NoteAir3c old firmware

[farfromrefuge]

Hey,

i am trying to find the NoteAir3C 4.0.2 update.ptx (2025-06-18_21-48_4.0.2-rel_0614_35a32af51). I need it to restore my boot image to be able to upgrade

thank you

[Renate]

All I see is:

Model:  NoteAir3C (English)
Finger: Onyx/NoteAir3C/NoteAir3C:11/2024-09-10_21-41_3.5.4_1a0fe4e9b/6211:user/release-keys
Link:   http://firmware-us.boox.com/b6dd9027e2ee3e4d94ede4d6b0d4f570/update.upx
Size:   1,797,999,089
MD5:    b6dd9027e2ee3e4d94ede4d6b0d4f570

Was the version 4 update only on the beta channel?
The lookup seems a bit screwed up now.

[farfromrefuge]

i found a very simple way to override the "hash" test. Simply do this adb push update.upx /sdcard/update.upx then go into settings and system updates. It will manually update from the update.upx without comparing/checking img hash!
It will make things much easier in the future!

[szaszg]

Hi Renate!

May i ask, do you have any older firmware link for Note Air3c?

I looking for 3.5.1

Thanks

[Renate]

Originally Posted by szaszg

I looking for 3.5.1

If you're looking for older software you really have to capture the link at least when it comes out.
Currently I'm seeing:

Model:  NoteAir3C (English)
Finger: Onyx/NoteAir3C/NoteAir3C:11/2025-12-24_18-04_4.1.1-rel_1224_16d194534/8732:user/release-keys
Link:   http://firmware-us.boox.com/55d954f850a33b59d1b52248c347970f/update.upx
Size:   1,892,125,541
MD5:    55d954f850a33b59d1b52248c347970f

Sticking to older software is kind of a dead end.
If what is annoying you is generally recognized maybe someone has a patch for it.
That way you can move forward with updates.

[szaszg]

Hi Renate,

Thanks a lot, but i really need an old abl.img (from an old firmware) ...

I just hope, somebody has (and so kind and make an md5sum for the file), or just know the md5sum of that update.upx

BTW, the annoying things at 2025-12-13_23-48_4.1.1:
- fastboot cannot switch slots
- the developer "menu" disappeared
- Magisk fail several ways
- AdAway cannot write hosts file (related to Magisk)
- device stuck in fastboot mode if cannot boot several times (we cannot reset unbootable flag with switching slots, because fastboot cannot switch slot)
- the device is sooo slow

[Renate]

Originally Posted by szaszg

Thanks a lot, but...

If people are fond of Magisk then it should be made clear what the problem is and have it addressed.
So far, this has not been done.
Is it that Magisk'ed images refuse to boot at all?
In such a case the first step is to make a new Android image with a single cosmetic change to see if that can boot.

I've dived pretty deep into the abl but I haven't seen this problem myself.
I don't use Magisk, but I do use custom Android images (at least on recovery).

Slot switching might be possible in EDL.
You could switch the GPT type GUIDs around.
Whether this will run into problems with the slot metadata is another question.
I've never relied on slots since mostly there aren't two "real" slots anyway and the mechanics gets too complicated.

Things being pathologically slow are usually visible in logcat.

[szaszg]

Hi,

Magisk:
- after update the system: root gone (o.k. full update: boot.img overwriten)
- patching new boot.img with Magisk: after boot: Magisk app "crashloop"
- updating Magisk: after start, Magisk start with a plain dialog: blabla updating magisk, but after the Magisk icon is changed to android's dwarf and Magisk stuck in updating themself

- removing Magisk and boot in with original boot.img
- install latest Magisk app, patch boot image, flash
- reboot, Magusk app start, but stuck when show Magisk's face...

If i have some more time, i go further, because Magisk database and other lowlevel things are untouched in adb folder (after the full update).

abl.img is tided to fastboot capabilities (e.g. slot switching) not to Magisk crashes

Yes i can switch slot in EDL mode, but working with fastboot is more friendly than struggle with an EDL cable...

To changing slots is in order to reset "unbootable" flags, to boot Air3C again...

[Renate]

Ok, well if the Magisk app is crashing or not functioning correctly that is one thing.

I was only talking about whether a Magisk'ed boot image can boot correctly.

Why does "unbootable" need to be reset?

Can you check some time in fastboot:

fastboot oem device-info

[szaszg]

Why does "unbootable" need to be reset?

Because android does not boot if boot_a and boot_b are both "unbootable:yes" (fastboot getvar all). Air3C stuck at bootloader mode, but fastboot cannot change active slot with "new" abl.img. If we change active slot, the unbootable flag is reset to "no", and Air3C will boot again into system.

[Renate]

My question was, which image is regarded as "unbootable" and why?

[dcarvil]

Originally Posted by szaszg

Hi,

Magisk:
- after update the system: root gone (o.k. full update: boot.img overwriten)
- patching new boot.img with Magisk: after boot: Magisk app "crashloop"
- updating Magisk: after start, Magisk start with a plain dialog: blabla updating magisk, but after the Magisk icon is changed to android's dwarf and Magisk stuck in updating themself

- removing Magisk and boot in with original boot.img
- install latest Magisk app, patch boot image, flash
- reboot, Magusk app start, but stuck when show Magisk's face...

If i have some more time, i go further, because Magisk database and other lowlevel things are untouched in adb folder (after the full update).

abl.img is tided to fastboot capabilities (e.g. slot switching) not to Magisk crashes

Yes i can switch slot in EDL mode, but working with fastboot is more friendly than struggle with an EDL cable...

To changing slots is in order to reset "unbootable" flags, to boot Air3C again...

The 4.1.1 update broke Magisk. See https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk/issues/9319

[Renate]

Originally Posted by dcarvil

The 4.1.1 update broke Magisk. See https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk/issues/9319

Thanks for the answer.

In any case, the Magisk app failing is not a cause of a slot being marked as "unbootable" is it?

I'm trying to chase down if there is a issue on newer Onyx releases with Verified Boot causing problems on custom (or modified) Android images.
I don't have this problem myself, so I can't say.

[szaszg]

Thanks Renate,

The "unbootable image" was a "test" recovery.img. Don't care anymore.

BTW I interested in an older abl.img, because i flashed an Air3 (not Air3c) abl.img (thanks to dcarvil) to i can use fastboot slot change feature.

I don't find the Magisk issue (TBH i didn't search about Magisk issues) before update my Air3c.

BTW my "dream" is an abl.img with fastboot can: fastboot boot "boot.img" ...

I don't know if it's possible to use a "generic/qualicomm" abl.img that has the "boot' command enabled.

[szaszg]

Many thanks dcarvil,

This is not a good news