Cannot install, help!

txmoose

Hey there, this seems to be the same issues I'm having, as well, so I figured posting here would be better than starting a new thread. I've been fighting with this for a couple nights now, but I'm not getting anywhere. I've flashed PQ3A.190801.002 via the chrome WebUSB flash link for the Factory Image (not OTA), attempted the 0.8.9-beta snap and the 0.9.1-beta AUR install, run the snap install with sudo, etc... Still getting the same behavior. It hangs at "Mounting Partitions..."

Any idea what I might be able to do to get past this?

I'm happy to attach my log file or send it where I need to, please just let me know the best route for that. I don't seem to be able to attach it here as a file, and copy/pasting the whole log seems like bad form? Happy to be told I'm wrong on that, though. Here's the last 10 lines, at least:

{"level":"info","message":"Downloaded file 8 of 12"}
{"level":"info","message":"Downloaded file 9 of 12"}
{"level":"info","message":"Downloaded file 10 of 12"}
{"level":"info","message":"Downloaded file 11 of 12"}
{"level":"info","message":"Downloaded file 12 of 12"}
{"level":"verbose","message":"running core action write"}
{"level":"verbose","message":"running adb action wait"}
{"level":"command","message":"exec: {\"cmd\":[\"adb\",\"-P\",5037,\"wait-for-any-any\"]}"}
{"level":"command","message":"exec: {\"cmd\":[\"adb\",\"-P\",5037,\"get-state\"],\"stdout\":\"recovery\"}"}
{"level":"verbose","message":"running adb action preparesystemimage"}

Thanks in advance!

flohack

@txmoose Well can it be that partitions are already encrpyted? (Happens on 1st Android start) - you would need to use TWRP and wipe all partitions AND format data to ext4.

txmoose

@flohack Hey thanks for the reply. I attempted to wipe all partitions with TWRP, and formatted data as ext4, but I'm still hanging at Mounting Partitions. Anything else I can try? I could probably find a Windows computer to try to install from, but I suspect that is not going to be a solve. What is ubports-installer doing under the hood at the "mounting partitions" step? Is there a way I can attempt that step manually to get more verbose output?

Thanks again.

dhrunia

@abananaman @Flohack I am having the exact same issue. I have flashed android 9 (PQ3A.190801.002) using flash.android.com, made sure oem unlocking and usb debuggin are enabled on android 9. Installed ubports-installer (0.9.2-beta .deb package) and followed instructions. Now I am in ubports recovery screen on phone and the installer is stuck at mounting partitions...

Keneda

@dhrunia
Did you also select all the wiping options possible in ubports installer ?
As your phone come straight from android, better is to select all the wiping options in ubports installer.

dhrunia

@keneda yes I have selected the wipe option in installer but that didn't help. I have also tried wiping all partitions and formatting data to ext4 using twrp as suggested by @Flohack but that didn't help either. It always gets stuck at the mounting partitions step.

MrT10001

No issues installing on the Pixel 2 but here are things to try:

Use a Windows PC (yes use a Windows PC) and use the Android Flash tool through Chrome to downgrade the firmware to the correct version from here and click on Flash.

Tick the following before install:
Force flash all partitions - ticked
Disable verification - ticked
Disable verity - ticked

I ticked these for an issue on the Pixel 3 and it worked and it may work for the Pixel 2

Then boot into Android, do the usual before rebooting to the bootloader and try the UT installer.

I know not everyone has access to a windows PC or just hates using it, but it is really helpful to have something like this to assist with fault finding and other issues. The other thing I find is most programmers/software people immediately use the CLI, which is fine, but can complicate things. Stepping back and reconsidering things is always worthwhile to resolve an issue. The number of people I have trained who batter the keyboard at a 100miles an hour and make a mistake in syntax, then wonder why they have an issue and take 4 times as long to resolve it. It took me a while to learn to put things aside and sleep on the issue. I would usually resolve it the next day.

dhrunia

@mrt10001 I did try with those three options ticked that didn't help either.

MrT10001

@dhrunia OK, that's good to know.

MrT10001

Have you checked this out?

flohack

@dhrunia is there a chance that partition layout is not like on stock? Did you have had installed anythng else than Google´s Android before?

dhrunia

@flohack yes I used calyxos before. Could that be the problem? I thought flashing stock undoes all changes from calyx. wouldn't it?

MrT10001

@dhrunia That's what I was thinking about the partitions being changed or corrupted (very common on the Nexus 4 and 5 when Lineage is installed previously). I linked in previous post to XDA forums which show some commands that may help clean up the partitions that installing to stock has not done.
Remember this phone has two slots, slot a and slot b. It depends which slot CalyxOS was flashed to. You can change the active slot using the command fastboot --set-active.

Check this out here.

Also make sure you have the latest ADB and fastboot installed.

demise7625

@abananaman @dhrunia -

Did either of you figure this out? I am in the same situation, and also using a Pixel 2 that previously had CalyxOS installed on it. I've gone through the process of installing the recommended 9.0 factory image first but am left always stuck at "mounting partitions..."

I've worked through a lot of the suggestions in this thread, with no luck. Just wondering if you found the magic ingredient.

Thanks!

dhrunia

@demise7625 I thought I bricked my pixel 2 xl until yesterday. I tried installing android 8 from flash.android.com since I read somewhere that it might help but it failed while flashing and the device was stuck on fastboot screen. I tried flashing android 9,10,11 after that but it kept failing. I gave up thinking I bricked the device. However, yesterday I managed to flash android 9 manually using a different computer (older). The only thing I did differently is I ran fastboot flashing unlock_critical this time. So either that helped or there was some problem with the computer.

After that I simply followed ubports installer instructions and everything worked seamlessly. So I would suggest try these, it might help:

Try fastboot flashing unlock_critical -> flash android 9 -> run ubports installer
Try a different computer and use a usb-a to usb-c cable.

I also remember reading that someone managed to get it work by using a usb dock insead of directly plugging into the laptop's usb port.

Sorry for the long answer, just logging my case hoping it might help someone in the futurej

demise7625

@dhrunia - thanks for the tips!

Unfortunately, the "unlock_critical" command doesn't seem to work for me. Oh well.

mateo_salta

I too rant into this problem on my new computer, going back to my older computer and flashing worked, is very strange? not sure if it is the android-tools version? or if it was because of usb2 ports -as I think my new computer only has usb3. so only advice right now is try a different computer, and if it works past the mounting step, lets try and get some comparisons of the computers it isn't working on.

Ian

@mateo_salta It has often been stated 'don't use usb-3 ports for installing' so that stacks up!

a8ksh4

Wow, as soon as I put a USB2 hub between the phone and computer, the installation completed. Nuts.

AppLee

@a8ksh4
Not nuts, the USB chipset on the phone is probably not able to handle the full speed of USB3 and not even the maxed speed of USB2 while the computer is delivering the full theoretical speed because it can.

MTP protocol handle the data transmission but is very slow because of limitations on phone's side, the method used to flash a device was not intended (I guess) for large data transfer and often results to errors.
Makes sense to me at least