UBports Installer reports a successful install but Curtana seems empty now

[tchan]

@mbjunior
Hi,
I'm not an expert of install, but did you have the right android version before started the installer?
Also sometime it's nice to tried differents cables and usb port...

Good luck!

[mbjunior]

Hi, @tchan. Thank you for replying, and sorry for this delayed answer. Even though I've set the Watching icon, no message was received (nothing in my spam folder either), and I have only seen your message now.

Also sometime it's nice to tried differents cables and usb port...

Well, yes. I have tried some variations of USB ports and cables. Sadly, results are pretty much the same as the ones I previously posted.

I'm not an expert of install, but did you have the right android version before started the installer?

I don't know. That was some time ago.

As I read somewhere, the proper version is supposed to be Android 10.

As a matter of fact, some fastboot and adb commands I try end up complaining about a missing hardware abstraction layer (HAL). And, as I now understand, that would only be available on my system partition, if Android 10 was there.

All this making sense, do you think I should try to install Android 10 somehow first, and then UT, or is there any other way to get what the HAL would provide me with?

[tchan]

@mbjunior

Hi,
If the Hardware abstraction layer (Halium)was the problems , the android version should be the problems.
I think it's better to flash a Android 10 again to be sure . When it's installed start it to enable devlopper mode and adb and launch the installer ( bootloader should be still unlocked I guess ).
Be sure to follow the instructions for your device.

Good luick!

[nitanmarcel]

@mbjunior sorry for the late reply. I'm more active in the https://t.me/ut_miatoll group on telegram.

Make sure you had the stock Android 10 ROM for your phone flashed with fastboot and also that you selected the wipe data option in the installer.

There are some cases I noticed that the OS refuses to boot if a custom ROM has been flashed before reflashing the stock ROM. The reason is unknown but it can be fixed by flashing the recovery ROM over the fastboot one. But I noticed this happening just one time on my phone.

Check again the first steps then in the last resort the last ones.

Thanks.

[mbjunior]

Hi, @tchan and @nitanmarcel. Thanks for your time helping me in this adventure. I'm afraid it's not over yet, though

Okay, some progress was achieved. I have managed to obtain proper Android 10-based images in <miui.com>. The partitions I have flashed are:

• boot
• cache
• cust
• dtbo
• ffu
• metadata
• misc
• recovery
• super
• userdata
• vbmeta
• vbmeta_system

There is this one tough partition I cannot flash, no matter what. It's called persist. Yes, I have tried to flash it after a fastboot flashing unlock_critical command, but it fails with the following message:

# fastboot flash persist ./persist.img
target reported max download size of 805306368 bytes
sending 'persist' (32768 KB)...
OKAY [  0.773s]
writing 'persist'...
FAILED (remote: Flashing is not allowed for Controlled Partitions)
finished. total time: 0.774s

So, now MIUI boots but it tells me the device is locked because the phone belongs to, well, me. As Curtana is not connected to the Internet, I guess it's a safe bet to say it retained my information. Maybe in the persist partition?

I still have access to Fastboot via the volume down button, but now, in the place of UBports Recovery, volume up leads to a Main Menu Redmi-Recovery 3.0 interface. There are three buttons in such interface:

1. Reboot
2. Wipe Data
3. Connect with MIAssistant

Well, when I choose option 2, a wiping process allegedly takes place in a successful manner. But then again, in rebooting the device, the lock confronts me, showing that the wiping process did not wipe some data.

I totally understand at that point giving Curtana my Xiaomi credentials would probably help, but that in my opinion is the whole point why a marvelous project like Ubuntu Touch matters: controlling my device, or die trying

CLI fastboot commands are not working, so I am considering dd but decided to talk to you first.

Thus, once more, I ask you gentlemen for guidance. What can I do at this point, without notifying Xiaomi? Do you think dd may help in this situation?

[MrT10001]

@mbjunior Xiaomi have put security in place to make life very difficult to flash through fastboot to install the stock (correct) ROM. You need a windows PC and the MiFlash tool to do the job properly. DO NOT relock the bootloader as it has a high chance of bricking the device.

[nitanmarcel]

@mbjunior if miui starts and it says you have to confirm your phone number or something similar then you're good to go. Reboot in fastboot and run the installer.

Also you can find fastboot flashable ROMs here https://xiaomifirmwareupdater.com/archive/miui/curtana/

Just run flash_all.sh or flash_all.bash depending on your OS (Windows or Unix)

[mbjunior]

@mbjunior if miui starts and it says you have to confirm your phone number or something similar then you're good to go. Reboot in fastboot and run the installer.

@nitanmarcel You're right, yay!

At that point, both the tough partition and the block problems can be overcome by the installer.

Thanks, people. I guess it is safe to consider this one as solved now!

[Keneda]

@mbjunior
https://forums.ubports.com/topic/6311/how-to-ask-a-question-and-then-mark-it-as-solved

PS : what is "curtana" ?

[mbjunior]

@keneda Oh hi. Thanks.

Curtana is another name for Redmi Note 9S.

It's easier to search for ROMs and stuff by using the curtana keyword. As in googling with:

inurl:curtana rom

[Keneda]

@mbjunior a
Ah ok it's its codename
Thanks.

[nitanmarcel]

@keneda It's in the devices subforum so it's easy to guess he's talking about one of his phone :))

There are 5 phones (4 codenames)

joyeuse, curtana, excalibur, gram.