October 7 alpha candidate / SM-T733 only

Install &
recovery.

Install ZIP from microSD, set your password in TWRP, then boot into GNOME.

This erases Android userdata and internal storage. The complete clean installation and restore route have not been rehearsed on hardware. Keep an external backup and a working stock restore route.

Before you start

What you need.

  • Galaxy Tab S7 FE Wi-Fi SM-T733 / gts7fewifi.
  • An unlocked bootloader and working TWRP.
  • MicroSD with enough room for the installer and BOOT backup.
  • Matching stock vendor/APNHLOS partitions still present.
  • A computer with Android platform-tools for password setup.
  • External BOOT and userdata backups, matching stock restore files and a working Download Mode restore route.

Keep adequate battery charge. The package does not install TWRP or bypass bootloader protections.

Installation

Six steps.

Download the full guide →

Back up off the tablet

In TWRP, back up BOOT and Android userdata to microSD or a computer. Verify the backup is readable. Internal /sdcard is part of userdata and will be erased.

Verify and copy the installer

Download the TWRP ZIP and check it against SHA256SUMS. Copy the ZIP to microSD. Internal storage and ADB sideload are unsupported.

Check SHA-256 on your computer

macOS:

shasum -a 256 s7fe-linux-twrp-alpha1-candidate.zip

Linux:

sha256sum s7fe-linux-twrp-alpha1-candidate.zip

Windows PowerShell:

Get-FileHash .\s7fe-linux-twrp-alpha1-candidate.zip -Algorithm SHA256

Expected installer hash:

2b775a0b849c86bc1ecf74f3de29bb01396d13bd41c039d998e2df9f458ef3b4

Format encrypted userdata

If userdata is encrypted, use Wipe → Format Data → yes, then reboot into recovery. This erases userdata. Do not manually delete partitions or alter the GPT.

Install the ZIP

In TWRP choose Install, select external microSD storage and flash s7fe-linux-twrp-alpha1-candidate.zip. Use Install ZIP, not Install Image. Wait for success and stay in TWRP. Do not interrupt writes or ignore model, firmware or checksum errors.

Set your login password

Connect USB to the computer. With Android platform-tools installed, run:

adb shell -t /sbin/sh /external_sd/s7fe-set-password.sh

If microSD is mounted at /sdcard1, use:

adb shell -t /sbin/sh /sdcard1/s7fe-set-password.sh

Enter your chosen password twice. Input is hidden. Use an interactive computer shell; TWRP’s ordinary command panel may not support the prompt. Complete password setup before rebooting.

Boot GNOME

Choose Reboot → System and sign in as tablet. Use the Samsung tablet GNOME session if a session selector appears. Connect Wi-Fi, choose your timezone and check lock/wake. Use sudo with your tablet password; root starts locked.

Recovery

Restore Android.

Return to TWRP using your already tested button sequence. Restore your verified external BOOT and Android userdata backups. If userdata cannot be restored or encryption is incompatible, follow the exact model’s established stock restore procedure.

The installer saves the original BOOT in s7fe-pre-linux-backup on microSD. That is not a userdata backup. Restoring BOOT alone cannot recover erased Android data.

If installation fails after writing userdata, return to recovery and restore. Android BOOT may still be present while its data has been erased. Do not flash another model’s files, delete partitions or write userdata.ext4 to BOOT/recovery.

Package details

What it changes.

The installer resolves the named BOOT and userdata partitions. It writes the Linux root to userdata, expands that filesystem, copies firmware from read-only stock partitions and writes BOOT last.

GPT, TWRP recovery, bootloader, EFS, persist, metadata, vendor_boot, DTBO, vbmeta and stock system/vendor partitions are preserved. Android does not run underneath Linux.

There is no shared default password or owner account in the image. Your password is set locally. The ZIP’s BOOT image alone does not install Linux or extract its firmware.

Known limits · Full installation notes · Validation record

Disclaimer

Experimental software.

Provided without warranty. You accept the risk of data loss or a tablet that will not boot. Keep backups and a recovery route. This is not an official Samsung release.