OnePlus 8 Pro additional partition required but lacks expected images

[applephx]

First off, I am only doing a manual install because the easy installer has a known bug (https://gitlab.e.foundation/e/backlog/-/issues/7099) so it is unable to install even though I downgraded to android 11 Oxygen OS.

I started using the guide for oneplus 8 pro for manual installation here: https://doc.e.foundation/devices/instantnoodlep/install

I followed it to the part of flashing additional partitions. It says that “this platform requires additional partitions to be flashed for recovery to work properly” and says there should be two image files (“dtbo.img” and “vbmeta.img”)

After downloading the images and recovery img and build for the latest stable version (R 1.19.1 20240110372391) …the recovery img only contains 1 image file so I am not sure what to flash to dtbo and vbmeta.

I do not want to brick my device but I’m trying to get it setup ASAP before my work and school picks up later this week. Any ideas, insights, ??? Thanks for your time!

[applephx]

Update: I used the method shown here to create my own dtbo and vbmeta img files.

I followed the install instructions exactly and slowly and carefully.

At the end of the flash I receive the following message

E:\Downloads\_android\platform-tools>adb sideload e-1.19.1-r-20240110372391-stable-instantnoodlep.zip
serving: 'e-1.19.1-r-20240110372391-stable-instantnoodlep.zip'  (~47%)    adb: failed to read command: No error

The device showed the attached image.

Now, the device only boots to the bootloader but no OS. It will not boot to recovery ¯_(ツ)_/¯ any ideas?

[aibd]

@applephx

and says there should be two image files (“dtbo.img” and “vbmeta.img”)

So the install instructions apply to the current dev build Android 13 (T).

The stable build is held back at Android 11 (R) and those older install instructions are no longer shown.

---

From here your update looks fairly positive

(~47%)    adb: failed to read command: No error

Is a known Success response and your image is of /e/Recovery.

So far so good … you have booted into the new Recovery (but system is still missing of course).

You started sideload of the /e/ROM … did something unexpected occur at this point … where you were expected to “Reboot system now” ?

@applephx

It will not boot to recovery

Do you mean something changed and now it will no longer boot into Recovery ?

In this case the first thing to rule out is a change in Active slot. Maybe check this article https://droidwin.com/check-change-current-active-slot-on-android/.

The use of the copy-partition script can help to avoid this issue https://lineageosroms.com/instantnoodlep/.

Pre-install instructions
In some cases slot b can be unpopulated or contain much older firmware than slot a, leading to various issues including a potential hard-brick. We can ensure none of that will happen by copying the contents of slot a to slot b. This step is NOT optional.

You might compare your experience with https://xdaforums.com/t/why-are-custom-roms-bricking-my-device.4448607/ … but then your situation may be further complicated by the earlier downgrade of OOS.

[applephx]

Thank you for the information!

@aibd

So the install instructions apply to the current dev build Android 13 (T).

The stable build is held back at Android 11 (R) and those older install instructions are no longer shown.

That explains it. Can I find android R instructions somewhere? Does that mean android R doesn’t require flashing dtbo and vbmeta?

@aibd

You started sideload of the /e/ROM … did something unexpected occur at this point … where you were expected to “Reboot system now” ?

The only thing that happened after sideloading was that there was no notification or anything to “Reboot system now”…just the screen in the uploaded photo.

@aibd

Do you mean something changed and now it will no longer boot into Recovery ?

Yes, it will no longer boot to recovery, but repeating the steps and flashing recovery again will get me back there.

I am on slot b now. I could follow instructions and copy b to a or a to b but my question then is: How may I ascertain which slot I should be on or does it not matter?

[applephx]

@aibd

The use of the copy-partition script can help to avoid this issue https://lineageosroms.com/instantnoodlep/.

After reading through this more thoroughly, I am wondering if I should flash the stable Android 11 (R) builds and partitions and recovery and copy that or do a fresh MSM with android 11 and copy that.

[aibd]

@applephx

I am on slot b now.

So this points to the issue. You flashed Slot a (according to your recovery image) now you have Slot b.

… but …

@applephx

there was no notification or anything to “Reboot system now”

… but the instructions include this wording !! (Of course I see you got no confirmation on the device.)

@applephx

do a fresh MSM with android 11 and copy that.

That would be the safest thing to do … it would be something of a guess what is actually on slot a and slot b right now (but you may be able to recover the situation, if you consider worst case is MSM).

Of course the other thing to consider is to use Android 13 (T) where you have the /e/OS instructions.

@applephx

Does that mean android R doesn’t require flashing dtbo and vbmeta?

They are in the ROM and are required, but it is not required to flash them ahead of recovery.

[applephx]

Thank you so much! that was all extremely helpful.

[applephx]

@aibd

@applephx

do a fresh MSM with android 11 and copy that.

That would be the safest thing to do … it would be something of a guess what is actually on slot a and slot b right now (but you may be able to recover the situation, if you consider worst case is MSM).

After using MSM to restore the most recent Android 11 (10.0.4.4) I find myself on slot a now. I am lost and having trouble finding the commands to copy a to b or what my equivalent of " copy-partitions-20210323_1922.zip" would be
Reference: (https://lineageosroms.com/instantnoodlep/#installing-a-custom-recovery-using-fastboot)

If this doesn’t work I may just use android 13 even though I find 11 much more efficient and enjoyable despite the cool new features.

[aibd]

@applephx

what my equivalent of " copy-partitions-20210323_1922.zip" would be

So you can just download the script (the very same 2021-03-23 version) … perhaps read it to see what it intends to do … then sideload it, in the sequence explained in the instructions.