Web Install documentation update

cadayton

I just install GrapheneOS on a 9a and haven't used Android for many moons.

After I got to the Fastboot mode on the phone, I wasn't seeing the option to
unlock bootloader. Anyway, I end getting caught up in rescue mode because I push the wrong
button.

I then ended up loading the Platform-tools and did the following to unlock.
adb reboot bootloader
fastboot flashing unlock

I recommend added the following sentence prior to unlocking-the-bootloader heading.

If all the above settings having be completed successfully continue by clicking on the
Blue buttons below.

Had that information been available to me, It would saved me from going down a different path on the
first step.

https://grapheneos.org/install/web#unlocking-the-bootloader

Dumdum

cadayton
The point of the web installer is that you don't need adb. At all. As long as people follow the instructions, the web installer shouldn't cause any issues.

cadayton

Yes, I understand that now. But when I was at the fastboot mode and wasn't seeing the option to unlock the bootloader it was not clear to me that all I had to do was click on the blue button to unlock it.

You have to understand there are newbies like me that have near zero experience with Android.

n3t_admin

cadayton to me it's all clear.
The guide says:

Unlock the bootloader to allow flashing the OS and firmware:

The : indicates that the next item after that sentence does something. And it's a button evidently. I don't know how this is misleading and I'm hearing about this for the first time.

cadayton

I guess adding the following line of text to the documentation.

"If all the above settings have been completed successfully continue by clicking on the
Blue buttons below."

Is too big of an ask. :)

de0u

cadayton I guess adding the following line of text to the documentation.

"If all the above settings have been completed successfully continue by clicking on the
Blue buttons below."

Is too big of an ask. :)

Like everything else, it's a tradeoff. Somewhat recently a change was made to be more explicit about the fastboot stage, after multiple users over some time had misunderstood the previous page. So far I think this is the first report that of a user not recognizing that the installer expects buttons to be pressed. If over time it seems that a fair number of users run into this problem it could be addressed that way.

But there are other options. Do you recall why it was unclear that those were buttons and it was expected to press them? Might a change in the style of buttons make sense to consider?

cadayton

Well my focus at the time was on the phone's Fastboot Mode interface expecting to find an "unlock" option by clicking the volume button up/down and not the Web document.

Knowing that the Web Document was invoking adb commands for me so I did have to resort to using the CLI would have been helpful too.

On another issue. This is a new unlocked phone that I've installed GrapheneOS on. I've attempted to implement eSIM service from a carrier not realizing that I can not do this from GrapheneOS. Not a big deal but now I'll have to re-engage with the carrier and tell them to just mail me a sim card.

Had I known from the get go to implement the eSim card on the stock OS before installing GrapheneOS, I would have done so.

I'm just providing this feed back so others can avoid some of the friction that I'm going through in implementing GrapheneOS.

I do appreciate all the hard work that goes behind implementing and supporting GrapheneOS and when the dust settles I'll make some donations to help support GrapheneOS.

Thanks.

n3t_admin

cadayton Had I known from the get go to implement the eSim card on the stock OS before installing GrapheneOS, I would have done so.

Where do you get this? GrapheneOS offers eSIM support by flipping a toggle. Unless your carrier has some special implementation, an eSIM will work just fine.

wizoatk

cadayton Well my focus at the time was on the phone's Fastboot Mode interface

The docs provide an explicit "Press the button below to start the download:" above the Download Release button. I don't know why the texts before the buttons are inconsistent, sometimes ending with a colon, sometimes ending in a period, sometimes a direct command to press the button. An explicit "Press the button below to ..." on the first button (or maybe all the buttons?) rather than just the second option might have gotten your focus shifted?

cadayton [...] so I did have to resort to using the CLI

I assume you meant "didn't". The standard admonition in chat is something along the lines of "don't skip steps, don't add steps, the web installer instructions don't mention adb". Perhaps the doc could benefit with something similar but slightly more tactful.

cadayton Had I known from the get go to implement the eSim card on the stock OS before installing GrapheneOS

In general this shouldn't be necessary. Only for those providers which can't provide QR codes and/or need a special app to activate or manage the eSIM options and that app doesn't function correctly with GrapheneOS should this be a problem. Could you provide more details on which provider and where it went wrong for you?

https://grapheneos.org/usage#esim-support

cadayton

wizoatk

Using Astound mobile service offer which is using T-Mobile service.

The instructions where taking me down the normal Google Android path.

cadayton

The text from the user guide lead me to that conclusion.

"By default, GrapheneOS has always shipped with baseline support for eSIM, where users can use any eSIMs installed previously on the device. However, in order to manage and add eSIMs, proprietary Google functionality is needed. This is fully disabled by default."

When I enabled the eSIM toggle that worked. But there isn't any means of adding or managing the eSIM for a fresh phone that has never had an eSIM configured.

wizoatk

cadayton there isn't any means of adding or managing the eSIM

Settings > Network and Internet > SIMs > Add SIM

wizoatk

cadayton The instructions where taking me down the normal Google Android path.

The instructions where?
And what was wrong about that?

Astound Mobile appears to have an app. I can't tell if it is an option or required, or if it works on GrapheneOS. Did you look at that?