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.

[!CAUTION] Flashing a kernel can brick your device and will void your warranty. Make a full backup (boot partition at minimum) before proceeding.

[!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.)

Platforms: Android · Linux · Windows / Other

Choosing the correct AnyKernel3 ZIP

Each release artifact is named by KMI (Kernel Module Interface) and Security Patch Level (SPL).

KMI - e.g. android12-5.10, android13-5.10, android13-5.15, android14-5.15, android14-6.1, android15-6.6, android16-6.12. Must match your device's current kernel version. Check with uname -r or in Settings → About phone → Kernel version.
SPL - monthly security patch string in the filename. Pick the build closest to your current SPL; newer SPL is generally backwards compatible but read the release notes for breaking changes.

If you don't know which file to download, carefully read the description of KMI and Security patch level in the release notes before downloading.

Preparation

Get your device's stock boot.img.
Download the AnyKernel3 ZIP file that matches your kernel version (e.g., 6.1.157-android14).
Unpack the AnyKernel3 package and get the Image file, which is the kernel file of KernelSU.

[!NOTE] Match by the full kernel version (e.g., 6.1.157-android14) - your device's Android version and the android14 in the kernel version are not necessarily the same.

Using magiskboot on Android devices

Folder structure on device (/data/local/tmp/):

/data/local/tmp/
├── magiskboot
├── boot.img
└── Image

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

Push libmagiskboot.so to your device by ADB:

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

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

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

Enter ADB shell and make it executable:

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

Unpack boot.img:
```
./magiskboot unpack boot.img
```
You will get a kernel file - this is your stock kernel.
Replace kernel with the KernelSU Image:
```
mv -f Image kernel
```
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 Linux

Folder structure on PC:

.
├── magiskboot
├── boot.img
└── Image

Official magiskboot can run in Linux normally - use the official build. If you prefer, you can also use WildKernels/Magisk (W.I.P.).

Prepare stock boot.img and Image in your PC.
Make it executable:
```
chmod +x magiskboot
```
Unpack boot.img:
```
./magiskboot unpack boot.img
```
You will get a kernel file - this is your stock kernel.
Replace kernel:
```
mv -f Image kernel
```

Repack:

./magiskboot repack boot.img

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

fastboot flash boot new-boot.img

Using magiskboot on Windows / Other