Ubuntu Touch on Pixel 3A XL?

[Jeffrey Rolland]

Hello, all!

I would like an Ubuntu Touch phone. I very much want all my smartphones to work with Verizon (at least with Android installed).

I went to the website https://devices.ubuntu-touch.io/?pk_vid=7fb08bc217695b941644105559e6e3ad and found the Pixel 3A XL best fits my needs. I bought an unlocked one of Amazon. I tried to follow the instructions on https://devices.ubuntu-touch.io/device/sargo/, but it failed to install twice. I tried to follow the instructions to re-install Android. I let the Android re-installer run overnight, but it appeared to be hung, so I tried starting it over, and I appear to have bricked the Pixel 3A XL ☹️

So, I have decided to try to turn to paid help.

(A) (1) Would anyone know how to unbrick my Pixel 3A XL? (I would then need to go to a Verizon brick-and-mortar store or otherwise get the smartphone set up with Verizon service, likely buying a SIM card.) Likely, the person doing this would charge for it; I have no idea what the going rate would be - please be advised that a new Pixel 3A XL off Amazon is $139.00  https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07TTJTDQ9/.(2) I would then like someone to install Ubuntu Touch on the unbricked/new phone functioning properly with Android on Verizon, likely for pay; again, I have no idea what the going rate for this would be, but we can negotiate.

(B) The other option is that I would (1) just buy a new Pixel 3A XL, sell the old bricked one for whatever I can get for it, then (2) have someone install Ubuntu Touch on it; I have no idea what the going rate for this would be, but we can negotiate.

Thanks for all your responses in advance, and I hope to get to a meeting again one of these decades.

--

Jeffrey Rolland

<airvigi...@gmail.com>

"The weed of crime bears bitter fruit; crime does NOT pay! The Shadow

knows!"

 - The Shadow, _The Shadow_ (1994)

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[Paul Schmidt]

Hi,

Refurbished phones listed as "unlocked" usually are only carrier unlocked. You need one that has the bootloader unlocked. Since you seem to have gotten to the point of installing a custom ROM, I assume your phone is bootloader unlocked.

I have a Pixel 3 on which I had hoped to install a custom Android ROM from LineageOS. But it is a former Verizon phone, while being carrier unlocked, Verizon refuses to unlock the bootloader on any of their phones new or old. I did have LineageOS installed on an old LG V20 (non Verizon). It worked great!

Are you still able to boot into recovery mode (by holding down the power and volume down keys)? If so, you may still be able to salvage it. Otherwise, bricking it is the risk you must accept when trying to install custom ROMs on a phone. If you do buy another Pixel3a XL, you may want to keep the old one for parts, like if you crack the screen.

Paul

[Jeffrey Rolland]

Thanks so much for replying!

I did unlock the bootloader, I just forgot to mention it.

OK, so that phone is officially moved to "scrap parts" bin LOL There goes that smartphone!

OK, so, if anyone is interested in helping me get Ubuntu Touch installed on a spiffy new Pixel 3A XL, I'd be most appreciative. If not, thanks for reading.

Paul, thanks again for replying.

--

Jeffrey Rolland
<airvigi...@gmail.com>

"The weed of crime bears bitter fruit; crime does NOT pay! The Shadow
knows!"
 - The Shadow, _The Shadow_ (1994)

 -----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.1
GM d-- s:+ a+ C++>$ UL+>$
P? L+++>+++++$ E--- W+++>$ N+++>+++$ o? K--? !w--- !O---- !M- !V-- PS++
PE- Y? PGP+++ t+++ 5? X+ R+>$ tv++ !b DI+++>+++++ !D G+ e++++$ h+ r--
y++
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK-----

------BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
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Paul Schmidt wrote:

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[Paul Schmidt]

You didn't mention if you could still boot into the bootloader on the phone. If you can it may still be salvaged.

Paul

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/MilwaukeeLUG/751d486c8a78c.c5b5e699ca5f2%40gmail.com.

[Paul Schmidt]

Jeffrey,


There is one other thing that occurred to me. I have always read that
once a phone does a major upgrade you cannot revert to another earlier
version. I see the instructions call for needing Android 9 to install
Ubuntu touch. My Pixel automatically was updated to Android 11. Do you
know what version yours had? Try flashing it with one of the newer
versions. You may be able to at least make it a functioning phone again.


Paul