Installation problem with E/OS on Volla tablet

Using /e/OS Build /e/OS
1

Hi everyone. I wanted to buy the Volla tablet with installed E/OS directly from Murena. But since it was out of stock I bought the Volla tablet from Volla directly instead. I saw, there is a web installer for this tablet directly available.

However, the installer doesn’t work or I make some mistake. Maybe somebody can help me. I’m a medium experienced user, I can do things, also on the command prompt but have no deep knowledge of android and rooting…

I prepared the tablet, enabled developer options, oem debugging, usb debugging, changed connection mode to file transfer, all worked fine so far. Then, the installer restarts the tablet and the bootloader should appear.

On the installer page everything works fine until step 10/21. The tablet restarts in some kind of bios/bootloader called fastboot menu. It shows three options:

  • “go back”
  • “reboot”
  • “turn off device”

On the bottom there is a text prompt on the same page on the tablet, it says: “Output log. Text”

I know, I can select the menu items by the volume up/down keys and can use the power on key as enter.

At this step, the web installer tells me to click on “connect”, but the computer does not get a connection to the tablet in this state. The pop-up window in the browser says “No devices found”. On the top of the page, below the “step 10 of 21” prompt, it says

“Error on step: connect-bootloader. Cannot execute command connect bootloader. The device is not connected Failed to connect: Cannot connect. Proposal: Check connection an that no other program is using the device”

The connection cannot be achieved although I didn’t remove the cable…

Does anybody know what I’m doing wrong?

Thanks in advance for any help!

2

Hello @CmdrKeen, Welcome to the /e/ users forum.

you are not in cause, (could be the cable) BUT basically, the web installer often don’t work.
you should switch to the traditionnal way Install /e/OS on a Volla Volla Tablet - “mimir”

.

what do you see if you choose “Go Back” ?

1 Like
3

Hi Piero,

thanks for your help. I did it with several cables, also the original, no effect.

The Go Back button just does nothing seems to be the basic menu level…

Best regards, Christian

4

This could be reported by a Windows PC where complete Android Drivers are not yet provided, more fully [Solved] Windows does not see my phone in Fastboot mode.

The manual install page quoted by @piero gives some detail on Fastboot mode / Bootloader, check the heading

Booting into fastboot

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5

Hi all, and thanks for your quick thoughts and help. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to solve the problem yet.

If I try to install it manually as described, the adb command works well when the tablet ist on in normal mode. The device is listed.

When I reboot it and enter the fastboot menu, the “fastboot” command from the PC doesn’t show the device or just gets in a waiting delay for any device.

In the windows device manager, nothing is marked with a problem. USB and fastboot drivers were installed. I only see the device if it’s in normal operation mode. In the fastboot-mode it’s not listed in the device manager.

Seems, that fastboot doesn’t connect with the tablet but I don’t know why. I already tried the steps from your previous links but it had no effect…

Do you have any further guesses?

Thanks in advance!

6

what are the output for ?

fastboot --version

fastboot devices
7

I guess we have to look at the whole USB chain. It has been reported that certain USB will not carry fastboot commands. You will need a good quality (full capacity) data cable, so not a thin, skinny cable. Avoid USB hubs including any USB hub that might be hidden in the PC / laptop; for best results check, if necessary with a manual, that you are connecting to a USB-2 port soldered to the motherboard.

Possible also to check. Windows can be set with “driver signing enforcement” if present disable.

I don’t know the device; unlikely, but have you fully explored that you do switch the device to Fastboot mode – is there possibly one position for Bootloader Menu, then

Press volume down to accept this choice

double check, perhaps, that this is the fully correct “confirm” for Fastboot mode, perhaps try online search.

And / or compare and contrast the results as the Install page

Reboot to fastboot using either of two methods (Automatic or Manual)

I do remember Fairphone threads where unfamiliar users would not fully grasp the relationship between Bootloader Menu and Fastboot mode.

8

Thank you all for your tips. I will try things and give you feedback after the weekend. Before, I’m not able to do more tests…

9

Hi piero,

thanks for your answer. I will try this at the weekend. Just to be sure, I understand it right:

The “adb” command can be used while the tablet is booted normally

The “fastboot” command makes only sense when the tablet is in fastboot mode (booting with Power and volume up button, similar to BIOS at a computer)

So fastboot would make no sense if the tablet is booted?

Thanks and greetings, Christian

10

works when the device is booted in “normal” system mode or in recovery mode

works when the device is booted in “fastboot” bootloader mode

11

This is not quite as the Install page:

  • Manual
    • Turn off your phone and enter boot menu by holding volume up and power keys
    • The boot menu will present three options, press volume up until Fastboot is selected
    • Press volume down to accept this choice
1 Like
12

Hi everyone. Finally I found some time to continue trying. I don’t know why, but the procedure now worked, as well manually and also with the guided interface on the e/os site.

However, after all was declared as successfull, the volla tablet is in a kind of boot loop. It shows the volla signature at startup, powers off and starts again, showing the volla signature again for a short time and so on…

If I press Power and VolUp at the beginning I can go into the boot menu. It looks much more smaller now and if I go into recovery mode, the E/os logo can be seen, not the volla logo.

So I think I flashed something successfully but for any reason, the device doesn’t boot but is in a loop. Does anybody know what this could be and how to get out of this loop?

Thanks in advance,

Christian

13

what is the menu there ?
(please share photo)

did you relock the bootloader ?

1 Like
14

Do you see this, which is e-Recovery?

1000014999
1000014999720×1520 83.2 KB

There are two useful options here.

What happens if you press

  1. Factory reset
  2. Reboot system now
1 Like
15

Hi piero and aibd,

@piero: the screen looks like in the photo from aibd when I chose recovery. alternatively I can choose fastboot and reboot.

If I chose factory reset, I can only chose “Format data/factory reset”.

If I chose Reboot system now, it is in the boot loop again, only showing the volla logo for a second, then rebooting…

16

Hi piero,

yes I re-locked the bootloader via fastboot, the command was successfull

17

not 100%, could be the cause of the bootloop

.

first from the recovery, try to format /data

if you still have bootloop, from bootloader try fastboot set_active other

if you still have bootloop, from bootloader try to unlock the boot loader.

18

Hi piero,

thanks, that helped. Now the tablet boots with /e/OS. Should I anyway lock the bootloader again after these steps?

Thanks for your help - also thanks to all others for support!

19

look like issue was android SPL date mismatch
wait for the next /e/ update to retry locking (be aware this will erase /data again)