ES-DE Theme Download Error on GammaOS

Overview

Some devices running GammaOS experience a failure in ES-DE when attempting to download or update themes.

The on-screen error:

ERROR: Couldn't download themes list. Failed to lock file
/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/org.es_de.frontend/files/themes/themes-list/.git/HEAD.lock for writing.

Why This Happens

On certain devices, disabling SELinux enforcement (required by some GammaOS features) exposes a kernel or vendor-specific limitation:

• The device kernel or FUSE implementation does not correctly support standard POSIX file operations on /storage/emulated/0/... when SELinux is not enforcing.
• ES-DE is unable to create or modify Git .lock files inside its theme directory, causing theme downloads or updates to fail.

This issue appears only on specific devices or kernels and is not a bug in ES-DE.

The Fix

A Magisk module is provided to work around these kernel limitations.
It installs a background service that ensures ES-DE theme directories remain writable even with SELinux disabled.

Download the module:

https://github.com/TheGammaSqueeze/GammaOSNext/blob/main/MAGISK_ES-DE_fix.zip

How To Install the Fix (Magisk)

1. Download MAGISK_ES-DE_fix.zip.
2. Open the Magisk app.
3. Navigate to:
   Modules → Install from storage
4. Select the downloaded ZIP.
5. Wait for installation to finish.
6. Reboot your device.
7. Open ES-DE and refresh the theme list.
   The error should now be resolved.

Notes

• The module is safe to install on all GammaOS devices, even those that do not show this issue.
• Kernel or vendor updates may reintroduce the problem; reinstall the module if necessary.
• The module does not modify ES-DE itself. It only corrects filesystem behavior so ES-DE can operate correctly.

If you encounter further issues or want to contribute improvements, please open an issue in this repository.