• GeneralPixel 8

  • pixel 8 - Graphene installation via macOS + what could go wrong

hi everyone :) so i finally bought google pixel 8 (migrating from iphone 6s! i know, right? couldnt use that junk anymore)
thing is im using macOS laptop and was wondering if there is any difference in setups from the guides i've seen on youtube?
which is the one that you followed and executed with no issues, may i ask?

as well, is there a way i could brick my new pixel 8 when dealing with installation? i will read / watch videos properly and follow step by step guide during it, it just i heard some people messed things up during installation and "bricked" brand new pixels in the past, so kind of worried
could it be that i accidentally disconnect google pixel 8 cable during installation and things might mess up?

or the only cause as i heard, is if i lock bootloader without any OS installed?

edit: - or as a cause, i might follow step by step guide and encounter error with no knowledge what to do during mid installation..

  • de0u replied to this.

    prisi im using macOS laptop and was wondering if there is any difference in setups from the guides i've seen on youtube?

    If watching a video makes it easier to follow the official installation instructions on the GrapheneOS web site, that is fine, but following the official instructions is the way to go.

    Also, various YouTube videos suggest risky post-installation activities such as disabling or removing permissions from system apps.

    So far none of the installation videos (and in particular none of the post-installation tweaks) are from official sources or even prominent non-team developers. Following unofficial advice may lead to unwanted results.

        de0u Also, various YouTube videos suggest risky post-installation activities such as disabling or removing permissions from system apps.

        Not to mention, the very bizarre instruction to enable USB debugging, which has never been required as far as I'm aware.

          de0u i just need to firstly ensure i install GOS successfully and perhaps then "optimise" settings. thank you for your comment, i will consider watching few videos and then following official text guide

            My first installation of GrapheneOS was with a Macbook Air at a coffe cafe with public wifi.

            I highly recommend all the videos from 'Side of Burritos' on youtube specifically the installation videos. He made live recordings of the entire installation process for several different Pixel devices. I watched them all; it was worthwhile since each one here and there has some additional tidbit of information not repeated in the others.

            If you're brand new to GrapheneOS, he has a number of videos explaining certain features.

            The devs recommend using the usb cable provided by Google with the phone. But as a "here's what worked for me", I used an Apple cable and power adapter -- I think Apple has horrible ethics but great hardware.

            As far as what can render the phone unresponsive, from first hand experience it's losing track of the devs' recommendation to have 32GB of free storage space. During a subsequent installation using a Pixel w/ GrapheneOS to install it onto another Pixel, my phone was 84% full. Another time, unrelated to installing GrapheneOS, at 84% full my phone locked up -- it finally was responsive again because I have auto-reboot enabled.

            Another factor that could contribute to a problematic installation is deviating from the devs' web browser recommendation (e.g. Ungoogled Chromium); I was persuaded against that idea after coming across a post from a dev identifying that was the cause of a particular case of installation woes.

            I'm completely unwilling to use Google Chrome so I installed and used Brave browser (one of the recommended browsers) on the Macbook; as an aside, like Firefox, Brave browser has some default settings that are worth changing; see the link below.

            'Side of Burritos'
            https://piped.smnz.de/channel/UCij1VEjDb88RCbqsvZ1gqaw

            web browser reommendation
            https://grapheneos.org/install/web

            settings to change in Brave browser (scroll half-way down this link to the heading 'Settings')
            https://thenewoil.org/en/guides/most-important/browser/

              Eury As a "here's what worked for me", I used an Apple cable and power adapter -- I think Apple has horrible ethics but great hardware.

              Good point. If somebody doesn't have a Google cable, I would typically recommend Belkin, Cable Matters, or Best Buy -- but that's because people are typically looking for a less-expensive workable cable. I would expect Apple cables to be reliable too, though I wouldn't typically recommend that somebody go out and buy one to solve a GrapheneOS installation problem.

                9 days later

                Eury this is great :) thank you.i also got windows laptop so maybe i would use that for installation rather than macbook air...
                i watched some guides on installing via web and they all use some usb driver and such which im a little lost there..
                i got stock usb c charge cables with both of my laptops can accept..

                the only thing im scared of is the bootloader locking/unlocking..you mentioned device was non responsive but thankfully you had it set to auto-reboot settings..so i assume you restarted your phone manually during installation so it was responsive again?
                as the guides say you have to unlock and then after successful flash - lock it, so my only worry as mentioned - if i encounter any errors and i got no reason but just to unplug the cable or restart the phone - i might brick it completely, right?

                i assume the only way you can brick is if you dont have any OS installed and you lock bootloader?