yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] martyfender:
A couple of days ago I built bkerler's Python MTK client on Windows 11. Initially I followed the direction and installed Python 3.9. I had problem and eventually also installed the latest Python 3.11. I can now launch the MTKClient with Windows command prompt, in PowerShell and under the GIT bash terminal. However, I'm not sure which is the best to use, or if it matters. I must also point out that I have a duel boot system with Linux Mint Mate installed on a second SSD. I have not yet tried to build it under Linux.

The reason I tried it on Windows, is that I tried to flash the stock rom backup available here in the other forum and I could not get SP Flash Tool to work properly under Linux Mint Mate. This was shortly after I got the gen one, years ago. However, I was successful with SP Flash Tools under Windows 7, back then.

When I launch the MTKClient under Window, I do get it to see the tablet, but it does not connect properly. I'm also not sure that I am using the correct key combo on the tablet before I plug the USB cable in. I've tried all buttons, the middle of the volume toggle and others.

I did get what appeared to be a connection once only. However, after many, many tries I am stumped. Do you have any suggestions? Attached are several screenshots of the MTKClient, the terminal screens and the device manager.

Before I tried all of this, I setup the tablet with a backup from Google that add many thinks from the playstore that I have on the Onn 8 gen 1's. There was also an update to Android 12 with a security patch date of 2022-11-1.

Do you or anyone else here know what I am doing wrong to get the tablet to properly connect to the MTKClient?

I have not yet unlocked the bootloader, thinking that I don't need to yet to backup the rom.

My goal is to eventually root the tablet with Magisk.

If I am not mistaken, don't I need root access to back it up with dd,if I choose that option?

Thanks
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
I found the whole MediaTek stuff to be a pain with the 0003 and the 2000.

I found the most reliable way was to unplug USB, turn off the tablet, start the MTK client then plug in the USB.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] martyfender:
I try that as well as plugging it it with various key combos held down, I just attached a new screenshot in the previous post named new.png

When I do that without any keys held, I get the powered of battery charging logo to come up.

Thanks
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
Are you using Com port drivers or Zadig drivers?

Any powerup presents 0003 and 2000, even charging.

Use UsbLog (in my sig) to see what's popping up.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] martyfender:
I do need new glasses and have "chemo brain, but I don't see any Usblog on your web page. I've never heard of Zadig drivers. What I have are the meditek usb drivers. In addition, I'm once again seeing the ! on the input driver. So I think I do have the wrong drivers. when the tablet is booted it shows as Android phone, Android composite ADB Device device and under portable devices, also. I have to get ready to go to my son and daugher in law's house for a much need get out, but will check back in later tonight.

Update: just found a page for Zadig drivers. I also found an Android file host link for

Windows 10 MTK VCOM USB Drivers for 32 & 64 bit.

I just tried to install the vcom drivers, but I get a message that they are not signed and failed. When I get back home I have to find out how to turn of driver signature verification under Window 11 Insider preview. It has been a while since I did that.

I jumped the gun and installed Zadig drivers.

Its been a while, I forgot to show hidden items in the device manager.

Thank You, so much,

Marty
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] martyfender:
I don't find UsbLog on that page:

https://www.temblast.com/android.htm

Thanks
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
Sorry, it's in with the Windows utilities http://www.temblast.com/windows.htm
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] martyfender:
Here is a screenshot of my current state, if it helps?

The device is stuck there. In addition, there are lots of errors in the event viewer, except for the Android adb interface.

Does the bootloader need to be unlocked first?

Thanks, again.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] martyfender:
I finally got my Onn 8 Gen 1 to connect. Could you please tell me what options to choose to backup the rom or partitions? attached is a screenshot.

This time I used the volume down then the power button before quickly plugging in the USB cable.

The real goal, however, is to get the Onn 8 Gen 3 to connect and back it up.

Do I need to close the client and launch it with this command:

python mtk r boot,vbmeta boot.img,vbmeta.img

and others from here:

https://github.com/bkerler/mtkclient#install-python--git

My energy is drained, as I had my 6th chemo therapy session today. Eventually the side effects will rear their ugly head.

Thanks
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
That looks good. I prefer the command line version, it seems simpler.

For vbmeta there are those fastboot commands or you can write an "empty" (not all zeroes!) vbmeta or it seems that Magisk's init just ignores vbmeta.

Here's an "empty" vbmeta (not all zeroes!)

It's what I put on my Gen3.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] martyfender:
I still can't it the correct drivers to show up and connect for the gen 3 tablet.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
Ah, sorry, you had me confused.

The Gen3 is 0e8d/2000 not 2001

You just have to load a driver for that.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] martyfender:
Do you or anyone out there have an Android 12 boot.img for this tablet? I made the mistake of magisk patching your boot.img vbmeta image and I am guessing that it was still on Android 11, so it bootloops.

Thanks
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
Sorry. I just added a warning on those files.

I thought that you were going to pull your own boot.img?
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] martyfender:
I tried for hours and was never able to connect. the device showed up but the handshake always failed, so I made a stupid mistake.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
Yeah, well, that's why I've sworn off MediaTek.

My brain is too small to deal with Qualcomm and MediaTek and Allwinner low-level loaders.

I probably pop down to Qualcomm EDL a couple of times a day, no problem.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] martyfender:
fastboot, bootloader and recovery modes connect and work fine.

The good news is that I work in Walmart electronics so I will return it.

This chemo is definitely effecting my brain. I am usually more careful and not so impulsive. The first drug they give me is a steriod, decadron, which literally keeps me up for hours for two or three days! When I get the new one I will see if I can get it to connect before I run the update to Android 12. That option to update comes up after the initial setup.

I tried several different versions of the mediatek vcom drivers, to no avail. If I had an 11 system image, I could flash it in fastboot? I also see that there is a fastboot command to flash the update.zip for the whole system.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] martyfender:
I noted that you use Firefox. However, I don't use it like you do for navigation. I hate the change that they made after version 68.11. I want the true tabs back as the way it works now is a nightmare. I have auto updates turned off in the playstore, so I was able to stay on 68.11 for a long time. Somehow, it eventually updated anyway. I can download the old version from apkmirror, but for some reason you can sign in to firefox synch with it. You can manually add bookmarks to eventually make it useable, but I still want sync between all of my many devices. I don't like their new concept of "tabs". They don't fit my concept of the easy to click on tabs at the top that can much more easily be accessed. If you have any thoughts on this, I would appreciate any feedback. I have to go back to the Community South Cancer center on the south side of Indy, so when I come back I will swing by work and exchange this tablet.

Thanks Renate, I really appreciate your insights.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
Yes, I'm still using the Fennec 68.11 Firefox instead of the Fenix.

I went looking and didn't see it, so I'll repeat myself.

I patched the 68.11 so it doesn't animate when you give it an intent for a tab. It just shows it.

Mmm, sorry that you have to trade it in.

Now that I think of it, I had better luck with the Python stuff running on a Raspberry Pi.

OTOH, dealing with Python dependencies makes me rip my hair out.

That's why I wrote my native Windows EDL client with no (non-system) dependencies.

I really don't understand the drive for newer Android.

I mean, I wouldn't want to still be using Jelly Bean, but I don't see a lot of great improvements.

Things just seem to get fatter.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] martyfender:
I just got the new tablet set up. It wants to install Android 12 on reboot. I believe I turned off the setting to stop that, but I am not sure if it will still install 12 on reboot. I'm still in the process of setting it up and downloading apps, etc, before I try to connect it.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] martyfender:
I see in your screenshot of the driver that it says libwdi. What driver is that? I had tried various mediatek vcom drivers for Windows. I did download Python on my Linux Mint mate drive and MTKClient, but I never quite figured out how to finish the configuration. One thing I think I have to do, from my memory from 3 or so years ago for the Onn 8 1st gen was to put entries in some udev file 51, maybe. adb and fastboot work on Linux because that is what I used to flash your Android 11 boot.img and the vbmeta image to the older tablet.

Thanks
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
Zadig WinUSB.

Many things (adb, fastboot, edl, mtk preloader) present themselves on USB as a simple "vanilla" interface with two endpoints, in and out.

Everything in Windows needs a driver. So there's a very simple driver called "WinUSB" that says, "oh, you want to talk to this? Here's the two endpoints, it's all yours".

Now silly people say, "Can't you do something to turn this simple interface into a "com port" because we're from the stone age and that's what we're used to." Well, I guess you can. You could also make it look like a disk, that would be about as silly.

So, I like interfacing with things at their lowest native level, the WinUSB level. Some applications will work with either WinUSB of com ports.

There's one more wrinkle. In Windows there is also the Interface GUID. That's kind of the flavor stamped on something but it has no deeper meaning. Android has it's own interface GUID (just one) for both adb and fastboot. It says, "Yeah, we're just plain WinUSB but we've got this stamp that says we're Android WinUSB. It's like the star-studded Sneeches on the beach. So when the stock adb and fastboot applications look for something to talk to they require this star. So this means, when you install a driver for those you have to a line in your inf that says:

[Dev_AddReg]
HKR,,DeviceInterfaceGUIDs,0x10000,"{F72FE0D4-CBCB-407d-8814-9ED673D0DD6B}"

Zadig installs a "vanilla" WinUSB. With such a driver Android applications will not find it. You can probably set the Android GUID as an option somewhere. Or you can patch adb.exe and fastboot.exe to not be picky about Sneeches without stars. Or you can load OEM drivers.

This has (relatively) nothing to do with MediaTek.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] martyfender:
This is the build fingerprint of my new tablet, still on Android 11:

onn/100071483/100071483:11/RP1A.200720.011/1645855200:user/release-keys

Android Security Patch Level 2022-02-05.

Is that the same version for your boot.img and vbmeta_empty.img?

If so, I should be able to patch it with Magisk and flash them once again to gain root.

I still can't get the tablet to connect to the MTKClient. The tablet is detected: MT8168/MT6357, but the handshake fails.

I would sure feel safer if I could backup first. In addition, unlike the Onn 8 1st gen, no one has baked up the stock rom and posted a link here.

Don't you need root to backup the partitions with dd?

Thanks
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] martyfender:
@Renate

This is the build fingerprint of my new tablet, still on Android 11:

onn/100071483/100071483:11/RP1A.200720.011/1645855200:user/release-keys

Android Security Patch Level 2022-02-05.

Is that the same version for your boot.img and vbmeta_empty.img?

If so, I should be able to patch it with Magisk and flash them in fastboot once again, to gain root.

I still can't get the tablet to connect to the MTKClient.I attached the older screenshot.

I thought of dd, but doesn't one need root to backup partitions with it?

Thanks
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
The 0003 ("BROM") needs (or doesn't need???) an exploit ("Karakimi") to run.

The exploit is based on a buffer overrun in a control message to EP0 for CDC line control.

In Windows you need to install a driver for the USBDK (USB Development Kit).

As, always, I'm not sure whether you can use an option not to attempt the exploit or what.

I believe that in Linux this exploit is possible directly through libusb.

The 2000 ("preloader") is a different stage.

If you try to connect at this point you don't need or use Karakimi or USBDK.

My Gen3 is currently showing:

onn/100071483/100071483:11/RP1A.200720.011/1656423915:user/release-keys

Yeah, dd normally needs root.

Oops! I never hit the "Post" button.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] martyfender:
$ lsusb

Bus 002 Device 002: ID 174c:55aa ASMedia Technology Inc. ASM1051E SATA 6Gb/s bridge, ASM1053E SATA 6Gb/s bridge, ASM1153 SATA 3Gb/s bridge, ASM1153E SATA 6Gb/s bridge

Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub

Bus 001 Device 006: ID 046d:0825 Logitech, Inc. Webcam C270

Bus 001 Device 005: ID 0e8d:201d MediaTek Inc. 100071483

Bus 001 Device 004: ID 26ce:01a4 ASRock LED Dongle

Bus 001 Device 003: ID 046d:c041 Logitech, Inc. G5 Laser Mouse

Bus 001 Device 007: ID 0e8d:1887 MediaTek Inc. Slim Portable DVD Writer

Bus 001 Device 002: ID 30fa:2251 INSTANT USB Keyboard

Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub

Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

marty@marty-desktop:~$

I am off tomorrow so I will try to get this configured correctly on my Linux Mint Mate.

Also, you never stated if your posted boot.img for Android 11 matched my build or not?

Thanks
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
Yeah, that's the (one of the) standard VID/PID in Android mode.

I use only ADB and it shows as 201c.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Dudefoxlive:
Only today did I find out that they released the 3rd gen of these tablets. I have a 2nd gen version and want to know if its worth the upgrade the the 3rd gen. Is the screen still plastic or is it finally Glass?
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
It's still plastic. And what a plastic!

It has the power to suck dust out of an environment like no other material.

I'm going to buy a couple of these, mount them on little wheels and I'll have a piece of equipment more efficient than a Roomba.

I don't believe that any change from Gen2 to Gen3 is substantive.

I've only owned Gen1 and Gen3 and I have found there to be a big performance difference.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Dudefoxlive:
Ok thanks for telling me. I messed around with the one in my walmart but the only real difference I could see was performance. I don't think its a big enough upgrade for me warrent. Maybe I could sell my 2nd gen to one of my friends and use that to get one cheaper? idk yet.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] compjan:
A SUGGESTION to the post above mine: get the "pro" version. It has 3 gig of ram, not 2.

I have the 10.1 inch pro 2022 model. I consider myself a power user. After developer options is used to cut the 3 animation settings to . 5 (or lower. Not zero) it is very snappy. Android 11, last update was a security patch dated October 2022. Also, 10.1 model is full android, not go edition.

I just wish I could access my SD card as if it was a 2nd hard drive. I can read, but not write. :(
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] tchl:
How did you boot into fastboot after the mistake?

I remembered...VOLUME UP AND HOLD POWER
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] tonismo:
did you get it to work?
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] tchl:
Yes! Thank you very much!

I flashed the boot.img and not the vbmeta because I didn’t scroll down enough in the thread and got stuck. 🤣
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Vyu33:
@Renate here's where I was looking if you could help me.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
Could you state the exact problem and how you got there?
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Vyu33:
I went through the steps of taking the boot.img and patching it in magisk. I then did the other steps of fastboot flashing unlock and then setting it up again and then fastboot flash boot magisk_patched.img. I started it up and it is rooted but I can't seem to get the wifi to work now like it was mentioned earlier in the thread.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
Where did you get the boot.img from in the first place?

Have you tried flashing that back again?
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Vyu33:
Got them from you earlier unless I made a mistake and took the wrong things.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
Yeah, but that's earlier and it doesn't match yours.

Also, you just killed the version that you did have.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Vyu33:
Ah okay, thanks for responding. I'm guessing going through mtk-su would have been the better option?
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
Well, MTK Client, maybe.

What is your fingerprint? getprop | grep finger
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] t3sters:
Hello!

I am looking to purchase one of these for an onboard GPS on my Side by side.

I cannot find if they have gps onboard new or if I have to install?
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
Yes, there is GPS on there. You could even add an external antenna with a U.FL connector.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] t3sters:
Just saw this image you posted.

this feels way too easy!
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
Just to be clear, there is already a GPS antenna.

It's a black sticker on the speaker.

It is also used for Bluetooth. Maybe WiFi?
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] t3sters:
Cool, I will see how it works in the Mountains of Arkansas,

or I may get impatient and add an external.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] t3sters:
@Renate I purchased the 7", So far so good.

I am trying to Root the device, I have ADB and can see the device there.I can start boot the device in fastboot but once in fastboot, my PC no longer sees the device.

Any ideas?
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
You're using Windows? Can you see it in DeviceManager? Does it bong when you pull/reinsert the USB cable. Maybe you just need a Windows driver for it.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] t3sters:
Yes, I can and now have gotten the drivers to install.

But still can't see it when in fastboot. I have an extra mini Linux PC that I can use, seems to be the fix for alot of people.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
How do you install drivers for fastboot when you say that you can't see it in fastboot? Hmm?
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] t3sters:
I can see it in device manager
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
Ok, is it showing a happy little icon or an exclamation point?

What do you get from fastboot devices?
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] t3sters:
I went ahead and got into it with my Linux, no issues at all. Seamless.

I now have the boot img and vbmeta, but I dont know what to do with them to make it rooted. LOL
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
Install Magisk, feed it your boot.img, take the result and fastboot flash boot magisk_12345.img
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] t3sters:
I did this, after doing so, I did fastboot reboot

Tablet never came back on and can’t make it
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
Mmm, apparently you have to flash vbmeta.

fastboot erase vbmeta
fastboot flash vbmeta vbmeta.img
fastboot reboot
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] t3sters:
How do I connect back to it? It won’t turn on lol
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
Hmm, where did you get boot.img from, did you use MTK client?

If you know MTK client you can flash from there.

Have you tried all the different possibilities of holding volume buttons and power buttons to get to fastboot?
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] t3sters:
Left it on charger for a while and will try again,
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] t3sters:
Well that didn’t work in my favor.

It’s a brick, I went and picked up a 10.1 pro, 99$ on sale

No problem at all rooting that one, got it all set up now!
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
Oh, no! :(

Did you use the MTK client to get the boot image out of the 10"

Did you flash the vbmeta on the 10"?

Why can't you get the MTK client to work on the 7"?
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] t3sters:
I can’t see it, it won’t power on at all and when it’s connected and doesn’t seem to connect
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
A LONG (>10 seconds) power button press should reboot it.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Dismal.:
I want to install a GSI how can I do this? Does anyone have the scatter file
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] NekoKristi:
I think I have a similar problem to t3sters. I tried to install the vbmeta and now it seems to now power on anymore. However, when I connect it to my Linux PC and run lsusb I can see a device named

MediaTek Inc. MT65xx Preloader

show up for a split second then disappear when I power it on using the power button and volume button. MTKClient does recognize it but it seems to freeze at this

[09:06:05]: Device detected :)
[09:06:05]: Device is unprotected.
[09:06:05]: Device is in BROM-Mode. Bypassing security.
[09:06:05]: Loading payload from mt8168_payload.bin, 0x258 bytes
[09:06:05]: Kamakiri Run

I noticed there was a hole next to the power button and wondering what that was, I sticked a needle into it and it is a button. I held that button down and the power button and it now connects to MTKClient appearing as being in something called DA Mode? I'm not really sure what to do as this is my second time doing anything like this, the last time I did was with my Google Pixel 3a with LineageOS which was a very simple process. Any help would be appreciated!
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
Yeah, I do much more with Qualcomm than Mediatek so I always forget stuff.

The Mediatek is goofy in that it always pops up two separate USB boot interfaces whenever it boots up.

Theoretically either can be used, but I have more luck with one than another.

I forget the VID/PIDs. I'll check in a bit.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Zakaria2328:
me too
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] yeldarb1983:
I bought a 7" gen 3 this last Black Friday (model no TBGRY100071481A) it says it's on android 11, but when I run the read command in mtk, it errors and gives a list of possible partitions (listed below)

I assume the boot_a and boot_b are what I'm looking for, but I'm not sure how to handle that without fubaring something. (assuming there's a dual boot situation or maybe some sort of security failsafe involved?)

I'm running fedora 37 on my pc, so windows isn't an issue for me.

Sorry if this is a n00b question =/

The partitions listed:
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Renate:
I presume that you want to Magisk this?

Use MTK to pull boot_a and boot_b

Go to fastboot and fastboot getvar current-slot

This will tell you which one you want.

Then Magisk it like normal (install Magisk app, push boot to /sdcarcd, Magisk it, pull it)

You can try fastboot boot Magisk12345678.img to see if it works first.
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] yeldarb1983:
That's a weird error...

sidenote: Anybody having issues getting into fastboot (it hung the first few times I tried), try going into the adb shell, *then* rebooting to fastboot
[Walmart Onn Tablets General] Dismal.:
This means your bootloader is locked. Make sure your bootloader is unlocked and then try again.