or it would try to goto the preloader (i think). I used the process to downgrade back to 7.3.1.0, but it was like a year ago.
Michajin said:
It has been a long time. Maybe try disconnecting the battery, not sure if it is staying in bootrom mode.... I remember mine had to have the battery removed or it would try to goto the preloader (i think). I used the process to downgrade back to 7.3.1.0, but it was like a year ago.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes - mine stayed in 0e8d:0003 mode, when the device bricked itself - made no difference with battery on or off, always when through the same minute cycle, where the device would disconnect, then reboot.
Interesting after running the bypass utility - it has stayed up in the 0e8d:0003 mode - and hasn't rebooted.
davidsummers said:
Yes - mine stayed in 0e8d:0003 mode, when the device bricked itself - made no difference with battery on or off, always when through the same minute cycle, where the device would disconnect, then reboot.
Interesting after running the bypass utility - it has stayed up in the 0e8d:0003 mode - and hasn't rebooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it disabled the watchdog timer. From what is can see everything points to a potential wrong setup..
bypass_utility/README.md at master · MTK-bypass/bypass_utility
Contribute to MTK-bypass/bypass_utility development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
This post shows the same error as you read through it.
Payload did not reply · Issue #13 · MTK-bypass/exploits_collection
[Errno 5] Input/Output Error Payload did not reply
github.com
OK - using SP_Flash_Tool v5.2008 to attempt to flash maverick-downgrade-7.0_PR7310_940N and I get the error:
Connect BROM failed: STATUS_SEC_AUTH_FILE_NEEDED(-1073545198)
Disconnect!
BROM Exception! ( ERROR : STATUS_SEC_AUTH_FILE_NEEDED (-1073545198) , MSP ERROE CODE : 0x00.
[HINT]:
Please select a valid authentication file or ask for help.)((ConnectBROM,../../../flashtool/Conn/Connection.cpp,105))
So where do I get the authentication file from?
Michajin said:
it disabled the watchdog timer. From what is can see everything points to a potential wrong setup..
bypass_utility/README.md at master · MTK-bypass/bypass_utility
Contribute to MTK-bypass/bypass_utility development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ah yes - that explains why it was rebooting. So guess I have to dig into [Errno 5] Input/Output Error.
Seems like only way I have into the tablet any more is the mediatek bootrom, but as the tablet is sick - if that doesn't work, then probably its permanently dead. E.g. even getting access to a uart wouldn't help.
You have to only do file by file.
5. bypass_utility run succes with message "Protection disabled"
6. Run SPFlash Tool and flash boot, recovery, vendor, system. Wait to finish
7. Hold power button 15s to power off (check Ports in Device Manager windows)
8. Hold volume up and power boot to recovery with triactangle icon
9. Hold power and tap volume up then choose reset factory
10. Reboot
Thanks Michajin - I'm obviously having problems with the bypass_utility, whilst it connects to the MediaTek bootrom, it is not able to disable protection - and test mode bombs out. I've taken this up on the bypass_utility thread:
xda bypass utility