At first, sorry for my english, I’m a frog and second sorry if my questions are dumb, I’m not a geek even if I’m a linux user.
I bought a realme 9 pro for my son and I wanted to install /e/ on it but I don’t understand the instructions (I thought it will be as simple as for my fairphone 4)…
For the first I don’t even know if I need to go through all the sections of the documentation. I think the necessary steps should be marks as “1 Downloads for oscar”
“2 Unlocking the bootloader”… etc… As it is written I’m confused as I don’t know if the unlocking the bootloader or Temporarily Booting a custom recovery using fastboot are a part of the installation process or not…
Then I’m already stuck to the file to download… Why are they two files (e-2.9-a14 (…)community-oscar.zip MD5 SHA25 and recovery IMGe-2.9-a14(…) ) and which one do I need ?
Please read thru the installation guide once without doing anything. It helps understanding every step. All your questions should be answered after that, I might also be wrong.
Please feel free to ask again if something still is not clear.
This @Manoj seems to direct straight back to the install page.
Maybe @Mr.G you can identify, with certainty, if your phone has this firmware before you even start.
To get another insight into the install process you might read from the LineageOS wiki Install LineageOS on oscar | LineageOS Wiki. This also introduces the concept of variants of this phone – another thing to check before you start.
You asked about Downloads; you will need one whole line from the download page as:
This will give you 5 items, in the above order they are:
| e-2.9-a14-20250323478433-community-oscar.zip | [MD5 | SHA256] | recovery-IMG-e-2.9-a14-20250323478433-community-oscar.zip | [SHA256]
|The main ROM | MD5 checksum | SHA256 checksum | Recovery + , importantly in an archive.zip file, containing e-Recovery and other required secondary images, dtbo.img and boot.img | SHA256 checksum for the archive.zip
Checksums exist for one to confirm the download as received was an exact copy.
First question : how long would you say it takes to go through all the process ?
Thanks for that, I feel a bit less dumber (If I understand right what you mean).
I know how to do this ! I think it’s ok. I have a question though just to be sure : the stock OS is the android version already on the phone ? I don’t understand what is the vendor OS, like some software above android like an overlay ?
Thanks ! The two links with another step by step guide is clearer for me I think.
Ok so I need to download the line in two times, right ?
Is the adb installing process for ubuntu just for ubuntu or for all the ubuntu based version like Linux Mint ? Because at the end of the process when I tpe “adb version” I get "Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.39
Version 1:8.1.0+r23-5
and the wiki tells it should be “Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.39
Version 1:8.1.0+r23-5”
Does it matters ?
And also do I need to install TWRP or I have to choose between it and the adb fastboot thing ? I read some contradictions there.
Also I don’t understand if I install the recovery version of /e/ or the build version ? And where do I find the /e/OS file to download ?
About as long as a piece of string. If one was doing for a second time one might do the actual tasks in about the time it takes to read them … but first time it may be way longer, depends how easily one can understand what has to happen and how to do it.
OK, why use different terms ? The term is used in the instructions
Boot your device with the stock OS at least once and check every functionality.
The expression simply tries to make clear that you are using Realme’s Stock OS, no specification, just "what is on the phone before you do anything.
It is the same thing, the term for instance can be used in a template it comes from the phone’s vendor. You might say an overlay … Google Android is shipped to the manufacturer but each manufacturer / vendor likely produces their own characteristic build.
I wonder why you ask … as I hover over the “complete line” on the download page, I find 5 links, 3 are checksums one is the main ROM (~1.8G) and the fifth is the Recovery_and_additional_partitions.zip (~42MB) – this .zip file contains the e-Recovery.
Caution: The default adb installation on OS like Ubuntu can be outdated and can cause errors. We would recommend that linux distribution users ensure they use the installation process given here
You will be aware that there are differences between Ubuntu and Mint. Sometimes with cross platform work – this is what Android Debug Bridge does – “bridge”, or “allow the crossover” it can be significant whether “everything is provided” by the OS. Being alive to error messages should be sufficient.
I do not see TWRP mentioned on the install page. TWRP is a Custom recovery. e-Recovery is a simplified Custom Recovery.
This is a requirement to have installed on the PC. adb and fastboot are the two main components of platform-tools.
Maybe this is where your uncertainty and questions come from !
The build comes in two parts. We flash the e-Recovery together with some “additional partitions” it has the effect of breaking Realme hold over the phone.
Then we
Temporarily Booting a custom recovery using fastboot
… yes this is e-Recovery
… before we move on to
Steps to install /e/OS from recovery
… where we clean up the phone … Format data and finally install the main ROM.
It was not about using another term but as you understood I’m not bilingual and I don’t know the technical terms in english, I’m not at all an ingineer but a social worker ! So my question was about to be sure what we were talking about.
There were something going wrong there when I typed because the return of the command gives me that :
adb version
Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.41
Version 34.0.4-debian
instead of : Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.39
Version 1:8.1.0+r23-5”
And the link you gave me to install correctly shows me that it will be a little hard for me, not sure to be able to do it.
I saw in the “how to” link you gave me that there were a french version. But somethings are a little bit different and it’s on the french page that they are saying in the beginning that are two ways of doing this, via the PC with adb and fastboot and one with TWRP directly on the phone, if I understood right. But then later at this point they say first install TWRP and then fastboot, they don’t say 'or", so I was unsure.
Thanks again, very thanksfull for your help ! But I think I will be stuck on the install fastboot part !
EDIT : I think I manage it but I have two doubts : the firs one is that I didn’t uninstall the previous version I installed earlier and the second one is about the last step adding the line in the .bashrc file : I add it at the very end of the file on a new line. And the return of the adb version is giving me the same as before “Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.41
Version 34.0.4-debian”
There is this method, and it will work with e-Recovery but one still needs platform-tools as one needs fastboot to flash the Recovery.
However one can replace the command
adb sideload e-2.9-a14-xxxx-oscar.zip
with another technique … transfer the .zip file to a SD card or suitable USB stick; e-Recovery can install the file from here without further help from the PC.
Having two versions of platform-tools probably adds confusion. If you decide to undo the “system install” of platform-tools (please check the naming in your package manager) – ideally you will uninstall
I started the install but I’m already stuck at the unlocking boot loader. I enabled OEM and USB debuging.
The first adb devices tells me “List of devices attached
406fff3b device”
so what I understand it should be ok. Then I type “adb reboot bootloader” and the phone is restarting. I don’t know if it’s what’s it supposes to do (or is it supposed to power on in a special mode with options ?) … then as it says I type “fastboot devices” but nothing happens.
Yes I followed the instructions of the HOW TO but the phone just reboot normally. I watched some video that shows me the phone is restarting in a sort of recovery mode or command line but mine doesn’t do that ! I saw I can enter the realme 9 pro recovery mode manually, can I do that ? Or it’s not the same ?
You are telling me ‘adb reboot bootloader’ made it just boot into the OS?
As I wrote before there is bootloader where you use fastboot commands and when you manage to unlock bootloader, flash /e/OS recovery then you will be able to boot into recovery.
But again, first you need to boot into the bootloader. Then we can carry on.
That is what I’m trying but it’s not working. Well I didn’t do all the part below because it’s not working neither :
"download the bootloader unlock app for your device:
Go to your device’s page by clicking Product option, followed by the device’s name.
Click Unlock Bootloader Tutorial for Name_of_the_device.
Download and install the unlock tool apk on your phone.
Open the unlock tool app and click Start Applying.
Please read the disclaimer in detail, select the checkbox, and submit your application.
The application will be processed in Realme servers and within an hour, the unlock tool app will show the status of the unlock request. Once it shows the unlocking is successful, please proceed to the next step.
Click Start the in-depth test in the unlock tool app. The device will reboot."
Already the second line does not match with the reality of the site. I can go to “product” but it’s a page with posts from users, not with a list of realme’s product… And typing unlock tool realme 9 pro doesn’t give anything neither realme 9 pro unlock tool… So I’m lost
If you can get the phone back to running normally, please can I suggest you run yourself a little tutorial on the Booting modes of the phone and how to reach them with the external buttons on the phone.
There are 3 booting modes, you need full control and understanding of them and be able to describe where you are if you ask for help.
all sections and the instructions are already quite terse.