Week 24 2024: Development and Testing Updates

Summary of weekly development and testing activities by /e/OS developers and volunteers. Updated content has the :new: emoji.

Release

v2.1

Status :green_circle: Released :new:

Upcoming milestones information

Ongoing development tasks
- Easy Installer to be updated to flash /e/OS T builds. ETA to be planned

/e/OS R builds to be stopped. :new:

With Google stopping security patches and LOS also dropping support for A11 , e/OS is also planning on dropping /e/OS R builds. We are checking which devices are still on /e/OS R and can be upgraded to S / A12 or T / A13 . If not possible the device will be marked as legacy on the documentation site and not get any further builds after v2.2
The OS OTA build coming with v2.2 for S7/ 7+ and S8/ 8+ will upgrade these device from R to S

Murena 2 specific information

  • Back cover’s received from vendor. Sending out the same first to the crowdfunding backers.Back covers for users in France sent out. Out of France orders were sent starting on Thursday 30 May. The option to purchase the backcover to be added to the website.
  • User facing issues with the camera focus or device can send in the details to the helpdesk@e.email ID for a resolution.

Previous 5 releases & user feedback

Documentation

:point_right: ASUS does not provide an official method to unlock their devices. We will be adding a note to the effect that the install guides are only for those who have devices which are already unlocked.

Recent updates
Official builds not available for
  • Official / Stable support dropped for these devices

    • Easy Installer will flash the community or previously known as dev build for these devices. The stable builds for any of these devices if still being released will be stopped. Users will then have to switch to the dev branch. They can do so by flashing using the EasyInstaller. This would include data loss so take backups if required.
      • 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
Support dropped for
  • Galaxy M20 m20lte - No dedicated maintainer upstream or with /e/OS

  • Nothing Phone(1) Spacewar

    • Multiple bugs in the last build. No dedicated maintainer on /e/OS or LOS side.
  • Motorola Motorola Moto G7 Play channel

    • Partition space issues
  • Google Pixel XL marlin

    • Partition space issues
  • Google Pixel sailfish

    • Partition space issues
  • Google Nexus 7 2013 flox

    • Partition space issues
  • LG V30 (T-Mobile) h932

    • Build issues
  • LG v30 `joan

    • Build issues
  • Galaxy M20 m20lte

    • Build issues. No dedicated maintainers available.
  • 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.
  • Nokia Devices

    • No dedicated maintainers
  • Huawei

    • Unable to unlock bootloader
  • ASUS

    • unlocking tool not working for last couple of months.

:nerd_face: As you may be aware the bootloader needs to be unlocked to flash a custom ROM like /e/OS.

: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.

Devices with MINIMAL APPS builds
  • Moto E5 Plus ahannah
  • Moto E5 Plus hannah
  • Moto E5 Plus rhannah
  • Moto G5 cedric
  • Moto G5S montana
    All devices ran into out of space error while building. Issue was resolved using the MINIMAL_APPS build
What MINIMAL_APPS flag means

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. In the case of certain devices we are unable to build with even the minimal /e/OS build.

 

: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

Murena cloud NextCloud version upgraded

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 πŸ€“ 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
  • Download available here

    • Sources available here
    • version is /e/OS Q (A10)

    :point_right: The v1.17 GSI build is the last build and is on /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
  • Fairphone: FP4 : S (A12) β†’ T (A13) :fire:

  • Samsung: S9/9+ : R(A11) β†’ S(A12) :fire:

  • Gigaset: GS290 : Q (A10)β†’ Android 11 (R)

  • Oneplus: avicii : A12

  • OnePlus : avicii : Q ( A10) β†’ R (A11)

  • Fairphone: FP4 : R ( A11) β†’ S (A12)

  • Fairphone:FP3 : R (A11) β†’ S (A12)

  • Fairphone:FP3 : Q (A10) β†’ R (A11)

  • Samsung: s7 / s7+ : Nougat (A7) β†’ Q (A10)

  • Samsung: s9 / s9+ : Oreo (A8) β†’ Q (A10)

  • Samsung: Galaxy S9/9+ : Q (A10)β†’ R(A11)

  • Samsung: s8 / s8+ : Pie (A9) β†’ R (A11)

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

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

  • Samsung: S7 β€˜herolte’ β€˜hero2lte’: Q ( A10) β†’ R (A11)

  • Google Pixel β€˜redfin’: S(A12) β†’ T(A13)

  • Gigaset: GS290: R(A11) β†’ S (A12)

  • Fairphone: FP3 : S (A12) β†’ T (A13)

    • All OTA OS upgrades are on stable builds
Testing πŸ†•
  • Samsung: S7/7+ : R(A11) β†’ S(A12)
    • ETA v2.2 :crossed_fingers:
  • Samsung: S8/8+ : R(A11) β†’ S(A12)
    • ETA v2.2 :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

 

No more multiple OS versions
  • Support for /e/OS Q is being dropped for most of the devices.
  • 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.

 

Misc information

Read Gael 's roadmap for 2024

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.
/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

13 Likes

Release notes for v2.1-r say:

Third Party Apps support

  • We now provide our own backend location services to take over Mozilla Location Services ending on June 12th

Where is that to be found in system-settings?
Or invisible in the background?

@Manoj can You help?

1 Like

Thanks, Manoj, that news makes my day! :smiley:

3 Likes

Another day made over here :grinning: :+1:

3 Likes

The explanation as to why we missed releasing it with v2.1 is that we could test only a few stable s7 and s8’s. Unfortunately, we did not have enough server time with the testing of other devices going on in parallel. We plan to release the OTA OS upgrades with the next release v2.2 and also include any fixes that come up during the testing.

5 Likes

A big thanks for your explanation and the great work you all are doing at /e/!

2 Likes

Pl note that Enable the 48MP/50MPx in /e/OS Camera for FP4/FP5 has been removed from the release notes. The team is working on the fix and expect to release it as part of v2.2

7 Likes

Go to settings->microg setttings->location, there you should find it.

User don’t need to do anything, it just happen and is the only option. Turning it off is also possible

2 Likes

Thanks!
I must not have scrolled down far enough to see it

I Hate to bring to your attention, that this update killed the wifi on my Moto G5s. wont switch on anymore.

Pl can you add your feedback to the v2.1 thread. Wanted to check if there were more users of the same device experiencing this issue. Is the device name β€˜montana’ ?

correct, its β€œMontana”

Thank you soo much for keeping on track with the OTA upgrades on galaxy s9! Just got S with v2.1 and the new experience is mindblowing!
Lots of love

1 Like