Hello,

It would be useful to find synthetic and updated instructions to install UBports on the page of the device: https://devices.ubuntu-touch.io/device/jasmine-sprout/
In the same way as the "Preparatory steps" paragraph for the Sony Xperia X: https://devices.ubuntu-touch.io/device/suzu/

Others before me have posted their experience in installing UBports on Xiaomi Mi A2:

• https://forums.ubports.com/topic/6951/ubports-quick-and-simple-install-on-xiaomi-mi-a2
• https://forums.ubports.com/topic/6933/mi-a2-installing-using-the-ubports-installer
• https://forums.ubports.com/topic/6922/mi-a2-installing-ut-over-android-one-the-bootloader-issue
• https://forums.ubports.com/topic/6840/ubports-install-fails-with-permission-error-on-the-device
• https://forums.ubports.com/topic/6812/how-to-install-ubuntu-touch-on-mi-a2-by-simple-way

They helped me but the information is not necessarily up to date or does not correspond to the computer system I used, and information of interest may be hidden in the thread. Moreover the style of this forum which displays only a part of the posts does not help to find (or retrieve) information.

In my turn I describe (from memory) my experience:

I started with a phone bought second hand, with Android 10, last update.

I mainly use a computer with Linux, Debian 11.

1. I downloaded :

• Android 9 stock version, suggested by the installer (0.8.9): https://github.com/ubports-xiaomi-sdm660/artifacts/releases/download/v0.1/jasmine_sprout_stock_android9.zip
• TWRP: last version was twrp-3.6.0_9-0-jasmine_sprout.img https://eu.dl.twrp.me/jasmine_sprout/

2. On phone: activate the developer mode, USB debugging and bootloader unlock

3. From the computer I copied Android 9 to a folder on the phone

4. From the computer I executed the following commands:

$ adb reboot fastboot
$ fastboot flashing unlock
$ fastboot boot twrp-3.6.0_9-0-jasmine_sprout.img

5. In TWRP: install Android 9 by selecting the file already copied in the phone.
   I didn't understand anything about the A/B slots... I validated the default options (installation slot A I think).
   To avoid mistakes and anxieties related to this step, it would be interesting to write a note what this specificity means. I have installed UBports on other phones and I was not aware of this.
   An error message appeared after the installation in TWRP. The phone restarted in recovery mode (I guess) and I validated the reinstallation of android. When it restarted, it was running version 9.

6. From this step fastboot was not working from my Linux computer:

$ fastboot boot twrp-3.6.0_9-0-jasmine_sprout.img Sending 'boot.img' (31684 KB) FAILED (remote : 'unknown command')
              fastboot : error : Command failed

I am stubborn and I tested several reboots, several cables, several attempts from ubports-installer... nothing worked.
I don't know if it was useful, at one point I ran $ fastboot flashing unlock_critical: this operation worked, but all other commands remained without effect and the device in fastboot mode still not detected by ubports-installer

7. I managed to finish the installation from a computer with Windows 10: once the phone in fastboot mode and plugged in, in Device Manager it is possible to install a specific driver. Problem described here : https://github.com/ubports/ubports-installer/issues/2330

8. With the fastboot driver installed, ubport-installer (on Windows) recognized the device in fastboot mode and proceeded to the next steps without problems. On reboot the system works fine.

9. So far only a few minor bugs

• photo application got stuck at the first use, it worked after a reboot
• sound (ringtones, loudspeaker) crackling at high volume

10. Question: if I didn't have access to a Windows computer, what solution to finish the installation with Debian 11?

Thanks for your work. Thanks for your help.

@bisaalz I found this: https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=890129502657590301

Hello, @fredldotme

First of all a big thank you for all your work because I managed to install Ubports on Xperia X!

I feel very embarrassed because the main problem was a file error. I was doing :

$ fastboot flash oem SW_binaries_for_Xperia_AOSP_N_MR1_5.7_r1_v08_loire.zip

Instead of:

$ fastboot flash oem SW_binaries_for_Xperia_AOSP_N_MR1_5.7_r1_v08_loire.img

And I wasn't getting any warnings...

Also since the beginning I had installed Android 8 and $ fastboot erase odm always returned the same error message (FAILED (remote: Command not allowed)), but $ fastboot erase oem works...

However, after correcting my shameful error, I encountered other error messages:

• a first error of the type "failed to copy 'home/user/... to '/cache/recovery/ubports-...tar.xz': remote write failed: Read-only file system"
• a second time ubports installer indicated that it did not have access to the /data partition

But by insisting and repeating the same steps (wipe system, data & cache partitions using TWRP + fastboot erase oem before flashing the Loire Nougat file), it worked in the end.

Thank you.

Here's the result:

$ fastboot erase odm
erasing 'odm'...
FAILED (remote: Command not allowed)
finished. total time: 0.003s

@fredldotme Thank you for your answer.

By "wiping the odm partition," you mean in TWRP?

I just reinstalled Android with Flash-Tool and I installed TWRP with fastboot.

I restarted in Recovery mode. In the Wipe Menu > Advanced Wipe I don't see a partition named odm (neither vendor nor oem by the way).

Here is the picture :

Hi,

I have followed all the instructions and I can't install Ubports on my Xperia X F5121.

Here is the error message that appears in Ubports-installer:

Error: systemimage: Error: Error: Error: {"error":{"killed":false, "code":1, "signal":null, "cmd":"/tmp/.mount_ubportHpMI61/resources/app.asar. unpacked/plateform-tools/linux/adb -P 5037 shell mount -a"}, "stdout":""", "stderr": "mount: mounting /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/oem on /odm failed: Invalid argument"}.

For information I can install LineageOS without any problem and it works correctly.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-x/development/rom-lineageos-15-1-xperia-x-t3862508

I have observed error messages when flashing LineageOS with TWRP :

failed to mount '/oem' (Invalid argument)
failed to mount '/vendor' (Invalid argument)

This does not stop the installation of LineageOS, but maybe it has something to do with the problem blocking the installation of Ubports?

I also have a question about the first step "Make sure to upgrade your device to the latest stock Android 8.0 before continuing". First I used flash-tool with windows because with Debian it doesn't work... then there are several "services" you can choose from, how do you know which one is the right one? And is it necessary to install both firmware and software services of the same version ? I've done both and tried several vesions (FR, NOBA, UK...) and I encountered the same problem with Ubports-installer.

Thanks for the work done and thanks for your help.