Install UT on Google Pixel 3a XL
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Check in device manager the phone is being picked up, it could be called google pixel or ADB device. Make sure developer options are enabled and within developer options, USB debugging is enabled and OEM unlocking is enabled. You should unlock the bootloader as well, but make sure you uncheck the "lock bootloader" box when you flash android.
There are plenty of tutorials in using the flash tool.
Is your phone SIM unlocked, i.e. it is locked to an provider like EE/T-Mobile etc?
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@mario-ch I'n not using Windows. I've got Linux on my laptop. Thanks for chipping in anyway
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@mrt10001 I'm not using Windows. Should I? I have enable the USB debugging and made sure OEM is unlocked on the phone. I'll try using my gf's macbook to see if it works with that and I'll read the flash link you sent as well. Thanks
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@matt73 My bad, on my Linux PC or virtual machines, I install Android Developer tools as it has the latest ADB drivers and fastboot drivers. I then flash the ROM through fastboot command line, or side-load it using ADB and recovery.
I just found that the Android flash tool in Google Chrome made it so much easier and a whole lot quicker. -
Hey Guys,
So, I used my gf's mac to do it instead of my laptop with Linux and it's working now. The main reason I am doing this is that I want a system that respects privacy more and doesn't constantly eavesdrop like my gf's iphone does. I hope UT offers more privacy. I mean, it's a bit different to the pine phone because you have these 'blobs' which is like firmware right? Anyway, that's the ultimate goal here...A phone that you can genuinely opt out of being listened into constantly.
I'm not there yet though I'll let you know how it goes.
Best
Matt
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@matt73 Yep, no Google snooping, however bear in mind your phone connects to a cell system so if the authorities wish to monitor you they can do it through that. :face_with_raised_eyebrow:
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@mrt10001 Well yeah, but I just don't want to be listened to constantly in my home by the device. I found that I would mention subjects I hadn't talked about in years and then go into my room and go on YouTube and see a video in the recommended section about this obscure thing I hadn't mentioned in years. It happened too often to be a coincidence. Even if I went into the settings on the iphone and turned off mic access, it still happened and a local guy that specialises in fixing apple devices reckons that the devices still listen even if you have unchecked mic access. Scandalous behaviour really on the part of these companies.
Anyway, I've done it! I've got UT running on this Google Pixel device like lightning. If only I had known, I wouldn't have bought the pine phone which is super sluggish by comparison. When I turn the phone on, I briefly get the bootloader screen, then the Google logo before it goes into UT. That's normal right? Do I need to do anything in the settings of UT to re-lock the bootloader or something like that?
Thanks everyone for your help. All I can do in return is generally be nice and preach the gospel of alt-tech.
Best
Matt
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@matt73 DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT relock the bootloader. If you do that UT won't load, but some phones (Pixels are maybe OK) will be bricked if you do this. I nearly had this issue on an Xiaomi phone, but managed to get it back - teach me for not seeing a tick box. Just watch the battery life, the 3a XL should be ok, but UT doesn't have all the optimizations that Android builds in the preserve battery life, oh the joys of spending billions of dollars on R&D
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What you are seeing on boot up is exactly what it should be doing.
I tend to install stuff such as the VPN editor tool, the Onion Browser, Dekko, Maps, Unav, Tagger, UT tweak tool, Document Viewer as the basics.
Good luck with your UT degoogled phone. If it goes wrong, just use the installer to reinstall UT and untick the wipe data box. -
@mrt10001 Ok, thanks for the info. I will enjoy exploring the OS and check out those apps. Sorry to go on about this but just to be sure: When I turn the phone on, I get a warning that the bootloader is unlocked and that software integrity cannot be guaranteed and that any data may be vulnerable to attackers...then it displays the Google logo (not massively pleased about that because as you might expect I am not a big fan of Google) and then it goes into UT. This is how it is supposed to be right? I don't need to change anything? Sorry to repeat the same question but I get a bit OCD about these things and have been wondering whether the phone should go straight into UT without the bootloader screen and Google logo (which doesn't happen with the Pine Phone but I imagine that's because the hardware is designed to run Linux out of the box without the workaround needed to get UT to run on an Android device right?)
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@matt73 said in Install UT on Google Pixel 3a XL:
When I turn the phone on, I get a warning that the bootloader is unlocked and that software integrity cannot be guaranteed and that any data may be vulnerable to attackers...then it displays the Google logo (not massively pleased about that because as you might expect I am not a big fan of Google) and then it goes into UT. This is how it is supposed to be right?
Yes. The warning screen can't be avoided, and the Google logo is just a cosmetic thing, it's literally just an image. For some phones this 'splash screen' has been replaced by something with a UBports logo; nice, for sure, but it doesn't change anything fundamental.
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@moem Alright, excellent. Thank you kind people. May freedom prevail.
- 10 days later
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Hi guys! I installed my ubuntu touch without any problem. Thanks!
- 3 months later
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@ieuserie this is quite an old thread, but only just getting to a 3a. I have mnanaged to get everything set up and the installer appears to flash and install UB Ports, but it sits saying cleaning up and formatting user data partition for ever and never seems to complete. Same after 3 or 4 goes.
Ideas? Am I not waiting enough?
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@negations Hello, I did the install today
Make sure to revert to factory image PQ3B.190801.002
try to reinstall Android,
Enable USB debug mode
Remove boot protection
I had some problem too, but using Ubuntu Computer with installer installed as .deb and also changing USB port from USB 3 to USB 2 help me !
Now it is working perfectly ! -
@saveurlinux I have tried all of those. Getting some error messages in the terminal using the deb version of the installer but it is still not getting anyway. With the snap version it appears to flash a few files to the 3a, but then doesn't do much. Odd.
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@saveurlinux
info: device selected: sargo
[20861:0623/205730.723624:ERROR:gl_surface_presentation_helper.cc(260)] GetVSyncParametersIfAvailable() failed for 1 times!
[20861:0623/205732.701626:ERROR:gl_surface_presentation_helper.cc(260)] GetVSyncParametersIfAvailable() failed for 2 times!
info: Installing Ubuntu Touch on your Google Pixel 3a/3a XL (sargo)
info: configuring...
info: settings: {"bootstrap":true,"wipe":false,"channel":"16.04/arm64/android9/stable"}
[20861:0623/205740.339514:ERROR:gl_surface_presentation_helper.cc(260)] GetVSyncParametersIfAvailable() failed for 3 times!Disabled wipe user data this time, hence the message, but nothing
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@negations Bits of this may help https://forums.ubports.com/topic/7860/bootloop-google-pixel-3a
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@lakotaubp Sorry I was away and could not reply as I didn't have my login details on the road. Still no success. I tried all the suggestions on that link too. I have access to a windows and Mac machine now so will give those a try. The process of loading 9.0 seems fine and no errors, but the installer just hangs at the format user space stage. I left it for well over an hour so assume that there is an issue. I have read on other forums that I might need to format the partitions with ext4, but not sure how to do that yet. I will get there I hope. Meanwhile, my trusty N5 is here.
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@lakotaubp Hanging head in shame....RTFM. I just noticed that on the second screen it says reboot to recovery mode. Installing now.
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@negations If that is all it was do not worry it was an easy fix and we all do it. Enjoy your Pixel.