Week 15 2024: Development and Testing Updates

/e/OS Smartphone Operating System Development Updates
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Summary of weekly development and testing activities by /e/OS developers and volunteers. Updated content have the :new: emoji.

Release :new:

v2.0 :new: :fire:

Status :green_circle: Testing

The next release will be v2.0

  • Issues and fixes

  • Bliss Launcher v3

  • Fairphone: FP4 : S (A12) → T (A13) OS OTA upgrade build :crossed_fingers:

    • Release depends on all issues being fixed. We have identified a showstopper issue with the touch screen functionality not working. The team is working on resolving this.

  • Shift6mq axolotl to get script based installation. Device bootloader will be lockable. We now have a ROM Maintainer for this device.

  • Will share more details of the v2.0 updates in the days before release.

ETA: End of April :crossed_fingers:

v1.21

Status :green_circle: Released

  • Release notes
  • Build Feedback
  • Fairphone: FP3 : S (A12) → T (A13) OS OTA upgrade build
  • OpenCamera updated to v1.52
  • Builds failure for LG v32 joan and LG v30 h932 - team checking on reason behind faliure

v1.21.2

Status :green_circle: Released

  • Release was specific for Murena One users. The build had a fix for the regression issue with wifi and bluetooth post the v1.21 release.

Roadmap for 2024

Gael 's roadmap for 2024

Upcoming milestones information

Ongoing development tasks
  • A tablet with /e/OS T. Tablet name will be shared once we have the go ahead from build team. The release is tied with the launch of the updated Bliss launcher. Launch planned early 2024 :crossed_fingers:
  • Easy Installer to be updated to flash /e/OS T builds. ETA to be planned

:nerd_face: ETA: Estimated time of arrival - term used in software development to denote the estimated time when a product can be expected to be released.

Previous 5 releases & user feedback

Links to the last 5 releases click here

Documentation

Recent updates

  • The Supported devices table now displays the Safetynet and Rootbeer status for all devices in the list. For devices which show a :question: we would request users to run a test and share the feedback with us. The forum post on this is here.

  • Stable builds are now referred to as Official and dev builds are Community. This change will be visible in our Supported device list.

  • Official / Stable support dropped for these devices

    • Easy Installer will flash the community or previously known as dev build for these devices
      • Google Pixel 4a sunfish
      • Google Pixel 4a 5G bramble
      • Google Pixel 4 XL coral
      • Google Pixel 4 flame
      • OnePlus 7 Pro guacamole
      • OnePlus 7T hotdogb
      • OnePlus 8 instantnoodle
      • OnePlus 8 Pro instantnoodlep

  • Transfer data from iPhone and iCloud to /e/OS and Murena Cloud guide

  • How to backup and restore and /e/OS device

  • Users may have noticed a difference in the internal storage size on fresh installations. We have created a guide to explain this.

  • Upgrade guides have been removed from the Documentation site. The recommended method to install is first flash the stock ROM (where required as per the guides) and then a clean install of /e/OS. This process will format the device and will include data loss. Users are advised to take a backup before proceeding with the format.

 

:warning: Posting information on test builds

  • Please do not post information or links to /e/OS test builds on the forum.
  • These builds are as yet untested and under development and may in some cases cause user devices to soft brick.
  • Such information can confuse other users who do not see these builds in the updater.
  • Remember not all users who come to this forum are experts in installing and formatting custom ROMs and can end up seriously damaging their devices by trying out these test builds
  • If you are genuinely interested in helping with the testing activities and also understand how to fix and do some minor level of testing on custom ROMS, you are welcome to join the testing team
  • As part of the testing team you can share your comments on the dedicated testing telegram channel.

 

Murena Cloud and Self hosting

:point_right: The deployment to NC 27 was successful :tada:.
Better performance and lots of new fixes and features in this version. Changelog can be found here

Murena cloud current version

:point_right: Murena Cloud Next Cloud 27.1.8.3

Self Hosting current version

:point_right: Self hosting Murena cloud v 26.0.8

 

How to check the NextCloud version click here 🤓 You can find the complete documentation and current NC version under https://murena.io/settings/help >> NextCloud xx user documentation. The xx should show the latest version. - Another way to check the current version is to check the [NextCloud scan link](https://scan.nextcloud.com) and input https://murena.io this should display the current version number as well as the security level. > Please note if MurenaCloud patch number is not the same as the NC patch number, the rating would show up as bad 😐 This is not exactly a problem. We do not immediately jump to the next NC patch as soon as it is released. We first test it and then set out with the deployment.

GSI

Current GSI version click here

v1.17

  • Download available here
    • Sources available here
    • version is /e/OS Q (A10)
  • :point_right: The Q v1.17 GSI build is the last build in /e/OS Q
  • :point_right: GSI OS version will next move to T or A13 skipping the R and S versions. Dates for development will be shared

 

OS OTA Related information :new:

Completed

  • Gigaset: GS290 : Q (A10)→ Android 11 (R)

  • Oneplus: avicii : A12

  • OnePlus : avicii : Q ( A10) → R (A11)

  • Fairphone: FP4 : R ( A11) → S (A12)

  • Fairphone:FP3 : R (A11) → S (A12)

  • Fairphone:FP3 : Q (A10) → R (A11)

  • Samsung: s7 / s7+ : Nougat (A7) → Q (A10)

  • Samsung: s9 / s9+ : Oreo (A8) → Q (A10)

  • Samsung: Galaxy S9/9+ : Q (A10)→ R(A11)

  • Samsung: s8 / s8+ : Pie (A9) → R (A11)

  • Teracube: 2e / zirconia: Q (A10) to R (A11)

  • Teracube: emerald & zirconia : R (A11) to S (A12)

  • Samsung: S7 ‘herolte’ ‘hero2lte’: Q ( A10) → R (A11)

  • Google Pixel ‘redfin’: S(A12) → T(A13)

  • Gigaset: GS290: R(A11) → S (A12)

  • Fairphone: FP3 : S (A12) → T (A13)

    • All OTA OS upgrades are on stable builds
Testing
  • Fairphone: FP4 : S (A12) → T (A13)
    • ETA v1.21
To Plan

  • Samsung: S9/9+ : R(A11) → S(A12)

  • Samsung: S8/8+ : R(A11) → S(A12)

    • ETA - probably with v2.1 :crossed_fingers:
Our definition of an OS OTA upgrade

Usually for /e/OS ROMs to upgrade the OS you have to do the following

  • If available download the correct OS build from the supported device list
  • For some devices you also need to download the stock ROM from the vendor site.
  • Take a back up of your data
  • First install the Stock ROM
  • Next install the /e/OS ROM. Here you can take help of the install guides available on our documentation site.
  • If required apply the backups you downloaded before starting the whole process

An alternate to this tedious process is where we offer the user the option to upgrade the OS OTA. This option is available for stable device builds only.
This process is easy for the user but requires a lot of development and testing effort.

Different /e/OS build types

 

Support dropped for

List of devices for which support has been dropped
  • Nothing Spacewar
    • Multiple bugs in the last build. No dedicated maintainer on /e/OS or LOS side.
  • Motorola Motorola Moto G7 Play channel
  • Google Pixel XL marlin
  • Google Pixel sailfish
  • Google Nexus 7 2013 flox
  • All Nokia devices

    • We have been unable to build builds for the device post v1.17 which was on /e/OS T.

    • Users with ROM building skills will be able to create customized builds of the channel if they so desire as the device trees will be available on our servers.

      :nerd_face: Minimal build is a setting in /e/OS build which removes the following default applications (LibreOffice viewer, PDFViewer, Maps and Weather)from the source code and builds a smaller version of the ROM.

No more multiple OS versions

  • Support for /e/OS Q is being dropped for most of the devices.

  • Exception would be Samsung S7 / edge herolte and hero2lte which will be upgraded to /e/OS R or Android 11 :new:

  • Support of multiple OS versions on the same device has been stopped.

  • If you see multiple OS version builds on the download page, switch to the latest /e/OS version.

  • In most devices it would require a manual download and installation. Take a backup before proceeding.

  • We will add a text on the images server mentioning that older OS versions are no longer supported.

  • No longer supported will mean that build would not be made in the older OS.

  • It is always advised to switch to the newer OS versions as some of applications may not work correctly on older OS as application developer stop supporting older OS.

Nokia Devices

 

Vendor specific information

Bootloader unlockable devices

As you may be aware the bootloader needs to be unlocked to flash a custom ROM like /e/OS.
The vendors of the following devices are preventing the unlocking of the bootloader

  • Huawei
  • ASUS - unlocking tool reported as not working for last couple of months.

:point_right: We have added a warning on the install pages for these devices to warn our users before they try to attempt to flash /e/OS.

Misc information

Where to buy the Murena Two and Murena One from?

A phone from Murena with /e/OS installed has been launched and is available for purchase. Check here. Select a country and check availablility and device specs

Expect more device releases from Murena in future :grinning:

:nerd_face: Murena is the brand name and /e/OS is the operating system.

Check real time availability of /e/OS and related services websites
OS upgrade info specific to the FP3
  • The FP3 OTA OS update from Pie to Q/R is not possible as encryption method changed on FP3 between Pie and Q/R. It is not possible to change the method while updating.
  • The team spent a great deal of time on this, but has not been able to resolve this problem. For now, the manual process is the only way to upgrade the FP3 from pie to other OS versions.
End of official support for Nougat, Oreo and Pie 😞 Pie, Oreo and Nougat the official /e/OS support has ended.

Reasons for dropping official support are:

  • newly released applications like App Lounge, Advanced privacy code has not been customized for these OS versions.
  • lack of dedicated ROM Maintainers
  • no support upstream (Lineage dropped support for Pie sometime back)
  • device trees will continue to exist in the Gitlab and users with build skills can create custom ROMs on these builds
  • Security patches and vendor patches for the Pie, Oreo and Nougat code will be updated based on availability.

:nerd_face: Google stops security patches for OS after some time. Similarly, Vendors drop support for older models when they release newer models in the market. Then it depends on developers from various communities to backport the patches.

Device and Vendor specific Announcements

:loudspeaker: Gigaset GS290

  • We have stopped the sales of the Gigaset GS290 on the eSolutionsShop as the vendor has stopped production of the device. We will continue support for existing users.

:loudspeaker: Message being shared on the request of our vendor partners

  • Vendors whose phones we sell on our eSolutions Store do not directly sell /e/OS flashed devices.
  • The vendors only sell their devices with their own stock ROM.
  • To get pre flashed /e/OS phones, you have to purchase them from the eSolutions Shop.

:loudspeaker: /e/OS Pre flashed device sales

  • We sell directly in EU, US, Canada and Australia
  • Find details of what devices are available in which countries here Murena Shop.
Different /e/OS build types

Check out this guide to understand differences between build types on /e/OS

/e/OS website and social media Links and Support

Support

  • Facing issues with devices you purchased from us ? For issues you would want support on from the /e/OS support team, send in the details using the contact form

Websites

Telegram Channel

Social Media

Newsletters

Regain your privacy! Adopt /e/OS the deGoogled mobile OS and online servicesphone

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Note that this device is still officially supported by LineageOS and LineageOS for microG.

  • LOS 21.0 builds are available here
  • LOS4Microg builds are here (The latest build is 20.0. 21.0 should be available once upstream problems with building 21.0 are resolved)
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  • I remember flox needed some partition trickery to get flashed, it was mentioned in a issue comment
  • for marlin, sailfish, channel … are there public comments on why they posed difficulties and got removed from the build roster? I checked the gitlab backlog codename labels but couldn’t unearth one. As in - if ppl with aosp build experience know, they can decide if it’s worth it to investigate/resolve particular build errors
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Same issues were reported on all devices.

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The /e/OS-Q GSI download list currently shows GSI images from 2022 (IMG-e-0.23-q-20220402175186) to 2021 (IMG-e-0.16-q-20210426112463); example:

IMG-e-0.23-q-20220402175186-dev-treble_a64_bvN.zip

My saved downloads are dated November 2023, for example: IMG-e-1.17-q-20231110351091-dev-treble_a64_bvN.zip

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did the reports occur in telegram groups? having some log errors would help when replicating. I’ll build one of the 3 devices and see where it goes, but would be nice to know if I end up at the same error(s)

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The team does not retain error logs. It was reported that we had was lack of space for the default set of applications on these devices. You can try and build one of them and check.

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All: The deployment to NC 27 was successful :tada:.
Better performance and lots of new fixes and features in this version. Changelog can be found here

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Is there any word on why there was no xz2c build for 1.21?

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No word as yet. Have added Xperia XZ2 Compact xz2c to the list with LG v32 joan and LG v30 h932

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Guide on how to bypass Murena Cloud marking legitimate emails as spam

We have received a few complaints from users that their regular emails were being marked as spam. While the team is working on a permanent fix for this problem, we have created a guide which provides a workaround for this problem.

Following the instructions from this guide the user can

  • Bypass the Murena webmail spam filters

The guide is accessible from:

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