[SOLVED] Unlocked P20 Lite (ANE-LX3) TWRP logo bootloop with no eRecovery

[Ironsmith9]

Hello!

My goal is to install the last official build of Lineage OS for ANE-LX3 which is version 16 (android 9) that I downloaded from: https://archive.org/details/lineageos20210217 (specifically https://archive.org/download/lineag...lineage-16.0-20210215-nightly-anne-signed.zip)

I did the testpoint method to unlock my bootloader and was trying to follow the Lineage OS guide from here: https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/anne/install using latest TWRP (3.7.0).
There are issue with the guide, such as mentioning that Volume Down + Power is used to enter fastboot but it's actually Volume Up + Power (as mentioned everywhere in this forum lol) and also to use fastboot flash recovery <recovery_filename>.img but actually one must use fastboot flash recovery_ramdisk <recovery_filename>.img. Also, when I tried to follow the Format Data step, it would always hang after displaying 'done.'. Despite that issue I carried on and it successfully sideloaded the LineageOS zip as per the guide but after rebooting it would not boot into it, it would just hang on the black and orange text screen with 'Your device is booting now...'.

I started deleting more things to try to make it work and I think I deleted too much, because after doing a Advanced Wipe on everything, I started having the TWRP bootloop.

• Holding Power button to try to turn the unit off only cycles it and boots into TWRP logo screen.
• Holding Volumn Up + Power no longer goes into eRecovery, instead it leads to the TWRP logo screen.
• TWRP logo screen remains frozen, it does not show the slider nor does any tap or buttons work.
• At the TWRP logo, I can see my device with adb as in recovery mode.
• Fastboot has no apparent issues, so I tried rewriting TWRP to recovery_ramdisk a bunch of times, which succeeds, but it keeps freezing at the TWRP logo.
• Did some searching and found this post which sounded like a similar situation https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/from-locked-bootloader-to-lineage-os-19-0-on-ane-lx3.4414089/ so I tried to follow this guide: https://www.getdroidtips.com/huawei-p20-lite-ane-lx3-firmware/ downloading the android 8 images from there, placing the DLOAD contents (tried both zipped and unzipped) onto an SD card (for example /dload/UPDATE.APP, etc.), however holding Volume Up + Volume Down + Power doesn't appear to do anything, let alone load anything from DLOAD folder.
• Have not tried disconnecting the battery yet, more comfortable with a software solution but if that's what it comes down to I can try that.

Any help would be appreciated!
Thank you

 

[-Alf-]

TWRP (3.7.0).

Format Data

this is a deadly combination on stock EMUI 9 .
It's impossible to install Oreo dload ROM running EMUI 9. The problem is that dload method reguire stock Recovery on EMUI9.
Try command :
fastboot erase userdata
then try to install recovery_ramdisk.
Btw, what is you region? (Cxxx).

 

[Ironsmith9]

this is a deadly combination on stock EMUI 9 .

oh man what have i done

Try command :
fastboot erase userdata
then try to install recovery_ramdisk.

this worked!!! thank you!

Btw, what is you region? (Cxxx).

i'm not sure actually, how do i check this?

 

[-Alf-]

how do i check this

fastboot oem get-build-number
fastboot oem get-product-model
fastboot getvar vendorcountry
fastboot oem oeminforead-CUSTOM_VERSION

 

[Ironsmith9]

Thanks again Alf, here's that info for completeness:

c:\Applications\platform-tools_r34.0.3-windows>fastboot oem get-build-number
(bootloader) :ANE-LX3 9.1.0.313(C792E6R1P3)
OKAY [  0.005s]
Finished. Total time: 0.005s

c:\Applications\platform-tools_r34.0.3-windows>fastboot oem get-product-model
(bootloader) ANE-LX3
OKAY [  0.003s]
Finished. Total time: 0.005s

c:\Applications\platform-tools_r34.0.3-windows>fastboot getvar vendorcountry
vendorcountry: cityfone/ca
Finished. Total time: 0.004s

c:\Applications\platform-tools_r34.0.3-windows>fastboot oem oeminforead-CUSTOM_VERSION
(bootloader) :ANE-LX3-CUST 9.1.0.6(C792)
OKAY [  0.010s]
Finished. Total time: 0.011s

 

[-Alf-]

Thanks again Alf, here's that info for completeness:

c:\Applications\platform-tools_r34.0.3-windows>fastboot oem get-build-number
(bootloader) :ANE-LX3 9.1.0.313(C792E6R1P3)
OKAY [  0.005s]
Finished. Total time: 0.005s

c:\Applications\platform-tools_r34.0.3-windows>fastboot oem get-product-model
(bootloader) ANE-LX3
OKAY [  0.003s]
Finished. Total time: 0.005s

c:\Applications\platform-tools_r34.0.3-windows>fastboot getvar vendorcountry
vendorcountry: cityfone/ca
Finished. Total time: 0.004s

c:\Applications\platform-tools_r34.0.3-windows>fastboot oem oeminforead-CUSTOM_VERSION
(bootloader) :ANE-LX3-CUST 9.1.0.6(C792)
OKAY [  0.010s]
Finished. Total time: 0.011s

that seems like a problem, not sure if you can find ANE-LX3 C792 9.1 Service ROM for dload method...
Try to update your phone via eRecovery & wi-fi.

 

[Ironsmith9]

that seems like a problem, not sure if you can find ANE-LX3 C792 9.1 Service ROM for dload method...
Try to update your phone via eRecovery & wi-fi.

Woohoo! LineageOS is installed and booting now!

I wasn't really interested in the dload method. I was just trying to use that to reset everything to some good old state so I can go back into TWRP and try to get LineageOS installed.

What I ended up doing was switching my data partition from f2fs to exFAT which seemed to do the trick for some reason?! It was just a wild guess on my part and I wonder if it'll cause issues in the future (I'll create a new thread if it does). But so far so good!

 

[-Alf-]

O.K., midnight here

 

[-Alf-]

exFAT

???? It should be f2fs or ext4 . Install normal TWRP 3.2.0.1 by "gaguga" or "pretoriano80" and perform format data again, be sure you have f2fs format. Imo.

 

[Ironsmith9]

???? It should be f2fs or ext4 . Install normal TWRP 3.2.0.1 by "gaguga" or "pretoriano80" and perform format data again, be sure you have f2fs format. Imo.

Understood, ok I'll try that out! Thanks Alf!