[TOOL] Android Image Kitchen - Unpack/Repack Kernel Ramdisk [Win/Android/Linux/Mac]

[HassanMirza01]

I solved the problem. After un-/repackimg I added an AVBv2 signature using avbtool. Now also the flashed recovery image boots fine. It looks like the Poco X3 Pro bootloader only accepts signed images.

bro, am having same issue now in new roms, they dont boot recovery until booted from fastboot, seems like xiaomi updated bootloader for all devices, can u explain how you added signature using avbtool?

 

[fbalder18]

bro, am having same issue now in new roms, they dont boot recovery until booted from fastboot, seems like xiaomi updated bootloader for all devices, can u explain how you added signature using avbtool?

You need Python (I think it will work on both Windows and Linux) and the Python script avbtool.py, e.g. from here. Then you call the script with

avbtool.py add_hash_footer --image image-new.img --partition_size 134217728 --partition_name recovery

This will extend the image and add avb with the builtin default signature.
I also found a zip with avbtool for arm64 here. It should work on the mobilephone, it has the python interpreter included. But I didn't try it, I used my notebook where I had python anyhow.

 

[fbalder18]

@osm0sis
Probably you could add avbtool.py to the next release of Android Image Kitchen? And a minimum Python interpreter to the Windows and Android variant?

EDIT
It doesn't make sense to add Python to the Windows variant. avbtool.py only allows a subset of arguments (e.g. info_image) there. With add_hash_footer there is the error missing dev/urandom. But probably in the faq WSL could be mentioned.

EDIT 2
avbtool can also be used on Windows, so the interpreter could be included also on that variant. One has to use the additional parameter salt, e.g.

avbtool.py add_hash_footer --image image-new.img --partition_size 134217728 --partition_name recovery --salt 00000000

 

[osm0sis]

@osm0sis
Probably you could add avbtool.py to the next release of Android Image Kitchen? And a minimum Python interpreter to the Windows and Android variant?

EDIT
It doesn't make sense to add Python to the Windows variant. avbtool.py only allows a subset of arguments (e.g. info_image) there. With add_hash_footer there is the error missing dev/urandom. But probably in the faq WSL could be mentioned.

EDIT 2
avbtool can also be used on Windows, so the interpreter could be included also on that variant. One has to use the additional parameter salt, e.g.

avbtool.py add_hash_footer --image image-new.img --partition_size 134217728 --partition_name recovery --salt 00000000

Yeah it's my plan to add avbtool and have a Windows/Linux/Mac Python install be a prerequisite like we do for Java. Then on Android we'll rely on QPython.

 

[Korylek1231]

@osm0sis Hi!
Today i tried to get ramdisk files from my boot.img, even if i haven't got any errors my ramdisk folder is empty! Any Ideas? Phone - Nokia 2720 Flip KaiOS version: 2.5.2.2. Unpacked with WinRar, antivirus disabled, boot.img in AIK folder, Windows 10

 

[osm0sis]

@osm0sis Hi!
Today i tried to get ramdisk files from my boot.img, even if i haven't got any errors my ramdisk folder is empty! Any Ideas? Phone - Nokia 2720 Flip KaiOS version: 2.5.2.2. Unpacked with WinRar, antivirus disabled, boot.img in AIK folder, Windows 10

Does it warn you that it's empty? Probably totally as expected. Not every Android boot.img contains a ramdisk, e.g. legacy system-as-root (SAR).

 

[Korylek1231]

Does it warn you that it's empty? Probably totally as expected. Not every Android boot.img contains a ramdisk, e.g. legacy system-as-root (SAR).

Thanks for the answer, no it doesn't

Android Image Kitchen - UnpackImg Script
by osm0sis @ xda-developers

Supplied image: boot.img

Setting up work folders . . .

Thats all i got

 

[osm0sis]

Thanks for the answer, no it doesn't

Android Image Kitchen - UnpackImg Script
by osm0sis @ xda-developers

Supplied image: boot.img

Setting up work folders . . .

Thats all i got

Where's the rest of the log? Why haven't you uploaded the boot.img?

 

[dogansan]

Hi @osm0sis , I have a Xperia Z5 dual rooted , running with a mod Nougat 7.1.1 kernel and boot.img with drmfix. And I have rooted it with Magisk 25.2. After using a couple of tools to replace my very bright white splash logo and failing in all attempts , I reached your thread. I used unpackimg , replaced original logo.rle with attached one , repacked it and obtained image-new.img. Then copied it to sdcard, shutdown, opened recovery TWRP and flashed image-new.img. It flashed successfully without any error. Then I rebooted , but it still opens with original logo. Any help is vey much appreaciated. I am sorry, if my explanations are not accurate, I am learning yet

 

[AnonVendetta]

@osm0sis: Can you modify your AIK Mobile so it completely removes itself after being uninstalled? When removing the mod from Magisk Manager, it still leaves /data/local/AIK-mobile directory and its' contents. No images were present at the time of uninstallation, and nothing had been unpacked/repacked at that time.

It's not a big deal to delete it myself, but to me the whole point of a Magisk module is that it "takes out its' trash" when no longer needed.

 

[osm0sis]

@osm0sis: Can you modify your AIK Mobile so it completely removes itself after being uninstalled? When removing the mod from Magisk Manager, it still leaves /data/local/AIK-mobile directory and its' contents. No images were present at the time of uninstallation, and nothing had been unpacked/repacked at that time.

It's not a big deal to delete it myself, but to me the whole point of a Magisk module is that it "takes out its' trash" when no longer needed.

It works the other way. If you aik --uninstall it'll take out the helper module with it.

 

[AnonVendetta]

It works the other way. If you aik --uninstall it'll take out the helper module with it.

I just figured that uninstalling it from Magisk should be enough to make it clean itself up.

 

[osm0sis]

I just figured that uninstalling it from Magisk should be enough to make it clean itself up.

In my mind it's just the helper module in Magisk, not AIK itself.

 

[AnonVendetta]

In my mind it's just the helper module in Magisk, not AIK itself.

Alot of Magisk modules have an uninstall.sh script. Apparently yours doesn't. It wouldn't be very hard to add something to it like:

rm -r -f /data/local/AIK-mobile

And then have Magisk parse and run that script when uninstall is initiated.

 

[osm0sis]

Alot of Magisk modules have an uninstall.sh script. Apparently yours doesn't. It wouldn't be very hard to add something to it like:

rm -r -f /data/local/AIK-mobile

And then have Magisk parse and run that script when uninstall is initiated.

Oh, I know. I've also considered having the helper module have logic to remove itself if AIK gets removed from /data/local. But again, AIK is not a Magisk module, only the helper module which allows running the "aik" helper command from anywhere is. AIK doesn't require Magisk at all and can be run from recovery even.

 

[Ardany Jolón]

I solved the problem. After un-/repackimg I added an AVBv2 signature using avbtool. Now also the flashed recovery image boots fine. It looks like the Poco X3 Pro bootloader only accepts signed images.

Can you help me sir? I need that too.

 

[dogansan]

Hi @osm0sis , I have a Xperia Z5 dual rooted , running with a mod Nougat 7.1.1 kernel and boot.img with drmfix. And I have rooted it with Magisk 25.2. After using a couple of tools to replace my very bright white splash logo and failing in all attempts , I reached your thread. I used unpackimg , replaced original logo.rle with attached one , repacked it and obtained image-new.img. Then copied it to sdcard, shutdown, opened recovery TWRP and flashed image-new.img. It flashed successfully without any error. Then I rebooted , but it still opens with original logo. Any help is vey much appreaciated. I am sorry, if my explanations are not accurate, I am learning yet

Hi, any help would be possible ?

 

[osm0sis]

Hi, any help would be possible ?

I have never worked with logo.rle before. Are you sure you converted your new image to rle correctly? Otherwise no clue.

 

[dogansan]

I am assuming that I have done png to rle conversion, then inserting into ramdisk and creating boot.img correct. Because when I do the reverse process of extracting image-new.img created by your tool in kernel-tools kit , getting logo.rle and then converting to png , I see the correct picture. But, of course , there are small changes in the size of the final png file. I am not sure if the png to rle conversion should have exactly same size and byte or otherwise, it will be discarded and an original backup picture(whie Sony Xperia) will be used. I also have taken of backup of boot.img gtom mmcblk0p29 and have seen that it contains new picture. But for some reason, it still displays original splash picture. There was an old discussion on this saying "anyway when you find the file you will be interested in rle2png converter but before flashing / adding file ensure the converter is converting properly by converting original file to png and back to rle then hex compare results (on my lg android device first 4 bytes of file are size in big-endian) if the file is not same then do not use the new created file". I don't know if this is true for Z5 running on Nougat

 

[jpzex]

Hi @osm0sis , I have a Xperia Z5 dual rooted , running with a mod Nougat 7.1.1 kernel and boot.img with drmfix. And I have rooted it with Magisk 25.2. After using a couple of tools to replace my very bright white splash logo and failing in all attempts , I reached your thread. I used unpackimg , replaced original logo.rle with attached one , repacked it and obtained image-new.img. Then copied it to sdcard, shutdown, opened recovery TWRP and flashed image-new.img. It flashed successfully without any error. Then I rebooted , but it still opens with original logo. Any help is vey much appreaciated. I am sorry, if my explanations are not accurate, I am learning yet

Probably you bootlogo is flashed on a separate partition. Motorola does this, maybe yours does too. Check at /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name if there is something related to logo. Cheers