Problems & Solutions: Installing Lineage on a SM-T713, Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8”
There are many sites offing Step-by-Step guides.
I used
https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/gts28vewifi/install and/or
https://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-7-2013/development/rom-lineageos-16-0-t3903286
(SEE BELOW for what’s missing from the instructions)
I have a 2016 Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 that seemed to be on its last legs. After all, it is the 4th quarter of 2020 as I write this. The current version of Android is 10. This poor old, much loved, tablet runs either Android 5, 6 or 7. Ancient, right!
I upgraded to Lineage 16.0 (17.0 was still “unofficial” in late summer 2020) – Android 9. All I can say is WOW!! A whole new tablet, or at least that is the way it behaves.
The process took me two days. It should have been about 2 hours. I’m writing this to save others those 46 hours of frustration.
I absolutely hate it when those that create the “How to” guides assume …
Don’t get me wrong I greatly appreciate and respect the intent and effort involved. Heck I’m doing a “how to” myself right now! But skipping info because “everyone” knows or because of an “assumed configuration” is unfortunate and causes major frustrations for others.
So things that didn’t work for me installing Lineage 16.0 on my Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 , SM-T713 region XAR.
Things they DON’T tell you:
• Let us start right at the end of that last sentence “region XAR.”
Look at any list of regions Samsung Firmware is released for that you can find. Canada is listed, United Kingdom is listed. Is USA, United States, or America listed? Nope! Somehow we are supposed to know that “Cellular south” is the correct firmware to use?
• The Tab S2 needs to have the Android Nougat 7.0 firmware. That makes sense. But would you presume that the latest 2019 Samsung Update, T713XXS2BSG1_T713XAR2BSB1, would not work?
It turns out that the latest (as of this writing) Lineage, lineage-16.0-20200928-nightly-gts28vewifi, requires a SPECIFIC Samsung Firmware Update -> T713XXU2BRB2_T713XAR2BRB2, dated March of 2018.
• Odin won’t recognize the Tab S2:
and/or
Heimdall returns ERROR: “Failed to access device. libusb error: -12”:
Samsung firmware update requires Odin. Changing recovery to TWRP uses Heimdall. It appears these two Flash Softwares use different Windows 10 Drivers to communicate with the SM-T713
• Tab S2 stuck on Samsung at boot after Samsung firmware upgrade:
Use recovery or TWRP, either one, to Wipe the Cache Partition
NOTE: I didn’t fix this boot loop issue after Flashing T713XXU2BRB2 and TWRP installed lineage-16.0-20200928 just fine . And lineage booted up A-OK.
There are things I haven’t told you that aren’t in the instructions either:
There are many sites offing Step-by-Step guides.
I used
https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/gts28vewifi/install and/or
https://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-7-2013/development/rom-lineageos-16-0-t3903286
(SEE BELOW for what’s missing from the instructions)
I have a 2016 Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 that seemed to be on its last legs. After all, it is the 4th quarter of 2020 as I write this. The current version of Android is 10. This poor old, much loved, tablet runs either Android 5, 6 or 7. Ancient, right!
I upgraded to Lineage 16.0 (17.0 was still “unofficial” in late summer 2020) – Android 9. All I can say is WOW!! A whole new tablet, or at least that is the way it behaves.
The process took me two days. It should have been about 2 hours. I’m writing this to save others those 46 hours of frustration.
I absolutely hate it when those that create the “How to” guides assume …
Don’t get me wrong I greatly appreciate and respect the intent and effort involved. Heck I’m doing a “how to” myself right now! But skipping info because “everyone” knows or because of an “assumed configuration” is unfortunate and causes major frustrations for others.
So things that didn’t work for me installing Lineage 16.0 on my Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 , SM-T713 region XAR.
Things they DON’T tell you:
• Let us start right at the end of that last sentence “region XAR.”
Look at any list of regions Samsung Firmware is released for that you can find. Canada is listed, United Kingdom is listed. Is USA, United States, or America listed? Nope! Somehow we are supposed to know that “Cellular south” is the correct firmware to use?
• The Tab S2 needs to have the Android Nougat 7.0 firmware. That makes sense. But would you presume that the latest 2019 Samsung Update, T713XXS2BSG1_T713XAR2BSB1, would not work?
It turns out that the latest (as of this writing) Lineage, lineage-16.0-20200928-nightly-gts28vewifi, requires a SPECIFIC Samsung Firmware Update -> T713XXU2BRB2_T713XAR2BRB2, dated March of 2018.
Repeated Error 7 from TWRP: Unzip the Lineage file. Look in META-INF\com\google\android and open the updater-script with notepad (Notepad++ is even better) find the “Target:” statement. It will tell you which Samsung firmware update the Lineage was built for.
• Odin won’t recognize the Tab S2:
and/or
Heimdall returns ERROR: “Failed to access device. libusb error: -12”:
Samsung firmware update requires Odin. Changing recovery to TWRP uses Heimdall. It appears these two Flash Softwares use different Windows 10 Drivers to communicate with the SM-T713
o After using Heimdall (and zadig-2.4.exe to install its drivers) you need to use SAMSUNG_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones.exe to reinstall the Samsung Drivers if you want to use Odin3
o After using Odin3 and the required Samsung Drivers you need to use zadig-2.4.exe to reinstall the drivers used by Heimdall
o After using Odin3 and the required Samsung Drivers you need to use zadig-2.4.exe to reinstall the drivers used by Heimdall
• Tab S2 stuck on Samsung at boot after Samsung firmware upgrade:
Use recovery or TWRP, either one, to Wipe the Cache Partition
NOTE: I didn’t fix this boot loop issue after Flashing T713XXU2BRB2 and TWRP installed lineage-16.0-20200928 just fine . And lineage booted up A-OK.
There are things I haven’t told you that aren’t in the instructions either:
When you boot into stock recovery you’ll get “no instruction” – just wait it out
Flashing Lineage from your MicroCD is much easier than “adb sideload”
Odin takes a long time to load the Samsung Firmware before you can proceed
If Odin3 fails or especially partially fails, just do it again from the beginning
Boot into Recovery – Home + Power + Volume Up works best
Download mode - Home + Power + Volume Up works best
If you screw something up and can’t shut down – Power + Volume Down
Then IMMEDIATELY at black screen Home + Power + Volume Up – you can power off from there
Before Lineage install in TWRP
Wipe – Format
Wipe – Advanced - Cache & System
(Some instructions wipe more, DON’T)
If the Lineage install fails, you’ll have no OS and will need to reinstall a Samsung Firmware via Odin3
And more I’m sure
Flashing Lineage from your MicroCD is much easier than “adb sideload”
Odin takes a long time to load the Samsung Firmware before you can proceed
If Odin3 fails or especially partially fails, just do it again from the beginning
Boot into Recovery – Home + Power + Volume Up works best
Download mode - Home + Power + Volume Up works best
If you screw something up and can’t shut down – Power + Volume Down
Then IMMEDIATELY at black screen Home + Power + Volume Up – you can power off from there
Before Lineage install in TWRP
Wipe – Format
Wipe – Advanced - Cache & System
(Some instructions wipe more, DON’T)
If the Lineage install fails, you’ll have no OS and will need to reinstall a Samsung Firmware via Odin3
And more I’m sure
