E/os installation on Fairphone 6 is stuck at step 22 / how to lock the bootloader

[achillea]

Hi,
I’ve tried to install /e/os on an Fairphone 6 with the installer (/e/OS Installer). Everything went well until the step 22/24. The phone booted with murena /e/os/ and went into the setup.
In step 22 the installer tried to connect to the phone but an error occured because of the missing usb-debugging. I ran through the setup and activated everything as in the steps before. But there was no reconnect option at the installer. I clicked in the description field of the step and an error occured because of the missing connection (i can’t remeber the exact sentence…). So i clicked F5 as recommended some steps before… and the Installer started at step 1…

Long story short, now I’m not sure how i may continue to finish the installation and lock the bootloader without crashing my phone.

1. Can I continue with the step ‘Locking the Bootloader’ in this guide? Install /e/OS on a Fairphone The Fairphone (Gen. 6) - “FP6”
2. Can I start the installer from step 1 with the already installed /e/os/?
3. Do i have to update the phone before any of the steps?
4. Any other options?

This is my first time doing this so I’m afraid of doing something wrong.

Thanks in advance for any help,
Achillea

[aibd]

@achillea

Can I continue with the step ‘Locking the Bootloader’ in this guide

Difficult to advise you. Please read some comments in other threads with hashtag eosinstaller.

No one seems to have reported the installer attempt to lock bootloader so maybe you have a new version.

From the CLI manual install page have you fully understood the anti-rollback hazard ? … but at this stage it would be a guess to the SPL of the build you are installing. [1]

If the installer is now equipped to lock might it be that the installer is actually refusing as it is unsafe.

Personally I would never answer “yes” to lock bootloader … the user needs precise evidence.

@achillea

phone booted with murena /e/os/ and went into the setup.

Edit. So you do have /e/OS installed and running.

[1] From running /e/OS you can find the installed Android SPL from Settings > About phone > tap on Android version.

[achillea]

Thank you for your reply!

@aibd

No one seems to have reported the installer attempt to lock bootloader so maybe you have a new version.

You are right. I just assumed it because it’s the following step in the manual installation after “Installing /e/OS”. I’ve also watched a video for FP5 to be sure and it said the next step is to lock the bootloader as well as additional research.

Maybe my question isn’t how to lock the bootloader but what are the steps 23 and 24 of the web installer?

I’ve also thought/read that it’s a neccessary step for better security and for banking apps.

@aibd

Edit. So you do have /e/OS installed and running.

Yes, the FP6 is running with e/os/:

But as mentioned, while the setup of e/os/ the connection failed and i wasn’t able to complete the installation after step 22.
Now i’m a little afraid to reboot it and i’m not sure how to go on.

[aibd]

Firstly locking is optional but many would choose to lock for security and it may help to get banking type apps to work. [1]

You already booted into /e/OS so you now cannot lock before boot. So reboot is not an issue.

This thread (answered) Install /e/ on FP5 with newer Security Patches explores the anti-rollback issue.

@achillea

what are the steps 23 and 24 of the web installer?

I don’t know, perhaps someone else can answer.

[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/LineageOS/comments/n7yo7u/a_discussion_about_bootloader_lockingunlocking/

[achillea]

Thanks for the reply.

@aibd

This thread (answered) Install /e/ on FP5 with newer Security Patches explores the anti-rollback issue.

I’ve read the thread and it helped to be sure that I don’t ran into problems with the patch levels.

I finally managed to get my phone working with e/os and a locked bootloader.
I know that for most users the following infos aren’t new, but maybe it helps some noobs like me.

Before I’ve installed /e/OS for the first time the patch level of my phone was of June 5th. Since the current release (3.10.25) of /e/=S official is with vendor patch level August 5th I’ve started a second try today.

First I’ve tried to rerun the Web-Installer and got quick to step 22 of 24. But again with errors. After installation of /e/OS the installer wasn’t able to connect to the phone again (Error on step: connect-bootloader - cannot execute command flushing unlock). And then I made the biggest mistake (yes I’m a noob I know - don’t click the connect button twice) I’ve clicked the connect button of the installer again. But instead of doing just a reconnect, the installer re-installed the os again. And I don’t now why, it tried it for a third time. But the phone was already stuck.

After the second installation process my phone tried to boot and said it was corrupt. It was in a loop between ‘your bootloader is unlocked’, ‘the phone is corrupt’ and the fairphone OS logo. Additionally the phone wasn’t recognized from my pc. I panicked … many google searches, re-reads of articles and try and errors later (e.g. Recovery mode of e/os with factory reset and reboots) I was able to connect the phone with the laptop again.

I had to press the power button for a long time to shutdown an then power + volume down to boot in fastboot (I’ve tried it more then once, sometimes it did not work). My phone was connected via usb the hole time.

In between the try and error modus I’ve downloaded the adb and fastboot (Installing adb and fastboot on a Linux PC for linux, I’m working with Manjaro - Arch) and followed the first steps in the manual installation (Install /e/OS on a Fairphone The Fairphone (Gen. 6) - “FP6”):

I’ve skipped steps 1-5 of ‘unlocking the bootloader’ because it was already done in the web-installer. To be sure I’ve tried 6-10, but it said that the bootloader is already unlocked (I’ve just wanted to be sure).
Thereafter I ran through the steps of ‘Installing /e/OS’. After the installation the phone booted into the /e/OS setup automatically so I’ve restarted the phone to fastboot again and ran through the steps of ‘Locking the Bootloader’. After every step the phone booted into the setup and I had to reboot it to fastboot. The last steps went without errors.

This thread was also helpful: Fairphone 6 (non-Murena-edition) web-installer, stuck in bootloop - #22 by Bloodaxe

Thanks for the help and I’m very happy that I can finally use my phone