Migrating from roll-your-own rooted to Planet's rooted android

[Zarhan]

I've successfully been running rooted Android (see https://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?topic=35879.0 ) and it has given no issues. I'm now running V19 of the firmware.

In latest Indiegogo update (#47), Planet is telling that they'll provide a new update this month.

I've rooted my phone using magiskmanager to create custom boot image and then flashed that using fastboot. I can roll back to unrooted version, upgrade the phone, grab the new image using spflashtool and root again.

However: since planet is going to fix the problem with SIM cards in their new rooted Android, it might be that this is a prudent time to migrate.
Looking at planet's instructions at http://support.planetcom.co.uk/index.php/Linux_for_Cosmo raises some questions.

- The instructions do not have any steps to unlock the bootloader. Are Planet's images signed, meaning that if you use them, you can actually use locked bootloader? I'm just thinking that from security perspective it might be nice to require a signed image so nothing can flash over it - and you get rid of the 5 second message on boot about this being untrusted. I'm assuming they are signed, but can you please confirm this?
- How do OTA upgrades work with Planet's rooted Android? My assumption is that you can just boot using the unrooted partition, do the OTA upgrade, then (hopefully) grab a new version of rooted boot image from Planet and install that. They need to provide the image due to signing requirement.
- The partitioning section states that  "If you select to reserve some space for Linux, 4 additional partitions will be created: ". What if I *don't* want to allocate any space for Linux? I'm happy with 100% Android (With the Devuan set up on the memory card). How do you install TWRP or the rooted Android if you don't allocate any space for Linux and therefore don't create the partition structure given in the article?

The last one is the one I'm most concerned about...

[Zarhan]

Anyone? I guess I'll just continue with the roll-your-own approach to be on the safe side...

[SwordfishII]

- The instructions do not have any steps to unlock the bootloader. Are Planet's images signed, meaning that if you use them, you can actually use locked bootloader? I'm just thinking that from security perspective it might be nice to require a signed image so nothing can flash over it - and you get rid of the 5 second message on boot about this being untrusted. I'm assuming they are signed, but can you please confirm this?
- How do OTA upgrades work with Planet's rooted Android? My assumption is that you can just boot using the unrooted partition, do the OTA upgrade, then (hopefully) grab a new version of rooted boot image from Planet and install that. They need to provide the image due to signing requirement.
- The partitioning section states that  "If you select to reserve some space for Linux, 4 additional partitions will be created: ". What if I *don't* want to allocate any space for Linux? I'm happy with 100% Android (With the Devuan set up on the memory card). How do you install TWRP or the rooted Android if you don't allocate any space for Linux and therefore don't create the partition structure given in the article?

The last one is the one I'm most concerned about...

1. Planets images are likely signed. My bootloader tab is not flipped to "unlocked" and does not show unsecure notification on boot.
2. You are correct
3. In order to flash the rooted android you must "allocate space for linux" it is up to you if you flash the linux bootloader. From a housekeeping perspective I also don't like having unused allocations, but since they use libhybris to basically symlink the main android install there isn't much waste as the majority of files are in the main android partition.

[Zarhan]

1. Planets images are likely signed. My bootloader tab is not flipped to "unlocked" and does not show unsecure notification on boot.
2. You are correct
3. In order to flash the rooted android you must "allocate space for linux" it is up to you if you flash the linux bootloader. From a housekeeping perspective I also don't like having unused allocations, but since they use libhybris to basically symlink the main android install there isn't much waste as the majority of files are in the main android partition.

Thanks a lot. That last point pretty much settles it - I'll continue rolling my own rooted image. Throwing 30 GB of space to waste for a Linux partition I'll never use just won't do. Not to mention the hassle with moving data over.

[SwordfishII]

1. Planets images are likely signed. My bootloader tab is not flipped to "unlocked" and does not show unsecure notification on boot.
2. You are correct
3. In order to flash the rooted android you must "allocate space for linux" it is up to you if you flash the linux bootloader. From a housekeeping perspective I also don't like having unused allocations, but since they use libhybris to basically symlink the main android install there isn't much waste as the majority of files are in the main android partition.

Thanks a lot. That last point pretty much settles it - I'll continue rolling my own rooted image. Throwing 30 GB of space to waste for a Linux partition I'll never use just won't do. Not to mention the hassle with moving data over.

....The rooted android is installed on the "Linux space".... Anything aside from system apps you install on rooted android would be on that 30GB.

[Zarhan]

....The rooted android is installed on the "Linux space".... Anything aside from system apps you install on rooted android would be on that 30GB.

Ah, now I understand. Well, the rooted Android consists of essentially 10 megs of boot image. So wasting almost all of that 30 GB seems more or less a waste.

Although... maybe based on https://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=36043 it might be possible to do custom splits. Like 126 GB / 1 GB or something. Just use parted and modify the metadata to the correct size.