Dirty upgrade to /e/OS-T is possible ! (But not for all devices)

[piero]

The official documentation seems not accurate (inherited from previous versions),
since the /e/OS-“T” build generation (like LineageOS 21) are expected to include the updated needed parts of the firmware.
finally the sentence : “your device must be on latest android” (that leads in many case to lose /data by reinstalling full stock software )
now looks not mandatory, at minus on a device already running /e/OS “R” or “S” version.
.

@Leon
If you reread attentively their post, none of them have performed a Stock OxygenOS 12 installation,
both have performed a “dirty upgrade”

OnePlus 7 pro problems with latest OS - #14 by aibd

Which phone is best current choice running E/OS (after many failures) - #21 by eosfan

By jumping directly point (8) or (9)
but WITHOUT WIPING ANYTHING
(all the previous steps including (7) have been already done in the past, on a device /e/OS)

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

posts are editable as a Wiki. Here is the summary : (1) install the appropriate Flashing Tools (2) allow “Non Vendor OS” to be installed on the device (3) Check the communication between the PC and your smartphone (4) Download a custom recovery manager (5) Download an /e/OS build (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 “Device-Storage…

Some experiences demonstrate that you can avoid the full stock firmware installation and go direct to /e/OS-T

.

You are all invited to confirm this statement by sharing your personnal experiences in this thread.

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Edit : this is correct for some devices, not for all devices…

[aibd]

@Leon

I face the same issue with Oneplus8Pro…
After having read your description… Is there any way to do this without loosing the Datapartition or will the upgrade to T always come with a full new setup?

There is a LineageOS page for upgrade instantnoodlep of firmware here Update firmware on instantnoodlep | LineageOS Wiki

This method suggests one gets the firmware with the third party app Oxygen Updater, but note that you are not fully reverting the device to stock ROM so at this point you are not deleting any data.

One can check if the /e/OS downloaded ROM appears to contain firmware parts by running payload-dumper-go on the downloaded ROM. One could follow this Walkthrough, but run payload-dumper-go with no -p option so that all partitions are extracted.

[piero]

Also, one can compare to the content of the stock OS upgrade files they can find

[0xFAb]

As Piero has said here : Update /e/OS software - #14 by piero I should be able to by pass the firmware step form my Galaxy S10+ and… It works fine !

Thanks to all.

[Leon]

Thank you @piero my phone is a instantnoodlep. After what I read I’ll have a try updating to dev-version from stable android R.

Someone else in this forum recommended me to first flash the new partitions and recovery, and afterwards the system.

I’ll get back to you here as soon as I find the time

[mihi]

Here was my update from R stable to T dev with help from @aibd

[Walkthrough] Extract eRecovery and boot images using payload-dumper-go

Little update, I just booted into eOS v1.16-t, without wipe or going back to stock and even switching from stable to dev. I did some reading how Google flashes it to stock and some xda ost on others doing manual update on Pixels. After another Backup I figured what ever happens, happens. My steps we’re these: fastboot flash bootloader bootloader-sunfish-s5-0.5-8633307.img fastboot reboot-bootloader fastboot flash radio radio-sunfish-g7150-00091-220617-b-8737049.img fastboot reboot-bootload…

[aibd]

Another well researched thread on the subject

[How-to] OnePlus 6 - Direct upgrade (dirty flash) of /e/ OS from Android 10 "Q" to Android 13 "T"

Hello folks, it’s been a while since my last post and my popular(-ish) step-by-step guide for the initial install of /e/ OS on OnePlus 6. The reason for being silent is that I stayed on Android 10 for a long while, since any subsequent major update of the OS would have required flashing the stock firmware, which in turn seemed to require wiping and resetting the phone, which was not something I was looking forward to. But these days I am on holiday and I decided to take the bull by the horns. …

[Leon]

So if I get it right for instantnoodlep (Oneplus8Pro) I should flash

dtbo.img
vbmeta.img
2.2-t-recovery.img

(there are no other partition img in the recovery.zip)

then boot into recovery - apply update – sideload the 2.2-t-dev.zip

correct?

[aibd]

That is it! But I think I would run Oxygen Updater, so that you get that upgrade (if it exists) in case you should need it. You could collect the upgrade onto an SD card or usb stick.

Edit, and of course have a backup of things you regard as essential, in case something forces you to format data.

[piero]

From my point of view
There is nothing bad in running Oxygen Updater, and upgrade the rzcovery-e, But

in addition with needed firmware parts,

@Leon

dtbo.img
vbmeta.img
2.2-t-recovery.img

Are also included into the main /e/OS install .ZIP file.
And recovery will be updated if you tick the “update recovery” case during first boot wizzard.

So, in my opinion, to reach “an user very friendly process”,
you can avoid the stock updater, and manual recovery upgrade steps, you could directly download the 2.2-t-dev.zip, and then,

@Leon

boot into recovery - apply update – sideload the 2.2-t-dev.zip

[Leon]

Thank you! So Thursday evening we will know more… If it worked or not

[Leon]

I can confirm that it worked!! Wonderful!!

[WolfD]

Do I understand it correctly, that all I need to do for an dirty upgrade is e/OS image and nothing else?
And if yes, would this also work for my Samsung A52 to get from official S to community T?

[aibd]

Hi @WolfD welcome to the /e/ forum.

@WolfD

is e/OS image and nothing else?

Well, no … you would first need to do the research (for a device not so far mentioned) to see if the /e/OS ROM contains the required vendor parts.

I did this research before Upgrade Samsung A52 /e S to /e T without step over stock rom and for the A52 they were not found.

[piero]

Hi @WolfD welcome to this Forum.

here is the e-2.3-t-20240819427106-dev-a52q.zip content,

that looks not sufisant…

but have a try…

If not working, or if you decide to upgrade Samsung Firmware, take the A525FXXS6DWK2 firmware as it is latest android 13(T) based
you may preserve your /data if you don’t flash CSC

you also can wait a month for the release of /e/OS-U version

[WolfD]

Thank you for the fast and friendly replies

[piero]

@Marine, pour ton Galaxy s10e, tu peux tout simplement :

@piero

• télécharger la version la plus récente (e-2.3-t-20240819427106-dev-beyond0lte.zip) depuis la page /e/OS dev beyond0lte download,
• redémarrer en mode recovery,
• installer la nouvelle version depuis le recovery (sans effectuer de factory-reset → sans de perte de données).

la version e-2.3-t-20240819427106-dev-beyond0lte.zip contient les parties du firmware Samsung mises à jour nécessaire à une installation :

[Marine]

Merci.
J’ai fait ça, sauf que j’ai aussi installé android 12 en étape intermédiaire… Du coup j’imagine que ce n’était pas nécessaire mais au moins ça a marché !

[aibd]

@Gquirt

I’ve been putting off the upgrade to Android 13 for far too long.

Do we expect this method to work on ASUS ZenFone 8 - sake? Install /e/OS on a ASUS ZenFone 8 - “sake”.

@aibd

One can check if the /e/OS downloaded ROM appears to contain firmware parts by running payload-dumper-go on the downloaded ROM. One could follow this Walkthrough, but run payload-dumper-go with no -p option so that all partitions are extracted.

This is the resulting output

~$ cd /test-sake/
/test-sake$ ls
e-2.3-t-20240820427106-dev-sake.zip  payload-dumper-go


/test-sake$ ./payload-dumper-go e-2.3-t-20240820427106-dev-sake.zip
Please wait while extracting payload.bin from the archive.
payload.bin: /tmp/payload_819917164.bin
Payload Version: 2
Payload Manifest Length: 125137
Payload Manifest Signature Length: 267
Found partitions:
abl (602 kB), aop (246 kB), bluetooth (1.1 MB), boot (101 MB), cpucp (106 kB), devcfg (49 kB), dsp (67 MB), dtbo (25 MB), featenabler (90 kB), hyp (3.7 MB), keymaster (287 kB), modem (182 MB), multiimgoem (16 kB), odm (1.5 MB), product (629 MB), qupfw (57 kB), qweslicstore (262 kB), shrm (49 kB), system (1.4 GB), system_ext (363 MB), tz (3.8 MB), uefisecapp (127 kB), vbmeta (8.2 kB), vbmeta_system (4.1 kB), vendor (1.0 GB), vendor_boot (101 MB), vendor_dlkm (36 MB), xbl (3.7 MB), xbl_config (221 kB), xrom (537 MB)
Number of workers: 4
abl (602 kB)            [================================================] 100 %
abl (602 kB)            [================================================] 100 %
abl (602 kB)            [================================================] 100 %
aop (246 kB)            [================================================] 100 %
abl (602 kB)            [================================================] 100 %
aop (246 kB)            [================================================] 100 %
abl (602 kB)            [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
aop (246 kB)            [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
boot (101 MB)           [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
bluetooth (1.1 MB)      [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
cpucp (106 kB)          [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
devcfg (49 kB)          [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
dsp (67 MB)             [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
dtbo (25 MB)            [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
featenabler (90 kB)     [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
hyp (3.7 MB)            [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
keymaster (287 kB)      [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
modem (182 MB)          [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
multiimgoem (16 kB)     [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
odm (1.5 MB)            [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
product (629 MB)        [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
qupfw (57 kB)           [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
qweslicstore (262 kB)   [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
shrm (49 kB)            [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
system (1.4 GB)         [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
system_ext (363 MB)     [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
tz (3.8 MB)             [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
uefisecapp (127 kB)     [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
vbmeta (8.2 kB)         [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
vbmeta_system (4.1 kB)  [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
vendor (1.0 GB)         [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
vendor_boot (101 MB)    [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
vendor_dlkm (36 MB)     [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
xbl (3.7 MB)            [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
xbl_config (221 kB)     [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
xrom (537 MB)           [=============================================================================================================================================================================================================] 100 %
/test-sake$ 

So the required vendor parts are included.

The install page quoted above includes

Before following these instructions please ensure that the device is on the latest Android 12 firmware.

Now we can say that the method will very likely work with no Format or wipe data if the device is already running /e/OS Android 12 (S).

One can also refer to the Lineage upgrade instructions Upgrade to a higher version of LineageOS (e.g. lineage-19.1 → lineage-20) to see where they indicate Format data is required (where Gapps installed).