The Volla X23 (GX4) Thread

Hardware Adaptation
#41

Hmm, I lost a GS5 on vacation (don’t ask) and I’m thinking of buying a GX4. Only, it’s unclear if the Volla x23 is a GX4 or GX4 pro? Anyone know? My guess is not the pro, given the GX4 Pro pricing vs. Volla x23 pricing?

#42

If this is correct, Volla Phone X23 with dual OS, removable battery unveiled | NoypiGeeks then it’s a GX4 and not the pro version. hmm. @piggz, you’re using a volla x23 as DD now? You hadn’t done the GS5/Rephone as DD, or?

#43

It’s based on GX4 based on what I read on the Volla forum.

#44

yes, X23 is my DD … i never DD the V22/GS4 due to the BLE issue. Perhaps the V22 update to android 12 will help with that, ill update the port soon to use halium-12

2 Likes
#45

Ah, cool. Is V22 at .21 or still at .19? I’ve lost track. Thanks!

#46

.19 Subprojects of nemo:testing:hw:volla:halium-mimameid - SailfishOS Open Build Service maybe ill update it later

2 Likes
#47

It’d be great to get the update for the browser fixes alone! Thanks!

3 Likes
#48

please forgive me if I didn’t see it, but the topic “[The Volla X23 (GX4) Thread]” implies that this port may can be used not only for the X23 but also maybe for the “original” GX4- is that the case? I couldn’t find any information if or if not the GX4 can be used for that or if it can be even unlocked etc.
The GX4 seems to be on sale here around the corner, so this would be very interesting.
Can anyone enlighten me?

#49

The Volla X23 seems to be identical to the Gigaset GX4, Like the Volla22 is a Gigaset GS5. However, I’m not in possesion of one yet, so I can’t confirm it works yet.

#50

Not yet in possession :wink:

#51

Sigh, so Gigaset is going into restructuring. In German: Einbruch beim Geschäft mit DECT-Telefonen: Gigaset stellt Insolvenzantrag | heise online Which is not good news for Volla. Might mean the GX4 goes on firesale, though. Sigh.

#52

That’s absolutely unexpected. Let’s hope they can manage it. Thanks for sharing.
Although it feels a bit like to pick over the bones this indeed could be an opportunity to get a GX4 for an even better price.
But still the question remains if it can be used…I was still not able so far to find out anything at all about if it could be unlocked to have even a chance to try it.

#53

Ok, just found a ‘good as new’ return, supposedly, unlocked, which I would guess to be the case. I’ll give it a try.

1 Like
#54

Hi,
encouraged by this thread and the one with the Volla Installation Guide, I tried to install VollaOS on a Gigaset GX4 device. Sadly, this first attempt failed and I would appreciate any help or suggestions for how to resolve the problems.

Steps of tried VollaOS installation on Gigaset GX4 • WARNING: THIS HAS FAILED

  • Buy GX4.
  • Start the phone (normal boot) and go through initial setup.
  • Enable developer options.
  • Enable USB debugging, enable OEM unlocking.
  • Connect the phone via USB to the computer.
  • Authorise the computer for USB debugging. (optional: Disable automatically dropping the authorisation.)
  • on computer continue:
    adb reboot bootloder
# wait until phone is ready
fastboot devices # check whether phone is reachable
fastboot flashing unlock
# The tiny text asks you to press Volume UP key on the phone within 5 seconds.
# You may repeat `fastboot flashing unlock`, if you are too slow or want to read the text.
  • STOP HERE (After the following few steps, the test GX4 was bricked! The notes describe the problem.)
  • Run fastboot reboot fastboot (Based on forum posts, could possibly work out if done before starting ubports-installer)
  • Install ubports-installer (version 0.10.0, see devices.ubuntu-touch.io/devices)
  • Start ubports-installer
  • Manually select Volla X23 as device (should be identical to Gigaset GX4)
  • Select VollaOS as to-be-flashed operating system. (options: Ubuntu Touch, VollaOS)
  • Start installation (This downloads the file volla-12.1-20230911-stable-SPFLASH-vidofnir.zip of 2 GB size and starts flashing it to the phone.)
  • notes:
    • On the test device, the ubports-installer installation of VollaOS was started before performing fastboot flashing unlock (due to not seing the 5s timeout but the OKAY printed afterwards → and therefore missing unlock).
    • After successful fastoot flashing unlock with button press on the phone, the ubports-installer continued further.
    • Now, it failed with the appended error message with ‘partition does not exist’. Here, I did not exit the ubports-installer before running fastboot reboot fastboot - this could maybe be the cause of the bricking.
    • Since running fastboot reboot fastboot ([non-reliable source for this decision](https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/fastboot-flash-system-partition-not-found.3992977/#post-81245141)), the device shows the “volla” logo (identical to the Volla X23 when booting) instead of the Gigaset logo. The problem now is this: The device reboots every 30 seconds (cycle: 10 seconds screen turned off (black screen, no backlight), then 20 seconds volla logo (with backlight)). It is neither reachable via adb nor via fastboot (tested with watch -n 0.5 fastboot devices and watch -n 0.5 adb devices while letting the GX4 do its power cycle for some time).

Probably relevant part of error messages:

error: Error: fastboot:flash: Error: Flashing failed: {"error":{"code":1},"stderr":"FAILED (remote: 'partition does not exist')fastboot: error: Command failed"}
stack trace: Error: Flashing failed: {"error":{"code":1},"stderr":"FAILED (remote: 'partition does not exist')fastboot: error: Command failed"}
    at /snap/ubports-installer/462/app/resources/app.asar.unpacked/node_modules/promise-android-tools/lib/module.cjs:1121:15
    at /snap/ubports-installer/462/app/resources/app.asar.unpacked/node_modules/promise-android-tools/node_modules/cancelable-promise/dist/CancelablePromise.js:27:18
    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:95:5)

full ubports-installer log:

$ ubports-installer
Gtk-Message: 17:06:09.358: Failed to load module "xapp-gtk3-module"
Gtk-Message: 17:06:09.359: Failed to load module "xapp-gtk3-module"
Gtk-Message: 17:06:09.377: Not loading module "atk-bridge": The functionality is provided by GTK natively. Please try to not load it.
info: Welcome to the UBports Installer version 0.10.0!
[322130:1004/170611.150888:ERROR:object_proxy.cc(622)] Failed to call method: org.freedesktop.DBus.StartServiceByName: object_path= /org/freedesktop/DBus: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.NoReply: Did not receive a reply. Possible causes include: the remote application did not send a reply, the message bus security policy blocked the reply, the reply timeout expired, or the network connection was broken.
info: device selected: vidofnir
info: Installing Volla OS on your Volla Phone X23 (vidofnir)
info: Downloading 1 files
info: Downloaded file 1 of 1
error: Error: fastboot:flash: Error: Flashing failed: {"error":{"code":1},"stderr":"FAILED (remote: 'No support by lock control')fastboot: error: Command failed"}
stack trace: Error: Flashing failed: {"error":{"code":1},"stderr":"FAILED (remote: 'No support by lock control')fastboot: error: Command failed"}
    at /snap/ubports-installer/462/app/resources/app.asar.unpacked/node_modules/promise-android-tools/lib/module.cjs:1121:15
    at /snap/ubports-installer/462/app/resources/app.asar.unpacked/node_modules/promise-android-tools/node_modules/cancelable-promise/dist/CancelablePromise.js:27:18
    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:95:5)
warn: restart after error
error: Error: fastboot:flash: Error: Flashing failed: {"error":{"code":1},"stderr":"FAILED (remote: 'No support by lock control')fastboot: error: Command failed"}
stack trace: Error: Flashing failed: {"error":{"code":1},"stderr":"FAILED (remote: 'No support by lock control')fastboot: error: Command failed"}
    at /snap/ubports-installer/462/app/resources/app.asar.unpacked/node_modules/promise-android-tools/lib/module.cjs:1121:15
    at /snap/ubports-installer/462/app/resources/app.asar.unpacked/node_modules/promise-android-tools/node_modules/cancelable-promise/dist/CancelablePromise.js:27:18
    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:95:5)
# note: Here, `fastboot flashing unlock` was run with Volume UP button press as confirmation.
warn: restart after error
error: Error: fastboot:flash: Error: Flashing failed: {"error":{"code":1},"stderr":"FAILED (remote: 'partition does not exist')fastboot: error: Command failed"}
stack trace: Error: Flashing failed: {"error":{"code":1},"stderr":"FAILED (remote: 'partition does not exist')fastboot: error: Command failed"}
    at /snap/ubports-installer/462/app/resources/app.asar.unpacked/node_modules/promise-android-tools/lib/module.cjs:1121:15
    at /snap/ubports-installer/462/app/resources/app.asar.unpacked/node_modules/promise-android-tools/node_modules/cancelable-promise/dist/CancelablePromise.js:27:18
    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:95:5)
# note: Here, `fastboot reboot fastboot` was run. Then, after some time without luck accessing the device, the ubports-installer was stopped.
info: Good bye!

(note: Directly before last warn: restart after error, the fastboot reboot fastboot command was run in another terminal window.)

Device information (written down before OEM unlock):

Android Recovery
Gigaset/GX4_EEA/GX4
12/SP1A.210812.016/1691412268
user/release-keys

Android Fastboot
Product name - GX4
Bootloader version - unknown
Baseband version - 
Serial number - <hidden in this forum post>
Secure boot - yes
HW version - 0
1 Like
#55

In the next days, I am going to try SP Flash Tool for trying to de-brick the device.
source 1, source 2
VollaOS flash.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<flash-mode>
    <project>k6789v1_64</project>
    <dagent>DA_BR.bin</dagent>
    <scatter>../MT6789_Android_scatter.xml</scatter>
    <build_version>alps-mp-s0.mp1.rc-V12.11.1_koobee.s0mp1rc.k61v1.64.bsp_P22</build_version>
    <build_time>2022-11-22 00:51:48</build_time>
    <version>1.0</version>
    <contact>Shuai.Zhang</contact>
</flash-mode>

My questions for you now are:
Should I try this flashing with the VollaOS ROM, or does anyone have a link to the Android stock ROM for the GX4 device?

I would like to hear your opinions before trying the next step, since this could - if the posts are correct - finally destroy the device if I do it wrong.

1 Like
#56

I’m really not the expert here, but for me it sounds as if the GX4 does have a different partitioning than the X23, so MAYBE using it’s ROM may even fix the installation issue.
However, I have no idea at all if it can be applied/used and if it is working if so.

#57

Just trying out seems quite risky to me. Maybe you should ask this question as well in the Volla forum.
Anyway, I would give more bets on the original ROM. I think the SP Flashing Tool was build for original ROMs. It might work with the Volla ROM. But I would wait for qualified answers. (Mine isn’t one)

#58

Until now, I did not find the original ROM on the internet, but a support request is sent to Gigaset.

#59

Do you think for each image in the Volla X23 ROM zip file a new partition is going to get created?
Or do you mean by flashing the original Gigaset GX4 ROM the issues are going to get solved?

#60

If I’m not entirely mistaken to apply the ROM should create the corresponding partitions, but I can only agree with Fellfrosch here as it’s way to long ago I really messed with that:

But I would wait for qualified answers. (Mine isn’t one)