Database Info

Can't install any custom roms any longer

I am lost.
I had FireFly 2.05 on my SGS (ATT US version) and was going to update to 2.1. I followed the procedure as I aways do; ODIN 1 click to stock rom, master clear, copy update.zip and rom file and reboot into recovery. This time however I get the following error
E:Can't symlink /system/xbin/su SYSTEM:bin/su
E:Failure at line 14
I checked some notes on this and found out that it might be a currupt file. So I re-downloaded FireFly2.1 again and transfered the file to the internal SD card. The outcome was the same.
Then I copied the original 2.05 version back which I know was fine and I still get the same error. Even after a full stock 1-click and master clear the above error will not go away.
Is my internal SD card messed up? Or am I missing something else?
It's running stock right now and all seems to work fine, but I cannot stand all the bloatware and other crap ATT puts on the phone and really want to try FireFly2.1.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

Did you flash clockwork recovery

Did you root the phone after you flashed back to stock?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Agree with DaveyBB - sounds like you are not rooted.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

You do not need to root on stock just flash clockwork with update zip

The update.zip i use is the current clockwork recovery.
I boot into the stock e2 recovery, then apply cw recovery and update the rom. Never had to root stock before when i update via cw recovery.
I will try to root stock first this time and then apply rom via recovery.
Thx
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

anosis said:
The update.zip i use is the current clockwork recovery.
I boot into the stock e2 recovery, then apply cw recovery and update the rom. Never had to root stock before when i update via cw recovery.
I will try to root stock first this time and then apply rom via recovery.
Thx
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To install clockwork select reinstall packages twice

The issue is not with cw recovery. I am already in it, but the error that i get is after i click "yes apply this zip"... The script starts to format the system, data, datadata, etc. And then this error shows up after files ate copied
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Have you tried re download of rom package?

My only guess is that clockwork and the rom are not working well. I would try downloading a different clockwork
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

mcord11758 said:
Have you tried re download of rom package?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Done that too.
So just to reiterate...
I had FireFly2.05 running and many other cooked Android 2.1 and 2.2 roms before this. I follow the instrution of the cooks to the 't' on how to update to the newest rom and never had any issue.
This time I downloaded FireFly2.1 and also Phoenix4.5 from the respective cooks and followed the instructions as usual. The issues does not show up until the 'copy files' part of the script is running (formating of the filesystem already passed).
All I can imagine are these:
1) The transfer from the PC to the Phone is corrupt (ruled out the download from the net as even the existing FireFly2.05 rom no longer loads)
2) The internal SD card is messes up
3) There is some configuration change I am not aware off that prevents the install of the cooked rom.

Maybe try to reformat sd through clockwork

Problem solved, kind of.
My desktop PC, which I always use to transfer the files is somehow responsible for the error I get in CWM recovery. I ended up using my laptop to transfer the ROM to the phone and it worked again.
Something is messing up the USB transfer? That seems very odd but I am glad it's not the phone that caused the issue.
If I find out what the issue is with my Desktop I will post again just in case this rather rare issue might happen to someone else.

anosis said:
Done that too.
So just to reiterate...
I had FireFly2.05 running and many other cooked Android 2.1 and 2.2 roms before this. I follow the instrution of the cooks to the 't' on how to update to the newest rom and never had any issue.
This time I downloaded FireFly2.1 and also Phoenix4.5 from the respective cooks and followed the instructions as usual. The issues does not show up until the 'copy files' part of the script is running (formating of the filesystem already passed).
All I can imagine are these:
1) The transfer from the PC to the Phone is corrupt (ruled out the download from the net as even the existing FireFly2.05 rom no longer loads)
2) The internal SD card is messes up
3) There is some configuration change I am not aware off that prevents the install of the cooked rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One Question:
What method are you using to enter recovery method when you attempt to flash the rom? And what color is your recovery menu (should be green)?
(Don't go into recovery via rom manager. Try entering recovery via your advanced power menu)

bames said:
One Question:
What method are you using to enter recovery method when you attempt to flash the rom? And what color is your recovery menu (should be green)?
(Don't go into recovery via rom manager. Try entering recovery via your advanced power menu)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think he's getting into Clockwork via ROM Manager, as he's said multiple times he's using the CWM update.zip; reinstalling packages in 2e recovery to get to CWM.
He's also said he doesn't believe this to be an issue with Clockwork (and I don't either). And I'm also pretty sure we're not dealing with newbie mistakes of Android Recovery vs. Clockwork Recovery.

any chance you're leaving your usb plugged into your cappy while you're trying to flash it?

custom rom doesnt flash on samsung vibrant

i have samsung vibrant with 2.2 stock rom updated via kies. after update i rooted it with superoneclick. and i got superuser app on. then i downloaded rom manager and installed clockwork recovery, in rom manager it says what version is installed and everything but everytime i go to recover it shows me stock samsung recovery mod. so clockwork isn't actually installed. and when i try to flash custom rom via rom manager it goes to samsung recovery mod does somethings and just reboots to normal rom that im running. can anyone tell me what's missing or what am i doing wrong?

Same here
I'm having the same issue. I have SU in apps and Rom Manager has SU permissions. Thanks in advance for any helpful advice.

found a fix. lemme know if you need any help. the step with 3e whatever was weird but just follow the link and download. after doing the shell thing in superuser (don't reboot) run the 3e thing you just downloaded... should be a dos type user interface.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=925400

Can't go back to stock Samsung Vibrant ROM!!
“I'm in a similar situation... I've been trying to go back to stock ROM by flashing several new stock kernel images, but i need to find a fool proof way to flash back to stock. The newer stock kernel images are not allowing me to mount the necessary files - I'm not able to find the older stock kernel images without any of the mounting issues.
"E: Can't mount/dev/block/ST110
(Invalid Argument)"
"E: copy_dbdata_media: Can't mount DBDATA: copy default media content failed."
Any one has an answer/solution to this? THANKS”

Did you try installing busybox.. then try installing amon-ra's recovery in rom manager or at boot screen.. the screen where you can select fastboot or recovery and stuff
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App

I have been using Odin 1.7 to flash the stock images. None of the newer stock kernel images have been working for us, hitting us with mounting issues. Now we cannot even get past the standard bootloader and do not have the luxury of a custom recovery. We need an old but reliable stock kernel without mounting issues so we can at least get past the bootloader.

Rooted i9023, some help needed please!

Ok guys so I have managed to root my i9023 and flash clockwork recovery which was all good, I set about flashing some new roms via rom manager, again, all good.
So now I settle on this cm7 based rom which I love, used anim mod to get some nice transitions, then I used font changer.
All was good, then I decided that the font I was using was a bit ott so I decided to change it again, upon reboot it starts boot looping, bollocks !!!
So I try to get into clockwork recovery, and it seems to have gone back to the stock bootloader, grrrrr
I re flash clockwork, wipe / clear etc... then flash the rom again, but it would not flash, so I went to my backup of stock n flashed that, all good.
I then install rom manager again and flash the rom I liked again, this time no problem, but when it loads up the home button and search button are not working
So i decide on a factory reset, I select wipe everything including sd just to be sure but it comes up "error null"???
So now I wipe the sd manually and then do the reset and it works, ok, I re load everything on from scratch and all is good, but when I installed rom manager it says that clockwork recovery IS NOT installed again
Can anyone here work out from my ramblings WTF is going on???
I dont get why the font changer all of a sudden caused a boot loop, as I had changed font about 15 times with it without issue, also why clockwork recovery will not stick anymore after a reboot, when before it did and I have not changed a thing!
Cheers!!!

Rename install-recovery.sh in system/etc to something else, flash cwm recovery again, this time it'll stick until you install a stock rom again.
Rom manager is causing more problems than it's saving time, hence I don't use it.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

Thanks for the reply, can you go into detail on what exactly I need to do to get clockwork to stick? I still hold noob status!
Thanks!
Also rom manager seems fine, I flashed loads of roms with it with no issue, I also rebooted a few time at least between flashes so I dont get why clockwork suddenly decided to jump ship.
It was the font changer that f&%ked it all up for me, or anim mod (which I wont touch now even tho I miss the wicked transitions).

When using Font Changer, it's better to do a reboot manually instead of selecting Reboot from within the program. That sometimes cause me a boot loop too. But after turning the phone off / on a.k.a. "reboot manually", the phone boots fine.
To elaborate what rentaric said, use Root Explorer and go to /system/etc/, there should be a file named install-recovery.sh. This file is responsible for flashing the stock recovery every time the phone boots. If you rename it to something else e.g. install-recovery.sh.bak then CWM will stick on reboot.

Thanks, but when I get into the /system/etc/ there is not file called install-recovery.sh.
The only .sh in there is init.goldfish.sh
Any ideas???

bump...............

Flash cwm rec and either stock or custom rom.
Stock rom incl the .sh you want.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

I've read on these forums that using Clockwork on the I9023 is a no-go. Serves up incompatible ROMs, etc.
BTW, I'm looking to root my I9023. Can the OP please point me to the method he used.

athani said:
I've read on these forums that using Clockwork on the I9023 is a no-go. Serves up incompatible ROMs, etc.
BTW, I'm looking to root my I9023. Can the OP please point me to the method he used.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LINK: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1007782
Please read the whole thread, if I had it would have saved me half a night scratching my head...lol

rentaric said:
Flash cwm rec and either stock or custom rom.
Stock rom incl the .sh you want.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I have a custom rom installed, supercm7, but the install-recovery.sh. that I have been told is causing the problem of clockwork disappearing is not in the /system/etc/ folder, so I am asking if there is anything else that could be causing me to have to re flash clockwork via my pc every time I want to change rom?
I will tell you exactly what happens.
1. I go into rom manager
2. download a rom and choose flash rom from sd card
3. it asked if I want to wipe etc, i select yes
4. phone re boots and I get ! with an android
5. I pull the battery, hold volume up n power and boot / connect to my pc
6. re flash clockwork via SDK
7.the phone then load the new rom on its own
Before it would just flash the rom without me having to install clockwork again.

install-recovery.sh is only there if you're using a stock android rom.
"so I am asking if there is anything else that could be causing me to have to re flash clockwork via my pc every time I want to change rom?"
ROM Manager.
It's not a reliable working tool for ME as I'm changing ROMs/kernels on a regular basis and it might not work reliable the one time you need it.

Thanks for that, I may just sack rom manager then.
Its a shame as I flashed several roms with it without issue.
Oh well, loving this supercm7 so gonna stick with it untill an update comes out.
Many thanks to all who have replied, clicking the thanks buttons now!

I had the same problem but i installed a previus recovery and works fine formeforme
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA Premium App

[Q] Trouble with 2.3.6 update on I9020a.

I've been in and out of these forms for hours now, and I still can't figure this out. I have an I9020a from Fido (Canadian). I flashed the stock ROM & modem from this post (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1056062&page=68). When I try to flash the 2.3.6 update through CWM 5.0.2.3 I get the following
-- Installing: /sdcard/7d11404284c0.signed-soju-
GRK39F-from-GRJ22.7d114042.zip
Finding update package...
Opening update package...
Installing update...
assert failed: file_getprop("/system/build.prop"
. "ro.build.fingerprint") == "google/soju/crespo
:2.3.4/GRJ22/121341:user/release-keys" ||
file_getprop(/system/build.prop". "ro.build.fin
gerprint") == "google/soju/crespo:2.3.6/GRK39F/1
89904:user/release-keys"
E:Error in /sdcard/7d11404284c0.signed-soju-GRK3
9F-from-GRJ22.7d114042.zip
(Status 7)
Installation aborted.
Now I know that some people say I need to use the stock recovery, however there doesn't seem to be any way to get that back. The post (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1033269) that everyone mentions has dead links in it, so I cannot download the stock recovery from it.
Can anyone help?
Wolfgar2k

Have you renamed the file to update.zip. placed it on the root of the sd ard and flashed it by selecting the install update.zip option in clockwork. You cannot use the flash zip from sdcard option.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium

I tried renaming it to update.zip, but got the same results. I tried with Clockwork 4.0.0.2 and 5.0.2.3. Both of these are missing the install from update.zip option for some reason. I also tried to flash a recovery.img file that was supposed to be stock recovery from post (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1033269&page=4) but all it did was make the phone go to the screen with the ! in a triangle with the android logo beside it.

Have you been on stock the whole time? These errors usually mean that there is some different configuration than expected on your phone when using an update package. It could be your radio or your recovery and I have read that even different versions of google apps can cause this. I have seen this myself. Your best bet is to flash the full rom package for your I9020A with clockwork recovery to get you to 2.3.6 you can download here. http://android.clients.google.com/p...8148de0d.signed-sojua-ota-189904.0b9c8148.zip You won't receive any errors because it's a full rom package. You will however have to re flash clockwork recovery aftewards.

Had same issue coming from 2.3.4 I was rooted . Flash the full ROM 2.3.6 you shouldn't have to wipe. after flashing you lose cwr and root
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

I tried flashing that ROM with CWM. It made my phone go into a boot loop. I even tried using the NAND 2.3.1 backup. That didn't work, nor did it replace my recovery with the stock one. I did manage to flash to a full 2.3.6 ROM that was pre-rooted, though that's not quite what I was going for. I was trying to get back to pure stock with the 2.3.6 update.

Wolfgar2k said:
I tried flashing that ROM with CWM. It made my phone go into a boot loop. I even tried using the NAND 2.3.1 backup. That didn't work, nor did it replace my recovery with the stock one. I did manage to flash to a full 2.3.6 ROM that was pre-rooted, though that's not quite what I was going for. I was trying to get back to pure stock with the 2.3.6 update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2.3.1 was never designed for the i9020a the first release was 2.3.3. A nand backup will never get you to stock recovery. when making a backup it doesnt save a recovery.img because you make the nand using the fastboot flashed clockwork recovery.img.
The link I provided for you is the full rom which is pure stock 2.3.6 for the i9020a Nexus S straight from Google. This is the update presented to me when going from 2.3.3 up to 2.3.6. If you flashed that you are completly stock including radio, kernel and recovery.
After if you want cwm and root back you have to fastboot flash cwm again and then from cwm I flash su.

I am in the same boat as Wolfgar2k. I am also in Canada and have a Nexus S I9020A with Fido. I wanted to ditch CyanogenMod and go back to the stock 2.3.6 version.
I tried installing the build that blowtorch provided (copy to SD card, rename to Update.zip, select "Install from SDCard"). The install completed without error but when I boot the phone, it gets to the loading animation (colourful X-shaped particle system), the animation then freezes and restarts, over and over.
Anyone know what could be going wrong here?

I have (finally) solved my problem. It turns out all I had to do was use fastboot to erase the cache (fastboot -w) and the phone no longer crashed on boot. Tons of thanks to blowtorch for posting that 2.3.6 build, which does in fact work just fine. I have my phone back!
So happy.

Cooper39,
can you guide me how can i do "use fastboot to erase the cache (fastboot -w)" on my nexus .. I am having the same problem
Ahmed

[Q] Odin can't flash stock, boot hangs at logo

Good morning...
Right now, my phone (Galaxy S III on Verizon) will not boot past the "Galaxy S III" logo. Odin will not flash a stock Jelly Bean ROM from StockRoms.net. It gets stuck on the first .img, boot.img. I am downloading a new stock ROM right now and will try a full wipe.
Being silly and ambitious, I do not have a nandroid before it wouldn't boot. On Monday (two days ago) I rooted it. I flashed the VRALEC boot chain, rebooted, flashed ClockworkMod recovery, and installed the SuperSU bootloader and root patch through recovery. I rebooted, allowing CWM to disable the automatic re-flashing of the recovery. With my newly rooted phone, I jumped at trying to install Google Wallet. I went with the route of using Wallet Installer as found on the app store. And, being silly, I checked all three OS options (JB, ICS, and one other). After authorizing the superuser request, my phone almost immediately shut off. I think I made a nandroid through CWM after that, but not one that would run.
I thought it was going to be just build.prop having issues, so I went on a wild quest trying to find a working one online and get it on the device. I worked it into the updater script of my SuperSU patch. Nonetheless, nothing there fixed it. I've tried a bunch of things, including (get this) extracting the stock system.img.ext4 image, mounting it, tarring the device, creating an MD5 for it, and wrapping it up like a nandroid to "restore" with CWM.
I'm thinking I'm going to try and wipe the entire device, maybe leave /recovery, and flash a new I-535 ROM with Odin, see if that works. I don't know if it will. Any advice?
My flash counter is at about 5 after many attempts to get back to something that will boot, so warranty is not an option. Not that they've ever been a whole lot of help anyways.

Sounds like you can still enter recovery. If so adb push a custom ROM to your phone to flash.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

What I have done in the past when flashing a completely stock unrooted ROM through Odin is remove the battery, replace it, boot to stock recovery, and do a factory reset plus wipe cache! This will make my phone boot every time, because flashing a stock makes it boot loop!
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

joaquinla1 said:
What I have done in the past when flashing a completely stock unrooted ROM through Odin is remove the battery, replace it, boot to stock recovery, and do a factory reset plus wipe cache! This will make my phone boot every time, because flashing a stock makes it boot loop!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My phone has CWM recovery on it, but I don't see any reason CWM's factory reset and cache wipe would be any different. I'll give it a shot.
mentose457 said:
Sounds like you can still enter recovery. If so adb push a custom ROM to your phone to flash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I may try this if I can't upload one through Odin after a complete wipe, like above. Also, I've only used adb push to upload individual files. How would I use it to push a ROM?
Thanks for all your help. The ROM I'm going to try and flash now is the official stock from stockroms.net. I can't post the link as I'm new but it's I535BLK_nowipe.zip. I'll keep this updated.

sworld said:
I may try this if I can't upload one through Odin after a complete wipe, like above. Also, I've only used adb push to upload individual files. How would I use it to push a ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you download a ROM, say Beans 11, it will be a zip file. Push that single file to the internal storage. Do not unzip it. Then boot into recovery and flash the zip.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

mentose457 said:
When you download a ROM, say Beans 11, it will be a zip file. Push that single file to the internal storage. Do not unzip it. Then boot into recovery and flash the zip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That makes more sense.
UPDATE: I "factory reset" the data partition and formatted /system and /cache through ClockworkMod. Turned it off, flashed VRALEC through Odin, rebooted, flashed the stock ROM, and then CWM. I'm restoring my nandroid of /data right now, and I'm awaiting an OTA firmware update to bring it up to the latest VZW JB. Then I'll root.. finally.

The thing with Odin is that after you reset you have to do a factory reset through stock recovery to finish the process. Otherwise you will get stuck in a boot loop like you did.
Sent from my GeeEssThree

z06mike said:
The thing with Odin is that after you reset you have to do a factory reset through stock recovery to finish the process. Otherwise you will get stuck in a boot loop like you did.
Sent from my GeeEssThree
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? I've only odined once on the s3 and didn't have to wipe. On the fascinate and an older version of Odin after the flash before it booted it would automatically wipe.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Please read forum rules before posting
Questions and help issues go in Q&A
Thread moved
Thank you for your cooperation
Friendly Neighborhood Moderator

So, the phone is functioning now. Of course, I am running a slightly older version and once I connect to a solid Wi-Fi network I'll request the newest update again.
However, I did already try to download the software update from Verizon, and it seemed to work fine. It rebooted into recovery and CWM seemed to handle it okay, although it claimed the signature was bad. It installed though, rebooted, and updated some app databases. And then, it said the update failed with "Code 401."
Right now I'm not too worried. Hopefully I can apply the update properly soon. It is worth noting that simply using CWM "advanced restore" on only the /data partition, without exactly matching the ROM build, has seemed to leave it hanging at the "4G LTE" logo.
Thanks for all of your help!

The phone will not install a Verizon update with a custom recovery installed.