Flashing hell

[depscribe]

I've jumped through all the hoops and am prepared to reflash my Gemini with Debian and Sailfish. And everything seems to have gone okay until the point where I click the "Download" tab to download. And it throws an error box, to wit: "Please select one ROM at least before execution."

There is no place I can find to select any ROM at all.

An running the Linux version of the Flash tool, btw.

So how in creation do I select the ROM(s)?

I think it may have something to do with the instructions referring to a "firmware folder," but the processes in the instructions produce no subdirectory of that name. I copied the various .img files into the base subdirectory.

I would truly enjoy passing among the PC people with a baseball bat right now. *Everything* with this device is an ordeal.

Update to clarify: the scatter file is Gemini_X27_LinuxOnly.txt, while the .img files are debian_boot.img, linux.img, and sailfishos_boot.img.

Further update: This in an interesting paragraph: "The Base firmware contains the basic Android firmware. This is the main component, it needs to be extracted to reveal the Gemini Base firmware folder. All the other component need to be copied/unzipped here." So there appears to be no possibility of a Googledroid-free Gemini. So PC extracted >$500 from me for a mediocre Android phone. Great.

[iusethis]

If you set Linux to be the default operating system, you don't ever have to boot into Android and no Google services will ever be activated. I guess Planet just decided to build the drivers, etc. into the Android image because that would be the most widely used OS, and due to the constraints of the MediaTek SoC.

Tbh if this is because you're that paranoid about Googledroid, you should just get rid of the Gemini because MediaTek has probably baked all sorts of backdoors/vulnerabilities into the SoC.

[depscribe]

If you set Linux to be the default operating system, you don't ever have to boot into Android and no Google services will ever be activated. I guess Planet just decided to build the drivers, etc. into the Android image because that would be the most widely used OS, and due to the constraints of the MediaTek SoC.

Tbh if this is because you're that paranoid about Googledroid, you should just get rid of the Gemini because MediaTek has probably baked all sorts of backdoors/vulnerabilities into the SoC.

I'm just trying to get the thing to flash as it is supposed to according to the instructions on the flash support page. I flashed rooted Androis and Debian a couple of months ago, but it now stops with my having failed to select a ROM -- which makes no sense at all to me. I'm not interested in bricking the thing. And yes, I have it set to boot Linux. (Weirdly, there's no provision for just booting Linux and Sailfish -- one has to choose three.)

And yes, the contents of the MediaTek blobs are of concern. One does wish that Planet Computers had been a little more forthcoming about this as well as the multitude of other things about which they either stretched the truth or flat-out lied. Because I certainly would not have backed the project, and I suspect I am not alone in that regard.

Now I'm just interested in making it good for something. And that pretty much requires Sailfish OS.

[Ifanafi]

If you set Linux to be the default operating system, you don't ever have to boot into Android and no Google services will ever be activated. I guess Planet just decided to build the drivers, etc. into the Android image because that would be the most widely used OS, and due to the constraints of the MediaTek SoC.

Tbh if this is because you're that paranoid about Googledroid, you should just get rid of the Gemini because MediaTek has probably baked all sorts of backdoors/vulnerabilities into the SoC.

I'm just trying to get the thing to flash as it is supposed to according to the instructions on the flash support page. I flashed rooted Androis and Debian a couple of months ago, but it now stops with my having failed to select a ROM -- which makes no sense at all to me. I'm not interested in bricking the thing. And yes, I have it set to boot Linux. (Weirdly, there's no provision for just booting Linux and Sailfish -- one has to choose three.)

And yes, the contents of the MediaTek blobs are of concern. One does wish that Planet Computers had been a little more forthcoming about this as well as the multitude of other things about which they either stretched the truth or flat-out lied. Because I certainly would not have backed the project, and I suspect I am not alone in that regard.

Now I'm just interested in making it good for something. And that pretty much requires Sailfish OS.

-----------------------------

Cool showers and gobs of aloe for the second-degree arse burns helped this Gemini owner survive many round-trips to 'Flashing Hell'.

While I did NOT triple flash my Gem, I found by trial and error that this processed worked for me:

- ONE cannot re-use the flashing tools / files.
- So, delete them from your computer.
- Deep registry clean your computer to remove residual files from flashing.
- Restart your computer.
- DOWNLOAD (again) the flashing tools / files and install them accordingly.
- POWER OFF your Gemini.
- USB connect the Gem to your computer and only then power on the Gemini.

That process might not be grounded in computer logic, yet it worked for me since realizing the one-time-only use of the flashing tools.

In the off-chance that doesn't succeed the first time, rinse and repeat until it works.

Cheers!

Ifanafi

-----------------------------

[iusethis]

True, that. After going through a few rounds of nerve wracking will-it-or-won't-it-flash, I've given up for now.

I mean the Gemini still has value as an Android phone with a keyboard, but that's it.

I remain hopeful, but I fear that the chances of ever seeing a fully functional Gemini running Sailfish 3 (or any other non-Android OS) are verrrrrrry slim.