Offline setup option - (also keeping network scan of WiFi off at first boot)

pix

Hello folks,

Is it possible to do a complete offline install of OS? Like download the image, drivers offline and later install it.
The scan for WiFi starts at first boot! How to keep this long standing issue off?*

*To explain on this, since early days, Android along with any variant of OS will follow this standard implementation of starting on the network adapters at start. Seems harmless at first but this scan actually is a security nightmare! This step alone registers the device location within phone for future use to derive country specifics. Remember that, WiFi is even more fine tuned to pin point a device and better at it than a SIM. So if someone wants to keep this off, they can't!

We can setup without a SIM but there is no way to bypass or setup the device in a complete offline state as network scan happens without user choice.

(In old times, in order to fight this leak, had to deploy M66B (developer) made XPrivacyLua hooks but Graphene is not suitable for this due to a security hardened OS.)

Have a good one guys!

other8026

pix Is it possible to do a complete offline install of OS? Like download the image, drivers offline and later install it.

You can do a cli install. Assuming the device you're flashing GrapheneOS from has fastboot and other prerequisites, all you'd need to do is download the correct factory image and flash later.

pix The scan for WiFi starts at first boot! How to keep this long standing issue off?*

This question was answered a couple of weeks ago here: https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/21639-a-way-to-boot-with-dead-radio-module/12

pix

other8026
Can you pls explain a bit more on the radio signals part from that linked post?
What I proposed was something a little bit different, i.e. to keep the network scan off at first boot in setup process, later on a user would be able to use it normally by turning on WiFi. All this to ensure a complete offline setup.

other8026

pix Can you pls explain a bit more on the radio signals part from that linked post?

I believe they're only talking about cellular signals. Not sure if they have the same thoughts about wifi signals. I shared a link to the post because you're asking about flashing offline and maybe you'd want the cellular modem to be disabled by default too. No SIM doesn't mean there's no connection to cellular networks.

pix

other8026 Correct! Turning of modem is better of the two options but at least for now turning off WiFi is also gonna help at least on a software level. I meant during first boot at least. All types of scan begin at this crossroads so I thought to ask here if anything can be done about this.