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doc:appunti:hardware:xiaomi_mi_a1 [2019/11/09 14:48] – [Upgrading the Operating System] niccolodoc:appunti:hardware:xiaomi_mi_a1 [2020/03/25 15:47] – [March 2020 security update] niccolo
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 When an app requires root privileges, the Magisk management app will show a pop-up on the phone, allowing to grant or deny the permission, so be sure that the phone is not in screen-locked mode. When an app requires root privileges, the Magisk management app will show a pop-up on the phone, allowing to grant or deny the permission, so be sure that the phone is not in screen-locked mode.
 ===== Recovery Mode ===== ===== Recovery Mode =====
 +
 +Android devices have a feature called **Android Recovery Mode**, which allows users to fix some problems. Technically, Recovery Mode refers to a special bootable partition, which contains a recovery application installed in it. The Xiaomi Mi A1 **does not actually have a recovery partition**, the recovery program is installed into the **boot A** and **boot B** partitions instead. You can use the Recovery from official **stock ROM**, or you can install a **custom recovery**, as the famous (and very rich in features) TWRP Recovery. 
 +
 +To enter the Recover mode you can follow one of this ways:
  
   * **Power Off** the phone.   * **Power Off** the phone.
   * Press **VolumeUp + Power**, wait about 3 seconds for the Mi logo screen.   * Press **VolumeUp + Power**, wait about 3 seconds for the Mi logo screen.
-  * Wait for the Broken Droid logo with the **No command** message+ 
 +If you have installed the TWRP Recovery, its main screen will appear. If you have the stock ROM Recovery you have to: 
 + 
 +  * Wait for the Broken Droid logo with the **No command** message.
   * Press **Power + VolumeUp** shortly, the Recovery menu will appear.   * Press **Power + VolumeUp** shortly, the Recovery menu will appear.
  
 {{.:android:mi-a1-stock-recovery.jpg?direct&240|Mi-A1 Stock ROM Recovery Menu}} {{.:android:mi-a1-stock-recovery.jpg?direct&240|Mi-A1 Stock ROM Recovery Menu}}
 {{.:android:mi-a1-stock-recovery-api.jpg?direct&120|Recovery Supported API}} {{.:android:mi-a1-stock-recovery-api.jpg?direct&120|Recovery Supported API}}
 +
 +When the phone is booted in normal system, you can reboot in Recovery mode by issuing the following command from an attached PC:
 +
 +<code>
 +adb reboot recovery
 +</code>
 +
  
 ===== Fastboot Mode ===== ===== Fastboot Mode =====
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 The main content is a **payload.bin**, in our case it was an incremental update (November 2018 Security patches), with size of about 66 Mb. It seems that there is a tool able to extract the content of that payload files, see **[[https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/development/extract-files-ota-payload-bin-diff-t3959161|Extract files from OTA payload.bin full and incremental]]**. The main content is a **payload.bin**, in our case it was an incremental update (November 2018 Security patches), with size of about 66 Mb. It seems that there is a tool able to extract the content of that payload files, see **[[https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/development/extract-files-ota-payload-bin-diff-t3959161|Extract files from OTA payload.bin full and incremental]]**.
  
 +===== March 2020 security update =====
 +
 +In March 2020 Xiaomi released a new security update, according to this post **[[https://piunikaweb.com/2020/03/18/mi-a1-android-10-update-dream-keeps-fading-as-the-device-picks-up-march-security-patch/|Mi A1 Android 10 update dream keeps fading]]**, it is another **AndroidOne v.9** relase, build number **V10.0.19.0.PDHMIXM**.
 +
 +I performed the upgrade re-installing **TWRP** and **Magisk** afterward. The starting conditions were:
 +
 +  * A/B System Updates status: **Current Slot: B** (checked via TWRP => Reboot screen).
 +  * Bootloader is **unlocked**.
 +  * Installed O.S.: Android: 9, Build number: **PKQ1.180917.001.V10.0.14.0.PDHMIXM** (check from Impostazioni => Sistema => Informazioni sul telefono).
 +  * From //Impostazioni// => //Sistema// => //Avanzate// => //Aggiornamento di sistema// we get informed about **Aggiornamento sistema disponibile**, **March 2020 security update** (1100.3 Mb). The file is already downloaded and the phone suggests to reboot to install.
 +  * **Magisk** v20.1 and **TWRP** 3.3.0 were installed into **boot partition** (Slot B).
 +  * **System partition** was the stock one: root privileges were never used to tamper the **/system** hierarchy.
 +
 +The system upgrade will **verify** the **boot** and the **system** partitions before attempting the installation, refusing to proceed if they were tampered. So I had to restore the stock boot image (loosing TWRP and Magisk).
 +
 +I restored the stock **boot_b.img** image (saved before TWRP and Magisk), using the ADB commands from a connected PC:
 +
 +<code>
 +adb reboot bootloader
 +fastboot flash boot_b boot_b.img
 +fastboot reboot
 +</code>
 +
 +**I got a problem** during this step: may be the **boot_b.img** was not the current one, but one of two versions before! Luckily the only negative effect was that **the WiFi was not working**. This is a **logcat** excerpt:
 +
 +<code>
 +android.hardware.wifi@1.0-service: finit_module return: -1: Required key not available
 +android.hardware.wifi@1.0-service: Failed to load WiFi driver
 +android.hardware.wifi@1.0-service: Failed to initialize firmware mode controller
 +android.hardware.wifi@1.0-service: Wifi HAL start failed
 +</code>
 +
 +I proceeded with the standard procedure, trusting that the boot partition would be recognized as original and therefore upgradeable (remember: the update were already downloaded by the phone, so I just launched the reboot and install procedure). After some minutes and three reboots, the system was upgraded; **Android v.9** and build number **PKQ1.180917.001.V10.0.19.0.PDHMIXM**. Fortunately enough the WiFi were recovered.
 ===== Web References ===== ===== Web References =====
  
doc/appunti/hardware/xiaomi_mi_a1.txt · Last modified: 2020/09/23 17:06 by niccolo