[ROM][R][mata] Unofficial, optimized LineageOS 18.1 - May 6th

[Tomoms]

In this thread I'll share with you my personal builds of LineageOS 18.1 for the Essential PH1 - codename: mata. These builds are unofficial LineageOS builds, customized with my favorite tweaks and features, and with some interesting optimizations.

MAIN FEATURES
LineageOS 18.1 features:

• support for MicroG (signature spoofing) - read the 2nd post!
• built with the latest Clang 12.0.x
• updated & improved libraries: sqlite, zlib, libpng, jemalloc, libvpx, libyuv
• critical system components built with -O3 optimizations (art, SurfaceFlinger, bionic)
• arm64-optimized bionic routines
• Android RunTime (ART) updates and improvements
• several debugging & tracing components are removed from the system
• partial/full screenshot QS tile
• reduced priority of the USB connection type & USB debugging notifications
• in-built F-Droid Privileged Extension
• removed some links with Google: DNS nameservers & captive portal URL
• support for OTA updates
• signed with my own keys
• other minor tweaks and improvements

KERNEL FEATURES

• updates for zram/zsmalloc (+ zstd compression algorithm instead of lz4) reverted due to regressions
• power-efficient workqueues are implemented in many drivers
• simple_lmk by kerneltoast replaces standard LMK
• Kcal & Klapse
• maple I/O scheduler as default
• DDR bandwidth boost when launching apps and other scenarios
• DriveDroid support (not tested)
• Wireguard support (not tested)
• lots patches to improve memory allocation-related overhead
• USB controller driver updated (MTP speed improvements)
• memory routines optimized for the arm64 architecture
• built with -O3 optimizations
• binder backported from Linux 5.4
• lots of drivers and components only useful for debugging are disabled
• many small, miscellaneous patches to improve performance and power consumption

BUGS
Common to official builds as well:

• unaligned recovery logo + black bar at the right of the screen - fixed in my 2021-12-15 build and newer official builds
• distorted in-call audio when VoLTE is enabled for T-Mobile users - fixed in my 2022-03-11 build and newer official builds
• low microphone volume/distorted audio when recording videos
• PPSSPP crashes on startup

Specific to my builds:

• recovery "Back" button is difficult to press - workaround: press a little bit above it - fixed in the 2022-01-07 build
• speaker misbehaving when listening to voice messages in apps such as Telegram and WhatsApp - fixed in the 2022-02-21 build

CHANGELOG for LineageOS 18.1:
May 6th:

• May's security patches
• various kernel updates and fixes

Spoiler: changelogs for older builds

April 28th:

• synced with LineageOS
• updated SQLite to v3.37.2
• kernel bug fix involving ZRAM
• minor kernel tweaks and improvements

April 13th:

• synced with LineageOS, April's security patches
• some minor tweaks and fixes in the Android frameworks
• kernel: binder driver backported from Linux 5.4
• kernel: simple_lmk replaces the standard LMK
• kernel: updates for the random number generator driver
• kernel: other minor fixes and improvements

March 21st:

• lots of updates and fixes for the platform code (picked from crDroid)
• critical system components/libraries are built with ThinLTO and PGO
• improved the energy efficiency of the WiFi chip
• synced with LineageOS

March 11th:

• synced with LineageOS
• March's security patches
• fix for distorted in-call audio for T-Mobile users when VoLTE is enabled

February 21st:

• synced with LineageOS
• a fix by the Lineage team for a telephony bug: more info here
• a fix by me for a permission issue that caused the playback of voice messages in messaging apps not to switch properly between the main and the call speakers when the proximity sensor was covered/uncovered

February 11th:

• synced with LineageOS
• kernel updated to Linux 4.4.302
• minor bug fix in the system

January 22nd:

• synced with LineageOS
• kernel updated to Linux 4.4.299
• Google's DNS nameservers have been replaced with Cloudflare's (1.1.1.1, 1.0.0.1)
• some security hardening patches taken from GrapheneOS

January 7th:

• kernel: Linux 4.4.297
• kernel: removed debugging junk from the WiFi chip's driver
• kernel: patches for the dwc3 driver (improve MTP transfer speeds)
• tentative fix for the camcorder microphone issues
• recovery touchscreen issues are fixed

December 15th:

• synced w/ LineageOS (incl. December's security patches)
• kernel updated to Linux 4.4.294
• lots of small kernel improvements and fixes
• maple I/O scheduler is now the default
• several user interface/user experience improvements (read here)
• alignment of visual elements in recovery is fixed (now also in official LineageOS)

November 5th:

• synced with LineageOS
• November's security patches
• kernel: DriveDroid support
• kernel: Wireguard support
• kernel: DDR bandwidth boost on zygote fork
• kernel: several other small updates and improvements

October 23rd:

• synced with LineageOS
• touchscreen support in Lineage recovery
• kernel now supports Kcal and Klapse

October 7th:

• initial build with all the above features
• October's security patches are included

DOWNLOADS
LineageOS 18.1 (all builds): SourceForge
Recovery images (all builds): SourceForge


SOURCES
All my repos are on Github. In particular: device tree, kernel sources.


A BIG "THANK YOU" TO
the whole LineageOS team, and the multitude of great developers of the Android custom ROM scene, such as kdrag0n, kerneltoast (Sultanxda), arter97, nathanchance, flar2, franciscofranco, frap129, the MSM-Xtended project, the crDroid project. I hope I have not forgotten anyone.

 

[Tomoms]

POST-INSTALLATION ADVICE

SETTING UP MICROG
Signature spoofing is supported but not enabled out of the box. There's no switch to enable it in Settings, you must grant its permission to each app that needs it. In particular, if you install MicroG (either via the apks or via MinMicroG), you must run these commands in a root shell:

pm grant com.google.android.gms android.permission.FAKE_PACKAGE_SIGNATURE
pm grant com.android.vending android.permission.FAKE_PACKAGE_SIGNATURE

then make sure all the checkboxes in MicroG's status screen are ticked and reboot.

SETTING UP VIPER4ANDROID
If you follow these steps carefully, you'll manage to install Viper4Android while keeping Enforcing SELinux, and it will survive across ROM updates too
Since XDA Labs has been dead for a while, I've reuploaded Viper4Android's apk installer here: https://mega.nz/file/htFikD6Y#HpcdSMSa6fPdB5EXhGnyYI4uoxA7R4TnzhAZD_J_jrk

PASSING SAFETYNET
Passing SafetyNet is quite easy. You need to have Gapps installed, though. Flash Magisk, enable Magisk Hide in its settings, reboot. Now you should pass SafetyNet.

 

[Angrydr0id]

Wow, I have your ROM installed in my Oneplus One and works amazing, now I can install it in my daily driver phone.

Thank you so much for your awesome work.

 

[Tomoms]

Wow, I have your ROM installed in my Oneplus One and works amazing, now I can install it in my daily driver phone.

Thank you so much for your awesome work.

Nice! See you around in both threads then

 

[Angrydr0id]

I just installed the ROM.
I did a clean flash through TWRP with Magisk and Gapps; January firmware and AOSP Vendor.
I only found the next bugs:

• OTA always says that the update check failed, so I don't know if its working.
• When I am on a call and I use the speaker, I can hear but they do not hear me. (This bug was present in my previous rom that was Carbon but I would like to know why it happens and if it is possible to fix it).

Everything else seems to work flawlessly.
Thanks again and I'll be on the lookout for updates.
If you need me to test, logs or something that can help in the development you can contact me without problem.

 

[Tomoms]

I just installed the ROM.
I did a clean flash through TWRP with Magisk and Gapps; January firmware and AOSP Vendor.
I only found the next bugs:

• OTA always says that the update check failed, so I don't know if its working.
• When I am on a call and I use the speaker, I can hear but they do not hear me. (This bug was present in my previous rom that was Carbon but I would like to know why it happens and if it is possible to fix it).

Everything else seems to work flawlessly.
Thanks again and I'll be on the lookout for updates.
If you need me to test, logs or something that can help in the development you can contact me without problem.

I've just fixed the OTA updater's issue. I had forgotten to push the json file that is used to check the presence of updates, thus the check failed. It's working now.
Issue number 2 is common to many phones and ROMs, on older phones it used to be a problem with some value in the mixer_paths.xml file. I'll look into it.

 

[Tomoms]

Just a quick note, you can obviously use a official Lineage recovery image to flash this ROM. Starting from the next build I'll provide my own recovery image for simplicity. I'm also working on restoring touch screen support in Lineage recovery, and I've started working on bringing back TWRP to the Essential PH-1 as well.

 

[pakpenyo]

I've just fixed the OTA updater's issue. I had forgotten to push the json file that is used to check the presence of updates, thus the check failed. It's working now.
Issue number 2 is common to many phones and ROMs, on older phones it used to be a problem with some value in the mixer_paths.xml file. I'll look into it.

For issue number 2, it occurs in almost all roms, especially those based in LOS, except AOSPA Ruby Beta 1. Your device tree also uses 3 mics like LOS. So, the problem is the same.

 

[Tomoms]

For issue number 2, it occurs in almost all roms, especially those based in LOS, except AOSPA Ruby Beta 1. Your device tree also uses 3 mics like LOS. So, the problem is the same.

Thanks for the information. I'll look into it but it's not my main priority right now. Give me a couple of weeks

 

[hedgecore44]

For issue number 2, it occurs in almost all roms, especially those based in LOS, except AOSPA Ruby Beta 1. Your device tree also uses 3 mics like LOS. So, the problem is the same.

supporting info here if needed regarding the speaker issue

 

[pakpenyo]

supporting info here if needed regarding the speaker issue

I've seen it for a long time, including your posts there. Is the problem solved by removing the 3 mic entry?

Btw, i just made a new issue there. It happens in all LOS based roms, as well as other roms like Carbon, Havoc etc. But that's not the case in AOSPA Ruby Beta 1. I have a logcat, but I don't understand. May it be related to an audio/mic/speakerphone issue?

 

[Tomoms]

Hello guys!
I've just uploaded a new build. It brings Kcal/Klapse support, as requested by @Angrydr0id
I've also fixed touchscreen in Lineage recovery, it's working again now
Lineage recovery images are now available for download in a specific folder on SourceForge. They are meant to be flashed with fastboot and then booted with fastboot reboot recovery

 

[Angrydr0id]

Just updated and everything works perfectly also in the recovery, thanks for implementing KCAL.

If someone uses FrancoKernel Manager to modify the values of the screen in "Display Control", I recommend the following settings, I love the saturation of the colors:

Saturation: 275
Value: 251
Contrast: 258
Hue: 0

Thanks.

 

[psychic_quark]

Thanks for the information. I'll look into it but it's not my main priority right now. Give me a couple of weeks

Another +1 in hope of fixing this issue, a fix would easily catapult this ROM to top of the charts for this device. I think this is possibly the biggest issue for mata development currently and only AOSPA folks (and stock) seems to have fixed it.

 

[Tomoms]

Another +1 in hope of fixing this issue, a fix would easily catapult this ROM to top of the charts for this device. I think this is possibly the biggest issue for mata development currently and only AOSPA folks (and stock) seems to have fixed it.

I'll start looking into this issue in the very next days. Keep an eye on this thread

 

[Tomoms]

New build available! Featuring November's security patches plus several interesting kernel updates and improvements, such as DDR bandwidth boost on app startup (should improve app launching time a bit), memory allocation speed & overhead improvements, Wireguard support and DriveDroid support. I haven't tested Wiregaurd and DriveDroid, so try them if you can and let me know if they work.
The speakerphone issue is still under investigation, I haven't had enough time to look at it lately.

 

[mervinb]

New build available! Featuring November's security patches plus several interesting kernel updates and improvements, such as DDR bandwidth boost on app startup (should improve app launching time a bit), memory allocation speed & overhead improvements, Wireguard support and DriveDroid support. I haven't tested Wiregaurd and DriveDroid, so try them if you can and let me know if they work.
The speakerphone issue is still under investigation, I haven't had enough time to look at it lately.

@Tomoms , I've been using official 18.1 for several months, and my impression if that your ROM is a major improvement - smoothness, and esp. battery life. It might be partly due to the fresh install, but so far, so good. Thank you! The phone is a backup to my Pixel 4a, but has been called upon several times, so having an up-to-date Android on the PH-1 is important for me.

As with the other poster(s), the speaker / mic issue is a problem. My dad, very senior and hard of hearing, has another PH-1, and the issue makes video call difficult for him. Hope you have some time to look into it.

 

[Tomoms]

@Tomoms , I've been using official 18.1 for several months, and my impression if that your ROM is a major improvement - smoothness, and esp. battery life. It might be partly due to the fresh install, but so far, so good. Thank you! The phone is a backup to my Pixel 4a, but has been called upon several times, so having an up-to-date Android on the PH-1 is important for me.

As with the other poster(s), the speaker / mic issue is a problem. My dad, very senior and hard of hearing, has another PH-1, and the issue makes video call difficult for him. Hope you have some time to look into it.

Glad you're liking my ROM. Yep, don't worry, I've already started to look into the speakerphone issue

 

[Scarfa]

Glad you're liking my ROM. Yep, don't worry, I've already started to look into the speakerphone issue

I'm glad you're looking into it, it's my number 1 gripe atm. Is there a clear path to fix the speakerphone issue that you see?

 

[Tomoms]

Hello, a new build is coming tomorrow together with a possible fix for the speakerphone issue. Come back in 24 hours and you'll find it