Replicant

h1. ReplicantInstallation

h2. Backup your data

Before attempting to install Replicant, you need to backup everything you can from the device as most of the data will be erased during the installation.

You can skip this step if you have no data you want to keep.

h2. Installation overview

The installation of Replicant is several steps:

* First you install a Replicant recovery. It's a very minimalist operating system that is dedicated to the installation of Replicant.

* Then you download Replicant and use the recovery to install it.

h2. Recovery installation

To install the Replicant recovery, follow the instructions on the [[RecoveryInstallationWithHeimdall|Recovery installation with Heimdall]] wiki page.

h2. Wipe the existing system, cache and data partitions

Once this is done, you then need to wipe the existing system, cache and data partitions. This is to ensure that the partitions are formatted correctly.

To wipe the system partition, once you are in the recovery:

1. Select Advanced

2. Select Wipe system partition

3. It will ask you to confirm the wipe, so you will need to select Yes to confirm it.

4. Press the back key to get back to the general menu

To then wipe the cache and data partitions:

1. Select Factory reset

2. Select Wipe data (keep media)

3. It will ask you to confirm the wipe, so you will need to select Yes to confirm it.

4. Press the back key to get back to the general menu

h2. Using the recovery to install Replicant

Installing Replicant can be done either by:

* [[InstallOrUpgradeReplicantWithoutAComputer|downloading the installation files the device, without the need of a computer]]

* [[InstallOrUpgradeReplicantFromMicroSD|using a computer and a microSD]]

* [[InstallOrUpgradeReplicantFromInternalStorage|using a computer and the internal storage to store the installation files]]

Once this is done, you will need to do a factory reset.

h2. Factory reset

To do a Factory reset, you need to be in the recovery.

1. Select Factory reset

2. Select Wipe data (keep media)

3. It will ask you to confirm the wipe, so you will need to select Yes to confirm it.

4. Press the back key to get back to the general menu

h2. Reboot the device

Once the factory reset is done, you can then reboot the device.

In the recovery:

1. Select Reboot system now to reboot the device

2. Your device now has Replicant installed!

h2. Backup the modem data partition (called EFS)

Some of the devices supported by Replicant have a partition that contains the modem data (called EFS).

Now that Replicant is installed, it's a good idea to do a backup of it if your device has one.

This way it would be way easier to restore it if it becomes corrupted ("it can sometimes happen with Replicant":https://redmine.replicant.us/issues/1869).

For a list of devices that have a modem data partition, and for instructions on how to do a backup of it, see the [[BackupTheEFS|BackupTheEFS]] wiki page.