[UNOFFICIAL][ROM]BETA LineageOS 18.1 for SM-T715 - August 20, 2023

[metterschling]

hi ..i have t715,,,if i go to developer options i cannot find "advanced start",,???

The setting got moved away from the developer options. Please use the search within the settings.

 

[GRAM333]

The setting got moved away from the developer options. Please use the search within the settings.

great thanks,,,it was under gestures...

 

[ufirekey]

Has anyone had success using mock location with this build. I use "Bluetooth GNSS" to feed GPS location from my car hardware receiver (NMEA sentences via a Bluetooth adaptor board) and have enabled this as the mock location app in settings, but although the Bluetooth GNSS app itself shows good lat/long location, satellite count, etc. from the receiver, location is not always getting through to other apps such as Google maps. Sometimes it seems to work and then it I get "searching for GPS" on the Android auto map screen. When it is working it could be the internal GPS; I do not know how to find out which GPS source the OS is treating as active at any time. Interestingly if I unplug from the car and then reconnect the USB, when Android auto recovers it has often got a good location feed again and this works for a while. I think this worked ok on the previous T715 release from ripee but with the wifi and general stability problems that build had, it is hard to be sure. Any tips and thoughts much appreciated. Thanks

 

[metterschling]

Has anyone had success using mock location with this build. I use "Bluetooth GNSS" to feed GPS location from my car hardware receiver (NMEA sentences via a Bluetooth adaptor board) and have enabled this as the mock location app in settings, but although the Bluetooth GNSS app itself shows good lat/long location, satellite count, etc. from the receiver, location is not always getting through to other apps such as Google maps.

Do you have a particular reason to not use the built-in GPS? I'm asking as I'm always testing that GPS is working using the SatStat app before I release a build.

 

[ufirekey]

Do you have a particular reason to not use the built-in GPS? I'm asking as I'm always testing that GPS is working using the SatStat app before I release a build.

The tablet sits quite low under the dash so has a pretty poor view of the sky, but having said that, I used the internal GPS today on a long journey and it did pretty well. App "GPS Test" reported quite low individual sat signal levels and a position accuracy of +/-16-32m but it performed well enough for navigation. The external receiver gave 3-6m accuracy but does not provide sat signal levels, and even that was reliable today. Needs a few more days of use and some city centre journeys to really test it. By the way, SatStat caused the tablet problems so I could not really use that app. Thanks.

 

[metterschling]

June build lineage-18.1-20230618-UNOFFICIAL-gts28ltexx.zip uploaded. Please see FAQ #24 for the download link.

June 18, 2023 release notes:

• June 2023 LineageOS & Android security fixes. >5500 files changed.

If you are coming from a previous version of these builds, you can dirty flash, otherwise please perform a factory reset and format data before installing this ROM.

Enjoy!

 

[GRAM333]

June build lineage-18.1-20230618-UNOFFICIAL-gts28ltexx.zip uploaded. Please see FAQ #24 for the download link.

June 18, 2023 release notes:

• June 2023 LineageOS & Android security fixes. >5500 files changed.

If you are coming from a previous version of these builds, you can dirty flash, otherwise please perform a factory reset and format data before installing this ROM.

Enjoy!

great,,,thanks for your work

 

[badbd09]

Hi, anyone facing mobile network standby battery drain issue? Everything else is working fine.

 

[metterschling]

Hi, anyone facing mobile network standby battery drain issue? Everything else is working fine.

I don't have a dedicated SIM card for the tablet, so unfortunately can't test that. I suggest to use tools like DevCheck to check if deep sleep is working as a first step. Often there are apps that cause battery drain.
Or did you already try with the same apps but without SIM card to nail the problem down to the RIL (radio interface layer = mobile phone and data) stack?

 

[lpedia]

Hi, anyone facing mobile network standby battery drain issue? Everything else is working fine.

A disclaimer: I don't have an SM-T15, so this is a general observation.

Cell phone connectivity for mobile data can be a major source of battery drain because of the way the device tries to find and keep in touch with a cell tower. It'll frequently check and/or try to re-establish connection. The antenna itself needs a fair bit of power, and the constant checking can prevent the device from going into deep sleep, both contributing to battery drain.

The strength of the cell signal at the device's location matters, too: the lower the signal, the more power the antenna has to draw to establish and maintain a connection, and it might also be constantly 'roaming' to try to find a better connection.

Apps that are allowed to use mobile data as well as wifi to do background tasks like syncing, receiving push notifications, etc - for example, email apps - can also add significantly to mobile data power usage.

Check which apps are using mobile data, and remove mobile data permission unless the app's constant connectivity is really essential.

 

[parhit]

Hello there.

First of all, thanks @metterschling for your work.

I follow the old topic.

I have done:

• Full wipe (Dalvik / Art Cache, System, Data, Cache)
• Format data
• Install of the lineage-18.1-20230618-UNOFFICIAL-gts28ltexx version in the SD card

Same result:

E3004: This package is for device: gts281te, gts281texx; this device is [...] Updater process ended with error: 1 Error installer zip file '/external_sd/lineage-18.1-20230618-UNOFFICIAL-gts28ltexx.zip

Do I have the right device?! Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 SM-T715 8,0" LTE, Android 5.0.2 Lollipop...

 

[metterschling]

Do I have the right device?! Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 SM-T715 8,0" LTE, Android 5.0.2 Lollipop...

Hi @parhit the device looks right, but the prior stock Android version (5.0.2) might be the issue. I roughly remember having to upgrade to the last Samsung ROM providing Android Nougat (7.0) to be able to install recent custom ROMs. So you need to re-stock and perform the Nougat update which will also give you the last Samsung firmware, so good idea to do that anyway.

 

[GRAM333]

Hi, anyone facing mobile network standby battery drain issue? Everything else is working fine.

are you sure its not a bad app.....i have very bad drain but I reinstalled and now fine....it was a modded app i downloaded...don't know which one

 

[jastellar]

Frequently Asked Questions. You MUST READ this before posting any questions. Thank you.

Question	Answer
Q1. Can I build this ROM for myself? Where are the source and kernel source files?	A1. Yes, you can. The source files are listed below. Kernel https://github.com/metterschlg/android_kernel_samsung_universal5433 Device Tree https://github.com/metterschlg/android_device_samsung_gts2-common-selinux https://github.com/metterschlg/android_device_samsung_gts28ltexx Vendor https://github.com/metterschlg/proprietary_vendor_samsung In addition, there is a repo diff file for device-specific tweaks needed to work and a roomservice.xml (local manifest file) file so you can build this rom yourself. The other patch required for tcp/ip is at https://github.com/DerpFest-11/pack...mmit/22fd53a977eeaf4e36be7bf6358ecf2c2737fa5e Build manifest can be found at https://github.com/metterschlg/local_manifests/blob/lineage-18.1/gts28ltexx.xml Build environment setup is docmented (as code) at https://github.com/metterschlg/los-devel-scripts
Q2. Is this ROM suitable as a daily driver?	A2. It might be, depending on your requirements. You would need to try it yourself, with your preferred apps, to see if suits your purposes. I've been using it myself since mid April 2022 with no major issues.
Q3. What do I do if my app xyz doesn't work?	A3. I can't help diagnose problems with random apps I know nothing about. If the app is critically important to you and it doesn't work on this ROM, go back to a ROM where it did work.
Q4. Why is this ROM laggy and/or buggy?	A4. The device will be noticeably slower if you're using any Gapps package. Consider going gapps-free. A lot of apps will work without Google's services, or there exist alternatives that will. Check out F-Droid, Aurora Store, NewPipe, etc.
Q5. What TWRP should I use?	A5. I use official TWRP 3.6.1_9. Get it from https://twrp.me/samsung/samsunggalaxytabs280ltexx2015.html
Q6. Why should I use this ROM?	A6. You don't have to! If you don't like it, go back to your old ROM.
Q7. Will you offer monthly updates with security patches?	A7. I plan to do so. I will try to update the ROM with the monthly security patches after LineageOS has released them, free time permitting. Each monthly build will be quickly tested to make sure the ROM still works, before it's made available (which might in some cases delay the release).
Q8. I'm a newbie. Can you provide step by step instructions?	A8. We simply don't have the time to do this, but there are lots of tutorials, videos, etc online showing how to flash custom ROMs and how to deal with common problems. Newbie questions are also accepted in the XDA General Questions and Answers forum. Having said that, @pflyaz has kindly make a guide in post #37.
Q9. Can I report a bug with respect to the ROM?	A9. Yes, but you need to supply the following information. If you don't, I won't look at it. Provide an adb logcat of the problem, and if possible describe how to reproduce it. Note that I can't help if it involves downloading any app I don't already use that requires payment or creating a userid/password. To get a logcat, open a terminal window on your PC, connect your device to it via USB, and do this: # clear the logcat first adb logcat -c # start logcat trace adb logcat > problem.txt # reproduce problem # wait until problem has occurred, # then stop trace by hitting ctrl-c then zip the problem.txt file # before uploading it.
Q10. How long will you build 18.1 for this device?	A10. For now, 18.1 will be built for all of 2022. After that, we will make a decision depending on a number of factors.
Q11. Do I need to erase everything and format my data before installing this ROM for the first time?	A11. Under most circumstances, yes. If you're coming from stock Samsung Android, or an earlier version of LineageOS, or a different custom ROM, you MUST 'clean flash': boot to TWRP recovery, wipe system, data, dalvik/art cache, and cache partitions, then Format Data, then install this ROM. If you don't do this you're likely to run into problems, such as getting stuck at the boot animation for more than 5 minutes.
Q12. What Gapps should I use?	A12. Your choice! There are several well-known Gapps packages, such as NikGapps, BiTGapps, OpenGapps, and MindTheGapps. OpenGapps is being removed as per this post. Do your own research as to what is the most reliable gapps option for you. I recommend installing the SMALLEST version of any of these, preferably with just the minimum Google services needed to access the Play Store and run apps that depend on Google services. You could also consider Google alternatives, such as Aurora Store, which mirrors the Google Play Store apps but doesn't need any Google services itself. Many Play Store apps do not actually depend on Google services. If you are going to install any Gapps package, follow the installation instructions given for that particular package.
Q13. I'm having problems with Gapps. Can you tell me why it's not working?	A13. I can't answer any questions about Gapps, because I don't use them. Ask your questions on the XDA thread for the Gapps package you're using.
Q14. Why isn't my post answered?	A14. There are several possible reasons: the question is answered in the FAQ (in which case it will be ignored completely); or it involves apps or operating systems that I don't use; or it's about Gapps, which I don't use; or I simply have not had time to answer any questions.
Q15. What speed up/optimization tips do you suggest?	A15. These steps can make a big difference to performance: Turn off animations. Go to Settings > System > Developer options, scroll down to the Drawing section, and set Window, Transition and Animator scale all to "Animation off". Don't install Gapps unless you depend on something that only Google is providing. Use Aurora Store to get your preferred Play Store apps - they will all be available on Aurora Store. You can choose to access this anonymously or use a Google account. Don't run more than two apps at the same time. You can probably listen to music in the background and use a web browser at the same time. Use a web browser with built-in adblock and privacy features, such as Brave. Use NewPipe to watch your streaming content. It has built in adblock so you don't have to watch forced ads. Look for apps that are open source, ad-free and lightweight.
Q16. Does this ROM support Magisk so I can root my device?	A16. Magisk works with this ROM and I'm using it, but that could change with any revision and changes by Google. However I can't help with any related issues. Direct any questions about Magisk to the XDA Magisk forum.
Q17. Will this ROM ever become official?	A17. Never. Official maintainers have onerous responsibilities, and I know my device trees, code organization and git commits will NOT meet LineageOS standards. I'm not able or willing to take on the responsibilities and commit the extra time to supporting an official build.
Q18. What is the difference between this ROM and others?	A18. This ROM tries to be pure LineageOS with little or no modification. Other ROMs may come with a different UI, different bundled apps, etc.
Q19. Will there be any major 18.1 code modifications in the future?	A19. I don't anticipate any major modifications. There may be some slight tweaking to the SEpolicy, small bug fixes and minor code cleanup, but all the hard work - getting the ROM up and running, and fixing all the major bugs - has been done. This doesn't mean the code is perfect or well organized, but I won't be making any major changes.
Q20. Why did you fork the trees?	A20. I wanted my own private branch where I could make changes that would only affect my own personal builds.
Q21. Can you build a variant of this device? For example, a S-pen version?	A21. I cannot and will not try to build for a variant device if I don't physically have that device. I have to be able to boot and test it myself, and there's no guarantee that I can get those variant features working. So I will NEVER build T710, T810 and T815.
Q22. Does this ROM have any wifi connection issues?	A22. This ROM's wifi has been stable on the specified device ever since lpedia and retiredtab determined the root cause of the wifi problems back in July 2021 and re-installed the original S2 network 'blobs' with LOS 17.1.
Q23. Is this ROM secure so I can do financial transactions?	A23. Although Android monthly security patches do improve general security, this ROM's outdated kernel and old proprietary vendor blobs/drivers will NEVER get updates of any kind, and could have significant security holes. In addition, although the ROM is SElinux enforcing, there's a good chance that the rules written (about 800+ lines of code) have some errors. If the device is rooted, this would further weaken the security. With this information, it's up to you to make an informed decision about whether you trust this ROM to be secure enough for your financial transactions.
Q24. Okay, I understand the consequences and willing to take the risks outlined, now where can I find the BETA ROM?	A24. Downloads are at https://sourceforge.net/projects/los4sgt/files/los18.1/ Please note that there are two builds for every date. Start with the enforcing build, if you hit issues, flash the permissive boot image to determine if your issue is related to SELinux. If you have Magisk installed, you first need to patch the permissive boot image with the Magisk app before flashing. If your initial enforcing build install does not have working RIL, you might need to fix SELinux labeling of your EFS partition. To do so, use ADB in root mode. Please note that ADB root needs to be enabled in the developer options of your device. Then use the following commands from a PC connected via ADB: adb root adb shell # Check if SELinux relabeling is required, do not modify anything restorecon -R -v -n /efs # If you see some "Relabeling..." output, run the real relabeling restorecon -R -v /efs

Hi, I have the choice to buy either a Tab S2 SM-T715 or a Tab S2 SM-T719.

Any recommendations regarding these two models and my intention to install Lineage OS on them?

Thank you for your help.

 

[lpedia]

Hi, I have the choice to buy either a Tab S2 SM-T715 or a Tab S2 SM-T719.

Any recommendations regarding these two models and my intention to install Lineage OS on them?

Thank you for your help.

@jastellar - some general advice: Go to the general topic for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 series, https://forum.xda-developers.com/f/galaxy-tab-s2-android-development.4706/, and look at the "Normal Threads" section to see which models have LineageOS ROMs, how active the thread is, and what the people using that custom ROM have been saying about it. Then you can decide which model will be most effective for what you want to do with it.

 

[metterschling]

Hi, I have the choice to buy either a Tab S2 SM-T715 or a Tab S2 SM-T719.

Any recommendations regarding these two models and my intention to install Lineage OS on them?

I don't know the characteristics oft the SM-T719 but keep in mind that these devices are aged, without firmware update support and potentially worn out battery.
On the other hand, the SM-T715 hardware is excellent and if you can live with the restrictions of this ROM as noted in post #1, itvwillvwork for many use cases. I am going to provide updates as long as I have a working device and even after that others might take over as all code and build instructions are open source.
BTW. I bought a used T-715 this year as secondary test device. Excellent price, very good condition and battery lifetime.

 

[GRAM333]

Hi, I have the choice to buy either a Tab S2 SM-T715 or a Tab S2 SM-T719.

Any recommendations regarding these two models and my intention to install Lineage OS on them?

Thank you for your help.

definitely 715.....i sold my 719 and use 715....everything works but must use speakerphone for calls

 

[ufirekey]

The tablet sits quite low under the dash so has a pretty poor view of the sky, but having said that, I used the internal GPS today on a long journey and it did pretty well. App "GPS Test" reported quite low individual sat signal levels and a position accuracy of +/-16-32m but it performed well enough for navigation. The external receiver gave 3-6m accuracy but does not provide sat signal levels, and even that was reliable today. Needs a few more days of use and some city centre journeys to really test it. By the way, SatStat caused the tablet problems so I could not really use that app. Thanks.

I just want to close this out - it was a location permissions problem in Google Maps. I had location permission "while using the app" set. Opening that up to "always" resolved the problem both for internal and external (Bluetooth GPS) sources. It seems that AndroidAuto showing Maps is somehow not treated as "while using the app". Running concurrently, OpenStreetMap on the tablet screen showed perfect location and progress while Maps on the AndroidAuto projection started to wander off along random roads after a while. Thanks everyone.

 

[jastellar]

@jastellar - some general advice: Go to the general topic for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 series, https://forum.xda-developers.com/f/galaxy-tab-s2-android-development.4706/, and look at the "Normal Threads" section to see which models have LineageOS ROMs, how active the thread is, and what the people using that custom ROM have been saying about it. Then you can decide which model will be most effective for what you want to do with it.

Thank you for your advice.

 

[jastellar]

I don't know the characteristics oft the SM-T719 but keep in mind that these devices are aged, without firmware update support and potentially worn out battery.
On the other hand, the SM-T715 hardware is excellent and if you can live with the restrictions of this ROM as noted in post #1, itvwillvwork for many use cases. I am going to provide updates as long as I have a working device and even after that others might take over as all code and build instructions are open source.
BTW. I bought a used T-715 this year as secondary test device. Excellent price, very good condition and battery lifetime.

Thank you for your advice.