[Stock/Rooted Boot Images] Pixel 4a [NOV 02]

[barramas]

This post is just about rooted boot.img and not full stock ROM. So, don't flash this boot.img on top of your current ROM. That won't work. Go over to Google pixel official firmware site and learn how to do it if you want to move on to 12.

ok,i'm sorry

 

[a1291762]

Attached on this post are the stock and Magisk patched boot.img files from Android 12 October update (the very first Android 12 official stable update).

Patched with latest Magisk Canary version 23.0.0.1.

Can you please confirm that you don't need to do the vbmeta thing in order to boot?

This guide here seems to indicate that it's not possible to use a modified boot image unless you also disable boot image verification: https://xdaforums.com/t/guide-update-to-and-re-root-android-12.4345627/

 

[Typhus_]

Can you please confirm that you don't need to do the vbmeta thing in order to boot?

This guide here seems to indicate that it's not possible to use a modified boot image unless you also disable boot image verification: https://xdaforums.com/t/guide-update-to-and-re-root-android-12.4345627/

Confirm what now!?

Anyway, it's working...if it wasn't I wouldn't share it here.

Pixel 4a (sunfish) is my primary device. I always, like ALWAYS, test this before posting.

Cheers!

 

[a1291762]

Confirm what now!?

I dunno. Maybe it's something affecting the betas only?

I was gonna do the update tonight. I've downloaded all the things but wanted to be sure the "normal" root process would continue to work so I did a bit of googling. I found lots of people having issues, but most of the posts were related to the beta releases.

I'll try a few things while I'm doing the upgrade, just to see what works/does not work

 

[a1291762]

I was gonna do the update tonight. I've downloaded all the things but wanted to be sure the "normal" root process would continue to work.

That other guide I posted (and plenty of other things on the internet) said that "dirty flashing" breaks from Android 11 to Android 12, so I didn't do my usual "factory image without the -w arg" (which is dirty flashing?). Instead, I sideloaded the full OTA package in order to do the upgrade.

Then I used Magisk 23 (release, not canary) to patch the boot.img (which I extracted from the factory image), used fastboot boot patched.img and then used Magisk to install (direct). Rebooting did not give me a bootloop and root has stuck so I guess it's good.

The Settings app is strangely huge (very large fonts and low density display) but everything else is fine. Maybe that's how it's supposed to be? I'm not a fan of the way the quick settings have been changed but I can live with it.

 

[ukgoat]

I'm on Android 11, rooted with Magisk. How can I upgrade to Android 12 without messing something up or losing data? Can I just take the OTA via settings app or do I need to sideload it?
Everyone in Pixel 4A threads seems to be sideloading it.. is taking the OTA via settings -> system update bad?

I'm also skeptical about sideloading because Google's instructions say the Settings app should say "Your system is up to date", while mine says "System update available". Could that be a problem?

This is my first time doing a major Android update with unlocked bootloader / rooted, sorry for newbie questions.

 

[a1291762]

Everyone in Pixel 4A threads seems to be sideloading it.. is taking the OTA via settings -> system update bad?

In the entire time I have owned my Pixel 4a I have never once been offered an OTA. I have no idea why.

I used sideload OTA after reading warnings about "dirty flashing", which I think is what happens when you install the factory image without -w.

I'm also skeptical about sideloading because Google's instructions say the Settings app should say "Your system is up to date", while mine says "System update available". Could that be a problem?

If you are offered the OTA and Google sends you the full OTA then it should be fine to install via settings. You'll lose root but you can get it back again afterwards (or possibly do the after update but before reboot "patch other slot" from Magisk).

If you get an incremental OTA it'll fail to apply unless you temporarily or permanently unroot.

My last phone (Mi A2 Lite) always got incremental updates so I'd temporarily unroot, install the OTA and then root the other slot before rebooting.

 

[ukgoat]

In the entire time I have owned my Pixel 4a I have never once been offered an OTA. I have no idea why.

I used sideload OTA after reading warnings about "dirty flashing", which I think is what happens when you install the factory image without -w.



If you are offered the OTA and Google sends you the full OTA then it should be fine to install via settings. You'll lose root but you can get it back again afterwards (or possibly do the after update but before reboot "patch other slot" from Magisk).

If you get an incremental OTA it'll fail to apply unless you temporarily or permanently unroot.

My last phone (Mi A2 Lite) always got incremental updates so I'd temporarily unroot, install the OTA and then root the other slot before rebooting.

Thanks for the answer! The upgrade via OTA was successful.
There were some problems when rerooting though: after flashbooting the patched Magisk image, phone was in a bootloop. Had to flashboot original boot.img, uninstall Magisk app, flashboot patched boot.img again, and then it was fine.
Had to reinstall all Magisk modules too, but now it works.

 

[amphi66]

Thanks for the answer! The upgrade via OTA was successful.
There were some problems when rerooting though: after flashbooting the patched Magisk image, phone was in a bootloop. Had to flashboot original boot.img, uninstall Magisk app, flashboot patched boot.img again, and then it was fine.
Had to reinstall all Magisk modules too, but now it works.

Can you list the actual steps you took for success?

 

[ukgoat]

Can you list the actual steps you took for success?

apply OTA update via system settings -> power off -> enter fastboot mode -> fastboot boot flash boot magisk_patched.img -> reboot -> here is when bootloop started happening (couldn't get past lock screen without the phone restarting) -> power off -> enter fastboot mode -> fastboot boot flash boot.img -> reboot -> uninstall Magisk app -> power off -> enter fastboot mode -> fastboot boot flash magisk_patched.img -> reboot -> install Magisk app

If you uninstall Magisk app in the first place (before flashing Magisk-patched boot img), you might be fine and avoid the bootloop altogether.
Maybe the bootloop happened to me because of some specific Magisk module I had installed... I'm not sure. Or maybe you're supposed to uninstall the Magisk app first and I just didn't know about it.
Hope this helps.

 

[amphi66]

apply OTA update via system settings -> ... [snip] ...
Hope this helps.

Thanks! -- and how are you liking Android 12?

 

[bobbarker2]

I'm in a weird predicament.. been running A11 rooted for ages, decided to upgrade to A12. Followed all the original steps that people have success with..
1. D/L the full october A12 from Google website.
2. Extracted boot.img, patched it with magisk 23. Disabled my magisk modules.
3. Installed the A12 firmware. Let it boot once with regular boot.img
4. Reboot to bootloader and flashed my patched boot.img.

But now when I run Manager, it is showing as "Installed: N/A" for the boot image and I lost root! I even tried the posted October A12 boot.img in the thread and it is same behavior.

I even tried uninstall magisk manager before flashing boot.img as post above had some problems with that but still no luck.

I see OP says full flash with wipe is necessarry for permanent root, but I'm not even getting temporary.

Edit: Oh well will try full wipe flash and see how it goes.. man why did I think today would be a good day fiddle with my phone

 

[goofball2k]

I was running Android 11 (June patch) rooted with Magisk. This is what I did to upgrade to 12. Could have been easier to do it some other way but I've tried other ways and something usually ends up breaking and I didn't want to have to wipe and rebuild.

1. Downloaded the Android 12 zip, to get the boot.img file so I could patch it with Magisk
2. Extracted boot.img, copied to phone and patched it with magisk.
3. Copied the magisk patched boot.img file to computer, and put into the same folder as the platform tools.
4. With phone connected to computer, rebooted to fastboot and flashed the stock june boot img (matched the version I was running at the time). Rebooted to Android
5. Updated OTA using Settings -> System -> System Update
6. Once it installed Android 12, and rebooted to Android, I then rebooted back to bootloader, and flashed the magisk patched boot img file.
7. Rebooted to Android 12, ran Magisk, and it was rooted with my old modules not enabled (but still installed).

 

[a1291762]

But now when I run Manager, it is showing as "Installed: N/A" for the boot image and I lost root!

I guess it's too late, but next time, try to fastboot boot patched.img and then use Magisk to install (direct).

 

[bobbarker2]

I guess it's too late, but next time, try to fastboot boot patched.img and then use Magisk to install (direct).

Flashing the patched.img is the same as magisk install direct.. the latter requires root - which I don't have for some reason.

I'm now on a clean install of A12, flashed patched boot img, Magisk detects that its Installed but nothing detects root except Magisk Manager, where I can do a direct install...

Edit: Weird, I had to have the manager app uninstalled first. So for A12 my steps for successful root were:
1. Create patched boot.img using Magisk 23
2. Uninstall Magisk Manager + Magisk related stuff (Lsposed etc)
3. Flash A12 full wipe, boot into A12 and enable usb debugging
4. Fastboot flash boot patched_boot.img
5. Boot and install Magisk Manager.

 

[amphi66]

Flashing the patched.img is the same as magisk install direct.. the latter requires root - which I don't have for some reason.

I'm now on a clean install of A12, flashed patched boot img, Magisk detects that its Installed but nothing detects root except Magisk Manager, where I can do a direct install...

Edit: Weird, I had to have the manager app uninstalled first. So for A12 my steps for successful root were:
1. Create patched boot.img using Magisk 23
2. Uninstall Magisk Manager + Magisk related stuff (Lsposed etc)
3. Flash A12, boot into A12 and enable usb debugging
4. Fastboot flash boot patched_boot.img
5. Boot and install Magisk Manager.

Still waiting myself, but ready to proceed. Any thoughts or issues w/ Android 12 on the 4a?

 

[bobbarker2]

It's working smooth.. I'm probably behind in the 'hide root' game, but still using Magisk 23, USNP + Magisk Props. Lets me pass safteynet. Just spent an hour getting it configured, apps restored, accounts setup again etc. Google really sucks at restoring your data - I even have a Google One subscription and it only restored 1/4 of my text messages. Good thing I use a 3rd party backup app. Apple definitely has Google beat when it comes to getting a new device or upgrading OS versions.

 

[amphi66]

It's working smooth.. I'm probably behind in the 'hide root' game, but still using Magisk 23, USNP + Magisk Props. Lets me pass safteynet. Just spent an hour getting it configured, apps restored, accounts setup again etc. Google really sucks at restoring your data - I even have a Google One subscription and it only restored 1/4 of my text messages. Good thing I use a 3rd party backup app. Apple definitely has Google beat when it comes to getting a new device or upgrading OS versions.

I missed the part in your 5 steps where you did a full wipe. I thought uninstalling Magisk and then reflashing afterwards did the trick. That's a shame

 

[bobbarker2]

I missed the part in your 5 steps where you did a full wipe. I thought uninstalling Magisk and then reflashing afterwards did the trick. That's a shame

Added for clarity. I'd hazard a guess that doing the OTA sideload will have better success rate.. I always just do full flash without -w by default and didn't think about doing differently when going from 11 to 12.

 

[a1291762]

Flashing the patched.img is the same as magisk install direct.. the latter requires root - which I don't have for some reason.

fastboot boot patched.img gets you temporary root. Then you use Magisk to make it permanent.
It is the same as fastboot flash in theory, but in practice, it is easier to make a mistake using fastboot flash.
Also, if you use Magisk to flash, it backs up the vanilla boot and you can use Magisk to restore it later.