How to root a Boox Leaf (7")

Geremia · 11-11-2022, 07:14 PM

How does one root a 7" Boox Leaf?

Geremia · 11-11-2022, 07:32 PM

Excellent instructions here:

Quote:

Process[list][*]Go to the decryptBooxUpdateUPX project page on GitHub, download the zip and extract your project folder.[*]Run the following command:

Code:

pip install pycryptodome

[*]Download the firmware for your Boox device from Onyx's website.Â Drop the zip file into your project folder and extract the update.upx file.[*]Then run

Code:

python DebooxUpx.py Poke3

(or the name of your device). We now have a decrypted file called update.zip. Extract files.[*]Install Magisk by downloading the apk from Github.
[*]Drop both the boot.img file and the magisk apk onto your Poke3 or Leaf.[*]Install the Magisk apk and open. Click Install. Click Next, then tap "Select and Patch a File" Select boot image, then select "Let's Go".[*]After a couple minutes, the process will complete and you should have magisk_patched-24100_T5qRP.img on the Downloads directory (your image filename may vary). Move that file to your computer in the project directory.[*]Run

Code:

adb reboot fastboot

which will boot the e-reader into fastboot mode. Note that this mode only displays only the Onyx logo.[*]To make sure root has been achieved, we'll boot the image before flashing:

Code:

fastboot boot magisk_patched-24100_avvzI.img

. After several seconds, device should boot with temporary root access. You can confirm root has been acquired by opening Magisk. Under "App", it will say "Installed: 24.1" (or whatever version you're using).[*]To flash the patched image permanently, again run

Code:

adb reboot fastboot

. Once on the Onyx screen appears, run

Code:

adb reboot fastboot flash boot magisk_patched-24100_avvzl.img

.[*]We have root!

Geremia · 11-11-2022, 10:02 PM

Fastboot hangs for me:

Code:

$ fastboot boot magisk_patched-25200_ujCaA.img 
Sending 'boot.img' (13213 KB)

Renate · 11-12-2022, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geremia

Fastboot hangs for me

Yeah, I was thinking, "That ain't going to work".

Sometimes, on some devices, it does work.
I believe the problem is that it doesn't get the right command line processed when you do it that way.

Just make sure that you have the original boot image around for backup.

Code:

C:\>fastboot flash boot magisk_patched.img
C:\>fastboot reboot

Geremia · 11-12-2022, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renate

Just make sure that you have the original boot image around for backup.

Code:

C:\>fastboot flash boot magisk_patched.img

That hangs, too.

Renate · 11-12-2022, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geremia

That hangs, too.

Hmm. This is the "old" Leaf (not the one out in the last week)?
Are you using Magisk 25.2?
Does fastboot itself never return as done?
There's no ADB running when it tries to start?

If you have Windows you should do a "sanity test" on your image.
http://www.temblast.com/imgutil.htm

Code:

C:\>imgutil.exe /v magisk-whatever.img

It should print out half a dozen lines. Please quote them.

Geremia · 11-13-2022, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renate

Hmm. This is the "old" Leaf (not the one out in the last week)?

Yes, the one released earlier this year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renate

Are you using Magisk 25.2?

yes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renate

Does fastboot itself never return as done?

no.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renate

There's no ADB running when it tries to start?

That's correct.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renate

If you have Windows you should do a "sanity test" on your image.
http://www.temblast.com/imgutil.htm

Code:

C:\>imgutil.exe /v magisk-whatever.img

It should print out half a dozen lines. Please quote them.

I don't have Windows, but I can use Wine:

Code:

$ wine imgutil.exe /v magisk_patched-25200_ujCaA.img

Header0:        1,632 (00000660)
Kernel:    12,867,424 (00c45760) 00001000
  Payload: 12,566,106 (00bfbe5a)
  DTB:        301,318 (00049906)
Ramdisk:      653,952 (0009fa80) 00c47000
Padding:        1,320 (00000528) 00ce7000
Command: console=ttyMSM0,115200,n8 androidboot.console=ttyMSM0 earlycon=msm_serial_dm,0xc170000 androidboot.hardware=qcom user_debug=31 msm_rtb.fil
ter=0x37 ehci-hcd.park=3 lpm_levels.sleep_disabled=1 sched_enable_hmp=1 sched_enable_power_aware=1 service_locator.enable=1 swiotlb=1 loop.max_part
=7 buildvariant=user veritykeyid=id:7e4333f9bba00adfe0ede979e28ed1920492b40f

Renate · 11-13-2022, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geremia

Header0: 1,632 (00000660)

Well, that all looks quite sane.

Wait a minute. When you say

Code:

C:\>fastboot flash boot magisk_patched.img
C:\>fastboot reboot

"doesn't work", what do you mean?
Do you mean the flash itself doesn't work or that when you reboot it isn't running Android.
If you don't quote the response I don't know what it did.

Geremia · 11-13-2022, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renate

Wait a minute. When you say

Code:

C:\>fastboot flash boot magisk_patched.img
C:\>fastboot reboot

"doesn't work", what do you mean?

When I run "fastboot flash boot" it just hangs there. How long should I wait for it? It doesn't show progress.
When I reboot, Magisk says it's not installed.

Renate · 11-14-2022, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geremia

How long should I wait for it?

About three seconds.

Something's wrong. Probably USB connectivity, possibly corrupt fastboot.
Since you're on Linux maybe you should check dmesg for USB timeouts and the like.

I'm not drop-dead impressed by Google's handling of USB generally, especially on Windows compatibility. Still, if you've got access to a Windows box you might try that. (Remember to install the drivers.)

If you've got Windows you can also try one of my utilities, ImxLink, which is designed for something else but supports the Fastboot protocol.

If you have a working system you can "adb reboot edl" and get to that. With the right EDL loader and a client program you can also flash the boot partition from there.

I do use stock Android platform tools on Linux, but I've got more custom stuff for Windows.

Geremia · 11-19-2022, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renate

Since you're on Linux maybe you should check dmesg for USB timeouts and the like.

dmesg doesn't report any USB errors.

Code:

fastboot reboot

hangs, too.

I also tried checking Magisk's "Patch vbmeta in boot image" option, but that didn't fix the fastboot hang issue.

Holding the Leaf's power button for 30 sec. when it's in fastboot mode makes it reboot and kills the

Code:

fastboot flash boot magisk_patched.img

process, so fastboot is communicating with the Leaf.

Geremia · 11-19-2022, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renate

If you have a working system you can "adb reboot edl" and get to that.

That freezes the Leaf.

Renate · 11-19-2022, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geremia

That freezes the Leaf.

Well, it gets you to EDL mode, I meant.
Have you dealt with that yet?

A long press will get you out of that too.

Is your USB working normally in the unrooted Android system.
Do you use ADB? Is that working normally?
That is, does the problem appear to be with fastboot or USB generally?

Does this work (in fastboot):

Code:

fastboot getvar all

Can you do it all day long without problems?

mergen3107 · 11-19-2022, 06:09 PM

Well, “freezes” might be a wrong term to use here. Yes, the screen won’t show any progress at all. But most important question is whether the edl works properly or not.

As a starting point, here is the edl github: https://github.com/bkerler/edl

Renate has an edl.exe which works the same, though I haven’t tried that yet, I used only python version

mergen3107 · 11-19-2022, 06:11 PM

In fastboot, did you unlock the bootloader?

11-11-2022, 07:14 PM	#1
Geremia Addict Posts: 235 Karma: 100000 Join Date: Oct 2012 Device: Calibre	How to root a Boox Leaf (7") How does one root a 7" Boox Leaf?

11-11-2022, 10:02 PM	#3
Geremia Addict Posts: 235 Karma: 100000 Join Date: Oct 2012 Device: Calibre	Fastboot hangs for me: Code: $ fastboot boot magisk_patched-25200_ujCaA.img Sending 'boot.img' (13213 KB)

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11-19-2022, 06:09 PM	#14
mergen3107 Wizard Posts: 1,060 Karma: 3000026 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Cape Canaveral Device: Kindle Scribe	Well, “freezes” might be a wrong term to use here. Yes, the screen won’t show any progress at all. But most important question is whether the edl works properly or not. As a starting point, here is the edl github: https://github.com/bkerler/edl Renate has an edl.exe which works the same, though I haven’t tried that yet, I used only python version

11-19-2022, 06:11 PM	#15
mergen3107 Wizard Posts: 1,060 Karma: 3000026 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Cape Canaveral Device: Kindle Scribe	In fastboot, did you unlock the bootloader?