FP Open OS with XPosed and upcoming updates

[Pittiplatsch]

Hello there,

I’ve the Fairphone Open OS running on my Fairphone 2. Additionaly I added microG and the XPosed Framework (via TWRP) with XPrivacy and GravityBox. I’m pretty happy with it for now. I only wonder what will happen with the upcoming updates of the FPOSOS. Will it be possible just using the FP Updater App? How is the Updater dealing with the XPosed Framework and other stuff. Will it keep it or do I have install the XPosed Framework after the FSOSOS Update again?

Thanks in advance,
Peter

[DjDas]

Hi @Pittiplatsch,
I have the same configuration and I feel comfortable with it, the Updater replaces the system files so you will need to reflash XPosed in order to be able to restore your previously installed modules.
Being a beta tester (also for the FP1) and having to often recover my files and configurations, I ended up with a “personal” recover procedure:

1. backup everything with Titanium Backup;
2. flash the new system image;
3. flash the TitaniumBackup zip files to restore the TB system app;
4. flash the XPosed zip;
5. restart the phone;
6. restore your backup with TB;

Also as I use AFWall+ and XPrivacy, I prefer at the first booting recover everything with TB from my previous backup without connecting to the Internet, then I restore the firewall rules, reactivate the XPrivacy module and then restart the phone again.

Bye

[Pittiplatsch]

Hi DjDas,

thank you for your prompt and detail response. I was afraid it will be some extra work, but it is okay.

Just to make sure if I got it right: Your are doing a backup with Titanium of everything just to be safe? Usually all user apps (and their data) will not removed with the FPOS update, right? Or are you resetting the complete system every time?

Good point with AFWall+, thank you for that.

Cheers,
Peter

[DjDas]

Hi @Pittiplatsch,
I do the complete backup because flashing FPOSOS erases also the internal memory and the first time I lost data from apps which used it instead of the SD Card memory.
So to be sure, I prefer to have a duplicate backup instead of loosing again some data
Bye!

[Spielmops]

I ended up with a “personal” recover procedure:

No need to do so. The update will not delete anything personal or settings. After update flash xposed-framwork and everything is as before. Also with AFWall+

If you flash a new OS, you need to backup, because everything is new.

Spielmops

[DjDas]

Well for my testings on Open OS in two cases I ended with my internal memory completely erased, even though I would assume a system flashing shouldn’t erase the internal memory…but FP guys alerted the beta testers it would happen
BTW: I didn’t understand it yet, but XPrivacy settings are lost even if I backup everything with TB (I have the Pro edition)…need to investigate deeper or check somewhere on XDA why it happens

[Spielmops]

my internal memory completely erased,

with update? ?

Spielmops

[DjDas]

Yes, either the beta image or the 16.04 one, both erased my internal memory restoring default empty folders.

[Spielmops]

How did you update? I do it per TWRP, because I can store an img-backup before, install the update, install the boot.img and install the xposed-framework, all-in-one …

Spielmops

[paulakreuzer]

When updating FP Open OS via OTA/Updater App nothing gets erased. At least that was the case for me when updating from beta to the final release.

[DjDas]

The only way I was able to flash the images (the ota-from-gms ones and only) was by flashing the zips using TWRP and both operations ended by erasing also the internal memory.
I wasn’t able to use the Updater app, nor the flashable image, BUT the first time I wasn’t starting with the stock 1.2.8 recovery, but I had previously installed TWRP in order to root the 1.2.8 OS release and install XPosed.

[Moritz]

Then probably you didn’t technically update your system but replace it with a fresh version and probably the install script in turn erased your data. So it was less of an update and more of a clean install of the new version…

[DjDas]

Well I didn’t have any choice, the only way to have a system update was the one I wrote in my previous post. Any other way of updating didn’t work, especially the updater app started as always by processing the zip file but after restart nothing happened, I don’t know why… I could investigate for the steps done by the script executed by TWRP and try to modify it, but I assume it behaves as Fairphone designed it, given the advice they gave to beta testers to make a backup before flashing the image.

[Pittiplatsch]

Thanks for all the input. It will give it a try with the next update and I will see if it’s working or not.

With a full backup via TWRP it should be safe.

[colognesupporter]

No need to do so. The update will not delete anything personal or settings. After update flash xposed-framwork and everything is as before. Also with AFWall+

If you flash a new OS, you need to backup, because everything is new.

Spielmops

Hello,

I can confirm that. Just successfully updated from 16.04 (with installed xposed) to 16.05 via OTA-updater. After I only had to install xposed…zip via recovery again and wiped cache/dalvik-cache.
Of course first i made a full backup to be on the safe side.

Kind regards,
Markus