Messages

1

Gemini PDA - Android / Upgrading to 8.1 while preserving data+root, TWRP broken

« on: May 16, 2019, 10:46:11 am »

Hey all! I've only recently joined this forum, so let me know if I'm violating any etiquette/cultural guidelines or if you have any formatting tips.

I've just upgraded my gemini to android 8.1 and managed to preserve root and my data, here's a rough outline of how I did it:

- full nandroid backup from TWRP, copied to another computer of course
- flash a brand-new android-only scatterfile with sp_flashtool from http://support.planetcom.co.uk/partitionTool.html
- go to firmware update, download (but don't install) ota.zip
- copy ota.zip to another computer
- boot into recovery
- flashed ota.zip via adb sideload
- restored system+data from backup, had to reformat /data to make it big enough to fit my backup
- flashed ota.zip again via sideload -- I'm sure there's a better way to do this?
- flashed magisk from sideload

I've tried a bunch of different recovery.img for mt6797 in flashtool, TWRP just doesn't seem to want to boot with android 8.1. Next step is to hook up an FTDI cable and see why >_>

if someone were to ask me how to upgrade to 8.1 now, after 2 days of trying various things, my recommended procedure would be:

- full nandroid backup
- download ota.zip via update manager
- flash ota.zip from adb sideload in twrp
- flash magisk.zip

No guarantees this will work, though, and I wanted to document my process.

2

Gemini PDA - Android / Backing up before upgrade to 8.1

« on: May 16, 2019, 10:35:28 am »

Why is it that I don't seem to be able to back up my Gemini? I have searched the in-built storage area for the data files but can't even find any relevent files! For instance we have some Gemini Apps - Data, Agenda, Notes, and they each must have files containing the data I have input, yet I can't find any files that seem to relate to any of them. I have 'Back up' set in settings, yet there seems to be no way to say 'back up now' or where you want to put it. You can't tell if any backup has been made or where, or when.

Owing to a problem I recently tried a factory reset to see if I could get the phone button working again, (it didn't but that is another problem) and when I tried to retrieve my App data, it claimed there was no backup and I had to input everything again! Now we are finally going to get Android 8.1 so I wanted to do a backup before upgrading... but how? The only files I can find are ones that I have put on the Gemini myself either transferred from my home computer, or with my Open Office App which makes 'normal' files just like on my home computer (and are interchangeable). Backing up should be fundamental and simple but this Android OS seems to be nothing like a conventional computer.

If I can't do a simple thing like backing up my files locally (on my own system - I don't trust or use 'cloud things') then I might as well stay with my old Psion, which has worked fine for years, is still working fine, and I can back that up to my main computer whenever I like, as well as checking any of the files I've backed up. And before anyone says 'but the only way is to backup to your Google account, or you must back up to the cloud', what about all those with Wi-Fi only machines? They must have a way to back up locally surely?

My phone is not rooted as I read that access to any on-line bank will not accept a rooted phone.

As for the 8.1 upgrade, I saw it briefly flag up on my Gemini yesterday, but today it seems to have disappeared! If I do a firmware check is says I am up to date. What is going on?

Thanks for any help.

The backup solution in android is indeed abysmal. adb backup -never- works for me. You can copy some, but not all, data via adb, but if you actually want to do a full nandroid backup (the only thing that's worked well for me) or use titanium backup, you need root.

Rooting with Magisk lets you hide that you have root so you can use banking apps. I think you can also just flash twrp with sp_flashtool without rooting and do a nandroid backup that way.

Best of luck!

3

Gemini PDA - Android / X "won't run without Google Play services, which are not supported on your device"

« on: May 16, 2019, 10:31:48 am »

Hi, a few weeks ago the above message suddenly started appearing whenever I tried to open Google apps like Calendar, Gmail, Trusted Contacts.

I can get into my Google Account OK via the Settings, Chrome & Google Maps are still working, and Agenda and K9 Mail both work fine.

The Play Store is no longer visible anywhere on my Gemini, not even in the Apps Settings.

I've tried clearing Google Play Services' cache and indeed all data for Google Play Services, but nothing works.

I've removed and replaced my SD card too - still the same.

I am nervous about removing and readding my Google account to the Gemini in case that makes things even worse, especially as my Google Account is working.

I'm still on the original firmware from when my Gemini was first delivered and original Android version 7.1.1 - again I've been unsure about updating them in case it kills my Gemini (you can tell I've suffered from years of Windows updates!).

Any suggestions please as to how to get back Play Store and get Google apps working properly again? (And in what order to try them?).

Thank you.

Do you have TWRP? One solution might be to flash TWRP with sp_flashtool, https://forum.xda-developers.com/gemini-pda...-2-1-0-t3763855 and then install a gapps zip from https://opengapps.org/

Mysterious that it just stopped working, though.