[SM-T505,T500,T507] [Android 14] Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 LTE GSI flashing guide

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Shadow128

Senior Member
Nov 8, 2010
260
21
As in the other LineageOS19 thread writte I've bought the last days a SM-T500 Tablet, which works almost good. Now I've updated it to an current Andy Yan GSI ROM (lineage-19.1-20221011-UNOFFICIAL-arm64_bgS-vndklite) and here I've also the same problem like in the LineageOS19 rom from the other thread.
After some time of using (during chrome or a game) it has a slowdown and sometimes it come's back, sometimes I've to reboot it.
I found some hints for a Z Ram fix, which should be the following?!

you could use ram swapper module for magisk then. install fox's magisk module manager. grant it root permissions. let it download the list of modules as soon as new modules appear tap the search icon on right bottom. type swapram. install it. reboot. after that download terminal emulator. type in "su". grant it root perms. then type swapram add [ammount of ram]


replace [ammount of ram] with your desired ammount in GB. i use this module.

Where do I find that module? I searched with the module manager, but didn't find it. Via google only https://github.com/VR-25/zram-swap-manager but I think it's something different?
 

Captain_cookie_200

Senior Member
Sep 12, 2021
1,122
1
320
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1
Sony Xperia 5 II
As in the other LineageOS19 thread writte I've bought the last days a SM-T500 Tablet, which works almost good. Now I've updated it to an current Andy Yan GSI ROM (lineage-19.1-20221011-UNOFFICIAL-arm64_bgS-vndklite) and here I've also the same problem like in the LineageOS19 rom from the other thread.
After some time of using (during chrome or a game) it has a slowdown and sometimes it come's back, sometimes I've to reboot it.
I found some hints for a Z Ram fix, which should be the following?!



Where do I find that module? I searched with the module manager, but didn't find it. Via google only https://github.com/VR-25/zram-swap-manager but I think it's something different?
that module got removed. gotta find another one
 
As in the other LineageOS19 thread writte I've bought the last days a SM-T500 Tablet, which works almost good. Now I've updated it to an current Andy Yan GSI ROM (lineage-19.1-20221011-UNOFFICIAL-arm64_bgS-vndklite) and here I've also the same problem like in the LineageOS19 rom from the other thread.
After some time of using (during chrome or a game) it has a slowdown and sometimes it come's back, sometimes I've to reboot it.
I found some hints for a Z Ram fix, which should be the following?!



Where do I find that module? I searched with the module manager, but didn't find it. Via google only https://github.com/VR-25/zram-swap-manager but I think it's something different?
its not a module, i use smartpack
 

Hausemaster

Senior Member
Dec 2, 2020
632
181
Nokia 1
Screenshot_20221128-145743_Settings.png

Hey all, it's been a long while, but here's a small peek into what I was ble to run on latest one ui 4.x vendor this weekend, I will update the future soon on how to run A13 GSIs...
 
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Shadow128

Senior Member
Nov 8, 2010
260
21
I found that magisk moduole from a previous fork of the original repo. So now the tablet is working very great and smooth :)
 

Hausemaster

Senior Member
Dec 2, 2020
632
181
Nokia 1
There's a command that needs to be run at every boot for the GSI not to randomly reboot! Also, the work in progress in the title indicates that i have to describe some workarounds like for headsets,etc, but the GSI flashing and running part is complete
 

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    Just before we get started, I would like to say that you will not brick your device if you follow the steps as is without any, and I mean any deviations.
    Read what works and what doesn't first!
    Okay, enough preface, let's jump right in!
    Firstly, pre-requisites(hardware):-
    1.A micro SD card
    2. A windows PC, windows 7 or later (32 or 64 bit)
    3. A USB Type-C cable
    4. A galaxy tab A7 running the latest one ui 4.x build

    Pre-requisites (software on PC), you'll need:
    1.Stock firmware:
    Download the latest firmware from here

    1.1 After downloading it, extract it on the PC and copy the AP file to your micro SD card, as we need it on the tab later

    2. Samsung USB drivers
    download them from here and install them on your pc, it'll take a while but it's essential for this process
    https://developer.samsung.com/android-usb-driver

    2.1 Reboot your PC after installing the drivers

    3 Download the twrp.img from below
    https://xdaforums.com/t/updated-rec...axy-tab-a7-10-4-sm-t500.4358595/post-87038713
    (Yes, correct, download the .img as we won't be using Odin to flash custom recovery)
    Copy this to your SD card as well

    4. Download Canary apk of magisk delta from link below
    https://huskydg.github.io/magisk-files/
    Copy the apk to your microSD which has the previously extracted AP file

    5. Download dynapatch from the file attached below credits to @redymedan for developing this!
    Then move it to your micro SD card

    6. Download the GSI image of your choice, and (make sure that it doesn't exceed 3.3GB after extraction) extract it from .img.xz format to .img format and then copy it to the micro SD card
    (also, if it exceeds 3.3 GB, don't worry,follow the steps in important notes on how to expand your system partition to accommodate larger GSIs...)

    7. If your gsi doesn't have gapps or you want to flash a system mod then download a vndklite variant of your gsi, as system is mounted as RW in vndklite gsi, where's system is mounted as read only in normal gsi images

    8. Download Odin and extract it
    https://samsungodin.com/

    9. Download SmartPack kernel manager apk and copy it to the sdcard too
    https://github.com/SmartPack/SmartPack-Kernel-Manager/releases
    (We will be using this to flash twrp in a later step)

    10. Download the brightness and watchdog fix module from below
    Copy it to SD card

    (Optional) 11. If you don't want your install storage encrypted, download the following two zips and move them to SD card,

    https://zackptg5.com/downloads/archive/Disable_Dm-Verity_ForceEncrypt_11.02.2020.zip

    Process to flash GSI:
    1) Unlock the bootloader
    To unlock the bootloader, follow the steps from here...
    https://xdaforums.com/t/guide-sm-t5...4-unlock-bootloader-root-with-magisk.4185993/

    2) After that patch the AP image we copied to the micro SD card earlier and then copy the patched ap to the micro sd card and then to the pc. Steps of patching can be found here
    https://xdaforums.com/t/guide-sm-t5...4-unlock-bootloader-root-with-magisk.4185993/

    3) After patching the AP image, copy the patched image from downloads folder to your micro sd card

    4. After that turn your device off

    5. After the device is fully powered off, hold both volume up and volume down buttons simultaneously and connect it to your pc, then click volume up button once during the prompt to enter download mode

    6) After entering download mode, select the BL, CP, and CSC (do not choose HOME_CSC!) files from the extracted firmware, after doing that, for AP, select the patched AP file we copied earlier and then click start on Odin.

    7. After the flash is successfully finished, reboot your device and set it up, after setup install the magisk Canary apk from the micro SD card

    8. After installing the apk, open it, and click 'OK' on additional setup prompt and the device will reboot after a few seconds

    9. After the reboot completes, install the smart pack kernel manager apk we put in the SD card earlier, then open it, then, navigate to
    Tools>Backup>(swipe to the right where it says "boot partition")> it changes to recovery partition> click on the plus symbol> two options show up, select the flash recovery option> select the twrp image from SD card (file manager opens automatically)> click on "select" and then flash it...

    10. Then open magisk delta app, and reboot to recovery

    11. After rebooting to recovery, flash dynapatch

    12. Then reboot to recovery (very important)

    (Optional)12.1 Flash multidisabler we downloaded earlier, along with disable dm Verity to disable FBE on integral storage. Also, if you intend to disable encryption, do flash both the zips not one.

    13. Then select install>Micro SD Card>install image> select GSI image you downloaded> select System Image > swipe to flash, then factory reset and wipe data from within twrp (thank you @shorty9210 for the factory reset part!)

    14. Here, hectic nature of you must be used...

    15. Boot to your GSI, and set it up as fast as possible as a watchdog crash is triggered every 30-50 seconds which causes a reboot

    16. Install magisk apk and reboot for additional setup

    17. After reboot, open magisk and install the brightness and watchdog fix module

    18. Reboot the device after installing module

    19. At this point you won't get random reboots

    20. Now you can enjoy your GSI...

    Now, onto what works and what doesn't...

    Working:
    Boot
    Touchscreen
    Sound
    WiFi
    Bluetooth
    Mobile data
    Camera
    Microphone
    Doze
    OTG
    Power buttons
    Volume buttons
    Charging
    Rotation
    Gyroscope
    Calling(works with VoIP)
    USB tethering
    MTP
    Auto brightness

    Not working:
    VoLTE
    In call audio (in case of Sims)
    Offline charging
    Cast

    Untested:
    -


    Tested roms:
    1. Trebledroid GSIs (don't use, as magisk doesn't work and gapps can't be properly installed for some reason)
    2. Pixel experience ( magisk works and it's stable after running the watchdog command)
    3. Google GSI (vanilla and Gapps, not recommended, due to it being extremely barebones and not having fixes for DT2W, and headsets)
    4. Project Elixir (needs watchdog module, but mostly stable)
    5. A14 Pixel OS (doesn't need watchdog and brightness fix module)

    Now credits!
    To team XDA for keeping this forum alive and well,
    @phhusson for developing GSI images that actually made this possible
    @topjohnwu for creating magisk
    @agreenbhm for the TWRP image and for helping me,
    @duyfken for correcting the firmware links, and also, for informing me to add the type of GSI for this device!
    @shorty9210 for a correction
    @huskydg for magisk delta development
    And finally all other members of XDA for taking interest in the modding scene,
    Thank you!
    I've been thinking of building overlays for this device, along with some way to have VoLTE running using frameworks from the stock firmware.

    Important notes:
    1. If your GSI has phh settings, do the following...
    1.1 Enable double tap to wake

    Settings>Phh Treble settings>Samsung features >Tick "Enable difficult tap to wake"
    1.2 For making headphones work,
    Settings>Phh Treble settings>Misc features>Tick "Use alternate way to detect headsets"
    Also, Enable developer options>Enable "Disable Bluetooth A2DP hardware offload" and restart when prompted


    2. If the gsi ROM you're trying to flash doesn't fit on current system partition, then,
    *This process will wipe your system partition and will reset your recovery, so, keep the dynapatch zip and gsi image on hand, you will need it!*
    Download latest platform tools from AOSP site, link below
    https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools

    https://xdaforums.com/t/recovery-un...xy-tab-a7-10-4-sm-t500.4371123/#post-86050459
    a) download the product.img from above link
    b)Reboot to recovery from magisk app, then, in twrp, click on 'Reboot' button
    c) click 'fastboot'
    d) the device will now reboot and then after a few seconds, a twrp ui will appear with the text 'fastboot'
    e) connect your device to a pc with the latest version of platform tools and drivers installed
    f) run these commands in order
    fastboot flash product product.img
    fastboot erase system
    fastboot resize-logical-partition system 3940000000
    fastboot reboot recovery
    g) after doing so, again reboot to recovery, flash dynapatch zip first
    h) again reboot to recovery and flash your gsi image
    i) this time images up to 3.9GB will be flashable
    j) no need to format data if you're flashing same rom
    And that's it you'll be able to enjoy bigger ROMs on your Galaxy Tab A7!

    3. follow steps from here to get 4-speaker audio!
    Post in thread '[ROM][SM-T500] Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 10.4 (2020) - LineageOS 19.1 (and TWRP 3.6.1)'

    4. Previously, we had to use either some magisk modules or SmartPack kernel manager to enable swap so that the device won't crash under load, but, now, 2GB of swap is allocated by default, which is plenty sufficient for daily usage, so, i recommend you not to use any modules or services that enable swap....

    5. Note that this step is not needed for Android 14 gsis
    If zygisk is enabled after module is installed, some users reported that it breaks brightness fix, to remedy that, try flashing permissiver_v5 from below in twrp

    6. Also, please do not rely on extra dim if brightness fix module won't work, try above step , i did this previously and the edges of my screen got ruined(ghost imaging) due to the heat...

    7. Please refrain from using any modules that spoof the device identity as it causes the phh Treble app to not display "Samsung features" at which point you can't use DT2W, so beware...

    8. Recommended settings in magisk delta
    a)magisk delta>settings>hide magisk app, you will be prompted to allow magisk delta to install apps, allow it and start the hiding> now, the magisk app will be under an alias you chose
    b)magisk delta>settings>Zygisk(enable)
    c)magisk delta>settings>Bootloop Protection (enable)
    d)magisk delta>settings>Magisk Hide

    9. Want to pass play integrity? Please search for it, it's a huge mess at the moment
    10. Just a heads up, be sure to only download GSIs from the list in @phhusson GitHub, i.e, link below,
    https://github.com/phhusson/treble_experimentations/wiki/Generic-System-Image-(GSI)-list
    And, do not spend money on people that claim to give the "best GSIs" or whatever gibberish they use, only spend money as a donation to a developer, if you really enjoy their work, and would like to support them to keep up thier interest!
    I had to mention this to put you on the cautious side of things!

    11. This is fixed in most A14 GSIs
    Taskbar height is incorrect on some roms, and the magisk module from below link fixes it, credits to @wEER1234 for mentioning this, and to @Coxxs for delaying developing it!

    12. This is for improving the longevity of your device
    12.1 To prolong the lifespan of your battery, install the "acc" magisk module, reboof, open a root terminal and run the following commands
    acc -s mcc=200
    acc -s mcc=3900
    The first command limits the charging current to 200 mA and charges the battery at a power of 1.8W which greatly reduces the strain and heat evolved by the battery, and the second command only allows your battery to charge up to 3.9v (52%), as according to battery University, maximum cycles can be achieved by maintaining the voltage battery 3.9 and 3.7
    12.2 This is to reduce the Power and heat evolved by the processor
    Install smart pack kernel manager, grant root access, go to cpu section, and do the following

    Big cpu cores:
    Maximum frequency:1056Hz
    Minimum frequency:902Hz

    Little cpu cores:
    Maximum frequency: 1017Hz
    Minimum frequency:864Hz

    At these frequencies the device stays stable and relatively less hot than at higher clocks...

    13. Be sure to expand the system partition using step 2, and also avoid flashing vndklite GSIs. Normal gsi images have the highest chance of booting.
    2
    Screenshot_20221128-145743_Settings.png

    Hey all, it's been a long while, but here's a small peek into what I was ble to run on latest one ui 4.x vendor this weekend, I will update the future soon on how to run A13 GSIs...
    2
    Thank you for the guide. I am running AndyYan's LineageOS 19.1 on my SM-T505. The fixes for the non-working brightness slider proposed in several threads here on XDA did not work for me (maybe it is Android 12, maybe the securize option; it seems that phh-on-boot.sh is not really used, although my partition is RW and the file is patched successfully).

    I therefore made a Magisk module that issues the "echo 100 > ..." command mentioned in the OP after every boot. See attached. Just flash as a Magisk module.
    2
    Hey everyone, I'm going to stop updating this post from now on, as I'm going back to stock soon...
    Add once this device gets its last update, I'll come back to the modding scene again!
    It was a wild ride, and I learnt a lot on the way, but, it's time I bid my farewell, goodbye for now!
    1
    Wow. Thank u very very much..will prepared guide ...every thing is clear

    One thing i might clarify which is found on pazinuss. Guide. Where he put kernell

    Q: Which GSI variant should I choose?
    A: arm64 ab. Use the vndklite variant if you want to flash gapps or fix the brightness

    The brightness fix is there with kernel also .

    Thank you .....🖐️🖐️
    I didn't mention it, as I found out that extra dim intensity control does the job just fine, but I'll add it in either way, thanks!