Brute-forcing the unlock code with ADB - General Questions and Answers

Hi everyone,
I've had the nasty surprise of my pattern not being recognized a few days ago. Might be a memory corruption (bit flip from cosmic rays ) or just a very rare bug. Either way, I've won the lottery, because this hasn't happened in 4 years ...
My aim is to unlock the phone without losing internal storage data.
Fortunately, the fingerprint unlock still worked for three days, so I've:
- enabled USB debugging and approved my PC
- backed-up to SD card with Samsung's Smart Switch and did a backup via USB with adb backup (not sure how safe that is)
Currently the fingerprint doesn't work anymore, it forces me to unlock with the pattern. Haven't restarted yet to see if my original pattern will be restored, out of fear that ADB won't work anymore or the backup I did wasn't good enough and I've lost my chance to do a good backup. I'm waiting for my brute-force to finish (more on that below) and some replies from you guys .
My phone is:
Galaxy S8 (Android 9 - firmware G950FXXS5DSJ1 build date Sep 30 2019)
not rooted
My main question is, does this command silently fail after a number of attempts?
adb.exe shell locksettings verify --old xxxxxxx
I've written a script that loads the pattern combinations from file (kudos to delight.im for sharing the list) and saves the command output to file. I've tested it on Android 10 (updated nov 2020) and it throttles after 4 requests - command output is "Request throttled". On my locked phone (Android 9) it appears to never throttle, the output is always "Old password 'xxxxxxx' didn't match".
Found this comment of alecxs on StackOverflow where he says:
there is a 30 seconds timeout after x attempts (timeout may increase) and twrp will silently fail during this waiting period (even with the right pin) - it can even wipe your data (depends on gatekeeper settings and device).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does this apply also to the locksettings verify command?
Can I view the "gatekeeper" settings somewhere?
If you've got any other suggestion on how to unlock the phone or do a better backup before factory reset, please feel free to write!
Thanks a lot!

Related

Encryption not asking for unlock on boot?

Hey guys,
A few days ago I encrypted my device running the latest Exodus 5.1 with standard kernel. The first few boot ups I had to draw a pattern for boot (in TWRP as well). Now, after a week or so, it doesn't ask me for my pattern anymore. Not on normal system boot, neither in TWRP. But in settings it still tells me encryption is enabled.
Wth? What am I doing wrong?
Cheers
Settings -> lockscreen -> screen lock -> tap on pin / password / pattern (whatever you have set up) -> next screen you can choose if pin/password/pattern should be prompted for at device boot.
Oh, I see. Stupid me. Actually it's good that this is disabled because TWRP unfortunately does not support my 4x4 pattern (any workarounds got this btw?).
But with this option disabled, is the encryption still useful? Probably not right? So if someone steals my shutdown device he can simply access data through TWRP or booting it up, right? Encryption would be useless in this case?
Twrp does support pattern unlock for decrypt since version 2.8.6.0. If your pattern is to swipe the first row from left to right, this would be password "1 2 3" (just like you are swiping over a dialpad).
If you want to secure your data, then you must use a pin/password/pattern lock. If you don't use it, there is no real benefit using encryption.
Yes, TWRP supports 3x3 patterns, but not my 4x4 pattern. So is there any possibility unlocking your pattern via code then? Would it be like this then:
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16
And where do I type the code then?
I use a 4x4 pattern lock. I just don't use the option that it has to be entered before boot (after unlocking the SIM card you have to unlock via pattern).
Sorry I misread. Twrp still can only decrypt 3x3 patterns. If your pin/password/pattern is not prompted for at device boot, someone could still access your data through twrp (and e.g. copy it to usb-otg).
Okay thanks. Then I'll hope TWRP is going to be able to decrypt 4x4 soon, so I can enable the boot decrypt. I don't want to go back to 3x3 neither get locked out of my system if I need TWRP to restore, update or whatever.

[Resolved] Tested Android Device Manager Lock -> PIN not accepted on device

Preface: I have rooted my device before (TWRP, Magisk).
Because I go on vacation, I wanted to try out the Android Device Manager for locating, locking and purging my Android smartphone..
I registered Android Device Manager app with device administrators.
I went to the Google Device Manager website (https://www.google.com/android/find), have chosen my smartphone and hit lock. The website asked me about PIN, info text and telephone number to display. I pasted (not typed!) "1234" in all of the three fields. The PIN box was masked but was showing 4 asterisks for 4 characters ("1234"). I hit lock and the issue begun.
After 1-3 seconds my smartphone locked up (yay) and showing info text + telephone number (both "1234" as pasted) and I tapped the PIN field to enter the PIN. I entered "1234" and the smartphone just vibrates and the PIN field was emptied.
I tried "1234" several times until the dialog shows "only 2 more tries" (or similar).
I shutdown the smartphone and created a full backup with TWRP and copied the backup and data files to an external USB stick.
Question: Can I remove/reset/change the Google Device Manager PIN? Either with ADB/Root/TWRP/whatever? I tried the website but while in the locked state it only shows the fields for info text and telephone number.
Device Info:
OnePlus 3T (OxygenOS 4.1.6)
Somehow I found a "solution" which make me thing this is completely useless.
After performing the backup with TWRP I restarted the device into normal mode.
I was asked about the device password (not Device Manager PIN). I saw the "locked by Device Manager" in the background. I have entered my device password (not the Device Manager PIN) and everything was unlocked!
Why on earth is there a Device Manager PIN when "the system" is using the device password anyway?
burnersk said:
Somehow I found a "solution" which make me thing this is completely useless.
After performing the backup with TWRP I restarted the device into normal mode.
I was asked about the device password (not Device Manager PIN). I saw the "locked by Device Manager" in the background. I have entered my device password (not the Device Manager PIN) and everything was unlocked!
Why on earth is there a Device Manager PIN when "the system" is using the device password anyway?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello
Because the one who stole it maybe able to decrypt your device ?
++ you could have deleted pin files from twrp

[Root] H901 - For Newbies!

None of the methods in this thread are my own work. I struggled with getting my phone rooted for a long time and spend 10s of hours on the process. I had never rooted before and was therefore unfamiliar with all the terms, unfamiliar with how to complete all the recommended checks to ensure one had the right model, etc. There were several helpful threads but most approach the subject with the assumption that one knows something about the process. In this post I lay out what worked for me in a step-by-step way and what you have to do to achieve my results.
#1 Ensure you have a H-901 motherboard and not the Korean F600 motherboard by checking the sticker, and checking “About Phone” -> “Hardware Info” -> “Model number” in settings. These must both be LG-H901…from what I can tell the community has only developed technique for the H-901 variant.
#2 Get a micro SD card and load it with Magisk https://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/magisk/official-magisk-v7-universal-systemless-t3473445 , and if you have Marshmallow or Lollipop and want Nougat (much better experience IMHO), load the files in this thread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/tmobile-lg-v10/development/h901-t-mobile-nougat-v30b-twrp-t3639203 And maybe this thread as well (read both and then decide): https://forum.xda-developers.com/tm.../h901-t-mobile-nougat-v30c-flashable-t3744648
#3 Ensure you have unlocked your bootloader. (apparently only for T-mobile LG v10s since other carriers lock the bootloader) The FWUL virtual machine root method will not work if you have not done so. This is an entire process in itself. The following 2 videos which show how to root android 6.0 or earlier (process will not work with Nougat, 7.0, since some fastboot commands are missing). https://youtu.be/OtXlokk6JkQ , https://youtu.be/PPLwFGxLQA4
Also, this thread may be helpful. https://forum.xda-developers.com/tm...t-mobile-bootloader-factory-unlocked-t3236224 , download the nexus root toolkit here for easy ADB command entry http://www.wugfresh.com/nrt/ —we will only use the “Advanced Utilities” -> ”Manual Input” -> ”Launch CMD Prompt”. When it prompts you to select a phone, select the first option and then for android version select Android *** Any. Don’t use any of the other commands because they are not configured for your device.
If you get a “waiting for device” error while attempting the fastboot oem unlock command in the above thread, see: https://forum.xda-developers.com/tmobile-g4/help/fastboot-waiting-device-t3489789 Great video which shows how to change drivers. You will need to do this, I found a number of drivers that were already on my PC from google and Samsung worked although I didn’t have the specific one mentioned in the above thread. Don’t be afraid to experiment… you can always try another driver. And don’t require it to be hardware compatible. Ignore the warning message: https://youtu.be/nQjg6ePnGAc
---------------------------------------------
NOW that you have your bootloader unlocked you can proceed to actually flash the TWRP image as per this thread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/tmobile-lg-v10/general/root-h901-nougat-t3773942
Notes before beginning:
-To enter download mode to begin: Plug a USB cable into your phone with your phone powered off, hold down on the Vol Up button and plug the USB cord into your computer. It should immediately boot into download mode. Exiting Download mode after flash: pull battery…no damage will be done.
-To enter recovery after flashing TWRP: power off the phone then hold both the down volume and power at the same time. When you see the black LG screen briefly release the power button and then press it again while not letting the volume down up. You will see a screen asking if you want to delete all user settings. Say YES (via the volume and power keys—no touch input). You will see a screen asking if you want to delete all user data. Say YES (the data is only deleted if TWRP loads successfully) You will briefly see the black LG bootup screen. TWRP or factory recovery will load. Or if you did not unlock your bootloader, it will say recovery is corrupted and cannot be trusted, and then boot normally without changing your settings or deleting files.
-Additional note: as of 7-23-18 some commands had changed:
From V20 forum, Brian (runningnak3d) has moved to gitlab.com. So instead of github.com, we have to use a new git repository that Brian created in gitlab.com.
cd
mv lglaf lglaf_BAK
git clone https://gitlab.com/runningnak3d/lglaf
cd lglaf
git pull
git checkout v10-miscwrte
There are additional comments in the thread. Some timeout errors may be solved by: 1 - Download the VirtualBox extension pack: https://download.virtualbox.org/vir..._VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-5.2.8.vbox-extpack
2 - Go to File / Preferences / Extensions / click the + and browse to where you downloaded it.
3 - Once installed, with the VM off, right click on the VM, and go to settings. Click on USB, and pick USB 3.0. If your machine doesn't have a USB 3 port, pick 2.0.
But frankly, simply up arrow after a timeout error to load the last command on the command line and hit enter again. Simply keep doing this until it works. You know it works because no dialog appears for several minutes before informing one of success.
**Upgrade to Nougat after Flashing TWRP and booting to Recovery steps: (I did a full wipe as suggested by this thread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/v20/development/h918-recowvery-unlock-v20-root-shell-t3490594 before flashing the v30b upgrade then full Nougat zip, and then flashing Magisk. I flashed the 3 zips sequentially. I was afraid Nougat would not boot successfully because the zip files are less than 2 gb combined but success! You may want to also flash the 30c upgrade before flashing Magisk for a total of 4 zip flashes. I did not try this. However doing all this means no backups are done so if there is a problem you may have to flash a KDZ with the LG UP tool (don’t ask me how).
As a final note, I cannot answer specific questions about the various processes provided or errors you may encounter that I have not listed in this write up since I have not experienced them. A bit of research on your part may be required, but this post should provide you with a huge head start compared to where I started. Good luck!
Methods to get unlimited mobile hotspot, very useful if you're on the $50 MetroPCs (owned by T-mobile) unlimited plan. All you $70 T-mobile plan suckazzz! https://forum.xda-developers.com/tm...ited-tetherting-hotspot-t3825144#post77249285
I would actually recommend using a USB tether client and forgoing root access if tethering is your only objective and you are trying to be efficient with your time. However, with root you can install all these cool apps!: https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/best-android-root-apps/
The following caught my eye:
-Rec: screen record
-liveboot: boot animation (does not work with Magisk)
-Servicely: checks to see which apps are using a lot of battery and lets you suppress them
-Adblock Plus
-Titanium backup: very powerful phone backup application & bloatware remover look into for quickly switching over to a different lg v10
-Greenify: put apps into hibernation
-System tuner: get lots of info about you phone but be careful making changes
-ES file explorer: dig into the android system
-Disk digger: recovers deleted files (photos only?)

[GUIDE][ROOT] QLink Scepter 8 Tablet (Gen 1 & Gen 2) | Bootloader Unlocking & Rooting Guide

QLink Scepter 8 Tablet​By Hot Pepper Mobile
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Bootloader Unlocking
& Rooting Guide
For Gen 1 & Gen 2 Models​
TABLET MODELS & VARIANTS:
For those members familiar with the firmware restoration thread, there are a total of four model variants of the QLink Scepter 8 tablet: two variants of the Gen 1 model, and two variants of the latest Gen 2 model. Determining which Scepter 8 you have is a very simple two-part check. First, if you don't already know your Android OS version, go to device Settings> About tablet, and locate your Android version. If you are running Android 11 (Go Edition), you have the original Gen 1 model. If you are running Android 12 (Go Edition), your tablet is the latest Gen 2 model. Secondly, you will need to locate the device S/N in order to determine your tablet variant. Your S/N is printed on the manufacturer's label affixed to the exterior of the tablet's rear housing. From the Android OS, you can also locate your S/N by opening device Settings>About tablet>Model. Regardless of whether you have the Gen 1 or the Gen 2, the first two letters of your S/N will be either CF or MD. This is the codification of your tablet variant. To alleviate some of the legwork of rooting, and to keep this thread simple to follow, I have provided boot images pre-patched for Magisk v25.2 systemless root support. I have categorized the download links for each of the boot images in accordance with the respective model and S/N variant. To avoid potential bugs, instabilities, boot loops and the like, it is crucial that you download the boot image that corresponds with your model & variant. ​​OVERVIEW:
This guide outlines step-by-step instructions for unlocking the bootloader and rooting all variants of the Gen 1 & Gen 2 QLink Scepter 8 tablet. This guide also includes a detailed section on properly installing the ADB, fastboot, & USB device drivers on your Windows PC or laptop, as well as steps to troubleshoot & manually update these drivers in the event the tablet is not being recognized while in fastboot mode.
DISCLAIMER:
Unlocking your bootloader and rooting your device are both procedures that carry inherent risks. Because these procedures involve modifying the device from it's stock factory configuration, it is possible to corrupt, damage, or even render your tablet completely inoperable. By proceeding further, you are assuming sole responsibility for the integrity and operability of your device, therefore absolving me of any liability in the event something goes south. I have, however, tested these guides and feel confident that things will go smoothly as long as you follow the instructions carefully. Moreover, I encourage all members to read the instructions fully before starting the steps, in order to first gain a fundamental understanding of the concepts and methods involved.
PLEASE PLAY NICE & FOLLOW XDA RULES:
This thread was created with the intent of being a noob-friendly forum. This simply means that new and inexperienced members are fully welcome here, and will be provided with extra guidance and assistance if needed. Please keep in mind that XDA is a global community of developers, enthusiasts and device users. As such, and although English is the only permitted language in the forums & threads, not all members speak English as their first language, and often rely on text translation tools when asking questions & posting. Accordingly, it is very common for words to be misconstrued, meanings to be misinterpreted, and the context as a whole lost in translation. I ask members to be patient, compassionate and respectful to others on this thread. Those members with the knowledge to do so are urged and asked to help newer members, and recall back when you were new here and others helped you.
Please help me with keeping this thread on point by ensuring that all subject matter herein be kept relevant to the topics of rooting and OEM unlocking the QLink Scepter 8. Any posts about other devices or subject matter run afoul of XDA rules and are subject to removal by moderators -- and potential sanctions imposed upon the offending member. Moreover, an on-topic thread keeps things organized and easier to follow. Thank you for your consideration.
PREREQUISITES:
To unlock the bootloader and root the QLink Scepter 8 tablet, you will need a laptop or PC running on Windows 7/8.1/10/11. (A Mac or Linux machine can also be used. For purposes of this guide, however, I am focusing on a Windows setup.) You will also need the OEM-supplied or a quality equivalent micro USB to USB-A data sync cable. Last but not least, you will need to install compatible USB device drivers for ADB & Fastboot on your PC/laptop. I have included the 15-Second ADB Driver Installer below, under the DOWNLOADS section. This Installer will configure ADB & Fastboot system-wide, and installs the universal Google USB device drivers. I would encourage members to first read the instructions in their entirety prior to actually starting the guide.
•INSTALLING USB DEVICE DRIVERS•
This section is included to install and configure ADB, Fastboot and the proper USB device drivers on your Windows computer. This section can also be used to troubleshoot and fix issues involving your tablet not being recognized by Windows while connected in fastboot mode. If you have already installed the ADB & Fastboot tools (& the proper USB device drivers), and you are not experiencing fastboot recognition issues, you may skip this section and proceed to the bootloader unlocking section.
Many members have reported issues with device recognition while in fastboot mode. I have also noticed a persistence problem with Windows drivers on this tablet. I can manually update the driver using Windows Device Manager, enabling fastboot recognition; yet, once the tablet is disconnected from my PC the updated driver does not always persist, requiring a manual driver update each time fastboot mode is needed. Follow these steps to enable fastboot recognition of your device.
• 1. If you have not yet done so, install the 15-Second ADB Installer from the link below on your Windows PC or laptop. Open the utility and follow the prompts to install the ADB & Fastboot drivers. Next, opt to install ADB system-wide. Lastly, you will be prompted to install the Google USB device drivers. Select Y and install them. You should see an interface informing you that the drivers were successfully installed. NOTE: If you get a warning notification that the drivers are unsigned, select the option to install anyway;
• 2. With your tablet powered off, hold the Power and Volume Down buttons simultaneously until the QLink logo appears, at which time you release the Power button but continue holding Volume Down. When a green Android graphic appears on your display, you are in fastboot mode;
• 3. Connect your tablet to your Windows machine using the OEM-supplied or a quality equivalent micro USB to USB-A data sync cable;
• 4. Open a command window in the path of your ADB/Fastboot directory. Execute this command:
Code:
fastboot devices
If properly connected, the command window will return an alphanumeric string which is synonymous with your tablet serial number. If this occurs, you are finished with this section and may proceed to the instructions for unlocking the bootloader/rooting. If the command window displays Waiting on Any Device, or if your serial number is not displayed, continue with the following steps;
• 5. Keeping your device connected to your Windows PC/laptop, right click your Windows Start icon and select Device Manager. Locate your tablet in the menu. It will likely be located under either the Portable Devices or Android Device heading;
• 6. Right click your device and select Update Driver. Next, select Browse My Computer for Drivers. On the next screen choose the option for Let Me Pick From a List... Now you will see a list of drivers to select from. Depending on the manner in which Windows recognized your tablet in the Device Manager menu, the driver selection menu can vary. If you see an option for Android Device, select that option and then select Android Composite ADB Interface. Or, you may be directly presented with options for Android Bootloader Interface, Android ADB Interface and Android Composite ADB Interface. In any event, choose Android Composite ADB Interface and then click Next. Click Yes in the Update Driver Warning dialogue screen, at which time the drivers will be installed.
• 7. Return to your command window and again execute the fastboot devices command. If your serial number is displayed, your drivers are now properly installed. If you are still experiencing fastboot recognition issues, try using another data sync cable, change USB ports on your computer, and/or reinstall the drivers using the 15-Second ADB Installer.
I. UNLOCKING THE BOOTLOADER:
If you plan on rooting your tablet, this step is mandatory. If your bootloader is already unlocked and you only wish to root your device, skip down to the rooting instructions in the next section below.
WARNING: Unlocking your bootloader forces the device into a factory data reset, which will effectively wipe all saved user data from the device. Make a backup at this point if there are files and media on your tablet that you wish to keep.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Enable Developer Options on your tablet by going to device Settings>About tablet and tap Build number approximately seven times. Android will notify you that Developer Options are enabled; this menu will appear under device Settings>System>Advanced.
2. Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking in the Developer Options menu. NOTE: Users have reported the OEM Unlocking option being greyed-out unless you are signed in to your Google account.
3. Now to boot into fastboot mode, and this particular step is extremely important. Android 10 introduced a new fastboot mode for dynamic partitions, known as FASTBOOTD, which is relocated from the bootloader to userspace. This particular fastboot mode supports resizeable partitions within the dynamic scheme, and enables the user to create, resize and delete various logical partitions. However, FASTBOOTD mode cannot be utilized to unlock the bootloader, and will not recognize the unlock command. As such, the user must rely upon legacy fastboot mode in order to unlock the bootloader. From stock recovery mode, you may simply choose the option to reboot to bootloader. DO NOT CHOOSE THE OPTION TO ENTER FASTBOOT, as this option will boot to FASTBOOTD. From the Android OS, you can boot into legacy fastboot mode by executing:
Code:
adb reboot bootloader
Once you see a green Android graphic appear in the center of your display, you are in the correct fastboot mode.
4. Connect your tablet to your PC/laptop using the OEM-supplied or a quality equivalent micro USB to USB-A data sync cable. Next, open a command window in the path of your ADB/Fastboot directory. Check your connection by executing this command:
Code:
fastboot devices
If you are properly connected, the command window will return an alphanumeric string synonymous with your device's serial number. If you do not see this, there is a problem with communications between your tablet and PC/laptop. To troubleshoot the issue, switch to another USB port, try another data sync cable, and/or reinstall the ADB/Fastboot drivers on your PC or laptop. Also, see my instructions above on installing USB device drivers on your Windows computer;
5. Once a proper connection has been verified, execute this command:
Code:
fastboot oem unlock
Once you see the Okay notification in the command window, your bootloader is now unlocked. Execute this command:
Code:
fastboot reboot
Your tablet will now initiate a factory data reset and then reboot into the initial setup for the Android OS.
II. ROOTING THE QLINK SCEPTER 8
Now that the bootloader has been unlocked, rooting this tablet is very straightforward. Again, I have provided pre-rooted boot image files in the DOWNLOADS section for all four models & variants.
INSTRUCTIONS:
A. Gen 1 QLink Scepter 8​Android 11 (Go Edition)​
NOTE: If your tablet is running Android 12 Go Edition, you're in the wrong place. Skip down to the next section.
1. Download the Gen 1 patched boot image that matches your S/N variant using the links below, and save the file on your PC/laptop in the ADB/Fastboot directory. Note that the file is named patched_boot.img. The flashing command below assumes that you leave this file name unchanged;
2. Go to device Settings>About tablet and tap Build number 7 times or until Developer Options are enabled. (This step is necessary if you unlocked your bootloader using the previous section, due to the factory data reset.) Enable USB Debugging in the Developer Options menu;
3. Power your tablet off. Hold the Power and Volume Down keys simultaneously until the QLink logo appears, at which time you release Power but continue holding Volume Down. The green Android will appear on the display to indicate fastboot mode;
4. Connect your tablet to your PC or laptop using a quality data sync cable. Verify your connection using the instructions in Step 4 of the bootloader unlocking section above;;
5. Once a solid connection is verified, execute these commands:​
Code:
fastboot flash boot patched_boot.img
fastboot reboot
NOTE: Your active boot slot should be boot_a. Regardless, the above command flashes your active slot by default, without having to specify slot _a or _b.
Upon reboot, your tablet will be rooted with the latest Magisk systemless root strategy. If you do not see the Magisk app or the placeholder stub in your app drawer, go ahead and download the latest version from the link below and install the APK on your tablet. Open the Magisk app, grant the prompted permissions, and follow any prompts to complete setting up the root environment.
B. Gen 2 QLink Scepter 8​Android 12 (Go Edition)​
NOTE: If your tablet is running Android 11 Go Edition, you're in the wrong place. Go back to the previous section. .
1.Download the Gen 2 patched boot image that matches your S/N variant and the empty vbmeta.img using the links below, and save the files on your PC/laptop in the ADB/Fastboot directory. Note that the boot image file is named patched_boot.img, and the vbmeta image is named vbmeta.img. The flashing commands below assume that you leave these file names unchanged;
2. Go to device Settings>About tablet and tap Build number 7 times or until Developer Options are enabled. (This step is necessary if you unlocked your bootloader using the previous section, due to the factory data reset.) Enable USB Debugging in the Developer Options menu;
3. Power your tablet off. Hold the Power and Volume Down keys simultaneously until the QLink logo appears, at which time you release Power but continue holding Volume Down. The green Android will appear on the display to indicate fastboot mode;
4. Connect your tablet to your PC or laptop using a quality data sync cable. Verify your connection using the instructions in Step 4 of the bootloader unlocking section above;;
5. Once a solid connection is verified, execute this command:
Code:
fastboot flash boot patched_boot.img
Now, continuing in fastboot mode, you will need to disable dm-verity/Android Verified Boot (AVB) by flashing an empty vbmeta.img via executing the following command:​
Code:
fastboot --disable-verity --disable-verification flash vbmeta vbmeta.img
Next, execute this command to reboot your device:
Code:
fastboot reboot
Upon reboot, your tablet should now be rooted with the Magisk systemless root strategy. If you do not see the Magisk app or the stub placeholder in your app drawer, go ahead and download the latest version from the link below and install it on your tablet. Open the Magisk app, grant the prompted permissions, and follow any prompts to update Magisk and/or complete setting up the root environment.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
In the unfortunate event you have a mishap with rooting your tablet and get stuck in a boot loop, or if your tablet will not otherwise boot into the Android OS, have no worries. My tutorial on firmware restoration for the QLink Scepter 8 will revert your device back to its original stock factory state. You can then return here and give it another try.
QLink Scepter 8 Firmware Restoration Guide
DOWNLOADS:
• 15-Second ADB Installer
• Gen 1 (CF) Patched Boot Image
• Gen 1 (MD) Patched Boot Image
• Gen 2 (CF) Patched Boot Image
• Gen 2 (MD) Patched Boot Image
• Empty vbmeta.img
• Official Magisk Releases / GitHub Repo
THANKS & MENTIONS:
Thanks goes out to Hot Pepper Mobile CEO Shawn Sun and Support Specialist Joshua G for providing stock firmware images for this device.
Also, I wish to recognize and thank @13lack13ox for being a huge help to thread members at times when I was not able.
​
For some reason, I'm stuck on the part where you have to use the fastboot option. So basically, I got my tablet in fastboot mode (the secondary one with the green android graphic), but when I tried to use the adb function, it doesn't detect my tablet. And also, the command, "fastboot devices" doesn't do anything, and when I try to use "fastboot device" it just says waiting for any device and just... stays there, not detecting my tablet. I tried multiple computers, tried both PowerShell and the command prompt with admin privileges, to no avail. For information, it worked when my tablet was on my tablet is the V9 firmware, but it slightly newer since I just updated to V9_20220224... so maybe that might have something to do with it...
64Star said:
For some reason, I'm stuck on the part where you have to use the fastboot option. So basically, I got my tablet in fastboot mode (the secondary one with the green android graphic), but when I tried to use the adb function, it doesn't detect my tablet. And also, the command, "fastboot devices" doesn't do anything, and when I try to use "fastboot device" it just says waiting for any device and just... stays there, not detecting my tablet. I tried multiple computers, tried both PowerShell and the command prompt with admin privileges, to no avail. For information, it worked when my tablet was on my tablet is the V9 firmware, but it slightly newer since I just updated to V9_20220224... so maybe that might have something to do with it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like you have a common driver issue. Do this: with your device connected to your PC in fastboot mode, right click your Windows start button and open Device Manager. What is your tablet showing up as? We will need to update your driver. I can walk you through it. Did you install the Google driver from the 15-Second ADB Installer? I am nearly finished writing a guide on properly installing the device drivers. I will link it here when posted. It will give you a detailed step-by,-step outline. I don't think it's an issue with the firmware builds. Fastboot detection issues are common with this tablet due to some type of instability with driver persistence. For example, I often need to update my driver every time I use fastboot mode because, for some odd reason, the updated driver doesn't persist once the tablet is disconnected from the PC and then reconnected.
i dont have this tablet but another hot pepper device called the poblano. with that i was able to boot into ffbm from the bootloader and have root adb access. then i ran dd on my boot partition and patched it with magisk and flashed it back
wondering if hot pepper still makes their devices like that or they patched it. either way props to you for getting the fw straight from the oem
luridphantom said:
i dont have this tablet but another hot pepper device called the poblano. with that i was able to boot into ffbm from the bootloader and have root adb access. then i ran dd on my boot partition and patched it with magisk and flashed it back
wondering if hot pepper still makes their devices like that or they patched it. either way props to you for getting the fw straight from the oem
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Click to collapse
The Scepter 8 does not ship with adb root shell (adbd) enabled. In fact, the bootloader was not even intended to be unlocked. The unlock command is disabled in standard fastboot mode. Luckily, the Scepter 8 is integrated with a second fallback fastboot mode, which we were able to use to to the oem unlock.
Many AllWinner tablets and other Chinese devices do, as you pointed out on your Hot Pepper device. When the Scepter 8 was first released I was able to pull a boot image using a Phoenix Suite tool that had been reverse engineered and modded. As luck would have it, I got rid of the tablet and lost my files along with access to the Phoenix Suite tool. So I've been weeks quarreling with Hot Pepper Mobile to provide firmware and the kernel source code. To their credit, the Hot Pepper CEO and support team were very helpful once they understood what I needed. Hot Pepper's software developers are in China, so a language translation issue hindered my request for some time.
Anyway thank you for your kind words and it is a pleasure making your acquaintance.
@64Star I have updated the thread above with some detailed instructions on updating your device drivers. Hope this helps.
Viva La Android said:
@64Star I have updated the thread above with some detailed instructions on updating your device drivers. Hope this helps.
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It does, I've unlocked the bootloader and now i'm gonna go root it. Thanks for your help!
I have an unfortunate update: When I went to turn on my tablet, I've noticed there was a noticeable crack on the top left corner of the screen... and then when I tried to use it... the touchscreen no longer functions. I have no clue where that crack came from, cause that wasn't there yesterday, and I've kept it safe in a drawer until now, so I have no clue how it's possible. Guess the software isn't the only thing that's cheap, cause my 2020 Moto G Power survived way worse without even a single crack.
TL,DR: Touch screen somehow broke overnight, meaning I can't get past the setup screen, so GG no re, this $10 qlink tablet ****ing sucks.
64Star said:
I have an unfortunate update: When I went to turn on my tablet, I've noticed there was a noticeable crack on the top left corner of the screen... and then when I tried to use it... the touchscreen no longer functions. I have no clue where that crack came from, cause that wasn't there yesterday, and I've kept it safe in a drawer until now, so I have no clue how it's possible. Guess the software isn't the only thing that's cheap, cause my 2020 Moto G Power survived way worse without even a single crack.
TL,DR: Touch screen somehow broke overnight, meaning I can't get past the setup screen, so GG no re, this $10 qlink tablet ****ing sucks.
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@64Star I hate to hear that but I know exactly how it goes. I've cracked many a screen in my day. But, on a positive note, if you have the extra funds, there are a ton of these tablets available on eBay within the $35 to $40 price range.
Viva La Android said:
@64Star I hate to hear that but I know exactly how it goes. I've cracked many a screen in my day. But, on a positive note, if you have the extra funds, there are a ton of these tablets available on eBay within the $35 to $40 price range.
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LOL really turning a profit!
13lack13ox said:
LOL really turning a profit!
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Haha. No doubt
Sorry about the delay on TWRP guys. My mounting issues are actually encryption issues. TWRP isn't decrypting the /userdata or /vendor partitions with the default key. I'm going to chat with one of my friends over at TeamWin and see if I can get a little guidance.
Viva La Android said:
@64Star I hate to hear that but I know exactly how it goes. I've cracked many a screen in my day. But, on a positive note, if you have the extra funds, there are a ton of these tablets available on eBay within the $35 to $40 price range.
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You really expect me to shell out around 35$ to 40$ on a slow, laggy 10$ tablet just to experiment on? Hahahahahaha....
Spoiler
Perhaps
64Star said:
You really expect me to shell out around 35$ to 40$ on a slow, laggy 10$ tablet just to experiment on? Hahahahahaha....
Spoiler
Perhaps
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Not really. I was only providing you info as to where they were available. I found one for $19 which is more than I really wanted to give.
As it stands now,.all the lag is gone in mine. I debloated everything that wasn't essential for normal operations. Then I edited the system/build.prop to increase responsiveness and I limited background apps & processes. Finally, I installed a kernel tuner and set the LMK to very aggressive, tweaked the I/o scheduler parameters, and increased entropy from the available pool. And set SELinux to permissive mode. I'm using Nova Launcher Premium with the launcher locked into memory. Believe it or not, the tablet is now very responsive considering the specs. I'm looking into overclocking the CPU a bit, but 1.46 GHz seems to suffice once RAM is optimized. It's a difference in night and day. It's good for a project tablet but that's about it.
There's another government tablet floating around called the Maxwest Nitro 7Q. 4G/LTE supported with a lot better specs. I think I have one located to buy for cheap.
Lots of tweaks it doesnt run too bad just removing bloatware. Would be cool to get your params on your tweaks etc. If you ever got time could you post it up? Maybe the rom you were talking about in another post has all that included? Anyways if not no biggie, this thing is just for playing around on.
13lack13ox said:
Lots of tweaks it doesnt run too bad just removing bloatware. Would be cool to get your params on your tweaks etc. If you ever got time could you post it up? Maybe the rom you were talking about in another post has all that included? Anyways if not no biggie, this thing is just for playing around on.
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Absolutely. I'll list those for you here in just a little bit. I have a pure stock ROM built with a TWRP installer, but my TWRP has run into a snag. I've reached out to TeamWin for guidance on that.
All in good time, man. Just glad someone with knowledge is doing all this. Wish I could help more. My ability to program and compile is equivalent to stick poking. I've done it once with aosp 6 that was awhile ago.
13lack13ox said:
All in good time, man. Just glad someone with knowledge is doing all this. Wish I could help more. My ability to program and compile is equivalent to stick poking. I've done it once with aosp 6 that was awhile ago.
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Click to collapse
You seem to know your way around the Android OS pretty well. I'm a developer in training myself. Learning every day. Yeah AOSP 6, I still love working with the Marshmallow builds.
Ok first things first. I notice a huge performance boost from some kernel level mods. Here is a link to Kernel Toolkit. Install both APKs. https://mega.nz/folder/QYwA0QTA#O_Zg3h_iVkHOdeyU_yOmLw
First go to the CPU heading and change the scaling governor to Ondemand. Under CPU Governor Params, tap on Performance Profile and select Maximum Performance (you may personally want to scale back to Aggressive or Balanced, depending on your need for battery life). Now, close Kernel Toolkit and restart the app. Next go to the I/O heading. Choose kyber as the I/o scheduler and set the read ahead buffer to 512 KB. Go down to ZRAM and increase to the maximum of 1000 MB. Set Swappiness to 100. Go over to the Profiles heading, create a profile will all settings and give it a name recommended from the list. When complete, tap on the profile, select save settings and then apply settings.
Now go to the menu button in the upper left of the app. Go down and enable Apply Settings on Boot. Select All and set a 5 second delay.
Next, download a build.prop editor from Play Store. There are tons of free ones and any will suffice. Make a backup of your system/build.prop before you tweak anything. Open the editor and grant root permission.
For build.prop edits, locking your launcher into memory helps a lot with responsiveness. Add this line to system/build.prop
ro.HOME_APP_ADJ=1
This basically prevents the launcher from being killed by Android's native LMK.
To increase touch responsiveness, add these lines as well.
debug.performance.tuning=1
video.accelerate.hw=1
Disable the boot animation for faster boot time.
debug.sf.nobootanimation=1
Reboot to enable the tweaks.
Give these a try and let me know your feedback. I'm working on a few more mods to optimize this tablet and I'll keep you posted on those as well.
Thx great changes so far. Yeah more "snappyness" for sure. I'll have to play around and open up as much as i can swap around.
I can't change I/O scheduler though, I get a contact developer message.
13lack13ox said:
Thx great changes so far.
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Yw. Do you notice a decent improvement?

Rooting OPPO A15s

Hi everyone, today I want to share my experience of rooting OPPO A15s (CPH2179)
(Specs: Mediatek Helio P35, 4GB RAM LPDDR4x, 64GB storage, 2 nano SIMs 4G, SD card supported)
It seems like fastboot doesn't really work on newer OPPO phones, as neither did my phone get that to work. Trying "adb reboot bootloader" (of course after unlocking OEM in dev options) will give the "fastboot_unlock_verify fail".
It was such a pain in the ass for me trying to find a way to flash my phone with Magisk (fastboot failed, TWRP needs fastboot to flash), until I found mtkclient.
The steps are simple through the command line; I've got some bootloops, red code, etc... But those problems can be easily avoided if you made them right.
In the end, I still managed to make my phone gets rooted.
A thing to notice is that don't try to use the GUI interface; otherwise, you will get stuck in "Waiting for connection" while your phone still stays in BROM mode.
CLI is recommended.
OPPO phones have the Secure Payment feature, which helps to check the integrity of the system in order to allow banking apps to execute. This feature checks if your phone is rooted (you can hide that easily using Zygisk); and if your phone has an unlocked bootloader.
If one of those conditions is met, then banking apps will be blocked by a system banner. The system will also issue a root detection to the app so in case you made it to turn off the system banner, you won't be able to get into the app.
Losing the ability to use banking apps brought me a lot of inconvenience at the end of the day, so while I still have yet to find out a Magisk module to bypass the system check, I decided to relock my bootloader - which in order to do must delete metadata and userdata, of what that also made my phone unrooted.
If you are planning to root the OPPO A15s, visit mtkclient's Github link for the tutorial. Keep in mind that you'll still need a copy of the stock ROM in case of something goes nuts, and an ozip to zip decryptor to decrypt the stock ROM ozip file (OPPO sucks)
Links:
mtkclient: https://github.com/bkerler/mtkclient
ozip to zip: https://github.com/bkerler/oppo_ozip_decrypt (bkerler massive tbh)
CPH2179 stock ROM: https://support.oppo.com/in/software-update/software-download/?m=A15s

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