[OFFICIAL] LineageOS 20 for the Google Pixel 4 XL

[ralfbergs]

What's your specific question, I will answer it and help you through getting LOS 20 on your device (with or without data loss). It depends on where you are now, and what ROM/firmware you are on, but you can probably just flash the latest boot.img/ROM.zip and OTA upgrade, but dont do that until you answer my questions. Whats the status, what ROM are you on, and what's the specific question or concern?

Your original question is a little confusing, so I am just trying to sort out what you really need. I would NOT revert to stock, no need. Flash the latest boot.img, enter recovery, apply update, then on PC send the update. This is the usual process so where are you hung up, or what's the issue you face (or concerns you fear happening)?

Hi, thanks for your response.

I tried to be as easy to understand, obviously I failed. ;-)

Here's my two messages, in case you missed them:

Few mins ago upgraded my wife's 4XL from 19.1 to 20.0. Super smooth and quick experience (much faster than a stock update!), no troubles at all (one single crash of "Settings" app after first reboot, but according to my long experience with LineageOS this seems to be "normal", after another reboot not a single crash anymore).

Everything is working, no rough edges whatsoever.

Forgot to ask one thing:

Does it make sense to flash the device to stock ROM version "13.0.0 (TP1A.221005.002.B2, Feb 2023)" if it was on the latest "regular" version of "13.0.0 (TP1A.221005.002, Oct 2022)" when LineageOS 19.1 was installed?

I would really like to avoid that, because it would mean factory-resetting the device with all the pain that comes with it...

As I just mentioned, phone is running perfectly w/ LineageOS 20.0 latest build (2 days old) now, not sure whether there are any "modem" changes (or other meaningful firmware blobs that will "stick" even when flashing to LOS) between OCT and FEB manufacturer firmware?

EDIT: I just noticed that I downloaded the below files from the official download location, but I was never instructed to use them:

(boot|dtbo|super_empty|vbmeta).img

When/why would I use them? Is it to revert to "stock"? Or is this exactly what I'm asking about in the beginning of this message? A possibility to upgrade the parts of Google's firmware that are also being used under LOS without reflashing back to stock?

I think I know how I would flash them, but I'd rather wait for instructions...

So, my specific questions:

• What is the purpose of the image files (boot|dtbo|super_empty|vbmeta).img?
• Under which circumstances should these be installed?
• If the device was on stock "13.0.0 (TP1A.221005.002, Oct 2022)" when installing LOS 19.1, and later upgraded to 20.0, would it add any benefit to flash stock "13.0.0 (TP1A.221005.002, Oct 2022)" and then go back to LOS again?

Thank you for your help.

 

[npjohnson]

Thanks. Let's see whether anyone else responds.

I would really suggest to add a comment to the official installation page to elaborate what these files are, and if and when to use them.

No. It doesn't.

You can flash it as it includes firmware. Wiki says this too.

 

[ralfbergs]

No. It doesn't.

You can flash it as it includes firmware. Wiki says this too.

Thanks for your response.

"It doesn't"? What exactly? This doesn't seem to be a response to the quoted message?

Where does the Wiki say so? I checked the install instructions again, but couldn't find anything? Googling it gives many hits, but I can't find anything that looks like official instructions or at least somehow meaningful (that really explains if and when to use for what).

Making available files immediately aside the main download and not explaining what it is on the same page where the installation is described is not ideal, if I may say so.

 

[npjohnson]

Thanks for your response.

"It doesn't"? What exactly? This doesn't seem to be a response to the quoted message?

Where does the Wiki say so? I checked the install instructions again, but couldn't find anything? Googling it gives many hits, but I can't find anything that looks like official instructions or at least somehow meaningful (that really explains if and when to use for what).

Making available files immediately aside the main download and not explaining what it is on the same page where the installation is described is not ideal, if I may say so.

I meant it doesn't need to be updated.

The wiki doesn't say to flash the full factory image, or do anything related to firmware, it just says to boot recovery and flash in the upgrade guide for your device (note, upgrade not install).

And making those images available is only non ideal to people who don't read the wiki, if you follow it, you'll see those aren't needed for what you're doing.

If you go elsewhere on the wiki, you may see links to those images, those are the places you would use those.

 

[ralfbergs]

I meant it doesn't need to be updated.

Thanks for clarifying.

The wiki doesn't say to flash the full factory image, or do anything related to firmware, it just says to boot recovery and flash in the upgrade guide for your device (note, upgrade not install).

True, and because I (as always) closely followed the instructions, I was successful, and observed no issues whatsoever -- but it was still confusing, and I suspect it may also be confusing to others.

And making those images available is only non ideal to people who don't read the wiki, if you follow it, you'll see those aren't needed for what you're doing.

I still believe an explicit message to ignore them would be a benefit.

 

[GROOVYJOSHCLARK]

Hi, thanks for your response.

I tried to be as easy to understand, obviously I failed. ;-)

Here's my two messages, in case you missed them:




So, my specific questions:

• What is the purpose of the image files (boot|dtbo|super_empty|vbmeta).img?
• Under which circumstances should these be installed?
• If the device was on stock "13.0.0 (TP1A.221005.002, Oct 2022)" when installing LOS 19.1, and later upgraded to 20.0, would it add any benefit to flash stock "13.0.0 (TP1A.221005.002, Oct 2022)" and then go back to LOS again?

Thank you for your help.

1) was it settings service? if yes, uninstall from play store, if not, try to screenshot it (but if it went away, its probably fine).
2) boot.img is the boot image and recovery needed to flash the firmware, you wont need DBTO or the rest. They are provided in case you need to write your own from source and contains the needed partitions, but ignore them. You only need the boot.img (for recovery).

The official LOS zip is a FULL ROM, so it has everything you need. I didnt prepare my device, or do anything more than a factory reset, then flashed LOS coming from other A13 ROMs.

 

[ralfbergs]

1) was it settings service?

Yes.

if yes, uninstall from play store

Are you sure that I would be able to do so? I've flashed GApss as part of the installation from the recovery, I would assume all these apps are system apps that cannot be uninstalled?

(but if it went away, its probably fine).

Yes, problem never surfaced. Phone is as stable as with a stock firmware, simply perfect.

2) boot.img is the boot image and recovery needed to flash the firmware,

Yes, that's what I now realized. I'm not even sure whether I followed that bit when I installed 20.0 (might be a small mistake on my side), but as I had 19.1 installed earlier with the LOS recovery, it obviously didn't matter a lot.

you wont need DBTO or the rest. They are provided in case you need to write your own from source and contains the needed partitions, but ignore them.

Thank you.

 

[Droid_Nut]

Thanks, but that does not really answer my questions.

When I tried a downgrade of LOS to an older version, it failed because I did not wipe data, and my phone booted up with the last version, and my data was still intact. So it should be no loss if it don't work, but always back up your data first of course.

 

[GROOVYJOSHCLARK]

Yes.

Are you sure that I would be able to do so? I've flashed GApss as part of the installation from the recovery, I would assume all these apps are system apps that cannot be uninstalled?

Yes, problem never surfaced. Phone is as stable as with a stock firmware, simply perfect.

Yes, that's what I now realized. I'm not even sure whether I followed that bit when I installed 20.0 (might be a small mistake on my side), but as I had 19.1 installed earlier with the LOS recovery, it obviously didn't matter a lot.

Thank you.

Yes, first thing I do is remove systems service, its a known crasher app. Its OK to remove settings service, or leave it, but it may FC from time to time, I just remove it (and haven't had it installed in over a year on multiple ROMs).

 

[digitalcircuit]

@npjohnson
Quick heads up - the latest 2023-3-21 (edit: and 2023-3-22) unofficial/with Google Apps build appears to break gesture app switching. Similar to the prior Android 13 QPR, I'm guessing Pixel Launcher needs updated.

Thankfully, I can still swipe up from any app to return to the home screen, so it's less broken than last time this happened. But the Recent Apps list never shows other apps and attempting to switch apps often crashes Pixel Launcher.

EDIT: I see a new build has already been posted in the past 12 hours or so. Trying that!

EDIT 2: Still having issues with the 2023-3-22 build.

 

[npjohnson]

@npjohnson
Quick heads up - the latest 2023-3-21 (edit: and 2023-3-22) unofficial/with Google Apps build appears to break gesture app switching. Similar to the prior Android 13 QPR, I'm guessing Pixel Launcher needs updated.

Thankfully, I can still swipe up from any app to return to the home screen, so it's less broken than last time this happened. But the Recent Apps list never shows other apps and attempting to switch apps often crashes Pixel Launcher.

EDIT: I see a new build has already been posted in the past 12 hours or so. Trying that!

EDIT 2: Still having issues with the 2023-3-22 build.

Ugh I'll look.

 

[son_91]

@npjohnson
Quick heads up - the latest 2023-3-21 (edit: and 2023-3-22) unofficial/with Google Apps build appears to break gesture app switching. Similar to the prior Android 13 QPR, I'm guessing Pixel Launcher needs updated.

Thankfully, I can still swipe up from any app to return to the home screen, so it's less broken than last time this happened. But the Recent Apps list never shows other apps and attempting to switch apps often crashes Pixel Launcher.

EDIT: I see a new build has already been posted in the past 12 hours or so. Trying that!

EDIT 2: Still having issues with the 2023-3-22 build.

The same bugs. Also, I can't change wallpaper, the launcher says: app isn't installed.

 

[rean7mator]

Have someone activated volte on los 20 ?

 

[npjohnson]

@npjohnson
Quick heads up - the latest 2023-3-21 (edit: and 2023-3-22) unofficial/with Google Apps build appears to break gesture app switching. Similar to the prior Android 13 QPR, I'm guessing Pixel Launcher needs updated.

Thankfully, I can still swipe up from any app to return to the home screen, so it's less broken than last time this happened. But the Recent Apps list never shows other apps and attempting to switch apps often crashes Pixel Launcher.

EDIT: I see a new build has already been posted in the past 12 hours or so. Trying that!

EDIT 2: Still having issues with the 2023-3-22 build.

Thank you for tagging me for this, I would have missed it, I have fixed the issue, and new builds are coming

 

[npjohnson]

Have someone activated volte on los 20 ?

Works fine

 

[npjohnson]

The same bugs. Also, I can't change wallpaper, the launcher says: app isn't installed.

Fixed this issue as well

 

[pixelodin]

@npjohnson can you please explain why these certs are missing in your gitlab i dont mean any disrespect just want to know and understand why some files are missing thats all.

 

[npjohnson]

@npjohnson can you please explain why these certs are missing in your gitlab i dont mean any disrespect just want to know and understand why some files are missing thats all.View attachment 5869785

Because they're my proprietary signing certs.

I literally open sourced everything about my builds, they're re-creatable just as lineage's are.

No one in their right mind shares their private keys. That's what identifies a build as "by you" - if I gave those out anyone could sign a ROM as myself/ODS.

No ROM/ROM developer open sources their certificates.

 

[GROOVYJOSHCLARK]

Ugh I'll look.

I OTA the latest without incident or issues (I test every build, every Sunday morning before church)! I have no issues to report whatsoever (but I am on the official) and its flawless!

 

[fatalazn]

New to this guys. I'm sad that Google didn't give a new update to this phone.

Is this the best rom for pixel 4 xl?

Will anything be affected?