I'm at my wits end trying to get Magisk back!
(The backstory is that I had been running a DirtyUnicorns OS for a year just fine, but then Pokemon Go started failing to login. So it was time to update.)
Using a Samsung Tab 4 (SM-T330NU)
Formatted and installed stock OS/boot
Used Odin to flash "twrp-3.0.0-3"
Used TWRP recovery to update to "twrp-3.3.1-0"
Installed "Lineage OS 17" (and added Gapps) - made sure it booted and all was well
Booted into TWRP recovery and installed the latest "Magisk-v20.4"
Wiped cache and rebooted
Installed the latest "MagiskManager-v7.5.1" and got "Magisk is not installed"
After a great deal of searching I learned how this is supposed to be corrected:
Took the boot.img from the Lineage OS 17 zip,
Used Magisk to patch it, creating "magisk_patched.img"
Used TWRP recovery to install "magisk_patched.img" to the boot section
Wiped cache and rebooted
Still getting "Magisk is not installed"
Booted into TWRP recovery and installed the latest "Magisk-v20.4" just in case
Still getting "Magisk is not installed"
This is all after roadblocks for hours a day for a week trying to pass safetynet using Magisk on Lineage OS 16 for about a week, so I thought this fresh start would be easier and now I'm pulling my hair out.
Any suggestions would be helpful. I just want to be able pass safetynet and my ctsProfile match fails. Which I can't even begin to work on without Magisk core.
Thanks in advance.
First thing I would check is if the Manager is installed to external/adoptable storage. The Manager can't work properly like that...
https://www.didgeridoohan.com/magisk/Magisk#hn_Magisk_not_installed
Didgeridoohan said:
First thing I would check is if the Manager is installed to external/adoptable storage. The Manager can't work properly like that...
https://www.didgeridoohan.com/magisk/Magisk#hn_Magisk_not_installed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the quick reply!
How do I check to see where it's installed and/or reinstall it to the proper storage? Because that could be it.
There's no SD card or USB device plugged in and I couldn't find more information online (I even scoured didgeridoohan.com before posting here).
Also, and this may be helpful, it appears the device is not rooted. Fx file explorer and root checker apps confirm this. So it's possible even with the steps I followed that Magisk core really isn't installed and the apk is telling the truth (I'm just at a loss to know how that's possible after flashing the zip and flashing the patched boot file, both in twrp).
If you have no SD card installed adoptable storage won't be an issue.
You can easily verify through TWRP if the core Magisk files have been installed. Check in /data/adb/magisk. It should contain busybox, magisk, magiskboot and magiskinit binaries, together with addon.d, boot_patch and util_functions scripts.
Seeing the recovery log from when you attempt to install the Magisk zip in TWRP might show us something. Also try the could also be a good idea trying the Canary release to see if there's any difference from stable v20.4.
(This thread can be locked/(closed?)/answered)
I tried my damnedest and nothing worked. So I wiped/formatted lineage-17.1-20200512 and installed lineage-17.1-20200419. THIS was the ease with which I was accustomed to installing Magisk (Recovery install and immediately working on boot). Sadly, other problems abound and they are outside the scope of this subforum.
Just in case anyone reads this and cares:
- GPS Joystick was a no-go because apparently Lineage has a not-so-nifty feature that blocks the "draw over apps" android feature if your RAM is below some secret threashhold, which prevents the entire app from functioning.
- Fake GPS can take getting used to, and I'm used to it and love it, but the location and routing keeps crashing in the background, which means pogo closes when I tab back to start it back up again.
- Regardless of which I use I am rubberbanding back to my house... despite using all the tricks I can find or think of (yes, including 'smali patcher', specific app settings, systemizing the GPS app, setting off/on mock locations, etc)... but I think it's because this OS has no unique setting for the GPS data to be "device only".
Problems one and two are due to the ****ty ram on this Samsung tablet, which I've always known was an issue, so I suppose it might just be time to buy a phone specifically for this purpose. From what I read, the best cost effective option is an iPhone SE, and I'm truly not an Apple fan (I certainly would not risk my own phone being bricked or even merely wiped).
Not sure how I used it for the last year without this many issues, but it seems like that's over now unless I want to deal with DirtyUnicorn OS again, and that was it's own nightmare sometimes.
Thanks all for reading, but especially Didgeridoohan for replying and for all the resources on your pages and threads.
After lots of people here and on Reddit asked me to make a guide, here it is.
DISCLAIMER: DO AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOUR DEVICE MAY BRICK. I AM NOT A DEVELOPER, JUST A TECH NOOB WHO WANTED TO MAKE GOOGLE PAY WORK ON HIS PHONE.
Although the main point of this guide is making Google Pay work, a byproduct of going through it seems to be a better performing and more stable system (at least this is my subjective experience).
If anybody notices any mistakes or misunderstandings on my part, please post it so i can correct/update!
Step 0: Delete ANY kind of Password or Protection from your phone. I had multiple instances of TWRP not being able to decrypt my phone data because of a wrong password. I have no idea why and assume that this won't happen with no password set up.
Step 1: Set Up an Xiaomi account on your phone and start the process of unlocking it in Developer Settings. During this process, you have to download the Unlock Tool and probably have to wait around 10 days.
Step 2: Download this and unzip it. Also Download GApps Pico from here.
Step 3: Install TWRP via ADB as it is descripted here. Use the "recovery.img" you downloaded in Step 2.
Step 4: Boot into TWRP and change the language to English. Then make a backup and safe it on your PC by pressing "Mount" and then "Mount USB Storage". Move the files "Magisk-v20.4.zip", "K30U-去vbmeta校验.zip" and "open_gapps-arm64-10.0-pico-20201014.zip" you downloaded in Step 2 to your phones storage.
Step 5: Wipe your device by clicking on "Wipe" and swipe to "Reset". Then flash both "Magisk-v20.4.zip" and "K30U-去vbmeta校验.zip" by clicking on "Install", selecting those files and swiping to flash them. You MUST flash both of them or your device may brick.
// At this point you might be able to do what I describe in Step 6 by using Advanced/FileManager without ever leaving TWRP. This would speed up the process but its a bit more messy and for me sometimes it works to deletes System Data and sometimes it doesn't. I have no clue why and if you're up to messing around with it you probably know that you can and if you don't know its probably best to go straight to Step 6//
Step 6: Boot into system and rush throug config since we are going to reset the system again in Step 7. Download and install the newest version of MiXplorer or any File Explorer with Root Access and navigate to root/system/data-app. Unfortunately this is the part where i can't exactly tell you what to delete since its already gone on my device. I deleted around 5 apps and I remember they were among the first 10 apps listen. The apps I still have there are the following: Calculater, CleanMaster, com.zhihu.xyz, Email, GameCenter, Huanji, MiDrive, etc. so you can find out which ones to delete (please post the names of those you deleted here if you can so i can update this very messy Step 6). Importantly, you need about 200MB free space, you can see this in MiXplorer.
Step 7: Reboot into TWRP and repeat Step 5. After that, flash "open_gapps-arm64-10.0-pico-20201014.zip". Boot into System.
Step 8: You should be greeted by a friendly Google Setup instead of the Xiaomi one. Yay! Set the phone up and download GBoard, a Terminal app and GPay from the Play Store. Launch Magisk and Update the Manager, but do NOT update to Magisk 21.0, the phone can't handle it. Enable Magisk Hide and add all Google stuff to hide. Also hide the Magisk Manager. You should already pass the google Safety Net, but there is something left to do to use GooglePay.
Step 9: Download the Magisk Module MagiskHide Props and both change your fingerprint and force basic key attestation to "Redmi K30 Pro" inside your Terminal app by typing "props". Other fingerprints probably work, too. If you need more help, look here. Reboot.
Step 10: Open GPay and set it up. It should say "Hold to read" Go to settings/Connection&Sharing and change you default wallet to "Use HCE Wallet". Go to Tap&Pay and select Google Pay as default wallet.
Voila! It should work now.
Bonus step for a nice system: Deinstall as much Bloat as you can/want normally and with this tool. The rest, which you can't deinstall, deactivate with the tool.
Credits and Mentions:
@zgfg for the huge support figuring MagiskHide out and helping me with stuff that is way too complicated for me and way too easy for you.
@Didgeridoohan for making MagiskHide Props and helping out!
@JaboJG for helping me out a alot early and making me aware of the custom TWRP and Magisk for the K30U
@Prprdog for making a Custom ROM guide that mentioned Gapps Pico and that it makes GPay work.
@nikitos2323 for making me aware of the guide
Great work @Mirardt ! We should now be 1 step closer to a K30 Ultra forum
JaboJG said:
Great work @Mirardt ! We should now be 1 step closer to a K30 Ultra forum
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! Yes, that would be great.
You might also want to try this magisk module to systemlessly (in easier terms reversibly) debloat apps
[MODULE][Terminal] Debloater v17.3.2 - Debloat Systemlessly!
Mirardt said:
After lots of people here and on Reddit asked me to make a guide, here it is.
DISCLAIMER: DO AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOUR DEVICE MAY BRICK. I AM NOT A DEVELOPER, JUST A TECH NOOB WHO WANTED TO MAKE GOOGLE PAY WORK ON HIS PHONE.
Although the main point of this guide is making Google Pay work, a byproduct of going through it seems to be a better performing and more stable system (at least this is my subjective experience).
If anybody notices any mistakes or misunderstandings on my part, please post it so i can correct/update!
Step 0: Delete ANY kind of Password or Protection from your phone. I had multiple instances of TWRP not being able to decrypt my phone data because of a wrong password. I have no idea why and assume that this won't happen with no password set up.
Step 1: Set Up an Xiaomi account on your phone and start the process of unlocking it in Developer Settings. During this process, you have to download the Unlock Tool and probably have to wait around 10 days.
Step 2: Download this and unzip it. Also Download GApps Pico from here.
Step 3: Install TWRP via ADB as it is descripted here. Use the "recovery.img" you downloaded in Step 2.
Step 4: Boot into TWRP and change the language to English. Then make a backup and safe it on your PC by pressing "Mount" and then "Mount USB Storage". Move the files "Magisk-v20.4.zip", "K30U-去vbmeta校验.zip" and "open_gapps-arm64-10.0-pico-20201014.zip" you downloaded in Step 2 to your phones storage.
Step 5: Wipe your device by clicking on "Wipe" and swipe to "Reset". Then flash both "Magisk-v20.4.zip" and "K30U-去vbmeta校验.zip" by clicking on "Install", selecting those files and swiping to flash them. You MUST flash both of them or your device may brick.
// At this point you might be able to do what I describe in Step 6 by using Advanced/FileManager without ever leaving TWRP. This would speed up the process but its a bit more messy and for me sometimes it works to deletes System Data and sometimes it doesn't. I have no clue why and if you're up to messing around with it you probably know that you can and if you don't know its probably best to go straight to Step 6//
Step 6: Boot into system and rush throug config since we are going to reset the system again in Step 7. Download and install the newest version of MiXplorer or any File Explorer with Root Access and navigate to root/system/data-app. Unfortunately this is the part where i can't exactly tell you what to delete since its already gone on my device. I deleted around 5 apps and I remember they were among the first 10 apps listen. The apps I still have there are the following: Calculater, CleanMaster, com.zhihu.xyz, Email, GameCenter, Huanji, MiDrive, etc. so you can find out which ones to delete (please post the names of those you deleted here if you can so i can update this very messy Step 6). Importantly, you need about 200MB free space, you can see this in MiXplorer.
Step 7: Reboot into TWRP and repeat Step 5. After that, flash "open_gapps-arm64-10.0-pico-20201014.zip". Boot into System.
Step 8: You should be greeted by a friendly Google Setup instead of the Xiaomi one. Yay! Set the phone up and download GBoard, a Terminal app and GPay from the Play Store. Launch Magisk and Update the Manager, but do NOT update to Magisk 21.0, the phone can't handle it. Enable Magisk Hide and add all Google stuff to hide. Also hide the Magisk Manager. You should already pass the google Safety Net, but there is something left to do to use GooglePay.
Step 9: Download the Magisk Module MagiskHide Props and both change your fingerprint and force basic key attestation to "Redmi K30 Pro" inside your Terminal app by typing "props". Other fingerprints probably work, too. If you need more help, look here. Reboot.
Step 10: Open GPay and set it up. It should say "Hold to read" Go to settings/Connection&Sharing and change you default wallet to "Use HCE Wallet". Go to Tap&Pay and select Google Pay as default wallet.
Voila! It should work now.
Bonus step for a nice system: Deinstall as much Bloat as you can/want normally and with this tool. The rest, which you can't deinstall, deactivate with the tool.
Credits and Mentions:
@zgfg for the huge support figuring MagiskHide out and helping me with stuff that is way too complicated for me and way too easy for you.
@Didgeridoohan for making MagiskHide Props and helping out!
@JaboJG for helping me out a alot early and making me aware of the custom TWRP and Magisk for the K30U
@Prprdog for making a Custom ROM guide that mentioned Gapps Pico and that it makes GPay work.
@nikitos2323 for making me aware of the guide
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot man, and with the source that xiaomi provided, in no time we will get loads of roms for dis device.
Finally i'm leaving my Z2plus more than 4 years with it. But memory is a ***** and for me at least 4gb is not so good as i was 3 years ago to do some suff.
So if anyone that will make a rom for this i can help with my brain and some donations
I use 一键线刷REC.bat then get into Twrp, and install but can't see the folder name correctly all show亂碼 and i can't find the GAPPS.zip file that i put ,I just want to install google play not googld pay.so can I just install Gapps is ok?
i keep getting error 70 , looks like this thread is dead now tho :/ nvm i see the step i missed , idk why is didnt have to remove apps from data-app the 1st time but i got it.
Hey everyone,
after some trial and error, I was able to pass Safety Net.
I just want to mention what I did in the process to get there. May have been a combination of things or just one...
1. I followed this guide, but make sure you notice that It's for the Pixel 5 not 5a. But the process is similar. This process didn't fix the issue. However, it's also a good how-to on how to root. I did also modify the props to the 3a.
How to Root the Pixel 5 & Still Pass SafetyNet — Full Guide for Beginners & Intermediate Users
The Pixel 5 is a great value proposition in this era of $1,500 phones. With its reasonable price tag, fully open-sourced software, and unlockable bootloader, it's also an ideal phone for rooting.
android.gadgethacks.com
2. When that didn't work, I followed this video, and hid all my banking apps besides the Google Play Services:
3. When that didn't work, I installed these both using Magisk from this post:
Magisk General Support / Discussion
This is the place for general support and discussion regarding "Public Releases", which includes both stable and beta releases. All information, including troubleshoot guides and notes, are in the Announcement Thread
forum.xda-developers.com
4. Cleared my data and cache with Google Play and GPay + any other banking apps.
That worked for me!
EDIT: IF GOOGLE MAPS reports the wrong location, its likely XPrivacy-LUA, Google Services. Uncheck some of them.
Oh man....the only thing holding me back is the safety net thing, and it looks like we have a work around tell someone has an actual method made for this phone. Not sure if I'm ready to actually mess with this yet...but thanks for the post, bro!
anubis2k3 said:
Oh man....the only thing holding me back is the safety net thing, and it looks like we have a work around tell someone has an actual method made for this phone. Not sure if I'm ready to actually mess with this yet...but thanks for the post, bro!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didnt think it was that big of a deal to me. But it was fun with a new phone with nothing on it.
This was the Magisk module that worked to pass safety net for me. I didn't need any others.
Releases · kdrag0n/safetynet-fix
Google SafetyNet attestation workarounds for Magisk - kdrag0n/safetynet-fix
github.com
Google Pay "appears" to be working too. Haven't gone out and tried it yet though.
joemommasfat said:
Google Pay "appears" to be working too. Haven't gone out and tried it yet though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the part that I use the most, and the reason I haven't rooted yet. Please let us know if it works. Much appreciated!
I can confirm that using google pay (newer GPay app) on my rooted 5a works at merchants. I've already used it several times over the last week or so with no problems.
Deadmau-five said:
3. When that didn't work, I installed these both using Magisk from this post:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why? Isn't the shim version just for Samsungs? Either way, it's the same mod, just different versions.
Someone who actually knows what they're doing needs to write up a tutorial. Following instructions posted by people who have no idea what they're doing but "it works" for them is dangerous.
borxnx said:
Why? Isn't the shim version just for Samsungs? Either way, it's the same mod, just different versions.
Someone who actually knows what they're doing needs to write up a tutorial. Following instructions posted by people who have no idea what they're doing but "it works" for them is dangerous.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're absolutely correct about the dangers in following instructions posted by who knows who. I'll go further and say when it comes to root and associated items stay away from anything posted on a site other than XDA. In many cases even if the instructions were correct at some point in time they may well be outdated now.
I haven't rooted yet for a few reasons yet but will, hopefully sometime very soon. In the meantime I can state the following:
They're is no need to modify props. Modifying props to identify as a different phone would only be required for custom ROMs that don't handle it themselves (or some non-certified Chinese phones, which doesn't apply here). If you're running stock just leave that portion alone. And, if I'm not mistaken (although not 100% certain) I think safetynet-fix takes care of that for you in any case.
You will definitely need kdragOn/safetynet-fix.
Hopefully that's all you need.
I'm not sure which version of Magisk you'll need. Unless you know what you're doing and how to get out of trouble I recommend staying away from the current alphas, they're extremely cutting edge and you can expect problems.
Best best is to check the following threads and see what's going on:
Actually see this post and the 2 posts immediately following
Magisk General Support / Discussion
This is the place for general support and discussion regarding "Public Releases", which includes both stable and beta releases. All information, including troubleshoot guides and notes, are in the Announcement Thread
forum.xda-developers.com
That should pretty much cover things for the moment. If nobody else (@hfam ?) has done it by the time I get around to rooting I'll write something up specific for the 5a.
I only mentioned what works for me since there was no step-by-step guide.
Dangerous how? Doing any mods to your phone is "dangerous". I fail to see how this is more so than others. Modifying your phone is risky.
If it didn't work I wouldn't have posted this guide. I only mentioned the steps that I took. It's not really a guide, just how I passed safety net.
But, my 5a has still been working great since then. GPay included.
jcmm11 said:
You're absolutely correct about the dangers in following instructions posted by who knows who. I'll go further and say when it comes to root and associated items stay away from anything posted on a site other than XDA. In many cases even if the instructions were correct at some point in time they may well be outdated now.
I haven't rooted yet for a few reasons yet but will, hopefully sometime very soon. In the meantime I can state the following:
They're is no need to modify props. Modifying props to identify as a different phone would only be required for custom ROMs that don't handle it themselves (or some non-certified Chinese phones, which doesn't apply here). If you're running stock just leave that portion alone. And, if I'm not mistaken (although not 100% certain) I think safetynet-fix takes care of that for you in any case.
You will definitely need kdragOn/safetynet-fix.
Hopefully that's all you need.
I'm not sure which version of Magisk you'll need. Unless you know what you're doing and how to get out of trouble I recommend staying away from the current alphas, they're extremely cutting edge and you can expect problems.
Best best is to check the following threads and see what's going on:
Actually see this post and the 2 posts immediately following
Magisk General Support / Discussion
This is the place for general support and discussion regarding "Public Releases", which includes both stable and beta releases. All information, including troubleshoot guides and notes, are in the Announcement Thread
forum.xda-developers.com
That should pretty much cover things for the moment. If nobody else (@hfam ?) has done it by the time I get around to rooting I'll write something up specific for the 5a.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a quick note to say I just finished with everything (new Pixel 5a 5G, rooted + Safety net, restored all my apps, etc) and it's a flawless victory, ALL banking apps work great, SafetyNet passes, no hiccups.
I'd be happy to craft up a step by step and post it if there's some interest. It's not often I get to give back to this outstanding community, so it's the least I can do jumping on the opportunity. UFC 266 Main card is just starting, so I'll get started right after the fight and post it here in this thread.
Great to see ya again @jcmm11! Coming back to root a new phone feels like a family reunion, so great to see many of you active folks still here helping out!!
hfam
Alright, as promised, here is my writeup for a step-by-step tutorial for rooting your new Pixel 5a and getting SafetyNet up and going. I know it looks like a book, but I wanted to put it into plain language and attempt to explain the process for everyone, even absolute first timers. I know when I first started I really appreciated when the person helping didn't presume I had any knowledge, so for those that may have some experience, sorry for the wordiness. I'll also include how I apply updates when a new Android security update is pushed out. I understand that there are now elegant ways to accept OTA updates, but that is out of the scope of this tutorial as I have always had issues with OTA, and have to catch up on how that works myself. I can attest to years of using this method though (using a full factory image) to perform the "monthly" security updates, and I have never had anything but full success, so I'll share that here below the rooting tutorial.
*Disclaimer and heads-up* this is for an UNLOCKED PIxel 5a purchased directly from Google Store. At the time of this writing that is the only place I'm aware of which currently offers the PIxel 5a. Once carriers like Verizon, etc, offer this device, there may be some changes to the process, so just know up front this is for the unlocked Pixel 5a*
*WARNING*! When you unlock the bootloader on your phone it WILL WIPE YOUR PHONE and reset it to factory. If you've already used your phone and set it up, you're going to lose that setup. If you can't bear it, then the rest of this isn't for you, as root cannot be achieved without unlocking the bootloader.
First, you'll need a few things
- https://developers.google.com/android/images
and download the latest FACTORY IMAGE for "barbet", which is the Pixel 5a. You want to download the SAME VERSION that is currently installed on your device. At the time of this writing, it's the September release.
From that same page, you will need the ADB+Fastboot platform tools which will allow you to perform the required tasks, download from this link:
- https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools.html
I use Windows 10, and extract this tools download to a folder in the root of C: called "platform-tools". You will then need to add "c:\platform-tools" to your environment path.
On the Pixel 5a, you need to enable developer options. Go into Settings/About Phone/and tap "Build Number" 7 times. This enables developer options and it will let you know when you've unlocked this as you tap 7 times. Once developer options is unlocked, go back to Settings/System/Advanced, and you'll see Developer Options is now available.
Select Developer Options, and enable "USB Debugging" and also enable "OEM Unlocking".
(**NOTE** For now at least, until you decide how you want to proceed with handling updates in future (more on that later), I strongly recommend turning OFF "Automatic System Updates" as well, just a few items below "OEM Unlocking". This prevents any updates happening automatically on a phone reboot. You don't want to wake up and find an OTA update pushed out and removed root, or worse. You can always turn it back on later.)
Plug your phone into a USB port on your PC. Allow the PC to do it's thing. You can open up Computer Management on the PC (right click the windows menu button icon lower left of your toolbar and select "Computer Management". Select "Device Manager" on the left panel. You should see "Android ADB Device" appear at the top of the right pane list of devices. if not, then visit:
Install OEM USB drivers | Android Studio | Android Developers
Discover links to the web sites for several original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), where you can download the appropriate USB driver for your device.
developer.android.com
and download the appropriate USB driver for your system and retry the above directions.
First thing we have to do is unlock the bootloader.
On the PC, open a command prompt and change directory to "C:\platform-tools" as discussed above.
Now, type in "adb reboot bootloader". The phone will reboot into bootloader. (you may receive a dialog on the phone which says something to the effect of not recognizing the PC. Go ahead and allow it, check the box to allow it in the future, and proceed.
Phone is now at the bootloader, and shows you some info letting you know it's so, including that the bootloader is locked. Also, look at the Device Manager we opened earlier and confirm that you see Android ADB Device (or similar) which confirms your PC recognizes the phone and setup for ADB commands .
To unlock the bootloader, in the command prompt type:
fastboot flashing unlock
This will unlock the bootloader, you will likely see a warning that it's going to wipe the phone. Proceed and allow the unlock. The phone will then reboot and take you to your wiped phone just as you received it out of the box, except the bootloader is now unlocked and Developer Options are still available. Let the phone continue through it's first-time setup, and leave the phone plugged into the PC. If you unplugged no biggie, but we're going right back to the PC shortly and it will need to be plugged back in before the next step to accept the file we're going to push to it.
Now, you want to open a browser on the phone and go to (at the time of this writing, v23.0 is the current stable Magisk):
Release Magisk v23.0 · topjohnwu/Magisk
This release is focused on fixing regressions and bugs. Note: Magisk v22 is the last major version to support Jellybean and Kitkat. Magisk v23 only supports Android 5.0 and higher. Bug Fixes [App]...
github.com
Scroll down and under "Assets" select that Magisk 23.apk file, download and install it. Open Magisk if it doesn't open on install, and just let it sit, we're coming back to it shortly.
PATCHING THE BOOT.IMG FILE
On the PC, go back to the Factory Image you downloaded, and extract it to a temporary directory. You will see 6 files; a few "flash-all" files, a radio image, a bootloader image, and a ZIP file called "image-barbet-XXXXXXXXXXX.zip (the xxx's are whatever the version number is you've downloaded). Double click that ZIP file and you will see a dozen files. The one we need to root the device is "boot.img".
Copy (don't move!!) this file to c:\platform-tools. Now, go back to your command prompt (still pointing to c:\platform-tools) and type in:
adb push boot.img /sdcard/Download
Now back on the phone, within the Magisk app we left open, at the top where it says Magisk, choose to install. A dialog box will open, select Patch Boot File Image. Point the process to your /sdcard/Download, and select the boot.img file we just pushed there. Now allow it to patch the boot.img and Magisk will show you it's patching it, and in a moment tell you it was successful. Close the Magisk app, open "Files" and direct it to sdcard/Download. Note the name of the patched boot file, which is called "magisk_patched-XXXXX_xxxxx.img (the X's are the Magisk version, and the x's are 5 random chars). Feel free to leave it there as you go back to the PC...
Back on the PC, in the command prompt, now type:
adb pull /sdcard/Download/magisk_patched-XXXXX_xxxxx.img
make certain you get the name exact or it won't go, no worries, just get it correct. The file now resides in the "c:\platform-tools" directory along with the unpatched "boot.img" and your ADB+Fastboot tools.
Just about done rooting, here we go!
Now, in the command prompt type:
adb reboot bootloader
The phone reboots into bootloader. Now type:
fastboot flash boot magisk_patched-XXXXX_xxxxx.img (again, use the numbers and letters in YOUR patched file!)
Lastly, type:
fastboot reboot
Your phone reboots, and you should be rooted!! Unplug your phone from the PC, open up Magisk App and confirm, the Magisk entry at the top of the main Magisk App screen should now show you the version you installed, etc!
Time to get your banking apps (and any others that may detect unlocked bootloaders/root/etc) working!
In the Magisk App, on the bottom of the screen is a 4 item menu bar. Select the right-most icon, which is "Modules". At the top of the screen select "sorting order" and sort alphabetically. Scroll down to "riru" and select the module that is JUST "RIRU", (not any of the other "riru _______" modules). Choose to download it, then choose to install it. You'll be prompted to reboot the phone, so reboot the phone.
Next, we're going to install drag0n's Universal SafetyNet fix (at the time of this writing it's currently v 2.1.1) You will need to download this via a browser on your phone, so open a web browser and go to:
GitHub - kdrag0n/safetynet-fix: Google SafetyNet attestation workarounds for Magisk
Google SafetyNet attestation workarounds for Magisk - GitHub - kdrag0n/safetynet-fix: Google SafetyNet attestation workarounds for Magisk
github.com
On the right-hand side, you'll find "Releases", and v2.1.1 is the latest. Select that, then scroll down to "Assets" and download "safetynet-fix-v2.1.1.zip" By default this will download to sdcard/Download.
Go back into the Magisk App, select the "Modules" menu as above, and at the very top select the "Install from Storage" bar. Point to the file we just downloaded and install it (don't extract it, etc, it requires the zip exactly as downloaded and will do it's thing). Again, it will install the module and prompt you to reboot. Reboot.
Almost there!
At this point, if you havent installed your banking apps, do so. DON'T RUN THEM, just install them. I also have a Nintendo Switch Online app which failed because of root, so if you also have or want this app, install it now, again, do NOT run it yet, just install. Same with any other apps you are aware which have root/bootloader unlocked issues, get them installed, but don't run 'em.
Now, we're going to use MagiskHide to hide these apps and complete the process for passing SafetyNet and running apps which may not run due to root.
in the Magisk App, at that 4 item menu bar at the bottom, select the 2nd from left, or "MagiskHide". Select the MagiskHide item and it will open to a scan of all the apps on your system. By default I believe Magisk sets up to hide Google Play Services. You will see it selected, and all the other apps on your system unselected. Select each of the banking apps, the Nintendo Switch Online (if you have it), and any other apps that YOU ARE SURE will complain about unlocked bootloaders and/or root. Any onilne gaming that's popular are good choices, but again, it's easiest to NOT RUN them PRIOR to hiding them via MagiskHide. Pokemon GO comes to mind as one I've seen that needs hiding, etc, so make it easy on yourself and do a little research on any suspect apps prior to running them, then hide them if needed.
Anyhow, select your banking apps to hide them.
Now, we're going to check SafetyNet to make sure youll now pass.
On the Home menu in the Magisk App, select "Check SafetyNet". You will be prompted to download some proprietary SafetyNet shhhhhhhtuff....so let it download. Once done, SafetyNet check will open, and you should show a blue screen which says SUCCESS, and "basicintegrity" and "ctsProfile" will be checkmarked, evalType will show BASIC.
You're good to go, rooted, SafetyNet works perfect, and you can now open your banking apps and should open right up!!
If you find any specific issues about specific apps not working, or detecting root, etc, the best place to get help is in the Magisk General Discussion forum:
Magisk General Support / Discussion
This is the place for general support and discussion regarding "Public Releases", which includes both stable and beta releases. All information, including troubleshoot guides and notes, are in the Announcement Thread
forum.xda-developers.com
I owe those folks eternally for showing me what I know, and always having the answers for any issues I've ever had. Some of the nicest, smartest people Ive had the pleasure of knowing, they're always helpful, and even maintain fantastic sites for FAQ and chock full of great info about every aspect of Magisk.
BONUS ITEM: As I indicated above, I'd share the method I know, trust, and have used many many times, trouble free, to apply a system update to the phone without overwriting anything, and not hitting any issues many encounter using the OTA method (though I understand that's been vastly improved, I haven't educated myself as to that process and will likely continue to use this method).
Security Update (monthlies) Process using Full System Image
As above, download the newest Full Factory Image from the site. Extract this full image to a directory inside C:\platform-tools
In this directory, if you're on Windows, open the "flash-all.bat" file (don't run it, open it with Notepad or something similar, I really like Notepad++ as it's free, has a LOT of great functionality and, like the native Notepad, doesn't do any goofy formatting/fonting/etc when modifying and saving a file.)
In flash-all.bat, look for the "-w" entry in the fastboot command near the end of the file and REMOVE ONLY THE "-w", leaving the line correctly formatted (don't leave an extra space or something goofy), then save the file over the top of the original with the same name. This will remove the overwriting of your data when pushing the image, the "-w" tells the process to overwrite, so we remove it.
Open up a Windows Explorer and go to your c:\platform-tools directory. Delete (or move to another location) any "boot.img" files along with any "magisk_patched-XXXXX_xxxxx.img" files from previous operations. Also note and confirm that you have correctly extracted the latest Full System Image to it's own directory, residing in c:\platform-tools.
Now, connect your phone to the PC. Open your command prompt and point to "C:\platform-tools" again. Type: cd <name of Full system Image directory>
In command prompt, type:
adb reboot bootloader
The phone is now in bootloader. In command prompt, confirm you're pointing to "C:\platform-tools\<Full System Image extract dir>" Type:
flash-all
This will do a full factory image push to your phone, you'll see a couple quick writes and phone reboots, then begins writing the rest of the image to your phone, but since we removed the "-w" from "flash-all.bat", it's NOT overwriting your data, just the necessary system files to update it to the latest version!
Reboot your phone, let it do any optimizing and updating it needs to do, and don't run anything yet, we're not quite done, just let the phone settle in and finish booting and doing it's thing.
Now, go back and perform the steps above listed under "PATCHING THE BOOT.IMG FILE" to patch the newest boot.img from the Full System Image we just updated the phone with (push the boot.img to sdcard/Download, patch with Magisk App, pull magisk_patched-XXXXX_xxxxx.img to your PC, blast it back using fastboot), and you've now rerooted the phone.
Lemme just say again that I know this was a friggin' book, and I tried to make it as clear and plain language as I could to help even a first timer, so my apologies if it seems like an onerous process. It's really not, and once you've done this once or twice, it's a cakewalk and takes about 10 minutes of your time from start to finish to do the whole system update and reroot. Again, the newer methods to take OTA without losing root may be something you'd like to look into, i definitely will, but I'm very confident in sharing this method as I know it works like a champ and is foolproof if you take your time the first few times and make sure you do what's required (remove the "-w" from the flash-all.bat, etc)
Lastly, I've been using this method since the Pixel 2, and just performed it on my new 5a, it worked exactly as it has for years for me on the P2, so you can be confident moving forward that, if you follow instructions and take your time until it's all familiar, you'll be successful in rooting, passing SafetyNet, and applying system updates without screwing up the A/B slots or overwriting your data in the process.
I hope this helps even one person, and since I rarely find myself able to give back to the community in any real meaningful way (many of these folks are WAAAY beyond my modest skills and know so much!!), I hope that this provides some folks with a useful and meaningful tutorial, providing confidence that anyone can root their P5a (or about any Pixel it seems) without being a Magisk/Android prodigy.
@Didgeridoohan, @pndwal, @zgfg, @jcmm11, and so many others over the years have been so helpful, I couldn't have done any of this without their selfless help, so give those folks a big thanks also if this is any help to you.
Best of luck,
hfam
Thanks for the write-up @hfam, it's good to know that some of the steps that i tried aren't really necessary, like using props config or hiding the actual magisk app.
Appreciate you!
nsoult said:
Thanks for the write-up @hfam, it's good to know that some of the steps that i tried aren't really necessary, like using props config or hiding the actual magisk app.
Appreciate you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awww, thanks! Glad to do it and really hope it helps some folks tackle rooting their phones and passing SN!
Rooted with magisk v.23 - flashed zip as a module
So has anyone installed the October update yet?
GrandAdmiral said:
So has anyone installed the October update yet?
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Yep, good to go. I used the same method I shared above.
Is this working with Android 12? Which Magisk version to use?
This method did not work for Android 12. I updated my rooted phone to android 12 OTA. It returned to stock. I followed the method above to patch the factory boot.img file with magisk. After flashing my phone in bootloader with the patched boot.img, my phone will not reboot. says:
failed to load/verify boot images
Any advice? My Magisk is v23. Do I need to use a beta version?
Poking around in this thread, it seems that android 12 root is a much more involved process, requiring factory wipe and additional steps.
[Guide] Flash Magisk on Android 12
Trying to root the Pixel 5 running Android 12 by flashing a magisk-patched boot image results in the phone only booting to fastboot mode ("failed to load/verify boot images") Some users have reported that booting (instead of flashing) the patched...
forum.xda-developers.com
tintn00+xda said:
This method did not work for Android 12. I updated my rooted phone to android 12 OTA. It returned to stock. I followed the method above to patch the factory boot.img file with magisk. After flashing my phone in bootloader with the patched boot.img, my phone will not reboot. says:
failed to load/verify boot images
Any advice? My Magisk is v23. Do I need to use a beta version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As you stated, you are correct. You need to perform a full wipe or flash the factory image with a wipe and then root works fine and phone boots. Tried myself and works fine.