fastboot devices doesn't show my device

[theo.hallenius 31]

Hello! I've decided to root my FxTec Pro 1, installed Universal ADB driver (can use adb without issues), and booted into bootloader (using power + volume down). Dev mode and USB debugging is enabled. For some reason though, "fastboot devices" doesn't show my device (while "adb devices" does), and other fastboot commands don't work either and say "waiting for any device". Is there a step I may have missed? I already prepared a patched boot image that I want to flash the bootloader with but can't even run fastboot. Any help appreciated! /Theo

Edited August 17, 2021 by theo.hallenius

[claude0001 1,352]

fastboot is extremely picky about the USB connection. Try different ports and cables.

If you are on Windows some missing USB driver required by fastboot (but not by adb) could also be the issue (source). I have no Windows so I can't help much with that.

I have found a Raspberry Pi (3) to be the most stable solution for flashing my Pro1. It never had any connection issues (as opposed to my PCs) and adb and fastboot are trivial to install using the Raspbian package management.

[brunoais 334]

Is ubuntu also stable enough for fastboot?

[claude0001 1,352]

7 minutes ago, brunoais said:

Is ubuntu also stable enough for fastboot?

If by "stability" you mean that of the connection: I think the problem is mainly the USB hardware, not the OS of the PC.

I think in any Debian-based Linux distribution you can install the Android tools using a simple

sudo apt install adb fastboot

that would include Ubuntu, too.

[brunoais 334]

I can see fastboot is available with

apt list | grep fastboot

I wanted to know about USB stability. Seems not to be OS-based but hardware-based .

As for adb, I already use it extensively and have multiple scripts that depend on it for my daily life (not with the Pro¹ but my current phone; still waiting for my f(x)tec Pro¹X)

[claude0001 1,352]

59 minutes ago, brunoais said:

Seems not to be OS-based but hardware-based

As I say: RPis are cheap and work well for me. I keep one around just for the purpose of flashing my Pro1 . I would avoid Model 4, though as that has different USB (3.0) hardware.

[VaZso 1,998]

8 hours ago, brunoais said:

I can see fastboot is available with

apt list | grep fastboot

I wanted to know about USB stability. Seems not to be OS-based but hardware-based .

As for adb, I already use it extensively and have multiple scripts that depend on it for my daily life (not with the Pro¹ but my current phone; still waiting for my f(x)tec Pro¹X)

I think USB is basically stable especially on a Linux system...

However, a root USB HUB may contain more USB devices, so more USB ports of a PC can be connected to the same root HUB while also internal devices may use the very same root HUB (like internal bluetooth, webcamera, fingerprint sensor, card reader, WLAN device, etc).

So if you (or your PC) share the same BUS between several devices, then it also needs time to serve those devices.
So it may also add more or less delay to your communication which the device will or will not tolerate.

As this protocol seems to be picky, it may not tolerate this delay.
So you may also need to try other USB ports of the very same device and it may happen some of them will work while others will not.

Similarly, I have a relatively old Saleae logic 8 analyzer which works well at its maximal throughput as an only device but can not keep sync at that speed when there are other devices sharing the same bus as it needs realtime communication (they have optimized it in their later devices).
So I had a notebook what had 4-5 USB ports but only 2 of them worked at its maximal speed.

So this kind of stability can be hardware-based but in another way.

[_DW_ 628]

I always find it best to install the Google USB driver.  Windows doesn't always install a compatible one.

 

https://developer.android.com/studio/run/win-usb

Edited August 18, 2021 by _DW_

[claude0001 1,352]

51 minutes ago, VaZso said:

So if you (or your PC) share the same BUS between several devices, then it also needs time to serve those devices.
So it may also add more or less delay to your communication which the device will or will not tolerate.

 

Thanks for the explanation. That sounds plausible. Still, for many PC systems (think: laptops) there is no easy way for the user to (temporarily) decrease the amount of devices on the bus. So, effectively, randomly trying different ports/devices is still the only option ...  

[VaZso 1,998]

2 hours ago, claude0001 said:

 

Thanks for the explanation. That sounds plausible. Still, for many PC systems (think: laptops) there is no easy way for the user to (temporarily) decrease the amount of devices on the bus. So, effectively, randomly trying different ports/devices is still the only option ...  

If it is a serious manufacturer, I think there is at least one USB port which should be usable. 🙂

Edit: I mean which does not have another device(s) attached.

Edited August 18, 2021 by VaZso

[Slion 1,201]

Eventually trying to flash LOS on my Pro1 and I have that same issue.
Device shows the bootloader menu but no device are listed by fastboot.

Busy trying different ports without luck to far.

Edited August 22, 2021 by Slion

[Slion 1,201]

Fixed it!

Thanks @_DW_ for pointing to Google's USB driver.
It needs to be installed, however you also need to modify the driver INF file so that it lists Pro1 as compatible.
Since you modify the INF you also need to have Windows setup in test mode so that you can install unsigned driver.
Thankfully I had that enabled already as I've been working on some Windows driver implementation lately.

You need to add the following lines to the INF file [Google.NTamd64] section (assuming you are running Windows 64 bits):

;F(x)tec Pro1

%SingleAdbInterface%        = USB_Install, USB\VID_18D1&PID_D00D
%SingleBootLoaderInterface% = USB_Install, USB\VID_18D1&PID_D00D

Once installed it should show like that in Device Manager:

Before installing the driver you could see Pro1 showing up in error with that Warning badge as Android device under Other devices section of Device Manager.

One step closer from flashing 🥳

Edited August 22, 2021 by Slion

[Hook 3,043]

I will mention that Manjaro Linux on my Thinkpad X230 has no problems with either fastboot or ADB with what is installed by default with the OS. I use the yollow-tongued USB port(no SS designation), not the blue tongued one (designated SS).  😉 

[_DW_ 628]

@SlionI've never needed to modify the inf before but it really is a bit random what machine picks up what with the android debugging stuff.  Sometimes windows is fine with what it installs automatically sometimes not.  I guess I've just been lucky and not needed to do that yet on the PC's I've got.  Glad your working though!