Booting twrp freezes

PauloAugusto · 9 Jun 2021, 16:50

I hope someone can help me :crossed_fingers: - I bought 1 of the original Ubuntu Phones, Aquaris 4.5, and I loved it.

I eventually bought a new phone 3~4 years later but there were no longer any Ubuntu phones on sale, so I thought I was doomed and relegated myself to a OnePlus 5.

One of my long time regrets was not having purchased a better model which came out some time later (Meizu?). I miss my trusted Ubuntu Touch so much...

I have been accompanying the UBports project and Librem phone for a long time and now finally decided to try out something. I considered trying to buy a mobile coming pre-instaled with Ubuntu Touch but there aren't many options (.. any options at all except Volla, whose website-checkout is entirely in German o_O?), so I thought of repurposing my old but still just-fine OnePlus 5 riddled with malware...

Lakotaubp · 9 Jun 2021, 16:50

@pauloaugusto Try looking here https://forums.ubports.com/topic/6227/installer-configs-beta-test if you have not already. Not sure from your post if you are just trying the installer (0.8.8), which I don't think is ready yet.

PauloAugusto · 9 Jun 2021, 16:54

@lakotaubp said in Booting twrp freezes:

Not sure from your post if you are just trying the installer (0.8.8), which I don't think is ready yet.

Indeed I am using "ubports-installer_0.8.8-beta_linux_amd64.deb", which is the version I downloaded this morning from UBports - it is the latest, I think?

@lakotaubp said in Booting twrp freezes:

@pauloaugusto Try looking here https://forums.ubports.com/topic/6227/installer-configs-beta-test if you have not already.

:crossed_fingers:

(thanks for the quick reply and mega kudos for UBports overall)

PauloAugusto · 9 Jun 2021, 17:21

@pauloaugusto said in Booting twrp freezes:

@pauloaugusto Try looking here https://forums.ubports.com/topic/6227/installer-configs-beta-test if you have not already.

:crossed_fingers:

Nope, mostly the same. The only thing different in those instructions was to specify the config file with the "-f" flag. I tried it anyway, just in case, even though I suspected the installer was already using that same config file.

There was 1 thing different this time, though - ubports-installer downloaded some files. I haven't yet quite figured out when the installer downloads files and when it doesn't... Finding it a bit strange.

PauloAugusto · 9 Jun 2021, 17:39

When the installer was waiting for the mobile to reboot but is actually frozen, I tried:

Forcefully stop the mobile;
Restarted it into the «regular» Android/Oxygen;
Restarted to bootloader;
Used fastboot to inject twrp-3.4.0-1-cheeseburger.img
The issued a fastboot boot twrp-3.4.0-1-cheeseburger.img

It then fired up TWRP and the ubports-installer then reacted, it recognized it - that must be what the installer was waiting on.
Once it recognized the mobile / that the mobile was in the desired state, it started trying to upload something,
However, it is now failing to upload. When I retry the upload progress goes close to the beginning (though not entirely) and then fails again at about 3/4 of the progress, always:

Lakotaubp · 9 Jun 2021, 21:00

@pauloaugusto I have managed ton get as far as UBports recovery but thats it. out of time for today.

Lakotaubp · 10 Jun 2021, 05:08

@pauloaugusto Tried again this morning. Got connection lost message, changed cable and all went well. So keep trying and change the usb cable and you should be ok. Good luck

PauloAugusto · 10 Jun 2021, 14:56

It is still failing for me and I don't think it is the cable. This is a screengrab sequence of everything I did on my latest attempt:

There's a slight mistake with the instructions - to invoke the special boot menu it is holding Power + VolumeDown. The combo Power + VolumeUp does nothing on my OnePlus 5:

Then finally in Fastboot mode:

Started ub-ports as root + sspecifying the OnePlus5 config file, Justin Case,

# ubports-installer -f /home/paulo/Desktop/cheeseburger.yml

Installer automatically detects the mobile, I check all checkboxes:

Installer asks me to continue (and gives me the wrong? instruction to Power+VolumeUp):

After reboot the mobile just hangs:

I notice that the mobile is still responsive and is in "fastboot" (whatever that means), so I make is boot up the latest TWRP:

root@paulo-B450-AORUS-ELITE:~/.cache/ubports# fastboot devices
957ec7db	fastboot
root@paulo-B450-AORUS-ELITE:~/.cache/ubports# fastboot flash recovery /home/paulo/Desktop/twrp-3.4.0-1-cheeseburger.img
target reported max download size of 536870912 bytes
sending 'recovery' (33412 KB)...
OKAY [  0.792s]
writing 'recovery'...
OKAY [  0.314s]
finished. total time: 1.106s
root@paulo-B450-AORUS-ELITE:~/.cache/ubports# fastboot boot /home/paulo/Desktop/twrp-3.4.0-1-cheeseburger.img
downloading 'boot.img'...
OKAY [  0.797s]
booting...
OKAY [ 10.094s]
finished. total time: 10.891s

Once TWRP boots up, the installer recognizes it and reacts:

Following the instructions:

Instead of following directly the instructions, I pressed back, back, then Reboot, then Bootloader:

Installer recognizes the mobile in the Boot menu and issues a reboot:

However, once again the mobile doesn't progress from the Bootup image:

Once again I detect that the mobile is recognized by Fastboot, so I reboot it to boot loader then start in Recovery Mode:

root@paulo-B450-AORUS-ELITE:~/.cache/ubports# fastboot devices
957ec7db	fastboot
root@paulo-B450-AORUS-ELITE:~/.cache/ubports# fastboot reboot-bootloader
rebooting into bootloader...
OKAY [  0.000s]
finished. total time: 0.050s
root@paulo-B450-AORUS-ELITE:~/.cache/ubports#

Installer recognizes the mobile after restarting in Recovery Mode:

However now it always fails with something which I'm suspecting is not the cable (and UBports is now loaded):

PauloAugusto · 10 Jun 2021, 14:58

In the UBports menu I saw it mentions 2 log files:

So I downloaded them with the Fastboot command:
I cannot paste files into here, it tells me I'm not authorized...

Lakotaubp · 10 Jun 2021, 15:40

@pauloaugusto The third picture up is where I got to before I changed the cable. Also to reboot using vol up and power i had to disconnect the OP5 to get it to work so that button press can be awkward. You could try just unplugging, replugging and pressing try again. Also on my last attempt I did not pick wipe data or firmware update but that probably was just coincidence.

flohack · 10 Jun 2021, 16:57

Please try to use the installer now without -f, the yml file might have changed after we released it, and so if you keep using the local one you might not get important updates.

Lakotaubp · 11 Jun 2021, 12:18

@pauloaugusto The connection lost message seems to appear across a few devices here and in the Install group on TELEports so not sure what the reason is. You are very close now so it should just be a matter of re-trying. You could just unplug and replug the same cable and try again or any other you have to hand. The newness of the cable seems not to matter. I also did not use the -f for the yml just the installer as Flohack suggested.

PauloAugusto · 11 Jun 2021, 19:02

I tried again, with a new cable, without the "-f" option, and without checking the "Update Firmware" or "Wipe user data".

Everything ran perfectly smoothly this time and I now have Ubuntu Touch UBports-version running. Can't say for sure, but I suspect the cause of the issues was the checkboxes I was ticking before. This time I left them unticked, since Lakotaubp mentioned that's how s/he was doing it successfully. (looking back, don't know why I didn't try that before - a couple of good night's sleep are good advisors)

Alas I'm finally free from the unbelievable level of T&C abuse and Orwellian level of spying and am now free again to turn on mobile data, location, have maps, etc. Finally, ffs! Been waiting years since Canonical unfortunately (though understandably) dropped Ubuntu Phone.

What a marvelous feeling of renewed freedom.
Thank you for the help.

PauloAugusto · 6 Nov 2021, 19:34

I had a slight issue with the OnePlus 5, though - it didn't recognize the SIM card.

I rebooted <- nothing
Took the SIM card off, put it on again and rebooted <- nothing
| The mobile is Dual-SIM, so: |
Took the SIM card off from the outermost slot and changed it to the innermost slot <- recognized <- rebooted and now everything ok.

(the SIM card is Lycamobile Portugal and I'm currently residing in Finland, though I suspect that doesn't affect anything, but still FYI)

Lakotaubp · 11 Jun 2021, 20:44

@pauloaugusto Great your up and running and yes I am using the first sim slot too. Not sure that the dual sim works on any device yet.