Install PixelExperience on enchilada
Back to the overviewDo not continue after something fails!
Basic requirements
- Read through the instructions at least once before actually following them, so as to avoid any problems due to any missed steps!
- Make sure your computer has
adb
andfastboot
. Setup instructions can be found here. - Enable USB debugging on your device.
- Boot your device with the stock OS at least once and check every functionality. Make sure that you can send and receive SMS and place and receive calls (also via WiFi and LTE, if available), otherwise it won’t work on PixelExperience either! Additionally, some devices require that VoLTE/VoWiFi be utilized once on stock to provision IMS.
- PixelExperience is provided as-is with no warranty. While we attempt to verify everything works you are installing this at your own risk!
Before Installing Rom
Flash OOS / H2OS 11 if necessary
You can download them from here:
HydrogenOS:
OxygenOS:
You can update your system through updater in the Settings App as well
Unlocking the bootloader
-
Enable OEM unlock in the Developer options under device Settings, if present.
- Connect the device to your PC via USB.
- On the computer, open a command prompt (on Windows) or terminal (on Linux or macOS) window, and type:
adb reboot bootloader
You can also boot into fastboot mode via a key combination:
- With the device powered off, hold Volume Up + Power.
- Once the device is in fastboot mode, verify your PC finds it by typing:
fastboot devices
If you don’t get any output or an error:
- on Windows: make sure the device appears in the device manager without a triangle. Try other drivers until the command above works!
- on Linux or macOS: If you see
no permissions fastboot
try runningfastboot
as root. When the output is empty, check your USB cable and port!
- Now type the following command to unlock the bootloader:
fastboot oem unlock
Note: At this point the device may display on-screen prompts which will require interaction to continue the process of unlocking the bootloader. Please take whatever actions the device asks you to to proceed. - If the device doesn’t automatically reboot, reboot it. It should now be unlocked.
- Since the device resets completely, you will need to re-enable USB debugging to continue.
Before Flashing Rom
Ensuring all firmware partitions are consistent
In some cases, the inactive slot can be unpopulated or contain much older firmware than the active slot, leading to various issues including a potential hard-brick. We can ensure none of that will happen by copying the contents of the active slot to the inactive slot.
To do this, sideload the copy-partitions-20210323_1922.zip package by doing the following:
- Download the
copy-partitions-20210323_1922.zip
file from here. - Sideload the
copy-partitions-20210323_1922.zip
package:- On the device, select “Apply Update”, then “Apply from ADB” to begin sideload.
- On the host machine, sideload the package using:
adb sideload copy-partitions-20210323_1922.zip
- Now reboot to recovery by tapping “Advanced”, then “Reboot to recovery”.
Initializing Dynamic partitions
You can acquire more information about dynamic partitions here
- Download this
super_empty.img
file. - Power off the device, and boot it into
bootloader
mode - Flash vbmeta from here:
fastboot flash vbmeta_a vbmeta.img fastboot flash vbmeta_b vbmeta.img
- Flash PixelExperience Recovery:
fastboot flash boot <recovery_filename>.img
- Erase the old android partitions with the following:
fastboot erase system_a fastboot erase system_b fastboot erase odm_a fastboot erase odm_b fastboot erase vendor_a fastboot erase vendor_b
-
Now reboot into
recovery
and enterfastbootd mode
- Initialize the retrofit super partitions for each slot:
fastboot wipe-super super_empty.img fastboot set_active other fastboot wipe-super super_empty.img fastboot set_active other
- Choose
Enter recovery
to return torecovery
Installing PixelExperience from recovery
- Download the PixelExperience installation package that you would like to install or build the package yourself.
- If you are not in recovery, reboot into recovery:
- With the device powered off, hold Volume Down + Power.
- Now tap Factory Reset, then Format data / factory reset and continue with the formatting process. This will remove encryption and delete all files stored in the internal storage, as well as format your cache partition (if you have one).
- Return to the main menu.
- Sideload the PixelExperience
.zip
package:- On the device, select “Apply Update”, then “Apply from ADB” to begin sideload.
- On the host machine, sideload the package using:
adb sideload filename.zip
.Tip: Normally, adb will reportTotal xfer: 1.00x
, but in some cases, even if the process succeeds the output will stop at 47% and reportTotal xfer: 0.98x
oradb: failed to read command: Success
. In some cases it will reportadb: failed to read command: No error
oradb: failed to read command: Undefined error: 0
which is also fine.
- Once you have installed everything successfully, click the back arrow in the top left of the screen, then “Reboot system now”.
Get assistance
After you’ve double checked that you followed the steps precisely, didn’t skip any and still have questions or got stuck, feel free to ask on our Telegram group.