TWRP for Fairphone 3

Participate Development
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124

aah ok, havent seen that one :stuck_out_tongue:

125

or something like this:

echo "Current slot is ${current_slot}"
echo "Reading current-slot"
current_slot=$(fastboot getvar current-slot)
if [ "$current_slot" == "a" ]; then
    set_active="b"
elif [ "$current_slot" == "b" ]; then
    set_active="a"
else
    echo "Couldn't read current slot"
    exit 1
fi

echo "Current slot is \"${current_slot}\""
echo "Setting slot \"${set_active}\" active"
fastboot --set_active=${set_active}
126

That would be safer, but will likely lead to OTA not working

127

The dangerous part is if an user do a --set-active before the script, which change the value of current-slot. I’ll do at least one fastboot reboot bootloader first

128

Just for my understanding: if both bootloaders were broken, would the phone be ultimately bricked? No rescue?

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129

Unless Fairphone/Arima releases a signed firehose-programmer.
That would basically make it unbrickable through software.

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130

Probably not likely to happen, is it? Is such a tool available for other phones?

131

Yes, some vendors like Xiaomi apparently release it.
I suppose if enough of you ask the support for it, maybe they’ll come forward.

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132

Ooooh … I want unbrickable :slight_smile: .

Would it be realistic to pursue this through Fairphone channels?
Could this have any advantages for them?
Could this have any effects they don’t want to have?

Or should we go with the recent fad and simply say “We want this NOW disregarding of how reality works, and if we don’t get this now YOU ARE NOT FAIR!” :slight_smile: ?

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133

This would be a software “repair yourself” tool. I think it is in their advantage to give it. But this is probably in Arima’s hands. Which will make it harder to get, such like the flashable image they wanted to provide.

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134

@lorahaspels: Could Fairphone please explore the possibility of releasing a signed firehose-programmer for the Fairphone 3?

“Unbrickable through software” sounds like at least the Fairphone support department could be in favour now that the custom ROM genie is out of the bottle :slight_smile: … Edit: and people apparently brick their phones by flashing Fairphone Open OS for the Fairphone 2 to it … German example, French example.

@lorahaspels: While we’re at it … Is there an ETA for the OS image Fairphone wanted to release? …

“We are working towards making available: a flashable image for download and manual flash”

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135

New TWRP release is up. This one fixes installing full stock ZIPs.
Thanks to @pigpig for testing!

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136

Thanks ! I could flash the latest A110 stock ROM, but I was required to format the data partition (though the factory reset menu). Anyway, everything works now.

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137

Not sure, why a factory reset would be required.
I guess it depends on what state the system was in before flashing the 110 stock.
I wonder if switching slots before flashing 110 (when coming from 105) would not result in that.

138

There was no state at all, i was total anarchy… :smile:
I think that I wasn’t very careful, but thanks to the a/b system you can recover quite easily from your mistakes.

139

First of all MANY, MANY THANKS to all of those who work hard on making the FP3 a really fair and free phone! I’m not a programmer or developer and therefore very happy that you do that…

I have a question about how to backup in TWRP:
For a “normal” backup, just to be able to restore the status my phone has right now, which boxes do I have to check in TWRP? Is, for example, DTBO or Firmware required?
My phone is on TWRP 3.3.1-0_k4y0z-20200202-02, rooted with Magisk and I have installed a handful of apps from F-Droid. Most of g00gle stuff is deactivated.

Many thanks for your help!

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140

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141

Ah, thanks! I missed that among all the posts… didn’t see the wood for the trees.

142

What is TWRP? (fairphone-noob here)

143

TWRP is short for Team Win Recovery Project. It is an alternative (not supported by the phone vendor) recovery program available for a lot of phone models, now including the Fairphone 3 (albeit not officially on the TWRP website yet).

The Fairphone 3, much as any other Android phone, has a recovery program installed by default, but this stock recovery program is limited in what it allows you to do.

TWRP opens up more possibilities like easy backup and restore of some things on the phone and perhaps more importantly making installing so-called custom ROMs possible, and then still some more stuff.

Custom ROMs are alternative OSes for a phone. They can be other Android flavours (often built to include as little Google involvement as possible, which many users want) or even totally different OSes.

Please see twrp.me for general information and FAQ.

Running TWRP and custom ROMs has serious implications.
What’s more at the moment, on the Fairphone 3 TWRP and custom ROMs are still in an early stage, trying them out right now is still pioneering stuff and not for the faint of heart.

It can be fun, though, if you have a plan B or backup regarding your phone and your data :slight_smile: .

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