CalyxOS (is coming to) is here for FP4!

[R2D2]

would you be willing to share how to install Magisk and root in CalyxOS using the other slot?

[hirnsushi]

Sure, installation works like it always has:

FP4 Root Access is possible, maybe a bit risky

Disclaimer: You do this at your own risk! I’ve been running my phone this way only for about an hour, this might still eat your data, make backups! I managed to get Magisk working, here’s what you need: Unlocked bootloader adb & fastboot Magisk app installed Either the stock boot.img provided by Fairphone (check Settings → About phone → Build number for the version you need, just use the newest one if you are on a version not yet available) Or, if running an OS other than stock, …

Just use the Calyx boot.img from the Factory Images instead. I’ve already uploaded patched CalyxOS 3.5.0 & CalxyOS 3.5.1 boot.imges, so you can skip ahead to the 3rd step.

Once an OTA update arrives follow those steps:

1. In Magisk press Uninstall Magisk → “Restore Images”
2. Install OTA-update and don’t reboot
3. In Magisk select Install and choose “Install to Inactive Slot (Atfer OTA)”, reboot and have fun

As always don’t follow any of those steps without proper backups!!!11

[R2D2]

When I install Magisk and root, does the bootloader have to remain unlocked? Or do I just have to unlock the bootloader every time after OTA-updates to reinstall Magisk?

Also, with root and Magisk, will SafetyNet attestation still work?

[SkewedZeppelin]

@R2D2
Lock and unlock always results in a wipe.

[Volker]

@R2D2

When I install Magisk and root, does the bootloader have to remain unlocked?

Yes (AFAIK as magisk changes the boot image it would result in a bootloader integrity check failure when locking the bootloader).

[hirnsushi]

@R2D2

When I install Magisk and root, does the bootloader have to remain unlocked?

I’ve answered that same question just 12 hours before you asked, please try to use the search function

@hirnsushi

You can’t lock the bootloader if you rooted your phone.
I am by no means an expert in AvB, that’s why I’ve called it a minefield, but since rooting your phone does alter your boot partition the hashes wouldn’t match anymore and hashes that changed are no longer verified

You have two choices:

• If you switch to stock (unrooted) and relock the bootloader you don’t have to unlock the bootloader to perform OTA updates, but you also won’t be able to use root.
• If you want to stay rooted you’ll have to disable Magisk every time there’s an OTA update

@R2D2

Also, with root and Magisk, will SafetyNet attestation still work?

You’ll find that answer in the root topic as well: FP4 Root Access is possible, maybe a bit risky - #61 by Aaanze
TL;DR it’s possible, but it’s complicated and by no means reliable. If you depend on SafteyNet for something important, I’d suggest not to use Magisk.

[R2D2]

Thanks a lot for all the info. I’ll try to do better with the search function. The thread is very long and both Magisk and bootloader are very common words. But it’s probably best to go through that thread in more detail anyways.

I wish someone would just make a signed rom with root built-in. I don’t get nor do I agree with the notion that having root is inherently less secure. It’s a strawman argument imho, but that’s a discussion for another thread …

Thanks again @hirnsushi (btw I like the username)

[Aaanze]

@hirnsushi

You’ll find that answer in the root topic as well: FP4 Root Access is possible, maybe a bit risky - #61 by Aaanze
TL;DR it’s possible, but it’s complicated and by no means reliable. If you depend on SafteyNet for something important, I’d suggest not to use Magisk.

Additionaly, now that Magisk has been upgraded to version 24 for quite a while introducing noticable changes including zygisk, the modules mentionned in the quoted post are now outdated.

Long story “short” it is still possible to get a SafetyNet pass and a working gpay app with:

Magisk 24 installed

with the following settings:

• Zygisk enabled
• Exclusion List enabled (with google framework, play store, gpay checked)

and the following modules installed:

• GPay SQL Fix
• MagiskHide Props config
• SQLite3 Universal Binaries
• Universal SafetyNet Fix 2.2.1

[oli.sax]

@hirnsushi

proper backups

I’m curious: how are you doing a proper backup?

In the FP2 i’m using TWRP nandroid backups, but for FP4 it’s not yet available due to decryption issue.

For my taste, app by app backup and restore (e.g. Titanium) is quite time-consuming… Thus I’m not yet motivated to play around with Calyx /e/ iodé etc. because I need my FP4 as a daily driver…

[noodlejetski]

Swift Backup works great.

[hirnsushi]

I use the built-in SeedVault backup that has made it’s way to upstream Lineage as well. You get asked if you wan’t to restore from that source during first boot, but I haven’t tested that (will do in the coming days), so I can’t vouch for it (yet).

I consider my phone still in “testing mode”, so I only run a subset of the apps I usually would and just back those up manually to the external SD card as well, since I don’t trust SeedVault without having tested it. Having it on an external SD makes (disaster) recovery much faster and I usually have everything going again in a matter of minutes.

I’ve used different backup systems in the past, most recently Neo-Backup, but I consider those backups only a last resort, if possible I install everything fresh and only restore in-app settings backups where available. Much less weird permission issues and other randomness that way

[yvmuell]

I tested Seedvault once on the FP2 with LOS and was not very exited😉 it did not back up all apps and I dont know if it would back-up app data like chat history (dont think so) or just e.g. login etc (edit: no not even login credentials, so if at all only the pure app)…

[AlphaElwedritsch]

@hirnsushi

but I haven’t tested that (will do in the coming days), so I can’t vouch for it (yet).

All what backed up was restored.
No issues detected.

But it cannot backup all apps and apps data.
But in combination with in app backup functionality, it is 99% enough for me…

[hirnsushi]

You are both absolutely right, totally forgot about that

Sadly SeedVault respects if apps don’t want to be backed up, but those wouldn’t be backed up by Google Cloud Backup either and are often the ones that are problematic to restore when backed up by a 3rd party backup app.

Like @AlphaElwedritsch I have strategies in place for the few apps I care about that don’t support SeedVault backups:

• Firefox (has Firefox Sync)
• K-9 Mail (has settings export, userdata not relevant)
• Signal (has built-in auto backup)
• Syncthing-Fork (has settings export, userdata not relevant)

That’s it for me and with that everything I need is covered. For all other data and to get the backups saved to multiple places (one backup is no backup) I use syncthing-fork.

[R2D2]

Appdata backups have always been a major pain on android. Even the official google backup does not backup everything. Apps can opt-out of backups and banking and lots of security oriented apps (like authenticators) make use of that. At least Seedvault shows an overview of which apps can and cannot be backed up. So that’s a plus.

Backing up every app and it’s appdata unfortunately requires root access, which is a pain in itself. Again, an argument for root (not being able to backup all own data is definitely less secure, not more).

[noodlejetski]

so… how’s the battery life for you Calyx folks? it seems that my phone likes to run hot, and it drains the battery about twice as fast as it used to on /e/OS (based on Android 11). I’m using all the same apps and settings and everything, and according to the (crippled) battery stats, Android System is the main culprit most of the time.

I noticed it almost immediately after the install and thought that maybe the OS needs to do its thing before settling down, but it’s now been two weeks of me having to carry a charging cable to work.

[AlphaElwedritsch]

don’t know on calyx
only on iodé 3.0 which is the same LOS basis
→ no problems. same drain as on 2.4 (A11), and no temperature issues

[hirnsushi]

I haven’t noticed any irregular battery drain or overheating problem in my weeks of using Calyx
Here’s my battery curve from today:

5 hours of screen on time plus 7 hours of listening to podcasts at maximum volume through the built in speakers. With just 10 minutes connected to a USB port in between and almost 50% left now, I’m pretty happy with those numbers

@noodlejetski

Android System is the main culprit most of the time.

Android System doesn’t even show up in my stats

[SkewedZeppelin]

@noodlejetski
Give Battery Historian a try, it’ll tell you exactly what is causing it.
You have to compile it yourself or you can use this unofficial hosted version.

[Aaanze]

Hi all,

I’m curious, do you all get OTA updates for Calyx on FP4 ?
I installed it weeks ago, and I have not once received any update, still rocking 3.5.1.
Tried to switch to beta canal without more success…

Maybe there just isn’t any newer version ? I have to admit I find the official Calyx website rather messy in regards to FP4 versions.