Install PixelExperience on kebab

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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!

Warning: Before following these instructions please ensure that the device is currently using Android 13 firmware.
If the vendor provided multiple updates for that version, e.g. security updates, make sure you are on the latest!
If your current installation is newer or older than Android 13, please up- or downgrade to the required version before proceeding (guides can be found on the internet!).

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.

Flashing compatible firmware

Warning: This device requires a disabled VBMeta image to be flashed prior to booting or flashing anything custom, the process to do so is described below.

Download this vbmeta.img file.
Download this dtbo.img file.
Power off the device, and boot it into bootloader mode:
- With the device powered off, hold Volume Up + Volume Down + Power.

Flash a the downloaded images to your device by typing:

fastboot flash vbmeta vbmeta.img
fastboot flash dtbo dtbo.img

Installing a custom recovery using `fastboot`

Download the PixelExperience Recovery. Simply download the latest recovery file.

Important: Other recoveries may not work for installation or updates. We strongly recommend to use the one linked above!
Connect your device to your PC via USB if it isn’t already.
If your device isn’t already in fastboot mode, 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!
Tip: Some devices have buggy USB support while in bootloader mode, if you see fastboot hanging with no output when using commands such as fastboot getvar ..., fastboot boot ..., fastboot flash ... you may want to try a different USB port (preferably a USB Type-A 2.0 one) or a USB hub.
Flash recovery onto your device (replace <recovery_filename> with the actual filename!):
```
fastboot flash recovery <recovery_filename>.img
```
Now reboot into recovery to verify the installation.
- Use the menu to navigate to and to select the Recovery option.
Note: If your recovery does not show the PixelExperience logo, you accidentally booted into the wrong recovery. Please start at the top of this section!

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”.

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.