Lineage OS for Tab S7, any Linux instructions??

I am Total Newb using Linux Mint, the Official Linage OS instructions here only specify how to do it on Windows.

Ok, I say newb I REALLY mean newb, I only started using Linux Mint 6 months ago, I never used Terminal ever before then, on Windows or otherwise, and have only used it lightly since I started installing Lineage on devices 3 months ago following guides to the letter. The Lineage guides are VERY firm about following them exactly, so I trying my best with my limited skill.

I have added solutions to the issues as I fumble my way through.

This is NOT A GUIDE for Beginners (or anyone)!! Follow this and you are taking a risk with your device and install. This is my own learning process as a Beginner myself.

A great big Thank you for everyone who are helping me out, and to the Lineage developers for making a really good OS. (though I would LOVE a linux guide to the Tab S7 install, just saying.)

Issue 1. Solved.

While I have installed Lineage on a Tab S6 lite (as the guide includes Linux instructions) I hit my first roadblock with the Tab S7 install right out of the gate with the instruction to TAR the vbmeta.img file. This includes some pretty commom knowledge Terminal commands which I didn't know.

Steps 3 + 4 found here

3. Download vbmeta.img from here.
4. Open a Command Prompt in the folder where the file was downloaded and TAR the file by running tar --format=ustar -cvf vbmeta.tar vbmeta.img

I was getting an error in my terminal.

    
tar: vbmeta.img: Cannot stat: No such file or directory
tar: Exiting with failure status due to previous errors


  

I didn't how to put the command and the file together

Solution 1:

The file (vbmeta.img) I wanted to TAR is in my Downloads folder

This command in terminal puts you there.

$ cd Downloads

Now I'm hanging out in Downloads I can run the command I got from the instructions.

/Downloads$ tar --format=ustar -cvf vbmeta.tar vbmeta.img

This was my output vbmeta.img

And viola! Checked Downloads folder and there it was, vbmeta.tar.

Issue 2. Solved.

Downloading Samsung drivers

The instructions state:

6. Download and install the necessary drivers. Download the newest Samsung drivers from here. Install SAMSUNG_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones.exe.

It states on the linked page, the following:

"You need the driver only if you are developing on Windows and want to connect a Samsung Android device to your development environment over USB. "

Solution 2:

I felt I was safe to skip this step as I am not using Windows.

Issue 3. I am currently still working on this, if you fancy helping please start reply with "Issue 3"

Odin vs Heimdall

So instructions call for Odin, which is for Windows, it's Linux counterpart is Heimdall, which I got via the software manager on Mint.

Ok, no trouble, I'm wondering if I can use the instructions from the Tab S6 page to try and flash the VBMeta Image??

Solution 3:

So I discovered that Issue 1 (to TAR the vbmeta.img file) may have been totally unnecessary to do on Linux.

In this article (scrolling down to Using Heimdall in place of Odin section) it states that Odin wants a TAR file with the .img inside it. For example, we have to create vbmeta.tar which contains vbmeta.img.

However, Heimdall takes the image file directly e.g. vbmeta.img

And since I am using Heimdall and want to flash the vbmeta.img, I can use this command.

    
heimdall flash --VBMETA vbmeta.img


  

I still have more research to do but I feel like I am getting somewhere...

Update: I just rewrote the instructions...Let's see how this shakes out. 😬