[CUSTOM BUILD] Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact `lilac` (Android Q)

/e/OS Devices Custom Builds
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Here is a custom build for lilac based on the v0.15-q tag

Differences from official and unofficial /e/ builds

  • Includes F-Droid and Aurora Store as system apps, and the F-Droid Privileged extension, allowing F-Droid to update system apps. When you first use F-Droid, you can enable several other F-Droid repos, to give an even bigger choice of apps. See https://github.com/sfX-android/android_vendor_fdroid/blob/main/extra/additional_repos.xml for more details about these repos

  • Includes Lawnchair 2_v2.0-2408 from https://apkpure.com/lawnchair-2/ch.deletescape.lawnchair.plah/download/2408-APK. If you clean flash, after completing Setup Wizard, and allowing the phone to reboot if required, you should be offered the choice between Lawnchair and Bliss as your default Launcher / Home Screen. (You can always change your mnd later - Settings > Apps and notifications > Default apps)

  • Includes K-9 Mail version 5.732 from the F-Droid repos

  • /e/'s Apps and Mail apps are also present if you prefer to use those

This build has the same problem with Apps and the ‘microG Exposure notification Framework’ - and the same workaround using NanoDroid - as my recent unofficial build

Like the unoffical build, this build is based on the unofficial LineageOS 17.1 ROM made by XDA Contributors modpunk and derf elot

The custom parts of it rely a lot on the work of @steadfasterX in particular his android vendor e repo, which is a great guide for how to create your own custom builds.

The mistakes are all mine :wink:

The files used to build it:

This build has had even less use than my unofficial builds, so please backup anything you care about first and use it at your own risk. Here it is:

https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=2188818919693760292

Next step is a build which includes the real microG with the Exposure Notification Framework, so I don’t need the NanoDroid workaround. Don’t hold your breath :slight_smile:

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Lawnchair 2 version 2.0-2589.2589 is also available via Aurora store.

Which :telephone_receiver: dialer do you recommend?

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I know. I was just so pleased that I got the Custom build to include a working version, and to offer a choice at first-time use, that I decided to make it public. Getting and maintaining and up-to-date version is the next job on my list for this build.

(Actually it’s next-but-one: the first job is to get a working version of microG which includes the Exposure Notifications Framework. I can’t update /e/'s broken version because, in my builds, Apps crashes when I try to do the update. This isn’t a problem in official builds so it isn’t going to get fixed by /e/, and I have no interest in debugging Apps, which I don’t and won’t use. I’m still thinking about removing Apps, but I’ll probably leave it in, as there may be some people who prefer to use it rather than F-Droid and Aurora Store)

Since it has been fixed in the latest release, I have gone back to the default Dialer, and I’ve not encountered any problems. While it was broken I used Simple Dialer, available from F-Droid or Apps.

For a while I used most of the Simple Mobile Tools suite: Dialer, Calendar, Contacts, Gallery (not SMS which missed certain features compared with built-in, not Notes because nothing is quite as good as NextCloud Notes.) They are all OK, but they don’t really offer anything that the built-in versions don’t have (apart from a fully working Dark theme :slight_smile:

So now I’m back on the /e/ built-in versions, which all work fine for me. Makes life simpler not having to fill up the phone with other software, just for the sake of being different! I’m also happy to contribute to finding and fixing the remaining problems in the /e/ versions. That’s why, though I did think about swapping many of the /e/ built-ins (Calendar, Contacts, Dialer, Message) for the upstream versions from which they were forked (LineageOS for most, QKSMS for Message), I decided to stick with /e/ and try to help improve it and make it a more attractive proposition.

The only exceptions to that for me are

  • K-9 Mail, which is significantly better (for my usage) than /e/'s Mail fork. K-9 is much friendlier when working with multiple email accounts
  • NextCloud Notes. Because it is easier to switch between accounts. I have my /e/ account, and an account with OwnDrive that I have used for many years. It’s useful for me to switch between them in Notes. (I haven’t included that in the custom build though, as I don’t think many other people would want it in preference to the built-in)
  • And of course I use F-Droid and Aurora Store rather than Apps. Both are significantly less buggy, and I know where the APKs are coming from :slight_smile: That, and the launcher, were the main motivations behind building a custom ROM.
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Here’s a new build based on thev0.18.1-q tag. I am currently using it on my ‘daily driver’ device after ‘dirty flashing’ over my previous v0.17-q custom build. As always, use at your own risk, and back up your data before installing

The release notes for the v0-18-q tag are here

The list of fixed defects can be found here:

It differs from Official and unofficial /e/ builds as follows

  • F-Droid (with PrivilegedExtension and additional repos), and Aurora Store instead of Apps store
  • Choice of launchers: Bliss, Omega, Lawnchair
  • K9 Mail instead of /e/'s Mail - currently v5.8nn. v5.600 available by enabling the F-Droid Archve repo
  • Fennec (Firefox-based) browser instead of /e/'s Bromite fork
  • QKSMS instead of /e/'s Message
  • Etar instead of /e/'s Calendar
  • PdfViewer and LibreOfficeViewer removed
  • Stock Sony Camera instead of /e/'s Camera
  • The official MicrogGmsCore from microg.org - including the Exposure Notifications Framework - instead of /e/'s (currently broken) noen fork
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Here’s a new build based on the v0.19.5-q tag

Release notes are here

The list of fixed defects is here:

It differs from Official and unofficial /e/ builds in the same ways as the previous v018-q custom build.

I have ‘dirty flashed’ this release over the previous v018-q custom build, and everything seems to be working OK. It’s always worth backing up your data first though :wink:

Have fun!

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Awesome. Kepp the great work

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Here’s a new v0.20-q build, built from the v0.20.6-q tag. You should be able to ‘dirty flash’ it over your existing data. I have actually done some testing on this release, but I would still suggest backing up your existing setup before installation though :slight_smile:

It includes the stock Sony camera and /e/'s Camera app

Release notes for v0.20-q are here

List of fixed bugs is here

If you have problems with mobile internet, try switching to the amss_fsg_lilac_tar.mbn modem (Settings | Xperia Parts | Modem Switcher Activity)

Enjoy!

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It keeps saying no mirrors available for e.020 since yesterday?

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Yes - they’ve been having transient problems like this recently. I can only suggest that you keep trying at intervals

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It just rock to be able to use Sonys camera app developer. Thanks for it

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I have re-uploaded the zip file. The new link is

And download seems to be working OK. Sorry for the problems

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Here’s a new v0.21-q build, built from the v0.21-q tag. You should be able to ‘dirty flash’ it over your existing data. I have actually done some testing on this release, but I would still suggest backing up your existing setup before installation though :slight_smile:

It includes the stock Sony camera and /e/'s Camera app

Release notes are here

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Hej @petefoth . Do you think that you could change the webview from e/ to the one of divestos? Seems that ia more secure.

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Sorry - no. I’m mostly happy building from /e/'s source - its only some of their apps I don’t like :slight_smile:

I don’t know of any problems with the /e/OS webview. If there are any, they should be raised as issues, and /e/ will fix them.

If you need the security/features of DivestOS, I suggest you install DivestOS. As discussed over and over, /e/OS’s main focus is privacy and usability rather than security. If security is more important to you, then you are not /e/'s main target audience, and you should install a different custom ROM which shares your focus on security

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I am a daily user of e for sometime now.
All is good and if things are possible why not. Is not about ben super secure buuuuuut if possible to have better security also, why not?
Just saying

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Because somebody has to do the work to make it happen.

For my unofficial and custom builds, that someone would be me, and it’s not something that I think is worth spending my (unpaid) time doing (or even discussing to be honest, so this will be my last post on the subject).

For official builds, that someone would be one of the paid /e/ developers who, at the moment, have their hands full fixing bugs and implementing important new features, and whose managers probably also think it’s not worth spending time and resources on when there is more important stuff to do.

If you want to try and persuade them it is worthwhile, then raise a gitlab issue. Good luck :wink:

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Here’s a new v0.22-q build built from the `v0-21-q’ tag. As ever, please backup your existing setup, just in case.

Release notes are here

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I’m glad it works for you.

Unfortunately not, at least for the near future. I don’t have access to an OTA server and, even if I did, they are quite tricky to setup and maintain. If I can find an easy way of doing it, then I will, but don’t hold your breath :slight_smile:

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Yes - that shouldn’t be a problem, at least when you’re updating with the same Android version (i.e. from one q version to a newer one). Before I flash an update, I always backup the data partition using TWRP (and the boot and system partitions as well if I don’t have a copy of the currently installed version). Then, if there is a problem with the update, I can always wipe everything, re-install the current version and restore my current data. I don’t recall having to do that when doing a normal upgrade, but it makes me feel better :slight_smile:

It’s a different matter when you upgrade your phone to a newer Android version (i.e. q → r). At the moment there isn’t a reliable, easy way to upgrade without losing at least some of your installed apps and data. That’s not a problem with this device though, as I haven’t managed to make an r build that works, since version 0.19-r :slight_smile: And no-one has got the Sony Camera app to work reliably on this phone on anything higher than q, so I’ll be sticking with q for a while.

If you ever do get problems flashing, particularly if the device boot loops, (i.e. either stops at the /e/ boot animation, or reboots back to recovery), then the following sequence has always got me out of trouble:

  1. (in TWRP) Wipe system, cache and Dalvik partitions
  2. Format data partition
  3. Flash the new ROM (or the old one if you’re trying to get back a working version)
  4. Boot the device, and complete First Time Setup app: you can skip setting up WiFi, mobile data, and your /e/ account, but do set any screen locks that were in place when the device was last working and backed up.
  5. Back to TWRP, and restore the backup from the working device.
  6. Reboot the system, and check the major functionality works (Calls, texts, mobile data, wifi).
  7. If any apps keep stopping, try clearing their storage. If that doesn’t work, uninstall and reinstall the app)

With luck, you’ll never need to do any of that but … :slight_smile:

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