K9100ii
Now for LineageOS 20.0
In this post, alongside download links, I'll detail inconveniences and breakages for existing installations, for before installing any 20.0+ builds. In any case, upgrading will also need a full format of the data partition and adoptable storage, alongside backups of data.
Please read this post in full detail before deciding to upgrade - Staying for now with 19.1 may be the better option. Download links are right at the end.
First of all, in summary, if you:
- Don't want to wipe your data and also wipe adoptable storage right now
- Want something currently supported by myself
- Want working network monitoring (mainly data usage stats and app internet access blocking)
- Don't like File-Based Encryption
then avoid upgrading to 20.0! 19.1 builds will continue to be supported until security updates for 12L are stopped.
On FBE: If for some reason you don't want it, you may manually disable it for your own personal usage, provided you understand that you lower your security and break adoptable storage. When 20.0+ will be supported, this will be an unsupported setup.
Also, please do not share methods for disabling it in this thread! When providing support in the future, it could make my life more difficult!
In full detail, what's actually going on with 20.0 and newer?
- File-Based Encryption (FBE)
- On Android 12L and previous, another encryption scheme, Full-Disk Encryption (FDE), was in use. This was optional (you could enable it if you like). It was removed in Android 13 onwards.
- FBE works differently to FDE. With that, the most important difference here is that it must be enabled within builds. It can't be left disabled by default and left for users to enable later.
- So, either no one has it or everyone has it, unless someone manually enables it, and also on every update. There are no choices.
- This also means data will need to be formatted for existing installations.
- Adoptable storage (using micro SD cards as internal storage)
- Adoptable storage is always encrypted, and was based on FDE before. Since its removal, it now must always be based on FBE.
- Due to how FDE worked, it could be possible to have internal storage not encrypted but also have adoptable storage working atop of FDE, it just wasn't secure.
- Now, FBE must be enabled on internal storage (data) for adoptable storage to work at all.
- These changes mean adoptable storage based on FDE must be formatted after upgrading.
- Non-working network monitoring
- Due to the kernel not having a necessary level of support for something called 'eBPF', we can't have support for networking monitoring on Android 13+.
- With Android 12L, we have patches to bring back old support for network monitoring without eBPF. There is no such thing for 13+.
- Details aside - This means, mainly, no working data usage stats, internet access blocking for apps, or download and upload speed monitoring.
- With data usage statistics not working, this mainly affects LTE variant users. You could be fine on a WiFi-only variant if, say, you don't want to block internet access to apps.
On FBE and adoptable storage, I know adoptable storage has some popularity especially on these tablets with 16GB of storage. So, while I'm not sure what overall reception will be, I've prioritized overall usability, alongside also having better security by default (unless, of course, FBE is manually disabled).
Update methods with FBE
For convenience. Initial installation is exactly the same as usual - Though there are special TWRP builds that are necessary, links below.
1. Micro SD card or USB-OTG - Best if not using adoptable storage
Simply place new builds on any external storage with enough available space, and install from there.
2. Transfer builds to an unencrypted location with root - Best if using adoptable storage
With FBE, not everything is actually encrypted. We have at least two unencrypted locations - /data itself and /data/unencrypted. If you have root access, via Magisk (or Lygisk), or ADB, you can transfer and install builds and other packages there.
1. Obtain root acess (Install Magisk).
2. Install a third-party file manager that can browse root and use root access. Grant it root access.
3. Download and move a build to either of those locations.
4. Boot into recovery, and update from whichever location as usual.
3. Failsafe - Use ADB sideload
I'd hope you have a computer with a working installation of ADB. If you do, you can just go to Advanced -> ADB sideload in recovery, and run on your computer:
Code:
adb sideload [path_to_build]replacing path_to_build with an actual path to a build (or package).
I hope that has all been enough to make a decision on if to upgrade or not (now anyway). I don't know of any further bugs from what's described and existing bugs/issues with 19.1 builds.
Changelogs
Builds for 20240521:
- Latest updates from LineageOS, including the 20240505 Android security updates.
- [WiFi-only variants only] Support for Android's Telecom API is no longer incorrectly declared - Stops issues with apps that try to use it, only for failure since it isn't present.
- Some security patches have been applied to the kernel.
Previous releases
Builds for 20240330:
- Random rebooting issues, due to a bug in HWC, have been fixed.
- DRM is now working.
Builds for 20240323:
- Initial builds.
Build downloads - Built on 20240521, all with security patch level 20240505
For gtaxlwifi: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12adshg11F4IRmZQcaGeLvSRRhXWADBG-
For gtaxllte: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C0NDyjHP6rCKDUSi-ND8QL5S4FmfhFjl
For gtanotexlwifi: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QUFYTl_2JyswUsYngIjngbiCwW3RrtCE
For gtanotexllte: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rp37BTnqgXx8vrlC8KhwicW8DrE5WmVx
Folder for builds
This contains folders for each device variant, with current builds, text files with SHA256 checksums, and further folders which will contain few previous builds.
LineageOS 20.0 builds for gtaxl - Google Drive
drive.google.com
Recoveries to use
Use my unofficial "special" TWRP builds:
For gtaxlwifi: Image here, tar for Odin for AP slot is here.
For gtaxllte: Image here, tar for Odin here.
For gtanotexlwifi: Image here, tar for Odin here.
For gtanotexllte: Image here, tar for Odin here.
These are Android 13+-specific builds that have FBE decryption support disabled due to hanging on the splash screen, and so must be used. Not even official builds will work.
As always, note in general that any other recoveries are completely unsupported and not recommended whatsoever.
Sources
A manifest containing all of the necessary repositories to make builds for all of the variants is in the repository here on branch lineage-20.0.
Mar 24, 2024View
