Flashing LineageOS without root

Help Fairphone 2
1

Is it going to be possible at some point to install LineageOS without rooting the FP2?

Rooting a phone reduces its value IMO. It is irreversible, it potentially makes the system less secure, and some apps such as Netflix won’t work anymore.

I’m not sure how valid these arguments are with regards to FP2. For the time being, I’ll err on the side of firmware which won’t require me to root my FP2. I know I am missing out on stuff though. Been using LOS 14.1 on a Moto G2 and the performance is stellar. Esp battery seems much better.

2

Already possible: Just skip step 11 in these instructions

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3

Is your focus on installing it without rooting or running it without root?
Because running it without root seems possible to me according to the install instructions.

4

Installing too. You flash recovery without rooting thanks to the FP2 having a open bootloader :slight_smile:
But as I read it @JeroenH is coming from another OS, so (s)he should follow the official installation instructions and not the migration instructions in post 1.

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5

Thanks for making clear.
I’m wondering whether flashing an alternative recovery is perhaps keeping people away because it seems somewhat intrusive like rooting :thinking: …

6

Hmm, that seems pretty cool news!

I’m running the official FP2 firmware (not FPOS) but even though the Fairphone team does an awesome (!!) job with the firmware I am very much interested in LineageOS / Android 7.x. So its possible to migrate from this firmware? And go back to the original firmware if I desire? Can I restore all my programs from a Google cloud?

7

So basically the bootloader runs any unsigned recovery such as TWRP and from there LOS is booted? Correct?

But then the device being rooted or not doesn’t tell us much anyway. Given the bootloader runs unsigned recovery. Correct?

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8

You can:

  • Flash TWRP recovery now
  • Backup the current state of your phone
  • Switch to lineageOS (You need to factory reset and you’ll lose all of your data)
  • Use it
  • Optionally revert to your backup
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9

How do I figure out which data is saved in the cloud though? Say I use a TOTP authenticator. Are the settings backed up in Google Drive? I guess the safest option is adding more TOTP methods which don’t rely on smartphone, or (if that isn’t possible) disable them temporarily.

10

If TOTP keys are stored in the cloud I would seriously doubt their security.
You can backup application data with a app like Titanium Backup, but that needs root.

I would disable all 2nd factor auth I use in the app in your case, upgrade, and re-enable all the 2nd factor.

But this is getting a bit off-topic, I’m going to split this in another thread.

11

Yes, well, a lot of backups of things like applications, settings, passwords (such as WiFi or username/passwords saved in Google Chrome) and WhatsApp data are stored in the cloud (Google Drive). But not all, and it is by choice.

An adversary with access to these backups can cause serious harm, but usually that adversary would be the government. I’m aware of other far more easier vectors should they be after me (I’m running your compiled code as well even though I don’t know you :wink: ). Its a fair enough concern, but I prefer to focus my defense against petty criminals instead.

Other than that I rely on Google not getting hacked. Do you know if Google stores the backups encrypted?

I guess I’ll have to disable all the 2FA just to be sure. That’s quite a bummer.

12

Just one friendly reminder: The TWRP backup does not backup your personal files like pictures and such. Be sure to backup them to the cloud / elsewhere as well.

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