[Android General] tecknight:
Install a pre-rooted ROM to your LG Aristo 2 / 2 + / Best root method

TAT TecKnight's Aristo 2 Tutorials series

Install a pre-rooted ROM to your LG Aristo 2 / 2 + / Best root method

Requirements:

An LG Aristo 2 or Aristo 2 plus

A PC running Windows with an internet connection, if you don't have TWRP already installed on your phone

A USB cable., if you don't have TWRP already installed on your phone

Note: This procedure is currently my recommended method for rooting a cv1 device and the only method for a device already running Oreo

Note: If you have not already unlocked your phone for flashing, this procedure will wipe your userdata and cache partitions. If you want to retain your apps and settings, back up your data before you perform this procedure and restore your data after completing it.

Note: I would like to give credit for the idea and inspiration of using a TWRP flashable .zip to @NonStickAtom785. He started with an Aristo 1 flashable zip and was able to modify it to work on the Aristo 2, creating the first functional flashable ROM for the Aristo 2. When I was helping him to modify his update_script, I realized that using a TWRP flashable .zip will end up being a faster, easier and much more customizable method of rooting an Aristo 2 or Aristo 2 plus.

0. If you have already unlocked your bootloader and have TWRP installed, you can skip to step 13.

1. If you are currently running Oreo based firmware on your device and you do not already have TWRP installed, you will have to first downgrade your device to Nougat based firmware, before fastboot will let you flash TWRP.

If your phone is an Aristo 2 (Metro by T-Mobile), I recommend firmware version 10K, available here:

https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=11410963190603847051​

If your phone is an Aristo 2 plus (T-Mobile), you will need 10K for the Aristo 2 plus, available here:

https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=6006931924117907869​

Once you have downloaded your .kdz image, flash it using these instructions:

Install a specific .KDZ image to your LG phone using LGUP​

If you are already running a Nougat based firmware or after you have downgraded to Nougat based firmware, continue to step 2

2. Allow your phone to boot into Android normally.

3. On your phone, go to Settings->General->About Phone->Software Info. Click on Build Number 7 times. You have now enabled Developer Options

4. On your phone, go to Settings->Developer Options and Turn ON both OEM Unlock and USB debugging. Turn OFF Automatic System Updates. Click on Select USB Configuration and select MTP (Media Transfer Protocol)

5. Connect your phone to your PC using the USB cable.

6. On your PC, open a command prompt or power shell session in the folder where your adb and fastboot executables reside.

7. In your command prompt or power shell session, type"

adb devices​

You should see:

List of devices attached

<SerialNumofPhone> device​

8. Now type:

adb reboot bootloader​

9. You should see some text in very small letters on your phone. You are now in bootloader or fastboot mode.

10. Type this:

fastboot flashing unlock​

fastboot will say this will wipe your data. Tell it to continue.

Note: It's OK if you get a response saying flashing is already unlocked. Just proceed to the next step.

11. Download TWRP to your PC:

TWRP 3.2.3.0 for cv1 devices with fstab mods (encryption related) and Oreo kernel

I upgraded TWRP to 3.2.3.0 and made a couple of mods to make it less likely to glitch. I believe booting the same kernel for boot and recovery should result in a more stable experience.

https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=11410963190603893649​

Place the TWRP4cv1WithOreoKernel.img file into the folder containing your adb and fastboot binaries.

12. Now flash TWRP. Type:

fastboot flash recovery TWRP4cv1WithOreoKernel.img​

You should see:

target reported max download size of 262144000 bytes

sending 'recovery' (17010 KB)...

OKAY [ 0.585s]

writing 'recovery'...

OKAY [ 0.200s]

finished. total time: 0.790s​

13. if you want Aristo 2 (Oreo firmware 20g, Metro by T-Mobile), download this:

(Tec's Lightning ROM for Aristo 2 rel 2)

https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=6006931924117889341​

or if you want Aristo 2 plus (Oreo firmware 20e, T-Mobile), download this

(Tec's Lightning ROM for Aristo 2 plus beta 2)

https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=6006931924117887513​

or if you want an Aristo 2 (Nougat firmware 10K, Metro PCS), download this (Tec's A2 rooted Nougat V4)

https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=11410963190603863164​

or if you want an Aristo 2 plus (Nougat firmware 10J, T-Mobile), download this;

https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=11410963190603855657​

Either download it directly to your phone or copy it to your phone once the download completes.

14. Remove the battery from your phone and disconnect the USB cable.

15. Re-insert the battery.

16. Hold the Vol - on your phone and press the power button.

As soon as you see the LG logo, quickly release and repress the power button.

Hold both buttons until you see a Factory Data Reset dialog.

Release both buttons and use the vol keys to highlight Yes.

Press the power button. Now use the vol keys to select Yes again and then press the power button.

Your phone will now boot into TWRP.

Note: If you boot into TWRP and find that the touch screen is not responding, and your screen image has shifted slightly, you may have an incompatible bootloader. Try flashing 0ne of these TWRP images instead:

TWRP with Pre-10L kernel:

recovery.img --> Latest TWRP 3.2.1.0 for cv1 devices by armandop_​

TWRP with 10L kernel:

https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=11410963190603862817​

17. If this is your first time booting into TWRP, Swipe to allow modifications.

18. Now select INSTALL, then browse to the flashable .zip file you downloaded in step 12.

Swipe to confirm flash. TWRP will install the ROM to your phone.

You should see something resembling this:

////////////////////////////////////
// LG Binary ROM installer v5 //
// By TecKnight //
//--------------------------------//
// Tecs Aristo 2 rooted Oreo ROM v4 //
// This should flash in about 1.5 min //
// Removed LG RCTD, added parted //
////////////////////////////////////

Wiping encryption key, if any.
Wiping cache partition...
Creating filesystem with parameters:
Size: 536870912
Block size: 4096
Blocks per group: 32768
Inodes per group: 8192
Inode size: 256
Journal blocks: 2048
Label:
Blocks: 131072
Block groups: 4
Reserved block group size: 31
Created filesystem with 11/32768 inodes and 4206/131072 blocks
Wiping dalvik-cache folder...
about to run program [/sbin/busybox] with 4 args
rm: can't remove '/data/dalvik-cache/*': No such file or directory
run_program: child exited with status 1
Pre-Formatting System partition.
Creating filesystem with parameters:
Size: 3707764736
Block size: 4096
Blocks per group: 32768
Inodes per group: 8096
Inode size: 256
Journal blocks: 14144
Label:
Blocks: 905216
Block groups: 28
Reserved block group size: 223
Created filesystem with 11/226688 inodes and 30171/905216 blocks
about to run program [/sbin/busybox] with 4 args
about to run program [/sbin/busybox] with 4 args
Inserting custom bootanimation...
Running: mv /OP/MPCS_US/poweron/bootanimation.zip /OP/MPCS_US/poweron/bta.zip
about to run program [/sbin/busybox] with 4 args
Inserting custom shutdownanimation...
Running: mv /OP/MPCS_US/poweroff/shutdownanimation.zip /OP/MPCS_US/poweroff/sda.zip
about to run program [/sbin/busybox] with 4 args
about to run program [/sbin/busybox] with 4 args
Extracting and flashing aboot image...
Extracting and flashing abootbak image...
Extracting and flashing apdp image...
Extracting and flashing cmnlib image...
Extracting and flashing cmnlibbak image...
Extracting and flashing cmnlib64 image...
Extracting and flashing cmnlib64bak image...
Extracting and flashing devcfg image...
Extracting and flashing devcfgbak image...
Extracting and flashing dsp image...
Extracting and flashing factory image...
Extracting and flashing keymaster image...
Extracting and flashing keymasterbak image...
Extracting and flashing laf image...
Extracting and flashing lafbak image...
Extracting and flashing modem image...
Extracting and flashing msadp image...
Extracting and flashing persist image...
Extracting and flashing raw_resources image...
Extracting and flashing raw_resourcesbak image...
Extracting and flashing rct image...
Extracting and flashing recoverybak image...
Extracting and flashing rpm image...
Extracting and flashing rpmbak image...
Extracting and flashing sbl1 image...
Extracting and flashing sbl1bak image...
Extracting and flashing sec image...
Truncating string cache entries.
Extracting and flashing tz image...
Extracting and flashing tzbak image...
Extracting and flashing patched boot image [A2PatchedOreoBoot.img]...
Extracting and flashing custom system image [a2patchedsystem.img]...
This will take about 1 minute to complete...

/////////////////////////////////////
// Imaging Successful //
// //
/////////////////////////////////////

The flash should complete in about 1 minute and 20 seconds.

Reboot System when done. You should see the new boot animation as your phone boots into Android. Your phone will be rooted and have Magisk installed.

Please hit the Thanks button at the bottom of this post if you appreciate my work.

FYI: Some useful information about the script that installs the ROM.

1. It automatically detects any encrypted partitions (userdata or cache), then wipes the encryption key and reformats the affected partitions as unencrypted, prior to installing the ROM.

2. Unlike 99% of all update_script's, this script flashes binary images to all] partitions. This makes the script MUCH shorter and more efficient, as no set file property commands are needed. It also makes it very easy to create a flashable .zip from a running system.

3. The script now flashes every partition that LGUP flashes when updating the firmware on a phone, except for the recovery partition. It also flashes 3 partitions that LGUP does not flash. This means that flashing this zip is equivalent to flashing your phone with LGUP, then flashing a patched boot and system partition. The boot and system partitions are the only partitions not flashed with a stock image, Here are some details as to which partitions are flashed by this flashable script vs. LGUP. Please feel free to post any comments you feel are relevant:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Kkb1ZIjv7O-G8BaVr-R07H30J63P2hAcpIDTKTZFOgU/edit?usp=sharing​

Information about the Lightning ROMs (Aristo 2 & Aristo 2 plus).

New versions of each released 06/06/2019

Features of this ROM:

1. Based on the latest Oreo firmware for each phone..

2. Encryption has been disabled and will be eliminated if it exists on the target phone.

3. LG's resource hogging Root Checking Tool has been removed from the boot image and disabled in the system image.

4. The boot image has been rooted using the latest systemless Magisk release.

5. Numerous unneeded system and privileged apps, which are normally not removable, have been removed, freeing up a great deal of space on the phone and significantly reducing processor overhead. This makes the phone run faster and respond more quickly.

6. LG's system update has been deauthorized by changes in the system image. This means there is no chance a system update will brick your phone or undo the changes made by this ROM.

7. The full screen "Code Red" bootup splash screen has been eliminated. In it's place is a much less noticeable and smaller text message in small yellow letters.

_________

Change Log:

2/16/2020 Changed link to TWRP image as androidfilehost somehow lost the image,

12/27/2019 Changed link to LGUP vs Flashing utility to allow comments on the target spreadsheet.

07/02/2019 Changed downgrade firmware link for Aristo 2 plus to an AndroidFileHost URL as lg-firmwares.com links are no longer reliable. Thanks to @Mor Headroom for bringing it to my attention.

06/07/2019 Added updated links for new releases of the Lightning ROMs for Aristo 2 and Aristo 2 plus.

06/02/2019 Clarified downgrade instructions and added firmware link for Aristo 2 plus firmware 10k. Added links for Lightning ROMs for Aristo 2 and Aristo 2 plus.

01/17/2019 Added new TWRP 3.2.3.0 image using Oreo kernel. This appears to fix the unresponsive touchscreen issues that had ocasionally occurred.

12/31/2018 Added new Aristo 2 plus Oreo ROM V2. Updated Aristo 2 Oreo flashable .zip to V4.

12/26/2018 Added detailed instructions for users currently running stock Oreo firmware. Updated Oreo flashable .zip to V3.

12/24/2018 Added Aristo 2 rooted Oreo flashable .zip V2 to flashable ROM list.

11/30/2018 Updated Aristo 2 flashable .zip to version 4. Modified description of image to reflect content.

11/27/2018 Updated Aristo 2 flashable .zip to version 3a. Modified description of image to reflect content.

11/25/2018 Updated Aristo 2 flashable .zip to version 3. Modified description of image to reflect content.

11/23/2018 Added Aristo 2 plus flashable .zip version 2.

11/22/2018 Updated Aristo 2 flashable .zip to version 2b.

11/21/2018 Updated Aristo 2 flashable .zip to version 2a.

11/20/2018 Updated Aristo 2 flashable .zip to version 2.

11/19/2018 Created initial procedure.