How to root the FP5 and OTA update - at your own risk

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41

with current v131 (same as with v127) update i have same problem with on-phone reroot and work same method

EDIT: anybody here with succes on-device reroot without problem as i have?

42

Just a short info:
Installed /e/OS on my FP5 yesterday and rooted it. The FP4 rooting method (as described in the first post; which I also used that time on my FP4 with CalyxOS)
is useable and went fine for the FP5 as well.

OTA Updates to be tested when the next /e/OS Update arrives.

2 Likes
43

Hi
I successfully rooted my device and the OTA updates worked more or less out of the box (v106 → v112 → v127).
But now I don’t get the notification for the update to v131. “Sytem update” still shows my system is up to date with Android security update November 5, 2023


Maybe I have debloated too much stuff
 but at the moment I have absolutely no clue why my FP5 doesn’t see v131

44

I have the same problem :confused:. Shows me only the November update. Doesn’t matter, if I try it with mobile data or WiFi.

45

Switched to iodéOS before I started to use the FP5 as my daily driver (mainly because I can uninstall preinstalled apps there more easily) and rooted it again - same procedure.

OTA Update procedure still to be tested.

46

Hi FairPhone Community,

as the title states, I am trying to root my FairPhone 5 with Magisk and would appreciate any help I can get.
I already tried rooting it by patching the boot image with Magisk and then booting the image in Fastboot mode.
This did in fact install a stub Magisk app on the phone, but when I used it to bootstrap to a complete Magisk app and rebooted the phone it still showed:

Installed N/A

The full description of what I did
  • Unboxed phone
  • Updated to version FP5TT40.A.131.20231130 via phone updater and over Wi-Fi
  • Enabled OEM Unlocking and USB-Debugging
  • Successfully tested adb connection
  • Installed Magisk and patched the boot.img I got form the FP5-TT40-factory.zip from the official website
  • Transferred the patched boot.img to my PC (and renamed it to “boot.img” for convenience)
  • adb reboot bootloader
  • fastboot flashing unlock
  • (Maybe a reboot to see if it did work, shouldn’t matter, though)
  • fastboot boot boot.img (I moved the boot.img to the same directory as the adb files, again, for convenience)
My phone’s build number: FP5TT40.A.131.20231130
Magisk Version, I got from topjohnwu’s GitHub: 26.4
The instructions I followed: How to root the FP5 and OTA update - at your own risk

How should I proceed?
I could try the same process again, hoping for a different outcome (maybe I made a mistake the first time).
I could also try the custom recovery approach with installing the Magisk .apk as a .zip file.
Any advice is greatly appreciated

47

I moved you question to the original root topic.

1 Like
48

Maybe you miss before reboot, in Magisk app:
“Magisk Install, Direct Install (recomended)” ?
(which is final instalation to boot partitiion in internal storage)

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49

Can you explain what happened exactly after you executed:

?

It should boot into the OS (afaics you run the normal FairphoneOS still) and you can open an App which needs root, already at that point → it should ask via popup to get root granted by Magisk (remember the Magisk App was already installed before as you patched the boot.img).

If this all works then you can and should do as @k3dAR suggested and “really” install/flash root into the boot partition/boot.img, which is on the phone (via direct install)

The the 'fastboot boot' command doesn not do this, it just boots from the provided boot.img, but does not change anything on your phone.

50

@k3dAR @Smojo
The option “Magisk Install, Direct Install (recommended)” does not show up, indicating that the phone is not rooted at that point. The tutorial was very adamant about not flashing the boot image but instead just booting it. This was really weird to me, but I just went with it.
Retrospectively, I think it’s quite obvious I should definitely use fastboot flash boot boot.img.
Do you agree?
If so, I apologize for wasting your time, will just flash the boot image and see myself out.

51

I personally don’t agree. I rooted my former FP4 and my FP5 two times (3 different ROMs), and it always worked smooth that way. I mean it is a safe way, isn’t it?

First you just boot a patched boot.img - if something fails, you can just reboot and you still have a working unrooted phone.

Imaging you directly flash it and whatever is wrong goes wrong or you end up in a bootloop. Imho direct flash is more risky. Still you can flash an old boot.img and hope that it works again - still I think the risk higher.

I don’t see it right now, but it feels like something went wrong during the patch and/or boot from this patched boot.img. I would just repeat the steps and as explained ones booted from the patched boot.img, you should be in a rooted OS already (before the direkt install). You can check in the Magisk App or a root checker app or, as explained, just start an App which needs root. Maybe do not rename the patched boot.img, it is not needed actually. You will use the correct filename in the fastboot boot command - it does not required a file with the exact name boot.img.

2 Likes
52

Thank you for your input. I see now that it’s safer practice to only boot the boot image.

I went through the whole process again and this time it worked.
I think that I rebooted my phone right after updating the Magisk app and before doing the direct install. This would at least explain why I didn’t see the option.
Seems like @k3dAR had the right idea from the start.
Thanks again.

1 Like
53

OTA Update of iodéOS is simpler than with CalyxOS for instance (which I did several time on my former FP4).

One step less - the first one is not needed here.
(Same as for DivestOS btw. which was even confirmed/approved by the Dev - see Divest Thread if interested)

  • OTA install (via Settings > System > Updater ) don’t reboot
  • install Magisk in inactive Slot → reboot

Idk what the detailed technical difference is that the CalyxOS OTAs will fail to install without Magisk uninstall before. (I remember @hirnsushi explained there are different kind of OTAs 
 Full OTAs can just be installed; don’t remember the other one - probably somewhere in the CalyxOS Thread :wink: )

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54

If you have unfortunately uninstalled Magisk (picture above) and restarted your phone because the OTA Update failed:

Get the boot.img for your actual build (you have to extract it from the actual zip file https://support.fairphone.com/hc/en-us/articles/18896094650513-Installing-Fairphone-OS-Manually) and copy it to your phone. (e.g. /storage/emulated/0/Download/boot.img)

Open Magisk and patch the copied boot.img (Install - select a file to patch)

Magisk tells you the name and path of the patched file. (e.g. /storage/emulated/0/Download/magisk_patched_boot_file.img

Copy the patched file to the PC
adb reboot bootloader
fastboot boot magisk_patched boot_file.img

Wait until the phone booted again, open Magisk
Install - direct Install (recomended)

1 Like
55

iodéOS 4.10 OTA (February) Update went smooth as last time. (and with the same simple approach)

56

with current v144 (same in previous months with v141, v131, v127, v112) update
i have same problem with on-phone reroot and must still use this (re)root via PC method

so last working reroot on phone for me be with v106 (= 2023/09 patches)
every next month i hope “now will be without problem”, but not and alway is same :frowning:

please, is anybody here with succes on-device reroot without problem as i have?

57

I am looking for a “good” instruction to root CalyxOs on the phone FP4 and later also FP5.

This instructions from the XDA is that also applicable for CalyxOs? I look a bit critical to this because it is mixed up the file boot.img from the ROM of the manufacturer with the CalyxOs. I am not sure if this is a good idea.

I have seen also a small instruction given from the user @hirnsushi in this forum. And it looked a bit different.

I would like to root as soon as possible :slight_smile:

58

Just look at the first post here for this instruction from FP4 working on the FP5 as well

2 Likes
59

5 posts were merged into an existing topic: FP4 Root Access is possible, maybe a bit risky

62

Hi,

I’ve been a happy Fairphone 5 user and I recently rooted my phone using this guide so that I could backup my data using Neo Backup. I have messed around with Magisk’s DenyList but I removed it and I have no modules installed.

Now that Android 14 has been released I wanted to know how I could update while keeping root and preferably my data. I’ve seen that there are ways to OTA update by uninstalling Magisk and installing into Inactive slot (forum.fairphone . com/t/101449 - Can’t post more than 2 links as a new user : ( . So here’s a deconstructed link) however I’ve not tried this for regular updates (I rooted my phone after the last update) and I’m unsure whether the process would be the same for an Android version upgrade.

I’m quite a beginner when it comes to Android. I know a bit (Enough to roughly understand what each step in the rooting process does) but assume I don’t know before assuming I do (Also if possible give detail as it is very helpful in understanding and following instructions).

I would greatly appreciate any advice,
Pal