[device-port] [marlin] Google Pixel XL (1st-gen)

[sergobot]

Tree: halium-7.1

• Create manifest Add Google Pixel XL (marlin) halium-devices#112
• Boot image and system image build successfully
• Device boots into rootfs, usb: Manufacturer: GNU/Linux Device appears in dmesg on host.
• LXC container starts and does not crash
• libhybris tests
  • test_gps
  • test_hwcomposer
  • test_lights
  • test_vibrator
  • test_wifi
  • test_sensors
  • test_audio
  • test_camera
  • test_input
  • test_nfc
  • test_recorder

Installation

For the time being the instructions are available as a separate gist and will be merged here soon.

Specific features

• Dual-boot
  This is an A/B device, so dual boot is possible: I'm currently running Android P in slot A along with Halium being installed in slot B.
  TODO: Add dual-boot installation instructions
• No recovery
  A/B partition scheme means there's no recovery partition anymore. Instead, it's located in initrams of the kernel. At normal boot, bootloader puts skip_initramfs flag into cmdline and Android obeys that. Halium needs initramfs, as some scripts are run there, so there's a dirty hack in the kernel to ignore skip_initrams. Thus, installing TWRP will break Halium and prevent it from booting.
  TODO: Research the way Android boots and replicate that behaviour in Halium

Known Issues

• Broken Android encryption
  This port is known to break Android encryption Implement basic support for A/B devices initramfs-tools-halium#14 (comment). Help in further investigation is really appreciated.

Other notes

• Vendor partition
  All the tests were made with vendor partition from build NOF27B. You can download it from https://developers.google.com/android/images

[Sammaya]

So......tath possible to install this now ?

[sergobot]

@Sammaya Unfortunately you won't be able to run any graphical interface yet. I have mostly stepped off trying to bring this up, but just in case there's an installation instruction that I hope is still relevant. Any help in porting is largely welcomed :)

[androidacy-user]

Have you done any work since then @sergobot?

[sergobot]

No, I have not. If you would like to continue porting, my repositiories may be a good start, though.

[Supaiku]

I don't necessarily have development experience per se, but I'd love to support and am pretty good and research and being creative :p

What are the blocking pieces and next steps?
@sergobot, do you think it's a feasible project?

It's not clear form the comments if the lack of graphics or the encryption breaking, etc is a deal breaker, or just a bump in the road.

Dual boot would be awesome, eh?! :) Would love to see this as a viable Ubuntu Touch device. It's pretty ubiquitous and seems to have good build quality.

[sergobot]

@Supaiku Encryption breaking was a major issue for me, as the Pixel XL was my daily driver and I wasn't happy with it having no pin set up or suddenly getting bricked. Lack of graphics is an essential obstacle, that can probably be fixed — it was just me giving up due to the lack of time.

Though, about a year ago, I had some experiments to split partitions and have a dual boot without breaking encryption now and then. So, if anyone wants to continue this, I'd suggest to try, as fixing graphics should be feasible. However, AFAIK Plasma Mobile doesn't work with halium-boot and you will need to get hygris-boot working first.

[Flohack74]

Just FYI I did not a successful port for UT and sailfish, but I would love to see feedback also for marlin. I am about to get the manifest in: Halium/halium-devices#282 - and here is the forum entry: https://forums.ubports.com/topic/5533/porting-call-for-testers