Hi everyone,
Been lurking here now and again for a couple years but registered to seek some help with my Nexus 7 2012.
Since the Lollipop update my 1st gen N7 has become just this side of unusable. So I got it in my head to try something else, preferably Ubuntu touch since all the fixes for it in it's current state have proven ineffective and I am a long time Ubuntu/Linux user. I have searched and searched but finally decided to just ask since I cannot find an answer.
I am aware that Canonical is no longer supporting my 1st gen N7 with touch but I am hoping there is maybe an Ubuntu Touch ROM out there for my device that is still being maintained by someone else, and if so, could someone possibly point me to it please?
Or if there is some other alternative that I am not aware of that could make my device usable again, I am open to suggestions.
Thanks!
Sadly, you're right. The N7 2017 isn't among the officially supported devices anymore. And as far as I know, there's no unofficial version either.
You could, of course, start maintaining it again. I'm sure a lot of people would be very glad if you did.
nikwen said:
Sadly, you're right. The N7 2017 isn't among the officially supported devices anymore. And as far as I know, there's no unofficial version either.
You could, of course, start maintaining it again. I'm sure a lot of people would be very glad if you did.
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I wish I had those types of skills
Sadly, I am but a mere mortal with no programming chops at all. Maybe someone will have a suggestion or know a solution. I may post this in the main forum to get a few more eyeballs on it and see if anyone has a good idea of what I can do.
Just a bump, waited until the .1 update came out to see if that would help any, it didn't. Anyone have any suggestion for what I can do? My N7 is just a useless brick at this point. Ubuntu touch would probably be my preferred option if a decent one exists.
Thanks
Title basically says it all. What old devices can you suggest that are especially easy to root, install custom ROMs to, mess around with, etc. Other lists and articles I've seen on the same topic have all been about new devices. I'm looking for something cheap to pick up as a project device/tool.
mrmarcdee said:
Title basically says it all. What old devices can you suggest that are especially easy to root, install custom ROMs to, mess around with, etc. Other lists and articles I've seen on the same topic have all been about new devices. I'm looking for something cheap to pick up as a project device/tool.
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I think one of the older OnePlus devices (OP1 or OPX) are suitable for your needs. Beside this, some good old Motorola devices (Moto G, for example) might also be considerable options.
(Hi everyone, this thread was originally posted in the ASUS subforum, but since that place is a ghost town and no one goes there, I thought I would repost it here. I didn't see anything in the rules about reposts, but if this is against the rules then I humbly apologize.)
Hello, I own an ASUS Z300M with Android 7 installed, and as ASUS hasn't updated it officially since 2017, I don't think there are going to be any new updates to this one. So, I was thinking about downloading Oreo somewhere and installing it on the tablet myself.
I know next to nothing about the technical side of android tablets, and not only do I not know how to go about finding an oreo rom and installing it on this Z300M, I don't even know if it's possible. *Is* it possible? I know that there are homebrew OSes like Lineage, but I really enjoy using the gmail app and the google play store, and I don't know if you can use that with lineage. So, I am holding out hope that I can possibly be able to install the official oreo on the tablet.
Thus far I have installed adb and used it (with cmd) to turn a micro sd card into an internal storage (I really hate that this asus tablet only came with 16gb storage, and a lot of that is filled with bloatware). That's pretty much it as far as my prowess goes. In other words I am pretty much as big of a newbie as it gets with this sort of thing. Is any of what I am wanting possible, and even more importantly, is any of it in the grasp of a novice like myself?
Hi everyone,
I can't find a satisfactory answer on my favorite search engines, so I thought I'd come here and ask. Sorry if this question has already been put on the table, carved, sliced and gobbled, I couldn't find trace of it in the forum's search engine either.
My phone's a Leagoo T5c that will forever be stuck on Android 7.0, it seems, because the OEM has already lost interest, and because its SoC makes it difficult, if not downright impossible, to find a suitable custom ROM.
The latest ROM I could find and install on this phone goes back to August of 2018 (no-no, no typos), and its Security Update is even one month older (July 2018).
My question is in the title: Is it possible to install Security Updates without reinstalling/updating/upgrading the firmware itself, like you would in, say, Windows or any other OS, I presume?
UglyStuff said:
Hi everyone,
I can't find a satisfactory answer on my favorite search engines, so I thought I'd come here and ask. Sorry if this question has already been put on the table, carved, sliced and gobbled, I couldn't find trace of it in the forum's search engine either.
My phone's a Leagoo T5c that will forever be stuck on Android 7.0, it seems, because the OEM has already lost interest, and because its SoC makes it difficult, if not downright impossible, to find a suitable custom ROM.
The latest ROM I could find and install on this phone goes back to August of 2018 (no-no, no typos), and its Security Update is even one month older (July 2018).
My question is in the title: Is it possible to install Security Updates without reinstalling/updating/upgrading the firmware itself, like you would in, say, Windows or any other OS, I presume?
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With android 10 were introduced Google play security updates that lets you received security updates (not all of them unfortunately, some requires to upgrade) without updating the full OS. You can't do it because you're stuck with the wrong Android version
Hopefully you won't have any issues with hacking but consider buying a new phone when you'll get a chance
Security updates get rolled out as OTA by OEM/Carrier if they consider it's necessary. You can't force it. Theoretically, all Android smartphones should get around two years of security updates. However, the reality is often very different.
The Leagoo T5c is a small-budget phone what was sold for 99 USD - so more or less a disposable item. You cannot expect OEM/Carrier to have any interest in providing updates for such a phone.
Thank you both for your explanations. I understand that Android works differently when it comes to updating itself, mostly because Google isn't the only party to have a voice in the chapter; still, it's unnerving to see that the end-user is more or less captive anyway.
It kinda defeats the very purpose of an open-source OS, to have to wait for an OEM to release (or not) an update, when you could install the patches yourself.
As for buying another phone, well, as soon as I've got the dough, I will, believe me. Not because I'm dissatisfied with this one, but because I don't like the idea of totting around with a phone that hasn't seen a security update in over two years.
I'm also seriously considering moving to Ubuntu Touch, though there again, my phone's exotic platform could be problematic. Custom ROMs seems to be as complicated an avenue as others, too.
All in all, Android isn't what they sold me: It's not secure, it's not "free", it's just another way to make you shell out bucks for new hardware every couple years.
Android is just iOS without the eye-candy, you ask me...
UglyStuff said:
Thank you both for your explanations. I understand that Android works differently when it comes to updating itself, mostly because Google isn't the only party to have a voice in the chapter; still, it's unnerving to see that the end-user is more or less captive anyway.
It kinda defeats the very purpose of an open-source OS, to have to wait for an OEM to release (or not) an update, when you could install the patches yourself.
As for buying another phone, well, as soon as I've got the dough, I will, believe me. Not because I'm dissatisfied with this one, but because I don't like the idea of totting around with a phone that hasn't seen a security update in over two years.
I'm also seriously considering moving to Ubuntu Touch, though there again, my phone's exotic platform could be problematic. Custom ROMs seems to be as complicated an avenue as others, too.
All in all, Android isn't what they sold me: It's not secure, it's not "free", it's just another way to make you shell out bucks for new hardware every couple years.
Android is just iOS without the eye-candy, you ask me...
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Android isn't iOS precisely because you can break free from your OEM by flashing a custom ROM. You can develop one for almost any device as long as the OEM releases the kernel source code. And most OEM do (expect for some very unknown phones).
Custom ROMs like GrapheneOS are made to free you from google Services and are truly privacy oriented. And all of that is possible because Android is open source.
Trust me, the Android community has always worked actively to counter aging of their devices (including me).
Just buy a phone with a solid community behind and you'll be able to keep it up to date a looong time
Raiz said:
Android isn't iOS precisely because you can break free from your OEM by flashing a custom ROM. You can develop one for almost any device as long as the OEM releases the kernel source code. And most OEM do (expect for some very unknown phones).
Custom ROMs like GrapheneOS are made to free you from google Services and are truly privacy oriented. And all of that is possible because Android is open source.
Trust me, the Android community has always worked actively to counter aging of their devices (including me).
Just buy a phone with a solid community behind and you'll be able to keep it up to date a looong time
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I agree with you in principle, but if I must take an example: I have this Early 2006 MacBook Pro with a Core Duo CPU that precludes me from even installing Mac OS X 10.7 "Lion" on it, because the CPU is 32-bit-only, and Lion requires a 64-bit CPU.
The machine itself works very well, albeit a bit slowly, but then it's got only 2 GB of RAM and a 120-GB SSD. When I got fed-up with OS X applications not updating/upgrading and Firefox addons not installing because my copy of Firefox was too old, I partitioned the SSD, installed rEFInd as boot manager, and installed Zorin 15.2 (now 15.3) Lite 32-bit.
I now spend more time on the Linux side of this Mac than on the OS X side, and updating/upgrading it is a breeze, either via the dedicated application or in Terminal. I know there'll be an end-of-the-line there too, someday, but at least I'll keep using this Mac until it truly dies on me, not when Apple tells me it's dead.
This, for me, is the very essence of open-source: Not just the fact that it's free, but that you can revive an old machine and keep it running long after Apple et al have decided that it had gone the way of the dinosaurs.
The same doesn't apply to Android, alas. Here, you must have a compatible SoC/chipset/what-have-you, a Treble-compatible device, you must have this, you must have that...
In the end, only a fraction of Android users really get to enjoy everything their device has to offer for as long as they choose; the others just pop into the nearest phone store, be it brick-and-mortar or cyber, and must produce their credit card.
My question was as much a challenge to myself as anything else. I would really like to learn how Android works, but the tutorials and articles I've found here and there are all a bit cryptic.
That's why I'm regularly prowling this forum, I guess.
"Hunting high and low", as the song goes... :laugh:
yep, good question but google & manufactures are in it for the moola not the users 2 yr old phone.
hiitsrudd said:
yep, good question but google & manufactures are in it for the moola not the users 2 yr old phone.
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Don't I know it! It's true that even budget phones have decent specs nowadays, still, why dump a perfectly functioning phone simply because you can't update/upgrade the software?
I understand Google's rationale, of course: They invest tons of money year after year after year to keep the whole boat afloat, and they need a steady income. OK. Still, to not be able to keep your phone ***safe*** is a no-go for me.
I'm seriously beginning to think about installing Ubuntu Touch on the device. I think I'm going to try that next weekend.
I'll probably come back here with my eyes red, asking for help in unbricking my phone, though.
Stay tuned! :good:
A followup, if you are mindful of your own security it's conceivable to get more usage of that android. I don't use a banking app, but if need be use a good browser( thats updated of course) And update all often used apps via playstore. I'm still running Oreo on my phone. FYI you iOS ppl need to do critical updates asap