Xiaomi Redmi 9A 9i 9AT 10A - phhusson/treble_experimentations GitHub Wiki

I did it with a Xiaomi Redmi 9A (dandelion) Global

Requirements

  • Stock Recovery
  • Bootloader Unlocked
  • vbmeta.img (you can also use the one that comes with your MIUI IMAGE)
  • PC with Android-Tools (ADB/fastboot and proper drivers installed)
  • Patience <3

Step 1 - Choosing the correct image.

Choose a GSI image that matches your Android version and the CPU Architecture and Partition of the device.

To discover what image you should use, this app makes it easier. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tk.hack5.treblecheck&hl=&gl=US

You can easily download it from here too https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/hackintosh-five/treble-info/treble-info-5-0-6-release/treble-info-5-0-6-android-apk-download/

Its safe to use.

Once in the app , the app recommends you which IMAGE you should download, gives you CPU ARCH info and tells you if phone is Aonly or A/B (Sometimes it may give you wrong info about boot slot partition, if its A or A/B, if you wanna be sure use commands i posted below to verify)

In my case its A/B , the app says its A64, and recommends me to download an A/B Image, specifically a

" system-arm32_binder64-ab-vanilla.img.xz " image. (These arm32_binder64 images are also called A64 images)

Since my last MIUI image installed was "dandelion_global_images_V12.5.4.0.RCDMIXM_20220421.0000.00_11.0_global" its based on Android 11

I HAVE to download an Android 11 image, that is A64 and A/B partition boot slot, so i went for a CrDRom v316 (Very Good Rom for Gaming) https://sourceforge.net/projects/treblerom/files/crDRom11/2022.03.30/crdrom-v316-220330-a64-bvZ.img.xz/download (Since its Android 11R , it boots)

CAOS v316 and Lineage OS R 18.1 are also good ROMS with the latest android 11 available. (18.1 is based on Android 11R , it booted) https://sourceforge.net/projects/treblerom/files/CAOS11/2022.03.21/ LiR 2022.03.25 -- https://sourceforge.net/projects/treblerom/files/LiR/2022.03.25/lir-v316-220325-a64-bvZ.img.xz/download

(But if you are on Android 10, you have to download an android 10 image, if you're on 12 , you have to download an Android 12 image and so on, you can only choose the same Android version or 1 that is above yours , bare in mind we cant return to previous Android versions, unless we use MiFlash, so stick with your current version)

I downloaded and used " crdrom-v316-220330-a64-bvZ.img.xz " Because our CPU supports arm32_binder64, and ab works for us.

Short Explanation of Tags

a = A-Only slot , b = A/B slot - v = Vanilla (No Gapps)
Z = Has Dynamical SuperUser (Root can be disabled/enabled from within the system options) - G = Has Gapps - o = Has Gapps-GO - F = Floss ( comes with free & open source apps (no gapps) - n = No Super User - S = Has SuperUser -

Lite = Sometimes space is more preserved at the cost of themes, functions. Other times the Rom is bigger than usual.

But you can download and install any other ROM as long as its compatible with the cpu arch and the partition format. (In our case A64 arch and AB partition , also called arm32_binder64ab) Feel free to try other Images and report your experience.

Step 2 - You have your Image time to flash it.

Unpack your .img.xz , inside you will find your .img file , rename it to system.img

Move this system.img and your vbmeta.img to your adb folder if necessary.

Now reboot into Fastbootd Mode (turn phone off, hold power and vol - ) connect to pc, and use

fastboot devices 
fastboot reboot fastboot

or if you have usb debugging, connect to pc, use from within the booted ROM/System

adb devices
adb reboot fastboot

In fastbootd mode. Open terminal where you have system.img, vbmeta file, and use these commands:

fastboot devices
fastboot --disable-verification --disable-verity flash vbmeta vbmeta.img
 
fastboot getvar is-userspace

( it should reply with "is-userspace: yes" , this is good, it means we're good to go)

Continue with these commands:

fastboot erase system
fastboot flash system system.img
fastboot reboot recovery

Once inside the default recovery, navigate with vol buttons,choose to wipe data, and now reboot to system.

Give it time. Allow your phone to boot, patience, an image with CrDroid Logo should suprise you, eventually it should boot into start menu in a few secs. Congratulations you got rid of MIUI without any recovery, and you got a nice debloated ROM (The best ROM or one of the BEST ROMS i should say)

(Detail, once you've disabled dm-verity with fastboot --disable-verification --disable-verity flash vbmeta vbmeta.img command You don't have to do it again for any of these ROMS, but in case you have dm-verity corruption/error, you can do this)

Features? =

Well its 6GB size, Its debloated ! NO MORE GOOGLE, OR XIAOMI in it, at least not forced in our faces. Since its smaller, it should be very good on the battery and because of this, performance of the phone during usage of apps should be optimal too, the best performance these 2gb ram , this cpu can offer. Its CRDRom or LOS + PHH-Treble combined, they're both better than MIUI. It comes rooted by default. You won't really hard-brick ur device, or have to deal with Xiaomi permissions and accounts, you can always use these images, and try new ones, and easily flash them through fastbootd as we did before.

What Works / Doesn't work / Hardware Info

Component   Comment
Camera √  
Audio √/× (headphone jack Sometimes doesn't work, but can be fixed with a simple code on termux)
Bluetooth √  
Display √ (brightness slider doesn't work / can also be fixed via termux)
WiFi / Hotspot √  
GPS √  
SIM / Mobile Data / Voice × (RIL dead in some Roms like GSI PHH A11 and A12 roms, works in Eremitein's GSI's. )
VoLTE ? (Untested)
Fingerprint √  
Offline Charging ×  

In both the CrDRom and LiR Images, RIL/SIM works perfectly, you have internet and calls 100% BUT "RIL/SIM Card is dead in many other A11 and A12 images, so we have to search and test for images that have RIL/SIM working, or make it work ourselves" gulp

To manually be sure if you should use A or A/B Rom, use the treble-check app or these commands in fastboot mode or booted rom with adb shell

In fastboot or bootloader mode

 fastboot getprop ro.boot.slot_suff 
 fastboot getvar current-slot
 fastboot getvar all

Inside booted rom

 adb shell 
 getprop ro.boot.slot_suffix
 getvar current-slot
 getvar all

getvar current-slot -- If it doesn't reply anything , its A/B, if its A or B only it will reply saying its A only or B only.

These ROMS work, i suggest verifying well your partition and making sure you've selected the right ROM, Because perhaps other versions of the Redmi 9A may have different partition slot formats, (So far the A/B Image used in this guide works perfectly)

" Other Lists of Generic GSI's "

"Other working GSI's"

More INFO can be found here:

https://github-wiki-see.page/m/phhusson/treble_experimentations/wiki/Frequently-Asked-Questions-(FAQ)