After getting stuck in a bootloop and having my Fairphone repaired, I am going to try to install e/os again, this time being more careful. I know now that I have to be especially careful checking the security patch. My Fairphone says that it has android version 14 and security update januari 5, 2025. When I have to choose which e/os to download (on this website: Install /e/OS on a Fairphone FP5 - “FP5”) I can choose from these 2 options:
I am guessing I should choose the one with Security patch 2025-01-05, however, when I click on that one I can only choose from Android 13 options. Is that a problem?
I had the same FP5 with Android 14 and Jan security update.
I successfully installed 2.8-t-20250219470165-official-FP5
I haven’t relocked though, I don’t see a reason I couldn’t, except it would cause a factory reset and I’d have to re-setup the phone.
I also got into a boot loop when I first tried, was able to get out of it using fastboot, but did have me in a cold sweat, another reason I haven’t relocked.
But to answer your question the Android version doesn’t seem to matter just the security update date, and only if you want to lock. I don’t think the line about the android version is clear enough in the install guide considering the potential ramifications.
Thanks for the reply! Good to know that the Android version does not seem to matter as much as the security update date. I think I will use the same file that you did then, although I am a bit scared still since I do want to relock it and you did not test that part.
When I tried to install the first tie everything was also perfectly fine until trying to relock it. When I relocked everything went to shit… so cold sweats here now too.
I agree that the line about the android version could be a bit more clear!
If when you relock you hit a problem post here as I was able to use fastboot to unlock and could then re-flash the image, so it may not be as bad as you think.
I’d like to weigh in as I recently went through the same problems and the same scare.
The built-in “anti-rollback feature” indeed only triggers the moment you lock the bootloader again. This “feature” keeps track of the latest Security Patch that was ever installed on your phone (in my case that was also the Jan. 5, 2025). If on re-locking the SP version you are currently running is lower than the version that was stored by the anti-rollback feature, you’ll get a Black Screen of Death saying your device is corrupted. From then on you can only boot into the bootloader anymore and trying to flash again will not work as the bootloader appears to be locked.
So, if I am understanding all this correctly now, you’ll be fine with installing T official as it has the same SP. You’ll indeed be running Android 13 though. Me myself, I installed the U community version (at that time only SP Dec. 2024), so I’m waiting another month for them to catch up to 2025-01-05 as well and only then I’ll try re-locking.
I read about people having to send in their bricked Fairphone and pay to have it reset, but as @barrysatan mentions, it not that hard to unbrick it yourself.
How I managed on my Fairphone 5:
Download the image of the FairphoneOS version you were originally running.
Alter the install script to skip some security checks (INTEGRITY_CHECK and is_unlocked)
Connect your phone with a USB cable again and go back to fastboot as explained in the docs posted above.
Allow flashing of the locked device with the command fastboot oem allow-flashing
Run the altered install script. If all went well it should start to flash and your phone will reboot with factory settings.
Thanks so much for your reply! Honestly, I am freaking a little bit and cannot oversee the whole thing. I have asked fairphone if I can return the fairphone I bought and buy the fairphone with e/os preinstalled instead. If not, I will have to try this again…
I have been looking for a thread like this for a couple of days! Good to find all this good information as I am planning to install e/OS soon on 2 brand new FP5 with Android 14. @thpar_eos Thank you!
@0_xavier_0 I also have a FP5 with Android 14 pre-installed. Could you share more details of the e/OS version you used, your FP5 OS version and security patch; and if you used this guide (Install /e/OS on a Fairphone FP5 - “FP5”)? Also, I saw in other threads that people using the official build doesn’t have OTA updates, is that correct?
Any other tips that you can think of would be appreciated!
Please be aware ‘community’ build can’t be relocked.
There are OS updates every month. What you are refering to I think is OS OTA Upgrades (from T to U), that is a not so trivial task. The e/OS/ team plans their developement ahead in their small team. But personally I switched from T to U on my ‘community’ build recently and I don’t see any real benefit in it.
Oh, seriously? So regardless of anti-rollback-feature I would have bricked my phone again when re-locking after the next security patch? Thanks for the heads-up!
I now indeed see this warning in the chapter about re-locking the bootloader. Was that added recently or did I just miss it?
The Android 13 offered by “T-Official” is said to be “only available on Murena smartphones”. Does that mean I could not install this on my Fairphone 5 bought through the Fairphone store?
Maybe a little off topic: are there otherwise important features missing from Android 13 that would make someone prefer the Android 14 U-Community build?
How “dangerous” is it to simply stick to the U-Community build and leave the bootloader unlocked?
You can install official yourself on devices which get official builds, in the case of FP5 … /e/OS official FP5 download
The wording is a bit tricky to get right. You can install official on your Fairphone 5 because Murena sell the Fairphone 5 in their shop with official /e/OS builds preinstalled, but also make the official builds available to install for everybody owning a Fairphone 5, regardless where it was bought.
Thanks for the clarification. I do think this should be reworded then, as they do continue to define “Murena smartphone” as “phones purchase (sic) through the murena Shop”.
And if you put it like this, the risk of leaving the bootloader unlocked seems to be minimal for regular users. It’s not like I’m a U.S. national security advisor or anything…
I was worried that an unlocked bootloader would leave a door open for malware in malicious apps, but that doesn’t seem to be the case from this assessment.
I was also aware that the community build can’t be relocked, I am not sure if it was you or another user with a German flag by the username but I saw it on a different thread, so thank you for bringing awareness!
The main reason for a locked bootloader is, that a lost or stolen device is nothing else as a piece of electronic waste. Without an EDL Loader for FP4 or FP5 it’s impossible to remove the FRP from the device.
Yes I have move from Android 14 (security patch 05.01.2025 if I remember well) to e/os version as per below. I have not made any update to the system yet so cannot comment on that point yet.
