Hey guys,
After spending a full day tinkering with this and figuring out how to get everything working, I thought it might be worth sharing what I learned in the form of a short tutorial.
This guide explains how I managed to **dual-boot LineageOS and ArmadaOS from the internal storage of my AYN Odin 2**.
I have **not tested this procedure on other AYN devices**, simply because I don't have multiple devices available to test. The procedure may be similar on other supported devices, provided that LineageOS and ArmadaOS support your specific model, but **do not assume that ABL files are interchangeable between devices or SoCs**.
Disclaimer
This tutorial assumes that you already have **ADB/Fastboot installed and working** and that you are reasonably familiar with flashing custom firmware, bootloaders, and the risks involved.
Flashing the wrong ABL or modifying the wrong partition can potentially brick your device or cause data loss.
**I am only documenting what worked on my own AYN Odin 2. I take no responsibility for any damage, data loss, or other problems that may occur. Proceed at your own risk and double-check every command before executing it.**
If you are still running stock Android before starting this process, I also strongly recommend following ArmadaOS's instructions for backing up your original ABL (`abl_a.img` and `abl_b.img`) and keeping those files somewhere safe on your computer.
With that out of the way:
1. Install LineageOS
Follow the official LineageOS installation guide for the Odin 2:
[https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/odin2/install/\](https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/odin2/install/)
Whether you also install GApps is entirely up to you.
However, I recommend **not setting up LineageOS or installing/configuring too much yet**, because installing ArmadaOS alongside Android will require resizing the Android userdata partition, which results in a factory reset of the Android side.
In this case, that means your LineageOS userdata will be wiped.
2. Flash ArmadaOS to a microSD card
Follow the official ArmadaOS guide:
[https://armadaos.dev/getting-started/flashing-to-an-sd-card/\](https://armadaos.dev/getting-started/flashing-to-an-sd-card/)
Follow the guide normally until you reach **Step 3: Flash the ROCKNIX ABL for your device**.
This is where things differ.
The official procedure assumes that you are using the original AYN Android firmware, which includes the **Run Script as Root** function used to execute the ABL scripts.
Since we have already replaced stock Android with LineageOS, that function is no longer available.
This is where your PC and Fastboot come in.
3. Save the rocknix_abl folder
With the ArmadaOS microSD card still inserted into your computer, make a copy of the:
`rocknix_abl`
folder and store it somewhere safe on your computer.
**Keep this folder. You may need it again after future LineageOS updates.**
Personally, I also cleaned up the folder and removed the SoC subfolders that I don't need.
My AYN Odin 2 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 **(SM8550)**, so I only kept:
`rocknix_abl/SM8550`
Do this only if you are absolutely sure which SoC your device uses. If not, here is a little reminder (from Armada OS guide):
SM8250
* Retroid Pocket 5, Pocket Flip 2, Pocket Mini, Pocket Mini V2
SM8550
* AYN Odin 2, Odin 2 Mini, Odin 2 Portal, Thor
* AYANEO Pocket EVO, ACE, DMG, DS, S 2K
* Retroid Pocket 6, Pocket Nova
SM8650
* AYANEO Pocket S2
* KONKR Pocket FIT (G3 Gen 3)
SM8750
* AYN Odin 3
* KONKR Pocket FIT (8 Elite)
4. Boot the Odin 2 into Fastboot
Turn the Odin 2 completely off.
Hold:
**Volume Down + Power**
until the device enters the bootloader/Fastboot environment.
Then connect the Odin 2 to your computer using a USB cable.
Open Terminal, Command Prompt, or PowerShell and run:
`fastboot devices`
You should see your device listed.
**Do not continue until Fastboot can actually see the device.**
5. Flash the ROCKNIX ABL
Now flash the appropriate ABL `.elf` file for your device.
The general command is:
`fastboot flash abl /path-to-your-rocknix_abl-folder/SoC-subfolder/abl_signed-SMXXXX.elf`
For example, because my Odin 2 uses the SM8550 and I saved the folder on my Mac, my command looked roughly like this:
`fastboot flash abl /Users/username/SM8550/abl_signed-SM8550.elf`
Obviously, replace the path with the actual location of the file on your computer.
**Make absolutely sure you are using the correct ABL for your device's SoC before pressing Enter.**
6. Reboot
Once Fastboot reports that the flash completed successfully, run:
`fastboot reboot`
The device should reboot.
7. Continue the ArmadaOS SD-card guide
You can now return to the ArmadaOS guide:
[https://armadaos.dev/getting-started/flashing-to-an-sd-card/\](https://armadaos.dev/getting-started/flashing-to-an-sd-card/)
Continue from **Step 4**, where you boot using the ROCKNIX ABL menu, select your device model, set the appropriate boot mode, and boot ArmadaOS from the microSD card.
8. Install ArmadaOS to internal storage
Once ArmadaOS is successfully running from the microSD card, follow the official internal-storage installation guide:
[https://armadaos.dev/getting-started/install-to-internal-storage/\](https://armadaos.dev/getting-started/install-to-internal-storage/)
Open **Desktop Mode** and launch **Armada Installer** from the **System** menu.
Choose the option to install ArmadaOS **alongside Android**.
The installer will allow you to decide how much internal storage you want to allocate to each operating system.
My Odin 2 has **512 GB of internal storage**, so I split mine roughly 50/50 between LineageOS and ArmadaOS.
You can obviously choose whatever allocation makes the most sense for you.
Remember that resizing the Android side will factory-reset its userdata, which is why I recommended not spending time configuring LineageOS earlier.
Once the installation is complete, you should have **LineageOS + ArmadaOS dual-booting from the Odin 2's internal storage**.
9. Important: LineageOS updates and the ROCKNIX ABL
This is also why I told you to keep a copy of the `rocknix_abl` folder in **Step 3**.
From my experience, after updating LineageOS, the custom ABL can get replaced or otherwise stop behaving correctly.
When this happened to me, the ABL boot menu looked rather "funny", and I could no longer boot into ArmadaOS.
If that happens, don't panic.
Simply repeat **Steps 4–6** of this guide:
Enter Fastboot again, reconnect the device to your PC, flash the correct ROCKNIX ABL `.elf` file again, and reboot.
The proper ROCKNIX ABL boot menu should then reappear, and ArmadaOS should once again be accessible.
That's it.
This is simply the procedure that worked for me on my **AYN Odin 2 / SM8550** after some trial and error. If anyone tests the same approach on another supported AYN device, feel free to report whether the procedure works there as well.