Manually Updating LineageOS on a Moto G3 Smartphone

Previously, I had updated the Lineage OS 14.1 custom ROM installed on my Moto G3 smartphone using the over-the-air (OTA) facility included in Settings – About phone – LineageOS updates (see Updating LineageOS). This still requires installing Gapps and re-rooting the phone, so I decided to document the completely manual process for updating the OS.

Firstly, three files need to be downloaded and located on the phone’s SDcard. These are the desired update package (nightly build) for Lineage OS 14.1, the current version of Open Gapps, and the Super User add-on provided for Lineage OS.

At the time of writing, the three files I downloaded (and their URL’s) were:

lineage-14.1-20180721-nightly-osprey-signed.zip
(https://download.lineageos.org/osprey)

open_gapps-arm-7.1-stock-20180725.zip
(https://opengapps.org, selecting ARM/7.1/Stock)

addonsu-14.1-arm-signed.zip
(https://download.lineageos.org/extras)

In order to install these files it is first necessary to boot the phone into recovery mode. Long-press the power key, select Restart, then Recovery and OK. The phone will reboot into the pre-installed TWRP recovery module (see Install Custom Recovery Software on a Moto G3).

The instructions provided by the Lineage OS developers suggest to first make a system backup by using TWRP’s Backup button. The problem I have now experienced twice with this suggestion is that TWRP crashes and displays “createTarFork() process ended with ERROR: 255 Backup Failed. Cleaning Backup Folder”. Since I still cannot locate a fix for this issue, I simply skip the backup, relying instead on earlier system backups (that I know can be used to restore a previous version of the system).

Next, select the Backup button and navigate to the folder containing the above-noted downloaded files. Select lineage-14.1-20180721-nightly-osprey-signed.zip and swipe the triple-arrows to the right to confirm that you wish to flash the image file. When this file has been installed, use the back arrow to return to the list of image files, select the Open Gapps and the Super User add-on in turn, and press the Install Image button in order to install each package.

Once all of the files have been installed, press the Reboot System button. The initial reboot may take a little longer than normal but the phone will eventually reboot to the home screen. The previously installed apps and their data (e.g. K-@mail and its mail server settings, Just Reminder and all the established alarms) will be unaffected by the OS update. And, verifying root status using Root Checker will identify that “Root access is properly installed on this device”. Congratulations, the Android OS on your phone is now up to date.

References:

Updating LineageOS
https://linuxnorth.wordpress.com/2017/12/24/updating-lineageos/

Upgrading LineageOS
https://wiki.lineageos.org/upgrading.html

LineageOS Downloads – Builds for osprey
https://download.lineageos.org/osprey

Open GAPPS
https://opengapps.org

Install Custom Recovery Software on a Moto G3
https://linuxnorth.wordpress.com/2017/09/02/install-custom-recovery-software-on-a-moto-g3/

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