Mi 8 Pro - Mi 8 UD - equuleus - Flashing International EE ROM

[Nealed]

Hello,


just came back from China where I bought the just released Mi 8 Pro. I actually wanted a Mi Explorer edition - but this is identical apart from the 3D Face unlock. Personally, with the in screen fingerprint sensor, I don't need that.

With some help of a driver that took us some places in China (He provided me his Mi ID) I managed to unlock the bootloader, only to find that I could not flash TWRP. I could flash it but could not then get into recovery mode, no matter what I tried.

So, I have been playing today to try to get over my jetlag.

I downloaded the mi tool, and I downloaded the dipper_global_images_V10.0.2.0.OEAMIFH_20180912.0000.00_8.1_global_7d6e5e4b45.tgz file, and then opened the tgz file with 7-zip.
I ensured that developer mode was enabled, and that adb permissions were set correctly.

I then double clicked to open the contained tar file and edited the flash_mitool.bat to change the name of the device on the fourth line:

I changed it from
fastboot %* getvar product 2>&1 | findstr /r /c:"^product: *dipper"
to
fastboot %* getvar product 2>&1 | findstr /r /c:"^product: *equuleus" so that the product name matched.

I jumped up a level and integrated the modified file into the tar, and did the same to integrate the changes into the tgz.

I then ran the MiTool and selected the tgz to flash to the phone, and waited, nervously.
I am a happy man!! I have MIUI 10 International version on my Mi 8 Pro. One big bummer is the lack of fingerprint sensor. This is a big issue, I think I may need to find another rom to install - but this guide should help anyone trying to install a global rom on this device.

I am much more confident about using this device as I took a bit of a risk to buy it at a very cheap price in China.

 

[iAmaroid]

i'm not well verse in custom rom or other advance stuff. Though i read in some article google is beefing up securities on their OS which mean not so good for unlocked bootloader. Is this anywhere true? should a regular user like myself just stick with factory state of bootloader?

Sent from my MI 5 using Tapatalk

 

[Nealed]

If you are happy with the ROM - then stick with it. I cannot live with some apps in Chinese and unable to do anything about it so went down the unlock bootloader route.

 

[iAmaroid]

Actually i always waited for the global version of xiaomi phone if possible. The case here where im at, a global version is about usd 80 more than unlocked global rom. Even in some cases, Mi 8 in this case, unlocked global rom is cheaper than china's mi store.

Maybe i could get away using China Rom with locked bootloader. Will all apps requiring google services after installing google services on China rom's xiaomi phone behave exactly the same as a global version?

Sent from my MI 5 using Tapatalk

 

[Nealed]

So, I managed to download a ZIP version of the image:

xiaomi.eu_multi_MI8Explorer_V10.0.6.0.OEHCNFH_v10-8.1.zip

I opened this with 7-zip and extracted the files from the FIRMWARE-UPDATE folder and copied them to the after a lot of trial and error, managed to copy them to the dipper_global_images_V10.0.2.0.OEAMIFH_20180912.0000.00_8.1_global_7d6e5e4b45.tgz file overwriting the existing files.

I then downloaded "GUI File signature widget" to generate the CRC32 hash of all of the files I replaced. I entered these CRC hashes into the crclist.txt file in the images folder within the tgz file, updated and closed the tgz file and flashed it with the MiTool.

A LOT of hassle, but I have successfully flashed it, and am currently restoring my google backup. I hope the front camera and fingerprint sensor wok on this, as the files are from the Explorer edition which (should) have the same drivers / kernel.

 

[Nealed]

OK. This is a no go for now. No Sound, no fingerprint sensor, and no selfie camera. I'm going back to the Chinese ROM - much as this pains me... until I can get a working global ROM for the Explorer edition - some of these state they are for the Explorer edition, but most sites say there is no global ROM for EE yet. Has anyone managed to get a global ROM installed on a Chinese EE (just to check my assumption that the Mi 8 Pro (Mi 8 UD, equuleus) is indeed all the same hardware and therefore the same kernel (except from the missing 3D Face unlock)

 

[krispin74]

Where did you download official chinese ROM for Mi 8 PRO /equuleus/? Through the phone itself? Did you try to root it with Magisk by patching boot.img? Thanks

 

[Nealed]

Managed to download the original Rom with Xiaomi Tool - but I am currently running the xiaomi.eu ROM for ursa on my equuleus... works great. Version 10.0.6

 

[LaurentChardin]

@Nealed : even for the fingerprint sensor ?

Best

 

[Nealed]

Oui Laurent, meme le lecteur d''empreinte digitale! (I assume you are French with a name like Chardin!)
Yes, the ursa roms (Explorer edition) have the same fingerprint sensor as the Mi8 Pro - so the finger print sensor works. This is not the case with normal Mi 8 Roms.

 

[geozg2]

Where did you download official chinese ROM for Mi 8 PRO /equuleus/? Through the phone itself? Did you try to root it with Magisk by patching boot.img? Thanks

Hello guys. You must downolad the rom from this link and we hope so that the forum get a europe rom for our Mi8 UD - Pro (Equuleus)

http://www.miui.com/download-345.html#504

 

[nblcknght]

Hey I found that this rom (ROM V10.0.2.0.OEAMIFH ) on the russian site is the same on the us site, but the names for the device is NOT the same.
check the captures.

Image on US website

Image on RUS website

The question is: Could I use this ROM to flash the MI 8 EE?