Installing on the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1 - PART 2

MrT10001

I have obtained another of these devices so will now go through process to install Ubuntu Touch on this device. It was far from an easy process compared to the others, but is doable with patience and a mindset of fault finding and trying things out. Tools that you need for this device:

the device itself
a Linux based PC - Ubuntu preferably (I used Ubuntu 24.04) connected to a decent internet connection up to date so no interruptions - also fastboot and ADB installed and you may need a VPN (more on that later) with USB 2 and USB 3.
the Ubuntu Touch installer
multiple micro USB cables
ASUS unlock.rar
twrp-3.4.0-0-KudProject-X00T.img
UL-ASUS_X00T-WW-16.2017.2004.063-user.zip

Do a search for the above if the links die. The Unlock tool is getting hard to find. Make sure fastboot and ADB is installed.

YOU NEED A LINUX BASED PC TO GET UT ON THIS DEVICE. Why you may ask? Because Windows 10 and 11 have an issue with the ASUS USB driver causing it to disconnect, not be detected and it will disconnect at a critical point. So ditch Windows, I tried two setups and got the same result. Ubuntu 20.04 just worked.

Extract the unlock RAR folder, you will get two folders, USB drivers for windows (not needed) and unlock. Open a terminal in the unlock folder, power off the device, then press Volume UP and Power to get into fastboot mode. Connect the device to the PC and check it is connected using the command fastboot devices . When connected then run in terminal chmod +x unlock.sh. Once that command has completed then in terminal run ./unlock.sh. If it goes to plan the script will run and end and the device will either reboot or you will have to power cycle. A successful unlock will put you at the Android set up screen, so set Android up again and enable developer options.

YOU NOW NEED TO UPGRADE/DOWNGRADE TO THE CORRECT ROM - (WW-16.2017.2004.063). DO NOT USE ANY OTHER - UT will either not install, bootloop or not work properly. Read and heed this, it a requirement from the porter on the device page. VERY IMPORTANT
To do this install TWRP recovery. Boot the device to fastboot then connect to the pc, Open a terminal in the folder where the TWRP image is (Image not ZIP) and flash the recovery - fastboot flash recovery twrp-3.4.0-0-KudProject-X00T.img .
Power off the device then boot to recovery by pressing Volume Down and Power. Keep holding the volume down until you boot into TWRP. This can take time so be patient. You may be asked for a password, just cancel and boot into TWRP. In TWRP go to WIPE and format data. Press home and then go to WIPE and wipe system, cache and Dalvik/Cache. Reboot to TWRP. Then go to ADVANCED and choose ADB sideload. Connect the device to the PC and in the terminal type in adb sideload (location of) UL-ASUS_X00T-WW-16.2017.2004.063-user.zip.
Let it install and once completed WITH NO ERRORS boot into Android, set it up and enable Developer Options and USB debugging.

If ADB won't install, copy UL-ASUS_X00T-WW-16.2017.2004.063-user.zip to the root of the device, not in a folder (I used the Ubuntu file manager, but you can push it through ADB). Then in TWRP install it through the Install button on TWRP (install from ZIP).

Once USB debugging is enabled you can run the device through the installer.

This failed at formatting data cache and system. So restarted the installer, but booted the device into recovery and formatted cache and data, rebooted to fastboot, selected manually the device from the drop down list and this time it nearly went through. It got to the point f downloading files and hung. ( I think this is an installer issue) so I restarted the process with my VPN running and it installed.

Nothing like seeing the Ubuntu splash screen!

Note - there are multiple version of this device, which are intrinsically all the same - see here.

The installer picked my device up initially as an X00T_2, but against everything I would normally do I chose from the drop down and the rest is above - DO NOT DO THIS FOR OTHER DEVICES as you may end up with a brick. I now have ZB601KL and a ZB602KL running Ubuntu Touch. These devices apparently have interchangeable firmware reading through XDA forums.

This wasn't straightforward and took a bit of working out, the biggest annoyance being the USB drivers on Windows.

odo

Thanks very much for the instructions.
I own this phone, it's my main daily driver so far, it runs with LOS. I have already installed UT on it some years ago, we talked about my sd card issues in an older thread.
Now, LOS stopped supporting the Max Pro M1 and I think of coming back to UT for a 2nd try sooner or later. I'm not in a hurry.
Because my phone is already unlocked some main work is done. But the rest sounds complicated enough. I have the latest LOS version installed (Android 13). So it needs the downgrade first - this makes me a bit hesitant.

MrT10001

@odo It's pretty straight forward. Boot to fastboot. Install TWRP. Format Data. Wipe Dalvik/cache, Cache and system. Reboot to TWRP. In TWRP you can either sideload the Android ROM, or copy it over to the root of the phone (i.e. not in a folder) and install it as a zip. Once installed, boot into Android and set it up. Enable developer options and run it through the UT installer. If it fails at formatting the partitions you can boot to recovery (it will be Android recovery) and wipe data and cache, reboot to fastboot and restart the UT installer. At the ned of the day, a lot of devices will lose support due to various issues, I still use devices with UT Xenial (16.04) which works for me.

odo

@MrT10001 Thanks again. Great help. I will check all options for my phone. UT is the OS I generally like the most, since years. The only big point I'm still thinking of is the power consumption.

arubislander

@odo According those who would know, UT has the best battery life of the different mobile linux's on the same device.