[Xiaomi Redmi 8A Guides, News, & Discussion] Ga_hap_la_chanh:
Hello everyone, firstly, i'm not a dev. I'm just someone who really enjoying tweaking phones, Windows... So, in this post i'll show you how to install Magisk and GSI rom. Most of resources i took from 4PDA forum. Redmi 8A section on their forum is very active. My phone is Chinese variant (4-64), using MIUI 11 Xiaomi.eu rom / Havoc OS 3.1 GSI

Backup your data before doing anything!!!

#include <std/disclaimer.h>
/*
* I am not responsible for bricked devices, dead SD cards, thermonuclear
* war, or the current economic crisis caused by you following these
* directions. YOU are choosing to make these modificiations, and
* if you point your finger at me for messing up your device, I will
* laugh at you.
*/

#1. Install TWRP

- First, you must unlock phone with Mi Unlock tool. Which can be download from http://en.miui.com/unlock/download_en.html The unlocking process normally will take about 14 days.

- After unlock the phone, flash twrp from [MENTION=5974414]milankragujevic[/MENTION] thread. https://xdaforums.com/xiaomi-redmi-8a/help/twrp-redmi-8a-olivelite-global-miui-10-t4006827

Now you'll have a working twrp.

#2 Install Magisk

1. Download lastest Magisk Flashable Zip from [MENTION=4470081]topjohnwu[/MENTION] thread: https://xdaforums.com/apps/magisk/official-magisk-v7-universal-systemless-t3473445

2. Download patcher tool (thanks to [MENTION=9182160]YaAlex[/MENTION]3): http://files.yaalex.tk/patcher.7z

3. Reboot the phone to TWRP, on the computer, open adb and type command:

adb shell dd if=/dev/block/by-name/boot of=/sdcard/boot.img

This'll pull your current boot image to sdcard

4. Unpack patcher.7z, copy boot.img to this folder. Open boot-patch.exe.

5. You'll have new_boot.img, flash this to boot partition using TWRP.

6. Flash Magisk you download at step 1

Caution: If bootloop happens, you may have to WIPE DATA.

7. Now you should have Magisk installed and working

If you can't patch the boot image file for some reasons, you can download here, choose the correct version, unzip and flash. If bootloop happens, wipe data in TWRP.

GLOBAL 11.0.3.0. PCPMIXM_20191219: Here

GLOBAL 11.0.1.0. PCPMIXM_20191121: Here

INDIA 11.0.3.0 .PCPINXM_20191119: Here

INDIA 11.0.1.0 .PCPINXM_20191105: Here

XIAOMI.EU 11.0.4.0 .PCPCNXM: Here

XIAOMI.EU 11.0.7.0. PCPCNXM: Here

#3 Install GSI Roms

Our phone is arm32binder64, so we'll download A64 A/B GSI rom to flash. In github of [MENTION=1915408]phhusson[/MENTION], there is a list of GSI roms: https://github.com/phhusson/treble_experimentations/wiki/Generic-System-Image-%28GSI%29-list

After you choose a rom, we'll follow these steps to flash a GSI rom:

1. Unzip the rom you choose and you'll have image file (.img)

2. Copy to your phone, Flash Disable_Dm-Verity_ForceEncrypt_10.20.2019.zip to stay encrypted (optional, you can backup the /data but you can't setup password)

3. Make a factory reset and flash your unpacked image to system partition using TWRP or Orange Fox.

4. If you like Gapps, you can download Bitgapps or Opengapps (Arm) and flash (optional). But you must resize system partition first (advanced wipe -> repair or change file system -> resize system partition)

5. Flash Permissiver_v5.zip and Certification+Patch.zip

6. Go to Reboot and reboot to bootloader. Flash vbmeta using command:

fastboot flash vbmeta vbmeta.img
fastboot reboot

Otherwise, you can flash vbmeta.img directly to vbmeta partition, no difference though.

7. Now your phone should be reboot.

After trying some GSI rom like Pixel, RR, Lineage OS, AOSP... There're some bug like:

- D2TW is present in phhusson setting but not working. Use Magisk module: magisk_force-d2tw.zip to fix

- Auto brightness

- Brightness Slider: Can be fixed using adb:

adb shell su -c setprop persist.sys.qcom-brightness $(cat /sys/class/leds/lcd-backlight/max_brightness)

or using Terminal:

su
setprop persist.sys.qcom-brightness $(cat /sys/class/leds/lcd-backlight/max_brightness)

- Camera Recording: You can use 3rd camera apps if bug occurs.

- When set password (pattern, etc...), next time you enter password, password will be wrong. (if you flash disable_dm... above), temp fix: boot to TWRP and remove some files in /data/system then reboot, password will be removed

locksettings.db-wal
locksettings.db-shm
locksettings.db

- Fix auto brightness, power consumtion... : copy treble-overlay-xiaomi-redmi8a.apk to /system/overlay then set permission 644, reboot.

- No Mac, IP address? Install the correct boot image.

- Some rom specific bugs...

UPDATE: On Havoc OS 3.1 from ExpressLuke, all the bugs are fixed, if any still present, just follow instructions above.

That is. I don't know why our device development is so slow after 2 months... So i decided to write this post. My main language is Vietnamese so if there's a grammar error, feel free to comment below. Thanks.