nandroidbackup - full NAND backup tool - G1 Android Development

This version is outdated, please get the latest version here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=459830
Hi,
In light of the fastboot flash method I was thinking of a way to be able to keep my current setup as a backup while i experiment with other images. For that I wrote a script that uses adb to dump the data for the boot, recovery, system and data partitions.
When this script is ran, it will dump these images in your current dir.
Boot into recovery mode (home+power) to use.
Requires RC30 v1.2 recovery.img - due to a bug the RC8 v1.2 there is no adb shell. (this script needs adb shell as root + busybox in recovery mode to work).
PLEASE NOTE: I haven't actually flashed the dumps back yet, I will be trying that tomorrow. Brave souls willing to test that do so at their own risk!
Bug reports or own improvements welcome.

infernix, how do i go about running this script from mac terminal?

Pretty interesting stuff.Two questions for you:
1. Where is the restore script...
2. Did you try restoring the created backup?
Thanks,
devsk

korndub said:
infernix, how do i go about running this script from mac terminal?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On MacOS 10.5 I had to compile md5sum from http://www.microbrew.org/tools/md5sha1sum/ and then modify the script to replace the call for md5sum --check --status with md5sum --check - --status (note the additional - to specify stdin). After that everything seemed to work properly. Haven't tried flashing it back, however.

nand?
what is nand?
i'm thinking this must be huge because its getting a lot of attention from the big dogs such as JF. from reading, is it like the master software so you can completely wipe the phone then in a sense put everything back on or is that too drastic of a guess?
just curious...
hbguy

http://tinyurl.com/6cb6k8
but in all seriousness NAND is just the flash memory upon which all the system software is installed. This script lets you take a full backup copy of all the various partitions and then, in theory, restore them.

very cool
This is a big advancement wish I had this when I pooched my market app trying to move the cache, I got it to d/l 1 app using the sd as my cache but nuthin but force close on a few dozen attempts, I dunno what I did but I couldn't get the onboard caches to work so I had to hard reset and d/l 33 apps from the market before I went to bed and I'm still fixing sh1t, this would have made my restore much easier, was suprised when I got it that there was no type of backup other than syncing with goog.
I can't wait to see who has the biggest balls and will try to flash one back.
Thanks, I bet the OTA RC30s will be rerooted pretty soon at thus rate.
This is a great contribution.
(Hey google, why not get some of these xda guys on the payroll, this is where all the news about the G1 gets made, I don't think I have seen any G1 hack yet that didn't have its roots right here at xda-dev)
Bhang
Stupid part is I'm so egocentric I think somebody at google/android is gonna read it...duh

Related

[HOW TO] Keep all your stuff after flashing hero.

Ok, so this is my first Informative thread..so bear with me.
Im a VERY regular hero flasher, and to me, it always seems frustrating to do the whole routine of
Backup>Wipe>Format>Flash>Setup Process>Restore Backup.
especially after you get used to a Rom and you have some stuff that cant be backed up.
Well, i came up with a solution-type thing.
Some people might have tried it out..not sure.
You need:
Nandroid
Android SDK ---> Get it Here
First, do a nandroid backup..(you need it for this to work)
type this into adb
adb shell
echo /dev/block/mmcblk0 > /sys/devices/platform/usb_mass_storage/lun0/file ---->to mount SD in recovery..(or you could just reboot and mount or use an SD reader..whatever)
go to the nandroid folder, and recover the data.img file from your most recent backup. copy it somewhere on your computer.
Start up adb and type
adb shell
rm -r /system/sd/app_s
rm -r /system/sd/app-private -->to prevent bootloops
then wipe, and flash new Rom.
reboot and let the device go into setup process, then power off.
boot device into fastboot mode by holding the camera button + Power button.
open cmd, and cd to your android sdk directory. (or however you do it in linux)
now, type in
fastboot flash userdata <chosen path>/data.img
fastboot reboot
Thats it..all done. Now you have all your stuff from previous hero..and dont have to re-enter loadz of information...and also the benefit of having new stuff like "secret optimized apk's" and what-not.
if you have problem with touch-flo force-closing, go to
settings>applications>manage applications.
choose touch flo
choose clear data.
you should have ahome or some other type of home rplacement program because it seems touchflo DEFINATELy force-closes. and you'll need other home replacement to go into settings.
Or you could just assign a shortcut to settings by going to settings>applications>quick launch selecting what u like.
Hey, I really like the idea behind this approach, but being not as savvy as I'd like, lemme ask this:
Could I achieve the same thing by:
1. performing a nandroid backup.
2. Go thru all the steps to flash a new Hero rom.
3. perform another nandroid backup.
4. copy the data file from the first backup to the appropriate location in the new backup, replacing the newer data file with the old.
5. Perform a nandroid restore with the the newly modified backup file. Et voila!
Or not? If not, would someone mind explaining to me the difference in as layman's terms as possible. A clear explanation could likely go a long way towards teaching me alot about many things that I'm not quite clear on.
Thanks!
would this work with a non-Hero ROM? Or going from a Hero back to a cupcake (or whatever it's called?!)
Thanks!
kjdiehl said:
Hey, I really like the idea behind this approach, but being not as savvy as I'd like, lemme ask this:
Could I achieve the same thing by:
1. performing a nandroid backup.
2. Go thru all the steps to flash a new Hero rom.
3. perform another nandroid backup.
4. copy the data file from the first backup to the appropriate location in the new backup, replacing the newer data file with the old.
5. Perform a nandroid restore with the the newly modified backup file. Et voila!
Or not? If not, would someone mind explaining to me the difference in as layman's terms as possible. A clear explanation could likely go a long way towards teaching me alot about many things that I'm not quite clear on.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, that would work, because it's the same thing but rather than just flashing data.img with fastboot, you're reflashing data + everything from your current setup. If that makes sense. You could just use fastboot...
sorry double post..
jomtones said:
would this work with a non-Hero ROM? Or going from a Hero back to a cupcake (or whatever it's called?!)
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dont think so, dont think there is a data partition in google based ROMs, all your apps are in the system partition. I'm not entirely sure about that, but I expect you'll get a bootloop.
kjdiehl said:
Hey, I really like the idea behind this approach, but being not as savvy as I'd like, lemme ask this:
Could I achieve the same thing by:
1. performing a nandroid backup.
2. Go thru all the steps to flash a new Hero rom.
3. perform another nandroid backup.
4. copy the data file from the first backup to the appropriate location in the new backup, replacing the newer data file with the old.
5. Perform a nandroid restore with the the newly modified backup file. Et voila!
Or not? If not, would someone mind explaining to me the difference in as layman's terms as possible. A clear explanation could likely go a long way towards teaching me alot about many things that I'm not quite clear on.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, that should work. sems abit more straight forward...especially for those who dont use adb
kjdiehl said:
Hey, I really like the idea behind this approach, but being not as savvy as I'd like, lemme ask this:
Could I achieve the same thing by:
1. performing a nandroid backup.
2. Go thru all the steps to flash a new Hero rom.
3. perform another nandroid backup.
4. copy the data file from the first backup to the appropriate location in the new backup, replacing the newer data file with the old.
5. Perform a nandroid restore with the the newly modified backup file. Et voila!
Or not? If not, would someone mind explaining to me the difference in as layman's terms as possible. A clear explanation could likely go a long way towards teaching me alot about many things that I'm not quite clear on.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude that's perfect! I like your style of thinkin!
kjdiehl said:
Hey, I really like the idea behind this approach, but being not as savvy as I'd like, lemme ask this:
Could I achieve the same thing by:
1. performing a nandroid backup.
2. Go thru all the steps to flash a new Hero rom.
3. perform another nandroid backup.
4. copy the data file from the first backup to the appropriate location in the new backup, replacing the newer data file with the old.
5. Perform a nandroid restore with the the newly modified backup file. Et voila!
Or not? If not, would someone mind explaining to me the difference in as layman's terms as possible. A clear explanation could likely go a long way towards teaching me alot about many things that I'm not quite clear on.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds kinda round-about to me... You'd have to make a nandroid... flash... then nandroid again... those nandroid backup/restores take much longer than flashing a simple userdata from fastboot. Using fastboot, you could flash it in what... a minute vs another 7-8minutes, but I guess its alright for those terrified of a command prompt...
EDIT: Forgot. Instead of doing the long echo command to mount your sdcard in recovery, you can just type:
Code:
adb shell ums_enable
to start the service and
Code:
adb shell ums_disable
to unmount it from your computer
Thanks for the responses, folks. It's much appreciated.
Yeah, I'm still getting the hang of adb. I don't typically mess around in Terminal, (I'm on a Mac,) so I'm not used to it or the lingo. That doesn't stop me from trying very clear directions, and I do learn a little bit, but the drag-n-drop world makes more sense to me, at least for now.
For instance, when given instructions like this:
"open cmd, and cd to your android sdk directory. (or however you do it in linux)
now, type in
fastboot flash userdata <chosen path>/data.img
fastboot reboot"
I THINK I understand most of it, but I don't know what "cmd" or "cd" means or if it's a typo or what. Also, I think most instructions don't make it clear after what lines I should hit enter and what not. I know that stuff is old hat to most of you guys, but I'm still trying to get the hang of it.
Anyway, thanks for the help!
Drizzy NewVision
Does this work for Drizzy's NewVision? Does it back up the ext3 partition so you dont have to wipe it and get rid of all your apps??

[ROM - 32B] ZeroXd 5.2r4 / JACHeroSki-v2.0 [09/11/2009 - 11:47AM EST]

I will be accepting donations if you like my work. After contacting HTC, they informed me that my device is not under warranty, as a technician determined it to be "user related" damage and that all repairs will be at owner expense.
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=8141983
If you follow my twitter, you know I bricked my G1. I am trying to get it repaired, but due to the long response time I had to buy a mytouch (no point having two G1s IF the other one gets repaired). Using this bad luck to my advantage, I scripted a way for hero to run on both with two simple commands.
How I rooted a brand new "perfected SPL" MT3G and installed Hero in 15 min:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show...&postcount=154
Link to original thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=4365404#post4365404
Updated, but still feeling slow? Back up. Try rm system/sd/app_s then reboot to recovery and wipe data. then install fresh. Before restoring your data, open the backup folder on your sd card and remove the subfolders for programs you no longer have or need to have backed up.
I noticed a 10% increase in speed and my phone was far from lagging to begin with.
Losing messages? Make sure that system/sd/app/com.android.mms.apk does NOT exist, as this was an old release. Go into settings for messaging (from the conversation list panel) and set priority to "High"
Most Recent:
G1 / MT3G: http://twistedumbrella.slackdev.com/ZeroXd-6.0.zip
Now includes dynamic swap. Rewrote the method of apps to sd for myTouch.
Build will move system apps, user apps, and dalvik to sd on a g1 device.
Build will ONLY move user apps to the sd when using a myTouch.
This will allow the system apps and dalvik to remain on internal device.
This is a completely new method of doing a merge build so bear with me.
I am going to be rewriting things for users without a lot of user apps, like myself.
This will allow the entire build to be placed onto internal for mytouch users.
Once you have updated and are ready to use the phone, execute Terminal and enter the following commands:
su
magic
This configures the system to the specific device. This is until I finish automation.
LEDs have been restored to 93%
Bluetooth restored in MT3G
Porting my own boots for MT3G
Based on the System Image from Haykuro
Using the Kernel and Boot.img from JAC
Extensive system script edits were done
SwitchROM installs itself to system/sd/
LEDs are at about 90-100% brightness
CPU Optimization turned off by default
Enhanced Terminal included
Fixed My Account included
G1 / MT3G: http://twistedumbrella.slackdev.com/ZeroXd-5.2r5.zip
http://twistedumbrella.slackdev.com/Resources.zip
twistedumbrella said:
MultiTouch for MT3G being patched NOW
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does that mean multitouch doesn't work and one more unanswered questio IS it from the latest release that modaco did, i asked it since 5.0 so please answer
White Rosie doesn't work i tried it but i doesn't show up and it doesn't even install shows parse error, can you do something about that. Really appreciate your work. Will donate as soon i finish with my exams, I came to US for a holiday for 3 months and as i came back i have exams, only 3 left, have to finish 6 books per subject (thats f*****ng 3 months syllabus) and i have exams after 2 day holidays , thats why i have been a bit inactive in the community, will be active on 24 and will provide a special version of HERO based on my favourite ZEROXD.
Installed JACHeroSki 2.0 and i get stuck on a boot loop. i've tried wiping and re-flashing and same thing.
mgorman said:
Installed JACHeroSki 2.0 and i get stuck on a boot loop. i've tried wiping and re-flashing and same thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me 2.0 working fine,but cannot install ZeroXd-5.2r4-installation aborted:/
In v2.0 cannot run wifi:/somebody else?
Had to fix scripts. Check the link on original thread for download. They are the same files. The verification fail happens when your downloading as I upload. It was a last minute fix on the way to work. Sorry for the issues.
hey twisted...great work on the roms...
couple issues with me...
auto-rotate doesn't work...
auto correct and dictionary doesn't work also...
is there any way we can correct this?
tq745 said:
hey twisted...great work on the roms...
couple issues with me...
auto-rotate doesn't work...
auto correct and dictionary doesn't work also...
is there any way we can correct this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What device are you using? MyTouch? Did you run the terminal command?
BTW, for everyone else: http://twistedumbrella.slackdev.com/user.conf
Did some testing, seems to run a little smoother
tq745 said:
hey twisted...great work on the roms...
couple issues with me...
auto-rotate doesn't work...
auto correct and dictionary doesn't work also...
is there any way we can correct this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you... h.nocturna for the fix, and nacron for the heads up...
Here is the fix for auto-complete... Worked for me on 5.1r2
Everything in
open dos prompt.
adb remount
(***back up the original***)
adb pull /system/sd/app_s/HTC_IME.apk c:\(*your directory*)\HTC_IME.apk
(***install the new one***)
adb push c:\(*your directory*)\HTC_IME.apk /system/sd/app_s/HTC_IME.apk
start your Messaging it will crash the first time you want to use the keyboard... restart Messaging and it should work...
HTC_IME.apk here: http://www.mediafire.com/?te0symyx4yz
Mms auto-rotate works for me in 5.1r2 so I dont know. But possibly you still have the old Mms.apk. Try pushing the new one from 5.0 or later rom...
Twisted are you using BFS in your new builds??? Post 5.1 that is....
twistedumbrella said:
What device are you using? MyTouch? Did you run the terminal command?
BTW, for everyone else: http://twistedumbrella.slackdev.com/user.conf
Did some testing, seems to run a little smoother
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so i opened up better terminal and when i entered su it says
/system/xbin/su: not found
help?
in the meantime i'll try zambesey's way
twistedumbrella said:
What device are you using? MyTouch? Did you run the terminal command?
BTW, for everyone else: http://twistedumbrella.slackdev.com/user.conf
Did some testing, seems to run a little smoother
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so i opened up better terminal and when i entered su it says
/system/xbin/su: not found
help?
in the meantime i'll try zambezy's way
same issue as above :-(
1.8 is running pretty awesome.
i guess its safe to assume that i shouldn't try 2.0 yet? lol
zeroxd 5.2r4 seems to be faster than jacs 2.0 but i cant get auto rotate to work or multitouch and when i try the commands in first post i get "/system/xbin/su: not found''
did you try running the commands via adb ?
im not familiar with doing it that way i dnt even know wat adb is
just connect your phone to the pc
install the drivers from android SDK
start > run > cmd
cd to the android tools directory
and adb shell
that's how i did with my phone and works perfectly
im not gona risk any damage ill deal without the rotate for a day till its fixed
tq745 said:
so i opened up better terminal and when i entered su it says
/system/xbin/su: not found
help?
in the meantime i'll try zambezy's way
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
should be under /system/bin not xbin

Trying to understand these instructions... (Android, SD Card default, EXT3, re-flash)

I have an LG Optimus T. Not the most ground breaking phone ever, but a heck of a deal for the money. Nonetheless, it's my phone, and I'm not really happy with the internal memory barrier I'm facing. For what it's worth, I have it rooted. I heard a way to partition your SD card (with part of it being allocated to ext3 file system) and re-flashing your phone somehow so the phone utilizes your ext3 partition on the SD card for housing applications. I heard several users in the IRC chat confirm this works well.
However, now that it's show time and I'm trying to do it, I'm a little confused. So please, be gentle, and I apologize if I'm re-hashing simple steps. I'm just trying to make sure I get what I'm supposed to do.
I'm working from this link here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=10692249&postcount=1299
So from what I understand, the factory ROM can do fine, so I don't need to locate a custom ROM. That said, I just need to reset the phone to factory settings (thereby getting the factory ROM), run A2SD (is A2SD any different from A2SD Killer that they speak of in this post? I never heard of it), then go through the motions of the initial setup as it suggests (language choice, time zone, etc).
Then, prior to setting up my gmail account, I'm supposed to reboot to recovery. What does it mean reboot to recovery? Am I supposed to hold down the keys to do a factory reset? Is that what they mean by recovery?
I hate to ask these questions in a form of hand holding, but I just want to make sure I'm doing it right. After re-hashing this post several times and talking to 2 buddies about it without any further progress, I figured I'd just ask.
That said, can anyone help guide me in the proper direction? I'd greatly appreciate it.
Thanks!
make sure that you are looking at the right forum next time that link was for htc desire (use it only if it says its compatible for your phone)
before you start worrying about a2sd, you need a custom recovery, found here. once you flash recovery and boot into it, everything will be clear (ext, partition, flashing, etc)
for apps2sd, id suggest using ungazes data2sd (apps2sd and data2sd are basically the same thing, at least thats my understanding)
follow the steps there. if anythings unclear, post any questions and ill check back later
I did notice it was an HTC forum, but I was speaking with users who had other devices and claimed they used the same method, so I didn't think much of it. At that point I figured it was more of an Android thing vs an actual manufacturer thing.
When you speak of the custom recovery, what *exactly* does that entail? I was told Android phones have the hard factory reset that cannot be altered as long as you don't mess with /system under root terminal. That said, this phone is pretty much brand new. I have nothing on it that isn't already stored in the cloud somewhere (google contacts, gmail, work's email, etc).
What I'm trying to get at is, is a custom recovery needed only to get my phone back the way it was before I screwed with it? Or if I'm accepting to doing a hard factory reset, is that acceptable as well?
Thank you very much for the link. This seems a little more straight forward than the last one was. I'm also trying to understand the differences between handsets and Android versions here. For example, you mentioned the previous post was for HTC. It's a difficult thing for me to grasp because I come from a very heavy Linux background. If I mess with Ubuntu on one machine, then mess with Ubuntu on a top end server, then tinker with it on a laptop, it's still Ubuntu no matter what machine it's on. So it's hard for me to grasp the concept of Android acting differently on different machines (phones) and having different methods to different devices.
That said, it sounds like the link you posted to me is more of a generic "everything should work" type of scenario. After all, it's just moving /data. It would make sense that it would work that way, right? If not, please correct me, as I'd rather be wrong 1,000 times over again and be corrected than make 1 mistake and mislead someone or brick my phone.
Thanks for your response. Hopefully the recovery thing isn't too much of a hassle and I hope this ext thing can do the trick! What kind of difficulty is involved here? Is this fix, say, grandma approved? Or is that asking for a lot?
EDIT - Also, I noticed you spoke of Apps2SD. I have that installed... is that not acceptable to what I'm running? After all, it just seems to move what parts of the apps it can to the SD card. I was aiming to have the entire application base MOVED to the SD card. Is that what it does and I'm just a little confused??
i understand what you mean (how ubuntu on one machine is the same as ubuntu on another)
its the same thing with android EXCEPT that each android device is made different by the hardware (i.e. my phone is limited by the fact that its cpu is not powerful enough to run some apps; different components make up each device in contrast to lets say iphone, where each iphone is the same; my understanding is that each rom utilizes and has commands for each of these components so if they're different then youll need a rom unique for each device)
heres a general scope over recovery:
custom recovery - allows you to flash a rom, make/restore a nand backup, well it allows you to do a lot of things
stock recovery - only a hard reset (done automatically)
a hard reset wont cut it if you screw up your phone. youll need a custom recovery (which allows you to back up your entire system as a nand backup)
when you say apps2sd, i think you are talking about moving the app to the sd card in settings. thats not true apps2sd. true apps2sd moves the whole app to the sd card, giving you unlimited space to store apps (well actually you are only limited by your sd card)
if i missed anything, tell me. im multitasking right now (sorry)
Hahah, no you're doing quite well for multitasking! I understand what you mean, and it makes sense to me. I mean, after all, isn't it still the same analogy to Ubuntu? (at first I didn't think so, but now I think it may be more relevant) After all, if I'm running a dual proc 6 core system with 24gb of RAM, it'll certainly move Google Earth (aka, an app) faster than a Pentium 3 with 128mb of RAM would, even though they're both packin Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, or whatever your flavor may be. So in theory, I suppose you can apply the same analogy from Ubuntu as you do Android. The catch is, Ubuntu (or any Linux distro for that matter) runs on old hardware great, so the gap between old computer vs super computer is less relevant than today's Android based smart phones, where 300mhz could mean whether or not you can run a certain app. Compared to real life, Ubuntu operates just as quick to me on my dual proc 6 core (12 core total) server with 24gb of RAM as it does my P4 1gb RAM box on my test bench.
Anyway, going back on topic a bit more... yeah I was thinking of the Apps2SD from the market. So I suppose the "real" Apps2SD is a true "mv -R" type of application (linux recursive move of data).
Okay, so get the market based App2SD out of my head. Gone. Done. Okay... the thing I'm still not understanding is the recovery. I mean, I'm looking at the hard factory reset as, say, a recovery "Ghost based" partition that some Windows computers often come with.
Example - Windows gets fubar'd. Reboot. F8. Recover system. And it dumps the recovery image on the main partition. Ta da! Just like it was when you bought it at Best Buy!
I mean, if I could get it back to factory, then I could just start over, right? Trying to put it into words as best I can... I was thinking of it like this.
Hard factory reset = Windows recovery image from Dell factory (back to day 1).
Nandroid custom reset = Own "self made" Clonezilla/Ghost image (customized with your stuff as a backup you made yourself)
That's what I was thinking. So that being said, am I absolutely positively required to do a custom backup? Can I not just rely on the hard factory reset to take me back to day 1 from when I got it from T-Mobile and (if I so desire) start the process over if I tank it? You see, I was told that it's nearly impossible for me to permanently brick an Android phone, as the hard reset, while inconvenient since it would wipe my stuff, would at least get me back to a bootable, functional ROM.
If I'm re-hashing unnecessary things and just need to focus on the fact I have no choice, by all means, e-slap me. Thanks for your help so far. I'm just trying to learn what I can! Your time is appreciated.
the thing is, a time may come when you cannot even boot your phone (lets say you were messing around and modding and all of a sudden you get stuck in a bootloop) and you try doing a factory reset but it doesnt work. this might be because something is corrupted. for android, a factory reset only wipes the data but does not restore anything. this is where custom recovery comes in handy. not only can custom recovery do a factory reset, it can restore a backup if your phone ever gets screwed up (unless you screw it up so much that you cant even access your recovery, then things get much more complicated). think of this backup as a system restore on windows (creating a restore point on windows is like creating a nand backup in custom recovery)
and dont worry about all the questions a few months back i never knew this myself so i understand
Well my friend, your patience is certainly appreciated. I understand a little better now. So let me throw out another analogy just to further solidify what little understanding I feel I have.
Factory reset = Windows restore point
Nandroid reset = Self made recovery image via Clonezilla/Ghost
Your point is a Windows restore point is only good as long as the system is solid. If your hard drive dies, suddenly your backed up restore point is useless. But... dump on that Clonezilla/Ghost image you have saved elsewhere and you're good to go.
That said, how should I get started? How do I make a Nand backup? Any guides you recommend? Will this back up my current apps, settings, etc?
Once done, how would I go about the actual Apps2SD method for making the SD card act as app storage? I assume it's that ungazes link you provided earlier?
Again, thanks for your help!
Figure this is where I should come in to help. You can install Amon_ra's recovery or clockworkmod onto your device (you can choose if there is both) but you should be able to do all that from a backup and restore menu in the custom recovery. You can go get the free version of rom manager and it should be able to install clock work recovery all without that much input from you, then you boot into recovery from rom manager. It shows you this simple yet amazing GUI that you never thought possible with something so small such as your android device. You are then given choices, do you want to flash a zip to mod your system such as custom roms, new keyboards, etc. Backup and restore (nandroid backup) or even mount it in USB mode which is useful if you never backed up, and didn't keep a copy of a custom rom on your SD card. (I never made that mistake of atleast the latter option. lol) So basically, the recovery is the "safemode" of android, only you don't get to access all of your stuff until you leave "safe mode"
and a bit of advice: NEVER flash anything without 50% or more battery.
It probably will atleast softbrick your device if it dies mid-flash.
oh, I see. Yeah I thought recovery was the actual PROCESS of pulling an old backup over, not so much operating in a sterile system environment such as safe mode.
About flashing, I would suspect it would best be done plugged in with AC power. I've had a laptop or two nearly die on me in my flashing days (went to the bathroom, came back, flashing red light, uh oh!) so I think I'll be good there.
So which applications do I need to get started? The problem I face is when I google something, there's no less than 600 ways to do all sorts of various tasks. So I have a hard time separating which one is best practice, which one is the old method, which one is definitely a bad idea, etc. So you say I can choose which ROM to use. Are they pre-built into whatever recovery software I need to use to get this job done? Or do I have to download them somewhere and put them on my SD card and then boot into recovery?
EDIT - hey how about this lil guy here?
http://code.google.com/p/android-roms/wiki/SPL
Came across it when I was googling for Nandroid Backup.
EDIT 2 - Or this guy. Looks to be the same step as the Nandroid step within the first link. Looks like the first link, while a bit more dated, is also a bit more thorough.
http://theunlockr.com/2010/02/06/how-to-backup-and-restore-your-android-phone/
Since you're rooted, you can run thiss https://market.android.com/details?id=com.koushikdutta.rommanager&hl=en and it will be able to install clocwork mod recovery. Then you just boot into it and whatever rom you want to use (found in the android development forum for your device) you install that zip from SD card and voila! You're golden with a new rom on your phone. It isn't completely needed though. lol
if i were you, i wouldnt use rom manager (it is known to cause problems). for now, use the recovery i posted in the second post. if you want to flash a rom, heres a list of most (if not all) roms for our phone.
as you start getting familiar things, you should start referring here
heres a general scope of things when it comes to flashing a custom rom:
1. boot into recovery
2. make a nand backup
3. you MUST wipe data/factory reset, cache, and dalvik cache. wiping the sd card is not necessary
4. flash the rom
5. boot normally (first boot can take awhile)
and remember, never flash more than one file without rebooting normally in between or else you might run into some problems
When you say wipe the dalvik, cache, etc, is that done during a factory wipe or do I need to do that in a separate step?
Edit- which rom would you suggest? I hear a lot about cm7. Thats the only one I recognize.
they are separate processes but they are found under the same category
so itll be like this:
wipe
wipe data/factory reset
wipe cache
wipe dalvik cache
wipe rotation settings
wipe battery stats
something like that (at least this is how it works for amonra recovery. for clockwordmod recovery, i believe they are categorized differently but its still the same idea)
Ahh, I gotcha. I remember reading instructions on clearing the dalvik-cache, so that's why I thought maybe I'd have to re-hash those links I found and do that in a separate step. But it sounds pretty streamlined!
Well, I'll give this a shot tonight. I'm still going back and forth on which ROM to use. I hear a lot about CM7, but I also heard of 1 or 2 users saying on CM7 they lost their Google Navigation or Google Latitude functionality, both things I utilize. I also had no idea the Opt T was supported on CM7. But then again, if it's anything like Linux distros, using one of the more popular ROMs has its benefits as those are normally the highest supported.
People weren't lying when they said stop googling and just go to XDA forums. Thanks for the help yet again, bro.
im using cm7 and both google navigation and latitude work for me. and i know that the link i gave you said optimus p500 roms, but all p500 roms work for the p509 (since they both use the same hardware). just remember not to flash any roms from any other forums, flash only from the p500 forum
glad i could help. if you need any more help, just refer to that forum or pm me (since i have the same phone as you)
Sweetnsour, I was just suggesting Rom manager to be able to flash clockwork, then he could flash amon_ra from inside clockwork. I think that's possible? It was more of a hint for a newer user. I remember being on the other side and since I don't personally own your device, I was just offering general android advice. Glad to see you corrected me though, anyway, good luck OP. Hope you enjoy your device modifications.
I come here with my tail between my legs ducking from any backlash I may get from any users here. I spent the better part of the evening Googling around, asking in IRC, and trying to get this part working.
I ran into several issues. Some of them are quite comical to me.
I Googled around, as well as utilized the links that were provided to me in this thread. I learned that Clockwork and Rom Manager are from the same dev team, but they are two separate products. Likewise, I was hearing other users confirm that Clockwork is the bees knees but that Rom Manager is kind of "ehh" with predictability and reliability.
After I ran into some road blocks I ended up asking in the IRC Android chat room. Some users in there directed me to some guides. I read through them. Of course, each one was different. So to a user like me, I have no idea which one is the better one to go with. The one guide kept talking about how I need to run a .sh script. So, of course, I download the files supplied and extract them. No .sh script. I ask in the IRC chat and I caught hell because I should read the directions more clearly. I read through them several times and got no where. Ultimately, some users in the IRC chat decided to link me to the guide they recommended. Later, I too ran into a road block there.
Moving along, I went into the XDA-Devs chat once I found myself at the next road block. There some users spoke to me about what I was trying to do. I linked to them the guides the Android users told me to use and they were wondering why I was using such old guides to do this simple task.
This is where my frustration is brewing. There are a million and one ways to do everything. There's no structure. No consistency at all. I've done a ton of reading and I still feel like I know next to nothing about doing a "simple" recovery. I know phones are different. I know ROMs are different. But holy hell. Doing "xyz" task on one Android phone vs the same task on another Android phone is as different from driving a lawnmower vs a dump truck.
At this point I installed Android SDK on my Ubuntu machine. However, "adb shell" was yielding a command not found error. It's nearly 2 am. I'm packing it up for tonight.
That said, let's back up a bit here. My goal is this. I have an LG Optimus T. I have it rooted. I would like to utilize Clockwork in order to do a recovery as Clockwork came heavily recommended by many sources I read about. Then, I would like to utilize the XDA site for a list of available ROMs for my phone and choose one of my liking.
Is this guide, right here what I should be using to get this job done?
Along with that, how exactly do I need to install SDK on Ubuntu so it works without headache?
Thank you to everybody who has been patient with helping me learn this stuff so far.
that guide works. after you flash the recovery from that guide, don't think that you are always stuck with it. you can always flash another recovery in recovery. as for sdk, do you need it to flash recovery? those commands to flash recovery can be done on the phone using a terminal emulator. (about installing sdk on ubuntu, I will check on that tmrw because I'm doing this on my phone, and over where I'm at I should be sleeping)
EDIT: and here's a list of roms for our phone http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=16535249
EDIT: for sdk, have you tried this?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=11823740#post11823740
Sent from my LG-P500 using XDA Premium App
Okay. I wasn't sure if it was safe to run those commands from the phone. I was tempted to but, ahh, figured I'd wait.
Now these instructions are exclusive to the Clockwork mod, correct? So if I get any other recovery (Amon Ra, for example) there will be specific instructions for that exact recovery too as well, right?
I'll give this a shot later and see where I end up. Thanks for your help!
Edit... It's a shame those commands aren't in an sh script already. Just a fun idea... What I'd add them to a blank text file and on the phone just chmod +x it and run it. Would that work??
the commands are fairly similar:
cwm (from your guide):
#mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock5 /system
#cat /sdcard/flash_image > /system/bin/flash_image
#chmod 755 /system/bin/flash_image
#mount -o remount,ro -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock5 /system
#flash_image recovery /sdcard/recovery.img
#reboot recovery
amonra (from here):
# mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock1 /system
# cat /sdcard/flash_image > /system/bin/flash_image
# chmod 755 /system/bin/flash_image
# mv /system/etc/install-recovery.sh /system/etc/install-recovery.sh.bak
# mount -o remount,ro -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock1 /system
# flash_image recovery /sdcard/recovery-RA-GNM-thunderg-1.1.0.img
# reboot recovery
after you flash either cwm or amonra, you wont have to do this again when you flash another recovery. to flash another recovery, you would just have to flash the recovery zip in recovery. these zips can be found here

[Solved!] Difficulty updating to 1.63.531.2 without setting up from scratch

Initial phone stats: DS Mod 1.55.531.3, hboot 1.45.0013, s-on/unlocked via HTC unlocker.
I'm trying to update my own phone to 1.63.531.2 via the PG59IMG.zip file found here, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=17424340&postcount=24 , but I'm running into problems applying this update and keeping it after restoring a Nandroid backup. It would be a huge amount of work to set up my phone from square one, and I'd like to avoid the process if at all possible.
The steps I've followed (twice, now, with no joy) are the following:
* apply the update through the PG59IMG.zip
* flash CWM 5.0.2.7
* flash Superuser
* restore most recent Nandroid backup
* flash 1.63.531.2 boot image (for wi-fi fix)
And this puts me back at my starting point, with the 1.63.531.2 update not applied.
I know I'm going about this the wrong way, but I can't figure out the correct method to make this work. The fact that I flashed the DS Mod 1.55.531.3 ROM back after unlocking might have something to do with this, however, I just can't nail down why. Really could some help to make this work.
TIA for any suggestions --
--
KingCheetah
hey, real quick, after flashing the 1.63.531.2 update, instead of restoring your full nandoid of 1.55.531.3, go to 'advanced restore', choose that nandroid, and choose only 'restore data'. that will put all your apps and data onto the new update, rather than flashing you all the way back to what you had before.
you could also backup and restore your data with an app called Mybackup Root, or some people use Titanium Backup. I personally like using the advanced data restore in CWM, or else Mybackup.
Yogi, I thought your suggestion would be a smoking gun. However, I'm having the same problem as described in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=25431819#post25431819
Might you have any suggestions for addressing the md5 problem? I'm coming up empty...
Thanks for your help --
--
KingChetah
yeah, come to think of it, I've had that problem before as well. did you try what xmc suggested? also, perhaps try the Modaco 4.0.0.9 version of CWM to do the advanced data restore... if my memory serves me, I have had more success overall with that version. unfortunately that's about all I got!
the other sugestion would be to flash your full nandroid, then use Mybackup Root to back everything up. then after updating, DL the app again and restore.
good luck and keep us posted!
yogi2010 said:
yeah, come to think of it, I've had that problem before as well. did you try what xmc suggested?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, and for the backup I want to restore, all the md5s are the same between the files and what is listed in the nandroid.md5 file. So, the method XMC suggested really doesn't do anything.
yogi2010 said:
also, perhaps try the Modaco 4.0.0.9 version of CWM to do the advanced data restore... if my memory serves me, I have had more success overall with that version. unfortunately that's about all I got!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, okay, I'll give that a try. Weird that CWM 5.0.2.7 has this problem. Also frustrating.
yogi2010 said:
the other sugestion would be to flash your full nandroid, then use Mybackup Root to back everything up. then after updating, DL the app again and restore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll keep this as the last resort, because I'd rather not have to download an app for just this purpose. Nandroid backups have served me fine so far. Call me a minimalist.
I'll try Modaco and see what happens. Thanks much for the idea to try.
--
King Cheetah
Sadness
Using Modaco didn't work. Although the Advanced Restore sees the file and appears to run successfully, it says it can't find a data.img file and an Android.img file, so it doesn't restore the info.
So, I guess it's down to trying Mybackup Root and see what happens. Getting tired of redoing this process over and over.
Why can't things "just work" in these situations?
--
KingCheetah
check the other thread....problems with restoring backup
---------- Post added at 05:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:08 PM ----------
or actually...just flash the data.img through fastboot....its ten times easier
but the data.img in the same directory as adb and fastboot....then run the two commands with your phone in the bootloader
fastboot erase data
fastboot flash data data.img
xmc wildchild22 said:
or actually...just flash the data.img through fastboot....its ten times easier
but the data.img in the same directory as adb and fastboot....then run the two commands with your phone in the bootloader
fastboot erase data
fastboot flash data data.img
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem with this is the file "data.img" doesn't exist in a Nandroid backup. As I stated in my previous message, the Advanced Restore process tossed up a message that the file didn't exist (which is correct).
The files within a given Nandroid backup folder are the following:
.android_secure.vfat.tar
boot.img
cache.ext4.tar
data.ext4.tar
nandroid.md5
recovery.img
system.ext4.tar
From the Advanced Restore problem thread (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1624319):
xmc wildchild22 said:
then take the system.img from the 1.63 update and put in replace of the nandroids one....then redo the md5 checksum for the system.img like i had showed before
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would love to try this, but since the 1.63 update is a PM59IMG.zip, I can't open it with a zip file manager--it throws up a "central directory not found" error. Unless there's another program besides 7zip that's needed to handle this type of zip file...
Edit: I just realized that, as you can see from the file list above, a Nandroid backup also doesn't have a "system.img" file--it has a "system.ext4.tar," but not "system.img." So being able to pull anything from a PM59IMG.zip file is a moot point at this juncture.
Banging one's head against the keyboard does little constructive good, but it's really tempting at this point --
--
KingCheetah
just try opening it with a plain windows explorer
xmc wildchild22 said:
just try opening it with a plain windows explorer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using the "Explore" option from the right-click context menu in Windows Explorer gives the following error: "The Compressed (zipped) Folder is invalid or corrupted." (Since archive files on my laptop are associated with 7zip, this is the only method by which I can access Win XP's native archive file handling.)
This has been the case with all PM59IMG.zip files--they don't register as normal zip files.
Thanks for the suggestion, though --
--
KingCheetah
hmm...maybe tht zip is corrupted because it works for me....DL this --> http://tinyw.in/Mzg2
Nope, not corrupted because it works just fine to update my phone to 1.63 (as stated before, I've done this twice now). Also, that's the exact same source from whence I downloaded my copy of the file. The PM59MG.zip for 1.55.531.3 gives exactly the same error, and I used that without difficulty as well.
KingCheetah said:
Nope, not corrupted because it works just fine to update my phone to 1.63 (as stated before, I've done this twice now). Also, that's the exact same source from whence I downloaded my copy of the file. The PM59MG.zip for 1.55.531.3 gives exactly the same error, and I used that without difficulty as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use winrar to open the PG59IMG.zip files - that's what I used to make all the custom ones with, and also what I used to open the leaked ones we started from.
You won't be able to edit existing leaked ones, because they are locked and have an HTC signature.
Sent from a digital distance.
Thanks for the pointer, Blue, and I'll keep this in mind. But as I added to my previous post (#8), I realized that a Nandroid backup doesn't have a "system.img" file--it has a "system.ext4.tar," but not "system.img." So being able to pull anything from a PM59IMG.zip file is a moot point at this juncture.
I think I'm going to have to wait for a 1.63 ROM that can be installed through CWM rather than the PM59IMG.zip method. The DS Mod 1.55.531.3 worked well for me, and all apps/data were just there after I flashed it. Maybe I just got lucky with the process I followed previously, who knows? (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1508406&page=4 post #39)
At any rate, I've got a truly mean headache from working on this all day. Time for a break with a bit of ice on ye old cervical vertebrae.
Thanks again for chiming in --
--
KingCheetah
No prob, didn't read through and shot from the hip on the last post I saw, out at dinner and skimming the forums on smoke breaks
Sent from a digital distance.
does anyone know the deal with the implementation of tar backups? I think that came into play at some point, and I wonder if that has anything to do with anything.
I just checked a backup I made with the Modaco CWM, and the files in it are all .img files, including data. and I know for a fact I have done backups and advanced data restores with that recovery. it would be a hassle, but if you get re-energized you might make the backup and do the restore with Modaco. definitely would be a hassle if it didn't work, but you could also make a backup with Mybackup, and have that ready too, as well as probably have a data.img to try and flash thru fastboot like xmc suggested.
anyway, hopefully we'll get this all sorted out. take it easy!
well .tar are used ever since cwm started working with ext4....maybe imgs are only ext3 or lower or its just inefficient
On that note, I did use the modaco 4.0.0.9 recovery to make the nandroids I pulled the system images from to get the bases from which I de-odexed, and when finished I uploaded to my host and they are the de-odexed bases I posted in dev.
I am pretty sure I went with modaco recovery for that because cwm 5.0.2.7 output tar files and it just saved a step in the process.
If you are working with the .tar files then jump on linux to unarchive them if that's what you are trying to do.
I just ran the deodex process using windows, because the first working deodex tool I found was a windows tool.
Generally I use modaco .9 for nandroids I want to work with in windows, and cwm 5 for nandroids I want to work with in linux.
We're probably leaving the restaurant soon, if we split up I'll actually read back through the thread when I get home and see if I have anything else to add.
Sent from a digital distance.
Yogi, you're brilliant!
yogi2010 said:
I just checked a backup I made with the Modaco CWM, and the files in it are all .img files, including data. and I know for a fact I have done backups and advanced data restores with that recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[facepalm] Of course! This is why my Advanced Restore attempt with Modaco failed--because I used the CWM 5.0.2.7 backup, which did not have the files Modaco would have referenced. Duh! I wasn't even thinking along the lines of a file type mismatch between the two recoveries. Baka baka baka...
yogi2010 said:
it would be a hassle, but if you get re-energized you might make the backup and do the restore with Modaco. definitely would be a hassle if it didn't work, but you could also make a backup with Mybackup, and have that ready too, as well as probably have a data.img to try and flash thru fastboot like xmc suggested.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At this point, not a hassle, but the best chance to accomplish this thing with a minimum of fuss and bother. I'll give this a shot right after a bit 'o java. Thank you, Yogi, for highlighting something that should have been obvious to me when Modaco gave the error message that "data.img" didn't exist. Oy!
However, this still leaves unanswered the question of why CWM 5.0.2.7 is tossing up the md5 mismatch error when one tries to use Advance Restore, and that files aren't seen by CWM via Advance Restore until one accesses regular Restore. Paperskye is having the exact same problem in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1624319 . Should this be brought to the attention of the CWM devs? It really seems like a rather show-stopping error for CWM...unless Advanced Restore isn't really used with 5.0.2.7 and the MT4GS. There just doesn't seem to be a good reason for the observed behavior.
Many thanks for your encouragement. I'll report back with results on the next try with Modaco --
--
KingCheetah
It's a beautiful thing!
Using Modaco for my backup prior to the update, then Advanced Restore of data afterward = perfect restore of my phone environment with 1.63 on board. Done with as little fuss as I was hoping to encounter. Yogi, you get the prize. The only thing I had to manually put back was my custom boot animation, but that's trivial.
I think I'll just leave Modaco on as my recovery for now, since AR is functional with it and CWM 5.0.2.7 is not. Makes me wonder, from just an everyday backup standpoint, is there any real advantage of CWM over Modaco? I wish there was more information on how the recovery module functions on the CWM website--I'd like to read up on it for educational purposes. Guess I'll do a Google to find more.
So ridiculously happy right now. In a stew of things going wrong, at least something went right.
Big rumbling purr of gratitude --
--
KingCheetah

Problem with PhilZ recovery!

Hello,
I thought of myself as a pretty experienced user, but you never learn enough!
However, I flashed some roms (lollipop) that, probably due to my mistakes, screwed up my file system, to the point that my recovery (latest PhilZ) wasn't able to find its backup anymore. Eventually I solved the problem as I was able to find my backups and use them to revert my phone to the rom I wanted to run (Carbon 4.4.4). But I was really annoyed by the fact that my file system was a bit off and still I was having problems with the recovery. So I decided to begin investigating the possibility to restore my phone to factory default. Before going with it, I tried the soft approach, i.e. I used the soft factory reset available from the settings menu. It all seemed fine and I re-flashed a lollipop rom that suited me.
Now the problem is that, after all the ordeal, I decided to make a new backup and so I did. It appears all fine, my recovery can actually "see" it, but I cannot identify it using a root browser! It seems to have disappeared unless I open the recovery and then I see it there. It is located in a folder that I can, of course, access, but,when I do so, I can't find the file!
I tried to put on my phone an old backup (always a PhilZ one), but when I try to put it on the phone I can't find the Backup folder in the Clockworkmod folder!
Anyone has any idea of what is going on and can give me a suggestion on how to overcome the problem?
Thanks
Luca
PS An alternative would be suggesting how to do a restore from a sideload: I thought I saw a similar option, but I can't seem to find it anymore within the recovery's options! I tried also restoring via NRT, but although all seem to go fine and the software return no failure notice, I can't find the backup file that should have been pushed (successfully) on my device!
Its not a recovery issue. Its an L issue.
Best thing to do would be to wipe data and storage then fastboot flash userdata.IMG
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2938749
rootSU said:
Its not a recovery issue. Its an L issue.
Best thing to do would be to wipe data and storage then fastboot flash userdata.IMG
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2938749
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for your help.
How can I find the img. file to flash?
Would it be ok to just go ahead and start from 0 using this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/google-nexus-5/general/tutorial-how-to-flash-factory-image-t2513701
How can fastboot flash an image file? I've never done that before! As I said, been doing this for a while, but never done this before...I think!
Luca
Alas, after reading your post on one-click toolkits, I'm afraid I'm one of those who thinks they can do things, but rely on simple tools to do them. However, I never (almost never) forgot to make a nandroid backup before flashing a new rom and, to be honest, I'm not a flashoolic. I never, ever bricked my phone (got a few bootloops). If I find a rom that suits my need, I stick with it for as long as I can.
The changes between KK and L are such that are beyond my comprehension, but I try hard to solve the problems I have without bugging everyone at the first obstacle. But now, after fidgeting with my phone for 2 days, I had to give up. With a few words, you singled out the reason why I couldn't come on top of this: things change and I was not informed of how much they did!
Luca
Problem partially solved..I think! Now I can see the folder and found my backup!!
I used the restorecon command you suggested. I couldn't make it work using terminal emulator (just did not accept the su command: why I don't really know). Then I thought about using adb shell via pc and, I really surprised myself; I was able to pull it through. I'm not totally brain damaged as I felt when I couldn't even reproduce the command you indicated. It is probably the application that doesn't work. It was my first time with adb shell, so a new thing learned.
However, now I would like to ask you: if I place in the proper folder the backup folder I saved on my pc, will I be able to restore the nandroid backup? I just need some data that I forgot (trivial things, such as text messages and a few app data, like passwords and stuff) but it would be useful.
Thanks once more for your help.
Luca

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