[Google Pixel XL Guides, News, & Discussion] bajasur:
[SIZE=+3]How-To Guide For Beginners[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+2]Pixel XL (Marlin)[/SIZE]

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[SIZE=+3]Intro[/SIZE]

This thread will serve as a location for basic how-to guides for the Pixel XL (Marlin). I'm going to start off with a couple of the more obvious ones and go from there.

[size=+3]Prerequisites[/size]:

If you are on Verizon, please follow dePixel8 guidelines prior to using this thread

Always update your phone to the latest build available before starting the unlocking/rooting process.

You'll need a working adb/fastboot environment on your PC to get through some of these guides.

You must have Java installed and up to date in order to use the SDK Manager, please ensure that this is taken care of before installing the SDK.

Please do not install adb/fastboot via any means other than the Android SDK, using other tools (like Minimal adb & fastboot) can lead to an outdated setup and various problems with flashing. You've been warned, other tools will not be supported in this thread.

Go here to download the Android SDK, which will give you most updated version of adb and fastboot. Scroll to the bottom of the page and find Other Download Options>SDK Tools Only, and grab the right version for your OS. While it's downloading create a folder in C: called SDK (C:SDK). Once you've downloaded the zip you can extract it into your C:SDK folder. Navigate to C:SDKandroid-sdk-windows and open SDK Manager.exe. In SDK Manager you need to install the following packages:

Tools> Android SDK Tools, Android SDK Platform-tools

Extras> Android Support Library, Google USB Driver

Once you have installed those, inside C:SDK you should see some new folders, one of them will be called platform-tools, within that folder you should see fastboot.exe and adb.exe. I'll refer to this as your fastboot folder/directory or working folder/directory during this guide. To make sure adb is correctly installed, open a command prompt from within your fastboot folder (hold shift + right click, select open command prompt here) and issue this command:

adb version

If it returns a version number for Android Debug Bridge then you're good to go.

You can test adb by connecting your device to your PC while booted into Android (making sure that adb/usb debugging is enabled in Settings>Developer Options) with the screen unlocked and issuing this command:

adb devices

It should return your device serial number, if so, adb is working.

You can test fastboot by connecting your device to your PC while booted into the bootloader (power + volume down) and issuing this command:

fastboot devices

It should return your device serial number, if so, fastboot is working.

[SIZE=+3]Quick Tips[/SIZE]

How to boot into the bootloader:

Power off your device. Once it's powered off hold power + volume down and the phone will boot into the bootloader. You can also use the following adb command:

adb reboot bootloader

[SIZE=+3]Index[/SIZE]

Post #1

1. How To Unlock Your Bootloader

2. How To Install A Custom Recovery On Your Device

3. How To Root with TWRP Recovery

4. How To Root with via Fastboot (No Recovery)

Post #2

5. How To Install A ROM with TWRP Recovery

6. How To Install A Custom Kernel With TWRP Recovery

7. How To Install A Custom Kernel Using Fasboot

8. How To Flash The Factory Images (Return To Stock)

9. How To Flash The Factory Images (Return To Stock But Leaving Internal Storage Intact)

[SIZE=+3]1. How To Unlock Your Bootloader[/SIZE]

Go into Settings/About Phone, scroll down and click on “build number” continuously until you see a toast notification telling you that you've enabled Developer Options. Go back to your Settings menu and enter Developer Options, scroll down and click on the “Enable OEM Unlock” checkbox, also make sure you enable USB Debugging while you're in the Developer Options menu.

Power off your phone then boot into the bootloader (power + volume down).

Connect your phone to your PC via usb cable.

Open a command prompt from within your fastboot folder (navigate to where you have fastboot.exe located on your PC, shift + right click anywhere within that folder, select open command prompt here).

Check your fastboot connection by issuing this command:

fastboot devices

It should return your device serial number, if not you need to make sure your drivers are installed correctly.​

Once you've confirmed your fastboot connection issue the unlock command:

fastboot flashing unlock

This will erase all user data from the device!

You should now see a screen on your phone asking you to confirm this action, use the volume keys to scroll and the power key to confirm if you're sure you want to go ahead.

Allow the process to complete and then issue this command:

fastboot reboot

Allow everything to go ahead and once finished you can disconnect your usb cable.

Note: After unlocking your bootloader, each time your phone boots up you'll be greeted with a warning that says "Your device software can't be checked for corruption. Please lock the bootloader". This is nothing to worry about, it's normal to see this when you have an unlocked bootloader. You can't remove it, as long as your bootloader is unlocked it will stay there.

Important: do not relock your bootloader unless your phone is fully stock. You must flash the factory images first in order to remove root and custom recovery (if you have them), if this precaution isn't taken you may end up with a brick. Please see section 10 of this guide for full instructions on how to return to stock.

[SIZE=+3]2. How To Install TWRP On Your Device[/SIZE]

Prerequisites: unlocked bootloader (section 1).

Warning: TWRP is currently in RC1 phase and is not fully stable, flash at your own risk.

This guide assumes you have just unlocked your bootloader and are otherwise stock, NO root yet.

Download the necessary files (IMG and Zip) from the TWRP website and add the TWRP zip to your internal storage: https://dl.twrp.me/marlin/

Place the IMG file in your fastboot folder (this is where fastboot.exe is located on your PC)

Boot into the bootloader. Open a command prompt from within your fastboot folder (navigate to where you have fastboot.exe located on your PC, shift + right click anywhere within that folder, select open command prompt here), enter this command:

fastboot boot path/to/twrp.img

(The TWRP filename in the command will change depending on which recovery you're flashing)

This will temporarily boot TWRP on your device. If you are using a lockscreen pin/pattern/password and do not get prompted to enter your password, reboot to the bootloader and try again. Go to install and browse to the zip and install the TWRP zip

[SIZE=+3]3. How To Root[/SIZE]

Prerequisites: unlocked bootloader (section 1), TWRP recovery (section 2).

Download the latest SuperSU of your choosing to your phone:

https://download.chainfire.eu/1013/SuperSU/SR4-SuperSU-v2.78-SR4-20161115184928.zip

Boot into TWRP recovery and enter the install menu.

Navigate to where you have SuperSU stored on your internal storage and select it.

Swipe to install.

Thats it, reboot and you should have TWRP and SuperSU installed

[SIZE=+3]4. How To Root via Fastboot[/SIZE]

Prerequisites: unlocked bootloader (section 1)

Special Note: This is for users who do not have or want TWRP installed and want to run stock root

Download Chainfire's root-marlin-pixelxl.zip located here: https://download.chainfire.eu/1011/CF-Root1/root-marlin-pixelxl.zip

Extract Chainfire's zip and follow the instructions in the read me

***** The short guide *****

*BOOT* (do not flash!) the supplied image, and wait a few minutes:

fastboot boot boot-to-root.img

***** The long guide *****

Before you root your device, you need to unlock your bootloader, if you haven't done so yet.

If you are using a Verizon device, you need a special tool for that. Go find that first.

- Boot into Android
- Enable developer options
--- Settings -> About phone -> Build number: tap 7 times
- Enable OEM unlocking
--- Settings -> Developer Options -> OEM unlocking
- Go into bootloader mode
--- Turn off device
--- Hold volume down and power
- Run "fastboot flashing unlock" and follow the on-screen instructions
--- This will wipe your device

To root your device:

- Go into bootloader mode, if not there already
--- Turn off device
--- Hold volume down and power
- Run "fastboot boot boot-to-root.img"
--- Wait for a few minutes. The device will reboot at least twice
- You should be rooted once Android is fully booted up

*****

Enjoy!
- Chainfire

XDA:DevDB Information

Guide: How To Unlock/Root/Flash for Pixel XL (Marlin), Tool/Utility for the Google Pixel XL

Contributors

bajasur, The Flash, beanstown106, [MENTION=5244502]micmars[/MENTION]

Version Information

Status: Testing

Created 2016-11-27

Last Updated 2016-11-26