Stuck in fastboot. Unlocked

Help Fairphone 4
1

So… I’m not 100% sure but qbootctl might’ve done it.

I was in postmarketOS, did an sw update and decided I wanted to reboot to Android, and play later. qbootctl -s 0 and a few seconds later changed my mind and re-ran qbootctl -s 1 and rebooted.

Now it got stuck in fastboot. Won’t go to recovery either.

I downloaded the current Android pack from Fairphone’s site, flashed it, nothing unusual, still won’t boot. Neither postmarketOS.

Turns on straight to fastboot and nothing else…

fastboot oem device-info:
(bootloader) Verity mode: false
(bootloader) Device unlocked: true
(bootloader) Device critical unlocked: true
(bootloader) Charger screen enabled: false

fastboot getvar (not) all:

(bootloader) parallel-download-flash:yes
(bootloader) hw-revision:10000
(bootloader) unlocked:yes
(bootloader) off-mode-charge:0
(bootloader) charger-screen-enabled:0
(bootloader) battery-soc-ok:yes
(bootloader) battery-voltage:4105
(bootloader) version-baseband:
(bootloader) version-bootloader:

…

(bootloader) slot-retry-count:b:0
(bootloader) slot-unbootable:b:no
(bootloader) slot-successful:b:no
(bootloader) slot-retry-count:a:0
(bootloader) slot-unbootable:a:yes
(bootloader) slot-successful:a:no
(bootloader) slot-count:2
(bootloader) secure:yes

Ideas?

I’m downloading an earlyer android version right now…

2 
fastboot flashing get_unlock_ability
3

What happens, if you activate slot a as active boot slot ? slot a seems to be bootable.

1 Like
4

unlockability is 0, bootloader is unlocked.

I can flash anything to it and it does not complain.

And both slots are the same. The snippet is after a cold boot (removed battery) when the counters reset.

I did switch slots from fastboot.

Something must’ve happened when I used qbootctl…

5

Don’t lock your bootloader or your phone will be bricked.

1 Like
6

I have no clue of what happened, perhaps some partition got corrupted?

Could you try flashing TWRP in recovery? If it boots then you can check the partition scheme…

7

Just flashed twrp… no go. I did follow the instructions z3ntu, praised be his name :smiley: , gave on twrp.

Also flashed the first Android release for FP4.

Everything flashes alright, any boot attempt returns to fastboot, recovery included.

8

If the phone is fully unlocked, you should be able to install the stock OS using the fastboot mode, but do not lock the bootloader, because of the SPL and rollback protection.

9

I am fully aware of the relocking situation and I have no plans of locking it. :slight_smile:

And yes, I should be and I am able to flash the stock roms.

I went thru the latest to the previous, which didn’t complete for some reason and the very first version of Android.

The latest and the oldest versions flashed without errors.

It’s just it can’t actually boot any…

If I run astboot boot kernel.img, the image is loaded and the phone restarts to fastboot bootloader.

Stock recovery and twrp do not boot either.

10

@z3ntu mayby you have time and ideas to help with this case after postmarketOS was installed…

11

pmos in itself, might not have much to do with it as qbootmgr…

I am almost certain that qbootctl -s 0 then qbootctl -s 1 did it…

I ran the two instances within a minute or so, of each other.

12

fastboot –set-active=b and then again with a also doesn’t change anything I imagine?

1 Like
13

Nope… no matter what slot I choose it does not boot.

The slot switches fine, fastboot returns active slot as it was set.

14

So you are not able to boot OS nor recovery.
But are you able to boot fastbootd?

With fastbootd hopefully we can try to do something :crossed_fingers:

15

I just learned that fadtbootd exists… but

“fastboot: error: Failed to boot into userspace fastboot; one or more components might be unbootable.”

16

BTW, unlockability returned to 1, in the meantime.

I cannot understand how…

1 Like
17

That’s caused by flashing factory images (or most other ROMs really).

That’s a new one, and no errors during flashing, hmm? :thinking:
You didn’t by any chance mess with the partition layout or modified one of the system partitions, did you reflash the phone again after you tried TWRP?

2 Likes
18

Most certainly I did not touch the partitions. TWRP never booted…

Nothing boots but fastboot.

But I was wondering how I could rebuild or inspect, at least, the partitions…

19

Well… that does it.

It appears that the quote “Your to open, yours to own” and the rest of them are utter BS.

Just sent mine to France for repair and I quote them> “This device may not benefit from the manufacturer’s warranty for the following reason: Attempt to change the software.
You will therefore find enclosed our repair quote.”

So… I am pondering one thing. Get it back and hammer it myself or take a loss and remind myself that BS is the norm.

22

So to clarify: whats the repair quote? If a new core module go back to support, Cordon can reflash. Thats still not covered under warranty and would cost you around 50€

1 Like