Flashing Firefox OS on Flame Reference Devices

README.md

Flashing Flame Devices with Firefox OS

If you have a Flame reference device and wanna try out alternate versions of Firefox OS apart from the stock one, but not willing to build from source, then follow this mini-manual.

Get the build

You can download the packages from the Nightly Build directories of Mozilla FTP. You specifically need the following two files:

• b2g-XX.0a1.en-US.android-arm.tar.gz (XX is the version number)
• gaia.zip

Set up environment

Once you have the build, decompress both of them in the same directory. Download the flash.sh file from this gist and put it into the same directory as well.

N.B: You will have to set executable bit to the script file ($ chmod a+x flash.sh).

Flashing the device

1. Enable remote debugging in Device's Developer Settings
2. Connect the device to the system over USB
3. You will need to have have ADB installed 3.1. Run $ adb devices 3.2. Check for Flame in the listed devices 3.3. If device is listed, proceed to step 4 (if not, troubleshoot)
4. Run the script to initiate flashing $ ./flash.sh
5. Follow the instructions to customize your flashing as per your need.
6. If you face issues, try flashing with /data partition formatted when asked.
7. Profit!

Updates

After you're done flashing, your device will be on the Nightly channel, receiving updates almost each day. Those updates will be over the air (OTA) download of ~60MB, and completely hassle free.

flash.sh

#!/bin/bash -e
#
# ====================================================
# credit :
# - mwu ( for original flash script Gecko/Gaia )
# - askeing
# - nhirata
# - JohanLorenzo

Shallow_Flag=1
Backup_Flag=""
Recover_Flag=""
Reset_Flag=1
rildebug=""
nocomril=""
keepdata=""
installedonsystem=""
specificdevice=""
Debug_Flag=1
Install_Directory="/system/b2g"

FASTBOOT=${FASTBOOT:-fastboot}

SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"

function helper(){
    echo -e "
    -d : to turn on ril debugging
    -n : to not install comril
    -h : for help
    -i <device name> : image flash the device ex: -i inari
    -s <serial device> : flash to specific device serial
    -b : backup before flashing
    -r : restore after flashing
    -k : keep previous profile; backup and restore options
    -p : do not reset phone"
}

function backupdevice(){
    if [ ! -d "mozilla-profile" ]; then
        echo "no backup folder, creating..."
        mkdir mozilla-profile
    fi
    echo -e "Backup your profiles..."
    run_adb shell stop b2g 2> "$SCRIPT_DIR/mozilla-profile/backup.log"
    rm -rf "$SCRIPT_DIR/mozilla-profile/*"
    mkdir -p "$SCRIPT_DIR/mozilla-profile/profile"
    run_adb pull /data/b2g/mozilla "$SCRIPT_DIR/mozilla-profile/profile" 2> "$SCRIPT_DIR/mozilla-profile/backup.log"
    mkdir -p "$SCRIPT_DIR/mozilla-profile/data-local"
    run_adb pull /data/local "$SCRIPT_DIR/mozilla-profile/data-local" 2> "$SCRIPT_DIR/mozilla-profile/backup.log"
    rm -rf "$SCRIPT_DIR/mozilla-profile/data-local/webapps"
    run_adb shell start b2g 2> "$SCRIPT_DIR/mozilla-profile/backup.log"
    echo -e "Backup done."
}

function restoredevice(){
    echo -e "Recover your profiles..."
    if [ ! -d mozilla-profile/profile ] || [ ! -d mozilla-profile/data-local ]; then
        echo "no recover files."
        exit -1
    fi
    run_adb shell stop b2g 2> "$SCRIPT_DIR/mozilla-profile/recover.log"
    run_adb shell rm -r /data/b2g/mozilla 2> "$SCRIPT_DIR/mozilla-profile/recover.log"
    run_adb push "$SCRIPT_DIR/mozilla-profile/profile" /data/b2g/mozilla 2> "$SCRIPT_DIR/mozilla-profile/recover.log"
    run_adb push "$SCRIPT_DIR/mozilla-profile/data-local" /data/local 2> "$SCRIPT_DIR/mozilla-profile/recover.log"
    run_adb reboot
    sleep 30
    echo -e "Recover done."
}

function run_adb()
{
    # TODO: Bug 875534 - Unable to direct ADB forward command to inari devices due to colon (:) in serial ID
    # If there is colon in serial number, this script will have some warning message.
    adb ${ADB_FLAGS} "$@"
}

function run_fastboot()
{
    if [ "$1" = "devices" ]; then
        ${FASTBOOT} "$@"
    else
        ${FASTBOOT} ${FASTBOOT_FLAGS} "$@"
    fi
    return $?
}

function root_remount()
{
    run_adb root
    run_adb wait-for-device
    run_adb remount
    run_adb wait-for-device
}

function flash_gecko() {
    root_remount
    echo + Check how much space is taken
    run_adb shell df /system
    echo + removing old system
    run_adb shell rm -r /system/b2g
    echo + Check how much is removed afterwards
    adb shell df /system
    run_adb push "$SCRIPT_DIR/b2g" /system/b2g
    echo + Check how much is placed on after system install
    adb shell df /system
}

function flash_comril() {
    root_remount
    echo + Installing new RIL
    run_adb push "$SCRIPT_DIR/ril" /system/b2g/distribution/bundles/
    echo + Done installing RIL!
}

function adb_clean_gaia() {
    root_remount
    
    adb shell df /data
    echo "Clean Gaia and profiles ..."
    echo + Deleting any old cache
    run_adb shell rm -r /data/local/OfflineCache
    run_adb shell rm -r /cache/*

    echo + Deleting Profile data
    run_adb shell rm -r /data/b2g/*
    run_adb shell rm -r /data/local/user.js
    run_adb shell rm -r /data/local/indexedDB
    run_adb shell rm -r /data/local/debug_info_trigger
    run_adb shell rm -r /data/local/permissions.sqlite*

    adb shell df /data
    run_adb reboot
    run_adb wait-for-device
    root_remount
    
    run_adb shell stop b2g
    run_adb shell rm -r /data/local/storage/persistent/*
    echo + Deleting any old gaia
    run_adb shell rm -r /system/b2g/webapps
    run_adb shell rm -r /data/local/webapps
    run_adb shell rm -r /data/local/svoperapps
    echo "Clean Done."
    adb shell df /data
}

function adb_push_gaia() {
    GAIA_DIR=$1
    
    ## Adjusting user.js
    cat "$SCRIPT_DIR/gaia/profile/user.js" | sed -e "s/user_pref/pref/" > "$SCRIPT_DIR/user.js"
    
    echo "Push Gaia ..."
    run_adb shell mkdir -p /system/b2g/defaults/pref
    run_adb push "$SCRIPT_DIR/gaia/profile/webapps" ${GAIA_DIR}/webapps
    run_adb push "$SCRIPT_DIR/user.js" /system/b2g/defaults/pref
    run_adb push "$SCRIPT_DIR/gaia/profile/settings.json" /system/b2g/defaults

    if [ ! ${forcetosystem} ] ; then
    	run_adb remount
    	run_adb shell mkdir /system/b2g/webapps
        run_adb push "$SCRIPT_DIR/gaia/profile/webapps/webapps.json" /system/b2g/webapps/webapps.json
    fi

    echo "Push Done."
    adb shell df /data
}

function resetphone()
{
run_adb shell mkdir /cache/recovery &&
run_adb shell 'echo "--wipe_data" > /cache/recovery/command' &&
run_adb reboot recovery
}

function shallowflash()
{

if [ ! ${nocomril} ] ; then
  if ! [ -f "ril" ]; then
        echo "Cannot found ril folder.  Skipping ril"
        echo + COM RIL not installed
  else 
  flash_comril
  fi
else
  echo + COM RIL not installed
fi

if [ ! ${rildebug} ] ; then
  echo + Ril Debug pref turned on
  cat "$SCRIPT_DIR/gaia/profile/user.js" | sed -e "s/user_pref/pref/" > "$SCRIPT_DIR/gaia/user.js"
  cat "$SCRIPT_DIR/gaia/user.js" | sed -e "s/ril.debugging.enabled\", false/ril.debugging.enabled\", true/" > "$SCRIPT_DIR/user.js"
else
  if [ ${keepdata} ] ; then
    echo + RIL debug pref not turned on
    cat "$SCRIPT_DIR/gaia/profile/user.js" | sed -e "s/user_pref/pref/" > "$SCRIPT_DIR/user.js"
  else 
    echo + user.js pref not touched
  fi
fi

flash_gecko
adb_clean_gaia

echo "Installing to directory : ${Install_Directory}"
adb_push_gaia ${Install_Directory}
}

function fastboot_flash_image()
{
    # $1 = {userdata,boot,system}
    imgpath="out/target/product/$DEVICE/$1.img"
    out="$(run_fastboot flash "$1" "$imgpath" 2>&1)"
    rv="$?"
    echo "$out"

    if [[ "$rv" != "0" ]]; then
        # Print a nice error message if we understand what went wrong.
        if grep -q "too large" <(echo "$out"); then
            echo ""
            echo "Flashing $imgpath failed because the image was too large."
            echo "Try re-flashing after running"
            echo "  \$ rm -rf $(dirname "$imgpath")/data && $SCRIPT_DIR/build.sh"
        fi
        return ${rv}
    fi
}

function flash_fastboot()
{
    run_adb reboot bootloader &&
    run_fastboot devices &&
    run_fastboot erase cache &&
    fastboot_flash_image userdata &&
    ([ ! -e out/target/product/$DEVICE/boot.img ] || fastboot_flash_image boot) &&
    fastboot_flash_image system &&
    run_fastboot reboot
}

update_time()
{
    if [ `uname` = Darwin ]; then
        OFFSET=`date +%z`
        OFFSET=${OFFSET:0:3}
        TIMEZONE=`date +%Z$OFFSET|tr +- -+`
    else
        TIMEZONE=`date +%Z%:::z|tr +- -+`
    fi
    echo Attempting to set the time on the device
    run_adb wait-for-device
    run_adb shell toolbox date `date +%s`
    run_adb shell setprop persist.sys.timezone ${TIMEZONE}
}

## Main
## Switch
while getopts :apbdsfkirnh opt; do
  case $opt in
    b) Backup_Flag=1; 
    ;;
    d)
    echo "Turning on RIL Debugging"
    rildebug=1
    ;;
    n)
    echo "Not installing Commercial Ril, should be using mozril"
    nocomril=1
    ;;
    s)
      case "$2" in
        "") shift 2;;
        *) ADB_DEVICE=$2; ADB_FLAGS+="-s $2"; shift 2;;
      esac
      specificdevice=$2
    ;;
    f) 
    echo "Force install to data partition"
    forcetosystem=""
    Install_Directory="/data/local"
    Reset_Flag=""
    ;;
    h|help) helper;
    exit 0
    ;;
    r)
    Recover_Flag=1
    ;;
    k)
    echo "keep previous Profile"
    Backup_Flag=1
    Recover_Flag=1
    ;;
    i) 
      Shallow_Flag=""
      case "$2" in
        "") shift 2;;
        *) DEVICE=$2
      esac
    ;;
    p)
    Reset_Flag=""
    ;;
    *)
    ;;
  esac
done

if [ `run_adb get-state` = "unknown" ]; then
    echo "Cannot adb access the device.  Please allow for adb access to the device."
    exit 1
fi

#Backup
if [ ${Backup_Flag} ]; then
    backupdevice
fi

if [ ${Shallow_Flag} ]; then
    echo "Shallowflag = $Shallow_Flag"
    shallowflash
else
    flash_fastboot
fi

# giving a pause before the phone reset to see if that helps
sleep 10;

if [ ${Reset_Flag} ]; then
  DEVICE=`adb shell getprop ro.product.model`
  DEVICE=`echo ${DEVICE}|tr -ds '\r\n' %1`
  if [ "${DEVICE}" != "sp6821a" ]; then
    echo "Reseting the phone"
    resetphone
  else
    echo "Did not reset the phone"
  fi
fi

#Restore
if [ ${Recover_Flag} ]; then
    restoredevice
fi

update_time

echo + Rebooting
run_adb shell sync
run_adb shell reboot

echo + Done: Completed flashing the device

I recommend

1. to flash a base image first and
2. only doing a shallow flash, as described in the Flame MDN page.

Hello!
It seems ./flash.sh works only with Linux. I would really appreciate some help for Windows. I've already have the Windows drivers, the Nightly build and the gaia zip but I need some other thing to be able to flash 2.1 into my Flame. Many thanks!!! Gaby

Any way these days to flash the latest version onto a Flame? One that doesn't require developer-level skills that is?