Update Nexus 5 with Pure Android 5.0 Lollipop, Fastboot Flashable Native Lollipop and Illusion ROMs

There is some great news for Nexus 5 owners as third-party custom Android developers have built three variants of Android 5.0 Lollipop ROMs for the device based on Google's recently released AOSP source code.

As all three lollipop ROMs are still in their early testing stages, they may contain some untested bugs or broken features.

Nevertheless, those who wish to try out the various flavours of Lollipop ROMs ahead of Google's official OTA release may go ahead and install the ROMs, using the simple step-by-step guide provided below.

IBTimes UK reminds readers it will not be held liable for any damage to device during or after Android 5.0 Lollipop firmware installation. Users are advised to proceed at their own risk.

Pre-requisites

• The instructions given in this guide are meant for the Nexus 5 only. Verify device model number by navigating to Settings > About Phone.
• Ensure the phone has at at least 80% battery charge to prevent unexpected device shutdown (due to battery drain) while installing the ROM.
• Back up data and settings using a recommended custom recovery tool, like ClockworkMod(CWM) or TWRP, as it creates a complete image of the existing phone setup. In Recovery, choose Backup and Restore and tap Backup.
• Verify correct USB drivers for the phone are installed on the computer (download Google USB drivers).
• Ensure that the device is rooted with TWRP recovery installed and its bootloader is unlocked.

Fastboot Flashable Native Lollipop

This is the first ever Android 5.0 Lollipop ROM available for users, courtesy of XDA recognised developer, OldDroid.

As the ROM is an initial build in its early debugging stage, the developer has not included Gapps and boot animation with the installation package.

The catch here is that you will see that your device may enter a black screen while booting, as there is no boot animation screen included with this firmware.

Downloads Required

ROM file: Download | Mirror

Fastboot file: Download

Guide to Install Fastboot Flashable Native Lollipop ROM on Nexus 5

1. Download and extract the fastboot file to your computer and you will see the following files:
   

   

2. Download the ROM and extract the files to the same folder where you copied/extracted the fastboot files. You should get the first three files (below) after extracting the ROM.

• boot.img
• system.img
• userdata.img
• recovery.img (Don't use it if you want to have the TWRP installed)
• cache.img

3. Go to the fastboot files folder and launch command prompt inside the folder by holding Shift key and then Right click in the empty space inside the folder. Then choose Open command window here option from the Windows context menu.

4. Plug-in your Nexus 5 to computer and execute the following command to boot into Fastboot mode:

adb reboot bootloader

5. Execute the following commands in the command prompt one after one and wait until the process finishes successfully.

• fastboot flash boot boot.img
• fastboot flash system system.img
• fastboot flash userdata userdata.img
• fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
• fastboot flash cache cache.img

6. Now you can reboot your device by using the following command:

fastboot reboot

Illusion ROM (Build LRX21M)

The Illusion ROM is the creation of XDA recognised developer herna. It is based on the original AOSP source code for Android 5.0 Lollipop that uses the binaries from early developer preview build for Nexus 5.

There is better news for Nexus 5 users who are planning to install this ROM as it includes the Gapps package within the ROM install files and hence you need not hunt for compatible Gapps package separately.

The ROM comes pre-rooted and hence brings Super-user access out of the box. Consequently, it removes the arduous task of rooting the firmware again.

Downloads Required

ROM file: Download | Mirror

Gapps package: Download

Steps to Install Android 5.0 Lollipop on Nexus 5 via Illusion ROM

1. Copy or move the downloaded ROM file and the Gapps package from the download section to internal storage.
2. Boot into Recovery mode by using the following steps:

• Power off your Nexus 5.
• Press and hold Volume Down and Power buttons until the display reads START with an arrow around it.

3. Perform a full wipe of the device including cache, dalvik cache and system partitions.

4. In CWM recovery, select Install Zip from sdcard and then click Choose zip from sdcard. Browse to the location of the firmware file which you copied earlier to your phone's SD card. Choose Yes on next screen to confirm the ROM installation.

5. Reboot into Recovery mode and repeat the previous step to install Gapps as well.

6. Once Gapps is also installed, select "+++++Go Back+++++"and reboot the device by tapping reboot system now from the recovery menu. Your Nexus 5 will restart and it may take about 5 minutes for first boot. So, do not interrupt the process.

7. Reboot the device once again after flashing everything without errors.

Note: If any errors occur during ROM installation, go to the mount options and choose to unmount the system partition and try it again.

Pure Android 5.0 Lollipop ROM

Pure Android 5.0 Lollipop ROM is another AOSP based firmware without any bloatware or third-party apps included and can be installed via TWRP recovery.

The ROM is build by XDA senior member yashade2001 and it does not include Gapps package, which can be downloaded separately using the manual link below.

Downloads Required

Pure Android 5.0 Lollipop ROM

Gapps for Android 5.0 ROMs

Installation Guide for Flashing Pure Android 5.0 Lollipop ROM on Nexus 5

1. Download and transfer the ROM file from the download section to the internal storage.
2. Boot into Recovery mode by using the following steps:

• Power off your Nexus 5.
• Press and hold Volume Down and Power buttons until the display reads START with an arrow around it.

3. Perform a clean wipe of the device including cache, dalvik cache and system partitions.

4. In CWM recovery, select Install Zip from sdcard and then click Choose zip from sdcard. Browse to the location of the firmware file which you copied earlier to your phone's SD card. Choose Yes on next screen to confirm the ROM installation.

5. Reboot into Recovery mode and repeat the previous step to install Gapps as well.

6. Once Gapps is also installed, select "+++++Go Back+++++"and reboot the device by tapping reboot system now from the recovery menu. Your Nexus 5 will restart and it may take about 5 minutes for first boot. So, do not interrupt the process.

7. Reboot the device once everything completes.

That is it. Once your device boots up you can enjoy the rich and stunning UI with Pure Android 5.0 Lollipop ROM installed.

[Source: Droid Views]