Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I get bored pretty easily around my house. When I was rummaging my house for something interesting, I found my old Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 (codename: espressowifi and model number: GT-P5113TS). Released from 2012, this plastic slab has MEGA specs like 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of storage, and a 1 GHz dual-core processor running on Android 4.2.2 Jellybean. The tablet still runs, but having 8-9-year-old software does lead to some incompatibility issues. With that said, I decided to install Lineage OS 14.1 via Team Win Recovery Project (TWRP). Here's what happened.
Now, before you read any further, I do not recommend modding your primary device. I did that before, and I almost bricked my phone in the process (mainly because I had a Galaxy S6 back then, which had no SD card slot). I currently have a Galaxy Note9, and I'm definitely not in the mood to bricking my $1000 phone. If you have an older, compatible Samsung Android device, try installing the custom recovery and OS on that first as a test dummy. Also, keep in mind that if you do modify anything on a recent Samsung device, the Knox counter will be tripped and your warranty will be voided. In addition to that, you won't be able to use Samsung Pay or other services that require official device status. Again, modify your device at your own risk. I, nor anyone related to this general guide, am not responsible for any damages that occur in your end. Do more research if you are confused.
Hardware items needed (These were the things I used for this project):
Windows 10 PC or laptop with charging cable
USB cable to connect the Android device and the Windows PC or laptop
Charging brick or adapter for your Android device
Make sure your Android device is charged as well as your laptop (if applicable). Also, try avoiding any opportunities that could allow a power outage.
General Steps that I took: ([6-1-2020] - Some of these steps may change over time. Do more research to see if newer methods are available)
*I am not responsible for any damages that occur on your devices if you take the steps that I list down below. Nor does TWRP, the LineageOS team, or anyone else. Please modify your own device at your own risk*
General Steps based on this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaHfJYWpqko
The following steps listed here were how I did this project
SAVE AND BACKUP ALL IMPORTANT FILES!!! Adding a custom ROM requires a factory reset!!! You will lose your internal device data!!!
Download All Necessary Files
The latest version of TWRP for your device:
Look for .tar.md5 or .img.tar files. Codenames help a lot. For instance, my device's codename was espressowifi. .img.tar.md5 did not work with Samsung Odin 3.14.2 during the time of the ROM install (Samsung Odin froze on me when I used a .img.tar.md5 file). If there's a problem, you can try out an earlier version.
The latest version of Samsung Odin:
Grab the latest version of Odin. If there's a problem, you can try out an earlier version.
The latest version of Lineage OS ZIP file for your device:
http://www.lineageosdownloads.com/lineage-os-rom-downloads-build-status/
Depending on your device, there should be a ROM in one of these 3 links. Find one that matches your device and its codename.
OpenGApps for Google Apps:
Depending on your device, pick the correct platform and Android version (the one that matches your LineageOS Android version), and I chose the Nano variant as the nano variant allowed a relatively fast install via TWRP.
Put the LineageOS and OpenGApps zip folders in a separate SD card. A USB drive and an OTG (on-the-go) cable may work. It completely depends on the device. Even then, I am not 100% sure if that method will work. I used the SD card method, and it worked for me. Nonetheless, install the SD card with the 2 ZIP files into your device.
Enable "Developer Options" on your device (go into settings -> About Phone/Tablet -> Software Information (if applicable) -> Build Number (tap build number 7 times)
Go through Developer Options and enable USB debugging or Android debugging.
Shut down your device and enter into download mode (for my Tab 2 10.1, press and hold both the power button and the volume UP button simultaneously and releasing both buttons the power button once the download prompt appears. Press volume DOWN to continue to the downloading stage.)
Connect your device to your PC via USB and unzip and run Samsung Odin. Make sure that the Android device that you are modding is the only device plugged into your PC or laptop.
Go into the "Options" tab and disable "Auto Reboot" as the auto-reboot feature can cause the device to reinstate the original Android recovery.
Select AP (Android Partition), and select the proper TWRP or custom recovery file (for TWRP, .tar.md5 or img.tar will work, as Samsung Odin accepts either .tar or .md5, or .tar.md5)
Press start and allow Samsung Odin to flash TWRP or your custom recovery to completion. Wait until Samsung Odin says "PASS!" near the top left corner.
Once Samsung Odin says "PASS!", it is now time to enter into Recovery mode. (from the download page, (for the Tab 2 10.1) shut down the device by holding down the power button. When the screen turns off, disconnect the USB cable, and press and hold both the power button and the volume DOWN button simultaneously releasing ONLY the power button once the device's logo appears, and then release the volume DOWN button once the TWRP or custom recovery logo appears. Use an older version of TWRP if you get stuck on the TWRP splash screen.
Swipe to Allow Modifications.
Press Wipe and Slide to Factory Reset. Press back twice to return to the main menu of TWRP.
Press Install and select the LineageOS ZIP file. Verify that you obtained the correct ROM for your device and Swipe to confirm Flash. Allow the LineageOS ZIP file to install. DO NOT FLASH OPENGAPPS FIRST!!!
If TWRP fails to install Lineage OS, flash an older build of TWRP into your device via Samsung Odin.
Press Wipe Cache and Swipe to Wipe. Once the cache has been wiped, press back twice to go back to the install menu of TWRP.
Select the Open GApps ZIP file in the Install menu of TWRP. Confirm that you got the correct Open GApps ZIP file that matches the same Android version as the LineageOS file with the same Android platform and Swipe to confirm Flash (this may take a while).
Press Wipe Cache and Swipe to Wipe.
Once the cache has been wiped, press Reboot System
Wait for your device to boot (this may take a while depending on your device), and set up the device like almost any other Android device.
You're done!
As a first-timer and an amateur, everything went pretty smoothly for me! I was quite surprised by the fact that I successfully applied a custom recovery ROM to an old slab like this! Overall usability was mixed for me. Because of the lack of performance, I eventually added TWRP and LineageOS on my Samsung Galaxy S3, which was my first phone, and yielded better results. I'll explain more in the next blog. But for now, I hope the general steps that I followed and listed out may help you successfully do the same!
Victor Le | CEO of LeBlogs