I hate it! How to install CalyxOS on a FP5?

Help Fairphone 5
,
1

I am an idiot! I really try to install CalyxOS on my new Fairphone 5. I thought I will be able to do it, but Pustekuchen, I am not even able to unlock the bootloader. I followed all the steps I had to. The CalyxOS workflow doesn’t work. I am connected to a WLAN, I have enabled the developer options, I enabled the USB debugging and I also enabled the OEM unlocking. I installed the Google USB driver, I have the OS and the device-flasher in the same directory, I ran the device flasher and everything works fine till the moment when I had to push the volume and power button.

Till there it was a lot of work just to figure out how to get the bootloader unlocking code. And I have to be connected to a WLAN. Why?

Okay, than I found the advice to download the android adb and fastboot tool. I did this too. I ran the tools as mentioned here (https://support.fairphone.com/hc/en-us/articles/10492476238865-Manage-the-Bootloader) and just guess what happen … I get the answer < waiting for any devices > … so I wait and wait - nothing happen.

Now I am really pissed!

What is so difficult to make an installation of an OS easy on a Smartphone? It is no problem to install an OS on a PC and this is nothing else as a computer.

Fairphone, this is not a good job. Or is it just so that you what your customers been stuck with Google (Sorry, you can’t post the word ‘***’; it’s not allowed.)? It seems so that it is easier to install CalyxOS on a Google Pixel phone.

Okay, my question to you as a community: Any advice how I can install CalyxOS on the Fairphone 5 without become totally mad?

If not I send this phone back and get another one.

Thanks for your time.

2

Fairphone uses the “default” way to access the system from PC (fastboot & adb), it is other brands that use non-standard ways to do that (e.g. Samsung needs Odin/Heimdall). So Fairphone deserves praise in that regard imo.

Did you check if all drivers are installed properly (device manager)? Did you try different cables and different USB-sockets on your PC? (Preferably no USB hub)?

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3

This is no rocket science. Just follow the documentation step by step. With a locked bootloader you can’t install a custom ROM on any device. This has nothing to do with fairphone.

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4

Fairphone comes with a stock OS called Fairphone OS. This works mostly fine for normal users. If you want to install a custom ROM you are responsible for any changes done on your phone. If you have no experience in installing custom ROMS, you should consider to buy a phone from Murena with pre-installed /e/OS.

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5

Hi! Later I found a website in which it was mentioned that it can be that the Fairphone interacts badly with the USB 3.0 port. So your advice is helpful but I need to find a USB 2.0 port.

Thanks

7

Hi, it’s me again. I found on the Fairphone support page to install the Fairphone OS the term that you have to use a USB-C certified cable. Does this also mean that you need a USB-C port or is it possible to use an adapter USB 3.0 to USB-C?

8

I use a high quality Anker USB-A to USB-C 1.8m cable on my USB 3.0 Port.
My Intel NUC is running on Debian 11.
No problems flashing FP3 or FP4 with the fastboot script.

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9

My dear summer child. Usb3 is a standard for serial bus connection.

Usb-c is a standard for a type of cable. Under the hood it could be: usb1-2-3, hdmi, displayport, ethernet etc.

The connection (usb a or c) doesn’t matter, you just need an usb data cable

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10

If you are using Windows 10 PC/notebook check that the USB drivers are updated.

11

I asked because I used a USB 3.0 to USB-C cable and with this cable I had no success.

Your dear summer child

12

Thanks, but as I mentioned I had installed the Google USB driver.

13

Did you check if the cable is capable of data transfer? It should be able to, but the cable could be faulty.

14

Yes, it is, because I transferred some files to the phone.

15

At last it runs. But it was a journey. I used my laptop instead of my PC because it has an USB-C port and runs a Linux distribution. And I bought a new USB-C to USB-C cable. But now the funny thing: This one doesn’t worked! I always get the same failure message as this guy here: Phone stuck in fastboot mode, unable to install Fairphone OS

So I used my old USB 3.0 to USB-C cable and this one worked.

Fairphone guys, you have to fix this!

16

Sorry, but a defective cable has nothing to do with the phone manufacturer. The script uses fastboot, which is widely used on many other devices.

17

Your comment is based on the assumption that there was a defective cable. Who told you that? My first try to install CalyxOS on my Fairphone was done via Windows and failed. There I used the same cable as on my successful installation via a Linux system. So the cable is it?

I don’t know who you want to defend but there is a clear issue here.

18

An issue of your Windows installation?

19

most times fastboot driver not sure those are covered with the driver needed per Calyx instructions.