Database Info

JesusFreke please read this.

Well today i had everything setup like i wanted. I had JFv1.41 rc33 version install on my g1 and a custom Theme. I wanted to switch my them for a new more looking one. So i download a new custom and install it. to my surprise i install an old them which i install. Boot the phone and got the T Mobile G1 logo and that it i get stoke there. So here why i made this tread to tell JesusFreke in the next or when ever he could add a USb toggle in recovery mode. I am stoke with this till 2 days. This will help allot of first g1 noob. Thanks for your time.

ok
A: next time make sure you download a theme that works with your version of JF
B: why didnt you put this under JF's thread?
C: if you have an update.zip(or something that can be renamed and used as such) you can go to the recovery console, type "mount sdcard", then use the basic linux commands to put it on the top directory of the sdcard and restart and load it up, thus fixing your phone. If not, you should keep on somewhere on your phone just in case such a need arises

[email protected] said:
ok
A: next time make sure you download a theme that works with your version of JF
B: why didnt you put this under JF's thread?
C: if you have an update.zip(or something that can be renamed and used as such) you can go to the recovery console, type "mount sdcard", then use the basic linux commands to put it on the top directory of the sdcard and restart and load it up, thus fixing your phone. If not, you should keep on somewhere on your phone just in case such a need arises
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you want to be a smart ha here i go.
A) People can make mistake
B)I did that because i wanted to make Jf read this thread and it will help people like me who don't really have the knowledge on using Linux easy.
C)I don't really know that much of using linux like u.

I'm sure many people send JF many PM's wanting the same thing as you do. Do you think he has the time or want to answer a question that someone else might be able to answer?

Making mistakes is something you need to be more careful about. Having root means the phone will let you do whatever you want. This means safety features that are made to protect you from yourself are not active. Read about what you are doing before doing it. That is the message n00bs need to be given.
Put the sd card in your computer, place the .nbh file on it, reboot into bootloader and downgrade your phone. Then work your way back up to JF 1.4x and read more carefully before you install themes. I know my way around the G1 very well (if I dont say so myself) but I still do not install themes. They are nice, but they are not at the point where installation is as easy or system friendly as they could be.

Blue*lable said:
C)I don't really know that much of using linux like u.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never really used Linux myself, as it seems more complicated than it's worth most of the time, but I've had no problems so far using a rooted G1, or installing custom firmwares, etc. I haven't tried themes, but from what little I've read into it, not only does it seem fairly straight forward, but I've also noticed quite a few of them warn the user that they need to be running the Lite version of JF 1.4x before they install a theme because otherwise there simply isn't room. That said, it's not up to JF to babysit everyone that decides to delve into the unknown.

I dont understand what your problem is,
if u dont know about linux buy an microsd to SD adapter, extract microsd from your phone and use a computer to copy JF's latest update.zip to your card and then upgrade usual way
what is the problem?

JesusFreke if your reading this I just wanted to say "Hi" and "Thanks" and ... and.... Ummm ...

Everyone in here relax.
Try not to direct threads to a specific person. This is a developement thread. You want a specific someone to read something, send them a PM. If you are lucky he will read it, if he doesnt have them turned off.

[CONCEPT] Root automatically from SD Card or from PC

I'm thinking of creating a small archive of files, that when extracted to the SD card root, and applied, will root the phone and apply a firmware in only three steps.
It will only contain four files - the RC29 DREAIMG.nbh file necessary for downgrading, an update.zip that contains the latest SPL and Radio, the latest Cyanogen Recovery image, and a simple script that applies root, SPL/Radio, and your favorite firmware.
I'm not sure if it will work, but constructive criticism and ideas are welcome.
_______________________________________
First method: Root from SD card
This method puts all the necessary files on an SD card, and does not require a computer after that.
Basically, in a zip file, you have the RC29 DREAIMG.nbh, update.zip, and root script.
You extract this to the root of a FAT32-formatted SD card.
You reboot with camera+power, apply the DREAIMG.nbh, reboot.
Once the phone is booted, type in "sh /sdcard/root.sh".
From the exposed root terminal, it will begin the following:
Write the Cyanogen recovery image to flash, move image to system/recovery.img, remove image file
Place commands in /cache for recovery to apply the radio/spl combo package and if it exists, a custom firmware, in the correct order
reboot recovery, performing the above tasks automatically.
Benefits include:
- No telnet app required, not opening up a telnetd, more secure
- Only one command to enter
- No(?) risk on flashing the Hero-compatible radio/SPL out of order and bricking that way, as both are flashed at the same time
- Automates several of the processes in rooting, allowing for a quicker root
- Can be placed on a special "rootkit" sdcard, and used to quickly root your friend's phone in a matter of minutes, anywhere
_______________________________________
Second method: Root from PC
Another method I thought of uses no manual copying to the sdcard, but requires a PC with fastboot(?) and adb.
First, it pushes the RC29 DREAIMG.nbh to the sdcard, and issues a reboot to bootloader.
You press a few keys to write the image, and reboot.
--OR--
First, it pushes an update.zip containing the update just before T-Mobile patched the root kernel exploit, then it puts the commands to flash it and reboots into recovery. After that flashes, it reboots again.
From this point on, it's all automatic.
The script waits for the device to be ready, and adb install's the auto-root exploit apk, and launches the intent through adb shell am start [...]
At this point, the WiFi settings are probably not capable of downloading the Cyan recovery in the case of those of us without data plans, so it will need to be pushed.
Once the autoroot apk flashes the recovery, we must write parameters to flash the radio/spl combo package, and the custom firmware (if applicable), to /cache, and reboot.
At this point, the radio, SPL, and firmware should be pushed and written, so the script exits.
_______________________________________
If this sounds stupid, doesn't make sense, will auto-brick your phones, start global thermonuclear war, make all random numbers generated by your phone divisible by three, cause your meticulously placed lineup of G1 dominoes to collapse prematurely, or boot up the LHC and wind up creating a black hole, I am terribly sorry, but it's an idea I had at 2 in the morning, and it took me this time to research some things and write this post. It's about 5:30 AM now.
This is only an experimental concept. Some things might not be completely thought out. I'm tired, and hungry. I may create a proof-of-concept implementation of this, if I knew a bit more about the syntax of describing intents to launch in 'am', or the command syntax of the package:/META-INF/com/google/android/update-script file.

dont forget that for root from SDcard, EU users need a goldcard, so its still not that easy..
even for insta root from PC, you still need to downgrade, and for that we'll need a goldcard.
why not just use 1click root?

First you have one click root which does give you access to recovery with security off so possible to somehow go from there instead of downgrading and all that hassle. I personally to do not care to see the advancement of this app for the simple fact that there are already a wave of people that can not read and expect hand holding every second of the way and you want to make it even easier to confundle their minds.............are you nuts....
I already have a rooting sdcard for rooting other people's phone that contains one click recovery flasher, cyan 4.04 and the hard spl and it takes me 10 mins to do it just cause off the first boot up takes so long

also you cant have your pc reading the sdcard at the same time that the phone is

The concept is good but...theres many complications to have it done automatically.

I sure would like to see something like this. I have a G1 that I rooted the long way and a MT3G rooted with the one click method. I have enough knowledge to follow instructions and read, I partitioned my own card, so the G1 was doable. I dont have the time or the knowledge to go the long route with the MyTouch gold card ADB route and would love to be able to flash Hero ROMS when I get the bug. I have Cyan's latest on the MT now and its awesome like all his stuff but I would have played with Drizzy's ROMs. For someone like me with a little ability but far less than most people on here, something like this would be the bomb!

not sure if its possible or anything, but there should be some way for the script to check if the phone has a pvt board or not, and if not, it prevents the new spl from being flashed, should reduce noob bricks.

Leave root the way it is I think the harder it is to root your phone the less peaple are going to do it. I spent alot of time reading before I rooted, not so much to learn how to do it, but to decide if I wanted to make the jump. During this reading process I learned the ways of XDA, use search, where to place the right questions and where NOT to and finally read first then ask. With an autonatic root I would have loaded it then freaked out if something went wrong and started posting root questions all over the place. Leave well enough alone... Learning to root give you the right to pursue other adventures.

maybeoneday said:
Leave root the way it is I think the harder it is to root your phone the less peaple are going to do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Frankly, I didn't root my phone to feel special, so I don't see any benefit whatsoever in less people doing it.
I don't think this will work though. There's too many variables. As described it will only root US phones. UK phones would need RC7, so you'd have to include both and check if the current OS is CRC1 or CRC37 (or respective older/newer versions). But European phones outside the UK (like my German G1) will be on CRC37 too, and those won't take RC7 without a goldcard, so you'd have to automate goldcard creation as well. I'm sure the complications don't end here.
Also, shoving Haykuro's SPL onto inexperienced/unsuspecting/ignorant users' devices is just begging for trouble. Just use HardSPL - the rooting kit won't be able to run Hero-ROMs right away, but at least that won't brick the phone if flashing some rom downgrades the radio. (E.g., I know some official updates do that.)

1 click root is so simple and idiot proof (and im a total panzy noob lol)
i don t think there is any simpler way to do this lol

Frenchtom, nothing is idiot proof, have you been over to the q and a section, if there is a way to do something and good instructions, it will get screwed up cause of people not taking the time to read the complete directions and then read them twice to make sure they comprehend them

Okay, thanks for your input, everybody.
I did know about 1-click root, however I thought that depended on a kernel vulnerability that was already patched in the OTAs. I was looking at a more universal(ish) method, and I did not know about the "goldcard" issue. I did know that UK phones would need RC9, but I failed to include that as I really just wanted to get to bed.
Also, I don't think that root is anything "special", i.e. some sort of elitist egotist symbol that says "I haz root fone and I better than u". Seriously, more people should be allowed to use the more advanced features of their device at their own choosing, knowing that there are risks involved.
People who walk up to someone, say "I got a root phone", shows off some massive demo of awesomeness (i.e. Hero), and doesn't teach others to root the G1 themselves (or worse, charges for instructions that could be found free here) are really the antithesis of an open-minded community of developers adding more features as they feel, for what little donation money they get and the credit of doing something cool for other G1 users.
I do however agree that pushing features that can potentially insta-kill the device on the average person and their grandma, people that wouldn't know what the benefits of root are, and people who would never even have known that their G1 ran Linux (or what Linux is, for that matter), is just asking for trouble. A fair balance between educating people about the phone's internals and making easy-to-install root packages and stuff should be kept.
I learned a lot about Windows Mobile and embedded software when I first flashed a custom ROM to my HTC Wizard years ago. And I actually had a fear that if any small detail were left out, or if I breathed on the phone the wrong way, the flash would fail, white-screen, and brick out.
The G1 is no different, even though the flashing process has come a long way, we still have an IPL, SPL, bootloader mode, many different variations, board revisions, regional changes and operator customizations/lockdowns (I had a Cingular 8125 G3 btw), and many versions of Consumer, Engineering, and HardSPL that have to be treated very, very carefully, just like on the Wiz.
Anyway, anyone's free to try and build a better mousetra--- err, rootkit using my ideas. And thanks plenty to the dedicated developers here, the more enlightened users for helping me find out why this wouldn't work, all the users, without whom, we wouldn't have a reason to develop, and the 17%-or-so of you that dislike my idea.
When I learn a bit more, I might get into making something useful for Android.

repack dreamimg.nbh with everything, so one just has to flash the one image

Oh I am not saying that I think I am special just cause I have a rooted phone, I am also a person that is on here always trying to help walk someone through any issues that may arise,just saying making easier for people to break something because they did not read the instructions is quite common and think that it should take a little bit of work so that you learn in the process

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

How does gremlin remover work?

i would like to mimic gremlin remover with heimdall, but i am unsure how gremlin remover works, so i would LOVE some more info on it
i understand that it is an odin executable
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1500427
accoring to http://www.sammobile.com/firmware/
2011 September Android 2.3.5 T959VUVKI1
2011 August Android 2.3.4 T959VUVKH2
2011 July Android 2.3.4 T959VUVKG4
2011 June Android 2.3.3 T959VUVKF1
2011 April Android 2.2 T959VUVKD1
2011 March Android 2.2 T959VUVKC1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
kj6 is 2.3.6
thomas.raines said:
Oh boy, it's so big because it includes EVERY stock partition on the phone. PIT, datafs, rootfs, kernel, cachefs, etc. I wish it could be slimmed down some, but when I tested it, I didn't get the same results.
I used DLCreator and an Odin3Execution from a Cappy ROM to create the 1-Click...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So does Gremlin Remover flash KC1(pit, datafs, kernel, factoryfs, cachefs, etc.) firmware first?
then the app proceeds up the list? does it go through the different andriod versions? like skip KD1 because KC1 is already 2.2, just jump to 2.3.3?
that is a good start, but there must be an order to the way things are flashed. And EVERY stock ROM? 600mb now seems a bit small, with an avg. of 200mb per rom.
eollie said:
Yes heimdall does the same thing as the odin one click. And for that matter as regular odin. Heimdall is the open source version of odin. However heimdall is a bit more picky than odin is on the variables needed to work properly. Meaning sometimes heimdall will not flash something odin will. But heimdall works on almost all pc based operating systems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what paramaters might that be? partition?

Gremlin Remover is just a name thomas raines gave it. It is a one click package of odin. Which with some searching will tell you what it does.
I just cant grasp why you cant grasp that. Reading what thomasraines has posted explaining it was more than enough for everybody else. I mean it really cant be explained any better. It takes the packages he has pre-loaded and flashes them all in one click.

eollie said:
Gremlin Remover is just a name thomas raines gave it. It is a one click package of odin. Which with some searching will tell you what it does.
I just cant grasp why you cant grasp that. Reading what thomasraines has posted explaining it was more than enough for everybody else. I mean it really cant be explained any better. It takes the packages he has pre-loaded and flashes them all in one click.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i would like to know specifically what firmware packages. and in what order, oldest to newest? it can be explained better if you read my question and understand what i am asking.
how is the gremlin remover.exe only 600mb IF it contains ALL various firmware version files, that is at least 7, 200mb stock roms. explain? redundant data?
ive searched, and provided the information i have come up with, and asked many times, yet i get the same answer:
"works like heimdall, but heimdall is open source, blah blah blah, BS."
COOL, i know that, and ive tried reading into heimdall, on their offical page, through this forum, not the information im looking for.
eollie, you posted of "variables" that heimdall doesn't like, but odin will tolerate, what are you talking about? partition parameters set up by the pit? the flash not following the partition? sizes of partition? i would like a COMPREHENSIVE ANSWER, if you want to post that i should know this info or what-not, DONT, just answer my question, this is the Q&A board.

It doesn't contain all the firmwares. Just one. Read the thread for it. All the info you want is in it. If you really want a "comprehensive" answer PM the creator of the program.

thomas.raines said:
1 Download to your computer, extract .zip, and open Gremlin Remover.exe (it is an Odin 1-Click I created with KG4 files with KJ1+voodoo Kernel and PIT, as well as the necessary drivers. If you do not have Odin already set up on your computer, use the drivers to do so now):
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you even read the first post in the gremlin remover thread? The above quote is taken from there. He does not ever say it uses every firmware it says it formats every PARTITION.
As for the variable I spoke of. Think about what all variable are in play when connecting your phone to your computer. Common sense thinking and deductions would give you your answer. But mostly these are things like usb ports and usb cables.

Gremlin Remover is a PROCESS not just the one click. If you are wanting to recreate the Gremlin Remover 1- Click package as a Heimdal 1-Click package, then you will have to extract /system, /data, recovery, /cache, kernel, pit, and modem images from your device yourself. Depending on what ROM you are using will determine the method in which you do so. Then you will have find the correct tools to package everything up as a 1-Click. I actually already have a Heimdal 1-Click built and working, but have been too involved in other projects to remember to upload and release it. Maybe I will do that this weekend...lol
However, everyone is correct. READ MY OP ON GREMLIN REMOVER! I have included all necessary information as to what ROM/kernel I used to create the 1-click.
Take heed in what you do here as you could hard brick your device. My advice would be to perform the UBM on your phone before you start messing with this. I speak from experience on this as I didn't perform the UBM mod and bricked my device. Which was my encouragement to go UBM...lol

oh,gremlin remover version is jumbled into the OP, sorry i missed it
anyways, ive made a hiemdall of my current rom(AtonX's 2.3.6, Blastoffv2, LightningZapv5) using http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1348392
there are more paritions to copy than the few listed in the guide, how do i list the partitions on my device using adb?
this is to see the partitions available on the phone? using adb
cd proc
cat partitions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so i would copy EVERY single partition by name? how do i figure out to what they are associated?

xakuvo said:
oh,gremlin remover version is jumbled into the OP, sorry i missed it
anyways, ive made a hiemdall of my current rom(AtonX's 2.3.6, Blastoffv2, LightningZapv5) using http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1348392
there are more paritions to copy than the few listed in the guide, how do i list the partitions on my device using adb?
this is to see the partitions available on the phone? using adb
so i would copy EVERY single partition by name? how do i figure out to what they are associated?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly:
You don't want to mount/copy your partitions via adb to your computer because sometimes it doesn't read correctly. You want to use terminal on the phone.
Depending on what you are using, ie bml or mtd, depends on what/how you mount/copy them. For example, /system in mtd is /dev/block/mmcblk25 (if memory serves me correctly)...
I don't follow too many Roms or kernels on the sgs4 anymore because I have many of my own projects going on.
I can tell you, Google is your best tool and asset at this point. That's how I figured 90% of this stuff out...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda app-developers app

Personally, I have my own recovery/fix methods which I am too lazy to explain and will take thousands of words, but if you want to use raines' gremlin remover, you have to have a reason. Gremlin remover isn't a toy or a happy method of swithing android versions. It is a re-virginator if i remember correctly. You shouldn't use it unless you have a specific problem.
and thomas, that's bml mounting I believe, not mtd. MTD is mtdblocksomenumber.

airfluip1 said:
Personally, I have my own recovery/fix methods which I am too lazy to explain and will take thousands of words, but if you want to use raines' gremlin remover, you have to have a reason. Gremlin remover isn't a toy or a happy method of swithing android versions. It is a re-virginator if i remember correctly. You shouldn't use it unless you have a specific problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thomas.raines said:
The best way to minimize these pesky Gremlins is to:
Use Part 3 before flashing a new/different ROM (not an update of an existing ROM)
Always follow instructions to the letter
If you are confused, research and read
If you are still confused, ask
Never restore system data, especially from a different ROM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
pesky gremlins
im bad at reading "to the letter"
specific UBM guide you followed? or the generalized UMB by AdamOutler: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1338073
i cant use the adb prompt?
terminal in the phone? eeww,
what if i just want to copy the contents of these partitions to my sd card?
could i use adb shell and copy them to sd card?
looking at heimdall, i only have 11 blocks labled/granted by heimdall to overwrite
could i read the .pit somehow? notepad is no good

If you're really this confused, what you are trying to do is way over your head. Take some time to learn how Linux works, down to the filesystem and boot-sequence level. Without that, you're looking at more trouble than you know, and won't get much sympathy.
Posted from my SGS4G, thanks to Team Acid development

jeffsf said:
If you're really this confused, what you are trying to do is way over your head. Take some time to learn how Linux works, down to the filesystem and boot-sequence level. Without that, you're looking at more trouble than you know, and won't get much sympathy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BML @ EXT4
no MTD
AntonX's Barebone KJ6, blastoffv2 kernel. thinking about getting the modem out of Valhalla black... simple
Q&A bro
its why i ask, hoping to get an answer
could have typed an answer in the time you spent typing some NO-ANSWER response, what do you think i do in my downtime? constantly refresh page looking for an answer? i wish i could consider forums a consistent, reliable source, but they are only an intro to the means to get to the end, at best. xda is one of the most helpful forums, but like all forums, there are these "elitists". EX: so you spent years and thousands of dollars learning something, you have a great understanding of it, someone asks you a stupid question pertaining to your specialization, you consider your knowledge to be "too-good" for this noob, he must learn himself. but, you have a great understanding and could explain simply and thoroughly, but you dont, cuz you're "elite". :highfive:
i could shovel through some google pages, but i have a transmission to work on, RAID 5 setup to install/replace old RAID1&2, water-pump to replace, shifter assembly along w/ the cables on my bicycle, and a girlfriend to entertain(computers and cars really turn her off).
i understand most people are busy with their lives, so why waste both of our time with a response that has no information? obviously i have more to learn about lunix and android, this is the Q&A...?
my rant, tired of useless responses, google = #1 source
it doesn't seem like i could include any more than the 11 listed partition labels in heimdall
so i will just try find the 11, and rip them?
i'll try through phone terminal, and through adb terminal, both will be ripped to external sd card
is my plan bad?
i know the .pit has partition information, i would like like to know how to view it.
Code:
ls -lR /dev/block
gives lots of results
all of the paritions in the dev/block?
Code:
cd proc
cat partitions
Code:
mount
2nd page of this thread, and im the only one who posts code, and yet im asking...
is there a better cmd line that i can use to retrieve the available partitions?
thomas.raines said:
Honestly:
You don't want to mount/copy your partitions via adb to your computer because sometimes it doesn't read correctly. You want to use terminal on the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what do you mean?
BTW: i flashed the heimdall one-click i made. worked like a charm. was i just lucky, considering i used adb terminal to copy phone partitions to the sd card? i dont understand the problem, is it the adb cmd or the actual transferring of blocks from phone to computer?

Look people are trying to help you and when they offer help you come back with a question that has been answered. Now you are saying you dont have the time to use search/google to find the answers and expect people to repeat or find them for you. No. There isnt one person that has responded to you that get paid as tech support for xda. We do this because we want to help people avoid making bad mistakes and enjoy android. The number one rule of xda is Search before posting. Number one rule. Yet you just stated you have better thing to do than search.
Everything you have asked can be answered by taking the time to read and comprehend what is being said. Yes this is the Q&A section but it is not the hold somebodies hand because they are too lazy to do something on their own. If you are worried you will break something maybe you should reconsider doing any modding. Or accept its possible to break and it will be your responsibility to fix if you do.

eollie said:
Or accept its possible to break and it will be your responsibility to fix if you do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES. if there is a cliff and i choose to jump off, is it the cliffs fault for being there? or mine for jumping?
no answers here...more feelings...
so i asked a stupid question that was answered in the OP, whops, my bad, SORRY.
who said my phone was not my responsibility?
i didn't say i didn't/dont search, it is implied that i have... i only stated i have a busy schedule, and i was also pointing out that ALL of us probably do.
telling me in in over my head? naw, just answer
no personal opinions please, i posted my opinion/rant/feelings, enjoy it? NO
maybe i should post this in the stupid question thread... im SO STUPID
advancing further into my attempt to assemble something like gremlin remover in heimdall.
how about posting some code to list the parition map? bet it would take less time than posting personal feelings
i thought it was mostly driver/OS issues which are the "variables" between heimdall and odin
thomas mentioned something of adb not reading partitions right on the computer from the phone, is this part of the "variables"? because of the cables or port? or is it the android debug bridge itself, reads data on phone wrong, which then sends to computer? or does it get messed in the transfer process? adb reads correctly, transfers correctly, jumbled somehow through cable/port(DOUBTFUL). i dont know too much about hardware, but i dont see how usb cables can differ other than usb 1.0/2.0/3.0, voltage through cable is limited...i can grasp how the usb ports can differentiate; motherboard ports, extension ports?

You don't need "shovel through some google pages" for this. It has already been explained what the Gremlin Remover does in this thread. To repeat, it flashes each of the appropriate partitions with a "known-good" version of firmware or software as appropriate.
You have also been pointed to Heimdall, which will let you examine the pit in a human-readable form. The pit clearly calls out what partition holds what content for the Samsung partitioning.
There is a reasonable assumption here that people take the time to get the background skills required to perform the task at hand. Since you claim to be in the process of "RAID 5 setup to install/replace old RAID1&2," you should know enough about Linux to extract zip files, examine partitions on a device, and know the difference between image- and file-based backups and restores. All the device-specific information you have asked for in your previous posts have been provided. Your new request for modems has also been indirectly answered.
You shouldn't have an expectation that a request to achieve a goal, for which there is already a proven method available to you, will be spoon-fed to you, especially since what you are asking to do can easily brick your phone, or brick the phone of any other reader of this forum. There is a pre-packaged Gremlin Remover that achieves the goal, has been tested by many, and is reasonably robust against user error. There are modems available for flashing, if you take the time to find them, either here in the forum, or in the files that I hope you have already downloaded.
If you don't understand why there are so many mounted partitions for a running Android phone, you should look carefully at them and the answer should be clear.
Code:
# mount
Oh wait, you already tried that. Here's a hint, if you still need one
Code:
tmpfs /mnt/asec tmpfs rw,relatime,mode=755,gid=1000 0 0
/dev/block/vold/179:1 /mnt/sdcard vfat rw,dirsync,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,uid=1000,gid=1015,fmask=0702,dmask=0702,allow_utime=0020,codepage=cp437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,utf8,errors=remount-ro 0 0
/dev/block/vold/179:1 /mnt/secure/asec vfat rw,dirsync,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,uid=1000,gid=1015,fmask=0702,dmask=0702,allow_utime=0020,codepage=cp437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,utf8,errors=remount-ro 0 0
tmpfs /mnt/sdcard/.android_secure tmpfs ro,relatime,size=0k,mode=000 0 0
If the concept that a question gets answered in an appropriate way, and that you can't demand an answer isn't making sense to you, think of it as someone who thinks they have a "transmission to work on" and when they open the cover, they are completely puzzled. God knows, the sports car sites I used to frequent didn't go through a step-by-step teardown, refurbishment, and rebuild when someone asked "how do I rebuild a Lotus Elan gearbox?" You probably would have gotten something more along the lines of, "Get the original factory manual" or "Just ship it to Gear Works in Hayward."
---------- Post added at 11:08 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:48 AM ----------
xakuvo said:
how about posting some code to list the parition map?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How about http://lmgtfy.com/?q=heimdall+source+code

i guess i need to clarify my actual QUESTIONS, and im not demanding they be answered, im asking that feeling be left out of posts
QUESTIONS
it doesn't seem like i could include any more than the 11 listed partition labels in heimdall so i will just try find the 11, and rip them? this is based on my personal extracted .pit
the .pit i extracted from my phone has partition data, which i can see in heimdall, yes, but the number it gives me per partition, how do i associate that with the data output i get from the adb cmds
which cmd terminal is most appropriate for partition information, phone or adb? why?
which code(s) would be most appropriate to VIEW/LIST the necessary partitions to pull?

xakuvo said:
i guess i need to clarify my actual QUESTIONS, and im not demanding they be answered, im asking that feeling be left out of posts
QUESTIONS
it doesn't seem like i could include any more than the 11 listed partition labels in heimdall so i will just try find the 11, and rip them? this is based on my personal extracted .pit
the .pit i extracted from my phone has partition data, which i can see in heimdall, yes, but the number it gives me per partition, how do i associate that with the data output i get from the adb cmds
which cmd terminal is most appropriate for partition information, phone or adb? why?
which code(s) would be most appropriate to VIEW/LIST the necessary partitions to pull?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will answer all your questions when I have more time (this weekend). Being a single father (yes in married but my wife and I live in 2 separate states) of 2 teenage girls with a long career in the army dictates that my time as a dev, auto mechanic, and race car driver is limited. I have given you the necessary tools to begin your project, but it will take some "leg"work from you. If there is something you are just not getting, I will be more than happy to help you when time allows me. But I can tell you, that there are 3 pages that can be found in Google that will answer most of your questions. All you have to search for is "how to make an Odin backup". In each guide, they explain how to dump your images into 1 file; however, the partitions they list are not for the sgs4g and you must figure out which ones you need. Those partitions vary per kernel/Rom type. However, with the code you listed above, you already know how to list the partitions, and a simple Google search will tell you what is contained on that partition. I have not posted any code for you because in on my phone replying to you and that feature isn't available to me. I'm not trying to be "elite" or whatever else you chose to insult me and the others in this forum. And to be honest, I nor anyone else should help you any longer if you are going to get that attitude with us. So, I and my team mates send you a great Team Fah-Q!
Now, if you would like for me to tell you all the secrets, then I suggest you hit that donate button and enter an extremely generous donation... or chill the hell out, help yourself a bit and be patient until I have a bit more time.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda app-developers app

I think I'm close..help me with first recovery please

So I apologize if Im posting in the wrong spot but I noticed yall are still working on the F6...so I figured this made sense...
I thought I knew exactly what I wasdoing but did not....I was lucky enough to find patience enough to read up before flashing...I see the threads posted on how to root, backup, and restore this phone...but all those threads explain it using so0ftware other than I have... Since I made some moves before truly knowing what I was doing...I'd like to just stick wiith what i got for the moment and see if yall, as the experts can guide me down the runway...
Heres What I have so far:
1. I DO have root access
2. I DO have SuperSU and it seems to be working in the sense that it keeps logs...but sometimes it gives me a binary error. (I have NOT et converted SuperSU into a system app...bc im unclear if its necessary after reading a few different threads)
3. I DO have Root Browser' which I use to shuffle things around. (I DO have the /system and /data folders relocated on my external SD)
4. I DO have Titanium Backup which I used to BU my USER APPS/SYSTEM DATA.
5. I DO have Flashify which I also used to BU my STOCK RECOVERY/KERNEL (I cant seem to figure out where that recovery is being default stored though...Ive been searching high and low.
NOTE: Although im happy I have made it this far...I dont wanna go any further until I know exactly what im doing. I fear that I have missed something small. Something that would be a no brainer to you experts.
I'm unclear of storage requirements...I BELIEVE that I must store all my rooted tools on the external bc the goal is to wipe everything NOT on ext SD.
What I THINK I know is that hypothetically since im backed up...or when im 100% certain everything is....I can just click REBOOT TO RECOVERY MODE under the menu using Titanium.
IF I happen to be correct up to that point....I think my next move is using Titanium to put back the things ive stored on my SD.
In my mind that leaves me with the same ROM...but without the fluff...and now the ability to save to ext SD.....
If I underestand right....currently there are no MOD upgrades available due to difficulty of unlocking the bootlag....or something that sounds likethat...
I have ZERO experience with any of this....I hope what I just shared is at least in the ballpark of the right direction..
THANK YOU for any and all help!
I
On a mission to take my LGF6 and make a man outta it!
On a mission to take my LGF6 and make a man outta it!

No one can help me? Am i just completely way off..or am i posting wrong?
On a mission to take my LGF6 and make a man outta it!