I bought used Xperia XA2 to try different custom ROM and I just discovered about IodéOS.
My USB ports on my daily computer don’t work for flashing (USB 3.0), so I had to use older pc (32bit Linux system) with USB 2.0 ports. This means I cannot use the installer since it’s designed for different architecture (64bit?)
When using the manual installer, it fails when it comes to extract and send the system.img file from the iode-*-img.zip because the file is too large (over 2Gb).
I had no problem to flash LineageOS or /e/OS, but they use payload.bin and not *.img
Is there any workaround or I’m unable to flash iodéOS due to hardware problem?
It’s an interesting alternative, but I wouldn’t describe it as ‘excellent`. I tried it for a while, on an officially supported device (Sony Xperia 10 iii) and a pais-for licence, but too many things didn’t work, or worked less well than the Android equivalent. There is no way I could envisage using SailfishOS as a ‘daily driver’, so the phone I bought to use with SailfishOS is now running a LineageOS for microG GSI, and running it well enough to qualify as my main backup device.
My Sony Xperia XA2, Xperia 10, Xperia 10 II, and Xperia 10 III with official Jolla license | Release 5.0.0.72 are ideal for everyday use. The user experience is significantly better than the comparable Linux Ubuntu Touch (24.04-1.x noble) on my Xiaomi Poco X3. The seamless Jolla Sialfish integration of Android + MicroG far surpasses that of UT with Waydroid (LineageOS).
For anyone facing similar problem, this was my solution:
Download the iode-*-ota.zip
extract it
run payload-dumper-go to obtain the boot.img from the extracted payload.bin
connect the phone to the computer and run adb reboot bootloader
fastboot flash boot boot.img (obtained from point 3)
enter recovery mode (phone off → vol. down + power)
factory reset
apply update from adb
adb sideload iode-*-ota.zip
Reboot system now
I think these are all the steps needed, in any case after obtaining boot.img you can follow lineageos instructions to flash the iodé ROM. Same steps, just remind to change file names lol
The integration may be better than Ubuntu Touch, but nowhere near as easy or as smooth as just running and Android custom ROM. Not if you want to use e.g. Bluetooth, which can only work with EITHER SailfishOS apps OR Android apps, not both at the same time. And there is no easy way to switch between the two: I ended up implementing my own.
Maps and navigation don’t work anything like as well natively under SfOS as they do in Android. I spent a long time trying to get various SfOS mapping apps to work, but failed completely, and reverted to OsmAnd~ under Android.
The SfOS browser app is not fit for purpose.
I really wanted to like SfOS, but it I honestly found it far too ‘clunky’, especially when compared to mature Android custom ROMs (such as IodeOS to get back on-topic) or LineageOS for microG, where stuff ‘just works’. All in SfOS it is not ready for use as a daily driver, unless your demands from your daily driver are very modest.
@petefoth
Exactly, I don’t need the ubiquitous Android applications on a smartphone, not even for online banking because it uses a secure manual PhotoTAN gnerator. I use a smartphone for making phone calls, simming, and occasionally the web browser via WireGuard VPN. I don’t need implemented Android and MicroG for that. I was happy to pay for the Jolla licenses as a thank you for the unusual work of the Jolla Boys.