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====== Rooting the Doogee X93 Android Phone ======

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| {{:img:pros_icon.png?nolink&32|}}  | **Good price**: 86 € at March 2022.\\ **Android 10**.\\ 4350 mAh **Battery**.\\ Easy **rooting**.  |
| {{:img:cons_icon.png?nolink&32|}}  | Limited to **3G telephony**.\\ Outdated screen resolution **600x1280**.\\ **Notification LED** does not exists.\\ Battery optimization **too much aggressive**: widgets and apps are stopped.  |


The Doogee X93 smartphone is a cheap Android phone, priced at about 86 € in March 2022.

^ RAM              | 2 Gb |
^ Flash storage    | 16 Gb  |
^ CPU/GPU          | MT6580 Quad Core 1.30 GHz - ARM Mali-400 MP2 500 MHz  |
^ Display          | 600 x 1280 pixels, 6.1 inches  |
^ Telephony        | 3G  |
^ Battery          | 4350mAh non removable  |
^ Slots            | 2 x Nano SIM, 1 x Micro SD  |
^ Android version  | 10  |
^ Build number     | DOOGEE-X93-Android 10.0-20210902  |

{{ .:doogee-x93:doogee-x93_case-opened.jpg?direct&400|The Doogee X93 with the cover removed}}
The **rooting** process is the one common to many smartphones based on the **MediaTek** chips. It requires the **adb** and **fastboot** command line tools (on the PC), the **SP Flash Tool** program (on the PC too) and the **Magisk** Android app. Basically it requires four steps:

  - **Unlock** the bootloader (implies a factory reset).
  - Readback the **boot** and **vbmeta** partitions using **SP Flash Tool v5** and the **{{.:doogee-x93:mt6580_android_scatter-doogee-x93.txt|MT6580_Android_scatter-doogee-x93.txt}}** scatter file.
  - Install **Magisk** on the phone and **patch** the boot.img file.
  - **Flash** the patched boot.img and re-flash vbmeta.img with verity disabled.

**WARNING**: Once rooted the phone **is not longer able to receive OTA upgrades** (On The Air), because the check over the boot partition will fail. To allow the phone to install the OTA upgrade, you have to un-root the phone flashing back the original boot.img and vbmeta.img, using SP Flash Tool.

===== Unlock the bootloader =====

The process requires that you enable the hidden **Developer options**: **OEM unlocking** and **USB debugging**. Then you will be able to unlock the bootloader in //fastboot mode//.

=== Developer options ===

  * Settings => About phone => Build number (tap 7 times)
  * Settings => System => Advanced => Developer options
    * OEM unlocking (ON)
    * USB debugging (ON)

=== Unlocking via fastboot ===

Connect the phone to the PC using the USB cable, all the commands are executed on the PC command line using the **adb** and **fastboot** tools.

Reboot the phone from normal system into fastboot mode:

<code>
adb reboot bootloader
</code>

In fastboot mode, check if the unlock ability is available and the unlock the device:

<code>
fastboot flashing get_unlock_ability
(bootloader) unlock_ability = 16777216
fastboot flashing unlock_critical
</code>

{{.:doogee-x93:doogee-x93_unlock-bootloader.jpg?direct&400|Unlock Bootloader Warning}}

Once confirmed the warning screen, the phone will perform a **factory reset** and reboot. Remember to enable again the //Developer options//.

Once the bootloader is unlocked, an **Orange State Warning** is displayed at every bootstrap. This modifications is not reversible:

{{.:doogee-x93:doogee-x93_orange-state.jpg?direct&400|Doogeee X93 Orange State Warning}}

===== Readback the boot.img and vbmeta.img partitions =====

Install the **[[https://spflashtools.com/|SP Flash Tool v5]]**. Notice that version 5 uses the //scatter file// to know about partitions names, addresses and sizes, whereas the newer version 6 requires an XML file, which I don't have for the Doogee X93. I used version 5.2152 for Linux, version 5.1916 does not run on my Debian 11 Bullseye, due some missing library.

Start the program, from the **Download** tab, click the **Choose** botton along the //Scatter-loading File// and read the scatter file {{.:doogee-x93:mt6580_android_scatter-doogee-x93.txt|MT6580_Android_scatter-doogee-x93.txt}}. I found the scatter file inside an archive of the ROM image, downloaded from an [[https://doogeemall.com/community/xenforum/topic/37327/doogee-x93-new-software-version-released|unofficial page]] (WARNING: Do not trust any unofficial software found on the net!).

From the **Readback** tab, click the **Add** button, then enter the filename, region, start address and length. Repeat the add action for boot and vbmeta partitions. You can get the required data from the scatter file:

^ Filename  ^ Region  ^ Start Address  ^ Length  ^
| boot.img    | EMMC_USER  |  0x4dc0000 |  0x1000000 |
| vbmeta.img  | EMMC_USER  |  0x7e40000 |   0x800000 |

With the phone powered off and disconnected, click the **Read Back** button and then connect the USB cable to the PC. The two files will be saved into the PC.

===== Patch the boot.img partition =====

Reboot the phone in standard mode and upload the **[[https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk/releases/tag/v24.2|Magisk]]** app and the **boot.img** file to the phone memory, using the **adb** tool:

<code>
adb push Magisk-v24.2.apk /sdcard/Download
adb push boot.img /sdcard/Download
</code>

FIXME **WARNING**: It may be prefreable to install an old version of Magisk, e.g. **version 23.0**. The main developer of Magisk switched to work for Google/Android, so some features were removed and/or revamped in newer version of the app. E.g. the **Check SafetyNet** function was removed and the **MagiskHide** feature was changed in **Enforce DenyList**. See this post explaining the developing policy change: **[[https://topjohnwu.medium.com/state-of-magisk-2021-fe29fdaee458|State of Magisk: 2021]]**.

Using the phone file manager, install the Magisk app and run it.

{{ .:doogee-x93:doogee-x93_magisk-install.jpg?direct&200|Magisk Install}}
Into the upper Magisk box, tap the //Install// icon. You can read the **[[https://topjohnwu.github.io/Magisk/install.html|install instructions]]**. Remember that the Doogee X93 phone:

  * Has ramdisk in the boot partition (so we need to patch boot.img).
  * Has a separate vbmeta partition (do not check the //Patch vbmeta in boot image// option).

Once you have patched the boot.img file, download the patched file to the PC using **adb** (the name will be different):

<code>
adb pull /sdcard/Download/magisk_patched-24200_QeQ7M.img
</code>


===== Flash the patched boot.img and disable verity =====

From normal system, reboot the phone into fastboot mode:

<code>
adb reboot bootloader
</code>

In fastboot mode you can flash-back the patched partition and re-flash vbmeta.img with verity disabled:

<code>
fastboot flash boot magisk_patched-24200_QeQ7M.img 
fastboot flash vbmeta --disable-verity --disable-verification vbmeta.img
fastboot reboot
</code>

===== Special Modes =====

==== Android Boot Menu ====

The standard method to access the **Android Boot Menu** does not work: holding down the **Volume Up** and **Power** buttons untill vibration, does nothing. If you wait enough, it boots in standard mode.

==== Recovery ====

To enter the **Recovery Menu** issue the **adb reboot recovery** command from a PC connected to the USB cable (it requiers the **USB debugging** option enabled).

Use the **Volume Up** and **Volume Down** buttons to highlight the choice, confirm with **Power**.

{{.:doogee-x93:doogee-x93_recovery-menu.jpg?direct&360|Doogee X93 Recovery Menu}}

==== Factory Mode ====

To enter the **Factory Mode**:

  * **Turn off** the phone.
  * Press the **Volume Down** along with the **Power** buttons for about 4 seconds, untill the Doogee logo appears.
    * Select item with **Volume Down** key.
    * Confirm choiche with **Power** button.
    * Go back with **Volume Up**.

{{.:doogee-x93:doogee-x93_factory-mode-menu.jpg?direct&360|Doogee X93 Factory Mode Menu}}

Here you can see the //Version// screen:

{{.:doogee-x93:doogee-x93_version.jpg?direct&360|Doogee X93 - Version}}

==== Fastboot Mode ====

Issue the **adb reboot bootloader** command from a PC connected to the USB cable (it requiers the **USB debugging** option enabled).

{{.:doogee-x93:doogee-x93_fastboot-mode.jpg?direct&360|Doogee X93 Fastboot Mode}}

===== Android Fingerprint =====

<code>
~$ getprop ro.build.fingerprint
DOOGEE/X93_EEA/X93:10/QP1A.190711.020/1630486559:user/release-keys
</code>

===== Termux:API problems =====

On this phone I experienced a **[[..:android:termux_problems#termuxapi_not_working|Termux:API problem]]**. As far as I understand it is a mix of power saving features (the DuraSpeed settings) and the specific Android release of this phone which prevents the autostart af apps at bootstrap.

It seems that some steps in the right way to solve the problem are explained in this **[[https://github.com/termux/termux-api/issues/447#issuecomment-927314582|issue #447 comment]]** and in this page **[[https://bbs.blackview.hk/viewtopic.php?t=532725|Widgets not working after restart]]**.

A partial workaround consists basically in installing the **[[https://github.com/Magisk-Modules-Repo/MagiskHidePropsConf/blob/master/README.md|MagiskHide Props Config]]** module into the Magisk app, then execute a command line procedure which will create a **Magisk boot script**. That script will use **Magisk resetprop tool** to change on the fly two options in **/system/build.prop** Android file.

Download the **MagiskHidePropsConf-v6.1.2.zip** file and install it from the Magisk app (Modules=> Install from storage). You can find more info about the MagiskHide Props Config module here: **[[https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/module-magiskhide-props-config-safetynet-prop-edits-and-more-v6-1-2.3789228/|MagiskHide Props Config - SafetyNet, prop edits, and more]]**.

From the Termux command line verify that **ro.hct_autostart_manager** and **ro.freeme_freemanager** properties are set to **1**:

<code>
~$ getprop ro.hct_autostart_manager
1
~$ getprop ro.freeme_freemanager
1
</code>

You can also check the **/system/build.prop** file using root privileges:

<code>
~$ tsu 
.../files/home # cd /system
/system # grep freeme_freemanager build.prop 
ro.freeme_freemanager=1
/system # grep hct_autostart_manager build.prop 
ro.hct_autostart_manager=1
</code>

Using the **props** command line tool (provided by the //MagiskHide Props Config// module, which requires root permissions), change that properties to 0 at **post-fs-data** stage.

<code>
tsu
props ro.freeme_freemanager 0
props ro.hct_autostart_manager 0
</code>

Here it is the interactive output of **props**:

<code>
MagiskHide Props Config v6.1.2
by Didgeridoohan @ XDA Developers

=====================================
 ro.freeme_freemanager
=====================================

This will set ro.freeme_freemanager to:

0

The currently set value is:
1
Please enter the new value.

Pick an option below to change
what boot stage the prop will
be set in, or set/reset a delay:

1 - Default (current)
2 - post-fs-data
3 - late_start service
4 - Both boot stages
d - Delay

Do you want to continue?

Enter y(es) or n(o)
or an option from above: 2
</code>

Once **rebooted**, you can confirm that the properties were changed:

<code>
~$ getprop ro.hct_autostart_manager
0
~$ getprop ro.freeme_freemanager
0
</code>

This workaround is not sufficient, you have also to **disable DuraSpeed** at all (with Termux:API only version 0.50.1 it is not possibile to disable it for the app only). **After a reboot** you have to **enable and then disabled DuraSpeed again**.

===== Termux:Widget problems =====

It is not possibile to add the **Termux:Widget** to the home screen. To do so the Termux app needs the permission to **draw over other apps**, starting with Android 10. On this phone it is not possibile to grant this permission to the Termux app, the operating system denies that.