Has anyone actually successfully installed PostmarketOS on an old device recently? I’ve had a long struggle through trying to prepare a Nexus 7 (2012) and the result seems to be a dead device before I even got to actually installing PostmarketOS.
The rough steps I followed are listed here:
- Create backups
- Get SBK
- Build and prepare U-Boot
- Actually flashing U-Boot seems to be where things went wrong
- Running
./run_bootloader.sh -s T30 -t ./bct/grouper.bct -b ../re-crypt/repart-block.binor./run_bootloader.sh -s T30 -t ./bct/grouper.bct -b ../generated-wheelie-blobs/AndroidRoot/blob.binfromfusee-toolshung onwaiting for bootloader to initialize - Running
./run_bootloader.sh -s T30 -t ./bct/grouper.bct -b ../u-boot/u-boot-dtb-tegra.binfailed like this - skipping that step and running
./utils/nvflash_v1.13.87205 --resume --rawdevicewrite 0 1024 ../re-crypt/repart-block.binhung on[] - Consulting a different version of the docs and running
./wheelie --blob ./generated-wheelie-blobs/AndroidRoot/blob.binseemed to work so I ran./nvflash --resume --rawdevicewrite 0 1024 ./re-crypt/repart-block.binwhich also seemed to work - I then powered off as instructed and the device has been completely unresponsive since
- Running
- Actually flashing U-Boot seems to be where things went wrong
I’ve tried connecting to a charger, disconnecting and reconnecting the battery, and every combination of holding down buttons but it appears to be completely dead. Any suggestions as to what I did wrong or anything I might be able to do now? Obviously it’s not the end of the world to have lost a 13 year old tablet that was just gathering dust, but at the moment I’m not feeling positive about ever trying this again on another device!


@smeg the correct steps were:
1 - preload u-boot with command ./run_bootloader.sh -s T30 -t ./bct/grouper.bct -b …/re-crypt/u-boot-dtb-tegra.bin (note this is the unencrypted bootloader) AND simultaneously press the volume down button - it will enter the u-boot menu
2 - run the re-crypt script with additional parameter --split (to create two files)
3 - from the tablet, select fastboot mode from the u-boot menu, then follow the guide (fastboot flash 0.1 bct.img and fastboot flash 0.2 ebt.img)
@smeg to unbrick you can follow this guide https://github.com/tofurky/tegra30_debrick?tab=readme-ov-file#Nexus-7-2012-WiFi-Debrick
I think it’s sufficient to enter APX mode (follow point 3 on the above link) and then do the commands I posted
Thanks, I’ll have a try when I get some time to look at this again