yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] droidstyle:
Pretty easy to install. Coming from Stock 8.1 Oreo with Magisk…

-adb reboot bootloader

-fastboot flash boot stock boot.img

-reboot system

-adb reboot bootloader

-adb shell getprop ro.boot.slot to see what slot the system is on. Mine was on _b

-fastboot --set-active=_a opposite of what slot you are currently on

-fastboot flash boot twrp-3.2.3-0-mata.img

-fastboot reboot

-once in TWRP, select reboot and switch back to the original active slot. In my case it was _b

-perform a backup

-install the Twrp 3.2.3.0 installer.zip

-reboot system

-reboot back into TWRP recovery and flash magisk

-reboot system and profit

So nice to have a fully working recovery! This device is officially dialed.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] munchy_cool:
Just did a video on how to instal TWRP and root using Magisk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PYBYDbapho

Edit

I am on September release and installed the OTA.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] Nick80835:
Have my babies daddy Troy ?????
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] lynnux:
Is there a trick to getting touch to work in twrp? I'm on latest PIE, and have tried the usual ways, touch never works (and I don't have an OTG cable). The last thing I haven't tried is to remove password security. I'm on a supervised g-suite account and to remove security I have to disable gmail, losing permissions to access the account, and then go back and ask my admin to give permissions again. I'm willing to do this if someone can tell me for sure that this is what's making touch not work for me.

When I follow the instructions given, I boot into twrp and touch doesn't work, so I go back to bootloader by holding down power+volume down, then fastboot boot.img, go into stock recovery and sideload OTA. Then I'm back to a working system.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] nicoconepala:
no you have to fastboot the entire august files from essential or Bts with full wipe then the ota and it should be ok
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] starcms:
The full wipe part isn't necessary. The rest is correct.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] nicoconepala:
yes but i'm that kind of guy who wipe everything every times :D
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] starcms:
Use the fastboot package from Essential's website to install Pie August then use the OTA package from Essential's website to upgrade to Pie September. You can edit the flash-all script that comes with Essential's fastboot package to delete the line with "-w" so it won't do a wipe of your device.

And I would highly recommend upgrading every month using the OTA package from Essential's website to prevent possible issues like this in the future.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] dayh8:
Having touch issues, also. Only ever use OTA to update. Have redownloaded and reflashed the build and twrp several times. Everything else is stock, and magisk has been uninstalled along with encryption.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] MoistPicklez:
Well thank you for the insight I've never used an OTA package to update, so that'll be a little new to me but I'm sure there's some instructions on how to do that. Time for some Google-Fu!

---------- Post added at 09:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:34 PM ----------

Sorry to quote you again, but do you use TWRP to sideload the OTA package or stock recovery? Or do you just take the OTA update and avoid the sideloading completely?
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] starcms:
Use the stock recovery. All of the instructions (very simple) are on Essential's website.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] mkln:
I'm also having touch issues on TWRP, I've just installed the September update via fastboot.

If I try to install the fastboot August update without formatting user data, it won't boot.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] starcms:
Doesn't make sense that it doesn't boot. Although it doesn't need to. After flashing August using fastboot, flash September OTA package using adb sideload in stock recovery.

Edit: Did you flash the August version of Oreo or Pie. If Oreo, that's probably why it won't boot.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] DoR3M3:
I'm on the latest Stock Oreo 8.1.0 and TWRP works great here.

I'm also very happy with Oreo, runs great here.

I had to many issues on Pie, so I'm waiting for the bugs and dust to clear... ;)
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] fossiltkm:
I can confirm this as well. fastbooting the august pie update over the September pie update corrupted the system, so I had no choice but to factory reset. And after it was all said and done, still wound up with no touch with the updated twrp.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] starcms:
People have already commented that it worked and fixed touch in TWRP.

Are you using a modern version of adb and fastboot or some of the old crap that most adb installers on XDA use? Are you using Essential's drivers or some generic crap ones?

Many people here have touch working in TWRP with the September update. There must be some reason a fraction of people are having issues.

And there is zero reason why installing an older version via fastboot (August in this case) would cause your system to not boot or cause other corruption. Something must be wrong with your PC or how you are doing it.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] avd:
Why don't you flash both slots from fastboot?
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] dayh8:
flashed August with fastboot files and reflashed Sept with OTA. Touch still does not work. Not sure what else to do. :-\
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] munchy_cool:
because then twrp will have to package boot.img and one single boot.img cannot boot Oreo and Pie or for that matter multiple security patches.

Hence we flash TWRP to inactive slot, and then the TWRP zip file patches both slots. So, it will patch old slot (Android slot) and keep it's current kernel and just inject twrp into it.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] starcms:
No need to.

---------- Post added at 17:42 ---------- Previous post was at 17:39 ----------

Since you had said you always use the OTA package to update (and not fastboot), it should have immediately worked for you and I could have told you fastbooting August wouldn't help in your case.

I'm starting to think this is a hardware thing like maybe Essential used two different types of touchscreen controllers when they built the phones.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] droidstyle:
I appreciate your good hygiene! :highfive:
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] starcms:
Just FYI, the TWRP installer zip patches each boot image, boot.img, for slots A and B individually and installs TWRP into the ramdisk of each.

So you could flash the new twrp.img to the current slot, boot into TWRP, flash the current stock boot.img (like old times), then lastly flash the TWRP installer zip. You can install it either way. You don't have to switch slots at all if you use this method.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] munchy_cool:
yeps, I know that which is why we flashed twrp image to inactive slot.

and yes, you can follow the old way as well. but by flashing to inactive slot you dont have to worry about finding stock boot.img.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] starcms:
Guys, I'm really starting to think this is a hardware thing like maybe Essential used two different types of touchscreen controllers when they built the phones. Because alot of people have touch in TWRP working with September installed, but obviously quite a few of you do not.

But remember, this was just released yesterday. I'm sure [MENTION=912474]Dees_Troy[/MENTION] will find a fix so that touch works for everyone.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] rignfool:
The question is timing...

If you... And everyone else with working touch in TWRP used downloadables from the Essential website quickly after the drop... Then you do NOT have an updated hyp and rpm partition...

They we're only originally available via OTA... And the downloadables have since been updated... Soooo... Methinks I'd you were to redownload your OTA... And compare checksums with your original file... You WILL find a difference...
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] syckman:
Was able to get this working on my phone with the August build. Then decided I wanted the September build so flashed that, and touch in TWRP no longer works - so I don't think its hardware, has to be something in the September build. Went back to August which then caused a boot loop, so had to reset phone and am now back on the September build, and just waiting for a fix.

So just a warning - for those wanting to try this on the September build, if it does not work, do not install August over it or you might lose data.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] starcms:
I never downloaded the September or any other fastboot package from the Essential website. I only and always download the OTA package from their website.

Plus, some people have gotten it working by following my suggestion of installing the August fastboot package followed by the September OTA. So that means me and them all have the updated hyp and rpm partitions from September and a working touchscreen in TWRP.

If there are two variations in touch panels, it would explain why some people's work in TWRP with the updated hyp and rpm partitions from September while others don't. But everyone's touchscreen works in Android if they have September installed and the new hyp and rpm partitions. So TWRP can definitely be fixed.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] rignfool:
But you downloaded the sideloadable OTA package before the updated hyp and rpm partitions made it in there...
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] munchy_cool:
here's something you can try if you dont mind losing your data.

check your current slot (assuming it's September Pie).

fastboot getvar current-slot, sat it's "a"

this means slot "b" has August Pie (if you didn't mess around with your device)

so we set "b" as current slot

fastboot --set-active=b

try rebooting

fastboot reboot

if you are stuck in a loop, then you will need

fastboot -w (which will wipe your data, and factory reset)

then

fastboot reboot

now you should be in August Pie. Now if you take OTA (on the phone, no sideload) it will install September Pie on other slot and make it active.

Then you can proceed with TWRP as I mentioned in third or fourth post.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] starcms:
They were always in it. The bug was only in the fastboot package. Keep up.

Plus, if I didn't have the updated hyp and rpm partitions, I wouldn't have touch working in Android with September installed.

---------- Post added at 18:33 ---------- Previous post was at 18:31 ----------

That's pretty much exactly what I've been telling everyone to do, just in a more confusing way. Same effect as fastboot installing August followed by OTA installing September.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] munchy_cool:
yeps, if you took Essential OTA for September you already have August Pie on the other slot. Slots can be confusing in the beginning but once you get hold of them, they are easy to understand.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] starcms:
If there are two variations in touch panels, it would explain why some people's work in TWRP with the updated hyp and rpm partitions from September while others don't. But everyone's touchscreen works in Android if they have September installed and the new hyp and rpm partitions. So TWRP can definitely be fixed.

FYI, if someone doesn't have the updated hyp and rpm partitions that were initially missing only from the fastboot download package (not the OTA one), their touchscreen would NOT function in September in Android (regardless if it works in TWRP). So if you have September installed, and your touchscreen works in Android, you have the updated hyp and rpm partitions.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] ultrasuper:
Can anyone clarify a few things mentioned in the TWPR instructions

What is meant here? Since we can boot the phone into fastboot, and use "$ fastboot flash <image>", etc...

He's suggesting we make a full nandroid of the current working environment, in case something goes awry, yes?

Is my understanding that the difference between the *zip and the *.img file is that the twrp*.zip is for "injecting" into your current boot image, so that TWRP becomes permanent? And the twrp*.img is a "stand alone" TWRP, not to be injected/"combined" with a boot (kernel) image? only used for the "first" setup of permanent TWRP?
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] starcms:
That's correct.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] sruel3216:
So I was on slot_b...then I sideloaded the OTA...I checked current slot and it said slot_a now.

If I want the Sept OTA also on slot_b, do I just sideload the OTA again?

Thanks
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] tech_head:
Yeah,

I had the same issue.

I reflashed Sept.

I then went though the install instructions and TWRP had no touch.

I then flashed the hyp and rpm from August.

Followed the rest of the instructions and installed ElementalX and Magisk.

When I booted no touch again.

I then flashed the hyp and rpm from Sept.

It looks like the TWRP boot is built against those files from Aug, while ElementalX is Sept.

I now have it working.

---------- Post added at 03:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:11 AM ----------

Yep.

Actually the original fastboot images didn't even have the files.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] syckman:
What command did you use to flash the hyp (and rpm) from August? Tried 'fastboot flash hyp' and doesn't work. TIA
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] tech_head:
fatsboot flash hyp_a hyp

fastboot flash hyp_b hyp

fastboot flash rpm_a rpm

fastboot flash rpm_b rpm

The files may have extension though
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] btux81:
I was struggling to get it working properly but here are the steps I used to get it working:

Prepared my phone to be wiped (backed up my phone).

Downloaded/extracted BTS 091 fastboot.

Ran the script flashallwipe in fastboot.

Booted/restored my device. Enabled ADB debug.

Downloaded 036 OTA from Essential.

Downloaded both TWRP files.

Rebooted to bootloader.

Sideloaded the OTA.

Booted to Android. Rebooted to bootloader.

Figured out what slot I was actively using.

Flashed TWRP.img to the unused slot (if on A, flash on B).

Set the slot to the one containing TWRP.img then booted to recovery via the volume rocker.

Decrypted my phone. Pushed TWRP.zip via ADB to SD. I also pushed magisk and EX kernel.

Flashed TWRP.zip.

Switched back to the slot containing version 036.

Installed EX kernel then magisk.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] syckman:
Thanks for this. Flashing the August files fixed my no touch issues in TWRP. Then after installing and rooting, flashed the September hyp and rpm files back since system then had no touch issues w/ the August files.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] starcms:
Thank you. That is what I have been saying over and over!!

If you have outdated (August or before) hyp and rpm partitions installed, you will have NO TOUCH in September Android. Period, end of story.

So since I and many other people have September installed with working touch, and new TWRP installed with working touch, there must be another variable at play. All I can think of is Essential used two different touch screens/digitizers when building the phones.

BUT, since all phones work with September with the new hyp and rpm, TWRP can be updated to as well. So everyone just chill out. It's barely been out for a day. I'm sure it will be fixed so touch works for everyone with the latest September (and future) firmware.

---------- Post added at 00:08 ---------- Previous post was at 00:05 ----------

Yes, exactly.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] Thebear j koss:
I have no lockscreen, twrp never asks me for a password. In phone settings - - - >security it still shows encrypted.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] sruel3216:
Interesting. I never really messed with slot swapping before, even on my pixel 2.

So I can essentially run one slot with a custom kernel and the other slot with stock rooted kernel?
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] starcms:
Sure. The only things the slots share are /data. System, vendor, boot, and all the various other obscure firmware partitions each are stored twice, on slot a and slot b.

So if you did that, you would need to make sure everything else on both slots, besides the kernel, is identical. Easy way is flashing the OTA package twice, or flashing the fastboot package, changing slots, and flashing it again.

I think it would be safer to keep a TWRP backup of each kernel and switch back and forth that way.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] dayh8:
I'll give this a try later today and report back. Thanks for the time and energy in thinking through how to resolve this.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] MoistPicklez:
[MENTION=2557531]starcms[/MENTION] just wanted to say thank you for your detailed write-up on how to install TWRP with the September patch, I am definitely going to give your instructions a try next month assuming we still have touchscreen issues. Cheers!
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] bmac6996:
A lot of talks about procedures using stock ROM. Is the procedure similar if not the same for people with custom ROM? Do we need to put Septembers stock build in order to get these new partitions for touch to work?
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] MoistPicklez:
That's something I'd like to know as well I haven't attempted to flash anything yet but eager to now that we have a permanent recovery.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] starcms:
Any custom ROM built from August (same build number as August) would use partitions included with stock August. Any custom ROM built from September (same build number as September) would use partitions included with stock September. Best to ask your ROM's developer if you are unsure.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] dadi11:
will you release device tree?
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] sruel3216:
Cool I flashed OTA to both slots now. I noticed the slot I was not on previously didn't have my magisk module installed. Swapped back to my previous slot on module was there. Can one slot be rooted and the other no root? I'm guessing yes since only data is shared.

And yes I agree the twrp way. I was just curious since I never swapped before
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] HACK3DANDR0ID:
HUGE Help! Thanks a lot!

Edit

YOU ARE THE MAN!
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] moichman:
hi all,

this is my first post to xda. i searched this and another thread a little bit ago and didn't see this issue i am having.

i had sideloaded the ota of latest release pie, earlier this month, and it was rooted with magisk.

with this release of twrp, i thought i would go ahead and flash it.

i tried both the instructions on the twrp site and from the OP in the '[GUIDE] Rooting your Essential PH-1' on xda (which are just different commands of doing the same thing), plus i read how other people had done it. i tried uninstalling magisk.

what happened in both cases was that after i switched slots and used the fastboot flash boot command with the current twrp img file, then rebooted to recovery...it rebooted to the bootloader, and continued to do so until i switched slots again and rebooted the phone back to the initial slot.

i sideloaded the september ota pie release to both slots and tried twrp again, with the same result.

to clean things up, i sideloaded the ota, again, to the slot that i last attempted the twrp on, so that my phone boots ok, now.

i haven't tried the previous method of rooting, and now it's back to stock for the time being.

what's weird is that i can fastboot flash boot the previous twrp img and boot recovery to it just fine (or at least i could earlier this month, when i rooted).

any ideas?
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] techlogik:
Yes, basically same steps I needed to get it working. Also, don't use the Sept Fastboot full download and flash it. Only upgrade by Sideloading the OTA. Anytime I used the fastboot version, I lost touch capability in my OS. Also, I've never removed my pin/fingerprint during all of this new TWRP and touch issues. Never lost anything.

Sideload OTA...then follow the above steps to fatboot flash boot twrp 3-2 img. To the inactive slot, and boot from that, then boot into TWRP and flash TWRP...which will flash both slots. Make sure you are back on your active slot. All should work fine/normal.

You shouldn't ever have to wipe your data either. I've bootlooped this thing so many times, yet always just flash the stock good boot.img back to both partitions, reboot, and everything is there.

Worst case, just sideload the OTA again from Sept...but remove the format userdata option or -w on the flash...my data has always stayed in tact no matter what I've done with twrp, boot.img etc...trust me, I've screwed this up experimenting wondering why my TWRP touch stops working, had to use an OTG USB with a wireless mouse to then flash twrp latest and boot images etc...to get things back to where TWRP now sticks upon reboots, and the touch screen works. Also have Elemental and Magisk 17.1 all working.

Thanks TS for your hard work and the people above who did the step by step to make sure you are working off proper slots and switching before flashing.

Later.
[Essential Phone ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other] bmac6996:
I just got my Essential a few weeks ago and started following the Essential forums so excuse my ignorance to this specific product... Looks like I entered the Essential phone at a major change on how the partitions are set up. Would it be safe to assume that this isn't a normal occurrence in the official build from month to month? Just this one time (for now) and no major partition changes next month? (obviously no one here can predict but partition changes is not normal to phones generally... I have/follow other phones and this is a first for me to see this type of issue)