Install PixelExperience on fajita

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Warning: These instructions only work if you follow every section and step precisely.
Do 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 and fastboot. 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

Warning: Make sure you are on latest OOS 11 or Hydrogen OS 11 before installing anything on your device

Flash OOS / H2OS 11 if necessary

You can download them from here:

HydrogenOS：

HydrogenOS for OnePlus 6T

OxygenOS：

OxygenOS for OnePlus 6T

You can update your system through updater in the Settings App as well

Unlocking the bootloader

Note: The steps below only need to be run once per device.

Warning: Unlocking the bootloader will erase all data on your device! Before proceeding, ensure the data you would like to retain is backed up to your PC and/or your Google account, or equivalent. Please note that OEM backup solutions like Samsung and Motorola backup may not be accessible from PixelExperience once installed.

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 + Volume Down + 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 running fastboot 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

Note: The steps below only need to be run once per device.

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

Warning: Dynamic partitions must be initialized when installing for the first time, so the process to do so is described below.

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 enter fastbootd 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 to recovery

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 report Total xfer: 1.00x, but in some cases, even if the process succeeds the output will stop at 47% and report Total xfer: 0.98x or adb: failed to read command: Success. In some cases it will report adb: failed to read command: No error or adb: 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”.

Note: The first boot usually takes no longer than 15 minutes, depending on the device. If it takes longer, you may have missed a step, otherwise feel free to get assistance.

Tip: If the installation process reports the message "(~47%) adb: failed to read the command: No error", do not worry, the process was completed successfully and you can restart the device.

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.