Hi to all,
my Fairphone 3 was sold with /e/OS pre-installed, but as I was told here it was not possible to find a routine to upgrade to newer releases of /e/OS. My university wants to switch to 2-FA-authentication next year and asks to install the App Duo Mobile for that purpose. Unfortunately it does not install on my FP3, because its build is too old, i.e. it corresponds to Android 9 (“App für dieses Gerät nicht verfügbar.”).
Today I tried to install a newer /e/OS on the FP3 with the easy-installer. All works fine until OEM-unlocking. I used the instructions and the form to get the unlocking code. I can enable OEM unlocking, but it asks only for the PIN and not for the unlocking code. As a consequence the bootloader is still locked and insatllation process stops. What is the problem?
Why are those fastboot commands not mentioned anywhere during the installation process via easy-installer? More precisely, I would expect a note in the Fairphone pages between no. 3 “Enable OEM unlocking” and 4. Enter verify code, telling something like “Press power and decrease Vol button until fastboot mode shows up and then open a terminal on your computer and enter the following commands …”.
I hope that this is the missing link, why the window for entering the verify code did not pop up. Though it is not clear to me how this works out, because the screenshot under no. 4 shows a graphical surface, apparently a pop-up window under a fully booted OS with “settings” opened and not the text-based fastboot menu.
I have installed adb and fastboot now. Do they require root privileges? If easy-installer is run from a user account, but adb and fastboot as root, the cooperation probably will not work (users are by default not in the list of sudoers in Debian. I would need to set it up, instead of switching to root).
Hi,
I deinstalled the easy-installer and reinstalled it with
snap install easy-installer --channel=latest/beta
The third installation attempt I had closer look at the version of /e/OS that was downloaded. It downloaded “T”. But when unlocking the bootloader it still did not ask for the verify code and installation ended with Android 9. Something is still wrong.
(I do half remember this sort of situation with FP3, but not the detail of exactly what made the upgrade so problematic that someone gave that advice; perhaps it was always felt that an easier route would “become available soon”.)
Maybe reading this tutorial [HOW-TO] Flash /e/-OS on Fairphone 3 using Debian based GNU/Linux would give you confidence to try a manual install. The ROM which you will download now contains a script which makes the ROM almost self installing, so debugging Easy Installer maybe harder than running the script.
The ROM contains its own version of platform-tools and is suitable for a Windows or Linux install.
Regarding Easy Installer and adb, Easy Installer contains its own route to platform-tools via snap so your system install of platform-tools is not required.
But the bootloader told me that it was unlocked. I entered the command “fastboot flashing unlock” in a terminal and the fastboot screen of my phone changed color and offered “Unlock bootloader” to be selected with the volume buttons, which I did. Otherwise easy-installer would have complained, that the bootloader was still locked as it did in my first attempt.
Reconsidering the process, I think, that the following happens:
Easy-installer downloads the correct OS version.
I do all the things needed to open the phone according to easy-installer instructions and to unlock the bootloader according to the instructions of the Fairphone website including step 3.
Then something goes wrong. Step 4 asking for entering the verify code does not occur.
Nevertheless, I boot the phone into fastboot mode with Power and Volume button, then enter “fastboot flashing unlock” in a terminal and the phone reacts. I choose “Unlock bootloader” and it tells me that I unlocked the bootloader.
Then something happens automatically as predicted by the easy-installer. When I press “continue”, the easy-installer does not complain, but proceeds as everything would be OK.
I guess, because the verify code was not entered, the installation process nevertheless is blocked although the bootloader tells me to be unlocked.
Instead of installing the new OS, the phone performs only a system reset to delivery state of the pre-installed old OS. This may be still part of the installation-routine, a pre-requisite for the following steps.
This is the “Fairphone Unlock page” Bootloader Unlocking Code for Fairphone - Fairphone … it contains full instructions. I am not certain, but I thought that this was a one time event. I don’t think you want to be doing this with easy installer, I think that you need to carefully sort out –
has it been done already?
or is it still to do? (I do not believe this is a job for easy installer [1])
While the following three are not perhaps fully discrete, we have to be careful about using the right term for each.
The Fairphone unlock process.
OEM unlocking. (Notice how the Fairphone Unlock depends on Developer options → Enable OEM unlocking)
Locking and unlocking the Bootloader.
I didn’t realise that the tutorial I already linked, leaves you to sort out the The Fairphone unlock process yourself. However it does cover the other 2 locks fully.
Maybe you are drawing the wrong conclusions from Easy Installer failure. You could look for logs.
I came across 3 informations on the Fairphone websites, that made me think and resulted in questions.
1.) in the manual install instructions Fairphone says that SIM and all other cards should be removed during installation process. Is this a general recommendation or just valid during manual install or only a pre-caution? What could happen, if I don’t remove the SIM card? It is the first time I read this recommendation. Easy-installer doesn’t say anything like that.
2.) The Phone should have internet connection. I guess, that when activating “Enable OEM unlocking” the phone sends a request to a Fairphone server and upon response from it opens the window and asks for entry of the key/verify code/Entsperrcode?
How does it connect through the internet? Probably not via an unusual procedure through the USB cable and the attached computer. If Fairphone recommends to remove the SIM card, possbily it will by default not connect through LTE?
This means WIFI would be mandatory? I have set up WIFI for the installation now (my computers are connected by ethernet).
3.) Fairphone insists on that prior to installation of a custom ROM, the legacy Android should be upgraded to the most recent version. When installing a new OS, I will skip 3 /e/OS versions (from Android 9 to T alias 13). May this cause problems?
Due to /e/ devs having “partnered” with Fairphone, as I understand it, the /e/ ROM does contain all the parts to do the Upgrade.
If you find the Fairphone instructions easier, just follow them!
It is a good idea to have the phone online. So if you ever Factory reset you have to re-enable USB debugging + OEM unlock and connect to Wi-Fi. I tend to keep SIM, as I think that there is an advantage to having SIM present when First start wizard runs. Samsungs, generally benefit from SIM present, not quite sure why Fp say to remove.
I think that moving from pie, may give some difficulty, is why you would have to consult logs if using Easy Installer … but much better to do CLI install where you are in control.
Although WLAN was active now, the Fairphone still did not behave as described on the Fairphone pages for unlocking the bootloader. So apparently no contact to a server was required. The pages need an update.
The problem was that due to the change in the procedure, i.e. sending the command “fastboot flashing unlock” to the Fairphone, fastboot had to be activated at least twice. First to unlock the bootloader with the command, then to start installation. After I realized this, installation of the new OS worked flawlessly.
Many thanks to all who contributed with their knowledge to help me and a happy new year to you all!
