[MOD][RECOVERY] Firerat's Custom MTD Partitions (resize Data,System and Cache) - Hero CDMA Android Development

If you dont understand what this Modification is doing, why it needs to be done, or what possible benefits come from it, then...
PLEASE DO NOT TRY THIS MOD.
***Even tho it is impossible to brick your phone when flashing this i still highly recommend you UNDERSTAND what you are attempting to do before you do it. If someone explains you are freeing up internal memory from other places not using it and you still have to ask what the benefit is, then you obvisouly dont fully understand the mod and your phone and should turn away now.***
Thank You.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now onto the mod: Heres a quick description of what this mod is doing. Pretend your phone is a pizza cut into 3 even pieces. Each piece is memory for /cache, /system, /data. Your aneroxic sister "aka cache" doesnt eat a lot so most of her slice will always be left, your fat obese brother "/data" always eats his whole slice and is left wanting more. You are healthy "/system" and only eat what you need and never less never more.
What this mod is doing is taking that original pizza and RECUTTING the slices to better fit whos eating them, so since your aneroxic sister barely eats and your obese brother is always hungry it takes all the extra pizza "aka memory" from your sister and gives it to your brother. As for you "aka /system" you only eat exactly what you need "aka the size of the rom and files it install" so it resizes your own slice to exactly the number it needs to install the rom and its gapps/files and leaves you with just a little wiggle room.
That being said, i tried this on my buddies CDMA Hero that i rooted for him and it worked like a charm. he went from something around 170mb internal storage to around 350+mb internal storage while on CM6 - Froyo 2.2.
***One thing i noticed when using a hero CDMA is that adb is crucial. one of the steps after flashing the recovery file is to reboot back into recovery and i noticed it was impossible to do it the right way without plugging your phone in and using ADB***
Original Files and Instructions: Firerats Original G1/MT3G thread found here - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=717874
After you read thru firerats original instructions just know that itll be slightly different on your hero!
1. Click on the link i posted above and download these files: FR-recovery-v1.5.3-CustomMTD_S.zip and FR-boot-v1.5.3-CustomMTD_S.zip
2. Put both those files onto your SDCard.
3. While in your SDCard, make a .txt file named "mtdpartmap.txt"
4. Open your new mtdpartmap.txt file and...
- If you are using CM6 then type
Code:
mtd 102 2
- If you are using a larger Sense Rom like Fresh or ZenHero then type
Code:
mtd 182 4
5. Once all 3 files are saved on the root of your SDCard, reboot your phone into recovery
6. Format/Wipe your system and cache.
7. Flash the file: FR-recovery-v1.5.3-CustomMTD_S.zip
8. Once the file is done flashing, itll prompt you to wipe cache, system, and dalvik again.
9. Once its wiped, plug ur phone in and pull up command to adb reboot recovery (if you try to reboot into recovery any other way itll mess up the partitions and ull get cache memory.log errors and that will mean the mod didnt work correctly) by using this
Code:
adb shell
reboot recovery
10. if you did step 9 correctly, then youll get back to your recovery menu and itll say "formatting cache..." at the bottom of your screen but your recovery menu is instantly able to be used and you dont have to wait. ***On the newest version i think it no longer says this and your just got to go***
11. Flash CM6 if you used 102 for /system or Flash your larger Sense Rom if you used 182 for /system
12. Optionally, flash any kernal you may be choosing to use
13. Flash the file: FR-boot-v1.5.3-CustomMTD_S.zip
14. Click the top option on your recovery menu to reboot your system.
15. Once your system is fully booted you can go into menu > settings > sd card and internal storage , and check all the new added internal memory you have.
FYI : anytime you flash a new rom after this mod, or flash a new kernal to a currently flashed rom, you will ONLY NEED TO FLASH THE SECONDARY FIRERAT BOOT file named "FR-boot-v1.5.3-CustomMTD_S.zip".
so say after this mod you want to try a new kernal, you flash the kernal, flash boot, and reboot the system.
or say you want to flash a new cm6 nightly update, you flash the new rom/update, flash boot, reboot.
or say u want a new nightly and a new kernal, you flash the nightly, flash the kernal, flash the boot, reboot.
its very simple, if anything u flash overwrites current kernal specifications, u need to flash the boot file to make sure it knows how to set itself up. this goes for nandroid back ups aswell.
Fine Tweaking/Trouble Shooting: To get the most space you possibly can do go into adb or terminal and type
Code:
df -h
and it'll tell you what % you are using on your system. if you are at 60% then you can go ahead and decrease your /system value in your mtdpartmap.txt to about 2mb over the value it says you are using. so if your rom uses 115mb of /system you can change your mtd to "mtd 117 2".
So if you are getting an error while trying to flash a rom after doing this modification you most likely dont have enough /system space and will want to up your value to something more then enough like "mtd 200 4" then run the above code and re-scale down back to 2mb over what the current rom is using.
Enjoy CDMA users!!!

Not sure if Ill try this personally, but thank you.

tailsthecat3 said:
Not sure if Ill try this personally, but thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trust me, well worth it. At first i thought it was amazing gains on the g1 and mytouch, but after being the first person in the world to try it on the Sprint Hero CDMA the benefits blow all passed expectations out of the water.
It nearly doubled my buddies internal memory.
i remember on his stock rom with a handful of his favorite apps he was at around 40mb internal memory. after i rooted his phone and flashed FRESH HERO onto his phone with apps2sd he had around 150, now with this mod-cm6-apps2sd hes got over 300.

my win7 drivers are goofy and sometimes won't do adb when its in recovery mode. if you screw up the restart part - ie: can't get into adb to reboot by typing the command and those messages appear - is the device bricked or anything? Is it a one-time? Recoverable? etc...

thank you for the info. i was down to bout 20 mbs free and now well over 100. kept running into problems until i changed the cache size to a little bigger. i had a spare hero to experiment with so alls good.

Skeptical...idk why. I don't wanna risk bricking yet another Hero I guess.

SammyM00782 said:
Skeptical...idk why. I don't wanna risk bricking yet another Hero I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you please enlighten us as to how you bricked your Hero?

I've been thinking about trying this. I hate having 80+ mb free in system that I can't use. Would love to just add it to /data

This won't brick your hero. The only way you can brick it is by flashing the wrong bootloader or radio. This does none of these.

Hey has anyone tried this on a different rom..

oldjackbob said:
Can you please enlighten us as to how you bricked your Hero?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well.....first time was an accident. First time rooting, first time messing with a phone. I just kinda jumped right into it because when I found XDA it was pretty exciting. I always support the small guy coming from small businesses my whole life. Anyway, second time was probably due to incorrectly flashing a rom or something but regardless, I went to reboot and the phone was totally unresponsive afterwards. I trust you guys though, especially the devs. So do you think it's worth a shot?

I just did it, running cm6, and it took away that extra 80mb in system, took away all that unused space in cache, and moved it all to data. I went from 20mb free (still using apps2sd mind you) to almost 200! and so far, no issues, market works fine, everything works. Just one little note: I took somethings out of /system/app before flashing both in the rom and the gapps, things I don't use, like calculator (prefer realcalc), voice search, maps, quicksearch(all updated and installed elsewhere), and I only have 3mb free in system, so you may want to see about the customizing given in firerat's thread to increase system to say 100mb (it's 90 by default)

im trying to do this mod but every time i flash the recovery all i get the htc logo and it stays there.. i am using cm6.. any help please

You don't flash a new recovery, this patches your current one. Flash the one labeled recovery like any rom.zip in the recovery, wipe everything, flash your rom or restore, then flash the boot zip as an update.
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App

danaff37 said:
You don't flash a new recovery, this patches your current one. Flash the one labeled recovery like any rom.zip in the recovery, wipe everything, flash your rom or restore, then flash the boot zip as an update.
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i also was stuck on the white htc screen...
can you explan which file to us.

i couldnt get this to work with clockwork recovery, so changed my recovery first to darchs 1.7.0. you have to make the custom file first and put it on your sd card. i had to have at least 10mb of cache memory specified or i got stuck on the white htc screen.
have to read firerats thread for that.

danaff37 said:
I just did it, running cm6, and it took away that extra 80mb in system, took away all that unused space in cache, and moved it all to data. I went from 20mb free (still using apps2sd mind you) to almost 200! and so far, no issues, market works fine, everything works. Just one little note: I took somethings out of /system/app before flashing both in the rom and the gapps, things I don't use, like calculator (prefer realcalc), voice search, maps, quicksearch(all updated and installed elsewhere), and I only have 3mb free in system, so you may want to see about the customizing given in firerat's thread to increase system to say 100mb (it's 90 by default)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hell yea, glad to see people flashing this mod correctly and enjoying the results!
if you end up customizing your partitions to diff sizes let all the guys know what values they should set and/or how to set them up themselves.
I dont get to use my buddies CDMA Hero a lot so i dont know how smoothly everything has been working over the past 2 days but i havent gotten any complaints or calls to fix bugs so i assume its all working very well with firerats default values but i dont know for sure.
so far ive seen these suggestions
1. up cache to 3mb
2. up system to 100mb
@danaff37, did you set your own values or are you using defaults still?

can you us this on cyanogenmod? its 2.2.... i have tryed every way and all it gets me is the white htc screen and never does on from there... please help

i checked before i flashed to see what all i was using. i had quick system info installed already so was easy for me to see. i was already using 130mb for system, prob because of dalvic-cache, so i upped it to 150mb for future use. default setting for cache was no go, changed it to 10 mb and all is fine.

I'm using default still, but downloading the latest nightly and noticed it's about 5mb bigger than before, so I'm going to go ahead and change it to 100mb when I flash it later (after I make my mods). Anybody using it should keep in mind that most rom files, the bulk of the space it takes up is in system, so be sure to partition accordingly (including gapps on aosp roms)
I left the cache at the default, try to go to /cache afterwards and it symlinks straight to /data/cache, so I don't understand how leaving it bigger would solve anything, but I've seen stranger things occur with these damn phones. lol

Related

[HOW-TO] Make ANY ROM fit on Stock/Any SPL *Updated 3/28/10*

Introduction
If you are rooted and running a Hard SPL or a Stock SPL and really want to flash a ROM that claims to require Danger/Haykuro SPL, but you do not want to upgrade your SPL there are alternative ways to make these ROMs work on your phone without upgrading your SPL.
This is a very easy process, Ive done it with a few ROMs with no problems:
First off, keep in mind that on a Stock SPL
/system = about 67MB
Any ROM that has a system partition 67MB or Greater will require Danger/Haykuro SPL, UNLESS you can shrink that ROM's /system down below 67MB.
How do you do this, you ask?
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Method #1 (Easy) -Move/Delete unneeded Apps, Sounds, Files
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NOTE: This Method does NOT apply to HERO/SENSE ROMs, they are way too big! Check Method 2 if you want to fit ANY ROM on any SPL (Advanced)
Make sure you have 7-Zip! Dont have it? Google is your friend!
1) Read the first post and changelog of the ROM you wish to install on your phone. After youve made yourself familiar with what needs to be Wiped (ie: dalvik cache, ext, data) the Partition Layout the developer suggests (ie: FAT32/Ext3/Swap), then go ahead and download the ROM. Unzip it to a folder, name it something short. for example: C:\1\rom
now click on the system folder, scroll down and click on the media folder, and delete the audio folder. This will erase every sound effect and ringtone on your phone and usually will free up about 2MB in system.
To get your ringtones and sounds back download this (thanks Robot Teapot!) and unzip the folder to the root of your sdcard. (note: your ringtones might not show up the first time you boot the rom, in this case, reboot and theyll all be right there)
If removing your ringtones isnt enough to keep /system under 67MB then move on to step 2), if youre already below 67MB skip to step 3)
2) Return to the first post and changelog of the ROM you are trying to install. Look for apps the dev has added to the ROM that dont seem necessary for the ROM to function such as Twidroid.apk, Facebook.apk, NeroMedia.apk, WirelessTether.apk, WiredTether.apk, Maps.apk(takes up a lot of room, and sometimes outdated...just delete it and install the latest from the market!)etc.
You can use Android Barebones/Necessary Apps - CyanogenMod Wiki as a general guideline to determine which apps are essential to Android running properly and the functions of many system apps.
Delete those unnecessary apps or move them to your sdcard, and use ASTRO File Manager or a similar app to install them after you flash the ROM.
3) Okay, assume youve trimmed /system down below 67MB, good job! now you need to get those folders you extracted and the boot.img zipped up and signed. select the folders from the ROM you extracted and modified, the boot.img, right click, and select 7-Zip < Add to .zip
4) Download Stericson's Autosign place it in any directory and follow the instructions in the thread to sign your zip file.
5) Move the signed zip to your SD Card, making sure you have the proper partitions, wipe the necessary things, then flash your zip file and cross your fingers!
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Method #2 (Advanced) -"Cache Hack"
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NOTE: This Method will fit any ROM on any SPL but is more advanced than Method 1
lbcoder introduced the concept of moving files to the /cache partition of the phone and linking them back to /system or /data.
Firerat has come up with a way to make this concept work and explains the whole process in his thread and shows some examples of his method by providing some ports:
[HACK][ROM][BOOT.IMG][CACHE]-Stk SPL ROMs with Danger SPL size & extra 30mb! any SPL!
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There you have it folks! Congrats if youve bypassed the Danger SPL requirements! Be sure to always keep a Nandroid/BART backup!!!!
Disclaimer: Not saying these methods will brick or damage your phone, but in the rare event this occurs I am NOT responsible for bricks or or any damages to your phone!
Autosign doesnt need to be in the SDK place, I had it in my music folder and it worked fine.I accidentally formatted my PC last night and dont have the SDK installed but autosign works for me so im happy.
Note to OP-You cant brick from flashing any 32B rom, you would only get a blank screen that stays..which some seem to call soft-brick, i call it nonsense though.
Thanks for this excellent tutorial
Ace42 said:
Autosign doesnt need to be in the SDK place, I had it in my music folder and it worked fine.I accidentally formatted my PC last night and dont have the SDK installed but autosign works for me so im happy.
Note to OP-You cant brick from flashing any 32B rom, you would only get a blank screen that stays..which some seem to call soft-brick, i call it nonsense though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? I had no idea that the SDK wasnt required, ill remove that.
and yeah i know its usually a soft brick, if anything, and youre right its nonsense, and can be solved using a nandroid backup and wiping the proper things, but im playing it safe with that disclaimer just like the rom devs do lol
migalito said:
Thanks for this excellent tutorial
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
.
Youre welcome! I hope it works out for you!
Will this work with the Super D rom?
cg87 said:
Will this work with the Super D rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes! I tried it on Super D!
speedysilwady said:
yes! I tried it on Super D!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then I'm so confused. If it's possible, why does the rom still require the Danger SPL? Why didn't bbuchacher make it so it doesn't require the Danger SPL? Doesn't make any sense to me. Can someone please enlighten me?
cg87 said:
Then I'm so confused. If it's possible, why does the rom still require the Danger SPL? Why didn't bbuchacher make it so it doesn't require the Danger SPL? Doesn't make any sense to me. Can someone please enlighten me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, to be honest, im not sure why, but im assuming some developers like to include features and apps that arent necessarily required for the rom to run properly but to make their rom more appealing to users, than other roms. keeping those apps in system prevents those apps from disappearing after you wipe your phone/ext. Plus devs always keep ringtones and sounds included in their roms for completeness's sake.
Now a Hero ROM on the other hand is loaded with system apps that cant be deleted and i dont think theyll ever fit on a Stock SPL, except maybe MicroHero, but im not sure.
But for whatever reason, a lot of regular ROMs are fat and bloated with apps and extras that dont necessarily have to be saved on the system partition,so the best thing to do is shrink those roms down till they fit, if you can't or dont want to upgrade your SPL.
How to make it work *WITHOUT TRIMMING*
Take a look at your update.zip archive.
Probably has 4 things in the root:
boot.img
system
META-INF
data
If system is greater than about 67MB (or lets say 60 just to be real safe...), then create ANOTHER directory and call it "cache".
Now MOVE /system/app into /cache/
You now have the space cleared up, but it still won't work.
So go into META-INF/com/google/android and edit the script "update-script".
just below the line where it says "format CACHE:", add these lines:
copy_dir PACKAGE:cache CACHE:
set_perm_recursive 0 0 0755 0644 CACHE:
symlink /cache/app SYSTEM:app
Wow, did we just move the extra crap into cache? Yep.
May require slight modification. Use your head.
Seems someone else is in the same boat as I am.
Can't update my radio, looks like some kind of hardware problem almost. Tried everything in any possible way.
So it looks like we're stuck with the standard or engineering SPL, which is fine but means there are some restrictions.
I'll try some of the tips you gave and flash something besides Cyanogenmod tonight.
lbcoder said:
Take a look at your update.zip archive.
Probably has 4 things in the root:
boot.img
system
META-INF
data
If system is greater than about 67MB (or lets say 60 just to be real safe...), then create ANOTHER directory and call it "cache".
Now MOVE /system/app into /cache/
You now have the space cleared up, but it still won't work.
So go into META-INF/com/google/android and edit the script "update-script".
just below the line where it says "format CACHE:", add these lines:
copy_dir PACKAGE:cache CACHE:
set_perm_recursive 0 0 0755 0644 CACHE:
symlink /cache/app SYSTEM:app
Wow, did we just move the extra crap into cache? Yep.
May require slight modification. Use your head.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought about that but I'm not 2 good @ programing unless its cars/video console. But doesn't the cache get used for something after the rom is up and running? Or is it only for ota updates?
If only for ota updates how come the danger spl doesn't give you 120mb or so since cache and system are 67mb each
That's a very good question. Just tried it and it seems to work, though. It's booting as we speak. All system/app files in the cache directory.
EDIT: Actually, all apps seem to force close on boot. So I'll just try it the regular way I guess.
try the Fix apk uid mismatches maybe idk ill try it in a lil bit
*update*
Got a boot loop on openeclair1.0.1 not sure why but dont got the time to fig. it out right now.
also why does a boot loop drain the crap out of your battery?
lbcoder said:
Take a look at your update.zip archive.
Probably has 4 things in the root:
boot.img
system
META-INF
data
If system is greater than about 67MB (or lets say 60 just to be real safe...), then create ANOTHER directory and call it "cache".
Now MOVE /system/app into /cache/
You now have the space cleared up, but it still won't work.
So go into META-INF/com/google/android and edit the script "update-script".
just below the line where it says "format CACHE:", add these lines:
copy_dir PACKAGE:cache CACHE:
set_perm_recursive 0 0 0755 0644 CACHE:
symlink /cache/app SYSTEM:app
Wow, did we just move the extra crap into cache? Yep.
May require slight modification. Use your head.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I remember you suggested this a while back when I asked about eclair roms on stock spl, I'm guessing if you use this method and wipe, you'll have to reflash the rom because those system apps are gone, correct?
yea anytime you wipe you would have to reflash the rom because a wipe deletes. data and cache folder
Dr-b said:
That's a very good question. Just tried it and it seems to work, though. It's booting as we speak. All system/app files in the cache directory.
EDIT: Actually, all apps seem to force close on boot. So I'll just try it the regular way I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Might be a minor goofup on the permissions. Just verify the permissions and it will be fine.
What programming?
There is no programming involved in this.
Mainly cache is for OTA, but also some other crap related to the download manager.
As for the deathspl allocation, it puts *some* of the /cache into /system, *some* of the /cache into /data, and the balance of /cache remains in /cache.
xile6 said:
I thought about that but I'm not 2 good @ programing unless its cars/video console. But doesn't the cache get used for something after the rom is up and running? Or is it only for ota updates?
If only for ota updates how come the danger spl doesn't give you 120mb or so since cache and system are 67mb each
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
speedysilwady said:
I remember you suggested this a while back when I asked about eclair roms on stock spl, I'm guessing if you use this method and wipe, you'll have to reflash the rom because those system apps are gone, correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why would you want to wipe it?
Note: you could just create an update.zip with an update-script that says ONLY "format DATA:" That would wipe the data withOUT wiping the /cache. Maybe name it "betterwipe.zip" and put it on your sdcard. Boot into recovery and apply "betterwipe.zip".
lbcoder said:
Why would you want to wipe it?
Note: you could just create an update.zip with an update-script that says ONLY "format DATA:" That would wipe the data withOUT wiping the /cache. Maybe name it "betterwipe.zip" and put it on your sdcard. Boot into recovery and apply "betterwipe.zip".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
true, with fix permissions, and wipe dalvik, there really isnt much use in wiping data anymore, but would fix permissions still work if the apps are in cache? i know theyre syslinked, but im not sure how that works with the fix_permissions script. sorry if im asking dumb questions, im still learning.
Ill try your idea a really big rom and see if it works.
just wanted to confirm that all Hero ROMs seem to require Danger SPL, I see no way of shrinking system anywhere close to 67 or less.
But my method should still work on any eclair or donut rom. I still havent had a chance to try lbcoder's method though it should work. if people can get lbcoders method to work ill add it to the first post!

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

[Q] Bootlooping icbinb 2.3.7

Abstact: my GS4G is bootlooping between the Samsung and T-Mobile splash screens after following this tutorial on removing 'gremlins' and flashing icbinb 2.3.7 for absolutely no discernible reason.
First off, I'd like to apologize for having made this thread in this area vs posting about this in the proper thread. It looks like somewhere along the lines, morons forced the staff to enact a rule about not being able to post to dev forums with less than ten posts, effectively ruining things for those of us who have made accounts but never post because we're usually able to fix our problems by reading around etc prior to having to post about it.
Either way, I decided to do my tri-yearly phone wipe and try to update today thinking there may have been some new developments for the GS4G since I last looked. Having flashed Samsung's (leaked? grey area official?) GB rom it unrooted my phone and I needed to fix that. Luckily I ran across a supposed 1-click root and general phone junk clean up tool; as listed above. After running that I was given CwM voodoo lagfix 3.0.2.8x. I made a back up of the freshly formatted phone and proceeded to flash icbinb 2.3.7.
Right after it started to bootloop at which point I began looking around the thread for any advice. Obviously, people were saying to wipe everything but to my knowledge I'd done so prior yet even after wiping the cache, dalvick cache, and fixing permissions I was still left with a bootloop of the Samsung and T-Mobile splash screens. Formatting /cache, /data, /system, and /sdcard only caused further problems (big surprise!). There hit a point at which CmW was giving me all kinds of errors claiming it couldn't find certain directories every time I gave it a command (I'd elaborate on exactly what the errors were but I was focused on trying other methods and it's been a few hours since I've seen the exact messages). After becoming completely inoperable (to the point of the icbinb 2.3.7 claiming it didn't know what phone I had; a problem stemming from formatting /system or so the thread made it seem) I was forced to run the Odin 1-click process again just to be able to do much of anything.
There was one point at which the phone booted to a home screen yet it immediately started yelling at me about the USB not being assigned (IIRC?) every time I went to do much of anything and literally the entire settings screen consisted of sliding bars (like volume or brightness controls) which had no effect from what I could tell.
After that I attempted four more installations of icbinb 2.3.7 (with many forcing me to run Odin to revert back to some functional state) trying different ways of wiping the cache etc before and after, etc with no luck.
At no point were there problems with anything I attempted to do with my phone untill I flashed icbinb 2.3.7 so I am completely baffled. It's even more frustrating that icbinb is said to be the most stable ROM for the GS4G and virtually nobody has complained of bootlooping or any real problems with flashing it.
Again, I'm sorry for posting this here but there isn't another place I feel it would be allowed but if there's a better place by all means please move it.
Thank you to anyone who is able to help me.
Download ICBINB again. Make sure that you compare the filesize of your downloaded file to the one on the download page:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/teamacid/files/roms/icbinb/
Try following my GB starter pack guide from step 6
Do not download the fb_kc1... File since you won't need it.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1223765
Install ICBINB again. Post back here if you need more help.
I'm on my fifth ICBINB download and they've all been 120mb (122,462kb) instead of 125.4mb
I've never seen anything like this before what are people paying sourceforge for ugh
thanks for the quick reply though and I'm gonna keep downloading till I get it right (unless you feel like mirroring it to some place that allows for full downloads)
should I assume "11) Flash the GB rom you put on your sd card" means flash ICBINB
yeah I tried ten times and it's been the same file size every time. I even tried changing the file name and save location but that didn't matter. this is pretty infuriating.
Asemic said:
I'm on my fifth ICBINB download and they've all been 120mb (122,462kb) instead of 125.4mb
I've never seen anything like this before what are people paying sourceforge for ugh
thanks for the quick reply though and I'm gonna keep downloading till I get it right (unless you feel like mirroring it to some place that allows for full downloads)
should I assume "11) Flash the GB rom you put on your sd card" means flash ICBINB
yeah I tried ten times and it's been the same file size every time. I even tried changing the file name and save location but that didn't matter. this is pretty infuriating.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Download winMD5Sum
http://www.nullriver.com/downloads/Install-winMd5Sum.exe
It'll let you verify that the file you downloaded is exactly the same as the one that's hosted on sf. I'm about to run the md5sum checker on the file to verify it's the same.
EDIT
Once you have downloaded and installed the program on your computer, right click on the icbinb zip file, select Send To > winmd5sum
It'll have a box called compare, paste this in there:
Code:
428563f929b64fda7f10cda3ff31764a
If your download is good it'll say "MD5 Check Sums are the same" after you click compare.
Asemic said:
I'm on my fifth ICBINB download and they've all been 120mb (122,462kb) instead of 125.4mb
I've never seen anything like this before what are people paying sourceforge for ugh
thanks for the quick reply though and I'm gonna keep downloading till I get it right (unless you feel like mirroring it to some place that allows for full downloads)
should I assume "11) Flash the GB rom you put on your sd card" means flash ICBINB
yeah I tried ten times and it's been the same file size every time. I even tried changing the file name and save location but that didn't matter. this is pretty infuriating.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had this problem with ICBNB today switching from Val-Black i decided to try thomas gremlin remover and ended up bootlooped then tried Fb's Starter pack and after flashing the rom said it got installed but it was a mix of both of them so did GB Starter pack again but before flashing ICBNB i flashed bhunds latest rc1.1 kernel rebooted back into recovery adn then flashed with manually formatting /system /data and /cache with no problems
Try that it worked good for me hopefully for you too ive tried it twice in a row right now
do a custom install theres a issue with the standard (first choice installer) that doesnt actually wipe the system partition....
RaverX3X said:
do a custom install theres a issue with the standard (first choice installer) that doesnt actually wipe the system partition....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
i told dsex day it came out about the issue, glad i got it right
also Raver I formatted the /system /data and /cache manually on Val-Black and dsp is working flawlessly for me now thanks for everything!
yeah I think I may have actually gotten it! I managed to get /system wiped after fighting with "format_volume failed to unmount "/system"" for a bit
after doing a quick install it booted and gave me the proper (or at least new to me) boot animation and I'm letting it sit for a bit at the android touch screen.
it seems like this may be solved but I'm gonna give it a little bit just to be sure.
thanks so much everyone, I mean that from the bottom of my heart
looks like things are working very well. again sorry for having to post about it here.
sanQ~
Good to hear everything is cool now....the rom is awesome
Thank's aren't asked for but aappreciated
@Asemic: If this issue is resolved can you please add [SOLVED] to the title of this thread. Thanks!

[TOOL] G2X Cleanup Batch *** WARNING *** WILL FORMAT INTERNAL SD

If you are going to flash and ICS ROM after this tool please make sure to first install a GB then ICS otherwise your SD card will not be accessible. I am trying to find a fix but it has been illusive. This statement will be removed once a fix has been found and OP updated.
Now with CWM Touch!
This method uses NVFLASH to recreate all partitions and formats them, thereby getting rid of the file allocation pointers and hence renders data inaccessible without effort.
Note: I have never seen a file come back to life or its data affect other files without effort on the users part or a temporary glitch once the partitions and pointers have been overwritten. Please post a reply with evidence if you have seen it.
Benefits:
The contents of the zip file can be used to super clean G2X before a new ROM flash. This tool recreates all the partitions in the phone so wipes the pointers to all files (everything). The method it employes has existed from before. The files here will stop short of pushing a ROM, so that you can push your favorite ROM.
Prerequisites:
G2X (Will not work on O2X due to different partition table)
Desire to have a clean install of your favorite ROM
Backup your data
*** WARNING ***​
This tool will wipe both phone internal memory and internal SD card. External SD card content is safe.
Don't say you haven't been warned!
What to do:
Download the attached Zip file.
Take out the battery (assuming you have backed up your data on external SD card, computer or elsewhere), connect the device via USB while holding VOL+ and VOL- together. Don't let go of the volume buttons until the device is recognized.
(I typically leave Device Manager open to see when it shows up in the list under "USB Controllers").
Launch flash.bat, sit back and wait until the process finishes (generally a good idea to open a command prompt, CD to the directory and then run the file).
Unplug, put battery in, reboot into CWM recovery (pushed by this tool) by holding VOL- first, then pressing and holding POWER).
Flash your favorite ROM.
Enjoy!
I made this package because I could not get the bluetooth to work with G2x GB 2.3.3 (and below). The issue was a disconnect problem where both the phone and headset would still think they were connected but in audio would not be routed for a call or media. After this procedure my phone has not had an issue for almost 3 weeks now. I have tried it with two ROMs and 3 different headsets without any issues.
I guess I will not toss this phone after all .
Putting it out there in the hope that it may help others solve some of their issues as well. I suspect bad data stays in places not touched by other methods.
Your comments are most welcome.
[Update]
Klathmon has made an newer version with CWM 5.0.2.8. RP by Klathmon can be found here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=24768294&postcount=66
I have tested the windows version but linux one is untested. Use at your own risk.
[Update]
Now with CWM Touch!
Thanks to everyone who has contributed on this thread with a drive to positive change! You work/comments/suggestions are very much appreciated.
References:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1248644. This link was the inspiration for the current work.
Link to CWM Touch development thread. I took the image posted there: http://rootzwiki.com/topic/22984-recovery-touch-enabled-cwm-5813/
[EDIT] The zip file should be fixed now. Darn work machine does something to the upload.
was just about to flash the new hellfire rom and saw this tool! will try it out and see how things go
edit: yeah corrupt zip on my end too.
The zip file seems to be corrupt. Could you re-upload plz
worked great on my end, no problems.
khanggle said:
worked great on my end, no problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The real test is how stable your ROM would stay with this method to wipe than any of the other methods.
I guess only time will tell .
wow this method really blaze hellfire much thanks to your( you) & (rom dev)
Ohh I like this. Thank you for sharing .
This thing is faster than nullifier, and I especially like how you don't need to be in CWM to use it. It just seems like doing it in "update mode" would allow better manipulation of the phone's internals.
so this tool DOES format and nullify in addition to recreating the partitions?
deleting and recreating partitions does not remove data. only by writing over existing data can you get rid of it (like nullifier does)
dodgefan67 said:
so this tool DOES format and nullify in addition to recreating the partitions?
deleting and recreating partitions does not remove data. only by writing over existing data can you get rid of it (like nullifier does)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He states in OP that it doesn't write anything, therefor doesn't "nullify". It formats and partitions.
dodgefan67 said:
so this tool DOES format and nullify in addition to recreating the partitions?
deleting and recreating partitions does not remove data. only by writing over existing data can you get rid of it (like nullifier does)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually you are right. Deleting, recreating and formatting partitions does not get did of the 1s and 0s, so in that sense the data is still there. However the pointers are gone, and hence even though the data is still there it can't be accessed without effort.
What do you think the nand has on it when the device is shipped... I can assure you its not ask zeroes!
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA
mansa_noob said:
Actually you are right. Deleting, recreating and formatting partitions does not get did of the 1s and 0s, so in that sense the data is still there. However the pointers are gone, and hence even though the data is still there it can't be accessed without effort.
What do you think the nand has on it when the device is shipped... I can assure you its not ask zeroes!
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well no, it has a next to worthless version of android Also, the point he was trying to get across is that it would be better for you to present the script for what it is and not try to compare it to other scripts that do something entirely different. You do kind of imply that you accomplish the same thing as the Nullifier script and more, when in fact you simply do something different.
Some may and probably will prefer your script, at least for specific purposes, while others will prefer the Nullifier script.
MWBehr said:
Well no, it has a next to worthless version of android Also, the point he was trying to get across is that it would be better for you to present the script for what it is and not try to compare it to other scripts that do something entirely different. You do kind of imply that you accomplish the same thing as the Nullifier script and more, when in fact you simply do something different.
Some may and probably will prefer your script, at least for specific purposes, while others will prefer the Nullifier script.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Done. OP updated to reflect. Thanks for clarifying that. It was not my intention to state that this tool does anything any other does, or does not.
I think we are all trying to do the same thing... get rid of the issues when swapping ROMs like _____. I can't seem to think of a good analogy here .
thanks for clarifying the OP, that makes much more sense
and no i wasnt trying to say you were reinenting the wheel, just trying to understand what your tool is actually doing
and also i do understand that it would take effort to get data off any type of storage device once the partition has been erased. i deal with wiping hard drives in a data center all the time. we use a DOD wipe tool that writes 1s and 0s over a drive a minimum of three full times to eradicate the data
but with this tool doing it outside of CWM, it sounds like it may do a better job of it
but i must ask, why do you need to push CWM? what if i have a newer version of it already on my phone?
dodgefan67 said:
but i must ask, why do you need to push CWM? what if i have a newer version of it already on my phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no need to push CWM 5.02. As I said in the OP it is a mod of the script found in the reference. In that script it was pushing default recovery. Since the recovery partition is being overwritten as well you will loose existing one and you need a recovery to be able to push a new ROM. Hence the need to push recovery (instead of using super one click).
As long as the recovery is not bigger than the partition that holds it we should be able to push a newer version. However I can't leave it empty or people will look for me with a shotgun (myself included ).
dodgefan67 said:
but i must ask, why do you need to push CWM? what if i have a newer version of it already on my phone?
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I was thinking the same thing but seems easy enough .. add the cwm img to the dir and edit the .cfg file. Hopefully that should get the new CWM flashed
So would it be benefitial or pointless to nullify to clear the data then run this script for a... super clean?
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA
mansa_noob said:
There is no need to push CWM 5.02. As I said in the OP it is a mod of the script found in the reference. In that script it was pushing default recovery. Since the recovery partition is being overwritten as well you will loose existing one and you need a recovery to be able to push a new ROM. Hence the need to push recovery (instead of using super one click).
As long as the recovery is not bigger than the partition that holds it we should be able to push a newer version. However I can't leave it empty or people will look for me with a shotgun (myself included ).
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ahhhhhh now i understand. my eyes have been opened LOL
---------- Post added at 07:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:35 PM ----------
PL0X_Kleiner said:
So would it be benefitial or pointless to nullify to clear the data then run this script for a... super clean?
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA
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i think it would be pointless unless you are super paranoid
dodgefan67 said:
ahhhhhh now i understand. my eyes have been opened LOL
---------- Post added at 07:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:35 PM ----------
i think it would be pointless unless you are super paranoid
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Click to collapse
Nobody is twisting any arms here... Use it if you want to, don't if you don't want to.
I saw benefit so posted so that others may benefit as well.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA
Ok so question, why are you killing all the data on your internal SD card? Why not just the individual partitions that the phone uses? Your destroying data that don't need to be destroyed before flashing a rom...
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
It does not have to be destroyed. I just haven't had a chance to test without recreating emmc yet.
Next step. Likely tomorrow. Would like to test before release.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA
[edit] BTW, I do want to restate that there is some data that needs to be destroyed which is not being taken care of by other methods. I don't believe it is in the emmc, but rather it resides in one of the other partitions. Most methods out there are only working in the /data, /system and /cache domain.
My original problem (bluetooth disconnect) which happens to be a problem for some in the community even now was only completely fixed by this method.

My phone wont boot into Cmw recovery, Please help.

My phone is rooted (With Super One Click) and when tap the "boot into recovery" option in Rom Manager it just send me to the stock recovery (with Blue text and what not). I have flashed Rom Manager with my Sidekick 4g before I tried to boot into recover. Please, someone help me. The answer is probably right in my face, but my noobish eyes just cant see it. :crying:
Please don't bash me this is my first post. I made sure there wasnt any post like this before i started a new tread.
Don't use ROM Manager with Sidekick 4G as CWM doesn't work the same way. When you reboot you always go into Samsung recovery from where you gotta reinstall packages to 'fake flash' the CWM recovery. If it says permission denied, the recovery file wasn't pushed to /system properly. You gotta reinstall every single time .. till of course you install a custom ROM. I think most come with voodoo CWM which replaces stock recovery, allowing you to go into CWM directly when you go to Recovery.
Firstly you need root, which I'm assuming you already have. Then you have to move a custom recovery to your phone's /system to allow you to install unsigned packages. You can do this using root explorer (paid app, but its the most simple and easy way of doing it) or you can do it using other similar apps that give you R/W (read and write) access. You also need to have a custom recovery file, the update.zip which when you hit reinstall packages (given you pushed the custom recovery file to the phone's system) would bring up clockworkmod recovery.
Read the noob guide here -> link. Its REALLY good and gives you a step by step of how to root / get custom recovery and install custom ROM.
Go here -> link. For more in depth information about getting a custom recovery. And here -> link. for Krylon's recovery files (links on his thread aren't all working).
Edit: Looks like the links on Krylon's page aren't working .. if someone can give an alternative it would be great!
I'm thinking about ODIN my device and start over but this time following one of the guides provided. I got cwm working but now I get a long script of code with a error that saids that it can't mount this and stuff like that. Ill try to post a image to give you a little better look at my problem. And for some reason the cmw logo isn't coming up behind the orange text.
Sent from my SGH-T839 using xda app-developers app
Those guided really helped me out I spent ages reading up different things so when I finally went and did it, I didn't face any problems!
Important notes:
1. Root, obviously I personally didn't use the latest edition of SuperOneClick (at the time) on the website, but the file the dev posted on his XDA Thread.
2. Don't use ROM Manager or any other 'one click' kind of recovery for this phone. You need to download a custom recovery file and update file (links above, thanks Krylon) and go into CWM Recovery through the official Samsung Recovery through reinstalling the custom update file. This is the only way to access Orange CWM. Most custom ROMs come with the Red Voodoo CWM which is permanent in the sense that when you go into recovery, you should go into CWM (Red), instead of having to go through Samsung.
3. Orange CWM (and some say Red CWM as well) has some mounting issues. Always remember to check your mounts such that System, Data (well just to be safe, all of the items in the list) always say UNMOUNT. Basically when its mounted, means CWM has access to the partition. It says UNMOUNT because it is MOUNTED. I know thats a bit confusing, but think of it like this - there is a light switch that says ON so when you press it, turns the lights on but then the writing changes to OFF because you need to push the switch to turn it off. Erm .. hope that helps?! Lol.
4. Basically if your partitions are showing up as MOUNT, means you need to MOUNT them. Otherwise whatever changes you did won't apply! Instead of getting confused like I did, just make sure the screen says UNMOUNT SYSTEM and so forth for the rest of the items on the list.
5. Before installing a custom ROM, I always wiped x 3, before and after. Means after checking mounts, wipe data / dalvik, etc. 3 times. So for me, after checking mounts I would go to wipe date - yes - done 1; wipe data - yes - done 2; wipe data - yes - done 3. Followed by wipe dalvik and whatever else you want to wipe. Then I'd check mounts again (they usually get unmounted after a wipe .. well for me they always have anyway) before installing the ROM. Oh, sometimes I installed the ROM twice. Then I'd check mounts, wipe x 3, check mounts again before finally rebooting and letting it stand still for around 20 minutes or so. I don't really know if there is a logic or if doing it so many times makes a difference but I know some other people have done this and (other than wasting time) it doesn't really do any harm (someone correct me if I'm wrong) so why the hell not? I think the basic reasoning behind double / triple wiping and installing is to make sure that the changes are properly written as sometimes the system still retains old data.
6. Some people have SD card partitioning issues apparent. I can't remember why everyone went around partitioning in the first place (it must have been for some important reason, completely slipped my mind right now .. I personally did it to link my apps / data to SD card and save internal memory / space) but I personally used Gparted to partition my card on a computer (rather than CWM on the phone as I've heard people have issues with this) and never had a problem.
But I think thats it. I know there is a lot of information but its really worth having a look at the guide and other posts on that thread as that and the ROM thread (I personally use GOV 3.2) really had me prepare for any possible issue beforehand so I started off in a position where I could avoid them.
WTF_IsA_Android said:
I'm thinking about ODIN my device and start over but this time following one of the guides provided. I got cwm working but now I get a long script of code with a error that saids that it can't mount this and stuff like that. Ill try to post a image to give you a little better look at my problem. And for some reason the cmw logo isn't coming up behind the orange text.
Sent from my SGH-T839 using xda app-developers app
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can someone update the sidekick 4g stuff everything is either dead or does not lead anywhere to download any of the required files, thanks.

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