[RECOVERY][UNOFFICIAL] - (1/16/22) TeamWin Recovery Project [BRAMBLE]

[JoshuaDoes]

Essentially copy/paste from the official TWRP for redfin thread, except I've made my own unofficial build for the Pixel 4a5G that in my own testing appears to be on feature parity with the official build for the Pixel 5! There are reports of the Pixel 5 build not working on devices with Android 12 and a PIN set at this time, so I advise against using this build if you've upgraded to Android 12 on your Pixel 4a5G and require having a PIN for your day to day.

I've decided I might as well try to maintain the device since no one else is doing so yet. I've pushed the trees I've modified to GitHub so y'all can keep track and maybe help out before I submit them for official status.

device/google/bramble: https://github.com/JoshuaDoes/twrp_device_google_bramble
device/google/redbull: https://github.com/JoshuaDoes/twrp_device_google_redbull

You can find the latest unofficial test build here: twrp-3.6.0_11-0.1-bramble.img
Boot it with `fastboot boot twrp-3.6.0_11-0.x-bramble.img`, decrypt your data if necessary, then install it permanently by navigating to `Advanced -> Flash Current TWRP`. Test by navigating to `Reboot -> Recovery` and you should reboot back into TWRP!

Changelog
11-0.1 (1/16/2022):
- Fix missing libion dependency, which appears to allow booting and installing TWRP if A12 is installed
11-0 (1/13/2022):
- Sync bramble with patches from redfin

You can find the historical builds here (but please don't use them): https://files.joshuadoes.com/TWRP/twrp-11/bramble/

 

[ggkameleon]

Thank you it's so cool but update my pixel 4a 5g to A12
Stay an update too for it

 

[JoshuaDoes]

I've ran into a `ErrorCode::kError` issue trying to install the latest official LineageOS 18.1 ZIP, but everything else appears to be working!

 

[smokejumper76]

fastboot boot twrp-3.6.0_11-0-bramble.img

It sees partitions and super.

I hit compresson option and confirm/change name and it's backing up. adb appears to work (didnt check too into it). Just booted it and see if I can make a backup--AND I CAN. Good work @JoshuaDoes ! Good good job!

 

[JoshuaDoes]

fastboot boot twrp-3.6.0_11-0-bramble.img

It sees partitions and super.

I hit compresson option and conirm/change name and it's backing up. adb appears to work (didnt check too into it). Just booted it and see if I can make a backup--AND I CAN. Good work @JoshuaDoes ! Good good job!

I did a successful data restore earlier today, just remember to disable your PIN first and then reboot immediately after the first boot following the restore

 

[smokejumper76]

what if I just have no pin/password. just swipe to unlock? i did see a message in backup log 'sucessfully decrypt with default password'.

 

[JoshuaDoes]

what if I just have no pin/password. just swipe to unlock? i did see a message in backup log 'sucessfully decrypt with default password'.

You're in the best case scenario then, just make sure you always disable PIN before restoring a backup so long as it gives you the warning to do so (I get the warning because I have a PIN, but you should just be free to restore as you please)

 

[smokejumper76]

awesome. Only things I notice not there (and in no way complaining as its a WIP) is encryption option, and date seems to be stuck on 1970 and time way off despite changing time zone. But that's minor right now. The fact you got this going is no small feat. I am so glad I got a 4a5g (5/5a would have been fine too) and not a 6. You should put a donate link so we can buy you some coffee or weed or something, lol. Again great job. Feel free to hit me up if you need me to destroy my phone for you (testng). I got a dd backup, and now twrp backup so between all of that and the alfabet of partitions I should be able to restore from just about anything short of EDL crap out and I'm sure if that's not resolvable by now, it will only be a matter of time.

 

[JoshuaDoes]

awesome. Only things I notice not there (and in no way complaining as its a WIP) is encryption option, and date seems to be stuck on 1970 and time way off despite changing time zone. But that's minor right now. The fact you got this going is no small feat. I am so glad I got a 4a5g (5/5a would have been fine too) and not a 6. You should put a donate link so we can buy you some coffee or weed or something, lol. Again great job. Feel free to hit me up if you need me to destroy my phone for you (testng). I got a dd backup, and now twrp backup so between all of that and the alfabet of partitions I should be able to restore from just about anything short of EDL crap out and I'm sure if that's not resolvable by now, it will only be a matter of time.

Encrypting backups? I didn't realize that was missing so I'll look into it too, but yeah the date is stuck which screws with file and backup times and I def need to fix that. XDA forbids me from putting a donation link in a post, however if you go to my profile and expand the info details about me it lists my PayPal email there and I'd super appreciate it! Because lemme tell ya, it took energy drinks and some good highs to do most of my Android work and thankfully this TWRP build only took me a few hours to tear into lmao. If you got a Discord I'm most active there as well as the Pixel 4a5G/5 Telegram (I can get a link to all if you've got them), and having extra testers for some of what I wanna do would be phenomenal as well! And we're Qualcomm, there's a flash tool out there somewhere for the worst of board states

Sorry for the wall of text lmao, I appreciate the kind words for sure and I'm likely gonna try maintaining this device officially for TWRP too

 

[ggkameleon]

Hi ! Thank you for all your work. I was surprised when buying my Pixel 4a 5g when it came out that there was no Twrp because of Android 11. But coming from Xiaomi and Oneplus there were unofficial ones for Android 11 and 12.

When you can update it for A12 I have noob question. After flash the Twrp and boot it (with no pin) I can make a backup of all my Pixel. Copy it on my Pc and them do format data ? Or not necessary ? If I do format it them boot the Pixel and when it start check dev options, adb and reboot to Twrp Root (Magisk) and restore my data ? If not how to make a backup of my data.
Thanks

 

[N34S]

Essentially copy/paste from the official TWRP for redfin thread, except I've made my own unofficial build for the Pixel 4a5G that in my own testing appears to be on feature parity with the official build for the Pixel 5! There are reports of the Pixel 5 build not working on devices with Android 12 and a PIN set at this time, so I advise against using this build if you've upgraded to Android 12 on your Pixel 4a5G and require having a PIN for your day to day.

I've decided I might as well try to maintain the device since no one else is doing so yet. I've pushed the trees I've modified to GitHub so y'all can keep track and maybe help out before I submit them for official status.

device/google/bramble: https://github.com/JoshuaDoes/twrp_device_google_bramble
device/google/redbull: https://github.com/JoshuaDoes/twrp_device_google_redbull

You can find the latest unofficial test build here: twrp-3.6.0_11-0.1-bramble.img
Boot it with `fastboot boot twrp-3.6.0_11-0.x-bramble.img`, decrypt your data if necessary, then install it permanently by navigating to `Advanced -> Flash Current TWRP`. Test by navigating to `Reboot -> Recovery` and you should reboot back into TWRP!

Changelog
11-0.1 (1/16/2022):
- Fix missing libion dependency, which appears to allow booting and installing TWRP if A12 is installed
11-0 (1/13/2022):
- Sync bramble with patches from redfin

You can find the historical builds here (but please don't use them): https://files.joshuadoes.com/TWRP/twrp-11/bramble/

Hello. Link is for ver. 0. Ver 0.1 returns 403 Forbidden. Can you please fix it?

 

[J0kker]

Been waiting so long for this, thanks a bunch, i'm running lineageos 18.1 so i hope it will work (probably disable automatic updates flashing ?).

 

[JoshuaDoes]

Hello. Link is for ver. 0. Ver 0.1 returns 403 Forbidden. Can you please fix it?

I fixed the link for v0.1!

 

[JoshuaDoes]

Been waiting so long for this, thanks a bunch, i'm running lineageos 18.1 so i hope it will work (probably disable automatic updates flashing ?).

Automatic OTAs will replace TWRP, so disable automatic OTAs and download them with the Updater app whenever you get a notification, then install using TWRP (/data/lineageos_updates) and check "Install TWRP after flashing" before swiping to install (or go to Advanced -> Install Current TWRP before rebooting). Easy as that!

But I may make a Magisk module to handle all this since Magisk has a survival script that works. It'd be a oneshot service that caches the latest copy of TWRP and installs it each boot, so you'd only have to deal with one update cycle that has Lineage Recovery installed.

 

[J0kker]

Just wondering, i have a game that won't run when rooted (even with magisk hide), i somewhat managed to have lineageos rooted with magisk in slot b, and in slot a magisk installed but no root, so when i want to run the game i switch to slot A from twrp, now i have an update notification, i downloaded it, if i boot to twrp, select slot a, so that it will install update to slot b (rooted), that way it should keep my slot a unrooted, able to play my game right ?
New to this slot a/b i read a lot but still not sure about everything.
Anyway, thanks again for your work, and your answers, i missed twrp so much coming from oneplus 5 =)

 

[davythom]

Hi just installed the boot twrp img, worked great! Thank you for your great work. If you were to develop a module through Magisk would that enable the twrp to stick as a recovery and not lose root?

 

[lmt1979]

I wanted to say thank you again for building this.

Also, does anyone know if there is a way to exclude a folder (or folders) from TWRP backups? I had this great idea to go from mp3 to flac music when I got 128gb storage on my first pixel and...well...it's too big. Thanks again!

 

[Angelcho]

Hello,
I am trying to recover some data off of my 4a 5g with a broken display. It seems like my partitions are not mounting correctly.
This is what etc/fstab looks like:

/dev/block/dm-0 /system_root ext4 ro 0 0
/dev/block/dm-3 /system_ext ext4 ro 0 0
/dev/block/dm-4 /vendor ext4 ro 0 0
/dev/block/dm-2 /product ext4 ro 0 0
/dev/block/sda15 /metadata ext4 rw 0 0
/dev/block/sda19 /data f2fs rw 0 0
 /auto0 vfat rw 0 0
/dev/block/sda2 /persist ext4 rw 0 0

This is what I get when trying to mount partitions:

bramble:/ # mount -a -v -t f2fs
try '/dev/block/sda19' type 'f2fs' on '/data'
mount: '/dev/block/sda19'->'/data': Invalid argument

My question is, am I doing something wrong here? I suspect data is not decrypted but I have no working display to verify whether I am actually entering the password when booting recovery. Also can anyone please walk me through how to properly enter the password using a USB keyboard

 

[yattahey]

Sorry guys , got a new 4a5g and did a fresh Feb 2022 factory install both slots and this 11.0.1 will not boot. Fastboot tools are latest along with drivers and this recovery failed to flash or boot. Fastboot sent the file however in all cases failed to write into recovery partition. Tried all of the builds just in case. Never could get past writing to the recovery partition

 

[davythom]

Hi if you can access fastboot try the the android flash tool, I had the same issue and that worked for me