S10e Stock Android ROM [Questions & Help needed]

[WAR Corporation]

Hey everyone,

 

A little background: It's been almost one year ago since I've had my Samsung Galaxy S10e (Exynos) without root and I've been enjoying it a lot. However, since my previous phone was a Nexus 5X with a custom close-to-stock Android 10 ROM (PixelExperience) I miss it a lot. I miss the smooth animations stock Android provides and the gestures don't seem as refined in One UI as they do in Stock Android. Additionally, there's a lot of Galaxy Apps that I don't use, and in general I've been wanting to root my phone to also install a couple XPOSED modules to tweak my experience (but that's for a different post, maybe). Don't get me wrong, One UI has great features, but stock is stock. 

 

To the point: I've been looking at stock android roms for the past few days and unfortunantly, the PixelExperience isn't available for my phone, odly enough. However, LineageOS is. I keep debating if I should install it or not, I know that I will lose all my data along with some features such as VoLTE and VoWiFi and maybe some Knox features will stop working, but I'm glad some features still work such as the cameras (all of them), the fingerprint sensor and wireless powershare. I will also want to install GAPS. Basically I want to turn my S10e in the perfect Pixel device.

 

What I fear: Well, I've been reading that if you unlock your bootloader and flash the rom, then your phone will automatically lock the bootloader (or something similar to that. I don't remember - I would have to check it out if I proceed with this), so I fear that I end up with a bricked device. How should I go about fixing this if this happens? Got any tips on how to avoid it?

 

A couple questions:

• What about updates? Do I have to wipe and re-install the ROM when an update comes out? What about major updates? Lineage OS Android 11?
• Do you recommend a different ROM other than LineageOS?
• And my main question: What are the bad consequences? What if I softbrick my device. Can I recover it? Hardbrick? Can I fix it? How? Do you recommend any articles to check out in case those two (or others) happen?

 

Your opinion: What do you think? Got any tips/tricks, known pitfalls?

[Nayr438]

33 minutes ago, WAR Corporation said:

What about updates? Do I have to wipe and re-install the ROM when an update comes out? What about major updates? Lineage OS Android 11?

For LineageOS, updates will download and update from the device itself much like official android does.

33 minutes ago, WAR Corporation said:

And my main question: What are the bad consequences? What if I softbrick my device. Can I recover it? Hardbrick? Can I fix it? How?

Chances of hardbricking your device are very slim. as long as you dont flash or break the bootloader, you can recover the same way you would install a rom, Android devices are much more resilient than when they first came about. Your chances of touching the bootloader however are slim.

33 minutes ago, WAR Corporation said:

but I'm glad some features still work such as the cameras (all of them), the fingerprint sensor and wireless powershare.

This may or may not be true and you may need to adjust the camera settings through whataver camera app you decide to use. LineageOS isnt really built device specific, they are built in batches using known configs and drivers. You may however run into this issue with any other rom, alot are based on LineageOS.

33 minutes ago, WAR Corporation said:

What I fear: Well, I've been reading that if you unlock your bootloader and flash the rom, then your phone will automatically lock the bootloader

Your bootloader wont auto lock unless you flash a stock image or you manually lock it. If you leave your bootloader unlocked, you will need to root your device with MAgisk and use Magisk Hide to take full advantage of the play store.

36 minutes ago, WAR Corporation said:

I will also want to install GAPS.

Installing anything larger than nano for Gapps, can prevent you from recieving local alerts.

[WAR Corporation]

13 hours ago, huilun02 said:

So you know about Xposed modules but not the Magisk modules that basically provide Pixel UI?

I guess we learn everyday.

 

13 hours ago, huilun02 said:

When the hand disappears (oh it will) you will fall, and you will fall hard.

 

Big words of encouragement! And does "fall(ing) hard" have a 90% chance of occuring or a 5% only? That's what I'm asking from this post. If it's actually worth flashing a custom ROM or currently there are too many obstacles in front of what I'm trying to do

[WAR Corporation]

@huilun02 Thanks for your answer. In this case, since I want some some Pixel features (animations, fonts, etc.) are there any magisk/xposed/other modules I can install? im considering rooting my device

[WAR Corporation]

On 7/14/2020 at 11:13 AM, huilun02 said:

Look for this Magisk module in the Magisk repository.

 

https://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/magisk/module-pixel-2-experience-t3757137

 

The repository (they just call it the "repo") is sort of a rudimentary app store built into the Magisk Manager (the critical app component if you root using Magisk) 

 

About 50% of the Modules in the repo are device agnostic, meaning they should work regardless of phone model. The modules that turn your UI to emulate Pixel phones are in that category. Read the module description to know more. Just beware there are modules that only work properly on certain devices but the dev who made it does not know or care to warn users. These modules being free and coming from a very niche subset of phone users, usually make these apps and modules as a hobby with their spare time and do not have the resources to ensure their work won't break on phones that they don't own.

I see. I haven't posted anything yet because I had exams but since they're now over, I've been searching for methods of rooting the Exynos variant of my s10e. So far, it only seems possible to root my device by unlocking your bootloader, which will trip Knox and apparently void my warranty (since I need to flash magical). Since I'm in the EU should I look for details on that? Also is there any other way to root my device?

 

[WAR Corporation]

3 hours ago, huilun02 said:

You can't install magisk modules without having working Magisk Manager. Which in turn requires you to root using Magisk. Even if the module dev made an independent flashable that does not require Magisk, you would need a custom recovery to flash it. And a custom recovery will require unlocked bootloader.

 

Your call.

 

Keep in mind I am only here to tell whats possible and what isnt. If you require any step by step instructions or hand holding to get your device rooted or installing custom software, you are getting none of that here.

And I'm not asking you for that. The developers of the modules should be the ones who make the instructions on how to use their modules, not you, not me, not anyone else.

 

Right now I'm concerned only about warranty since the chances of actually breaking a phone only by rooting doesn't seem big enough for me to worry about, even though unlocking a bootloader is kind of risky. I'm probably gonna investigate more