Samsung Galaxy A5 2015 (samsung-a5)
![]() Samsung Galaxy A5 | |
Manufacturer | Samsung |
---|---|
Name | Galaxy A5 |
Codename | samsung-a5 |
Released | 2014 |
Category | community |
Original software | Android |
Original version | 4.4.4 |
postmarketOS kernel | Mainline |
Hardware | |
Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) |
CPU | 4x 1.2 GHz Cortex-A53 |
GPU | Adreno 306 |
Display | 5 inch 16:9, 720 x 1280 AMOLED |
Storage | 16 GB |
Memory | 2 GB |
Architecture | aarch64 |
Type | handset |
Unixbench Whet/Dhry score | 1028.8 |
USB Networking |
Works |
---|---|
Flashing |
Works |
Touchscreen |
Works |
Display |
Partial |
WiFi |
Works |
FDE |
Works |
Mainline |
Works |
Battery |
Works |
3D Acceleration |
Works |
Audio |
Works |
Bluetooth |
Works |
Camera |
Broken |
GPS |
Works |
Mobile data |
Works |
SMS |
Works |
Calls |
Works |
USB OTG |
Works |
NFC |
Works |
Accelerometer |
Works |
---|---|
Magnetometer |
Works |
Ambient Light |
Broken |
Proximity |
Broken |
Hall Effect |
Works |
Camera Flash |
Broken |
---|---|
SD card |
Works |
Haptics |
Works |
FOSS bootloader |
Works |
This device is based on the Snapdragon 410. See the SoC page for common tips, guides and troubleshooting steps |
Contributors
- minecrell
- maccraft123 (only wiki page)
Users owning this device
- Alexeymin (Notes: SM-A500F (not FU) replaced battery, almost like new now)
- ArMor (Notes: SM-A500H Dual Sim)
- Baonks81 (Notes: 3G SM-A500H Dual Sim 2GB/16GB)
- Blender Addict (Notes: SM-A500FU, previous daily driver)
- Citrullin (Notes: (4x SM-A500FU available to borrow in Berlin))
- Danct12 (Notes: SM-A500H Dual Sim)
- Darkness (Notes: SM-A500M)
- Debiansh (Notes: Notes: SM-A500FU Running postmarketOS with Phosh, not working display brightness, Camera and USB-OTG. I made a polish review: https://www.internet-czas-dzialac.pl/recenzja-postmarketos/)
- Exkc (Notes: 2GB/16GB sm-A5000)
- Grimler
- Knuxfanwin8 (Notes: (SM-A500FU))
- LayerDE (Notes: keyboard burned in)
- Lewis Collard (Notes: A5U (EUR))
- Maccraft123
- Minecrell (Notes: SM-A500FU, with weird replacement screen :))
- Omame
- Operachi (Notes: With custom rom android 7)
- Pojntfx
- Rich Morin (Notes: compatibility and deployment testing)
- RoDen (Notes: SM-A500F/DS, Plasma Desktop & Mobile)
- Sado1
- UltrasonicMadness (Notes: SM-A500FU, daily driver)
- WonderfulShrineMaidenOfParadise
Display sleep issue in X11
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The following issue was solved in postmarketOS "edge" channel when upgrading kernel "linux-postmarketos-qcom-msm8916" to version 6.5.2-r0. In the postmarketOS "stable" channel v23.06 this issue still persists as it uses kernel "linux-postmarketos-qcom-msm8916" version 6.3-r0. |
This device is known to has this common issue where in X11 user interfaces like Xfce4 and MATE, when the screen blacks out after a while of inactivity it can't be woken up anymore. As a workaround, set display sleeping time to "never" in the power managament settings. To solve this issue properly, work on the Quclcomm DRM Driver is needed. See the github issue on the our msm8916 kernel fork for learn more.
Architecture
Some variants are released with Kitkat 4.4, which doesn't boot arm64 kernel, so upgrade to Lollipop 5.0 or later first.
Installation
There are several ways to install postmarketOS on Samsung Galaxy A5 2015. All of them require you to flash lk2nd.
First, install lk2nd:
lk2nd is a secondary bootloader that provides a standard fastboot interface, which can be used to boot postmarketOS without Android boot
flashed or pmbootstrap flasher flash_kernel
.
- Download lk2nd-msm8916.img from Releases page on Github.
- Boot your phone to bootloader (Odin/Download) mode by holding Volume Down and Home while powering up.
- Follow lk2nd instructions to install lk2nd. Basically flash it to the boot partition (
heimdall flash --BOOT lk2nd-msm8916.img
- Follow Qualcomm_Snapdragon_410/412_(MSM8916)#Installation to install postmarketOS.
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Note: Enter lk2nd fastboot mode by pressing only Volume Down + Power (without Home). Pressing Home additionally will bring you to the Samsung Download mode. |
Partition layout
Disk /dev/mmcblk0: 14.68 GiB, 15758000128 bytes, 30777344 sectors Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes Disklabel type: gpt Device Start End Sectors Name /dev/mmcblk0p1 8192 38911 30720 apnhlos /dev/mmcblk0p2 38912 156543 117632 modem /dev/mmcblk0p3 156544 157567 1024 sbl1 /dev/mmcblk0p4 157568 157631 64 ddr /dev/mmcblk0p5 157632 161727 4096 aboot /dev/mmcblk0p6 161728 162751 1024 rpm /dev/mmcblk0p7 162752 163775 1024 qsee /dev/mmcblk0p8 163776 164799 1024 qhee /dev/mmcblk0p9 164800 170943 6144 fsg /dev/mmcblk0p10 170944 170975 32 sec /dev/mmcblk0p11 170976 192511 21536 pad /dev/mmcblk0p12 192512 212991 20480 param /dev/mmcblk0p13 212992 241663 28672 efs /dev/mmcblk0p14 241664 247807 6144 modemst1 /dev/mmcblk0p15 247808 253951 6144 modemst2 /dev/mmcblk0p16 253952 280575 26624 boot /dev/mmcblk0p17 280576 311295 30720 recovery /dev/mmcblk0p18 311296 337913 26618 fota /dev/mmcblk0p19 337914 352231 14318 backup /dev/mmcblk0p20 352232 358375 6144 fsc /dev/mmcblk0p21 358376 358391 16 ssd /dev/mmcblk0p22 358392 374775 16384 persist /dev/mmcblk0p23 374776 393207 18432 persdata /dev/mmcblk0p24 393208 5275639 4882432 system /dev/mmcblk0p25 5275640 5685239 409600 cache /dev/mmcblk0p26 5685240 30777303 25092064 userdata
Plasma Mobile
Plasma mobile currently works on A5 2015, but you should set custom scaling factor to 2.
kscreen-doctor output.1.scale.2
should work.
To run this command from ssh session add the following env variables to the above command:
XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/10000 QT_QPA_PLATFORM=wayland kscreen-doctor output.1.scale.2
Plasma works smoothly, but there are some graphical glitches sometimes.
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Touch key work on Samsung Galaxy A5 2015 (samsung-a5) but may not work on Samsung Galaxy A5 Duos (it confimed to not work on Samsung Galaxy A5 Duos SM-A5000) |
Audio
![]() |
WARNING: The speakers are rather loud on 100% volume and may produce distorted sound that may damage your speakers after long use. Please make sure to use reasonable volumes - your ears and your speaker will thank you! |
Screen
Screen works partially. While displaying the UI works fine, adjusting the brightness doesn't work.
Touch keys
See Tm2-touchkey.
Flash LED
Currently WIP. It can be controlled with SG Micro SGM3140 charge pump LED driver[1].
Ambient Light/Proximity Sensor
The driver for tmd3782
ambient light/proximity sensor is not available.
Mobile Data
2G and 3G working. 4G not working. Need to got to Setting, Mobile Data, Network Mode and select 2G, 3G (Preferred)
Dual Sim
Samsung Galaxy A5 Duos support dual sim but Samsung Galaxy A5 dont
Photos
See also
- Samsung Galaxy E5 (samsung-e5)
- Samsung Galaxy A3 2015 (samsung-a3)
- Samsung Galaxy A7 2015 (samsung-a7)
- Samsung Galaxy A5 2015 (samsung-a5)/Custom Partitioning
- Device package
- Kernel package
- A review from the polish technology channel "Internet. Czas działać!" - PeerTube link, YouTube link