Nexus S (I902x) Installation¶

Warning: installing an operating system, such as Replicant, may void your device's warranty and will erase the data stored on the device.

Prerequisites¶

In order to install Replicant on your device, it is assumed that you have a computer running a GNU/Linux operating system and everything necessary to connect your device to the computer through USB available. Moreover, it is assumed that anyone performing the installation knows how to use command lines in a terminal and has basic knowledge about it.

Downloading the files¶

The first step in the installation process is to download and set up the files that will be used to install Replicant to the device. The files must be downloaded on your computer first.

1. Find out what the latest image is: check out the Last image part of the general table on NexusSI902x
2. Download all the files listed for the device (including the checksum and the signatures) on ReplicantImages for the latest image
2. Make sure you have added the Replicant release key to your GPG keyring
3. Check the signature of the files:

gpg --armor --verify path/to/replicant-4.2-crespo.sig path/to/replicant-4.2-crespo.zip
gpg --armor --verify path/to/recovery.img.sig path/to/recovery.img

4. Make sure the check succeeds, do not install anything if it doesn't!
5. Check the checksum of the files:

md5sum -c crespo.md5

6. Make sure the check succeeds, do not install anything if it doesn't!

Installing fastboot¶

The fastboot tool is required to flash the recovery image to the device. fastboot can be installed from the repositories of your GNU/Linux distribution (if available) or from our released tools.

From GNU/Linux distributions repositories¶

Debian¶

apt-get install android-tools-fastboot

From our released tools¶

1. Download the fastboot tool, the fasboot.sig signature and the checksum
2. Make sure you have added the Replicant release key to your GPG keyring
3. Check the signature of the fastboot tool:

gpg --armor --verify path/to/fastboot.sig path/to/fastboot

4. Make sure the check succeeds, do not run the binary if it doesn't!
5. Check the checksum of the fastboot tool:

md5sum -c tools.md5

6. Make sure the check succeeds for fastboot, do not run the binary if it doesn't!

As fastboot is built as a 32 bit binary, you will need to install compatibility libraries for 32 bits executables if your computer is running on a 64 bit architecture.
7. Make sure fastboot can be executed:

chmod a+x fastboot

Copying the files to the device¶

There are two means of pushing the system zip to the device:

• Using the storage of the device
• Using the adb tool to perform sideload

Using the storage of the device¶

1. Make sure the device is started up and has an Android system running
2. Connect the USB cable to both the computer and the device
3. Enable USB mass storage on the device
4. Mount the mass storage on the computer
6. Copy the replicant-4.2-crespo.zip file at the origin of the mass storage
7. Safely unmount the mass storage on the computer
8. Disable USB mass storage on the device

Installing adb¶

In the case of using adb to perform sideload, adb has to be installed. adb can be installed from the repositories of your GNU/Linux distribution (if available) or from our released tools.

From GNU/Linux distributions repositories¶

Debian¶

apt-get install android-tools-adb

From our released tools¶

1. Download the adb tool, the adb.sig signature and the checksum
2. Make sure you have added the Replicant release key to your GPG keyring
3. Check the signature of the adb tool:

gpg --armor --verify path/to/adb.sig path/to/adb

4. Make sure the check succeeds, do not run the binary if it doesn't!
5. Check the checksum of the adb tool:

md5sum -c tools.md5

6. Make sure the check succeeds for adb, do not run the binary if it doesn't!

As adb is built as a 32 bit binary, you will need to install compatibility libraries for 32 bits executables if your computer is running on a 64 bit architecture.
7. Make sure adb can be executed:

chmod a+x adb

Preparing the device¶

The next step in the installation process is to prepare the device for fastboot mode.

1. Make sure the device is completely turned off and the USB cable is disconnected from the device
2. Start the device by holding the following key combination: Volume up, Power
3. Hold the key combination until the device shows Fastboot mode
4. Connect the USB cable to both the computer and the device

Unlocking the bootloader¶

If this is the first time you are flashing an operating system to your device, you'll have to unlock it first. If this is not the case, you can skip that part.
Beware: all data stored on the internal storage will be lost during that operation.

1. Unlock the bootloader:

fastboot oem unlock

2. Confirm that you want to unlock the device (using the volume keys to navigate and the power key to select)

// GOOD UP TO HERE

Installing the images¶

Now that both the computer and the device are set up, it is time to actually install the images to the device.

1. Open a terminal in the folder containing fastboot and run:

sudo ./fastboot flash boot path/to/boot.img
sudo ./fastboot flash recovery path/to/recovery.img
sudo ./fastboot flash system path/to/system.img
sudo ./fastboot flash userdata path/to/userdata.img
sudo ./fastboot erase cache

Your device should now be running Replicant!