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FP4 Device corrupted and won’t boot in locked mode after /e/OS install

  • /e/ version: IMG-e-0.22-r-20220224165878-stable-FP4.zip
  • Device model(s): Fairphone FP4
  • Device rooted: yes

Summary

I followed the installation guide at Install /e/ on a Fairphone FP4 with Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. The installation went fine and the OS looks good when starting it in unlocked mode. BUT, when I want to lock the device/ boot loader again, I get some problems.

The problem

Follow the install guide Install /e/ on FP4

I did the following to lock the device (as described in the install guide):

Step 1: In the boot loader menu I used fastboot flashing lock_critical.

Outcome: The phone reboots, into /e/OS.

What is the current behavior?

Step 2: Back in the boot loader menu, I used fastboot flashing lock. Outcome: The device is rebooting, but the message is displayed, that the device is corrupted and cannot be boot. At that point I am stuck in some kind of boot loader loop. I cannot shut down the phone (except by removing the battery) and I cannot boot the OS. It will always come back to the boot loader screen.

What is the expected correct behavior?

That the phones boot normally after lock the boot loader again.

Technical informations

Fairphone 4 5G with 128GB IMG-e-0.22-r-20220224165878-stable-FP4.zip

Very similar problem seems to be with the image IMG-e-0.21-r-20220123158735-stable-FP4.zip. See in the forum for for more information's: https://community.e.foundation/t/fp4-device-corrupted-and-wont-boot-in-locked-mode-after-fresh-e-os-install/39425

Relevant screenshots If you lock the boot loader as described:

fp4-locked-bootloader-removed-fingerprints

"Workaround":

fp4-boot-accept

Solutions

Workaround

Don't lock the boot loader, that you can use the phone. But you have to "press power key to continue" boot.

  • Provided "OEM Unlock" toggle is enabled, one can easily unlock the bootloader using fastboot flashing unlock

Fixes

  • This is triggered by rollback protection. So the solution is to first unlock the bootloader using fastboot flashing unlock, this makes the phone bootable into /e/ and also flashable via fastboot.

  • Procceding which, if you insist to lock the bootloader it must done on a build having the same or greater security patch level w.r.t. highest security patch level you ever had installed on the phone.

Checklist

  • License
  • Translations
  • Documentation
  • Test plan

FP4 typeBug

Edited by Rohit Sekhar