Android KitKat (4.4.4) for FP1

Thanks a lot to @z3ntu not “just” for developing this thing, but also for giving me (PM) help to install this without adb and fastboot.

So far I just noticed that the “missing SIM card” messages are still there.
USB storage and Media Device (MTP) access work unchanged (as) well though.

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May I ask how you managed to include all recent security patches? Did you scrape them all manually to decide whether they apply to KitKat or not?

This is awesome work and I appreciate it very much! I sent my FP1 - which was one of the first batch and did its service for my wife until this year’s March with @chrmhoffmann’s ROM - as a gift to someone in France who needed it for spare parts, so sadly I can’t test your new KitKat build.

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Fortunately some people still contribute security patches to the cm-11.0 (Android 4.4) branch for LineageOS so I could just take them from there and apply (and sometimes make them apply - thanks Mediatek) them to my sources. But yes, there people review the patches and apply them if possible - see e.g. https://review.lineageos.org/c/LineageOS/android_build/+/224455 for 2018-08-01.

EDIT: Here’s my list of what patches are in the ROM: https://cloud.z3ntu.xyz/index.php/s/GRjM97sPCAKjpxR
The first number in the lines is the LineageOS Gerrit ID (you can paste it in the search box on https://review.lineageos.org to get to the change) and following is the repository name of the patch
ALREADY_APPLIED: Already included in the sources I have
YES: Applied successfully
IGNORED/UNNECCESSARY: Irrelevant (recovery or qcom repositories mostly)
LOS_MERGE: Merged the LineageOS repository into my local one (= free security patches)
LOS: Took the LineageOS repository instead of the AOSP one
FWK_AV: See top post or todo list at the end of the file
TODO: Not yet done, explained in the “BIG TODO”

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What is with them? Don’t you like them?

I could do without them, but it’s certainly just something very minor.

Just in case someone else might run into the same problems as I did, I wrote a detailed step-by-step set of instructions how I was able to

Install z3ntu's Android KitKat 4.4.4
without ADB & Fastboot

Click to see 15-point set of instructions

Thanks to z3ntu for pointing me towards all the necessary solutions. The following can be done with variations at some points (especially location of files), but I was just glad it worked out this way, so I’ll just describe the exact procedure that I succeeded with. Please note that the effect of the buttons change in the course of the instructions.

Preparation: #dic:backup your data. Wiping data might not be necessary during this upgrade, but it could be if you run into issues. Also a recent backup is always a good idea before any update or upgrade.

  1. I downloaded the recovery.img and z3ntu’s 4.4.4 zip to my FP1’s SD card (top level).

  2. I installed the first best terminal app (https://f-droid.org/de/packages/jackpal.androidterm/) that I found (and z3ntu also suggested) in order to be able to install the recovery without ADB & Fastboot.

  3. Launch the terminal app, type su and press .

  4. Once the entry is confirmed, type the following and press :

dd if=/storage/sdcard1/recovery.img of=/dev/recovery

Afterwards, it should look like this:

  1. Now you need to boot into the newly installed recovery by holding the POWER button and the VOLUME UP button simultaneously (for a long time). Either the display will turn black and you will eventually get to see five really tiny lines in the middle of the screen (should happen when you come from 4.2.2. a.k.a. Fairphone OS 1.8.7 Kola Nut) – or you might land at step 7 right away (if you come from Fairphone’s 4.4.2 a.k.a. Macadamia 1.9.9). Release the buttons now.

  2. An <<== arrow should point at “[Recovery Mode]”. If this is the case already, confirm by pressing the VOLUME DOWN button once. If the <<== arrow stands elsewhere, scroll to “[Recovery Mode]” by pressing the VOLUME UP button.

  3. Wait until the recovery has booted (it has a grey textile fabric background)

    • 7a (optional): Scroll to wipe data/factory reset by pressing the VOLUME DOWN button and confirm by pressing the POWER button.
    • Confirm by scrolling to "Yes“ by pressing the VOLUME DOWN button and confirm by pressing the POWER button.
    • You can skip this to keep your data, but if after finishing the upgrade you can’t boot your device you’ll have to wipe the data then. And it will be to late to make a backup then.
  4. Scroll to "install zip“ by pressing the VOLUME DOWN button and confirm by pressing the POWER button.

  5. Scroll to "choose zip from /storage/sdcard1“ by pressing the VOLUME DOWN button and confirm by pressing the POWER button.

  6. Scroll to the file starting with "FP1-4.4.4-z3ntu“ by pressing the VOLUME DOWN button and confirm by pressing the POWER button.

  7. Confirm by scrolling to "Yes“ by pressing the VOLUME DOWN button and confirm by pressing the POWER button. The installation of KitKat 4.4.4 should now start, you should get to see the green android with an open belly and an installation log below.

  8. Once completed, the display will return to the recovery. Scroll to "+++++Go Back+++++“ by pressing the VOLUME DOWN button and confirm by pressing the POWER button.

  9. Confirm "reboot system now“ by pressing the POWER button (or scroll there once more pressing the VOLUME DOWN button and then confirm).

  10. Confirm "No“ by pressing the POWER button (or scroll there once more pressing the VOLUME DOWN button and then confirm) in order to keep the new recovery.

  11. Your new Android KitKat 4.4.4 should now boot. :slight_smile: If you run into a bootloop here (“Fairphone powered by Android” and “android” screens keep taking turns), please go back to step 5 and make sure to include step 7a in the following steps.

Feel free to correct the above (please try to not make it even longer).

Side note: In a strict sense, only steps 1 to 4 really differ from z3ntu’s instructions in his original post’s “Installation” first bullet point. Steps 5 to 15 are actually just a more specific and detailed spelling out of his second bullet point.

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Just to make sure because I haven’t seen anthing about it explicitly: installing this ROM keeps all the apps and data in place?

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Maybe, but don’t complain to me then when apps are crashing and whatnot. :wink:

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Better use Titanium Backup, move the backup on the external storage and do a clean install, I’d say. :face_with_monocle:

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Well, maybe I should have phrased the question otherwise: does the install wipe/do I have to wipe.

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You have to select wipe in CWM yourself if you want it to wipe.

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Anyone here know if I can get rid of the grey search bar on the home page? I was able to do so by deactivating the SCAN app, but that seemed to quickly affect another app negatively (“Email” crashed on start).

Easiest solution is installing another launcher from F-Droid/Play Store.

THANKS YOU!!!

You are the best! This rom save the life of my FP1!

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I finally got around to testing this OS. Thanks @z3ntu - it works great and thanks @urs_lesse for the guide - I don’t think I’d have understood the instructions that involve ABD.

Btw @z3ntu first thing I did was install SatStat to test the proximity sensor and it seems to work perfectly.

@AustrianFairphoners shall I install this on all our spare part-FP1s? I currently have 4 working motherboards…

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It seems that I get significantly shorter battery duration (compared to both Kola Nut and Macadamia) even with virtually zero use. I have noticed this now on two different FP1s, two different original batteries. How about your experience, folks?

Fantastic work! I’ll start testing today.

I can’t say I experience excessive battery drain. Since your post 43 minutes ago I lost 1% with the phone just lying on the table.
I’ll now see what happens if I use it more by testing all the functions.
Okay I have to say though that I’m not using a SIM card, and there are not a lot of apps on the phone yet, so not much that can drain the battery.

In airplane mode it basically doesn’t use any battery at all for me. With cellular on, it goes down much more quickly, so maybe with it just lying on the table maybe 2 days.

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