So… should my phone be telling me that I will be forced to install the latest Fairphone OS update in 19 days? Because that sounds like a pretty bad idea
Hi,
I have my FP4 already. I have read the thread and try to summarize:
I am not yet using the phone as
- I definitive want LOS on it
- I don’t use Google apps or Playstore (only Fdroid)
I am wondering the following on what I need to do:
- Should I wait for a official LOS release? Because this would overwrite my data or can I just update when it will be released?
- If updating works, should I now just build myself from [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] repository and install with recovery manager?
- Shall I use TWRP or Magisk? (ref. TWRP: [6])
– I answered this myself (I need both I think): [9] - I read here about rooting and locked bootloader. Now I’m scared I will do something stupid - can you clarify here? Is this the explanation? [7]
- Do I need to root? I wanna use AFWall+ firewall and AdAway apps
- I did not understood what it is with this “proprietary files”: [8]
[1] GitHub - WeAreFairphone/android_kernel_fairphone_sm7225 at staging/11/fp4
[2] Get proprietary vendor files for FP4 - #26 by Error
[3] Building LineageOS for FP4 - #5 by Error
[4] Building LineageOS for FP4 - #47 by hirnsushi
[5] Post from Aaanze: FP4 and LineageOS - #81 by Aaanze
[6] TWRP for Fairphone 4
[7] FP4 and LineageOS - #127 by Aaanze
[8] github.com/SyberHexen/android_device_motorola_kiev/blob/lineage-18.1/proprietary-files.txt#L398
[9] https://www.quora.com/Whats-the-difference-between-TWRP-and-Magisk
That’s a lot of questions 
There is no way to tell as of now since official development doesn’t seem to be moving at all as we speak.
However, it appears that for the FP3 the unofficial builds were compatible with official release without a wipe. We can assume it may follow the same path for the FP4 but we can’t be sure.
You can either download a build from the main thread or build it yourself from source by following the instructions.
- You do not need Magisk. Magisk provides root, root is not mandatory for installing nor using LOS.
- You should not (and probably would have trouble ?) install LOS with TWRP. Lineage OS provides its own recovery that has been proven more reliable for installing LOS than TWRP.
I’m no expert on the matter, but all I know is the risk of bricking your device when relocking your bootloader while running a rooted custom ROM is higher, as if everything goes wrong, it becomes much more complicated to restore your device to it’s original state. By nature, unnoficial custom ROMs cannot be presumed as stable. I know however that someone locked his bootloader successfully after installing LOS on his FP4.
I would advise to let the bootloader unlocked for good measure. Again rooting is only necessary if you’re counting on installing apps that make use of root permissions, otherwise you’ll be fine without it.
Adaway indeed requires root. Not sure about AFWall+.
Proprietary blobs are the devices drivers that are not open source and therefore cannot be compiled in the process of building the ROM, therefore we have to extract them as binary files from an existing ROM to be able to “integrate” them with your own build.
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Unlocking bootloader will wipe your data (factory reset), but then you’ll be able to install any custom OS .
Re-locking bootloader, as already mentioned, could brick your device in a non-booting state, the only solution then is to send it to Fairphone that will reset is for approx 30€ + shipping.
Keep in mind that you can one-time-only root your device with fastboot boot boot-patched.img (and not fastboot flash), it is useful if you don’t need permanent root but just time to time 
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oli, where can i find this statement?
That you can get it reset for 30,-€ if you send it in?
There was once something in the forum, I remember, but can no longer find it.
Thanks
Found it.
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Is there anyone else with this problem? Because I feel like automatically installing a Fairphone OS update over my LOS installation will break my phone. I only have 16 days left
Showing a screenshot of the exact message might help.
I remember people getting a notification for a FPOS update on their FP3s running LOS, they could just dismiss it and forget about it.
Indeed, it would be quite disastrous to dirty install a FPOS update upon your LOS install.
A “dirty” install wouldn’t (shouldn’t) happen, the OTA updater checks the hashes of the partitions and if those don’t match the expectation, it just stops and throws an error.
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Hi,
even after doing my own LOS builds, I’m in approximately the same situation as you, since I don’t want to start using the FP4 as a daily driver if upgrading to officially supported builds means wiping it.
the most promising way forward I see right now is with CalyxOS, which meets most of my requirements and should see a release hopefully not too long away (based on android 12 / lineage 19):
you might also want to check out iodéOS: [ROM][FP4][11.0] iodéOS = LineageOS 18.1 + MicroG + adblocker [02/02/2022] | XDA Forums
both advertise support for bootloader relocking, which is not something I’m confident to achieve with my own builds.
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iodé released a new update for FP4 today
Quick changelog :
- all aps updated
- march security patch, synced LineageOS
- News app reworked
- Setup Wizard : new iodé introduction
- Teracube 2e second batch released, heavy work for fixing OTA issues
- FP4 : automatic brigthness fixed
- few issues fixed here and there (playlist crash in Music app, … )
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What? If you have LOS installed Fairphone is forcing to install another OS?
Hi,
thanks for all the replies!
- So if I am capable to build my own LOS, then it’s likely I can build a new one on each update and installed it over the current on without wiping? I think I will go this path
- On root to be clear: But if I want to use apps like AdAway, AFWall+ - then I will require root right and need Magisk, right?
– Can you tell again when I would need to relock my device? Because why, if this is a risk? Because it is a security issue if I loose the phone? - What is the best and most secure way to access the binary files? Or do I misunderstood that I dont need this for the phone?
Cheers
@g4b , not one of the custom roms other than LOS have one of the most relevant features I want - gApps. But that’s good to hear @hirnsushi , I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.
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Since the absolute majority of people install custom ROMs to get rid of GApps, I wouldn’t call that surprising
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as @Stanzi said, the point of many custom ROMs is to get rid of gapps and other bundled bloatware.
but it doesn’t mean that you must lose that choice: you still have the option to install gapps alongside any custom ROM (using eg. TWRP)
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I think that’s not true, because when MicroG is integrated and you cannot deinstall or at least disable, installing GApps will bring you trouble
- So if I am capable to build my own LOS, then it’s likely I can build a new one on each update and installed it over the current on without wiping? I think I will go this path
yes, you just need to sign your builds using the default test keys (which is insecure since anyone has access to the private key) or generate your own build keys and use them for every subsequent build (cf. Signing Builds | LineageOS Wiki and تابلوهای ساخت برای انتشار | Android Open Source Project)
Can you tell again when I would need to relock my device? Because why, if this is a risk? Because it is a security issue if I loose the phone?
https://madaidans-insecurities.github.io/android.html
- What is the best and most secure way to access the binary files? Or do I misunderstood that I dont need this for the phone?
it only needs to be done once. you can do it either using your own live device after rooting it, or you can extract them from another ROM. there are also repositories on github with the files already extracted (I’ve put mine here and another one is here)
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I use custom roms to get rid of bloatware (and in case of the FP4 I also need it because the stock OS doesn’t like my SD card…). I already tried installing gApps on e/os and that doesn’t really work. There’s always something that doesn’t work when the OS has integrated microG
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Absolutely 
This is the same as if you wanted to put four more tires on a car with four tires.