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Hi there,
I just came up to Android with an Orange branded HTC Desire. Until now, I was using a HTC Diamond 2 with WM and tried some cooked ROM. But it was really easy with WM. Now, I need to understand more or less how my Android phone works to be able to play with it the same way I played with my Diamond 2.
As I'm a bit lost with some Android terms and concepts and I would like to purpose a kind of glossary for newbies like me. The goal is to explain common concepts with a functional and a technical point of view. I try to give example based on Nexus One and Desire based on personal experiments.
I'll start with what I've understood last few days and believe to be right. I'll ask you to correct my mistakes and to complete this FAQ. I'll keep this post updated.
For the moment following lines may contain big mistakes. I will try to flag validated information.
ROM
A ROM contains the OS on your phone. It can be installed like Windows or Linux on your desktop PC. A ROM contains the kernel and a pack of applications already installed for you. You can find a lot of cooked ROM (ROMs made by great people who would like to share with you optimizations they've done on their phone) on Internet. Normally, Android phones only accept ROM which are signed by the reseller. So you can only put Orange ROM on Orange branded phone.
Moreover, installing a new ROM is a way to update your phone. However, Android phone include an internal updating system (it's just a program like Windows update) so you can receive updates without installing a new ROM. It's called OTA (On The Air) update. OTA update is the way for basic customers to receive update for their phone.
Functionally :
Install a ROM is as easy as execute an exe on you Windows PC. It very easy and fast. You can also install a ROM by using the Recovery Menu.
GoldCard
A GoldCard is a modified SDCard which allows you to put the original unbranded ROM on a career branded phone (installing the original HTC Desire ROM on an Orange HTC Desire). Normally, if you try to execute a HTC ROM updater with a Orange phone, you'll be stuck after 4 or 5 clicks on next. With a Goldcard in your phone, you can archive the process.
You can't install a ROM built for an other device just using a GoldCard (installing a Nexus One ROM on a Desire is not possible).
GoldCard is only needed if you have a carrier-branded Desire, even for rooting process. Unbranded phones never need it.
Be sure to keep your GoldCard because it will be needed for each ROM modifications. You can use a GoldCard as a normal SDCard without problem. However, if you create new partitions for app2sd, your GoldCard will ruined.
Functionally :
Create a GoldCard is easy. It will take you 30 minutes. Not all SDCards work to create a GoldCard. Mine (SanDisk 4Go) included in my Orange package worked perfectly.
Instructions can be found here or here.
Technically :
If I'm right, while you are installing a ROM from the executable on your desktop PC, the phone checks if the ROM you're trying to install match a hard coded key on the phone. With a GoldCard, you make the phone believe signature is good.
CID
The serial number of your SDCard. You'll need to retrieve it with ADB Shell to create your GoldCard.
Functionally :
In ADB Shell (see ADB section), following command line give you your CID :
Code:
cat /sys/class/mmc_host/mmc1/mmc1:*/cid
Fastboot
It's like the BIOS on your desktop PC. You can access the fastboot with a keyboard combo while starting your phone. It give you access to some function like Recovery Mode or SIM Unlock. With fastboot, you can also install a new ROM using a zip placed on your SDCard.
Use can easily unlock Fastboot on the Nexus One using a ADB shell command.
Fastboot give you access to the recovery mode. In this mode, you can gain write permission in the /system partition which is not possible in Disk Drive mode, event with USB Debugging enabled. With this access, you can easily remove applications which are included in the ROM (like FriendStream in HTC ROMs).
Functionally :
To reach Fastboot on Desire : Hold down back button while pressing power.
Technically :
When you connect the phone to your PC in Fastboot, you will establish a special connection with the device. It uses "Android Bootloaded Interface" driver.
Fastboot unlock
An operation to unlock Fastboot. It's the first step to root your phone. It's easily done for the Nexus One via ADB (see here). It much more difficult with the Desire (possible thanks to Paul).
HBoot
An other boot menu.
Functionally :
To reach HBoot on Desire : Hold down volume down button while pressing power.
ADB
ADB means Android Debug Bridge. You can read this. When you connect your phone to your PC, you can choose different modes :
Charge only : No interaction with your PC
Internet tethering (only if you have a HTC standard ROM, Orange & Co disable this option) : Your PC will see your phone like a modem.
HTC Sync (if you have a HTC standard ROM) : Use to synchronize you data with HTC Sync software
Disk drive : Your PC will see your phone as a USB key allowing you to access to your SDCard
If you're in Disk Drive mode (or even if you're in Charge only mode), you can activate USB debugging (setting > applications > development on your phone). In this mode, your PC will use a ADB driver to establish a special connection. With ADB drivers, you have access to ADB Shell.
With ADB Shell, you can list every file on device and deploy your own application.
Functionally :
Activate USB debugging on your phone to play with ADB Shell.
ADB Shell is accessible from Windows or Linux.
For people who don't use to play with command line, on windows, you must either open a cmd.exe and move in the "tools" folder (with cd command) of your unzipped ADB package or add this repository to your path (instructions here[URL].
Then you can check that everything is alright with following command :
Code:
adb devices
You should see :
Code:
List of devices attached
HTxxxxxxxx device
Then you can type "adb shell" to enter the shell. All Unix basics commands are available and you can do whatever your want... almost nothing since you're not root.
Rooting
Rooting a device is a process to become root on its OS. It allows you to install very nice apps like app2sd (to install application on SDCard), SetCPU app (to overclock or downclock your device) or OpenVPN. This kind of apps can not run if your device is not rooted.
With a rooted device, you can install apps which are not yet validated for your phone on the market by modifying the ID of your device (like the user-agent of your browser). It's easier than downloading the apk file from somebody who extracted the application on a device accepted by the market for this application.
Finally, with a rooted device, you can install ROM from an other device (installing a Nexus One ROM on a Desire).
Functionally :
On Desire, become root is now possible thanks to Paul from Modaco. On Nexus One, it much more easy.
Process is easy if you follow guides step by step. Warning, it will remove all data and configuration on your phone. However, your SD card won't be modified.
If you follow the guide to root the Desire, one of the first steps is to put a big zip file on your SDCard (often rootedupdate.zip). In fact, this zip file contains the ROM you'll have on your phone at the end of the process. Guides generally provide an almost generic ROM. The only modification made to this ROM is the addition of the Superuser Permissions app (the Ninja icon) which will help you to grant root access to applications asking for permission. Installing this ROM is the easier solution. However, you can use every ROM you want (you will find some very interesting ROM on this forum). Just put the file on your SDCard at the beginning of the process and point to the good zip file in the last step. Warning, if you want to install a ROM with app2sd in it, you must know that this application requires a special partition on your SDCard, so you must format your SDCard before the first boot of your new ROM. To do this, just after installing the ROM zip file (the last step of the rooting process), you have to stay in the Recovery Menu and use the good option to create partitions on your SDCard. Of course, your SDCard will be formated.
Technically :
I have no idea what are tricks to become root. You have to find a hole in the phone software. It's not easy.
The process itself requires several steps :
The first step is to unlock the bootloader. This step is easy on Nexus One. On Desire, this step is archived by installing a kind of ROM from Fastboot on your phone.
Unlocking bootloader will give you access to the Recovery Menu and will make your phone accept non-HTC-signed updates (for Desire).
Then, you have to connect your device in HBoot mode to your PC in order to write some files on the phone. These files are used to launch the Recovery Menu. From this menu, you can wipe all data and some caches (I don't know differences between all caches)
Finally you can install a new ROM on your device using a zip file on your SDCard.
Recovery Mode
The Recovery Mode is a special mode accessible from HBoot. You'll need to access this mode to push files needed for the Recovery Menu. It's an important step in the rooting process.
Functionally :
When your phone is in Recovery Mode, you'll see a little red triangle on your screen.
Technically :
Recovery Mode is a special provided by Android to do special operations. In fact, I don't know what's the real usage of this mode.
Recovery Menu
The Recovery Menu is a small tool accessible from Recovery Mode. It purposes some options such as wipe your data, format your SDCard and the most important option : deploy ROM or files from a zip file previously dropped at the root of your SDCard.
Functionally :
The Recovery Menu is a green menu you have to use in the root process.
Technically :
On the Desire, Recovery Menu is the only way to write files on /system. Put a zip file on the root of your SDCard and the Recovery Menu will unzip the package and deploy files on your phone for you. You will have to use this menu to install OpenVPN because this application requires to put some file in /system partition. In the last step of the rooting process, Recovery Menu will deploy your ROM (which is nothing more than just a bunch of files) on your phone.
SIM Unlock
SIM Unlock in a process different from all others. If I'm right, you'll have to use Fastboot, put some files on your SDCard and press SIMUnlock. Required files can be provided by your operator. This process works with all ROMs and don't required a root access.
Nandroid Backup
The Nandroid backup process creates binary images (.img) of the boot, data and system partitions (and ext also, if you choose nand+ext). Needless to say you need root in order to be able to perform this kind of backup.
Later, you can use those image files to restore those partitions, in a very similar way you restore a hard-disk partition from a ghost created image. Practically the restore process erases all their content and replaces it with the data saved in the img files, thus reverting the phone's software to the state it was when you performed backup.
Nandroid backup doesn't include the radio image; you can only change (or revert) the radio by flashing it again.
If you want to go back to stock software, you need to use a RUU, which overwrites all the modifications you made into the phone's software (and of course removes the root access as well).
APK
This is the file format for applications. Each application is packaged in an APK file. When you install an application from the market, you're just downlading an APK file which is then automatically installed on your phone.
You can also find APK files on Internet, put them on your SDCard (or directly download them from your phone) and install them.
Deodexed
Technically :
By default, applications are odexed. This allows Android to preload some parts of an application to optimize its launch time. Unfortunately it makes application resources be dispatched outside the APK. Deodexing is a process of gathering all resources inside the application.
Functionally :
Some applications apply a theme on other applications. You need a deodexed version of the targeted application to use this. However, deodexing applications is not a process you should take care of. You'll find some custom ROMs in which all applications have been deodexed for you.
That's all for now. I really want to complete technical information on above lines. It will be great if somebody could explain why you can not install a Nexus One ROM on a HTC Desire using only a GoldCard. Moreover I would like to know how works Fastboot with SDCard. It seems that SDCard plays a really important role (used to update ROM, SIM unlock and GoldCard).
PS : English is not my native language, please be indulgent.
Many thanks to The Professor and silvake for some precisions.
Matco.
Great topic idea, thank you!
Great idea!
Just found out that you need to be in recovery mode in order to have write permissions to the /system partitition (Disk Drive with USB debugging enabled won't work).
More details in the link below, if you want to include them:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=6347071&postcount=2
(credits go to emdzej)
Thank your for your support. I just updated the post with your details.
I would like to add some links but I don't have enough rights to add the url tag in my posts.
CID register - serial number of your sd card
Perhaps time to move the info to the wiki ?
Greetings from a vastloper
This should deffinatley get a sticky + be added to the wiki. Great info, so many new terms to learn now that i'm experimenting with android on my blackstone and seriously considering a Desire
Thank you for your replies. I just made some improvements.
It will be ready for the Wiki as soon as someone will confirm informations and help me to complete blanks.
I would really like to have more technical informations. Feel free to share what you know !
For moderators, is it possible to allow me to add URL ?
Matco said:
Thank you for your replies. I just made some improvements.
It will be ready for the Wiki as soon as someone will confirm informations and help me to complete blanks.
I would really like to have more technical informations. Feel free to share what you know !
For moderators, is it possible to allow me to add URL ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
matco my desire was not branded by any network.. does this mean to root I should just go ahead with the root process ignoring the goldcard step?? thanks
Yes, you're right (check [Guide] Rooting in this forum, page 4 post 39). GoldCard is only needed for branded phone.
Anyway, the website which generated the .img has been disabled. So you can't create easily a GoldCard right now...
Negative, it's back online:
http://psas.revskills.de/?q=goldcard
guys stuck on the red exclamation mark.. using vista, i ran recovery bat but the recovery mode is not going green. what other files hould be in the same folder as recovery bat?
Everything that was in the original pushfiles.zip along with adb-nilezon. Not sure if they're still there, but if they are, here's where you should be able to find them.
I just updated the FAQ as I successfully rooted my Desire. Rooting process helps me to understand what are Fastboot and HBoot for.
It would be nice if someone can tell me if you can put any zip you want on your SD Card for the last step of the rooting process or if you have to use special ROM included in the file package (rootedupdate.zip).
Thanks by advance.
You can put any full ROM on as the last step, it doesn't have to be rootedupdate.zip. That one will be exactly stock + root, though - so for people who like the phone as is but want root, that's the ROM they want.
You can download anybody else's ROM and throw it on for the final step if that's your cup of tea, though. May want to mention that if they're picking a ROM with A2SD in it, that they need to perform the SD setup before booting, or they may run into trouble with that.
Thank your for your reply.
I will add a warning for people who want to install a ROM with app2SD in it (if I'm right they can use the little "green" menu just before installing the zip file to create partitions on SD Card).
As you seem to have a good understanding of the rooting process, could you explain me what is the goal of the first step (installing a fresh ROM from RUU Installer with phone in Fastboot Mode)? And what are pushed files for ? Is it for green menu?
You need to partition the SD card (using the partition options in the recovery (green) menu) after your ROM and A2SD are installed - if you partition beforehand, you'll lose the zip files you need to flash.
The first step unlocks the bootloader so it'll allow low-level access and recovery mode and so the phone will accept non-HTC-signed updates, I believe. The pushfiles in the second step are forcing the recovery menu (the green menu you mention) onto the device - but since we can't have write access to /system while the device is outside of recovery mode, we have to push the files every time.
very helpful for winmo converts thanks
it took me some time to figure that out
I've done some updates thanks to The Professor.
Great thread, thank you
Your a noob and need help then dont worry this guide will help you
ALWAYS UPDATING(STILL NOT COMPLETE)
Android Dictionary
If you're new to Android, you are likely seeing a lot of unfamiliar words being thrown about... from CID to RUU to ROM. This dictionary will help you understand what these words actually mean, and when you would expect to see them.
ADB
ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is a PC command-line tool included with the Google Android SDK. ADB provides an interface for managing and debugging a USB connected Android device. Common ADB tasks include: *Collecting a log via logcat* Installing APK packages* Pushing or pulling files* Accessing the device shell.
For additional details about ADB please see the ADB guide.
APK
An APK is an Android application package (Android Package). It is commonly used to store an app, or program run on the device. These files are essentially zip files, in that they contain other files which make up the program. They can be obtained through various methods, such as installing an app through the market, downloading from a website, or creating yourself in Java. If you have an apk file on your computer, and wish to install it on your phone, you can run the command 'adb install apkname.apk' to copy the file over USB to your phone.
The APK files reside on the phone in the directory /data/app/filename.apk. This directory is not normally accessible unless a #root|rooted ROM is used on the phone, in order to protect paid-for applications. On a rooted ROM, it is possible to copy applications manually into this folder using the command 'adb push' or similar. Once a file is in the /data/app directory, it is installed on the phone. There is not normally an installation process for apps on Android.
It is also possible to install an app to the system partition of a rooted phone. This has the added benefit that the application cannot be uninstalled from the device, making it useful for security/anti-theft applications such as WaveSecure and MobileDefense. These [[#system]] applications are stored in /system/app. The applications in this folder are normally part of the Android operating system, and should not be modified or deleted unless you either put the file there yourself, or know what you are doing.
APK files can be uninstalled using the market application (if the application was installed from the market), the 'adb uninstall apkname.apk' command, the Settings | Applications | Manage Applications menu, or by manually removing the files from the /data/app directory as a last resort. Normally, the preferred method is through the market or applications menu.
Bart
Bart is used from Recovery to backup your phone or to restore a backup.This basically creates an exact copy of your phone (Sdcard + Sd-Ext excluded, unless it says it will backup SD-Ext), which later can be restored with no losses in data.
Boot
In contrast to other linux-based operating systems, Android has a boot partition (containing the contents of a boot.img file), as opposed to a direct booting system. This partition contains a read-only 'ramdisk', and a couple of other files. The ramdisk contains files critical to booting, such as init.rc and default.prop. This 'partition' actually sets up the directory structure of the device, having empty folders for /data, /dev, /proc, /sbin, /sys and /system.
Bootloader
The bootloader, or HBOOT, is firmware on the phone which runs on every startup.
Since the bootloader controls access to Fastboot, it can be desirable to change the version of the bootloader on a phone. The current version of the bootloader can be viewed by entering bootloader mode. To do so, turn on the phone with the back button held down. Release the back button after about 1 second. The version information will be displayed at the top of the screen next to the word HBOOT, and will appear in the form 'V1.76.0004' or similar.
From within the bootloader, Fastboot can be used to execute an img file stored on your PC or flash an img file to the device.
If your device has HBOOT version 1.73.007, it is no longer possible to use Fastboot, so it is often desirable to downgrade the HBOOT using the Goldcard method in order to get the 1.73.004 version, which is Security-Off, allowing Fastboot.
CID
The Carrier ID is a number embedded in your Phone's SPL that identifies what if your phone is a network branded Hero. For example, T-Mobile UK phones have a different CID to generic HTC phones. The CID prevents you from [[#Flash|flashing]] an 'incorrect' [[#RUU]] to your phone. Note that the RUUs will all function on any of the phones, but the CID locking prevents you from 'debranding' your phone by installing a generic [[#RUU]]. Additionally, the CID-related software also prevents you from installing an older RUU than what you are currently running.
It is possible to bypass the CID check on an [[#RUU]] using a [[#Goldcard]]. This pretends your phone has the 'Super-CID', which allows any branding of ROM to be installed, and allows you to downgrade the software on your phone.
Data
The data partition on the device contains the user-related data, such as installed applications and settings for those apps, as well as your SQLite database containing Android settings and messages. Normally, the directory /data/app is off-limits through the 'adb shell' command, as well as other terminal applications that can run on the device, since this directory contains the apk files for apps. On a rooted phone, using the [[#su]] command will allow full access to this partition. This partition can be flashed using Fastboot or Nandroid.
Ext
Ext is an abbreviation of the extended filesystem, one of the filesystems supported by Android and other Linux based systems. An ext filesystem partition is required for using Apps2SD or Dalvik2sd.
Fastboot
Fastboot is a means to execute or Flash an img file on your device. First, set up your PC for ADB, and ensure that it works correctly. After putting your phone into Bootloader mode, and selecting Fastboot by pressing back (if you let go of the back key early), the device awaits a command via USB.
On your computer, execute the command 'fastboot devices', which should display your device serial number. This confirms you are ready to use Fastboot. To execute (ie. run without changing your system) and img file, type the command 'fastboot boot imagename.img'. This command allows you to run a custom recovery image without flashing it to the device.
If you wish to flash an img file to the device, the command 'fastboot flash IMGTYPE imgtype.img' should be used. Note that IMGTYPE should be replaced by the type of img file you are flashing. For example, to flash a recovery image, the command 'fastboot flash recovery patched_recovery.img' should be used. The following are valid types of image to flash; boot, recovery, system,
Flash
Flashing is the process of writing data to the internal memory on your phone. Normally, you would flash a [[#ROM]] image to the phone, which would give you a different version of system software on your phone. Flashing can also refer to updating/writing to any of the other parts of the phone, such as the SPL, Radio etc.
Flash Memory
Flash memory, also known as NAND memory, is nonvolatile - keeping information even when the device is off. Flash memory in the device is equivalent to the hard drive in a computer. This is where the device's operating system (sometimes called firmware) and applications are stored. Flash memory is slower than RAM, but is (almost always) faster than SD cards.
Flashrec
Flashrec is an application/tool you use to flash the recovery image to your phone. (Found on http://zenthought.org/content/project/flashrec)All current firmwares are patched so you can not use flashrec on these, you will receive the error message "Could not run command"Most 1.5 (cupcake) firmwares can still use this, but some has been patched already.The current version is 1.1.3 and was updated 2009-08-16.Note: Do not flash cyanogen's theme templates after you have started the installed recovery image, this will brick your phone!
Goldcard
A goldcard is the name given to a specially modified microSD memory card for your phone that allows you to install software to your phone that is in an RUU file, but not from the same network provider as your phone is from. It does this by bypassing the CID check of the RUU update. Additionally, the goldcard allows you to install an earlier version of system software onto your phone than what is already on it (called downgrading). This can make it easier to root a phone and install a custom ROM on it, if the software installed on it at present cannot easily be rooted.
HBOOT
See Bootloader.
logcat
Using adb (see ADB), type in "adb logcat >logcat.txt". This will help us when resolving issues and bugs.There is also a tool in the market you can use for this, called aLogcat. It can show different categories (severity of errors ect.) too, adb logcat can not do this.
Market
The market on Android is a place where you can purchase or download applications for your phone in the [[#APK]] format. When you download through the market, the installation process is transparent (as in you don't have to deal with the APK files yourself), and there is the facility to rate apps and post comments which are visible to other users. Frequently, the developers of apps actually take onboard the feedback in the comments (mainly the smaller apps with slightly less feedback to sift through).
When an app is installed from the market, it is copied to '/data/app/apkname.apk', as the act of 'installing'. An app can store its data in the folder '/data/data/apkname'. It is possible to clear the data stored by an application by using the Manage Applications feature in Settings | Applications | Manage Applications.
Nand
See Flash Memory.
Nandroid
Nandroid is used to backup or restore backups from Recovery.You can chose to either do a regular backup (Phone only) or a backup + sd-ext (Phone + Apps2sd ext.)Both will backup your whole system, the second will include apps saved on your sdcard's sd-ext.
Radio
The Radio on a Hero is the part of the phone that deals with mobile connections. It handles talking to the GSM/3G network, Bluetooth, WiFi and GPS. The radio contains software that controls how it operates, and newer versions of radio firmware are made available from time to time in [[#RUU]] updates. These updates are transparent to the user, although users who elect to install custom software can update their radio using an update.zip file made available by members of the modding community.
Flashing the radio is potentially risky, and you should NEVER pull the battery out of a phone that is [[#Flash|flashing]] the radio. If you do so, it is possible your phone will be bricked. Nevertheless, it can give improved battery life, signal strength and data performance, so is often done by users moving to later versions of ROMs.
Care should be taken to only flash the correct type of radio to a phone. NEVER attempt to flash a CDMA phone with a GSM radio or vice-versa. It is likely you will brick the phone if you attempt to do so.
ROM
ROM is literally "read-only memory" but it's usage has changed over time. Today ROM can refer to the non-volatile area of a device's flash memory on which read-only data resides or the packed image to be written to that flash area.
Root
Root is the name of the highest level superuser (su) on Unix-like systems such as Android. The root user, and applications run by the root user, have administrative access to protected files and services which makes it dangerous for normal daily use.
A 'rooted' device one which has been hacked to provide privilege escalation from a standard user to superuser. Rooting a device is usually the first step in installing cooked ROMs.
RUU
An RUU is a ROM Upgrade Utility, which is a Windows executable (exe) file that upgrades the software on your phone. Using the USB connection with the phone, the RUU communicates with the phone's SPL, checking the CID of the device to ensure the user is not installing the ROM on a network branded device (since the networks release their own RRUs with customisations and branding). The RUU is capable of flashing almost everything on the phone, including System, Data, Recovery, HBOOT and Boot. As such, an RUU is a good way to return your phone to the way it came out the box if a warranty repair is needed (be aware that using a new RUU could make it difficult, or even prevent you from rooting the phone in future. It is normally better to upgrade using update.zip files to prevent this, as they do not update the HBOOT to prevent Fastboot in future.
S-OFF/S-ON
This refers to an unlocked/locked NAND drive. HTC lock the NAND on some phones to prevent writing to the /system. S-OFF can generally be obtained by an exploit, by flashing an engineering SPL, or by using an XTC Clip.
SPL
The Secondary Program Loader is a piece of bootcode that initiates the startup of the phone, displaying the initial splashscreen for the device, and loading the initial files from ROM.
It checks to see if a button combination is pressed on bootup (such as that to enter Recovery Mode or the bootloader ), and loads the relevant system software. If no special instruction is given by holding keys, the bootloader loads the normal system software by initialising the boot process from the boot partition.
Flashing your SPL is risky, as the process failing will probably result in a broken, or bricked phone, since the SPL is executed very early on in the boot process, and any error here will prevent access to the recovery or bootloader features.
If you do flash the SPL though, it unlocks the Carrier-ID CID from the device, essentially allowing any RUU to be installed to the device, and allows flashing alternative or custom bootscreens.
Stock
The term stock is often used to refer to a file or part of the software which is unmodified or untouched by developers. For example, a stock ROM would be one which was produced by HTC and which had not been modified or rooted by someone. The term is often used when comparing performance of different ROMs, as a way to refer to the phone as it came out the box.
su
su (substitute user) is a Linux command which, when run without a username parameter, gives the user full 'root' permissions. By default, this command binary (ie. Linux equivalent of an executable file) is not included on Android systems, but the process of "rooting" a phone copies this file to the '/system/bin/' directory thereby enabling the command. Since root privileges can be abused by malicious applications it's highly recommended to install an app to grant and manage access to su, similar to UAC on Windows. VillainROM includes the app called "Superuser" for this.
System
The /system directory on your device is where the main operational software for the Android OS is stored. It has a number of sub-direcories of which /system/apps (where application apk's are stored) is probably the only one users would have need to access. The /system folder is read-only by default and needs remounted via 'adb' to allow write access.
Recovery
The recovery partition is a boot-mode for your phone that allows you to wipe your settings from the Data partition of the phone (a hard wipe), or perform an update using an update.zip file on the root of the microSD card. It is common (although not necessary) to flash a patched Recovery image, such as Amon RA's one. This allows you to run Nandroid backup from the device, and flash modifications, such as [[#update.zip]] files to the device, essentially becoming a means to install sotware to the device. Recovery mode is separate from 'normal' mode, and can be entered by holding down home whilst turning the phone on.
update.zip
An update.zip (does not have to actually be called update.zip if you have a patched Recovery image) is a file containing some files which will be copied to the phone's internal memory. Normally, a new system update or ROM is stored in the file, but update.zip files are commonly used to install modifications such as themes or applications that are installed on the System partition to prevent uninstallation.
To flash one of these files, which commonly would contain a custom ROM for your phone, you would boot your phone to a patched recovery image (whether using Fastboot, or the home+power method if you have a patched Recovery image flashed on your phone)
Update.zip files are cryptographically signed, and more information on how to sign your own files can be found online.
WWE
Stands for World Wide English version of the ROM. There can be local versions of ROMs too. For example VR10 is based on the Taiwan version, VR12 on the WWE one. Interestingly, WWE excludes the English (US) locale.
Now we are done with the definitions
HOW TO ROOT YOUR HTC One V PHONE
This guide may also work for rooting the HTC Wind / HTC Desire S (T328w). If you decide to try rooting your Wind / Desire V, make sure you first download the stock HTC RUU (ROM Update Utility) to recover if there are any issues.
Please note that unlocking your phone’s bootloader does involve the possibility of voiding your warranty, so be certain that you are willing to risk that to root your phone. Moreover, you proceed at your own risk. I accept no responsibility for what you do with your phone. Follow the directions closely, and the odds are you will succeed without any trouble.
You will need much patience and time, and you’ll need to know how to use SDK tools for Android (see below). If you are a total noob, I do not recommend this for your first project! If you try anyway and get confused with terminology, try looking here for answers: Terminology - CyanogenMod Wiki.
Quote:
Before you begin, make sure that your computer can properly recognize the phone:
You will need SDK tools for Android, Java runtime, and HTC Sync installed on your Windows computer. If you run Mac, I can’t help you. I avoid all that narcissistic iStuff like the plague.
1. You only need to install HTC Sync for the drivers that come with it. But the program sometimes causes conflicts, so during this procedure, make sure it is not running. Open Task Manager in Windows and kill it. If you don’t use HTC Sync, you may also open Control Panel and uninstall it without uninstalling the drivers.
2. With the phone on, connect the USB cable. Make sure the phone is connected in Charge only mode.
3. Enable USB debugging by going to Settings > Development > USB debugging.
1. Perform a full backup your phone’s data
Unlocking the bootloader will involve doing a factory reset. This will result in the loss of all accounts, emails, texts and apps installed on the device. However, data on the SD card such as music, photos and videos will be safe. The device will not format the SD card.
2. Update your software version
To update your software after rooting, you will have to go through hassle of re-flashing the stock recovery and re-locking the bootloader. The phone will lose root and you’ll have to go back through steps 3C-5F, so make sure you’ve updated first. To manually check if a software update is available, go to Settings > About > Software updates > Check now.
3. Unlock your bootloader at htcdev.com
The next step is to head over to htcdev.com and follow the procedure there to unlock your bootloader. This is the step that can void your warranty!
3A. Getting started
Create an account at htcdev.com and login. Click the Unlock Bootloader icon and Get Started button. On the next screen, drop down the “Select Your Device” list, choose All Other Supported Models and click the Begin Unlock Bootloader button. Then, fill out the two nasty forms telling HTC that it’s perfectly fine with you to possibly lose your warranty by going through with this process.
3B. Obtaining your unlock token
The first page of instructions shows you how to boot the phone into HBOOT, select FASTBOOT and connect the phone to your computer via USB. But the instructions are not right for the One V since it doesn’t have a removable battery. So here’s the replacement procedure:
Step 1 – No need to shut the phone down.
Step 2 – To enter HBOOT (or “bootloader mode”), the power button for longer than 10 seconds. As soon as the screen turns black, hold down volume and let off the power button. At the top of the screen you will see ***_LOCKED_***.
Step 3 – Use the volume rocker to select FASTBOOT if it’s not selected already. You may have to wait for the device to run through a routine check for zip files to update.
Step 4 – Connect the phone to your computer using the USB cable.
If you followed the directions above regarding SDK tools, Java Runtime and HTC Sync, you can skip page 2 of the instructions (steps 5-7) and move onto page 3.
In Step 8, you open a command prompt in Windows and navigate to the folder where you installed SDK Tools (it should be c:android-sdk-windows or c:Android) and type the command
Code:
fastboot oem get_identifier_token
Step 9 is where most people get hung up. Make sure that you do not select any spaces next to the identifier token, or any lines above or below the Identifier Token Start/End.
Paste the identifier token copied from the command window above into the box at the bottom of htcdev.com’s page 3 in your browser and click the Submit button. You will receive an email from htcdev.com with the subject “The key to unlocking your HTC Device” that has an attached file named “Unlock_code.bin” and a link to continue the unlock process. Download the attachment into the folder you installed Android SDK tools and click on the link to continue from page 4. You may have to log back in.
3C. Unlock the bootloader
For Step 12, go back to the command prompt and make sure you are in the folder where you installed Android SDK tools and downloaded the file “Unlock_code.bin” above. Now you will flash “Unlock_code.bin” to the phone using the following command:
Code:
fastboot flash unlocktoken Unlock_code.bin
You will see the following warning screen on the phone, again confirming that you are willing to waive your warranty rights to unlock the bootloader:
Use the volume rocker to select Yes (up one click) and press the power button once. The bootloader will proceed to erase all your data, unlock itself and reboot the phone.
After running through the setup wizard, go back into HBOOT (turn the phone off with the long press, hold down volume and press the power button) and confirm that you’ve unlocked your bootloader successfully. You should see ***_UNLOCKED_***. Success!
4. Install ClockworkMod Recovery
A custom recovery allows you to backup and restore ROMs including all user apps, data and cache to the SD card. It is also used to flash scripts, custom kernel and custom ROMs, which will come in handy at step 5 below where we root the phone.
1) There are two types of One V - the international GSM version (uses a sim card) and the U.S. Sprint/Virgin Mobile CDMA version (no sim card), and there are custom recoveries for both types that aren't interchangeable.
If your phone uses a sim card, download recovery-clockwork-5.8.4.5-primou.img from ClockworkMod's index of recoveries.
If you have a U.S. Cellular/Sprint/Virgin Mobile (U.S.) device that doesn't require a sim card, download cwmrecovery.img. Be sure to click the thanks button for Android Forums member jmz for his handy work.
As an alternate, PrimoC/CDMA users (no SIM) can download and install jmz's TWRP2 Recovery. See the directions in his thread: [VM/PRIMOC][RECOVERY] TWRP2 Recovery 7-10-2012
2) Reboot the phone into bootloader, select Fastboot and connect the USB cable.
3) Open a command prompt and navigate to the folder where you saved the recovery image in step 1 above. Type the following command:
Code:
fastboot flash recovery recovery-clockwork-5.8.4.5-primou.img
or
Code:
fastboot flash recovery cwmrecovery.img
4) Reboot the phone back into bootloader using the following command:
Code:
fastboot reboot recovery
You should see the new Recovery.
5. Now on to root the phone!
5A. Head over to XDA Developers and download the SuperSU access management tool. You'll want to grab the attached file at the bottom of the OP called CWM-SuperSU-v0.9x.zip. This will root your phone and install the SuperSU app in one smooth motion. Much thanks, credit and kudos go out to XDA user Chainfire. Login over at XDA and hit the thanks button for him somewhere or donate to his Paypal account and buy him a Coke.
5B. Copy CWM-SuperSU-v0.9x.zip to your SD card.
5C. Restart the phone into HBOOT again and select Recovery. After Recovery has launched, choose install zip from sdcard > choose zip from sdcard and select CWM-SuperSU-v0.9x.zip.
5D. Reboot the phone. It is now rooted!
5E. Go to the app drawer and click on SuperSU. Update the binary when prompted. It’s icon looks like this:
5F. Install and open any app requiring root access to confirm that the phone is rooted.
6A. Backup your stock HTC ROM in CWM5 Recovery!! Before you make changes to your stock ROM or decide to install a custom ROM, this is a must! Reverting back to a stock HTC ROM after installing a custom ROM can cause massive headaches. Restoring from a backup is MUCH easier. It will also help if you've ruined your ROM causing a softbrick. You just boot into CWM5 Recovery, do a factory reset and clear cache (including Dalvik) and do a restore from your previously backed-up ROM.
So, reboot the phone into bootloader, use volume down to select Recovery and press power to select. When Recovery comes up, select Backup/Restore > Backup. Then find the backup you just made on the SD card (under sdcard/clockworkmod/backup) and copy that to your computer for safekeeping in case you loose or format your SD card.
6B. Install custom ROMs Now we play the waiting game and wait for overclockable kernel and custom ROMs. I’ll be updating this section as things happen so come back and see what’s new.
The procedure for flashing a custom ROM is as follows:
1) Boot into Recovery and backup your stock ROM if you haven't already. If you don't and something goes wrong, you'll have a major headache on your hands. *DO NOT* skip this step.
2) Download the ROM and copy it to the root directory of your SD card.
3) From Recovery, o a factory reset, wipe the cache partition and wipe dalvik cache (under Advanced).
4) Install the update from the SD card.
5) Reboot the device.
How To Install Custom Roms
1.Boot into recovery
2.Do a nandroid backup
3.wipe
a.cache
b.dalvik cache
c.data
d.system(isnt necessary)
3.Select install zip from sd card
4.select the rom and put yes
And the rom will install
How to install custom kernels
1.Boot into bootloader
2.enter fastboot and plug your phone into your computer
3.open cmd and type cd and navigate to to where you placed the fastboot.exe and boot.img
then type:
fastboot flash boot boot.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot erase cache
AND the custom kernel would be installed
How to Make a Nandroid Backup
1.boot into recovery
2.enter backup and restore
3.select backup
So it will backup all your rom
How to restore stock rom after installing custom rom
1.Boot into bootloader flash stock kernel(DO THIS ONLY IF YOU HAVE INSTALLED A CUSTOM KERNEL WITH THE ROM)
2.Enter recovery
3.select backup and restore
4.select restore
And stock rom will be installed
How to partition your sd card and make internal storage bigger
Partitioning is the act of dividing into parts and with SD Card it means to divide sd card into different virtual parts. So, you might be asking why we need to divide our sd card into two parts. This need has come into existence with devices such as Samsung Galaxy Pop/Mini GT-S5570, Samsung Galaxy Ace, Galaxy Fit and other smart phones that have relatively low internal storage (only about 180 MB or 250 MB) as a result it has been very difficult to manage our apps and data within the internal storage. So, to remove such low internal memory problem we are going to partition our sd card and then install the Darktremor Apps2SD Script so applications and games will install to this sd-ext partition that we are going to create by default and we won’t have to worry about low internal memory problem.
Before beginning it is assumed that you have a custom clockwork mod recovery and a custom rom is installed on your device. Alternatively, if you are in a stock firmware/rom and want to partition your sd card please Install Clock Work Mod Recovery and Flash a Custom Rom on your device. Also since partitioning your sd card will erase all your data stored in sd card, it is recommended that you backup your data to your computer. Now that you have backed up your data please follow these simple instructions to partition your sd card and install Darktremor App2sd script on your android smart phone.
1. Reboot your device into Clockwork Mod Recovery.
2. Go to Advance>>Partition SD Card option on your recovery and select a size for ext 3 partition. This will create an ext 3 file system partition on your sd card called sd-ext. The size of your sd-ext partition should be determined on the basis of how much apps and games you are going to install on your device. If you are not of type who wants to test every app or a normal user 2 GB of sd-ext partition should be enough. Determine the size that best suites you and proceed.
3. Also, select swap partition size as 0 Mb.
4. [Optional] Format your sd-ext from mounts and storage>>fromat /sd-ext option in CWM recovery.
5. Reboot your device and open a terminal emulator or shell commander and type in the following command to make sure that your second partition (aka sd-ext partition) is mounted at boot.
mount | grep sd-ext
You should see the following code:
/dev/block/mmcblk0p2 on /sd-ext type ext3 (rw,noatime,nodiratime,barrier=1,nodelalloc,data=ordered)
6. Now download Darktremor Apps2SD and copy it to your sdcard.
7. Reboot your device in CWM recovery and then mount your data and system by going to mounts and storage>>mount /data and mounts and storage>>mount /system options respectively.
8. Now go back to main menu and go to install zip from sd>>choose zip from sdcard option and select the dtapps2sd-2.7.5.3-beta04-signed.zip file you downloaded from above.
9. After the script is installed reboot your device.
That’s all. You have successfully installed Darktremor Apps2SD on your device. Note that the device will reboot again after you reboot your device. This is just to move all your apps to the second partition (sd-ext partition) and is normal. Also if you want to manage your Apps2SD settings you can either use commands in terminal emulator or download this APPS2SDGUI application from market and manage everything from there. One of the useful command can be a2sd help. Try it on any terminal to see the help file that comes with Darktremor A2SD.
Here are some commands that you can run in terminal emulator for configuring a2sd. You can find more info about them as well as other commands by typing a2sd help command.
a2sd check : Checks a2sd status; displays information incl. where your apps, cahce and data are stored.
a2sd cachesd : Moves dalvik cache to sd-ext partition.
a2sd nocache : Moves dalvik cache back to internal storage.
a2sd data2sd : Move /data/data to /sd-ext/data .
a2sd nodata : Move /sd-ext/data back to internal storage.
a2sd remove : Moves apps back to internal storage and sets no a2sd flag.
Now some precautions tips you should take in mind. After installing Darktremor Apps2SD don’t move your apps to sdcard either from Manage Applications Settings or by using app2sd pro or similar applications because it will ruin all your settings and your script will not work. Also you may notice that your used space in internal storage shown in Manage Applications Setting is not decreasing even after you install Apps2SD and you may think that the script is not working. But remember if you followed all the instructions from above and got the same results as explained above then the script is working. It is shown so because system is fooled to believe that the apps are in internal storage but in reality they are stored in the secondary partition we created (i.e. in /sd-ext/app folder) on your device.
How to install recovery
1.grab the recovery file and put it in thre folder where fastboot exists
2.open cmd and type cd and navigate to the folder where they both exist
3.Then type:
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot erase cache
RESERVED
RESERVED2
RESERVED3
RESERVED4
RESERVED5
RESERVED6
Maybe if you used the search function on the site,before you posted this,you would'nt be the author,fan and publisher of your own thread...... http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1466228
INTRODUCING THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S3 UNIFIED TOOLKIT
SUPPORTED MODELS
INTERNATIONAL [GT-I9300] SUPPORT THREAD HERE
AUSTRALIAN MODEL GSM [GT-I9300T]
INTERNATIONAL [GT-I9305/GT-I9305N] SUPPORT THREAD HERE
AUSTRALIAN MODEL LTE [GT-I9305T]
C SPIRE MODEL LTE [SCH-L710]
AT&T US [SGH-I747] SUPPORT THREAD HERE
BELL, ROGERS, SASKTEL, TELUS [SGH-I747M] [SGH-I747M] USE AT&T SUPPORT THREAD
US CELLULAR MODEL LTE [SCH-R530] USE AT&T SUPPORT THREAD
METRO PCS MODEL LTE [SCH-R530M] USE AT&T SUPPORT THREAD
SPRINT US [SPH-L710] SUPPORT THREAD HERE
TMOBILE US [SGH-T999] SUPPORT THREAD HERE
MOBILICITY, VIDEOTRON, WIND [SGH-T999V] USE TMOBILE SUPPORT THREAD
VERIZON US [SCH-I535] SUPPORT THREAD HERE
CHINA ANYCALL CDMA MODEL [SCH-I939] USE GT-I9300 SUPPORT THREAD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Unified Android Toolkit supports a multitude of Nexus and Samsung devices with more devices being added all the time. There is also an option at startup to run a Basic Android Toolkit which any Android device can use to install drivers, make app backups, install apk files, reboot the device into different modes and run a command prompt for manual input.
FUNCTIONS OF UNIFIED ANDROID TOOLKIT V1.3.4 [9TH JAN 2015]
* Install correct adb/fastboot drivers automatically on Windows xp/vista/7/8 32bit+64bit
* Backup/Restore a single package or all apps, user data and Internal Storage
* Backup your data from selectable folders [internal or external storage] to your PC for a Full Safe backup of data
* Unlock/Re-Lock your Bootloader [Nexus]
* Root Stock builds
* Various Root options using insecure boot image or custom recovery
* ALLINONE to Unlock, Root, Rename the Restore Files and install busybox [Nexus]
* ALLINONE to flash custom Recovery Root, Rename the Restore Files and install busybox [Samsung]
* Install BusyBox on your device
* Perform a FULL NANDROID Backup of your system (Boot, Cache, Data, Recovery and System) via adb and save in Custom Recovery format on your PC which can be Restored via CWM Recovery [if insecure boot image available]
* Fix extSdCard write permissions from installed apps in Android 4.4+ [Samsung]
* Pull /data and /system folders, compress to a .tar file and save to your PC [if insecure boot image available]
* Dump selected Device Partitions, compress to a .zip file with md5 and save to your PC [if insecure boot image available]
* Extras, Tips and Tricks section
* Auto Update ToolKit to latest available version at startup (professional only feature)
* Program up to 10 Quickpick slots and run them very quickly (professional only feature)
* Mods section to automatically perform certain tasks on your device
* Download Google Stock Image directly to correct ToolKit folder for extracting and flashing [Nexus]
* Check md5 of stock image to make sure downloaded file isn't corrupted before flashing [Nexus]
* Download Samsung Stock Firmware to PC for extracting and flashing via Odin [Samsung]
* Flash Custom Recovery or Google Stock Image to Device
* Rename the Recovery Restore File present on some Stock Roms
* Boot into CWM Touch, TWRP, Philz Touch Recovery or Stock Recovery without Flashing it [Nexus]
* Flash Custom Recovery to Device
* Boot [Nexus] or Flash .img Files directly from your PC
* Install a single apk or multiple apk's to your device
* Push Files from your PC to your device
* Pull Files from your device to your PC
* Disable forced encryption on Nexus6 and Nexus9 devices
* Install Root Checker app by Burrows Apps
* Install Backup/Restore app by MDroid Apps [calls log, sms, contacts]
* Install EFS/Partition Backup/Restore app by Wanam
* Dump selected LogCat buffers to your PC
* Dump BugReport to your PC
* Set Files Permissions on your device
* Open new Command Prompt for manual input
* Reboot device to Fastboot Mode or Android from fastboot mode [Nexus]
* Reboot device to Fastboot Mode [Nexus], Recovery, Android or Download Mode [Samsung] from adb mode
* Display Important Information about your device
--------------------------------------------------------------
SUPPORTED DEVICES AND LATEST SUPPORTED BUILDS *HERE*
DOWNLOAD THE SKIPSOFT UNIFIED ANDROID TOOLKIT *HERE* (FROM SKIPSOFT.NET)
NOTE: As the exe files are not Digitally Signed with a Microsoft Certificate they 'may' get picked up as potentially harmful by Antivirus Programs and deleted on first run. If this happens restore the file and exclude it from future scans to use it. This seems to happen mostly on AVG Free and Norton which is why I switched to BitDefender which is much better.
Credits: Chainfire for SuperSU, koush and the clockworkmod team for cwm and the universal driver pack, 1wayjonny for the adb/fastboot driver pack, Adam Lange for all his support and help with the insecure kernels.
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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PUBLIC (FREE) AND PROFESSIONAL (DONATE) VERSIONS?
THE PUBLIC VERSION OF THE TOOLKIT INCLUDES EVERYTHING YOU COULD NEED TO MANIPULATE YOUR DEVICE. NOTHING IS RESTRICTED.
ACTIVATING THE PROFESSIONAL VERSION ADDS THE MOST USEFUL FUNCTION IN THE TOOLKIT, THE ABILITY TO CHECK FOR 'AUTO UPDATES' DIRECTLY VIA THE TOOLKIT AND HAVE THEM PUSHED TO YOUR PC RIGHT AWAY AS SOON AS THEY ARE UPLOADED WITHOUT NEEDING TO DOWNLOAD THE WHOLE TOOLKIT EVERY TIME. YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE LATEST VERSION AS SOON AS IT IS MADE AVAILABLE. THIS MEANS SMALLER UPDATES CAN BE SENT OUT MORE FREQUENTLY, SUCH AS ADDING A SINGLE FUNCTION, FIXING A BUG OR ADDING COMPATIBILITY FOR A SINGLE CARRIER. THE SMALLER UPDATES WILL BE COMPILED AND RELEASED TO THE XDA COMMUNITY AS A FULL (PUBLIC) DOWNLOAD VERSION SO PROFESSIONAL VERSIONS ARE ALWAYS UPDATED SOONER.
THE PRO VERSION ALSO ADDS THE ABILITY TO CHECK FOR THE LATEST VERSION OF SUPERUSER AND RECOVERY FILES AND DOWNLOAD THEM DIRECTLY TO THE TOOLKIT.
THE 'QUICK PICKS' SECTION[/B] ALLOWS YOU TO PROGRAM UPTO 10 SLOTS WITH TASKS THAT YOU MAY PERFORM ON A REGULAR BASIS OR JUST WANT TO KEEP A SET OF TASKS IN 1 PLACE. THEN JUST SELECT THE SLOT AND IT WILL REMEMBER ALL YOUR SETTINGS FOR THAT TASK AND RUN IT.
PRO USERS CAN ALSO SELECT THE "ANY BUILD" OPTION IN THE BUILD SELECTION SCREEN TO ROOT ANY BUILD (USEFUL IF YOUR BUILD IS NOT LISTED).
AUTO REPLY LINKS FOR PAYPAL TO GET A CODE INSTANTLY CAN BE FOUND AT http://goo.gl/nyGqv
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PLEASE READ THE *HELP* PAGE AT http://www.skipsoft.net/?page_id=1269 OR USE THE INFORMATION SECTION WITHIN THE TOOLKIT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. I HAVE TAKEN A LOT OF TIME TO WRITE IT AND SOMETHING ON THERE SHOULD ANSWER 99% OF PROBLEMS.
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1. INSTALLING ADB/FASTBOOT DRIVERS
The first thing you need to do is to install the adb/fastboot drivers. These are needed so that you can unlock your bootloader, root your device and perform other adb/fastboot functions.
THE DRIVERS CAN BE INSTALLED DIRECTLY VIA THE TOOLKIT. OPTION 1 IN THE MAIN MENU.
If drivers are not installed or there is an exclamation mark next to the device:
Plug the device in to a usb cable directly connected to your motherboard.
In the Device Manager a new item, usually called Android 1.0 should pop up in the list.
Right click on the device item then left click on Update Driver Software. Select 'browse my computer' and then 'Let me pick from a list'.
If no adb interface driver appears in the list then untick 'Show compatible hardware' and find the Android or Samsung adb interface driver.
If you cannot find either of these click Have Disk, browse to the Toolkit install folder, drivers folder, click on android_winusb.inf and click Open.
Click OK and select Google ADB Interface.
Make sure you have USB debugging enabled in settings, developer options. In Android 4.2.2 or later you have to enable the developer options screen by going to settings, About on your device and click on Build number at the bottom 7 times until it says You are now a developer. If you have already enabled usb debugging then unplug/replug the usb cable.
On Android 4.2.2 or later when you replug the usb cable after enabling usb debugging for the first time you will get a popup asking you to authenticate your pc. Tick 'Always allow' then click 'ok'.
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2. USING SKIPSOFT UNIFIED ANDROID TOOLKIT
When starting the Toolkit you will first be asked which device you want to work with. Working folders will be created and the device files downloaded. You will then be taken to the Model/Build selection screen where you can do a number of things (other than select your model/build): Type '00' to enter your activation code and enable pro features, 'i' will take you to the Information and Help Section, 'a' will give you information on how to add support for a new build.
Supported builds are listed in the Model/Build selection screen and typing the associated number (i.e. 11) will download needed boot and recovery files (stock and custom recovery) then check for and download the latest superuser files available and custom recovery (pro versions only), verify all the files and start the Main Menu. You can now use all the functions and tools the Android Toolkit offers. Pro users can select the "any build" option to root any build (useful if your build is not listed).
--------------------------------------------------------------
USEFUL INFORMATION
How to get into Recovery Mode
1. Unplug the USB cable.
2. Shut down the phone.
3. Hold down the 'HOME' + 'VOLUME UP' buttons and press the 'POWER' button for about 5 seconds to enter Recovery Mode.
How to get into Download Mode (For Odin)
1. Unplug the USB cable.
2. Shut down the phone.
3. Hold down the 'HOME' + 'VOLUME DOWN' buttons and press the 'POWER' button for about 2 seconds until a WARNING! Screen appears. Press the 'VOLUME UP' button to enter Download Mode.
--------------------------------------------------------------
*DISCLAIMER*
I take no responsibility for any fault or damage caused by any procedures within this guide. No warranties of any kind are given.
**FAQ**
Q. Help me I can't find my build in the Model Selection Screen
The Toolkit includes a selection of Insecure Boot Images to cover all the different builds available. As there are very many different builds it is impossible to include an image for every single build but some builds share the same Boot Image. If you have a build that isnt listed on the Model Selection Screen you can therefore use a similar build. The best way to go is up to the next available build as it should offer more compatibility with the build you are using but if that isn't available then try the next build below your one as it should still be almost identical as long as it is the same version (ie. 4.1.1).
The Model Selection Screen is there so that if a task in the ToolKit requires an insecure kernel [to perform adb root commands] and your phone doesnt already include one, a compatible boot image [with an insecure kernel included] can be flashed to provide adb root access.
If you have a Custom Rom flashed to your phone then it will most probably have an insecure kernel included so it doesn't really matter if your build is not listed on the Model Selection Screen and when asked [by certain functions] if you have an insecure kernel on your phone you can answer 'yes'. However if the function fails then your kernel may not be insecure in which case you can flash one from the ToolKit. If you need to do this make sure the right build [or closest available build] is set so you flash the right image for your phone.
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Q. What is ADB Shell?
Adb shell is a linux command line tool (because android is based on linux) used to send commands to your android device. For S-ON devices, this is crucial for modifying files in the /system partition (where the rom sits) as you cannot modify anything in /system when the rom is running without S-OFF like removing system apps.
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Q. Why do I need to back up my IMEI/EFS and how do I do it?
There well protected section of your device that is virtually immune to any kind of flashing and manipulation (unless of course you know how to access it). This part of the device contains information such as IMEI (or MEID and ESN in the case of CDMA devices), programming parameters for the device such as your account information (phone number, etc), data provisioning parameters, and a whole bunch of other things that, when not handled properly, can render a device completely useless. All of these are contained in the infamous \EFS folder. If anything messes with your EFS folder, unlike flashing a device (which could potentially lead to bricks as well) it could render your device completely useless as it will no longer be recognized by your carrier. If you are not planning on flashing anything to your device and want to stay on pure Stock then you may never have any problems but it is still advisable to backup this information just in case (better to be safe than sorry). If you have a GT-I9300 GSM Model then you can do this from the Toolkit but if you have an LTE device then it isn't soo easy to do. If you have an LTE device you should go to *THIS* thread by lyriquidperfection and follow the information to save your IMEI/NV Data so that you are covered if anything should happen.
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Q. Is there currently no way to root the Samsung Galaxy S3 without voiding the warranty?
All methods of rooting will void your warranty in some way as you will have superuser files on your phone that arent supposed to be there. There is a method of rooting your phone without increasing the flash counter which involves flashing a complete rom with root files already added but if anything happens and you need to send it back under warranty you will need to flash a 'proper' Stock Rom back before returning it or your warranty will be void. Flashing a custom kernel or recovery to root will increase the flash counter and also void any warranty. There is currently no method of resetting the flash counter on Snapdragon models but im pretty sure there will be some support for it soon. If you dont want to risk it or you aren't sure then you shouldnt really be flashing your phone and should just leave it alone. Its your choice .
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Q. Will flashing Stock ROM via odin using the toolkit replace everything that was flashed before? recovery? etc?
Yes a Stock Image flashed via Odin will replace all your key partitions (boot, recovery, system) with the stock firmware. If you want to reset the phone back to an 'out of the box' state then you want to enter recovery and do a wipe first which will reformat your userdata partition.
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Q. I flashed Custom Recovery but each time I reboot the Stock Recovery is back
There is an auto recovery restore system on certain Stock Android Builds that will reflash the Stock Recovery if you flash CWM on a Stock Rom.
Use Root Explorer to Mount the system folder as R/W (or use a free app from Google Play such as ES File Explorer). Rename the files /system/recovery-from-boot.p and /system/etc/install-recovery.sh (requires root). Now when you flash Custom Recovery it will NOT be overwritten after a reboot. You can also do this via the Toolkit.
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Q. My AntiVirus program says the Toolkit files may be harmful
The exe compiled files are not digitally signed with a Microsoft certificate (as they cost money) so certain AntiVirus programs (mainly Norton and AVG Free) may pick it up as potentially harmful when it is not. They will pick up ANY file that doesn't contain a purchased Microsoft certificate in the same way. Just Restore the deleted file and exclude it from further scans and it will be fine. Or switch to a better AntiVirus program such as BitDefender.
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Q. I flashed the Toolkit Boot Image, now my wifi + bluetooth won't work
The boot images are made from Stock with only needed changes made to the insecure boot images [modified adbd, default.prop and rc.local edited] and will work on all stock roms. If you flash them to a custom rom and the rom has been altered or uses a custom boot image then it will boot but certain modules may not load such as wifi or bluetooth. In this case you can use the boot image to root or perform adb root functions but will need to flash back the boot image for the custom rom to get other functions working again. This is not a fault of the Toolkit but a difference to stock in the custom rom.
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Q. I am having trouble getting adb working with the drivers installed
Try switching your connection type from media (MTP) mode to camera mode (P2P). To do this open the notification area, click where it says connected as and change from MTP to PTP.
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Q. I want to send my device back for warranty purposes
1. Follow the instructions to reset your flash counter with TriangleAway.
2. Download and flash a Stock Firmware image from the download section.
3. Boot into Stock Recovery and perform a wipe/factory reset
.
Your internal storage will be formatted and data and cache wiped. Your device should now be back to an out-of-the-box FULLY STOCK state with the flash counter [shown if you boot to download mode manually] reset and ready to send back.
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Q. When connecting the phone I get 'USB Device not Recognized' and no serial number shows in the ToolKit
I actually had this problem recently and what fixed it for me was to make sure that the drivers have been installed, then shut my phone down plug the usb cable in and restart it. The phone booted up and the device was recognized and drivers installed correctly. May not work for everyone but worth trying.
**VIDEOS**
excellent
great
great share!
Will this work for rooting the XXALI9?
this is great,
lithium86 said:
Will this work for rooting the XXALI9?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will work on everything upto ALJ7 and beyond.
Final checks and uploading now.
Mark.
The Toolkit will be finished uploading in less than 10 minutes but before I release it publicly I need someone with a GT-I9305 to download and test the root and nand backup features. Please message back in here if you can test it right away as I can't post the link until I know it works properly.
Theres absolutely no risk of any damage as Stock Firmware images exist for your device so if anything doesnt work a simple flash will fix anything.
Mark.
Download link posted in OP.
Thread officially open
If anyone spots any bugs or errors in V6.0.0 please let me know right away as this was a major major rewrite to be able to incorporate I9305 and while I think everything looks fine I may have missed something.
Enjoy.
Mark.
Thanks Mark!
I know it is not your bag but any idea when CWM-Touch may be available for the I9305?
Thanks!
ALI9 ??
The welcome screen does not show the xxxali9 version of the i9305 model.. I surpose that means we have to wait for support for this one as well ??
Edit... didn't see before after posting that this q already has been answered....
[email protected] said:
The welcome screen does not show the xxxali9 version of the i9305 model.. I surpose that means we have to wait for support for this one as well ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you read the text on the Model Selection Screen?
FOR ROOTING AND PERFORMING ADB TASKS ON YOUR DEVICE, IF YOU CANNOT FIND THE BUILD
IN YOUR DEVICES SECTION THEN YOU CAN SELECT THE CLOSEST BUILD IN THE LIST (AS LONG
AS IT IS THE SAME ANDROID NUMBER IE. 4.0.4 or 4.1.1).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For xxali9 you can choose the ALI5 or the ALJ4 model it doesnt matter they will both work perfectly.
Mark.
mskip said:
Did you read the text on the Model Selection Screen?
For xxali9 you can choose the ALI5 or the ALJ4 model it doesnt matter they will both work perfectly.
Mark.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot.. . .Wasn´t sure..
and one thing is for sure.. Rather ask you one time to much, than brick my phone.:angel:
[email protected] said:
Thanks a lot.. . .Wasn´t sure..
and one thing is for sure.. Rather ask you one time to much, than brick my phone.:angel:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct
Mark.
Just to clarify for I9305 users this toolkit states full support for our device but just be aware it cannot communicate in Qualcomm Diag Mode so backing up EFS on its own is not amicable. Please still use the QPST method to backup NV Items and EFS area of the device.
For anything else then this toolkit is the biz although I write my own tools!
Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk 2
Thanks for your hard work. I love the Nexus toolkit.
Do you have any plans to expand this G3 toolkit for verizon? It is the d2vzw.
lyriquidperfection said:
Just to clarify for I9305 users this toolkit states full support for our device but just be aware it cannot communicate in Qualcomm Diag Mode so backing up EFS on its own is not amicable. Please still use the QPST method to backup NV Items and EFS area of the device.
For anything else then this toolkit is the biz although I write my own tools!
Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you mean we should use the steps provided in this guide - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1946915 before using the Samsung Toolkit?
lithium86 said:
Do you mean we should use the steps provided in this guide - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1946915 before using the Samsung Toolkit?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes and I'm also updating my application to support Qualcomm NV item backup and restore.
Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk 2
*** Use at your own risk these instructions worked for me on MY tablets that is no guarantee they will work for you ***
This is for the ProScan PLT9650G(K-1G-8G) tablet. It has the RockChip RK3126 chipset. The one I am working with was purchased in Canada at the Atlantic Superstore. I will just briefly outline what I needed and had to do to root and install a TWRP recovery on the tablet. See the attachment for the recovery image. I will explain how to get the programs and general steps to make a full backup of the tablet before ever rooting the device. It is a little difficult, and not necessary, but like any backup can be helpful to have around.
Specifications:
The ProScan tablet has:
- Android Lollipop 5.1.1;
- Quad-core Processor, 1.2Mhz;
- 1 GB of DDR3 Memory;
- 8GB Flash Storage;
- 800x480 Screen Resolution.
Backup Overview:
1) Install USB drivers;
2) Put tablet in bootloader mode;
3) Read the different partitions.
Tools Needed:
1) Rockchip Driver Assistant v4.3;
2) Android Tool v2.3.
Detailed Instructions:
This tablet is a newer version and requires at least version 4.3 of the Rockchip Driver Assistant. The older versions (4.1) won't recognize the USB product id (310D) in bootloader mode.
Download the drivers unrar and run DriverInstall.exe. Select uninstall to clean any old drivers and then select install to install the newer ones. I've done this under Windows 7/8.1/10. Since I've done it so often and so many times with different driver version, I can't remember if the bootloader drivers require you install them with the driver signing turned off or not. The problem becomes that the bootloader drivers (under Windows 8+) will fail the driver signing authentication and won't install. The ADB and MTP drivers are signed and will install correctly, but when you boot the tablet in bootloader mode the device will be unrecognized by Windows. If you end up with this problem follow these instructions and then install the drivers.
After testing on a new machine under Windows 10 the drivers install fine. There is no need to boot with driver signing verification turned off.
To put the tablet in bootloader mode follow thes instructions:
1) Unplug tablet (both power and usb);
2) Turnoff tablet;
3) Press and hold the esc and power buttons at the same time;
4) Hold until the stock recovery menu comes up;
5) Press the esc button to go down to the menu item saying bootloader;
6) Press the power button to execute that menu item.
The screen will go blank. Plug the tablet into the computer and it will be recognized as a device type "Class for rockusb devices" in the Windows Device Manager.
Download the Android Tool from the link provided. The link gives a detailed description of how to backup all the partitions. I have included my parameters.txt file that I created. From the standpoint of undoing the root operation described below I believe only the recovery and system partition needs to be saved. But saving all the partitions never hurts. After you have followed the information in the link and saved the partitions you can move on to rooting the device.
One serious warning I have NOT been able to write anything to the device using the Android Tool. It always give me an error and won't even try. The backups we create can be used from within the tablet to restore it later if needed.
Custom Recovery Overview:
1) Root device;
2) Download the image file on the tablet;
3) Flash the recovery partition with the image file.
Tools Needed:
1) KingRoot;
2) Terminal Application;
Root Device:
The device rooted using KingRoot. Startup the tablet and go through the setup process. Download the apk from the link provided. The version used in testing was 4.6.2. You will need to allow "Unknown sources". The app will eventually give a button just try to root. This will eventually work and the tablet will be rooted.
Extract the img file from within the zip file below onto the internal drive. Make sure you put it in the Download directory. If you are doing this from the tablet it should go there if you move it over using the computer make sure you put it in that directory or change the command below to the proper directory.
Install a terminal emulator. Anyone will do, the one I chose is linked above. Open the emulator and type:
Code:
su
at the prompt. KingRoot should prompt you asking if you want to grant root privilege to the command prompt. Then type the command:
Code:
dd if=/sdcard/Download/TWRP_800x480_Unified.img of=/dev/block/rknand_recovery bs=4096
. That's it if you type:
Code:
reboot recovery
the tablet will reboot and TWRP should start up.
Notes:
If you saved the original system partition you can install it using TWRP and effectively unroot the device but keep the TWRP recovery. With the recovery image you can install it over the TWRP and return the tablet to its stock state. I'm giving these tablets to my kids and I wanted a way to return them to the state I bought them plus after I've personalized them for each of my kids I can make a backup in case they do something that messes them up.
This will also work for the PLT1065G but you need to use different recovery/parameters. The kernel is different (looks like a different touchscreen).
Thanks for this. Got one for $50 at Loblaws today. Will attempt rooting.
Got it for my 6 yr old
Edit: Fixed boot issue
protectivedad said:
*** Use at your own risk these instructions worked for me on MY tablets that is no guarantee they will work for you ***
This is for the ProScan PLT9650G(K-1G-8G) tablet. It has the RockChip RK3126 chipset. The one I am working with was purchased in Canada at the Atlantic Superstore. I will just briefly outline what I needed and had to do to root and install a TWRP recovery on the tablet. See the attachment for the recovery image. I will explain how to get the programs and general steps to make a full backup of the tablet before ever rooting the device. It is a little difficult, and not necessary, but like any backup can be helpful to have around.
Specifications:
The ProScan tablet has:
- Android Lollipop 5.1.1;
- Quad-core Processor, 1.2Mhz;
- 1 GB of DDR3 Memory;
- 8GB Flash Storage;
- 800x480 Screen Resolution.
Backup Overview:
1) Install USB drivers;
2) Put tablet in bootloader mode;
3) Read the different partitions.
Tools Needed:
1) Rockchip Driver Assistant v4.3;
2) Android Tool v2.3.
Detailed Instructions:
This tablet is a newer version and requires at least version 4.3 of the Rockchip Driver Assistant. The older versions (4.1) won't recognize the USB product id (310D) in bootloader mode.
Download the drivers unrar and run DriverInstall.exe. Select uninstall to clean any old drivers and then select install to install the newer ones. I've done this under Windows 7/8.1/10. Since I've done it so often and so many times with different driver version, I can't remember if the bootloader drivers require you install them with the driver signing turned off or not. The problem becomes that the bootloader drivers (under Windows 8+) will fail the driver signing authentication and won't install. The ADB and MTP drivers are signed and will install correctly, but when you boot the tablet in bootloader mode the device will be unrecognized by Windows. If you end up with this problem follow these instructions and then install the drivers.
After testing on a new machine under Windows 10 the drivers install fine. There is no need to boot with driver signing verification turned off.
To put the tablet in bootloader mode follow thes instructions:
1) Unplug tablet (both power and usb);
2) Turnoff tablet;
3) Press and hold the esc and power buttons at the same time;
4) Hold until the stock recovery menu comes up;
5) Press the esc button to go down to the menu item saying bootloader;
6) Press the power button to execute that menu item.
The screen will go blank. Plug the tablet into the computer and it will be recognized as a device type "Class for rockusb devices" in the Windows Device Manager.
Download the Android Tool from the link provided. The link gives a detailed description of how to backup all the partitions. I have included my parameters.txt file that I created. From the standpoint of undoing the root operation described below I believe only the recovery and system partition needs to be saved. But saving all the partitions never hurts. After you have followed the information in the link and saved the partitions you can move on to rooting the device.
One serious warning I have NOT been able to write anything to the device using the Android Tool. It always give me an error and won't even try. The backups we create can be used from within the tablet to restore it later if needed.
Custom Recovery Overview:
1) Root device;
2) Download the image file on the tablet;
3) Flash the recovery partition with the image file.
Tools Needed:
1) KingRoot;
2) Terminal Application;
Root Device:
The device rooted using KingRoot. Startup the tablet and go through the setup process. Download the apk from the link provided. The version used in testing was 4.6.2. You will need to allow "Unknown sources". The app will eventually give a button just try to root. This will eventually work and the tablet will be rooted.
Extract the img file from within the zip file below onto the internal drive. Make sure you put it in the Download directory. If you are doing this from the tablet it should go there if you move it over using the computer make sure you put it in that directory or change the command below to the proper directory.
Install a terminal emulator. Anyone will do, the one I chose is linked above. Open the emulator and type:
Code:
su
at the prompt. KingRoot should prompt you asking if you want to grant root privilege to the command prompt. Then type the command:
Code:
dd if=/sdcard/Download/TWRP_800x480_Unified.img of=/dev/block/rknand_recovery bs=4096
. That's it if you type:
Code:
reboot recovery
the tablet will reboot and TWRP should start up.
Notes:
If you saved the original system partition you can install it using TWRP and effectively unroot the device but keep the TWRP recovery. With the recovery image you can install it over the TWRP and return the tablet to its stock state. I'm giving these tablets to my kids and I wanted a way to return them to the state I bought them plus after I've personalized them for each of my kids I can make a backup in case they do something that messes them up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems the boot issue is still there. Do you ever get this? It will get stuck at the PROSCAN logo display.
Friko said:
It seems the boot issue is still there. Do you ever get this? It will get stuck at the PROSCAN logo display.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have had it stuck. It was when I was testing things. I can't remember what I did. I do know one time I left it for a day and I noticed the ProScan logo had a flashing cursor in it.
protectivedad said:
I have had it stuck. It was when I was testing things. I can't remember what I did. I do know one time I left it for a day and I noticed the ProScan logo had a flashing cursor in it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been fiddling with it and it seems to be completely random. So I guess it's something we'll have to live with.
I bought it for my 6 year old who's dying to play Pokemon Go. The app runs okay on it. It's just the 'GPS' (or lack of a proper GPS chip) that's a bit slow/inaccurate
Hello I to bought this tablet in Canada I successfully rooted it but is there a reason why no other cameras can be downloaded or Music players or Instagram.
Is thee any chance to unbrick this tablet?
I have one stuck in the boot logo, hard reset wont solve, is there any flash file?
Hellooooo !!
anybody here ?
---------- Post added at 12:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:26 PM ----------
ANYONE TEIED THIS FIRMWARE?
https://mega.nz/#!TVFX0CiZ!6CaGOSGZM47PQAd9KZDuKcPJaXsCL3n3JJQBtXPRHJo
is there any tool capable of flashing this tablet?
I have tried all known by me and all report a sudden error as sson as you try to write anything.
like OP said.
I have one stuck at boot logo, I have 2 firmwares ready to flash.
yurais said:
is there any tool capable of flashing this tablet?
I have tried all known by me and all report a sudden error as sson as you try to write anything.
like OP said.
I have one stuck at boot logo, I have 2 firmwares ready to flash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a way to create an SDCARD and it will run from the SDCARD. I've forgotten how . I'm looking at one of my kids cracked ones right now. The touchscreen is cracked so I'm looking at build Ubuntu for it. I'll post when I figure out the SDCARD again.
Reset tablet to factory
I was able to use the factory irmware to reset the tablet from a computer. It will over write any custom recovery, etc. I have been unable to recreate a custom image any changes make the image fail. I found the software I used to create a bootable SDCARD but I can't get it to work keeps failing on creating the MBR. The software was the Rockchip SD Firmware Tool and there is an option to create SD Boot. So far I can only find v1.43 anyone have v1.45?
Let me know here as soon as you just remember anything related to this.
I got another tab like this, screen cracked and I could read off its firmware, so I now have a working firmware waiting to be written...
Enviado desde mi SM-N920T mediante Tapatalk
Thanks so much for this guide. I picked one of these up for $6 when HHGREGG was closing.
Proscan PLT7650G
Good day is there a guide and firmware for a Proscan PLT7650G
Technician
protectivedad said:
I was able to use the factory irmware[/URL] to reset the tablet from a computer. It will over write any custom recovery, etc. I have been unable to recreate a custom image any changes make the image fail. I found the software I used to create a bootable SDCARD but I can't get it to work keeps failing on creating the MBR. The software was the Rockchip SD Firmware Tool and there is an option to create SD Boot. So far I can only find v1.43 anyone have v1.45?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you flash the image? what software did you use,
Thanks.
it's not possible to change the rom or custom image of the tablet to another operating system like ubuntu or linux. It has allow OEM bootloader unlocked in the settings in developer section greyed out and it doesn't allow oem bootloader unlocking 'enabled'. You cannot enable it.
What you are doing is just resetting the factory image. or rom. you can just push the reset button with pin after charging the tablet for 3 hours.
These tablets are not 'cheap' to make and google, cell phone companies subsidize these 'cheap' tablets. so you have to use and pay them when you subscribe to their cell phone 'service' or google advertisements when you use their 'service'.
Lots of vaporware being pushed saying they can unlock something for $40 or downloading tools etc. wasted of time as it's impossible to unlock oem BOOTLOADER if the manufacture has locked it, you cannot install another operating system in the tablet, or smart phone. so don't waste your time.
Only some phones allow oem unlocking bootloader and those are the higher end phones costing $400-$600 for a tablet that are not 'subsidized' by google or you cell phone company as with 'cheap' phone or tablet.
the firmware is not available for download at the manufacture website that should raise alarms about the firmware. I've factory reset the device and now it's having reboot issues, either the firmware is defective or corrupt bootloader etc. The manufacture proscan seems to be selling the devices yet no technical support or even a direct download from the manufacture, downloading firmware from thirdparty servers is security risk. it seems like today lots bogus websites and no technical support from manufacturers in tech devices they sell. and people have to sites like XDA for 'free' technical support. Even Microsoft which makes billions in profits fail to provide proper technical support for some reason. and have to rely on 'free' technical support for bugs and issues with their software and hardware and lots vaporware apps etc.. bogus apps. that don't work.
Rooting gives the user the ability to install and change OEM software. from what i gather so don't waste your time, to root a device, allows the user to delete operating system files. if the manufacture doesn't allow changing the oem software there is nothing you can do. about so don't waste time trying root it or try to install ubuntu or linux on the tablet or smartphone if it's oem LOCKED. bootloader. you cannot unlock it. it's much harder to unlock oem software.
the method to 'restore' factory image or known as 'flashing the rom'
there is no reason to flash the rom etc.
1. just hold the power button and esc button at the same time
2. release the power button wait 2 seconds
and then release the esc button
you should now be in boot up mode.
this unit doesn't allow you to be in bootloader mode. so you CANNOT install another firmware or install linux etc. other than the proscan firmware.
3. press esc to select restore the factory settings
4. press the power button to select
this the easiest way to restore stuck in browser or need to flash the rom
again if the rom is 'corrupt' which is not likely
if that is the case
the option to "apply update from external storage" doesn't seem to work as you cannot mount to flash the rom and reinstall the .img file from the .zip file
"apply update from external storage"
where you saved your .zip doesn't work
the apply updated from ADB works you need a usb computer hooked up to you computer and terminal command to ADB to your table to rinstall the .imge file
update ,this no longer seems to work in installing the .zip file method to install the firmware.
lot of software and hardware that have no technical support or documentation and the stuff just doesn't seem to work and high security risk with no updates from manufacture as it cost them money to resolve issues. selling disposable technology tablets. that is not meant to last. basically toys. for kids.
We are trying to get hold a custom recovery for Lenovo Tab3-710F. We are using hundreds of Lenovo tablets in our projects and have up until now used Tab2 A7-10 which has a custom recovery build for it (found here att XDA).
The reason we need the custom recovery is for cloning the unit which works good in CWM or TWRP.
The problem now is that Lenovo have stopped selling Tab2 so we are now stuck with a unit we cant clone.
Have somebody successfully created a custom recovery for the unit? If not or if you have we are offering payments/devices to get this working asap. Are you interested please PM us? When we have it we can share it to the world here no problems for us.
If you need to root the device KingoRoot latest APK works.
So hope somebody can help us.
Perhaps useful for you: I've managed to extract the stock rom of a brand new TB3-710F
http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/help/lenovo-tab-3-7-essential-tb3-710f-mt8127-t3416397
This also includes the "recovery.img" so you could try to change this image and simply flashing it. If it does not work you'll have a stock rom to restore it.
gogetrd said:
We are trying to get hold a custom recovery for Lenovo Tab3-710F. We are using hundreds of Lenovo tablets in our projects and have up until now used Tab2 A7-10 which has a custom recovery build for it (found here att XDA).
The reason we need the custom recovery is for cloning the unit which works good in CWM or TWRP.
The problem now is that Lenovo have stopped selling Tab2 so we are now stuck with a unit we cant clone.
Have somebody successfully created a custom recovery for the unit? If not or if you have we are offering payments/devices to get this working asap. Are you interested please PM us? When we have it we can share it to the world here no problems for us.
If you need to root the device KingoRoot latest APK works.
So hope somebody can help us.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did u manage to get TWRP or CWM for TB3-710F ?
zwirc said:
Did u manage to get TWRP or CWM for TB3-710F ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I built it for them. Download here
@Tzul @gogetrd We are trying to achieve something similar, configure about 700 tablets of this model. I have played with custom ROMs in the past, but mostly as a consumer (e.g. Cyanogen on personal devices).
It is my understanding that installation using the files provided by @Tzul would require to;
0. create a custom ROM.
Then for each device
1. root device (e.g. Developper mode, allow "Unknown source"s, adb install one rooting apk, run it, etc).
2. install custom recovery on device
3. flash custom ROM
Am I right?
If so do we agree that the time spent doing these operations might be about similar than the time spent e.g. manually installing / configuring the device? Or is there a way to automate the steps above?
You can configure 1 tablet, then extract the ROM and flash it with the "download mode". You don't even need to boot the tablet!
If you want more info let me know, back from holiday in a few days
@lacostej You can certainly automate some steps, and you do not always need root. (And the best way to root is to install the latest SuperSU via TWRP; no need for questionable apps that are doing who knows what...)
There are three ways to install another firmware:
The MediaTek SmartPhone Flash Tool (SPFT). This is a PC program (Windows and Linux) that allows reading and writing of the entire internal storage (on a partition granularity). Via USB, while the device is powered down. Only for devices based on MediaTek chips, of course (this tablet is MediaTek-based).
Fastboot. This is a little USB protocol implemented by the bootloader. A Fastboot client on PC can communicate with the bootloader via USB and execute certain commands, e.g. "fastboot flash" for flashing partitions. However, there are a few drawbacks with this:
First, you need to boot the device into fastboot mode. Some devices have a boot menu that allows you to do this, but this device doesn't. Starting the tablet via power+volumeUP takes you directly to the recovery instead of a boot menu. But in the recovery, whether stock or TWRP, there's a reboot to bootloader option. Using ADB (adb reboot bootloader) should also take you there.
Second, the "fastboot flash" command is restricted on this tablet. If you were to use "fastboot flash recovery <recoveryfilename_here>", for example, it would abort with an error message. I have patched the bootloader to allow the flash command, but you'd first need to install this patched version on your tablet(s), of course, via SPFT or other means.
Third, the "fastboot flash" command has a size limit - the bootloader needs to buffer the USB data in RAM before it can be written, and since the tablet has only 1 GB of RAM, you obviously can't flash a 1 GB system image this way. The buffer is actually a lot smaller: just 128 MiB. Meaning whatever file you send to the tablet via "fastboot flash", it cannot be larger than 128 MiB. So, how do you flash the system or userdata partition then, which are much, much larger? By splitting their image file into many smaller "sparse" image files, each of which is below the size limit. There's probably a tool for doing this, but I don't know any details.
TWRP, or another custom recovery. They allow you to create and restore backups. TWRP has some automation support via OpenRecoveryScript.
So, if you have 700 tablets to configure, you can configure just one, then save its state via SPFT or TWRP, then restore that on each other tablet.
What is its "state"? Well, the system, cache, and data partitions. The system partition is normally read-only and won't change, therefore you do not need to clone it. Unless you install root and modify stuff on the system partition, of course. The cache partition is quite irrelevant. It is the data partition that has all the app settings.
However, if you clone the data partition from one tablet to others, then you're causing each tablet to use the same Android ID (a long number identifying an Android device, usually randomly generated when Android is first booted after a factory reset), the same Bluetooth and WiFi MAC addresses, and some other IDs that should be unique on each device (the tablet's Lenovo serial number might be in some cloned files as well, e.g. the WiFi settings).
You can at least avoid cloning the MAC addresses by deleting the entire directory /data/nvram/ before you create your backup. MediaTek devices have a dedicated NVRAM partition that contains the MAC addresses and some other stuff, and this data gets unpacked to /data/nvram/ when Android boots. Unless the files there already exist. So, by deleting /data/nvram/ before you clone, you force each tablet to extract its unique MAC addresses again at the next boot...
Thanks a lot for the feedback. Really appreciated.
Tzul said:
@lacostej And the best way to root is to install the latest SuperSU via TWRP; no need for questionable apps that are doing who knows what...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't SuperSU already requires root? (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1538053)
How did you get root on your Lenovo device? (I assume you had one to dump the image)
However, if you clone the data partition from one tablet to others, then you're causing each tablet to use the same Android ID (a long number identifying an Android device, usually randomly generated when Android is first booted after a factory reset), the same Bluetooth and WiFi MAC addresses, and some other IDs that should be unique on each device (the tablet's Lenovo serial number might be in some cloned files as well, e.g. the WiFi settings).
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly the thing I was worried about when it comes to cloning. Those problems might arise later during QA, and I probably don't have the time required to do it properly this time.
lacostej said:
Doesn't SuperSU already requires root? (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1538053)
How did you get root on your Lenovo device? (I assume you had one to dump the image)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SuperSU is just like any other root manager. It provides the actual "su" (superuser) binary that other programs rely on to obtain root privileges, plus an Android app for managing permissions and settings. The su binary needs to be installed on the system partition (at least traditionally), but in order to get write access there, you need root privileges. Therefore, this is a chicken and egg problem: SuperSU provides root, but it also needs root in order to be installed. Other root manager are no different - except that some try to exploit security flaws in Android in order to temporarily obtain root and install their su binary.
Anyway, the classic solution to this conundrum is the (custom) recovery: it basically has root built-in. It can write to the system partition by default, after all one of its jobs is to install firmware updates.
TWRP includes a SuperSU stub. If you leave TWRP via the Reboot menu, it checks whether or not the su binary is installed (at least in Android 4 and 5), and if it isn't, it asks if you'd like to install the SuperSU stub. Which you can then use in Android to update to the latest SuperSU via Play Store. But you can also install SuperSU's latest "update zip" in TWRP to immediately install the full version.
lacostej said:
That's exactly the thing I was worried about when it comes to cloning. Those problems might arise later during QA, and I probably don't have the time required to do it properly this time.
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Yeah, it is annoying. MediaTek apparently wisened up a bit. Newer platforms they produce do not unpack the NVRAM partition to the data partition anymore. Instead, they use a dedicated "nvdata" partition for that purpose. That way, if you clone the data partition, you at least won't include the unpacked NVRAM data (MAC addresses and IMEI). But still, some other IDs such as the Android ID, references to the serial number, etc. will very likely be referenced by some other files on the data partition.
I created a little "update zip" that can be "installed" via TWRP, which is just a shell script that tries to delete all the files on the data partition that contain unique or sensitive info. I use it to "clean" a data partition before publishing it. But it's not perfect yet...
@Tzul Your modified rom is great. But I have one problem with it.
When you connect your turned off device to the power supply there is a clock and charging animation. The clock is several hours ahead of the system clock. System clock and clock during the charging are connected (when I change the system time the 2nd clock also changes the hour).
I was trying to use hwclock but without success.
Is there some kind of file where I can set the correct time zone for the 2nd clock?
Sorry for my English.
@Yozen I didn't modify the ROM. I extracted and packaged it.
When the tablet is turned off and then connected to a power supply, it will usually start "off-mode charging" (can be disabled, so that Android will boot up instead). This is handled by the bootloader (LK, lk.bin), which also displays the battery animation and the clock that you see. Apparently the bootloader on this device doesn't handle time zones, because the clock shown uses China Standard Time (CST, UTC+08:00). This is the first MediaTek-based device I've seen which shows a clock in the off-mode charging screen at all. I guess they normally don't because they have no simple way to figure out the user's correct time zone at that stage.
Will this method and these files work for TB3-730F?
Sir, is there a custom ROM available for Lenovo tab3-710f ?
lacostej said:
@Tzul @gogetrd We are trying to achieve something similar, configure about 700 tablets of this model. I have played with custom ROMs in the past, but mostly as a consumer (e.g. Cyanogen on personal devices).
It is my understanding that installation using the files provided by @Tzul would require to;
0. create a custom ROM.
Then for each device
1. root device (e.g. Developper mode, allow "Unknown source"s, adb install one rooting apk, run it, etc).
2. install custom recovery on device
3. flash custom ROM
Am I right?
If so do we agree that the time spent doing these operations might be about similar than the time spent e.g. manually installing / configuring the device? Or is there a way to automate the steps above?
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How did you do it in the end? I'm trying to do something similar here and am very curious!
.acy said:
How did you do it in the end? I'm trying to do something similar here and am very curious!
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For us it is this "simple".
1. Manually configure a single device
2. Readback the ROM (get the ROM from the device and store it on your PC) using SP Flash Tool
3. Parse the ROM from a single file to multiple files using Mtk Droid Tool
4. (clear cache partition & remove stuff like serial number)
5. Load your ROM in SP Flash Tool
6. Click start
7. DO NOT START your new tablet
8. Connect it to USB
9. Wait (assuming you already have the preloader drivers installed)
10. Done, new ROM is flashed to your tab!
edit:
Oh and with 700 tablets it might be nice to look into compressing the file as the full 8gb dump we flash (and we don't do a lot these days) will take ~30-40 minutes
mattiemvs said:
3. Parse the ROM from a single file to multiple files using Mtk Droid Tool
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That's unnecessary, because the SP Flash Tool can already read back partitions into separate files.
Also, you don't need to clone some partitions like cache, and you really should not clone nvram and parts of data, otherwise you'll end up with tablets sharing unique IDs such as MAC addresses, which will cause problems.
Tzul, you are absolutely right! I typed the items from my mind as it has been quite some time since I've created the ROM
tb3-710f s000028
Tzul said:
Yes, I built it for them.
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Hello tzul,
Thanks for your jobs.
I want to install Lenovo_TB3-710F_S000027_TO_S000028_Patched_Tzul.zip
But i don't know how i do this when i try with SPFT i choose teh scatter-file and i have an error :
sp flash toll error : 5417
The load scatter file is invalid !
hint :
please check the scatter file and select again
Can you help me ? please
@siegheart73 That is a patched OTA update. It needs to be installed by the recovery (stock or TWRP). If a zip file contains a "META-INF" folder, then it's most likely intended for the recovery, and not for the SPFT.
Tzul said:
@siegheart73 That is a patched OTA update. It needs to be installed by the recovery (stock or TWRP). If a zip file contains a "META-INF" folder, then it's most likely intended for the recovery, and not for the SPFT.
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Thanks for your answer.
I go to test it.
I want to root this kernel 000028 and i have difficult to do it ?
Do you have a easy solution ?
Thanks a lot for your help.