Google - Pixel 8 - shiba - Documentation Suggestions

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Regain your privacy! Adopt /e/OS the deGoogled mobile OS and online servicesphone

Ran through the CLI instlalation docs for the Pixel 8, here. Bit of feedback, but also thank you for all the work you’ve done here! I looked for a link to directly contribute to the docs but it wasn’t immediately obvious. Hope this works.

  1. Please make this warning bright red or orange or something:

Before following these instructions please ensure that the device is on the latest Android 14 firmware.

The latest release of Android of this phone is 15. If you’ve made sure to simply update Android through the System Update UI (instead of flashing), you’ll get 15. This was non-obvious to an inexperienced flasher like myself.

  1. Under installing /e/OS it says:

The phone screen will now display some text with a message similar to

Script succeeded result was [1.000000]

This means that the install was successful.

The line on my phone was

Install completed with status 0.

For me, this one is clear, but someone unfamiliar with Linux exit codes might assume 1 == good (because number in doc is one) and 0 == bad.

Thank you…
I wish the documentation would have mentioned something like, DO NOT UPDATE to Android 15 if you wish to lock the boot loader. Maybe I would not be having the issues I am having now if I did not think the documentation meant “Update to latest (Any)”

Will update this post with thread I will start related to not being able to relock the bootloader.
However since we are discussing the Documentation for Pixel 8 installation…
Steps for “Locking the Bootloader” do not work, especially fastboot flash avb_custom_key pkmd_pixel.bin

$ fastboot flash avb_custom_key pkmd_pixel.bin
Warning: skip copying avb_custom_key image avb footer (avb_custom_key partition size: 0, avb_custom_key image size: 520).
Sending 'avb_custom_key' (0 KB)                    OKAY [  0.000s]
Writing 'avb_custom_key'                           (bootloader) avb custom key: flash done
OKAY [  0.058s]
Finished. Total time: 0.068s
$ fastboot flashing lock
FAILED (remote: 'invalid android images, skip locking')
fastboot: error: Command failed

Elsewhere you mention

The documentation should make clear that the device is presented for /e/OS install with a manufacturers stock ROM, words used are

Tip: Before installing /e/OS on the Google Pixel 8 shiba for the first time, install the latest stock OS version 14 build on the device

as found Factory Images for Nexus and Pixel Devices  |  Google Play services  |  Google for Developers

OK. I think I resolve this problem “skip copying avb_custom_key…”…
Used sudo to run the commands and was able to sudo ./fastboot flash avb_custom_key pkmd_pixel.bin and the fastboot flashing lock command.

Still get warning with Yellow Triangle and warning about “other operating system.”.
I guess this can be expected?

I ran into the same issue except with the latest downloaded V14 update, due to lack of careful reading.

My current issue is I’m unable to use ‘sudo’ in trying to effect your workaround. The prompt in the terminal is “Sudo is disabled on this machine. To enable it, go to the Developer Settings page in the Settings app”. However, I can’t find the option to enable it in Developer Options. I’ve tried enabling Rooted Debugging but that doesn’t seem to allow sudo, and I don’t see any other obvious menu options.

I suppose what I’m asking is: How did you enable sudo on e/OS for fastboot?

Here i understand sudo is not enable on your PC…

The sudo is run on Linux machine.
I forget that not everyone uses Linux.
However also maybe you are running a Linux distrobution that does not have sudo installed or configured? In that case run as root user.
Or if Windows/Mac run in an elevated terminal prompt however you do that.
I do not use Windows or Mac but my understanding is they have those features.

Thanks for the responses. I’m using Git Bash (per instructions) on a Windows 11 machine. I reverted back to a recent factory Android v14 and verified I was able to lock the bootloader before I tried to CLI install again.

I enabled sudo to run inline on Windows. I still was not able to flash the new key after I erased the previous key.

$ sudo fastboot flash avb_custom_key pkmd_pixel.bin
Warning: skip copying avb_custom_key image avb footer (avb_custom_key partition size: 0, avb_custom_key image size: 520).
Sending 'avb_custom_key' (0 KB)                    OKAY [  0.001s]
Writing 'avb_custom_key'                           (bootloader) avb custom key: flash done
OKAY [  0.061s]
Finished. Total time: 0.068s

Also observed Git Bash (opened as administrator) behavior on Windows:

  • chmod doesn’t modify file permissions (mentioned in Step 4 of CLI install). Though flash_shiba_factory.sh already displays execute permissions for all users.
  • I’m not sure enabling sudo affected the Git Bash in any meaningful way for this installation. E.g sudo whoami didn’t return root.