Failed to install Ubuntu Touch on Nexus 5

Bash Horatio

Hi, guys! I tried to flash ubuntu touch(maintained by Vojtech Bocek) into nexus5 but failed. Following https://developer.ubuntu.com/en/phone/devices/installing-ubuntu-for-devices and https://devices.ubports.com/#/hammerhead, I have installed ubuntu-device-flash and phablet-tools. After enabling usb debugging and rebooting into fastboot mode, I executed the command:

ubuntu-device-flash --server=http://system-image.ubports.com touch --channel=ubuntu-touch/stable --device=hammerhead --bootstrap

Nexus 5 did reboot into CWM Recovery but it still complained "Failed to enter Recovery". I have searched for solutions online for a while but found nothing help. Did I missed anything here? Any suggestion will be appreciated!

OS: Deepin GNU/Linux 2015
PPA: 
    # ubuntu sdk F141B5F0C7122F9B
    deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-sdk-team/ppa/ubuntu xenial main 

    # snappy dev tools F1831DDAFC42E99D
    deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/snappy-dev/tools/ubuntu xenial main 

    # phablet tools 5C5364B55E51A24C
    deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/phablet-team/tools/ubuntu xenial main

Err: 
    root@dp572:~# ubuntu-device-flash --server=http://system-image.ubports.com touch --channel=ubuntu-touch/stable --device=hammerhead --bootstrap

    2017/01/07 10:47:20 Device is |hammerhead|
    2017/01/07 10:47:21 Flashing version 12 from ubuntu-touch/stable channel and server http://system-image.ubports.com to device hammerhead
    2017/01/07 10:47:50 Waiting for device to enter recovery mode ...
    Failed to enter Recovery

mixmoto

Hi
Have you unlock the phones bootloader?

A Former User

@mixmoto said in Failed to install Ubuntu Touch on Nexus 5:

Hi
Have you unlock the phones bootloader?

By this way : https://developers.google.com/android/images

Galaxia

Just had the same issue myself. Ordered a second N5 to play around with UT and am using it now. Its the weirdest thing really, ive flashed it twice now, through stable version had lots of problems and now I'm on 220 which is better...but the install process hangs at the same point.

My solution, plug and unplug the phone from the desktop computer. I'm not sure how to explain in more detail, also, I rebooted the computer (tmpfs was full) and then plug and unplug the phone and/or manually switch between recovery and fastboot. I thought it was just me since I'm running Arch Linux and got ununtu-device-flash from AUR.

Pretty fustrating, but hang in there and once it goes your in business. And switch to devel_rc-proposed.

Bash Horatio

@mixmoto Actually, my nexus 5 is never locked

Bash Horatio

@Galaxia Thanks for a long reply! I tried to flash on ubuntu 16.04(in Vbox) this morning, and found that USB port name changed after rebooting into ubports. In tab "USB Setting" of Vbox, it was "LGE Nexus 5[0232]" after normal booting and "Google Android [0100]" in fastboot mode while "LGE Hammerhead on Ubports [0232]" after rebooting into Ubports during flashing. My solution is adding a new filter rule about Ubports in "USB Setting" of Vbox, ending up with a successful flashing.

However, I have no idea about the root cause of this failure too. Maybe OS does mastter?! Up to now, I have played around with UT from stable and devel_stable channel, both of which suffers several problems. I will switch to devel_rc-proposed at ur advice

kereltis

I'm having a similar issue on the Nexus 5 when I try the flash UT I get this:

sudo ubuntu-device-flash --server=http://system-image.ubports.com touch --channel=ubuntu-touch/devel_rc-proposed --device=hammerhead --bootstrap
WARNING You are about to flash your phone with a development image - continue at your own risk! There is absolutely no guarantee that even the most basic phone functions will work.
2017/02/19 17:51:25 Device is |hammerhead|
2017/02/19 17:51:26 Flashing version 264 from ubuntu-touch/devel_rc-proposed channel and server http://system-image.ubports.com to device hammerhead
can't flash recovery image

kereltis

I switched from my Ubuntu 16.04.2 desktop to my Ubuntu Gnome 16.10 laptop and tried again. This time I got:

sudo ubuntu-device-flash --server=http://system-image.ubports.com touch --channel=ubuntu-touch/devel_rc-proposed --device=hammerhead --bootstrap
[sudo] password for Blank:
WARNING You are about to flash your phone with a development image - continue at your own risk! There is absolutely no guarantee that even the most basic phone functions will work.
2017/02/19 19:10:45 Device is |hammerhead|
2017/02/19 19:10:46 Flashing version 264 from ubuntu-touch/devel_rc-proposed channel and server http://system-image.ubports.com to device hammerhead
2017/02/19 19:10:58 Waiting for device to enter recovery mode ...
2017/02/19 19:11:29 Start pushing /home/che/.cache/ubuntuimages/gpg/image-signing.tar.xz to device
2017/02/19 19:11:29 Start pushing /home/che/.cache/ubuntuimages/pool/keyring-f812366ff5018823acd3918f65837f7ade9679431e6e5ca6627a4e48f8dd643b.tar.xz to device
2017/02/19 19:11:29 Start pushing /home/che/.cache/ubuntuimages/ubuntu-touch/devel_rc-proposed/hammerhead/version-264.tar.xz to device
2017/02/19 19:11:29 Start pushing /home/che/.cache/ubuntuimages/pool/device-db15e34acb7ace860a9c3e1d6f65e88cde0afbdc6c7aa0635217591298b21685.tar.xz to device
2017/02/19 19:11:29 Start pushing /home/che/.cache/ubuntuimages/pool/ubuntu-253b179088cd6c539e33bd426ae3d529997b5985cd5963e5b67def3477a72451.tar.xz to device
2017/02/19 19:11:29 Start pushing /home/che/.cache/ubuntuimages/gpg/image-master.tar.xz to device
2017/02/19 19:11:29 Done pushing /home/che/.cache/ubuntuimages/gpg/image-signing.tar.xz to device
2017/02/19 19:11:29 Done pushing /home/che/.cache/ubuntuimages/pool/keyring-f812366ff5018823acd3918f65837f7ade9679431e6e5ca6627a4e48f8dd643b.tar.xz to device
2017/02/19 19:11:29 Done pushing /home/che/.cache/ubuntuimages/ubuntu-touch/devel_rc-proposed/hammerhead/version-264.tar.xz to device
2017/02/19 19:11:29 Done pushing /home/che/.cache/ubuntuimages/gpg/image-master.tar.xz to device
2017/02/19 19:11:50 Done pushing /home/che/.cache/ubuntuimages/pool/device-db15e34acb7ace860a9c3e1d6f65e88cde0afbdc6c7aa0635217591298b21685.tar.xz to device
2017/02/19 19:12:38 Done pushing /home/che/.cache/ubuntuimages/pool/ubuntu-253b179088cd6c539e33bd426ae3d529997b5985cd5963e5b67def3477a72451.tar.xz to device
2017/02/19 19:12:38 Created ubuntu_command: /home/che/.cache/ubuntuimages/ubuntu_commands324049987
2017/02/19 19:12:38 Rebooting into recovery to flash
Failed to enter Recovery

I tried again about 6 times and it eventually worked. The problem for me was that the phone kept freezing on the Google logo when it rebooted to flash UT. Try it a few times and see if it works for you, it seems to be random. I am now up and running with Ubuntu Touch on my N5.

alvarogr91

This post is deleted!

alvarogr91

@Bash-Horatio said in Failed to install Ubuntu Touch on Nexus 5:

Failed to enter Recovery

Hey guys, I want to share my experience with this problem:

I had the very same issue when typing ubuntu-device-flash --server=http://system-image.ubports.com touch --channel=ubuntu-touch/stable --device=hammerhead --bootstrap: Failed to enter Recovery, although I actually could see the Ubuntu recovery mode.

Reading here and there and going really crazy as nothing worked, I tried the devel_rc-proposed channel and something different happened. I had the same issue with Failed to enter Recovery but this time I could see the UBports Recovery instead, which was encouraging in some way. So I tried once again with the devel_rc-proposed and this time everything went fine. I have my Nexus 5 with Ubuntu Touch running as hell.

The first time it didn't connect to the wifi. It asked for the password over and over again with no result and I thought it could be a problem with WPA networks, but I rebooted the phone and it did connect. I haven't found any problem until now with this version.

So I would recommend, as @kereltis mentioned before, not to give up and try several times. I seems to me like a random issue. I hope this can be usefull for everybody.

Keep going with Ubuntu!

allaoua

Hello,
Thanks for sharing, I want to know if the internet connection works without the wifi (4G data) and also the sending /receiving MMS?
Thank you

flohack

@allaoua I can tell you that 4G works now in the devel_rc-proposed channel, but I did not try MMS.

BR

A'aron

Hey, I had the same problem (Nexus 5) and I think I know what is the cause for this problem. It is the same as @Bash-Horatio specified.

The device has two identifiers:

Google Android [0100]
LGE Nexus 5[0232]

Now, whenever the device is on fastboot it is identified as Google Android [0100] but when it moves to Recovery mode it is identified as LGE Nexus 5[0232]. Seems like the script is loosing the connection to Google Android [0100] right when the device is going to recovery mode.

So, under VirtualBox you should go to Machine -> settings -> Ports -> USB. Check to "ON" the "Enable USB Controller" and "USB 1.1 (OHCI) Controller". On the right, there are small blue usb icons to add/remove usb filters. You should add two filters for each device identifier (i.e. Google Android [0100] and LGE Nexus 5[0232]).

How? Connect the device when it is NOT in fasboot and add a usb filter (should be LGE Nexus 5[0232]). After having this filter switch your device to fastboot and then add a new filter (should be Google Android [0100]).

Once you have two usb filters you can run the ubports.

For non-VirtualBox I would say that you should disconnect / connect the device when ever your phone switched to Recovery Mode so the script will recognize the device with its new identifier (LGE Nexus 5[0232]).

for me it worked fine after few hours of frustration...

Hope it will help.

A'aron