Installation Guide

A step-by-step walkthrough to install Trollas. Inc. OS on your supported Android device — from preparation to first boot.

⚠️ Intermediate ⏱ ~40 minutes 📱 All supported devices

Before you start

Installing a custom operating system is a safe, well-trodden path — but only when you prepare properly. Take a few minutes to read this section before you touch anything.

Back up your data

Installing Trollas. Inc. OS will wipe your device. Photos, messages, apps, and settings stored on the device will be erased. Keep a copy somewhere safe before you begin.

Risk is low, but real

The process voids manufacturers' warranties and requires unlocking your bootloader. There is a small chance of software issues. You are responsible for your own device — follow every step carefully.

  • Confirm your device is supported. Visit the Supported Devices section and note your device's codename.
  • Read your device's dedicated installation notes on its download page — some devices have extra requirements.
  • Back up important data to a PC, SD card, or the cloud.
  • Make sure you can access your computer and an internet connection for the whole process.

Requirements

You will need a handful of things on hand before you begin. Gather them now so the flashing process is uninterrupted.

Device

A Trollas. Inc. OS supported device with at least 50% battery.

Computer

Windows, macOS, or Linux with a working USB port.

USB cable

A good-quality cable that can transfer data, not just charge.

Platform tools

ADB and Fastboot binaries for your operating system.

ROM file

The Trollas. Inc. OS build for your device from the download page.

Recovery image

A recovery image for your device, if your device requires one.

Not sure about your device?

The exact unlock and flashing method can differ between manufacturers. Your device's page on the Download section lists any special instructions.

Prepare your device

Before you can flash anything, your device needs a few switches flipped. These options are hidden behind Developer Options on most Android devices.

Enable Developer Options

  • Open Settings and go to About phone.
  • Tap Build number seven times until "You are now a developer" appears.
  • Go back to Settings and open System → Developer options.
  • Enable USB debugging.
  • Enable OEM unlocking. If this toggle is missing or greyed out, your device may not be unlockable — check the device page.

Unlock the bootloader

With the device connected to your computer, open a terminal in your platform-tools folder and run:

Reboot into the bootloader 
adb reboot bootloader

Once in fastboot mode, unlock the bootloader:

Unlock the bootloader 
fastboot flashing unlock

Confirm the prompt on your screen. Some devices use fastboot oem unlock instead — follow the prompt your device shows.

Unlocking wipes your data

Unlocking the bootloader performs a full factory reset and can disable some device protections. This is expected — and another reason the backup you made in Step 1 matters.

Download the files

Now grab everything you need for the flashing process. Download from official sources only — Trollas. Inc. OS is open source, and community builds are never a good idea.

  • Trollas. Inc. OS ROM — the build for your device, from the Download section.
  • Platform tools — ADB and Fastboot for your OS. If you do not have them yet, grab the official platform-tools release.
  • Recovery image — only if your device's installation notes require flashing a recovery first.
  • Device driver (Windows) — if your computer does not detect your device in fastboot mode.
Verify what you download

Compare the checksum (shown next to each release) after downloading. A mismatched file is a sign of a corrupt or tampered download — do not flash it.

Go to the Download section

Install the ROM

With everything downloaded and your bootloader unlocked, you are ready to flash. The steps below work for most devices — follow your device's page if it overrides any of these.

  1. Boot your device into recovery mode using the key combination for your device, or run adb reboot recovery from your computer.
  2. If your device requires a separate recovery image, flash it from fastboot with fastboot flash recovery recovery.img, then reboot into recovery.
  3. In recovery, select Wipe data / Factory reset. A clean data partition is required before installing.
  4. Select Apply update (sidebar) and choose Apply from ADB.
Sideload the ROM from your computer 
adb sideload trollasinc-os.zip
  1. Wait for the installation to finish, then go back.
  2. Select Reboot system now.
Recovery wording may differ

Menu names vary between recovery versions and devices. If you cannot find an option, consult your device's installation notes before improvising.

First boot

The first boot after an installation takes longer than usual. This is completely normal.

Be patient on the logo

Your device may sit on the boot animation for several minutes while it prepares its data partition. Give it up to 10 minutes before you assume something is wrong.

  • Follow the setup wizard. Google login is optional — Trollas. Inc. OS works fully offline.
  • Connect to Wi-Fi and check for updates under Settings → System → System update to apply the latest OTA build.
  • Restore your backed-up data and reinstall your apps.
You're on Trollas. Inc. OS

Your device is now running a fast, private, and open-source Android experience. Enjoy.

Troubleshooting

Things do not always go perfectly. Here is how to recover from the most common issues.

My computer does not detect my device

Try a different cable or USB port, make sure USB debugging is enabled, and install the official driver for your device on Windows. Restart the ADB server with adb kill-server followed by adb devices.

Device is stuck on the boot animation

Wait at least 10 minutes once. If it never boot, reboot into recovery, wipe data again, and reinstall the ROM. If the issue persists, verify the checksum of the file you flashed — a corrupt download is the usual cause.

The sideload fails with an error

Make sure the battery is above 50%, the ROM file matches your device codename, and ADB is up to date. Restart the ADB server, retry, and compare checksums before flashing again.

Recovery will not boot

Reboot into fastboot and flash the recovery image again with fastboot flash recovery recovery.img, then boot straight into recovery. On some devices, a reboot after flashing overrides the recovery.

Still stuck?

Join the community on GitHub . Share your device, ROM version, and the exact error message — the more detail, the better.

Want to explore further?

New to the project? Start with the Getting Started guide, then return here when you need the full walkthrough.