Installing some GApps on a sideloaded alternative OS (new thread to avoid a hijack!)

TangoEchoAlpha · 2 Oct 2021 at 13:12

This is a new thread to avoid completely hijacking https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/threads/when-does-an-old-smartphone-become-unsafe-to-use.18938254

BigBoy said:
Flash the GAPPS https://opengapps.org/ package for your device and you will have full Google integration (maps playstore accounts and so on)

TangoEchoAlpha said:
Thanks - I did try that, as well as MindTheGapps. Whenever I tried flashing with opengapps, it failed saying that the version of Android was incorrect for that version of OpenGapps. When I tried flashing with MindTheGapps, it seemed to work, so I rebooted from TWRP recovery into Lineage OS - and no Google at all.

I've tried the core and basic MindTheGapps, as well as the Pico, Nano and Stock of OpenGapps. None of them seem to actually do anything and I am installing them immediately after installing Lineage OS and before booting into Lineage OS for the first time. To be honest I am not overly bothered, but equally if I could work it out it would be nice to know what I did wrong, if anything!

BigBoy said:
What version number of Lineage are you installing? When on the open GAPPS page you need to select arm64 android11 and micro and flash that package.

I've always done a full wipe (Dalvic and system partitions) then flash the OS package and GAPPS straight after.

Dirty flashing (flashing without clearing cache system partitions) is to be avoided at all costs!

Thanks @BigBoy - I believe I have done it that way, but clearly I am not getting something right.

I am using Lineage OS 18.1, having found the file I downloaded from Lineage's website, it's "lineage-18.1-20210921-nightly-walleye-signed.zip". I've also tried these versions of GApps:

open_gapps-arm64-11.0-pico-20210928.zip
open_gapps-arm64-11.0-nano-20210928.zip
MindTheGapps-11.0.0-arm64-20210920_084011.zip
NikGapps-core-arm64-11-20210918-signed.zip
NikGapps-basic-arm64-11-20210918-signed.zip

The OpenGapps always fail, with an error basically saying they are incompatible with my version of Android, which clearly being Lineage 18.1 is Android 11, so that shouldn't be the case. The others seem to sideload, but when I do the first reset after installing Lineage and the Gapps, there's no evidence of anything other than vanilla Lineage OS.

Thanks

Orcvader · 2 Oct 2021 at 15:31

I assume walleye is Pixel 2?

Try this one, ARM64, Android 11, stock: https://opengapps.org/

In terms of order of flashing, while in TWRP, I usually wipe the system, data, dalvik cache and cache partitions first, then I flash LineageOS, and then gapps afterwards, After that you can reboot.

TangoEchoAlpha · 2 Oct 2021 at 15:56

Orcvader said:
I assume walleye is Pixel 2?

Try this one, ARM64, Android 11, stock: https://opengapps.org/

In terms of order of flashing, while in TWRP, I usually wipe the system, data, dalvik cache and cache partitions first, then I flash LineageOS, and then gapps afterwards, After that you can reboot.

Thanks - yes, according to Lineage OS that's the case - https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/walleye

That link you posted is where I got my OpenGapps from, however for ARM64 the only selectable versions for Android 11 are nano and pico?

I've just tried doing this again, with Lineage OS and NikGapps-core-arm64-11-20210918-signed.zip from https://nikgapps.com/ and again, there is no evidence of anything installed GApps wise. Equally there were no errors shown.

In terms of what I do (I've copied and then renamed the copy for some files to save typing):

fastboot flash boot twrp-3.3.0-0-walleye.img (from command line on host PC)
adb push lineage.zip /sdcard/ (this is a copy of lineage-18.1-20210921-nightly-walleye-signed.zip renamed)
adb push NikGapps.zip /sdcard/ (this is a copy of NikGapps-core-arm64-11-20210918-signed.zip renamed)
Reboot the phone into TWRP recovery
Wipe the data, cache and ART/Dalvik cache
Flash the phone with lineage.zip
Wipe the ART/Dalvik cache again
Flash the phone with NikGapps.zip (or any other Gapps I try)
Wipe ART/Dalvik cache
Reboot the phone without installing TWRP as an app on the phone

And every time I get a vanilla Lineage OS 18.1. I must be doing something wrong, but I can't see it. :confused:

Orcvader · 2 Oct 2021 at 16:07

Just checked, it's been a while since I had to use opengapps, I had to use banks gapps for my S5e since opengapps had yet to have a flashable package ready for Android 11. Nano should work then.

I did my steps slightly differently, boot into TWRP, connect the phone to the PC, and copy/paste LineageOS and gapps onto the phone storage itself, then try flashing from there.

Checking the XDA thread the recommended gapps package for the Pixel 2 is this: downloads.codefi.re/jdcteam/javelinanddart/gapps

Just to make sure, when booting into the OS for the first time, you don't see the steps asking you to sign into your Google account as part of the setup right?

You also haven't wiped the system partition before flashing LineageOS on the steps you listed.

TangoEchoAlpha · 2 Oct 2021 at 16:20

Orcvader said:
Just to make sure, when booting into the OS for the first time, you don't see the steps asking you to sign into your Google account as part of the setup right?

You also haven't wiped the system partition before flashing LineageOS on the steps you listed.

Nope, nothing about signing into a Google account at all. Everything is vanilla Lineage OS. I'm not sure what you mean by 'wipe the system partition'? Maybe I should take some photos or video what I do...

@Orcvader Just realised - I have yet to root this phone, just unlocked the bootloader. Does the phone need to be rooted to install GApps?

BigBoy · 2 Oct 2021 at 17:03

No need to root.

In TWRP just do a full wipe as that will make it ready for a new OS, then flash the image and GAPPS package then reboot device. Let it finish setup and you should be away.

TangoEchoAlpha · 2 Oct 2021 at 17:18

Thank you both, I have wiped everything again, booted into TWRP and followed the installation through again. This time I have tried sideloading both Lineage OS and the Open GApps nano version, right now the phone is rebooting but the Lineage startup (of the circle on the green line going from right to left) is taking much longer than I remember. Maybe that is a good sign!

TangoEchoAlpha · 2 Oct 2021 at 17:23

FFS, after spending five minutes stuck in Lineage OS startup, my phone has rebooted straight into TWRP. This is going to drive me nuts!

Orcvader · 2 Oct 2021 at 17:57

TangoEchoAlpha said:
FFS, after spending five minutes stuck in Lineage OS startup, my phone has rebooted straight into TWRP. This is going to drive me nuts!

That's the same issue I had when I tried the beta package of opengapps, hence why I had to use banks gapps (recommended by the LineageOS maintainer for the S5e). Try the gapps package the Pixel 2 maintainer recommended, which I linked before: downloads.codefi.re/jdcteam/javelinanddart/gapps

TangoEchoAlpha · 2 Oct 2021 at 18:17

Orcvader said:
That's the same issue I had when I tried the beta package of opengapps, hence why I had to use banks gapps (recommended by the LineageOS maintainer for the S5e). Try the gapps package the Pixel 2 maintainer recommended, which I linked before: downloads.codefi.re/jdcteam/javelinanddart/gapps

Thanks OrcVader - I am a little reluctant to just go installing something from a random filesharing link - would I be right in thinking that link is MindTheGapps 11.0?

Orcvader · 2 Oct 2021 at 19:19

TangoEchoAlpha said:
Thanks OrcVader - I am a little reluctant to just go installing something from a random filesharing link - would I be right in thinking that link is MindTheGapps 11.0?

The link is from the maintainer himself on his XDA thread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/rom-official-lineage-os-18-1-for-pixel-2-2-xl.4165919/

But yes, it's MindTheGapps, 20th Sept 2021 package.

TangoEchoAlpha · 2 Oct 2021 at 19:43

Orcvader said:
The link is from the maintainer himself on his XDA thread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/rom-official-lineage-os-18-1-for-pixel-2-2-xl.4165919/

But yes, it's MindTheGapps, 20th Sept 2021 package.

Thank you, I sideloaded that immediately after installing Lineage OS and it worked without a hitch. Thanks for all the help

BigBoy · 2 Oct 2021 at 19:47

Glad you got it sorted in the end

TangoEchoAlpha · 2 Oct 2021 at 19:49

BigBoy said:
Glad you got it sorted in the end

Thanks, I expect I missed wiping something previously. This time I was careful to wipe Davik etc, so I expect a combination of a buggy OpenGapps and pilot error were to blame!