[Guide] Magisk Modules Disabler for booting into Magisk core-only Mode

Tulsadiver · Oct 2, 2019

Tools needed: boot.img extractor. I recommend the one created by osm0sis from this thread:
https://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2073775

The first method was developed by osm0sis and removes magisk and all modules.
1. Unpack magisk_patched.img
2. Unzip overlay.dremove1.zip and place overlay.d folder in ramdisk folder.
3. Repack IMG
4. fastboot boot image-new.img created by repacking 8mg

This method is an offshoot of osm0sis version but boots core-only mode. Afterwards, remove the .disable-magisk file from the /cache folder for modules to work. Dot files are hidden files so if your root explorer can't see hidden files, run the "Remove disable_magisk" bat file in ADB.

1. Same as above but use the overlay.dcoreonly1.zip

For both methods you must be rooted for it to work. These are not cure all's for all bootloops.

Remove .disable_magisk bat file
https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=4349826312261684994

****************************************
Here is a fastboot bootable image to boot you into Magisk core-only mode, in case you bootloop due to flashing a bad module, in fastboot:

You will boot with root but modules disabled. After you remove the offending module you will need to go to /cache folder and delete the .disable_magisk file before your modules will work.
Once in fastboot:

fastboot boot image-newpixel3axl.img

You will boot with root but modules disabled. After you remove the offending module you will need to go to /cache folder and delete the .disable_magisk file before your modules will work.

fastboot boot image-newpixel3axlRemove.img

This one should remove magisk and all modules, then reboot and magisk should reinstall itself (ask to install necessary binaries). This is what osm0sis uses to recover from failed flashes. See this post:
https://xdaforums.com/pixel-3a-xl/themes/magisk-modules-disabler-booting-magisk-t3976625/page2

Images are in this common folder. Pick the appropriate image for your phone.

6-4-20
https://www.androidfilehost.com/?w=files&flid=313291

Skittles9823 · Oct 3, 2019

Ohboy this is helpful. Just out of curiosity, how does one create a magisk patched boot image with core-only mode enabled? I would like to be able to make my own every time a new security patch is out.

Sent from my Google Pixel 3a XL using XDA Labs

Tulsadiver · Oct 3, 2019

Skittles9823 said:
Ohboy this is helpful. Just out of curiosity, how does one create a magisk patched boot image with core-only mode enabled? I would like to be able to make my own every time a new security patch is out.

Sent from my Google Pixel 3a XL using XDA Labs

I had planned on keeping these updated but here are the instructions.

You have to build your own copy of magisk from GitHub.

Clone magisk
Go to native/jni/core folder and edit the boot stages.cpp file in notepad++ like this:

Approx line 667

If (access(DISABLEFILE, F_ok) ==0)

Change == to !=

Now build magisk as per instructions on GitHub
One you have built it and there were no errors go to native/out/armeb-v7a folder and get a copy of the magiskini64 file.

Unpack your magisk_patched.img
In the ramdisk folder replace the init file with the .magiskini64 file (rename to init)
Repack your magisk_patched.img
The results are a patched IMG that will boot core only mode.

Skittles9823 · Oct 4, 2019

Tulsadiver said:
I had planned on keeping these updated but here are the instructions.

You have to build your own copy of magisk from GitHub.

Clone magisk
Go to native/jni/core folder and edit the boot stages.cpp file in notepad++ like this:

Approx line 667

If (access(DISABLEFILE, F_ok) ==0)

Change == to !=

Now build magisk as per instructions on GitHub
One you have built it and there were no errors go to native/out/armeb-v7a folder and get a copy of the magiskini64 file.

Unpack your magisk_patched.img
In the ramdisk folder replace the init file with the .magiskini64 file (rename to init)
Repack your magisk_patched.img
The results are a patched IMG that will boot core only mode.

Nice. Seems easy enough, if you ever disappear and stop updating images for some reason I'll give it a go ?

Sent from my Google Pixel 3a XL using XDA Labs

b0li · Oct 28, 2019

Hello

I have regular 3a with Android 10 installed, no twrp. I was in bootloop due to some module and was looking for solution to disable modules with only fastboot.

Before I found this thread, I went and reflash to stock.

Now I know.

Thanks for sharing this.

gudenau · Nov 5, 2019

Tulsadiver said:
I had planned on keeping these updated but here are the instructions.

You have to build your own copy of magisk from GitHub.

Clone magisk
Go to native/jni/core folder and edit the boot stages.cpp file in notepad++ like this:

Approx line 667

If (access(DISABLEFILE, F_ok) ==0)

Change == to !=

Now build magisk as per instructions on GitHub
One you have built it and there were no errors go to native/out/armeb-v7a folder and get a copy of the magiskini64 file.

Unpack your magisk_patched.img
In the ramdisk folder replace the init file with the .magiskini64 file (rename to init)
Repack your magisk_patched.img
The results are a patched IMG that will boot core only mode.

I tried to do this for a Pixel 4 XL but the resulting boot image errors with "error boot prepare"

Tulsadiver · Nov 5, 2019

gudenau said:
I tried to do this for a Pixel 4 XL but the resulting boot image errors with "error boot prepare"

I have these already made for the pixel 4 xl on the pixel 4 xl forum.

osm0sis · Nov 20, 2019

Should just make an AK3 zip that pushes the init from this boot.img into any boot partition, so will work universally.

Skittles9823 · Nov 20, 2019

osm0sis said:
Should just make an AK3 zip that pushes the init from this boot.img into any boot partition, so will work universally.

Ooft.

Wait, can you flash that through adb though?

Sent from my Google Pixel 3a XL using XDA Labs

osm0sis · Nov 20, 2019

Skittles9823 said:
Ooft.

Wait, can you flash that through adb though?

Hmm.. true, non-working recovery is a definite problem. I'm in that boat right now on my OnePlus 7T, which is how I came across this thread.

Okay, better idea. Instead of mucking around with recompiling magiskinit for the above, just do it via boot script in overlay.d

Skittles9823 · Nov 20, 2019

osm0sis said:
Hmm.. true, non-working recovery is a definite problem. I'm in that boat right now on my OnePlus 7T, which is how I came across this thread.

Okay, better idea. Instead of mucking around with recompiling magiskinit for the above, just do it via boot script in overlay.d

Tbh, a custom boot.img is the only way to recover in some situations. Like if you can't boot into an adb environment or if you've never granted adb she'll root access.

Sent from my Google Pixel 3a XL using XDA Labs

osm0sis · Nov 20, 2019

Skittles9823 said:
Tbh, a custom boot.img is the only way to recover in some situations. Like if you can't boot into an adb environment or if you've never granted adb she'll root access.

Exactly, so a custom boot.img using overlay.d is the easiest way to accomplish that currently.

Skittles9823 · Nov 20, 2019

osm0sis said:
Exactly, so a custom boot.img using overlay.d is the easiest way to accomplish that currently.

How would one do that exactly without being able to use adb shell?

Sent from my Google Pixel 3a XL using XDA Labs

osm0sis · Nov 21, 2019

Skittles9823 said:
How would one do that exactly without being able to use adb shell?

overlay.d is built into the boot.img, so you take your latest magisk_patched.img, patch it with the overlay.d scripts to have the desired effect, then repack and flash via fastboot.

Same as the OP likely did, but no need to build Magisk to get a modified magiskinit, since you can do it all via boot script, like I said.

osm0sis · Nov 23, 2019

If anyone wants to experiment with this idea, here's the basic setup I used for my boot.img to fully reset the /data/adb directory for the soft brick issue (related to a magisk.db failure) I was seeing in the last canary.

Unpack the current magisk_patched.img for your device using my Android Image Kitchen (AIK) project, then create:

ramdisk/overlay.d/init.resetmagisk.rc:

Code:

on post-fs-data
    exec u:r:magisk:s0 root root -- /sbin/init.resetmagisk.sh

ramdisk/overlay.d/sbin/init.resetmagisk.sh:

Code:

#!/system/bin/sh
rm -rf /data/adb/* && reboot

So, pretty simple stuff, and I'm sure it could be applied to some sort of Core Only workaround until @topjohnwu decides what he wants to do with all those Core Only boot.img Pull Requests. :cowboy:

Tulsadiver · Nov 24, 2019

osm0sis said:
overlay.d is built into the boot.img, so you take your latest magisk_patched.img, patch it with the overlay.d scripts to have the desired effect, then repack and flash via fastboot.

Same as the OP likely did, but no need to build Magisk to get a modified magiskinit, since you can do it all via boot script, like I said.

Cool. What I did was modify the magisk native/jini/core/bootstages.cpp

Edit: yes sir, your method works great to remove magisk and all modules. The method I had gives you the option to just remove the offending module, though sometimes you have to remove everything anyway. Thank you for your awsome input. If it is okay with you, I'd like to offer both methods in my posts on the pixel forums.

osm0sis · Nov 25, 2019

Tulsadiver said:
Cool. What I did was modify the magisk native/jini/core/bootstages.cpp

Edit: yes sir, your method works great to remove magisk and all modules. The method I had gives you the option to just remove the offending module, though sometimes you have to remove everything anyway. Thank you for your awsome input. If it is okay with you, I'd like to offer both methods in my posts on the pixel forums.

Sure! You could modify my method to remove all modules by running `magisk --remove-modules` instead of my `rm -rf` command (or just changing the `rm -rf` target), or even try to force Core Only mode by changing the setting directly in magisk.db then rebooting. It's a root shell so pretty much sky's the limit.

paplo · Dec 4, 2019

osm0sis said:
Sure! You could modify my method to remove all modules by running `magisk --remove-modules` instead of my `rm -rf` command (or just changing the `rm -rf` target), or even try to force Core Only mode by changing the setting directly in magisk.db then rebooting. It's a root shell so pretty much sky's the limit.

I have tried multiple methods from this thread but with no success.. Could you maybe help me by altering this boot.img to disable/remove all Magisk modules? Or maybe make it boot core only? It's for my OP 7T. Thanks!
https://mega.nz/#F!rxYDyQia!ziPLPvRsu3kxNBGt694OEQ

osm0sis · Dec 4, 2019

paplo said:
I have tried multiple methods from this thread but with no success.. Could you maybe help me by altering this boot.img to disable/remove all Magisk modules? Or maybe make it boot core only? It's for my OP 7T. Thanks!
https://mega.nz/#F!rxYDyQia!ziPLPvRsu3kxNBGt694OEQ

If `adb shell magisk --remove-modules` didn't fix the issue for you then you might be in the same boat I was and need to nuke all of Magisk's files in /data/adb.

Getting off topic for a Pixel thread, but here's the OnePlus 7T (hotdogb) image I made following my own instructions.

It's with an older Canary of Magisk so once you get it booting you should update to the latest Canary immediately.

paplo · Dec 4, 2019

osm0sis said:
If `adb shell magisk --remove-modules` didn't fix the issue for you then you might be in the same boat I was and need to nuke all of Magisk's files in /data/adb.

Getting off topic for a Pixel thread, but here's the OnePlus 7T (hotdogb) image I made following my own instructions.

It's with an older Canary of Magisk so once you get it booting you should update to the latest Canary immediately.

Yeah off topic I know.. Just spotted you had been in the same pickle with the same phone as me. I worked like a charm! Thanks!

[Guide] Magisk Modules Disabler for booting into Magisk core-only Mode

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