Installation on Galaxy S7 from Linux (Ubuntu)

Model : SM-G930U
Android : 8.0.0
Kernel : 3.18.71-13710148
Version N°: R16NW.G930UUES4CRH2

Hello there,

I want to install /e/ on my Samsung Galaxy S7 from a Linux Ubuntu 18.04.

  • I followed the tutorial here : https://doc.e.foundation/devices/herolte/install.
  • Had trouble installing heimdall for the installation instructions seemed to be a bit out of date. Finally, my Ubuntu suggested to apt install and that worked. heimdall print-pit made the device reboot so ok.
  • Next step, booted in download mode , plugged my usb and typed heimdall flash --RECOVERY twrp-3.3.1-0-herolte.img --no-reboot. Download seems to progress correctly til 100% but, at the end, a message is saying something like “could not properly end the session”.
  • Tried anyway to manually boot into recovery, and this does not work.

I am now promted to download a new version of android : Could this help ?
The new proposed version :
G930UUEU8CRJ2/G930UOYM8CRJ2/G930UUEU8CRJ2

Thanks a lot for your help
Charles

1 Like

Maybe try reflashing TWRP, and after that, don’t totally power off, just try booting into recovery from there?

I flashed the same phone less than 24 hours ago…

Hello, thanks for your answer : Can you give me the steps to “booting into recovery from there” ?
Thanks for your help

Charles

Sure, if you already flashed TWRP, should be able to boot into recovery (by this I meant TWRP) through Vol-Up + Home + Power, then connect to the laptop with a cable. Then select ‘sideload’ option, and sideload the /e/ file with adb command (adb sideload e.x.x.x.x.img…)

And this, immediately after flashing ? I mean : do you think I need to reflash TWRP recovery ?
Thanks a lot Donut

Definitely, boot into recovery immediately after flashing TWRP. Otherwise, the next boot will wipe TWRP back off. So flash TWRP, then immediately boot into recovery. from there, sideload /e/ zip. And it’s easy enough to flash TWRP, probably you’ll want to just to make sure that it’s there!

Good luck!

Hello !
When recovery flashing just ended, I cannot turn down my phone. with any combination it always reboots on android, thus deleting the just installed recovery.

I think a problem is occuring during the recovery because :
at the end of the recovery I have :

RECOVERY upload successful
Ending session...
ERROR: Failed to receive session end confirmation!
Releasing device interface ... 

More : Tutorial says

“A blue transfer bar will appear on the device showing the recovery being transferred.”

=> I cant see none, just the big arrow saying download
Then I try :
Volume Up + Volume down + Home + Power
Or
Power alone
Or
Volume down + Power
it always reboots on android.

Any help would be greatly appreciated ! Thanks a lot
Charles

You’re so close, it’s Vol-up + home+ power together…

I think the recovery is fine, for me it never finished either. Just try booting into it with the key combo I just gave, immediately after reflashing it!

Donut !
When in download mode,
doing Vol-up + home+ power together gives a normal reboot !
I think this is my problem !

This error message indicates that “OEM unlock” is involved. Which setting under “Developer Options” is active? ON or OFF?


@charlyox, try the following steps to get into Samsung Recovery mode:

  1. Switch off your Samsung Galaxy S7 completely.
  2. Boot into Galaxy S7 recovery mode by pressing and holding POWER + HOME + VOL (+) keys.
  3. Release all three buttons when Samsung Galaxy S7 screen top left screen shows a tiny blue font.
  4. Once in Recovery mode, you will have to use VOL (+) and VOL (-) keys for navigation and POWER key for confirming an option.

Note: the order in which the keys are pressed may vary depending on the device. If the above does not work, try it out.
Button 1: VOL (+) Button 2: HOME Button 3: POWER - one after the other - not simultaneously.

With this key combination the Galaxy S7 starts into the Samsung download mode:
POWER + HOME + VOL (-)

Hi Archie, thanks for your answer,

=> ON

Please try once: OFF

When I do that, the blue font appears and then a blue screen with android avatar and a circling arrow, and then collapsed android avatar with yellow sign with /!. And then, a few seconds away, the screen you described, with a few options available with volume up and down appears.

Should I adb reboot recovery from this screen and then adb sideload filename.zip ?

OK! I’m trying this thanks a lot !

1 Like

Wiht OEM off, same error while downloading twrp, trying to reboot on recovery…

I just remembered: is your Samsung Reactivation Lock active or no?

Do you also have the possibility to work with a Windowc PC + Samsung ODIN? I have much more experience with this configuration than with Ubuntu 19.10 …

I don’t have this setting on my android, probably not anymore from 8.0.0

Unfortunately I don’t have access to a windows pc… sorry…

I was wondering if a factory reset could be useful before trying the whole process again ?

Another thought:
If (Remote Monitoring and Management) RMM Locked or you can not see OEM unlock options in Developer options. RMM will prevent us from installing custom recovery and custom ROM as well as preventing rooting.

RMM features a lot of samsung firmware updates starting in January 2018. It also does not exist on all models samsung galaxy.

To find out this feature exists or not in your samsung galaxy device by enabling Developer Options. If there is no OEM unlock option in Developer options it is possible that the feature is on the samsung galaxy device in locked state. This means you can not install custom recovery such as TWRP recovery and custom ROM.

Make sure your phone isn’t RMM Locked.

rmm

I would like to downgrade Android 8.0.0 Oreo to StockROM 7 nougat and then install TWRP-for-herolte and /e/OS e-0.7-n-herolte. But of course there is always a certain risk …

Let’s wait for an answer from @donut3. He probably flashed his Samsung S7 successfully.

Hi @charlyox, i just tried to install Heimdall based on the instructions in the tutorial which point to the readme on Gitlab and was able to install Heimdall-front end. do not have samsung device so not sure how it works .


Next when you type it shows an error but load the below UI
$ heimdall-frontend
Gtk-Message: 06:04:20.552: Failed to load module “canberra-gtk-module”

aboutheimdall-small

Hello @Manoj,
I installed frontend version of Heimdall, and tried to flash twrp from it, but it did not seem to work…
Thanks for your help !

Hello @archie,
I don’t have any mention of RMM on the download mode screen. Not sure of what it means…

The link you mention speaking about donut3 says One does not need to use Heimdall. I think that’s good news. I’ll try to download directly twrp from adb / fastboot instead of Heimdall.

Thanks a lot anyway guys for your help, any oother idea would be appreciated.

Without any new idea I’ll try to flash a fresh firmware (any idea where I can get it ? On samsung’s website ?) and try the whole process again this evening.