Galaxy A8 Star (SM-G885S/F) GSI ROM Flashing [Android 12 Working]

[Skuld Norniern]

This is my first post of this kind so bear with me, please
Info for Galaxy A8 Star:

CPU : SDM660 ( A only, 64bit )​

Support Project Treble​

Support System as root​

※WARNING※
You will have to have OEM unlocked and this will void your warranty!!!
※also, I'm not responsible for the accident about you bricking your device※​

Step. 1

First of all, you will need to download two custom recoveries (TWRP, OrangeFox)

OrangeFox: https://xdaforums.com/t/orange-fox-recovery-galaxy-a8-star-sm-g885f.4301055/
TWRP: https://github.com/sabpprook/android_device_samsung_astarqlte (test3 file does not work for me but you can try)

I want to finish it only using TWRP but the only TWRP that was working does NOT support flashing the system.img files
and also Orange Fox recovery has a bug that while in recovery you can't connect with the computer and push the files to the phone
so it was required to use two bootloader

Step. 2

Odin: https://odindownload.com/

I also recommend downloading the stock ROM for backup

1. after downloading the TWRP from the link (for Odin we will use the .tar file)
put your phone into download mode

adb reboot download

or just turn off the phone and press the power button, volume up, Bixby button at the same time
and use the volume button to boot into download mode

2. after the phone went to the download mode, go to Odin and at the ap section add the TWRP file then flash it

3. press the volume down, power button to turn off the device, and right after that press the power button, volume up, Bixby button at the same time

4. you will now see the TWRP recovery, press wipe, and format data

5. now we will download some files we needed

makemesar.zip: (at the attachment) or you can download it from https://drive.google.com/u/0/uc?export=download&confirm=P1-1&id=1F_f_tL4sEYFx5fa6AnwR0x1tlYhqarcT ( when you unzip it there is the zip file )​

​

Permissiver_5.zip: https://androidfilehost.com/?fid=6006931924117940902​

​

Disable_Dm-Verity_ForceEncrypt: https://drive.google.com/file/d/166texWJQhR1RgRoXiRSH_M2Q2mAyS2gC/view​

​

Certification_Patch.zip: (at the attachment)​

​

Havoc Rom (you can use any rom you want but this is the one that I've managed to work) http://download.havoc-os.com/?dir=arm64-ab (download arm64 ab with gapps)​

​

most rooms with AB partition will be supported​

​

Magisk: https://magiskmanager.com/ (download the apk and make it a zip file) - you could need for the phone to get the boot (makemesar will unroot it so don't worry)​

​

6. after downloading all the files that we need, we will push the files to our device using

adb push 'file dir' sdcard

※ also push TWRP .img file and the OrangeFox .img too!!

7. after pushing all the files we need to our phone, press install from the TWRP recovery and press flash from image
and select the Orange Fox .img as a recovery image, and reboot to bootloader

8. now you will boot to the Orange Fox recovery, (locate to data/media to find the files)
at the Orange Fox recovery wipe System, Dalvlk / ART Cache, Cache, Data

9. after wiping now install the os.img file and reboot to the bootloader (before reboot you will see the warning that OS is not installed), go to the menu and mount system, vendor, and install Dm Verity.zip, Permissiver_5.zip, makemesar.zip then reboot to the bootloader again, (now we will not see the OS is not installed) and now install the Certification Patch.zip

10. reboot to the system and you will see the new os setup process (sometimes you have to install the Certification Patch after setup the os )

10-1. if your device keeps going to download mode, reinstall the magisk and then reboot the phone, then it will work.
(after it boots, gently turns off the phone and install makemesar.zip first and install Dm-Verity to unroot) - some of you will be forced to use magisk but doing some wiping or reflashing the system.img sometimes makes the unrooted state work (or flash the stock system.img (extract from the stockrom) and flash the gsi ROM without wiping )

Screenshots: At Below
Currently, MTP does not work but I think this is the problem with the Havoc os, if you use another rom it could work
face unlock, fingerprint unlock works, the camera works.
if I manage to get other ROMs workingI will update the post
also at the first time I have made mine to boot without magisk but while doing again for this post I'm having trouble without magisk, if I found a way that works always I will add that to the post

[UPDATE#2]
you can download the Pixel 3 gsi rom from

(Thanks for Santa Duck providing this information!!!!)
with this files you can install the android 12 gsi rom in a usable state!!
and also ADB is working with this rom
there is still a bootlooping bug so do it with caution

 

[Skuld Norniern]

[Update#1]
Today I have managed to install the Android Beta 3.1 [ is beta software and I don't recommend using it as your daily os]

https://sourceforge.net/projects/nippongsi/files/Pixel%20-%20Pixel4a_SBeta3.1%20-%20TBO42ZZ8IF/Pixel4a_SBeta3.1-AB-12-20210727-nippongsi.img.gz/download

you can download the ROM file from Nippon's Sourceforge
every step is the same and you just have to change the rom as this
there's a bug that developer setting crash the settings app and it is working but it does have some lots of bugs, and screen lock is not working but I'll try to fix it and upload the method
if your device get boot looped, press Bixby + power + vol down to boot into download mode and flash the stock AP file using Odin
[I was supposed to edit the upper one but accidentally created as a reply ]
Just go to UPDATE#2

 

[thongass000]

Havoc Rom (you can use any rom you want but this is the one that I've managed to work) http://download.havoc-os.com/?dir=arm64-ab (download arm64 ab with gapps)

Hey I thought that A8 star is an A-only device. Does flashing A/B roms cause any problems?

 

[Skuld Norniern]

Hey I thought that A8 star is an A-only device. Does flashing A/B roms cause any problems?

thanks for the makemesar.zip we can install the A/B partition roms without any problems on the A only device and for me the A only roms won’t work on my phone

 

[thongass000]

thanks for the makemesar.zip we can install the A/B partition roms without any problems on the A only device and for me the A only roms won’t work on my phone

Hi I'm back. Do you have any issue with wired audio? I have a A9 2018 (same chipset) and audio still goes through speaker while headphones are plugged in.
If anything in Phh Treble Settings helps you, please tell me. Or if you don't need any settings for wired audio, can you send me a zip file containing any files that have the name "audio_policy" in /vendor/etc? Thanks.

 

[Skuld Norniern]

Hi I'm back. Do you have any issue with wired audio? I have a A9 2018 (same chipset) and audio still goes through speaker while headphones are plugged in.
If anything in Phh Treble Settings helps you, please tell me. Or if you don't need any settings for wired audio, can you send me a zip file containing any files that have the name "audio_policy" in /vendor/etc? Thanks.

Sorry for being late!!
for me, I do have the same issue with wired audio and I have not been able to find a way to fix it yet
if I manage to fix the issue I will fix the main article

 

[TechnicalHamid]

This is my first post of this kind so bear with me, please
Info for Galaxy A8 Star:

CPU : SDM660 ( A only, 64bit )​

Support Project Treble​

Support System as root​

※WARNING※
You will have to have OEM unlocked and this will void your warranty!!!
※also, I'm not responsible for the accident about you bricking your device※​

Step. 1

First of all, you will need to download two custom recoveries (TWRP, OrangeFox)

OrangeFox: https://xdaforums.com/t/orange-fox-recovery-galaxy-a8-star-sm-g885f.4301055/
TWRP: https://github.com/sabpprook/android_device_samsung_astarqlte (test3 file does not work for me but you can try)

I want to finish it only using TWRP but the only TWRP that was working does NOT support flashing the system.img files
and also Orange Fox recovery has a bug that while in recovery you can't connect with the computer and push the files to the phone
so it was required to use two bootloader

Step. 2

Odin: https://odindownload.com/

I also recommend downloading the stock ROM for backup

1. after downloading the TWRP from the link (for Odin we will use the .tar file)
put your phone into download mode

adb reboot download

or just turn off the phone and press the power button, volume up, Bixby button at the same time
and use the volume button to boot into download mode

2. after the phone went to the download mode, go to Odin and at the ap section add the TWRP file then flash it

3. press the volume down, power button to turn off the device, and right after that press the power button, volume up, Bixby button at the same time

4. you will now see the TWRP recovery, press wipe, and format data

5. now we will download some files we needed

makemesar.zip: (at the attachment) or you can download it from https://drive.google.com/u/0/uc?export=download&confirm=P1-1&id=1F_f_tL4sEYFx5fa6AnwR0x1tlYhqarcT ( when you unzip it there is the zip file )​

​

Permissiver_5.zip: https://androidfilehost.com/?fid=6006931924117940902​

​

Disable_Dm-Verity_ForceEncrypt: https://drive.google.com/file/d/166texWJQhR1RgRoXiRSH_M2Q2mAyS2gC/view​

​

Certification_Patch.zip: (at the attachment)​

​

Havoc Rom (you can use any rom you want but this is the one that I've managed to work) http://download.havoc-os.com/?dir=arm64-ab (download arm64 ab with gapps)​

​

most rooms with AB partition will be supported​

​

Magisk: https://magiskmanager.com/ (download the apk and make it a zip file) - you could need for the phone to get the boot (makemesar will unroot it so don't worry)​

​

6. after downloading all the files that we need, we will push the files to our device using

adb push 'file dir' sdcard

※ also push TWRP .img file and the OrangeFox .img too!!

7. after pushing all the files we need to our phone, press install from the TWRP recovery and press flash from image
and select the Orange Fox .img as a recovery image, and reboot to bootloader

8. now you will boot to the Orange Fox recovery, (locate to data/media to find the files)
at the Orange Fox recovery wipe System, Dalvlk / ART Cache, Cache, Data

9. after wiping now install the os.img file and reboot to the bootloader (before reboot you will see the warning that OS is not installed), go to the menu and mount system, vendor, and install Dm Verity.zip, Permissiver_5.zip, makemesar.zip then reboot to the bootloader again, (now we will not see the OS is not installed) and now install the Certification Patch.zip

10. reboot to the system and you will see the new os setup process (sometimes you have to install the Certification Patch after setup the os )

10-1. if your device keeps going to download mode, reinstall the magisk and then reboot the phone, then it will work.
(after it boots, gently turns off the phone and install makemesar.zip first and install Dm-Verity to unroot) - some of you will be forced to use magisk but doing some wiping or reflashing the system.img sometimes makes the unrooted state work (or flash the stock system.img (extract from the stockrom) and flash the gsi ROM without wiping )

Screenshots: At Below
Currently, MTP does not work but I think this is the problem with the Havoc os, if you use another rom it could work
face unlock, fingerprint unlock works, the camera works.
if I manage to get other ROMs workingI will update the post
also at the first time I have made mine to boot without magisk but while doing again for this post I'm having trouble without magisk, if I found a way that works always I will add that to the post

[UPDATE#2]
you can download the Pixel 3 gsi rom from

(Thanks for Santa Duck providing this information!!!!)
with this files you can install the android 12 gsi rom in a usable state!!
and also ADB is working with this rom
there is still a bootlooping bug so do it with caution

Hello sir i can't find havoc os 4.5 in:https://download.havoc-os.com/?dir=arm64-ab

 

[451pnv_dml]

After flashing twrp on my sm g885f, cant get into terp,
mine shows volume down + power to restart, not to enter turn off

how can i enter into twrp

 

[451pnv_dml]

9. after wiping now install the os.img file and reboot to the bootloader (before reboot you will see the warning that OS is not installed), go to the menu and mount system, vendor, and install Dm Verity.zip, Permissiver_5.zip, makemesar.zip then reboot to the bootloader again, (now we will not see the OS is not installed) and now install the Certification Patch.zip

'os.img file' where
, guess i fixed it

when installing Certification_Patch.zip, it shows command error
what i found- this patch is for G885FDXS5CUL1, mine is
G885FDXU5CUG1