DISCLAIMER: I'm not responsible for any damage done to your device ;)

NOTE: LineageOS is fine to install entirely using their guide, but this one might work too. CrDroid might be fine to install using the LineageOS guide too, but I haven't tried that directly. This guide just exists.

Introduction

Heya, so here's how to install crDroid or LineageOS on your Redmi smartphone (:

This also apparently voids your warranty ¯\(ツ)/¯

NOTE: This guide is made with Windows in mind, if you use Linux or MacOS, I assume you probably have some command-line experience, I won't be helping with MacOS, never used it, with Linux I can help.

Preparations

I recommend downloading the following files both to a folder on your computer (Preferrably a path with no spaces in the name (Can use C:\crdroid or similar on Windows)) and an SD card you'll put into your smartphone before beginning.

List of downloads:

• If you're flashing from another ROM, you'll need to flash the latest stock ROM for your device, here or here's MiFlash.
  • Stock ROM for Redmi 8 olive (and olive only) here
• ROM files, crDroid/LineageOS
• super_empty image files - Download here or here
• super_empty converter - Download here or here.
  • You care about the mi439-super_empty-raw.img file inside of the zip archive.
• If you want Google Apps, one version I've used is available here, or here(crDroid)/here(LineageOS)'s the repository of them.

If you're installing crDroid, use crDroid files everywhere, if installing LineageOS, use LineageOS files. I have only tested with crDroid so far, but it should be very similar to LineageOS as crDroid is practically just a modification of LineageOS.

Installation

First, follow the official LineageOS guide until the installing Lineage recovery step.

When at the "installing lineage recovery" step, install TWRP recovery for olives instead (Download here), then continue with the following:

• flash cust.img, system.img and vendor.img to their respective partitions be able to install partitions converter later
  • either through the TWRP you just installed
    • Select the Install option
    • Find the correct Image file on your SD Card
      • likely under /sdcard1; the ".." folder means go up one folder
    • Tap the correct Image file and select the corresponding partition to flash to
    • Tap Flash Image and wait for magic (:
  • or fastboot (while still in it, might as well)
    • fastboot flash cust cust.img
    • fastboot flash system system.img
    • fastboot flash vendor vendor.img
• reboot to TWRP recovery (even if in it already) by holding down power+volUp
  • flash super_empty converter (mi439-super_empty-raw.img) to the "Super ()" partition
    • If you do not see partitions listed in the brackets, you should restart TWRP, or start from the beginning, as it will most likely not flash without this.
  • flash crDroid/LineageOS recovery.img to recovery partition and restart to recovery
  • When in crDroid/LineageOS recovery, select Factory reset (touch works!) > Format data/factory reset > select ext4 if it asks, then return to main menu using left arrow at the top of the screen
  • Tap apply update
    • Select ADB if you want to sideload the crDroid/LineageOS zip file to the phone, but I prefer just using the SD card
      • to sideload, select the ADB sideload option and on your computer, in a folder with platform tools, open a CMD window in the folder with platform-tools
      • type "adb -d sideload "
    • Otherwise select SD card, find the file and tap it to flash it.
      • if you see logs along the lines of "Patching system image unconditionally...", you've likely basically won at this point
        • if install completes with status 0, you've won.
    • Optionally install nikgapps zip file again using sideload or sdcard - HAS TO BE DONE BEFORE FIRST BOOT, else will cause problems
      • install status 0 = win

WARNING: If GApps were installed, don't install Magisk, LOLZ Kernel or similar, boot for the first time and complete OOBE first. first boot will take a few minutes.

Enjoy your new shiny ROM :)

Sources

• https://xdaforums.com/t/guide-flash-retrofit-dynamic-partition-roms-on-redmi-7a-8-8a.4515423/
• https://xdaforums.com/t/official-14-crdroid-10-for-mi439-devices-olive-olivelite-olivewood-pine.4626715/

installing LOLZ Kernel

• Go to olives(mi439) TWRP recovery (flash from bootloader(fastboot) if necessary)
• apply update > sideload or find zip on sd card
• if LOLZ says you don't have the right kernel version, reboot to system and check in settings, if it's the same, go back to recovery and try again, should be fixed when lolz flashed, flash magisk, then boot back to system and have fun

Getting help

You can get help in Telegram groups of crDroid and LineageOS.

crDroid: mi439-specific, crDroid main community group, crDroid updates

LOLZ Kernel: mi439 lolz kernel group

Or you can contact me, I might help (:

• that would be the Contact me button at the top of the page