How to Flash Despair Kernel in Pixel 7 Pro

Sadique Hassan•Updated Oct 16, 2022

In this guide, we will show you the steps to flash the Despair Kernel on your Pixel 7 Pro. When it comes to custom development, then there’s no denying the fact that the devices from the Silicon Valley giant are probably the best in this domain. While there’s still some way to go before Google optimizes the software side and irons out all the bugs, in the technical domain, it’s all going well and good.

In this regard, we have already discussed the steps to root your device via Magisk patched init_boot and pass Safetynet using a modified SafetyNet module. And within a day or two after the device’s launch, a custom kernel is live as well. And in this guide, we will show you how to welcome it onto your device. So without further ado, let’s get started with the steps to flash the Despair Kernel on your Pixel 7 Pro.

Table of Contents

How to Flash Despair Kernel in Pixel 7 Pro

The below instructions require a device format, so take a backup beforehand. Droidwin and its members wouldn’t be held responsible in case of a thermonuclear war, your alarm doesn’t wake you up, or if anything happens to your device and data by performing the below steps.

STEP 1: Install Android SDK

First and foremost, you will have to install the Android SDK Platform Tools on your PC. This is the official ADB and Fastboot binary provided by Google and is the only recommended one. So download it and then extract it to any convenient location on your PC. Doing so will give you the platform-tools folder, which will be used throughout this guide.

STEP 2: Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking

Next up, you will also have to enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking on your device. The former will make your device recognizable by the PC in ADB mode. This will then allow you to boot your device to Fastboot Mode. On the other hand, OEM Unlocking is required to carry out the bootloader unlocking process.

So head over to Settings > About Phone > Tap on Build Number 7 times > Go back to Settings > System > Developer Options > Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking.

STEP 3: Unlock Bootloader on Pixel 7/Pro

Next up, you will also have to unlock the device’s bootloader. Do keep in mind that doing so will wipe off all the data from your device and could nullify its warranty as well. So if that’s all well and good, then please refer to our detailed guide on How to Unlock the Bootloader on Pixel 7/Pro.

STEP 4: Download Pixel 7 Pro Firmware

Download the factory image for your Pixel 7/Pro from below:

Pixel 7 Pro [cheetah]: Download Link
Pixel 7 [panther]: Download Link

Make sure to download the same version that is currently installed on your device [refer to Settings > About Phone > Build Number].
Once downloaded, extract it to any convenient location on your PC.
Then go to the Images folder, copy the vbmeta.img file, and transfer it to the platform-tools folder.

STEP 5: Download Despair Kernel for Pixel 7 Pro

To begin with, download the kernel from below [Credits: XDA Recognized Dev despairfactor]

Despair Kernel for Google Pixel 7/7 Pro Unified (codename: “pantah”): Download Link

Once downloaded, extract all its four files to the platform-tools folder, namely:
```
boot.img, dtbo.img, vendor_kernel_boot.img, and vendor_dlkm.img
```

STEP 6: Boot Pixel 7 Pro to Fastboot Mode

Connect your device to the PC via a USB cable. Make sure USB Debugging is enabled.
Then head over to the platform-tools folder, type in CMD in the address bar, and hit Enter. This will launch the Command Prompt.
Type in the following command in the CMD window to boot your device to Fastboot Mode
```
adb reboot bootloader
```
To verify the Fastboot connection, type in the below command and you should get back the device ID.
```
fastboot devices
```

STEP 7: Disable DM-Verity on Pixel 7 Pro

Execute the below command to flash vbmeta.img and hence disable verity and verification checks:
```
fastboot flash vbmeta vbmeta.img --disable-verity --disable-verification
```
After that, use the below command to format your device [recommended]
```
fastboot -w
```

STEP 8: Flash Despair Kernel on Pixel 7 Pro

Now execute the below-listed commands, one at a time, to flash the kernel onto your device [during the process, your device will reboot to Fastboot and FastbootD Mode, it is completely normal]
```
fastboot reboot bootloader
fastboot flash dtbo dtbo.img
fastboot flash boot boot.img
fastboot flash vendor_kernel_boot vendor__kernel_boot.img
fastboot reboot fastboot
fastboot flash vendor_dlkm vendor_dlkm.img
```
Now either select the Reboot system now option present on the FastbootD screen or use the below two commands to boot to the OS:
```
fastboot reboot bootloader
fastboot reboot
```

That’s it. These were the steps to flash the Despair Kernel on your Pixel 7 Pro. If you have any queries concerning the aforementioned steps, do let us know in the comments. We will get back to you with a solution at the earliest.

Tags: