Fairphone 6: unable to boot into bootloader mode

Using /e/OS Setup
1

I am trying to install /e/OS on my new FP6. I worked my way through the installer just fine, however it get’s stuck at step 9. The device apparently does not enter the bootloader mode. The screen does turn black and nothing happens anymore. It looks like the phone just turned off.

I can reproduce the same behavior with the manual installaton.

When running adb reboot bootloader, the device turns off, but the screen never goes back on.
fastboot devices does not show any devices. The only way to get the phone back to booting up is to hold down the power button some time until it reboots.

I am running everything from Arch Linux, tried the version of the android tools shipped with Arch as well as the current version:

via Arch Repo:

Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.41
Version 35.0.2-android-tools
Installed as /usr/bin/adb
Running on Linux 6.17.8-arch1-1 (x86_64)

direct download:

./adb version
Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.41
Version 36.0.0-13206524
Installed as /home/jo/Downloads/android-tools/platform-tools/adb
Running on Linux 6.17.8-arch1-1 (x86_64)

What might go wrong here and where can I start with further debugging?

2

If you boot now, what does it show?

I would suggest you to use the manual installation, for the FP6 there is a script for it which makes most of the job.

3

As mentioned, to get anything to show up on the device, I have to press the power button for a 5-10s, then the device boots up as usual and works as usual. But I assume this is basically a regular reboot that does not unlock the bootloader.

The script in the manual installation (I am refering to Install /e/OS on a Fairphone The Fairphone (Gen. 6) - “FP6” in this case) does not help here, because to run that I am stuck at the " Unlocking the bootloader" step, the script first comes into play at “Installing /e/OS”.

4

Hello @992jo, Welcome to the /e/ users forum.

according to Info about Fairphone The Fairphone (Gen. 6) - FP6, it is :

image
image416×301 23.3 KB

not 100% sure, but generally the web-installer did the unlock part before crashing.

you can check by running

fastboot oem device-info

fastboot flashing get_unlock_ability

please have a read at :

5

You also wrote this. And since there is no real documentation and therefore no one knows what that includes (I tried to document it but the installer never properly worked for me and also others).

You can try the button combination which piero suggested. I wonder what ‘adb devices’ shows you when you are in the OS. I had a strange behavior too before, not sure if it was old adb version or the C to C cable.

Please check your security patch before you continue

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6

Okay, I think I found the issue: The installer/instructions state, that the device should reboot. In my experience adb reboot bootloader does not lead to a reboot. It is a shutdown. the device does not turn on again by itself.

Starting from a powered-off device and going into the bootloader via the volume-down + power buttons works. The further installation worked as intended. Due to the newer security patch I can’t lock the bootloader again, but I hope that should be solved with the next update.

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