Topics

1

Astro Slide - Hardware / Car mount

« on: October 02, 2022, 01:39:32 pm »

Has anyone got any recommendations for a car mount for the Astro Slide?  Definitely would like to be able to use it with the keyboard open.  Being able to use it also closed is a bonus.

2

Astro Slide - Android / Rooting the Astro Slide

« on: August 03, 2022, 04:03:06 am »

Long story short:  I'm not there yet.  Don't get too excited.  This now works.   

I finally got my Astro Slide (US keyboard, EU plug), and I've started poking around with what it's going to take to root it.  Unfortunately Planet Computers have not yet released a firmware, rooted or otherwise, so this work involves a little brute force.

The bootloader can be unlocked via the standard approach of enabling developer mode, enabling OEM unlock, enabling USB debugging, "adb reboot bootloader", then "fastboot flashing unlock" (note as always that the last of these commands will delete all your data).

We don't have a scatter file for this device, and the existing approaches for generating a scatter file don't seem to work, as this SoC isn't recognised by the normal tools, so instead I took the brute force approach of dumping the entire ROM via SP Flash Tool and then using a hex editor to find the boot image.

Once I pulled the boot image out of the ROM, I fed it to Magisk v25.2, which does recognise it as a boot image and appears to successfully patch it.  However, this is where I have decided to stop working, as I am willing to admit I'm in over my head, and I'd rather not render my brand new device unbootable.

I have attempted to boot this image via fastboot, but that fails with the following error:

Code: [Select]

% fastboot boot astro_magisk_patched.img
Sending 'boot.img' (19128 KB)                      OKAY [  0.500s]
Booting                                            ERROR: usb_read failed with status e00002ed
FAILED (Status read failed (No such file or directory))
fastboot: error: Command failed

After this error, the Astro Slide reboots normally, not rooted.

I suspect that flashing this image to the boot partition would work, but I do not currently have the cojones to attempt it.   

I have attached the stock and patched images to this post, in case someone who is more comfortable than I am with Android booting wishes to give it a shot.  But I make no promises whatsoever that either of these images is actually good, so caveat emptor.

Looking forward to seeing some action in this thread from people who know more than I do!   

Edit:  My original images didn't work.  Don't know why.  I was able to use mtktool referenced later in this thread to extract boot.img and patched it via Magisk and it works fine, producing a rooted Astro Slide.  The attached boot.img can be flashed to boot_a via fastboot.  Use at your own risk of course.

3

Cosmo Communicator - Android / Installing microG on stock Cosmo ROM

« on: January 31, 2020, 05:23:22 am »

I have successfully (so far at least) degoogled and gotten microG (open source Google Services replacement) working on the stock Cosmo ROM (V19).

Here is what I did:

• Root via Magisk (there's another thread about this)
• Install Titanium Backup Pro and use it to uninstall:
  • com.google.android.gms.policy_sidecap_aps, Drive, Google, Google Backup Transport, Google Contacts Sync, Google One Time Init, Google Partner Set Up, Google Play Movies & TV, Google Play Music, Google Play Store, Google Services Framework, Google Text-to-Speech Engine, Google Play Services
• Install EdXposed Magisk module (also requires Riru-Core module)
• Install microG Installer Revived Magisk module
• Install FakeGapps Xposed module to enable signature spoofing

That's it.  Seems to be working just fine so far, although I have not yet extensively tested.  YMMV, use at your own risk.  

Please note that it is not required to remove everything I listed above in order to get microG functional, and there are still some other bits of Google cruft I plan to expurgate in due time, but this is where I am right now.

Also note that this may interfere with OTA updates, or at the very least an OTA will reinstall the Google bits and may cause undesired results.  Again, use at your own risk.