Best way to flash /e/ on brand new Pixel 5

[Maximilian]

Hi all,

i wanted a Pixel 5 with /e/OS, however it is out of stock on Murena store and i was lucky to find a brand new one on Amazon, so i bought it. I started with the easy installer and this one requests to have the device on the latest Android 12 before starting :-(. A brand new Pixel 5 comes with Android 11 and the OTA upgrade would jump to 13 directly, so i stopped and started wondering:
! As the phone was quite expensive i don’t want to brick it !

I see at least 3 options:

1. I could try with the easy installer and ignore the Android 12 requirement, but not sure about the risk.

2. I could do a manual / adb based install and take e/OS/ 11 based images
   question here: I flashed e/OS/ several times so far, however there is a new step i did not do with any other e/OS/ installs before: It says to flash the “avb_custom_key”. Is this key version specific? Do i have a risk to flash the key on e/OS/ 11 device, while that key image might be for Android 12 based e/OS/?

3. I could upgrade to Google’s Android 12 offline first, taking the Google original imager. Question here is: do the security patch levels match for the latest Google 12 and e/OS/ 12 ? “Upgrading” Android with a version that has a lower Android Security patch level is another risk to brick the device, if easy-installer locks the bootloader after the install process.

So questions over questions. Sorry for that. Any advice, what to do and tkae the minimum risk?

Many Thnaks for any answer here

Cheers
Andreas

Regain your privacy! Adopt /e/ the unGoogled mobile OS and online services

[piero]

Other way is waiting for /e/T (Lol)

But what will works for sure is installing the latest pixel stock image based on android 12 using fastboot or using the online gogol tool.
Then the /e/OS recovery manager using fastboot

[ralxx]

Hello Andreas. From my personal experience Google phone are the easiest to unlock and the use with custom ROMs. /e/OS can be installed with the Easy Installer which makes the process pretty hassle-free. And with Easy Installer you will get the most stable /e/OS. Therefore I’d go for what you call “option 1”.
I have recently done it with a Pixel 4a and the process was pretty similar - and hassle-free.

[roo]

Hello,
I’m trying to install e.os with easy installer on my pixel 5 but it’s stuck at this point…

I don’t want to mess with the phone trying with command lines
It is yet under android 13, maybe that’s the reason…? Do i need to downgrade before…?
Logs are stuck it seems too :

Thanks in advance

[roo]

According to this, i should be in the perfect condition (Android 13 stock) to install e.os S based on 13…

[aibd]

These letters and numbers are so irritating … you are right that you are trying to /e/OS on top of a “foundation” Stock at the same Android version. Today, for you, that is Android 12 (=S)

Android OS	10	11	12	13
/e/OS build	q	r	s	t
LineageOS	17	18	19	20

[roo]

Thanks for reply
Damned, i misread versions…so i can’t use e.os as pixel phone is yet under 13…?
Nevertheless i don’t understand why it’s stuck on “reboot on bootloader”…

[aibd]

I think I see on your phone image “Device state locked” ?

We don 't know how Easy Installer reached this point, whether it started the unlock … ??

It may be a learning experience to cross reference your log

• Linux: ~/snap/easy-installer/common
• Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\easy-installer

with the manual instructions.

• https://doc.e.foundation/devices/redfin/install

[Tech-e1]

apparently your bootloader is locked.
try adb reboot bootloader
if that doesn’t work try re-unlocking steps.

[roo]

Thanks @aibd and @Tech-e1 for your replies
Yes it seems locked as i followed all steps : developper mode, USB transfer, ticking “debugging USB” and “OEM unlock”
So far i think it has to see with android version so i looked around and found this : https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/google-pixel-5-downgrade-to-install-e-os.4583005/ more especially this tutorial to downgrade to android 12 : https://www.xda-developers.com/how-to-downgrade-google-pixel-from-beta-developer-preview-to-stable-android/#manualdowngrade

[roo]

This command is working but ends at same point than previously…even if i have ticked “OEM unlock”, “Device state” sticks to “locked”…

[roo]

It’s weird : i do have in developer options the option “OEM unlock” but once rebooted in bootloader device is locked so If @piero here is the same as on xda any insights would be appreciated…
I’m thinking to downgrade to android 12 using sideload, condidering i have a locked bootloader, but i’m not sure i’ll be able to then install e/os/ as it needs a unlocked bootloader…

Edit 1:
Following these steps : https://pixel.gadgethacks.com/how-to/unlock-bootloader-your-pixel-5-easy-follow-guide-0329550/ prompt says

This leaded me to update USB drivers…now it’s unlock…
Should i downgrade before installing e/OS/…? I suppose i do

Edit 2:
Tried flashing factory image with fastboot, but it failed

and rebooted to previous android 13 wiped…
Trying using flash.android.com now…which seems ok

Thanks

[piero]

.

Android 13 accidental upgrade

Last week-end (april the 30) i did an install of /e/OS for another user on a Pixel 5. It is possible to downgrade from A13 to A12 ( i did it). https://developers.google.com/android/images?hl=fr For a unknown reason, my computer refuse to apply the “flash-all” command (I would have preferred this method), so because i was in a hurry i decided to use the online tool provided from a google serveur. Today i found this recent xda thread that cover the topic : https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/g…

.

Navigate this article:

• Downgrading your Google Pixel smartphone to stable Android version
  • Method 1: Leave the beta program
  • Method 2: Manual downgrade
    • Using Android Flash Tool
    • Using Fastboot

choose method 2 : fastboot (at the end of the article)

.

Gogol Stock firmware Downloads :
https://developers.google.com/android/images?hl=fr

.

.
Then :
.

[HOWTO] an Unified Install Guide Project for /e/

this post is editable as a Wiki. (1) Download an /e/OS build (2) Download recovery-e or TWRP (3) install the appropriate Flashing Tools (4) allow “Non Vendor OS” to be installed on the device (5) Check the communication between the PC and your smartphone (6) Unlock the Bootloader (7) Flash a custom recovery manager on your device (8) install /e/ from your computer, using the “adb sideload” method or (9) Install /e/ without computer using the “Storage Device” method (10) post install…

.

https://doc.e.foundation/devices/redfin/install
.
/e/OS Downloads :
.
https://images.ecloud.global/dev/redfin/
.
https://images.ecloud.global/stable/redfin/
.

[roo]

Hello, thanks @piero (again because you helped me years ago installing e on my S7 ^^)
Finally as fastboot wasn’t working i tried downgrade with flash.android.com which worked (guess i didn’t choose right image…) and now e is installing with easy installer…

[roo]

I went trought all steps of easy installer but i now have :

Can’t find valid operating system.
The device will not start.

I think i’m good to follow your steps @piero or at least reflash e./OS/ because last working OS was android 12 stock so i guess that’s easy install of e./OS/ that corrupted it…

[roo]

Hello
Followed steps directly reinstalling e.os with the classic tutorial:
instead of this

i got this :

Nevertheless the phone is back working with e-1.11-s-20230510288098-stable-redfin, don’t know what went wrong with easy installer…

Is it possible to get rid of this ?

Thanks @piero

[aibd]

Well done. Your image from the update screen has all the features you want to see

Data wipe complete
Installing update
Step 1/2
Step 2/2

Your second image is of the “yellow” or “orange state warning”. Verified boot – boot flow

It is connected with your unlocked bootloader.

Unusually for /e/OS, the install instructions for your device https://doc.e.foundation/devices/redfin/install do cover

Locking the bootloader

… you might read further if want this … https://www.reddit.com/r/LineageOS/comments/n7yo7u/a_discussion_about_bootloader_lockingunlocking/

[roo]

Hello, thanks, it’s yellow
I followed all steps included relock bootloader…

Previously i had a pixel 3a on which i didn’t relocked and got everytime orange message, may i relock it…?
I can live with this message

[aibd]

So you went to the trouble of locking the bootloader and you still get a “Yellow warning”

@roo

I can live with this message

Very tolerant of you

@roo

Previously i had a pixel 3a on… , may i relock it…?

Not for a Pixel 3a, see also [LIST] Devices where bootloader can be relocked.

[roo]

Oh yes, in between i even got a red message (see post) with phone refusing to boot (i thought i bricked it ), so a yellow message it’s ok…!
Do i have to stick with the yellow message…? Because to my opinion i did everything to not have, even if it doesn’t really bother me, is it a sign of something wrong on my phone/installation…?
Thanks in advance