Unable to lock the bootloader - Fairphone 6 /e/ installation

Community
,
1

Hi everyone,

I’ve just bought a new Fairphone 6. I’ve followed official process and am now unable to lock the bootloader either from the command line or via the slider in the Developer Tools. Below are the detailed steps I followed and I’d be really grateful for any help to get the bootloader locked. Thanks!

1.) Received new Fairphone 6
2.) Updated to latest Android verision.
3.) Enabled developer mode.
4.) Enabled USB Debugging
5.) Enabled file transfer in USB mode
6.) Used the /e/ OS script flash_FP6_factory.sh via this article - Install /e/OS on a Fairphone The Fairphone (Gen. 6) - “FP6”
7.) Script errored on the last stage about removing MISC.
8.) I found an article on the forum which had the same issue. I removed the MISC entry from within the script and re-ran it. Install Script for /e/ OS fails on delete 'misc' partition
9.) Script then completed successfully apart from the error at the end - “Info: Device does not support ‘oem reset-rollback’, skipping rollback index reset.”
10.) Rebooted the device and the “bootloader unlocked” message was displayed. Phone booted to the inital configuration screen for /e/ OS.
11.) Followed the initial setup flow and then rebooted the device again.
12.) Bootloader unlocked message displayed again.
13.) Booted into the /e/ OS and re-enabled developer mode.
14.) Found that the OEM unlocking slider is greyed out and states (bootloader already unlocked)
15.) Was unable to operate the slider.
16.) Booted into Fastboot and got the following message when trying to run the comand “fastboot flashing get_unlock_ability” - FAILED (remote: ‘Unrecognized command flashing get_unlock_ability’)
17.) Reverted the phone back to the factory Android image using the process described here - https://support.fairphone.com/hc/en-us/articles/18896094650513-How-to-manually-install-Android-on-your-Fairphone
18.) Followed the Android initial setup flow then rebooted the phone - booloader unlocked message still present.
19.) Re-installed /e/ OS as per steps (1) - (9) above. Bootloader is still unlocked and the slider greyed out in /e/ OS.

Having looked into this as much as I can I suspect it’s related to this:

The error “Device does not support ‘oem reset-rollback’, skipping rollback index reset” indicates that the device’s bootloader or firmware does not expose or support the specific fastboot command required to manually reset or modify the Anti-Rollback (ARB) index

Any help would be super appreciated!

2

I hope it’s not too late for your device…

[HOWTO] a Safe Guide to install "IMG-e-builds" even if the /e/ web installer fails

3

Thanks for the information Piero - I will have a read. I can confirm that I applied all available updates to the new Fairphone 6 before I did the /e/ OS build.

4

So you will have to wait for the next /e/ update version to relock the bootloader…

5

Is this because it will then be newer than the Fairphone Android image?

1 Like
6

Does it help to read this thread (answered) Install /e/ on FP5 with newer Security Patches if you were not fully aware of how anti-rollback hazard arises?

7

What about

./fastboot oem device-info
8

Thanks Piero, I will try this also.

9

Thanks - will have a read. Makes sense now. So my understanding is that the /e/ image needs to be newer than the original Android image?

10

This is what I got back after running the Fastboot oem command:

$ ./fastboot oem device-info
FAILED (remote: ‘Unable to open fastboot HAL’)
fastboot: error: Command failed

Device was booted into Fasbootd.

11

I’ve read this now and understand the problem. The /e/ OS version must be newer than the original Android version before the bootloader can be locked - is that correct? Thanks so much to both you and Piero for your help!

12

The command is expected to be runned with the device in bootloader / fastboot mode

13

Yes, the concept is to disallow going backwards in Android. There is a Rollback index printed into the device. a16 introduced oem reset-rollback … an error there, as you guessed, is significant to your problem.

Fastbootd is not fastboot.

Fastbootd has special capabilities to fix certain issues but for this important command Fastboot highlighted in red, with the big green START at the top is required.

14

Perfect - makes sense. Thank you!

15

While I guess your issue runs deeper, are you and were you from the start using up to date platform-tools?

./fastboot --version
16

Yep, I would say so, Got them from the official Android downloads. This is the version:

$ ./fastboot --version
fastboot version 37.0.1-15733141

1 Like