* * * [Pixel 2 XL] - UPDATE Monthly Factory Image / UPGRADE To New OS * * *

[ProjectAlly]

Quick question, I'm about to run through this upgrade process from the July 8.1.0 update without losing my current data.
Does the Magisk tether module or even build.prop provisioning work with this update?
Currently I use my hotspot to provide internet to the house I'm temporarily living in. No option of getting cable installed yet.
Just curious. Thank you for any answers, and sorry for the dumb questions.

 

[State.of.mind]

Thanks for the helpful post. If i upgrade to Pie, is it possible to switch back to Oreo?

 

[Badger50]

Thanks for the helpful post. If i upgrade to Pie, is it possible to switch back to Oreo?

Clean fastboot the 8.1 factory image. This Will wipe your phone

 

[MikeC4510]

Thanks for the helpful post. If i upgrade to Pie, is it possible to switch back to Oreo?

Once you update to a new security patch, there's no going back. Doing so will cause all kinds of problems and that's no fun ?. So it's recommended that once you update to a security patch (say July for example), one should not flash a rom built on an April patch.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using XDA Labs

 

[Az Biker]

Thanks for the helpful post. If i upgrade to Pie, is it possible to switch back to Oreo?

I believe I read that bootloaders can't be reverted.

To be fair, I also believed that my daughter would grow to be a very neat and responsible angel... So, YMMV

NOTE #1: You CANNOT downgrade factory images. Google has prevented users from doing so to keep them safe from vulnerabilities that were patched. You should only upgrade or reinstall the current image.

 

[Badger50]

Once you update to a new security patch, there's no going back. Doing so will cause all kinds of problems and that's no fun ?. So it's recommended that once you update to a security patch (say July for example), one should not flash a rom built on an April patch.

I believe I read that bootloaders can't be reverted.

To be fair, I also believed that my daughter would grow to be a very neat and responsible angel... So, YMMV

NOTE #1: You CANNOT downgrade factory images. Google has prevented users from doing so to keep them safe from vulnerabilities that were patched. You should only upgrade or reinstall the current image.

While I agree with both of you, I have seen a few folks that say they have done it successfully. Honesty don't know why Google has to play big brother with our devices that we paid them for! If we want to be at risk, so be it I say!

 

[smartymcfly]

Is there a reason why you can not just download ota and flash via twrp?

Then proceed to flash recovery, reboot recovery, then flash kernel, and magisk?

 

[Badger50]

Is there a reason why you can not just download ota and flash via twrp?

Then proceed to flash recovery, reboot recovery, then flash kernel, and magisk?

Don't see why not. I've done it before when upgrading monthly releases :good:

 

[Jexx11]

Quick question, I'm about to run through this upgrade process from the July 8.1.0 update without losing my current data.
Does the Magisk tether module or even build.prop provisioning work with this update?
Currently I use my hotspot to provide internet to the house I'm temporarily living in. No option of getting cable installed yet.
Just curious. Thank you for any answers, and sorry for the dumb questions.

Did you ever find out if this module is still working on Android P?

 

[AndyMan386]

This is probably a stupid question, but why does it seem like this process has gotten so much harder over the years?? I remember with my old phone, once the bootloader was unlocked, and phone was rooted, I could always load up twrp or whatever, flash a rooted rom, and be set. Now it seems like the OTA's are never pre-rooted, and I lose twrp afterwards, so there is the hassle of re-installing twrp and root after flashing the OTA. Or am I just doing this wrong?

 

[Badger50]

This is probably a stupid question, but why does it seem like this process has gotten so much harder over the years?? I remember with my old phone, once the bootloader was unlocked, and phone was rooted, I could always load up twrp or whatever, flash a rooted rom, and be set. Now it seems like the OTA's are never pre-rooted, and I lose twrp afterwards, so there is the hassle of re-installing twrp and root after flashing the OTA. Or am I just doing this wrong?

The simple answer is the advent of the A/B partitions, making twrp, and rom making much more difficult. Your not doing anything wrong, it's just the nature of this beast is all

 

[AndyMan386]

The simple answer is the advent of the A/B partitions, making twrp, and rom making much more difficult. Your not doing anything wrong, it's just the nature of this beast is all

Thanks, I thought I was going crazy, as I took some time off from the "flashing rom community" and it just seem so much more difficult from what I remembered from the OG Droid/ S3/Droid Turbo

 

[Badger50]

Thanks, I thought I was going crazy, as I took some time off from the "flashing rom community" and it just seem so much more difficult from what I remembered from the OG Droid/ S3/Droid Turbo

Oh no doubt my friend. Even the recent nexus 6p was a piece of cake to flash anything on! That's why the One Plus is so popular and Dev friendly.

 

[Cowbell_Guy]

I am positive that I have the 9.0 file in the fastboot image file... although everytime I attempt to flash this error:

"flash-all" is not a recognized internal or external command, operable program or batch file

 

[Az Biker]

I am positive that I have the 9.0 file in the fastboot image file... although everytime I attempt to flash this error:

"flash-all" is not a recognized internal or external command, operable program or batch file

Make sure you unzip the second .zip file in the factory image and place the files extracted from the second zip (bootloader, flash-all, flash-all.sh, flash-base.sh, image zip, radio) in your PLATFORM TOOLS folder where fastboot application resides.

 

[almahix]

A little bit late to the party, but everything is working well. Thanks for taking the time to map this out for everyone, az biker!

I'm now running stock Android for the first time in several years. Have to admit there are just a few absent niceties added by custom ROM s, certainly nothing I can't live without.

 

[equlizer]

Are we getting the same results flashing over oreo or starting fresh?

 

[galaxys]

Are we getting the same results flashing over oreo or starting fresh?

Pretty much the same so far...

 

[slvfox]

I hate Win 10. It was so easy on Win 7. I can open the power shell (cmd) window but can not seem to flash TWRP img. I have the .img file in platform folder but I can not flash it. I can flash into bootloader but am unable to flash TWRP. Can someone please give me the exact commands to flash TWRP in Win 10. Thanks.

 

[hfam]

Hello there, I'd like to just report here that I updated from Android 8.1 to 9 yesterday relatively trouble-free and quickly by

• Updating Magisk Manager to 5.8.3 (still on Oreo at this point, and Magisk 16.0)
• Flashing full image in bootloader without -w
• Installing Magisk 1671 by using the patch boot image method (now on Pie)

and so far I think everything seems fine (including setting a PIN) after using it for one day and root is working.
However, others report that the patch boot image method didn't work for them so I'm not sure why it worked for me…
I didn't have TWRP on my phone, either before or after the update. So probably not helpful if you need TWRP!

This is awesome, thanks a lot for posting this. Been waiting to use this same method, which is how I've been updating my Oreo monthlies, but all roads seemed to point to using TWRP, flash kernel, etc. I have just kept it clean and simple by keeping it stock and using Magisk to gain root. Nothing wrong with all that other, I'm just not quite as adventurous.

Especially helpful is the point where you update Magisk from 16.0 to 16.7, after the factory image flash to 9.0. I've never had TWRP installed on this platform so it's fantastic that we don't need to bring it in to do this upgrade from Oreo to Pie.

Except for the Magisk update, this is the same process I've been using for monthlies. Thanks again for taking time to post this,going to take the plunge tonight, I'll let everyone know how it goes!

Edit: Worked perfect!!! Only snafu was that when I updated to 1671 I installed to create patched_boot and didn't notice that Force Preserve and dtbo were both UNchecked. I'd advise that at the step to change from stable to beta, don't allow the install, check both boxes, then hit the Install button and proceed. Thanks again for taking the leap, gave me the confidence to get it done