Call for testing: Google/Huawei Nexus 6P (angler) owners

trashcat · 1 Oct 2020, 07:42

Hey, i was wondering if you still need testers for this port. I have an old 6P laying around ive ive already flashed ubports to it. Its acyually the device im typing this on. Im really interested in seeing this project succeed. Im not a developer but im willing to help in any way i can!

flohack · 1 Oct 2020, 07:42

@trashcat Sure we love more testers ^^ I would ask you specifically to test the installer, as I made some progress now, and that would mean you can already try to use the UBports Installer instead of the manual way.

As a first step, please reset it to stock Android 7.1.2 from Google download page, as this contains vendor binaries that we need.

flohack · 1 Oct 2020, 07:43

@trashcat Ah sorry now I read your post fully. Okay so if UT is already there, we can still test the installer. I will give you instructions when I am at home today

potet · 1 Oct 2020, 08:50

I also haven't gotten around to installing it yet (busy times), but I did reset my Nexus 6P to the four-core 7.1.2 following your instructions. Even ended up having to use it as a daily driver for a while, so thanks for pointing me in that direction!

I now have a new daily driver, and would be happy to test the installer on the 6P if that would be helpful.

flohack · 1 Oct 2020, 08:54

@potet Cool! You can also try the eight-core TWRP e.g.? Because current image that I am providing will be 8-cores...

potet · 1 Oct 2020, 09:04

So I would have to reinstall TWRP, for eight cores this time? I'll give it a go.

trashcat · 1 Oct 2020, 15:48

@Flohack no worries, I have no problem reflashing android to test the installer. The 6P isn't my daily driver so it's no problem at all.

flohack · 2 Oct 2020, 18:03

Ok.. here it is:

How To install Nexus 6P with the Installer

NOTE: Installer is still in Beta, and the config is not officially approved. Therefore this method does only work for Linux!

Please download this beta version of the installer: https://github.com/ubports/ubports-installer/releases/tag/0.5.2-beta
Download this device config file: http://twoot.bin.org.in/nextcloud/index.php/s/fngSq5eFFoMBCYo
start the installer with -f angler.json (You must be in the same directory for that to work)

Prerequisites:

Install stock Android ROM 7.1.2 (Only needed if you are on a different version now)
Download latest Android platform-tools to have access to fastboot and adb commands (the ones from Ubuntu etc. wont work, as they re too old)
Device will reboot, and take an awful time to encrypt all partitions
Start from here if 7.1.2 was installed already: Download TWRP recovery for Nexus 6P
Reboot to bootloader (Vol-Down and PWR until the green droid appears), connect USB cable and unlock the bootloader with fastboot flashing unlock
Flash TWRP recovery with fastboot flash recovery twrp...img
Select Recovery with the volume buttons and boot into TWRP
Confirm writable mode there
Format all partitions (Wipe is not enough) to destroy disk encryption
Now you can startup the installer and proceed with the bootstrapoption ticked
Make sure you select any of the arm64/hybris/stable channels.

Note: There is unfortunately NO progressbar in the system-image updater (Yumi mascot with blinking eyes). Thats something that can be frustrating, and we hope to fix it one day.

A Former User · 2 Oct 2020, 22:08

@Flohack is it gonna work fro BLOD users ?

because i tried it :face_with_tongue: and i end up with infinite bootloop, and the installer stuck at preparing system image .:frowning_face:

potet · 3 Oct 2020, 10:16

I'm writing this from Ubuntu Touch on the Nexus 6p, so safe to say I got it working. Impressed so far. Thank you!

I did encounter some problems, and made it work on the third try. Unfortunately, these these issues were born out of my stupidity, to the point where I'm kind of surprised it's working right now. This probably makes bug testing the installer less fruitful - sorry about that.

In case you'd still be interested in my experience with thr installer, here it goes:

I decided to be lazy and not install the 8 core image first, to see what would happen. What happened was that the (desktop) installer finished without error, but with a warning before "all done":

warn: undefined {"service":"user-service"}

This resulted in the system booting straight into the ubports recovery, with no blinking mascot or anything.

I then decided to try to flash the 8 core version. This is where I was real stupid/tired, and I flashed it as recovery instead of boot.

Weird thing is, next attempt to install did work out better: No warning, and the blinking mascot showed up after the reboot. However, instead of booting thr system got stuck at an infinite splash screen (the Google one).

As true stupidity is doing the same thing several times expecting different results, this is what I did. I just ran the same exact commands as last time, flashing the boot image into recovery. Only difference is that I chose the 'edge' release channel, but I doubt that made any difference.

In conclusion, the weird part is really that it did work, rather than the bugs along the way. The only error I managed to produce was if I tried wiping ubports data from the ubports recovery screen (after both failed installs):

Wiping ubuntu data...
E:unknown volume for path [/cache]
Formatting /cache...
E:unknown volume for path [/cache]
E:unknown volume "/cache"
Data wipe complete

The only constructive thing I can say regarding the installer is really that expectations for what is supposed to happen could have been clearer: That you're supposed (I assume) to see the boot screen flashing on and going into black a few times while it installs the system. I didn't know if it was supposed to stay in recovery or linger on the splash screen, so I just left it for a while in both positions for good measure.

But now it works beautifully, despite my worst attempts!

flohack · 3 Oct 2020, 15:05

Hmm strange problems seem to happen here. The installer is beta, so it might contain a few bugs, but none of what you described should happen.

The order from being in TWRP should be:
If bootstrap was selected:

Booting into fastboot mode either automatically or manually
Flashing recovery into boot and recovery partitions
reboot, goes into boot which is temporarily holding a recovery image
No bootstrap was selected:
Reboot to already installed recovery

Common:

Download latest roofs and system image
Push with adb to /cache folder/partition
Push command file for installer
Reboot to recovery once more
Recovery detects command file, and will move files into place - This will take a longer time
Reboot to final boot image
It can also stay on the boot logo forever then, since it will run an fsck on the newly created image.

Nerfiaux · 4 Oct 2020, 00:10

Hi, I did try to install ubuntu touch on my nexus 6P, with the installer.
I have all the prerequisites : the latest 7.1.2 flashed and USB debug activated
Rebooted with adb reboot bootloader.
then i flash the TWRP recovery.
Wiped and format all.
If we could have more precision on which partition to wipe or not and which to format, it would be great
Then I launched the installer.
Everything went well so far.

On the reboot of the phone I could see the robot blinking but I could not see the progress bar.
Finaly it reboots and I get stuck on the goolge Logo with the padlock unlocked :crying_face: !!!

What can I do ?

I did try the procedure several time by reflashing the 7.1.2 stock rom.
I can tell that if you wipe the cache with twrp you have to repair it otherwise you get the same thing than "potet"

@potet said in Call for testing: Google/Huawei Nexus 6P (angler) owners:

I'm writing this from Ubuntu Touch on the Nexus 6p, so safe to say I got it working. Impressed so far. Thank you!

I did encounter some problems, and made it work on the third try. Unfortunately, these these issues were born out of my stupidity, to the point where I'm kind of surprised it's working right now. This probably makes bug testing the installer less fruitful - sorry about that.

In case you'd still be interested in my experience with thr installer, here it goes:

I decided to be lazy and not install the 8 core image first, to see what would happen. What happened was that the (desktop) installer finished without error, but with a warning before "all done":
warn: undefined {"service":"user-service"}
This resulted in the system booting straight into the ubports recovery, with no blinking mascot or anything.

I then decided to try to flash the 8 core version. This is where I was real stupid/tired, and I flashed it as recovery instead of boot.

Weird thing is, next attempt to install did work out better: No warning, and the blinking mascot showed up after the reboot. However, instead of booting thr system got stuck at an infinite splash screen (the Google one).

As true stupidity is doing the same thing several times expecting different results, this is what I did. I just ran the same exact commands as last time, flashing the boot image into recovery. Only difference is that I chose the 'edge' release channel, but I doubt that made any difference.

In conclusion, the weird part is really that it did work, rather than the bugs along the way. The only error I managed to produce was if I tried wiping ubports data from the ubports recovery screen (after both failed installs):
Wiping ubuntu data...
E:unknown volume for path [/cache]
Formatting /cache...
E:unknown volume for path [/cache]
E:unknown volume "/cache"
Data wipe complete
The only constructive thing I can say regarding the installer is really that expectations for what is supposed to happen could have been clearer: That you're supposed (I assume) to see the boot screen flashing on and going into black a few times while it installs the system. I didn't know if it was supposed to stay in recovery or linger on the splash screen, so I just left it for a while in both positions for good measure.

But now it works beautifully, despite my worst attempts!

trashcat · 4 Oct 2020, 22:43

Just reflashed ubports using the installer. No problems on my end!

trashcat · 5 Oct 2020, 02:50

I've found that importing contacts from Google doesnt really work. It works at first but shortly after import they all disappear.

flohack · 5 Oct 2020, 10:42

@trashcat Yeah Google problems is a big deal, but this is not a problem of a device port. Its affecting all devices.

flohack · 5 Oct 2020, 10:43

@Nerfiaux since idk what things being encrypted by Goole´s stock ROM format all partitions that can be formatted with TWRP. Just to be sure

flohack · 5 Oct 2020, 20:24

Guys from the early days: Anyone who used halium-install willing to try the installer? If its uccessful, you would however need to clean up 2 files from the /data directory on the data partition. And to do this, you need the unlocked recovery. The installer will lock the recovery, so its probably best to do it before the installer does its magic.

lgtrombetta · 5 Oct 2020, 20:39

@Flohack I was thinking on trying it. Which two files am I supposed to remove from /data?

By the way, is the userdata partition preserved?

Also, why does the recovery get locked?

flohack · 5 Oct 2020, 22:02

@lgtrombetta Basically its rootfs.img and system.img both in /data directory. We have to use the classic install method for the OTA upgrades to work, and that moves that content into /system. The nice thing about it is that you have approx 2GB more space on userdata partition now.

The userdata partition is preserved, note that Ubuntu Touch stores all user-modifyable content in 2 folders actually, user-data and system-data both in /data again.

The recovery is locked as it seems someone wanted to increase the protection level of the phone, but tbh it makes not much sense if the bootloader is still unlocked - So, grab the unlocked recovery from here, and replace it to get access: https://ci.ubports.com/job/Device Compatibility Images/job/halium-angler/14/artifact/halium-unlocked-recovery_angler.img

Depending on the channel you choose in the installer you can have weekly or daily updates of the rootfs now! devel is built at least once per day, sometimes even more often, RC is built every Wed I think. So you can now participate in the latest gossip if you like

Nerfiaux · 5 Oct 2020, 23:09

@Flohack Thank you, I think the main issue was that i did not choose the edge release channel.
When I did select it all went well !:thumbs_up:

First time I use ubuntu touch.
I knew Meamo, Meego, Android, iOS, Sailfisos,PostMarketOS, quite impressed with ubuntu touch.
Thank you for your work !

I have an issue on WiFi.
On android I had to insert a european SIM card so that the country region for Wifi would change and allow me to select SSID on channel over 11.
I have inserted sim card but I don't see my access point on channel 13...
What can be done ?
Any info on the fingerprint feature ?