Samsung - Galaxy A7 (2017) - a7y17lte - Documentation Suggestions

eOSWiki Documentation Suggestions
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Please add your suggestions to improve the documentation for the Samsung - Galaxy A7 (2017) - a7y17lte here …

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I am trying to install /e/OS on a Samsung Galaxy A7(2017) sm-a720f using the a7y17lte suite of utilities.
I have platform tools adb and fastboot (as at December 2022) installed on MX Linux 21 64bit.
I have heimdall V1.4.2 installed and version ‘R’ of /e/OS zip file and custom recovery .img downloaded for a7y17lte.
‘$ adb device’ recognises my A7 connected via USB, but ‘$ fastboot device’ does not.
‘$ adb reboot bootloader && fastboot device’ does not recognise my A7.
‘$ adb reboot bootloader’ seems to force a normal reboot.
‘$ adb reboot download’ seems to put my A7 into download mode with a cyan coloured download screen. However, ‘$ adb --help’ has no information about ‘reboot download’. Buttons ‘volume down+home+power’ also enter download mode.
‘$ sudo heimdall flash --RECOVERY recovery.img --no-reboot’ successfully installs the /e/ recovery, but then it is not possible to power off using the phone buttons.
Using this command without ‘–no-reboot’ I am able to enter recovery mode if I am quick enough with buttons ‘volume up+home+power’ as the phone reboots.
In recovery mode TWRP (required at step 3 of the installation instructions: Install /e/OS on a Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) - “a7y17lte” ) is not available.
Question: is it possible to use heimdall to install both recovery and TWRP to the recovery partition either separately or together ? Installation instructions for TWRP (Install TWRP) make use of ‘fastboot’, which does not seem to recognise my phone.

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I don’t know how many times I have asked for this page to be modified as Unsuitable for Samsung.

Samsung uses Odin mode in place of fastboot. So fastboot will always fail in an Odin equipped Samsung. The issue is briefly mentioned as a footnote to this page Know your hardware - Samsung.

You can and should use heimdall to install either /e/ Recovery or TWRP as your recovery as described in the install instructions you quoted. /e/ Recovery is a “simplified” custom recovery while TWRP is custom recovery often preferred by experts.

If one is using /e/ Recovery one would omit the “navigation” instruction

  1. In TWRP return to main menu, then tap Wipe

but look for and find Format Data within the /e/ Recovery menu:

  1. Now tap Format Data and continue with the formatting process.
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Many thanks @aibd. I will try with /e/ recovery first before trying TWRP and report how I get on.

Malcolm

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Thanks again @aibd, with the aid of your advice I how have /e/ up and running on my SM-A720F. Very happy.
Malcolm

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