Jolla tablet experiments no.2: installing Sailfish OS

I got my hands on a package that contained Sailfish OS 1.1.9.13, plus flashing software. With little to lose, I decided to give it a try. As you remember, I already disabled SecureBoot so if things got wrong, I could (probably) re-flash the tablet with basic Android instead of bricking it...!

I'd heard of the Aigo X86 tablets that were on sale in China, and also that some sellers on marketplaces sold these as Jolla tablets. There may be no hardware compatibility between Jolla and Aigo, so the install could go wrong if I had bought Aigo hardware in Jolla covers. I checked the FCC ID on my tablet - at least, what was printed on the back cover - and it matched the FCC ID database. The result from http://fccid.io is here, but you can also check the code directly from the FCC database.

Pic 1. My Taobao Jolla Tablet back cover, showing FCC ID among other approval stamps

Initially I bought a 32GB memory card to install SFOS into, but the flashing procedure left no choice and I didn't want to experiment too much on alternative installation media first, without knowing whether SFOS would run on my tablet at all.

So, short story even shorter, I downloaded the package, extracted the contents, read the README file, shutdown the tablet, connected it to my Linux PC and re-booted the tablet in DNx state (technical details of that are a mystery...!) by pressing Power-VolUp-VolDown concurrently. Finally I ran the flashing script. The tablet was flashed and it didn't even take very long! Soon I had a working Sailfish OS 1.1.9.13 installation on my tablet. At least one problem with it was found -  Jolla Store did not work - so I tried updating, and received 2.0 update!

The tablet now with SFOS2.0.1.7 (Taalojärvi) is working great. Android support allowed installation of Aptoide Store (although it required a re-start of Android Services), and also Amazon App Store could be installed and is functioning. Currently I'm watching internet TV from Finnish Broadcast Corp. YLE, using their own Android app, and video and sound work flawlessly (although the app asks me to install Google Play Services, which I'm not inclined to do at the moment).

So, experiment no.2 - installing working Sailfish OS on my Jolla Tablet purchased from a 3rd party - is a success!

Pic 2. Rebooting the tablet in a mode that allows for flashing the operating system and firmware

Pic 3. After the flashing and automatic reboot, Jolla setup display appears

Pic 4. Update to latest OS version is a success

I learned now that this has been replicated - check  "HOWTO Flash Sailfish OS" on TylerTemp's (Twitter: @Tyler_Temp) Chinese Unofficial Jolla blog: https://jolla.comes.today/jolla-tablet-on-taobao-china/?lang=en - it contains links to the flashing software.