docs: update documentation for the website (#1750)
Description: I was originally browsing through project's FAQ on the [website](https://kernelsu.org/) and noticed a few discrepancies across the text.<br>I edited them out, and once having finished with the FAQ, I looked through other website pages as well. Changes: - updated documentation for the project's website (English version). -- P.S. I actually appreciate the partial documentation on GKI and in-depth Android mechanisms present in it. While there is of course documentation from Google, it is nice to have guidelines from a more practical standpoint.
This commit is contained in:
Joseph P
GitHub
@@ -45,15 +45,15 @@ Note that the SubLevel in the kernel version is not part of the KMI! That means
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### Security patch level {#security-patch-level}
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Newer Android devices may have anti-rollback mechanisms in place that do not allow flashing a boot image with an old security patch level. For example, if your device kernel is `5.10.101-android12-9-g30979850fc20`, its security patch is `2023-11`; even if you flash the kernel consistent with the kernel KMI, if the security patch level is older than `2023- 11`(such as `2023-06`), then it may cause bootloop.
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Newer Android devices may have anti-rollback mechanisms in place that do not allow flashing a boot image with an old security patch level. For example, if your device kernel is `5.10.101-android12-9-g30979850fc20`, it's security patch level is `2023-11`; even if you flash the kernel corresponding to the KMI, if the security patch level is older than `2023- 11` (such as `2023-06`), then it may cause bootloop.
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Therefore, kernels with latest security patch levels are preferred while maintaining KMI consistency.
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Therefore, kernels with latest security patch levels are preferred for maintaining the correspondence with KMI.
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### Kernel version vs. Android version
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### Kernel version vs Android version
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Please note: **Kernel version and Android version are not necessarily the same!**
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If you find that your kernel version is `android12-5.10.101`, but your Android system version is Android 13 or other; please don't be surprised, because the version number of the Android system is not necessarily the same as the version number of the Linux kernel; The version number of the Linux kernel is generally consistent with the version of the Android system that comes with the **device when it is shipped**. If the Android system is upgraded later, the kernel version will generally not change. If you need to flash, **please always refer to the kernel version!!**
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If you find that your kernel version is `android12-5.10.101`, but your Android system version is Android 13 or other, please don't be surprised, because the version number of the Android system is not necessarily the same as the version number of the Linux kernel. The version number of the Linux kernel is generally correspondent to the version of the Android system that comes with the **device when it is shipped**. If the Android system is upgraded later, the kernel version will generally not change. So before flashing anything, **please always refer to the kernel version!!**
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## Introduction
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@@ -62,23 +62,23 @@ Since version `0.9.0`, KernelSU supports two running modes on GKI devices:
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1. `GKI`: Replace the original kernel of the device with the **Generic Kernel Image** (GKI) provided by KernelSU.
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2. `LKM`: Load the **Loadable Kernel Module** (LKM) into the device kernel without replacing the original kernel.
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These two modes are suitable for different scenarios, and you can choose according to your needs.
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These two modes are suitable for different scenarios, and you can choose the one according to your needs.
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### GKI Mode {#gki-mode}
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In GKI mode, the original kernel of the device will be replaced with the generic kernel image provided by KernelSU. The advantages of GKI mode are:
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1. Strong universality, suitable for most devices; for example, Samsung has enabled KNOX devices, and LKM mode cannot operate. There are also some niche modified devices that can only use GKI mode;
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2. Can be used without relying on official firmware; no need to wait for official firmware updates, as long as the KMI is consistent, it can be used;
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1. Strong universality, suitable for most devices; for example, Samsung has enabled KNOX devices, and LKM mode cannot operate. There are also some niche modified devices that can only use GKI mode.
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2. Can be used without relying on official firmware; no need to wait for official firmware updates, as long as the KMI is consistent, it can be used.
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### LKM Mode {#lkm-mode}
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In LKM mode, the original kernel of the device will not be replaced, but the loadable kernel module will be loaded into the device kernel. The advantages of LKM mode are:
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1. Will not replace the original kernel of the device; if you have special requirements for the original kernel of the device, or you want to use KernelSU while using a third-party kernel, you can use LKM mode;
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2. It is more convenient to upgrade and OTA; when upgrading KernelSU, you can directly install it in the manager without manually flashing; after the system OTA, you can directly install it to the second slot without manually flashing;
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3. Suitable for some special scenarios; for example, LKM can also be loaded with temporary ROOT permissions. Since it does not need to replace the boot partition, it will not trigger avb and will not cause the device to be bricked;
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4. LKM can be temporarily uninstalled; if you want to temporarily cancel root, you can uninstall LKM, this process does not require flashing partitions, or even rebooting the device; if you want to root again, just reboot the device;
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1. Will not replace the original kernel of the device; if you have special requirements for the original kernel of the device, or you want to use KernelSU while using a third-party kernel, you can use LKM mode.
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2. It is more convenient to upgrade and OTA; when upgrading KernelSU, you can directly install it in the manager without flashing manually; after the system OTA, you can directly install it to the second slot without manual flashing.
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3. Suitable for some special scenarios; for example, LKM can also be loaded with temporary ROOT permissions. Since it does not need to replace the boot partition, it will not trigger avb and will not cause the device to be bricked.
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4. LKM can be temporarily uninstalled; if you want to temporarily disable root access, you can uninstall LKM, this process does not require flashing partitions, or even rebooting the device; if you want to enable root again, just reboot the device.
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:::tip Coexistence of two modes
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After opening the manager, you can see the current mode of the device on the homepage; note that the priority of GKI mode is higher than that of LKM. For example, if you use GKI kernel to replace the original kernel, and use LKM to patch the GKI kernel, then LKM will be ignored, and the device will always run in GKI mode.
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@@ -98,15 +98,15 @@ There are many ways to get the official firmware. If your device supports `fastb
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If your device does not support `fastboot boot`, then you may need to manually download the official firmware package and then extract the boot from it.
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Unlike GKI mode, LKM mode will modify the `ramdisk`, so on devices with Android 13, it needs to patch the `init_boot` partition instead of the `boot` partition; while GKI mode always operates the `boot` partition.
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Unlike GKI mode, LKM mode will modify the `ramdisk`, so on devices with Android 13, it needs to patch the `init_boot` partition instead of the `boot` partition; meanwhile, GKI mode always operates the `boot` partition.
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### Use the manager
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Open the manager, click the installation icon in the upper right corner, and several options will appear:
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1. Select and patch a file; if your phone does not have root permissions, you can choose this option, and then select your official firmware, and the manager will automatically patch it; you only need to flash this patched file to permanently obtain root permissions;
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1. Select and patch a file; if your phone does not have root permissions, you can choose this option, and then select your official firmware, the manager will automatically patch it; you only need to flash this patched file to permanently obtain root permissions.
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2. Install directly; if your phone is already rooted, you can choose this option, the manager will automatically get your device information, and then automatically patch the official firmware, and then flash it; you can consider using `fastboot boot` KernelSU's GKI kernel to get temporary root and install the manager, and then use this option; this is also the main way to upgrade KernelSU;
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3. Install to another partition; if your device supports A/B partition, you can choose this option, the manager will automatically patch the official firmware, and then install it to another partition; this method is suitable for devices after OTA, you can directly install it to another partition after OTA, and then restart the device;
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3. Install to another partition; if your device supports A/B partition, you can choose this option, the manager will automatically patch the official firmware, and then install it to another partition; this method is suitable for devices after OTA, you can directly install it to another partition after OTA, and then restart the device.
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### Use the command line
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@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ If you don’t want to use the manager, you can also use the command line to ins
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This tool supports macOS, Linux, and Windows. You can download the corresponding version from [GitHub Release](https://github.com/tiann/KernelSU/releases).
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Usage: `ksud boot-patch` You can check the command line help for specific usage.
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Usage: `ksud boot-patch`. You can check the command line help for specific options.
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```sh
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oriole:/ # ksud boot-patch -h
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@@ -137,8 +137,8 @@ Options:
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A few options that need to be explained:
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1. The `--magiskboot` option can specify the path of magiskboot. If it is not specified, ksud will look for it in the environment variables; if you don’t know how to get magiskboot, you can check [here](#patch-boot-image);
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2. The `--kmi` option can specify the `KMI` version. If the kernel name of your device does not follow the KMI specification, you can specify it through this option;
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1. The `--magiskboot` option can specify the path of magiskboot. If it is not specified, ksud will look for it in the environment variables; if you don’t know how to get magiskboot, you can refer to [this](#patch-boot-image).
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2. The `--kmi` option can specify the `KMI` version. If the kernel name of your device does not follow the KMI specification, you can specify it through this option.
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The most common usage is:
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@@ -148,12 +148,12 @@ ksud boot-patch -b <boot.img> --kmi android13-5.10
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## GKI mode Installation
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There are several installation methods for GKI mode, each suitable for a different scenario, so please choose as needed.
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There are several installation methods for GKI mode, each suitable for a different scenario, so please choose accordingly:
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1. Install with fastboot using the boot.img provided by KernelSU
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2. Install with a kernel flash app, such as KernelFlasher
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3. Repair the boot.img manually and install it
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4. Install with custom Recovery (e.g. TWRP)
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1. Install with fastboot using the boot.img provided by KernelSU.
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2. Install with a kernel flash app, such as KernelFlasher.
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3. Repair the boot.img manually and install it.
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4. Install with custom Recovery (e.g., TWRP).
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## Install with boot.img provided by KernelSU
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@@ -161,16 +161,16 @@ If your device's `boot.img` uses a commonly used compression format, you can use
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### Find proper boot.img
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KernelSU provides a generic boot.img for GKI devices and you should flash the boot.img to the boot partition of the device.
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KernelSU provides a generic boot.img for GKI devices, and you should flash the boot.img to the boot partition of the device.
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You can download boot.img from [GitHub Release](https://github.com/tiann/KernelSU/releases), please note that you should use the correct version of boot.img. If you don't know which file to download, please carefully read the description of [KMI](#kmi) and [Security Patch Level](#security-patch-level) in this document.
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Normally, there are three boot files in different formats under the same KMI and security patch level. They are all the same except for the kernel compression format. Please check the kernel compression format of your original boot.img. You should use the correct format, such as `lz4`, `gz`; if you use an incorrect compression format, you may encounter bootloop after flashing boot.
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:::info Compression format of boot.img
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1. You can use magiskboot to get the compression format of your original boot; of course you can also ask other, more experienced kids with the same model as your device. Also, the compression format of the kernel usually does not change, so if you boot successfully with a certain compression format, you can try that format later.
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1. You can use magiskboot to get the compression format of your original boot; alternatively, you can also ask for it from community members/developers with the same model as your device. Also, the compression format of the kernel usually does not change, so if you boot successfully with a certain compression format, you can try that format later as well.
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2. Xiaomi devices usually use `gz` or **uncompressed**.
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3. For Pixel devices, follow below instructions.
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3. For Pixel devices, follow the instructions below.
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:::
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### flash boot.img to device
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@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ If your device supports `fastboot boot`, you can first use `fastboot boot boot.i
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### reboot
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After flashing is complete, you should reboot your device:
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After the flashing process is complete, you should reboot your device:
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```sh
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fastboot reboot
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@@ -202,77 +202,79 @@ Step:
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This way requires the kernel flash App to have root permissions. You can use the following methods to achieve this:
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1. Your device has rooted. For example, you have installed KernelSU and want to upgrade to the latest version, or you have rooted through other methods (such as Magisk).
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2. If your phone is not rooted, but the phone supports the temporary boot method of `fastboot boot boot.img`, you can use the GKI image provided by KernelSU to temporarily boot your device, obtain temporary root permissions, and then use the kernel flash Flash the writer to obtain permanent root privileges.
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1. Your device is rooted. For example, you have installed KernelSU and want to upgrade to the latest version, or you have rooted through other methods (such as Magisk).
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2. If your device is not rooted, but the phone supports the temporary boot method of `fastboot boot boot.img`, you can use the GKI image provided by KernelSU to temporarily boot your device, obtain temporary root permissions, and then use the Kernel Flash App to obtain permanent root privileges.
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Some of kernel flashing apps that can be used for this:
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1. [Kernel Flasher](https://github.com/capntrips/KernelFlasher/releases)
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2. [Franco Kernel Manager](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.franco.kernel)
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3. [Ex Kernel Manager](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=flar2.exkernelmanager)
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PS. This method is more convenient when upgrading KernelSU and can be done without a computer (backup first!). .
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P.S. This method is more convenient when upgrading KernelSU and can be done without a computer (make a backup first!).
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## Patch boot.img manually{#patch-boot-image}
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## Patch boot.img manually {#patch-boot-image}
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For some devices, the boot.img format is not so common, such as not `lz4`, `gz` and uncompressed; the most typical is Pixel, its boot.img format is `lz4_legacy` compressed, ramdisk may be `gz` may also be `lz4_legacy` compression; at this time, if you directly flash the boot.img provided by KernelSU, the phone may not be able to boot; at this time, you can manually patch the boot.img to achieve.
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For some devices, the boot.img format is not so common, such as not `lz4`, `gz` and uncompressed; the most typical example is a Pixel, it's boot.img format is `lz4_legacy` compressed, ramdisk may be `gz` may also be `lz4_legacy` compression; currently, if you directly flash the boot.img provided by KernelSU, the phone may not be able to boot; as an alternative, and you can manually patch the boot.img to achieve this.
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It's always recommended to use `magiskboot` to patch images, there are two ways:
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1. [magiskboot](https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk/releases)
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2. [magiskboot_build](https://github.com/ookiineko/magiskboot_build/releases/tag/last-ci)
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The official build of `magiskboot` can only run on Android devices, if you want to run it on PC, you can try the second one.
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The official build of `magiskboot` can only run on Android devices, if you want to run it on PC, you can try the second option.
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::: tip
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Android-Image-Kitchen is not recommended now, because it doesn't handle the boot metadata(such as security patch level) correctly, thus it may not work on some devices.
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Android-Image-Kitchen is not recommended for now, as it doesn't handle the boot metadata (such as security patch level) correctly, thus it may not work on some devices.
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:::
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### Preparation
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1. Get your phone's stock boot.img; you can get it from your device manufacturers, you may need [payload-dumper-go](https://github.com/ssut/payload-dumper-go)
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1. Get your phone's stock boot.img; you can get it from your device manufacturers, you may need [payload-dumper-go](https://github.com/ssut/payload-dumper-go).
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2. Download the AnyKernel3 zip file provided by KernelSU that matches the KMI version of your device (you can refer to the *Install with custom Recovery*).
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3. Unpack the AnyKernel3 package and get the `Image` file, which is the kernel file of KernelSU.
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### Using magiskboot on Android devices {#using-magiskboot-on-Android-devices}
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1. Download latest Magisk from [Release Page](https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk/releases)
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1. Download latest Magisk from [Release Page](https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk/releases).
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2. Rename `Magisk-*(version).apk` to `Magisk-*.zip` and unzip it.
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3. Push `Magisk-*/lib/arm64-v8a/libmagiskboot.so` to your device by adb: `adb push Magisk-*/lib/arm64-v8a/libmagiskboot.so /data/local/tmp/magiskboot`
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4. Push stock boot.img and Image in AnyKernel3 to your device.
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5. Enter adb shell and cd `/data/local/tmp/` directory, then `chmod +x magiskboot`
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6. Enter adb shell and cd `/data/local/tmp/` directory, execute `./magiskboot unpack boot.img` to unpack `boot.img`, you will get a `kernel` file, this is your stock kernel.
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7. Replace `kernel` with `Image`: `mv -f Image kernel`
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8. Execute `./magiskboot repack boot.img` to repack boot img, and you will get a `new-boot.img` file, flash this file to device by fastboot.
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5. Enter adb shell and run `cd /data/local/tmp/` directory, then `chmod +x magiskboot`
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6. Enter adb shell and run `cd /data/local/tmp/` directory, execute `./magiskboot unpack boot.img` to unpack `boot.img`, you will get a `kernel` file, this is your stock kernel.
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7. Replace `kernel` with `Image` by running the command: `mv -f Image kernel`.
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8. Execute `./magiskboot repack boot.img` to repack boot image, and you will get a `new-boot.img` file, flash this file to device by fastboot.
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### Using magiskboot on Windows/macOS/Linux PC{#using-magiskboot-on-PC}
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1. Download proper `magiskboot` for your OS from [magiskboot_build](https://github.com/ookiineko/magiskboot_build/releases/tag/last-ci)
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1. Download the corresponding `magiskboot` binary for your OS from [magiskboot_build](https://github.com/ookiineko/magiskboot_build/releases/tag/last-ci).
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2. Prepare stock boot.img and Image in your PC.
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3. `chmod +x magiskboot`
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4. Enter the proper directory, execute `./magiskboot unpack boot.img` to unpack `boot.img`, you will get a `kernel` file, this is your stock kernel.
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5. Replace `kernel` with `Image`: `mv -f Image kernel`
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6. Execute `./magiskboot repack boot.img` to repack boot img, and you will get a `new-boot.img` file, flash this file to device by fastboot.
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3. Run `chmod +x magiskboot`.
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4. Enter the corresponding directory, execute `./magiskboot unpack boot.img` to unpack `boot.img`, you will get a `kernel` file, this is your stock kernel.
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5. Replace `kernel` with `Image` by running the command: `mv -f Image kernel`.
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6. Execute `./magiskboot repack boot.img` to repack the boot image, and you will get a `new-boot.img` file, flash this file to device by fastboot.
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::: info
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Official `magiskboot` can run `Linux` device normally, if you are a Linux user, you can use official build.
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Official `magiskboot` can run in Linux environments normally, if you are a Linux user, you can use the official build.
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:::
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## Install with custom Recovery
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## Install with Custom Recovery
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Prerequisite: Your device must have a custom Recovery, such as TWRP; if not or only official Recovery is available, use another method.
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Prerequisite: Your device must have a Custom Recovery, such as TWRP; if there is no custom recovery available for your device, use another method.
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Step:
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Steps:
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1. From the [Release page](https://github.com/tiann/KernelSU/releases) of KernelSU, download the zip package starting with AnyKernel3 that matches your phone version; for example, the phone kernel version is `android12-5.10. 66`, then you should download the file `AnyKernel3-android12-5.10.66_yyyy-MM.zip` (where `yyyy` is the year and `MM` is the month).
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2. Reboot the phone into TWRP.
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3. Use adb to put AnyKernel3-*.zip into the phone /sdcard and choose to install it in the TWRP GUI; or you can directly `adb sideload AnyKernel-*.zip` to install.
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1. From the [Release page](https://github.com/tiann/KernelSU/releases) of KernelSU, download the zip package starting with `AnyKernel3` that matches your phone version; for example, if the device's kernel version is `android12-5.10. 66`, then you should download the `AnyKernel3-android12-5.10.66_yyyy-MM.zip` file (where `yyyy` is the year and `MM` is the month).
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2. Reboot the device into TWRP.
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3. Use adb to place AnyKernel3-*.zip into the device's `/sdcard` location and choose to install it in the TWRP GUI; or you can directly run `adb sideload AnyKernel-*.zip` to install.
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PS. This method is suitable for any installation (not limited to initial installation or subsequent upgrades), as long as you use TWRP.
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P.S. This method is suitable for any installation (not limited to initial installation or subsequent upgrades), as long as you're using TWRP.
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## Other methods
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In fact, all these installation methods have only one main idea, which is to **replace the original kernel for the one provided by KernelSU**; as long as this can be achieved, it can be installed; for example, the following are other possible methods.
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In fact, all of these installation methods have only one main idea, which is to **replace the original kernel for the one provided by KernelSU**; as long as this can be achieved, it can be installed; for example, the following are other possible methods.
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1. First install Magisk, get root privileges through Magisk and then use the kernel flasher to flash in the AnyKernel zip from KernelSU.
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2. Use some flashing toolkit on PCs to flash in the kernel provided KernelSU.
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1. First install Magisk, get root privileges through Magisk and then use the kernel flasher to flash in the AnyKernel3 zip from KernelSU.
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2. Use any flashing toolkit on PC to flash the kernel provided by KernelSU.
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But if it doesn't work, please try `magiskboot` way.
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However, if it doesn't work, please try `magiskboot` approach.
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Reference in New Issue
Block a user