GKI_KernelSU_SUSFS/docs/magiskboot.md

Patch boot.img Manually (magiskboot)

For some devices, the boot.img format isn't as common as lz4, gz, and uncompressed. A typical example is the Pixel, where the boot.img is compressed in the lz4_legacy format, while the ramdisk may be in gz or also compressed in lz4_legacy. Currently, if you directly flash the boot.img provided by KernelSU, the device may not be able to boot. In this case, you can manually patch the boot.img.

[!TIP] It's always recommended to use magiskboot to patch images. There are two ways:

• magiskboot (official) - runs on Android devices (and Linux)
• WildKernels/Magisk (W.I.P.) - cross-built binaries for Windows/macOS/Linux PCs (W.I.P.)

The official build of magiskboot can only run on Android devices. If you want to run it on a PC, use the second option.

[!WARNING] Android-Image-Kitchen isn't recommended for now because it doesn't handle the boot metadata (such as security patch level) correctly. Therefore, it may not work on some devices.

Preparation

1. Get your device's stock boot.img. You can get it from your device manufacturer. You may need payload-dumper-go.
2. Download the AnyKernel3 ZIP file provided by KernelSU that matches the KMI version of your device.
3. Unpack the AnyKernel3 package and get the Image file, which is the kernel file of KernelSU.

Using magiskboot on Android devices

1. Download latest Magisk from GitHub Releases.
2. Rename Magisk-*(version).apk to Magisk-*.zip and unzip it.

3. Push libmagiskboot.so to your device by ADB:

   adb push Magisk-*/lib/arm64-v8a/libmagiskboot.so /data/local/tmp/magiskboot
   

4. Push stock boot.img and Image from AnyKernel3 to your device:

   adb push boot.img /data/local/tmp/
   adb push Image /data/local/tmp/
   

5. Enter ADB shell and make it executable:

   adb shell
   cd /data/local/tmp/
   chmod +x magiskboot
   

6. Unpack boot.img:

   ./magiskboot unpack boot.img
   

   You will get a kernel file - this is your stock kernel.

7. Replace kernel with the KernelSU Image:

   mv -f Image kernel
   

8. Repack the boot image:

   ./magiskboot repack boot.img
   

   You will get a new-boot.img file. Flash this file to your device by fastboot:

   fastboot flash boot new-boot.img
   

Using magiskboot on Windows / macOS / Linux PC

1. Download the corresponding magiskboot binary for your OS from WildKernels/Magisk (W.I.P.).
2. Prepare stock boot.img and Image in your PC.

3. Make it executable:

   chmod +x magiskboot
   

4. Unpack boot.img:

   ./magiskboot unpack boot.img
   

   You will get a kernel file - this is your stock kernel.

5. Replace kernel:

   mv -f Image kernel
   

6. Repack:

   ./magiskboot repack boot.img
   

   You will get a new-boot.img file. Flash it by fastboot:

   fastboot flash boot new-boot.img
   

[!INFO] Official magiskboot can run in Linux environments normally. If you're a Linux user, you can use the official build.

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Related: Installation Overview · Install with Kernel Flasher · Releases