So i've been here on the Sidekick 4G forums since the day its been made. From the first thread to the one your on right now. And i saw as development began to pick up many new Sidekick 4G users or people new to android in general have questions and some of these questions get asked multiple times and is answered by the same people all the time. We all do our best to keep a friendly atmosphere on the forums and make everyone here feel comfortable and welcome. But sometimes when the same people answer the same question 30+ times they may get a bit impatient and loose their friendly outlook, although they mean no harm.. they can still get frustrated. So thats why i decided to make this thread, i saw how well it works in other Forums and hopefully it helps here too.
First and foremost, this is the development section, not Q&A. If you need to ask a question such as "how do i...", "what does...do/mean", etc post it in the general section as we do not yet have a Q&A. Or simply post it here and i'll answer it for you. it is much better than to have 5+ new questions in the Development section every week and such a small count of ROMs and other things that actually contribute to Development for the Sidekick.
So Lets begin - FAQ
Q - What is Android ?
A - Android is a Mobile OS for smartphones, more specifically it's a version of Linux. There are several versions to date and they all have names as well as version codes. The most recent (at the moment) are Froyo(2.2), Gingerbread(2.3), and Honeycomb(3.0). also theres the upcoming Icecream Sandwich(4.0).
Q - What is Root ?
A- Short answer: If you don't know, you don't need it. Long answer: root is equivalent in Linux to having administrator privileges in Windows. It allows you to change more system settings as well as run apps that need root access. It also allows you to flash custom ROMs as well as do a lot more. Root is for power users, not your average user. Can the average user benefit from root? yes but power users will benefit more. Root can also screw your phone if you don't know what you're doing.
Q - Where can i get root ?
A - There is an easy one Click root method Guide for the SK4G here [GUIDE]SuperOneClick - Root/Unroot Your Samsung Sidekick 4G
Q - What is a Custom ROM ?
A - A Custom ROM, simply put, is software for your phone. It's the main OS and usually includes other apps, tweaks, settings, and things you like that you don't normally find in a stock phone.
Q - Where can i find a custom ROM ?
A - Here in the Devopment Section
Q - How do I flash a ROM ?
A - Short Answer: In Recovery (CWM) wipe data and cache then install XXROMXX.zip from sdcard. Long Answer: Download XXROMXX.zip and put it on the Root of your SDcard, Reboot into recovery and wipe your data and cache from the main menu. Then if you are on a orange Recovery be sure to Check your Mounts (if on RED VOODOO CWM then no need for this) to make Sure they look like this under "Mounts and storage" selection in CWM:
"UNMOUNT CACHE
MOUNT DATA
MOUNT SDCARD
UNMOUNT SYSTEM" - if they do then its safe to flash the zip select flash zip. Now go back to CWM main menu and select install zip from sdcard>choose zip from sdcard>XXROMXX.zip>yes, and the ROM will begin to flash. Once done if your on Orange CWM recovery check your mounts again to make sure they are still the same then select Reboot System Now.
Q - How do i get into recovery ?
Manually, Using the 3ButtonCombo (VolDown+VolUp+POWER, simultaneously) . Or while on the phone, Use an app like quick boot and if your ROM has an extended power menu you will have a recovery option that will boot you into recovery.
Q - How do i Flash a Kernel ?
A - The Same way you would flash a ROM
Q - What is a Kernel ?
A - A kernel is the core of a Linux OS, it's what all the other software is built around. No core/kernel, no OS. A custom kernel enables features that the stock kernel didn't have such as OCing and/or Ext4 capability
Q - How do i flash a modem ?
A - Same way you Flash a ROM
Q - Where can i find other modems ?
A - There are very few at the moment but you can find them in this thread [REF][MODEMS][CWM] Samsung Sidekick 4G
Q - How do i know what modem im currently on ?
A - Go to setting>about phone and it tells you under Baseband version. The last 3 characters are the code for your current modem.
Q - What is "cooking" a ROM ?
A - Building a ROM from source is usually referred to as "cooking" a ROM, but sometimes cooking can also mean rebuilding a themed ROM.
Q - Where can i find the Best ROM ?
A - There is no best ROM, only ROMs that are best for you. Look through the different ROMs and see which one fits your needs the best.
Q - I tried to flash a ROM now my phone is stuck at the "Sidekick 4G" Slash Screen HELP !?!
A - Most likely you missed a step in the installing process, possibly didnt check your mounts ? try a battery pull, then well if you can get back into recovery try wiping and trying the installation over carefully. If that doesnt work or you cannot get into Recovery your phone can still be recovered you just need to ODIN back to stock
Q - What is ODIN ?
A - Its a firmware flashing software for samsung devices, you can use it to restore you phone back to stock incase you need to return it or if you have softbricked your phone (or whatever else reason), you need to be in download mode for the program to Detect/connect with your device
Q - How do i get into download mode ?
A - Easy way is Using simultaneously holding the Trackpad+volDown+Power. The Fool Proof way is described here in this short post a made for another person having trouble getting into download mode
Q - Where can i find the Odin ROMs ?
A - For the firmware the phone was released with (KD1) Go Here and for the Update that Tmbile began Rolling out on July 21st (KG2) , Go Here
Q - How do i find out what version of android i am on ?
A - Go to Settings>about phone and it tells you under firmware version
Q - i still have questions that you havent answered, Should i make a new thread here ?
A - ... Nope, You can comment below and i can answer your question and add it to the OP if necessary. Or you an make a thread in the general section as we dont yet have a Q&A Section.
Thanks to dbzfanatic for inspiration to make a FAQ for the Sidekick 4G
Hope this is helpful to others ! If you would like/suggest i add anything to this post let me know below.
Many new android member's needed this , thank's for posting ill add it in my bible in a bit .
ayoteddy said:
So i've been here on the Sidekick 4G forums since the day its been made. From the first thread to the one your on right now. And i saw as development began to pick up many new Sidekick 4G users or people new to android in general have questions and some of these questions get asked multiple times and is answered by the same people all the time. We all do our best to keep a friendly atmosphere on the forums and make everyone here feel comfortable and welcome. But sometimes when the same people answer the same question 30+ times they may get a bit impatient and loose their friendly outlook, although they mean no harm.. they can still get frustrated. So thats why i decided to make this thread, i saw how well it works in other Forums and hopefully it helps here too.
First and foremost, this is the development section, not Q&A. If you need to ask a question such as "how do i...", "what does...do/mean", etc post it in the general section as we do not yet have a Q&A. Or simply post it here and i'll answer it for you. it is much better than to have 5+ new questions in the Development section every week and such a small count of ROMs and other things that actually contribute to Development for the Sidekick.
So Lets begin - FAQ
Q - What is Android ?
A - Android is a Mobile OS for smartphones, more specifically it's a version of Linux. There are several versions to date and they all have names as well as version codes. The most recent (at the moment) are Froyo(2.2), Gingerbread(2.3), and Honeycomb(3.0). also theres the upcoming Icecream Sandwich(4.0).
Q - What is Root ?
A- Short answer: If you don't know, you don't need it. Long answer: root is equivalent in Linux to having administrator privileges in Windows. It allows you to change more system settings as well as run apps that need root access. It also allows you to flash custom ROMs as well as do a lot more. Root is for power users, not your average user. Can the average user benefit from root? yes but power users will benefit more. Root can also screw your phone if you don't know what you're doing.
Q - Where can i get root ?
A - There is an easy one Click root method Guide for the SK4G here [GUIDE]SuperOneClick - Root/Unroot Your Samsung Sidekick 4G
Q - What is a Custom ROM ?
A - A Custom ROM, simply put, is software for your phone. It's the main OS and usually includes other apps, tweaks, settings, and things you like that you don't normally find in a stock phone.
Q - Where can i find a custom ROM ?
A - Here in the Devopment Section
Q - How do I flash a ROM ?
A - Short Answer: In Recovery (CWM) wipe data and cache then install XXROMXX.zip from sdcard. Long Answer: Download XXROMXX.zip and put it on the Root of your SDcard, Reboot into recovery and wipe your data and cache from the main menu. Then if you are on a orange Recovery be sure to Check your Mounts (if on RED VOODOO CWM then no need for this) to make Sure they look like this under "Mounts and storage" selection in CWM:
"UNMOUNT CACHE
MOUNT DATA
MOUNT SDCARD
UNMOUNT SYSTEM" - if they do then its safe to flash the zip select flash zip. Now go back to CWM main menu and select install zip from sdcard>choose zip from sdcard>XXROMXX.zip>yes, and the ROM will begin to flash. Once done if your on Orange CWM recovery check your mounts again to make sure they are still the same then select Reboot System Now.
Q - How do i get into recovery ?
Manually, Using the 3ButtonCombo (VolDown+VolUp+POWER, simultaneously) . Or while on the phone, Use an app like quick boot and if your ROM has an extended power menu you will have a recovery option that will boot you into recovery.
Q - How do i Flash a Kernel ?
A - The Same way you would flash a ROM
Q - What is a Kernel ?
A - A kernel is the core of a Linux OS, it's what all the other software is built around. No core/kernel, no OS. A custom kernel enables features that the stock kernel didn't have such as OCing and/or Ext4 capability
Q - How do i flash a modem ?
A - Same way you Flash a ROM
Q - Where can i find other modems ?
A - There are very few at the moment but you can find them in this thread [REF][MODEMS][CWM] Samsung Sidekick 4G
Q - How do i know what modem im currently on ?
A - Go to setting>about phone and it tells you under Baseband version. The last 3 characters are the code for your current modem.
Q - What is "cooking" a ROM ?
A - Building a ROM from source is usually referred to as "cooking" a ROM, but sometimes cooking can also mean rebuilding a themed ROM.
Q - Where can i find the Best ROM ?
A - There is no best ROM, only ROMs that are best for you. Look through the different ROMs and see which one fits your needs the best.
Q - I tried to flash a ROM now my phone is stuck at the "Sidekick 4G" Slash Screen HELP !?!
A - Most likely you missed a step in the installing process, possibly didnt check your mounts ? try a battery pull, then well if you can get back into recovery try wiping and trying the installation over carefully. If that doesnt work or you cannot get into Recovery your phone can still be recovered you just need to ODIN back to stock
Q - What is ODIN ?
A - Its a firmware flashing software for samsung devices, you can use it to restore you phone back to stock incase you need to return it or if you have softbricked your phone (or whatever else reason), you need to be in download mode for the program to Detect/connect with your device
Q - How do i get into download mode ?
A - Easy way is Using simultaneously holding the Trackpad+volDown+Power. The Fool Proof way is described here in this short post a made for another person having trouble getting into download mode
Q - Where can i find the Odin ROMs ?
A - For the firmware the phone was released with (KD1) Go Here and for the Update that Tmbile began Rolling out on July 21st (KG2) , Go Here
Q - How do i find out what version of android i am on ?
A - Go to Settings>about phone and it tells you under firmware version
Q - i still have questions that you havent answered, Should i make a new thread here ?
A - ... Nope, You can comment below and i can answer your question and add it to the OP if necessary. Or you an make a thread in the general section as we dont yet have a Q&A Section.
Thanks to dbzfanatic for inspiration to make a FAQ for the Sidekick 4G
Hope this is helpful to others ! If you would like/suggest i add anything to this post let me know below.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Revolution said:
Many new android member's needed this , thank's for posting ill add it in my bible in a bit .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks, no need to quote the entire post though cause its pretty long
Sorry ^.^ breh
very hepful faq. much needed imo.
although, i do have a question. i have orange cwm, where can i find the flashable *.zip file for red voodoo cwm?
ive been messing with android for a while, so im not a noob, but i just cant seem to find an answer to this question.
thanks
EDIT: ahhh, nevermind i found the answer. the "reboot into recovery" option in rom manager takes me to orange cwm, but manual button combo takes me to red voodoo cwm. so all is good. thanks
Red CWM is only found in the Bali kernel, as it includes the Voodoo Tweaks, that are only implemented in the Bali kernel. Orange CWM will work fine if you wish to use a stock kernel and CWM.
Another question to add:
How do I flash these Extras? AOSP Lockscreen, Battery Icons, etc.
Kuzar said:
Another question to add:
How do I flash these Extras? AOSP Lockscreen, Battery Icons, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
put the zip on the sdcard then wipe dalvik cache choose the zip file wipe dalvik cache again and reboot the system
What is busybox?
Hi, last night I installed lighting rom and I see this Busybox installer. What's that for? SHould I ionstall it? (noob explanation please) Thanks
Busybox is a system tool kit, that provides a small, but extremely useful version of most system tools. It is smaller than a full blown gnu-utils install, providing core utlities to the system and usr, while saving space, ideal for embedded systems like your phone. The sidekick stock roms use toolbox, which is a completely barebones tool kit, borderline useless (imho).
The system itself is fine with toolbox, and most busybox installs leave toolbox as the primary tool.
Why you as a user would want to install busybox is convienence, as the busybox tools are infinetely better. If you dont muck around with the system (through connectbot or android commander or adb) and dont install any apps tha specifically need busbox (some root required apps might need it) you will never use it.
Tl:dr version, if you dont know what it is, you dont need it yet
This thread is now stickied by request to prevent confusion and duplicates.
A very good FAQ, very informative. Thanks.
Thanks! Great thread...tons of information.
---------- Post added at 06:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:30 PM ----------
My Sidekick 4g is running very slow. I've started shutting it down at least once a day, but even when it first boots, it runs slow.
It's stock...right now. Trying to figure out which ROM would be best...I am not a heavy user, and I have the 3G turned off, in a feeble attempt to conserve battery life.
Assuming I can get this rooted (looks simple), does anyone have a suggested ROM I should try for speed and good battery life?
Thanks!
fuzzie said:
Thanks! Great thread...tons of information.
---------- Post added at 06:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:30 PM ----------
My Sidekick 4g is running very slow. I've started shutting it down at least once a day, but even when it first boots, it runs slow.
It's stock...right now. Trying to figure out which ROM would be best...I am not a heavy user, and I have the 3G turned off, in a feeble attempt to conserve battery life.
Assuming I can get this rooted (looks simple), does anyone have a suggested ROM I should try for speed and good battery life?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Turning 3G (or did you mean 4G?) Off won't really save battery life since your internet runs on the same radio (sprint's 4G wimax uses different radios so having 4G on sucks battery life bad) turning off wifi and gps will help a little. You should definitely flash a custom rom, they will help in both speed and battery life. You can go by date, the newer the ROM is the better because the devs have been able to grow and add more tweaks over time. Currently glorious overdose is your best bet, ICS looks promising but has some bugs to be worked out to make it good for every day use.
I think I got root...not sure how to check.
SuperOneClick didn't work for me, though.
I put the ROM on the SD card, booted into recovery, and it says it is in manual mode. Tried installing the ROM, claims bad fingerprint.
Ugh.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
I'm not able to get root access, it keeps getting stuck on step #7, what is strange is that apps that would normally only work on rooted phones, work perfectly well on the sidekick now, even though superoneclick claims that my phone is not rooted. It seems I am semi rooted? Sounds stupid, but those apps work.
Sent from my Htcclay's SuperCM7 G2 using XDA App
can i get a new bootloader?
dj2muchxx said:
I'm not able to get root access, it keeps getting stuck on step #7, what is strange is that apps that would normally only work on rooted phones, work perfectly well on the sidekick now, even though superoneclick claims that my phone is not rooted. It seems I am semi rooted? Sounds stupid, but those apps work.
Sent from my Htcclay's SuperCM7 G2 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use Titanium Backup to update superuser. If you really have root, then su app is all you are missing. What's step #7?
Hello, I've been using lightning Rom on my sdk4g for a while now and it's giving me a hard time so I want to try something new.
1. Could you recommend me the latest and best Rom for my sidekick?
2. What are the steps to change Roms?
Have a nice day and thanks in advance! :0)
4G Random Bootloop
Hey guys, I rooted and flashed Bali 2.2 and a custom rom thinking it would fix the random boot-loops, but it hasn't. It's not all the time, just sometimes, maybe when the cache is too full? I remember old versions of CM used to have random reboots when the cache was full. But I'm not sure why the phone would just do that. I'm seeing suggestions to flash back to odin, but I'm attempting to avoid that. Any suggestions?
Thanks.
Related
This thread is an attempt to help out the Tiamat Developers by answering the frequently asked questions in one consolidated thread. This thread should also be helpful to those who either cannot use the search feature or are having a hard time figuring out the correct search terms to find what they are looking for. If you have suggestions or added questions/answers feel free to reply and I will update the OP.
NOTE: I am not a developer. All of the information in this thread is from other members who have helped me out or information I found in the XDA forums. I do not take credit for any of the great work that has been done on this ROM and I will point back to the original answer when possible. I am only trying to help lessen the burden on the developers so they can spend more time getting us the best features. Hopefully you find this helpful as well.
I've flashed this ROM and now I get update notifications. Should I accept the update? How do I stop these notifications?
No, you should never accept an OTA upgrade when using any custom ROM/Kernel. This could result in severe problems. Your best bet is to be patient and give the developers time to react. If the update is worthwhile I am sure they will roll it out pretty quickly.
To get rid of the notifications flash Mod pack 3 as noted here.
OK I made the mistake of accepting the OTA update and now my Xoom won't boot. What can I do?
okantomi said:
Can you make it reboot by pressing volume up and power at the same time and holding? If it reboots, wait about 3 seconds once you see the dual core logo and then tap volume down you shoud see android recovery, then tap up to choose it. I hope you did a nandroid backup. If not, you can try and get fastboot by tapping volume down sooner after it reboots.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From this thread.
With this ROM certain websites don't load correctly or I can't get to the mobile version of a site.
This ROM by default sets the User Agent String to "desktop". If you want to revert to the stock settings flash either Mod pack 1 or 2 depending which version of Moray you are running. Look here.
I flashed this ROM and now when I click links in email or my file explorer the screen just dims and nothing happens.
This is a bug in Android 3.2 and not specific to this ROM. To solve this, simply ensure auto-rotate is enabled and rotate the device from landscape to portrait and back to landscape. The app chooser window should appear allowing you to choose which app to open the selected file.
I just flashed this ROM and the speed is amazing, so I OC'd it to 1.7GHz cuz I want more and I am now stuck in a boot loop. This worked for others why not me?
The Xoom was only specified to run at 1.0 GHz, anything beyond that is a gift. Due to part-to-part variation not everyone's Xoom will be stable at the same speed. Yes some people are able to run at 1.7 GHz, but many cannot. For your specific Xoom try out the various speeds, but do NOT click "Set on Boot". This way if it crashes it will revert back to stock speed and you will be able to boot. Once you are satisfied with a speed then feel free to enable "Set on Boot". Before you do so I would suggest making a nandroid backup so you can restore just in case.
How do you get out of this boot-loop? The only way I know of is to boot into recovery and restore a nandroid backup if you have one or perform a full wipe if you do not.
I updated to the latest CWM and I cannot find the zip card or I get "get error: E:failed to mount /sdcard (No such file or directory)."
Latest is not always the best, for the Xoom you need to either use ClockworkMod 3.2.0.0 (R4C) or CMW Rogue Recovery v1.1.1
After flashing this ROM the Motorola icon gets distorted during boot up, is that a problem?
Basically it is not a problem. This kernel has a patch provided by NVidia which causes the distortion during boot. It does not cause any problems after it boots.
Is there a way to get the stock WiFi and Battery icons?
Yes
How do I boot into recovery without ADB or my PC attached?
There are a couple methods.
1) The latest Tiamat ROM includes this if you press and hold the power button. Just pick what you want and hit OK.
2) Download and install "Quick Boot" from the market. It gives you the above options as well as others when you run the app.
3) Turn the Xoom on, wait ~2 seconds after your see the Dual Core logo, then press the volume down key. In the upper left corner it should say "Android Recovery", then press the volume up key to select it.
How do I get started? Any good guides?
There are several guides that are pretty good. The best one I have found and personally used is here.
The Xoom Heaven thread found here is also a good place to start for all sorts of information.
If you have another question please feel free to post to this thread. If you are having a problem or have a question it is likely that someone else along the lines will have the same problem or question. I will continue to update this OP with the list of F.A.Q.s.
Additional Q&As
After installing this ROM I am having issues with the market not finding all of my apps or apps are giving errors when trying to install them.
See this post for one possible solution.
One more for good measure...
HuckFinn, I think you have covered most of the hot issues. Great job!
Stickied. Thanks for posting this, and Solarnz for giving me the heads up to do so.
Sorry for the newb question, but what's "root"?
Psychokitty said:
Sorry for the newb question, but what's "root"?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh kitty, you funny!
Psychokitty said:
Sorry for the newb question, but what's "root"?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's what you pull your hair out by when something is not working properly!!
darn you... I earned 1/2 my posts responding to the "why does my screen dim" question... now I'll have nothing to say!
i performed a factory reset from the os-> settings and once again performed a wipe/factory reset from the cwm recovery but still can't get back to the initial setup screen (where you enter your google a/c, etc)
any idea?
Thanks!!
Here is one..
Why does Market show up in USD even though my locale is set to UK, my language is English British along with my keyboard layout?
Ive had boot loops twice. Both times i could get into recovery but could not get backup to restore . kept getting cant read /sdcard. also cant reinstall update .zip becuase the sd card wont mount. I have only gotten back in by letting it sit powered off for a bit.
any ideas?
should i adb a stock image and start again?
should i flash a different recovery?
madamimadam said:
Ive had boot loops twice. Both times i could get into recovery but could not get backup to restore . kept getting cant read /sdcard. also cant reinstall update .zip becuase the sd card wont mount. I have only gotten back in by letting it sit powered off for a bit.
any ideas?
should i adb a stock image and start again?
should i flash a different recovery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What version of recovery is installed now? If you have the version that doesn't recognize your external sdcard you should certainly flash a compatible recovery version through fastboot.
okantomi said:
What version of recovery is installed now? If you have the version that doesn't recognize your external sdcard you should certainly flash a compatible recovery version through fastboot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there a way to check version without booting into recovery? Which version would you suggest?
And thank you
madamimadam said:
Is there a way to check version without booting into recovery? Which version would you suggest?
And thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are only two recoveries compatible..
you will find them in the Xoom Android Developmet Board in the sticky threads
LPHS said:
There are only two recoveries compatible..
you will find them in the Xoom Android Developmet Board in the sticky threads
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OR here:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1209341
Links to both of these recoveries are also in the first post of this thread.
HuckFinn said:
Links to both of these recoveries are also in the first post of this thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Guess I should have read the thread before posting here, sorry for being a troll.
I tried this ROM on my 4G Xoom, but it left me without 4G or 3G (wifi only). Any way to get this working, or do I have to wait for an update?
I did try activating the network in settings, but it never connected even half an hour.
Thanks to steps mentioned by user 'LordDeath' in another thread and a bit of experimenting with a rooted 4G Xoom and a friends 3G Xoom running Moray, there seems to be a remedy for those who are having issues with the market compatibility issues as well as missing apps. I did not activate until attempting to sign in to the market and had missing apps and compatibility issues. I simply did a full wipe & reset and made sure the full activation went through in set up then let it automatically start restoring. I took a peek in the market after a a minute and all my apps were back with no compatibility issues. Here is a copy of his original post and mine but the last step was not needed for me.
Originally Posted by LordDeath
Something more about the market:
After I restored my backup of the official 3.1 ROM I still had some issues. On http://market.android.com I still saw that my Xoom is not compatible with some apps. The market app on the device did show these apps but upon installing I got the error message: "Fehler beim Verarbeiten des Kaufs". Translated into English it means "Error while processing the purchase". It was a free app, btw.
To solve this issue I did the following:
1. Wipe data/factory reset
2. Active the device during the wizard on the first boot with my Google account
3. Restore the nandroid backup of the official 3.1 ROM
Therefore it seems that the market servers check your device-compatibility only during the activation process at the first startup.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"This fixed everything for my friend running Moray and even corrected the issues on my 4G Xoom..."
I should add that though this fixes the issue, if you change your pixel density you may run into similar issues but can correct it by setting it back to 160 before going into the market.
Hello everyone. This is my first post, so please be gentle. I've been reading around and I can't seem to find specific answers to my questions so I figured it would be best to make a post. This is my first Android phone and also the first phone I have rooted so I'm trying to be extra careful. I've already received tons of help from other threads in these forums, but as I said I've still got a few questions.
I rooted my SGS4G using SuperOneClick v2.1.1, then proceeded to install CWM ROM Manager as per the instructions I found in many articles online. Once I got that installed I was unable to make backups as it would boot me into the stock recovery menu, which led me here searching for answers. That is when I came across this thread: [RECOVERY]CWM FINAL for the SGS4G After following the instructions I wasn't exactly sure what to do, so I attempted to boot into the "new" recovery menu which ended at an infinite boot logo, which I assumed was a soft brick after reading around a bit.
After thoroughly freaking out about my phone being bricked I looked around a bit more and came across this thread: [GUIDE] Noobs guide to Odin to flash your SGS4G (Windows) Following that thread I was able to install the T959VUVKB5 Stock + Root ROM which restored my soft brick. Once that was installed I installed CWM ROM Manager again thinking the Recovery Menu would be fixed and I could finally make a backup before moving on, but it wasn't. Then I came across this thread: [Odin][Kernel] drhonk's Bali 3.3 for Froyo, Installs CWM!
After installing drhonk's Bali 3.3 for Froyo kernel I was finally able to make a single nandroid backup (and backup my apps using Titanium Backup)! I messed around on the phone for a few days with no issues (other than the Android flickering in the boot logo). Now I am ready to move on to trying out a few ROMS. So, first thing first I said: I need to make another backup. So I entered the Recovery Menu via the CWM ROM Manager and attempted to make another backup, and this is what I get:
E: failed to open /etc..... (I couldn't write fast enough to copy the entire message)
E: unknown volume for path [/sdcard] (10s)
The second of which repeated over and over until it reached 0s and then my phone was rebooted.
TL;DR
- Rooted using SuperOneClick
- Installed ROM Manager and couldn't make a nandroid backup correctly
- Attempted to install CWM FINAL for the SGS4G, which resulted in a soft brick
- Restored using ODIN and installed T959VUVKB5 Stock + Root ROM and drhonk's Bali 3.3 for Froyo kernel
- Cannot make nandroid backups (other than the initial one apparently), Recovery Menu does not seem to be working correctly
- I am not comfortable trying new ROMs until I am able to make backups correctly
Anyway, so here are my questions:
1. What do I need to install to allow me to make nandroid backups correctly? Or is there another app besides CWM ROM Manager that will allow me to do this?
2. I would like to try a few other ROMs, but I when I reach the so-called "Do the mounting stuff" step I am unable to continue as my Recovery Menu isn't working correctly. What do I need to install in order to be able to do complete this step? I have a feeling the answer to #1 will solve #2 as well.
3. I would like to try a few of the GB ROMs (such as Valhalla v1.3.2 or Stock Gingerbread 2.3.3 Deodexed + Root), but I am not sure exactly where to go from here. Is the GB Ext4 Starter Pack the way I need to go, or would this way be better? Can I do either of these without a working Recovery Menu?
Thanks in advance for all the help!
Your first mistake was rom manager. It does not work for this phone correctly. Odin one of Dr honks kernels to get cwm recovery. They are in the dev section.
Sent from my SGH-T959V using xda premium
im not sure how many times this has been posted (i think i say this once a day....) but rom manager DOES NOT WORK ON THIS PHONE.
it is fine. if you can wait a day or two, i will make a nice noob guide on getting from stock to a custom rom. i will be sure to link every pertinent thread and be sure to have a little FAQ section. hopefully it will help you.
Exodian said:
Your first mistake was rom manager. It does not work for this phone correctly. Odin one of Dr honks kernels to get cwm recovery. They are in the dev section.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said in the post, I've already installed drhonk's Bali 3.3 for froyo kernel.
jager555 said:
im not sure how many times this has been posted (i think i say this once a day....) but rom manager DOES NOT WORK ON THIS PHONE.
it is fine. if you can wait a day or two, i will make a nice noob guide on getting from stock to a custom rom. i will be sure to link every pertinent thread and be sure to have a little FAQ section. hopefully it will help you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but I figured that out shortly after installing it. What alternative are we supposed to use? Hopefully your noob guide will help.
are you sure you understand? seeing as you mentioned BOTH bali and krylon's cwm, yet you still do not know how to get the custom recovery on the phone. once again, i will write a nice guide for you, so for now, just odin back to stock and give me a day or two. once im out of work, i will take a nap and write this for you.
jager555 said:
are you sure you understand? seeing as you mentioned BOTH bali and krylon's cwm, yet you still do not know how to get the custom recovery on the phone. once again, i will write a nice guide for you, so for now, just odin back to stock and give me a day or two. once im out of work, i will take a nap and write this for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apparently I do not understand. I guess I will just wait for your guide. Hopefully it will pick up where the other guides failed (for me anyway).
Edit: After reading around a bit I think I understand where I went wrong. As a noob I was confusing CWM with ROM Manager (after all, they're both made by the same people right? I believe that's what was confusing me ). I have since uninstalled ROM Manager and have booted to the Recovery Menu and successfully made a backup.
I myself have been a member for coming up on one year. And when I originally joined I was modding my Mytouch 3G. Much easier phone to mod and especially with ROM manager. This phone on the other hand requires more attention to detail. It is very important to do your due diligence to research this site for answers before posting. The reason is, all the wonderful and talented folks making all this possible are providing us all these great hacks, cracks, and roms for free. The information is here if you just look for it. Now if you are having trouble understanding the info that is also understandable. I find questions are better received if you show everyone what you have researched and then say what your are confused about.
Enough of the lecture, the end result is that everyone here is really nice and helpful. Here are the 3 links you should save. The Bible lists everything about our phone. Now at this stage in the game unless you really want to get more background on how the phone has evolved from Froyo to GB you won't need to read the Bible. The first thing you will need to do is follow the instructions for Bali 3.3 + CWM. This will provide you with the Red CWM recovery making it possible for you to flash Froyo Roms. Once you have completed this step you can move on to the GB Starter Pack. This guide will prepare your phone with the correct bootloaders it requires to run GB Roms. Once this process has been completed you can flash GB Roms. And if you need a quick list of the roms available just look in the Bible. Hope this helps, just be patient and make sure you understand what you are reading and attempting before doing anything. And if you don't understand a step or a process then come and ask and you'll get better answers and better understanding of what you're actually doing to your phone.
SGS4G Bible
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1117554
Bali 3.3 + CWM
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1195860
GB Starter Pack
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1223765
Thanks for the help. I tried to do as much research as I could before posting (as you can see, I've posted two of the three links you suggested in my OP, and I basically keep the Bible open at all times ). It's just the little things that I find confusing, which is why I posted this thread. It's nice to know that from this point I can proceed to the GB Starter Pack and play around with the GB ROMs, but I think I'd like to try a few Froyo ROMs before I take that step Thanks for confirming that!
Sorry for the double post but I have another question.....
I've been reading over FB's GB Ext4 Starter Pack thread and I just wanted to make sure that once you get to the part where you flash your "favorite GB rom" that Valhalla v1.3.2 would be an acceptable ROM to flash there. If not, which ROM should I flash first, then flash Valhalla? Thanks in advance.
Yes, Valhalla would be fine to flash at that point (any version). just as long as you went through each step of the directions first. you'll be fine.
Hey guys this is my first post here on the forums so go easy on me
So I bought this phone a couple weeks ago off of eBay. The phone was already rooted when I bought it and it is my first experience with a rooted android. I've been doing my best to learn everything I can about all the different things I can do with a rooted phone and I've learned a lot so far.
One thing that's stumping me though is that my phone will randomly just not turn back on after I lock the screen. This happens very randomly and happened to me last night which meant that my alarm didn't go off and I was late to work.
I've tried searching the forum but I can't seem to find a cause or a fix for this problem. If there is any information that I neglected to include, I apologize and will be happy to include that in another post.
Anything that y'all could do to help me would be greatly appreciated!
Sent from my Nexus S using xda app-developers app
it's happen for me too. JB 4.1 stock rom
Maybe try another kernel. I use AIR and.have heard great things bout MATR1X and Marmite as far as stability.
I would back up your apps and do a wipe and reinstall your ROM. For back ups and system tweakage I.use Android Tuner.
I guess we should know your current set up to help you the best. Please tell us what ROM Kernel combo you ate running.and I will do my best to offer suggestions as I'm sure the test.of the community.here will.
Sent from my phone using my thumbs and a keyboard
happen to me twice in the same day on stock unrooted JB. since then, nothing
Nexism said:
Maybe try another kernel. I use AIR and.have heard great things bout MATR1X and Marmite as far as stability.
I would back up your apps and do a wipe and reinstall your ROM. For back ups and system tweakage I.use Android Tuner.
I guess we should know your current set up to help you the best. Please tell us what ROM Kernel combo you ate running.and I will do my best to offer suggestions as I'm sure the test.of the community.here will.
Sent from my phone using my thumbs and a keyboard
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok I think that the screenshot I attached is what you are asking for. If it isn't please let me know what else you need to know. Like I said earlier, I bought the phone pre-rooted so I'm not very sure how use another kernel or flash a different ROM. The whole process seems a little intimidating to me but I would be willing to try it out. I just really don't want to brick my phone because I don't know what I'm doing haha.
You're running a build based of the SDK.
Simply put. Get that crap off of your phone. Flash official stock , a custom ROM or whatever but that needs to go
albundy2010 said:
You're running a build based of the SDK.
Simply put. Get that crap off of your phone. Flash official stock , a custom ROM or whatever but that needs to go
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, well that makes me feel great about my purchase
Would you mind telling me what the best way to do this is, or directing me to instructions how to do it? I'm really new to this and I would hate to ruin my phone because of my inexperience.
I really appreciate the help.
NikoStone said:
Ok I think that the screenshot I attached is what you are asking for. If it isn't please let me know what else you need to know. Like I said earlier, I bought the phone pre-rooted so I'm not very sure how use another kernel or flash a different ROM. The whole process seems a little intimidating to me but I would be willing to try it out. I just really don't want to brick my phone because I don't know what I'm doing haha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
follow this thread to update to the official stock jellybean
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1736645
Cascabreu said:
follow this thread to update to the official stock jellybean
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1736645
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, thanks. Is this the latest update? Please forgive me for the complete noob questions that follow:
1. I've downloaded the file, but how do I open it and perform the update?
2. Will updating it this way cause me to lose root?
Well first off you should be posting in the Q&A section.
Use fastboot to install factory images. You can download fastboot and the driver for it from the links in my signature.
1. Download the factory image for your device and extract all the image files in it, put them in the folder where fastboot.exe is located.
2. Hold shift + right click on the folder where fastboot.exe is located, choose "Open command window here" (if you're using Windows 7)
3. Boot the phone into bootloader/fastboot mode and connect it to the computer. (While the phone is off, hold VOL+ and POWER).
4. The computer should now ask for the driver, point it to the location of the drivers you downloaded.
5. Open up the file "flash-all.sh" that you extracted along with the factory images with a text editor, it will tell you the commands you'll need to type to install the images:
fastboot flash bootloader bootloader-crespo-i9020xxlc2.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot flash radio radio-crespo-i9020xxki1.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot -w update image-soju-jro03l.zip
I can't remember if this process will wipe your entire internal storage or not.
Now if you want to root, try this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1479831, although there are other ways to root.
Or you can follow these instructions to install Clockworkmod and using it to flash root: http://dottech.org/25412/how-to-root-nexus-s/.
eksasol said:
Well first off you should be posting in the Q&A section.
Use fastboot to install factory images. You can download fastboot and the driver for it from the links in my signature.
1. Download the factory image for your device and extract all the image files in it, put them in the folder where fastboot.exe is located.
2. Hold shift + right click on the folder where fastboot.exe is located, choose "Open command window here" (if you're using Windows 7)
3. Boot the phone into bootloader/fastboot mode and connect it to the computer. (While the phone is off, hold VOL+ and POWER).
4. The computer should now ask for the driver, point it to the location of the drivers you downloaded.
5. Open up the file "flash-all.sh" that you extracted along with the factory images with a text editor, it will tell you the commands you'll need to type to install the images:
fastboot flash bootloader bootloader-crespo-i9020xxlc2.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot flash radio radio-crespo-i9020xxki1.img
fastboot reboot-bootloader
fastboot -w update image-soju-jro03l.zip
I can't remember if this process will wipe your entire internal storage or not.
Now if you want to root, try this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1479831, although there are other ways to root.
Or you can follow these instructions to install Clockworkmod and using it to flash root: http://dottech.org/25412/how-to-root-nexus-s/.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate the extensive list of instructions you provided. I tried my best to follow them but I couldn't quite figure out what I was doing wrong. I decided to try to install a custom ROM instead and was able to install cm9 pretty easily. Will this be sufficient to remove the aforementioned problem I was having?
If your already rooted then you don't need to go through a lot of that even.though it was a good walkthrough. If you flashed a new ROM then.you have.some sort of recovery in place. As long as you do a full wipe to get the previous owners garbage off of there and then flash a new ROM like CM9 then you should be golden the new ROM will come with it's own kernel so you don't need to start learning about those until you want to.
If I may make a suggestion, give AOKP Build 4 a try the ROM you chose is good but is using old code (ICS) If you just got a new phone why not put the latest on it.
Keep me (us) posted as we the reason a lot of us belong to this forum is to offer any help we can....AOKP4 you won't regret it.
Sent from my phone using my thumbs and a keyboard
That works too, you can flash the stock roms here (using CWM) or stay with the custom rom: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1843301
Nexism said:
If your already rooted then you don't need to go through a lot of that even.though it was a good walkthrough. If you flashed a new ROM then.you have.some sort of recovery in place. As long as you do a full wipe to get the previous owners garbage off of there and then flash a new ROM like CM9 then you should be golden the new ROM will come with it's own kernel so you don't need to start learning about those until you want to.
If I may make a suggestion, give AOKP Build 4 a try the ROM you chose is good but is using old code (ICS) If you just got a new phone why not put the latest on it.
Keep me (us) posted as we the reason a lot of us belong to this forum is to offer any help we can....AOKP4 you won't regret it.
Sent from my phone using my thumbs and a keyboard
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First I want to say thank you to everybody for all the help so far. :highfive: I'm still learning but I am slowly figuring all of this out.
Nexism, I would be interested in trying AOKP build 4 if you wouldn't mind explaining the easiest way to do it or point me somewhere that can explain it to me. I don't know what all goes into flashing a new ROM and I don't want to forget something that will mess up my data or my battery life.
Here is the AOKP thread. Its located in the general section.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1645400
As far as flashing goes...
Download the ROM from the above thread
Download a good app backup app (I use Android Tuner, it seems like everyone else uses Titanium Backup or ROMToolbox all have free versions only thing you'll miss is batch restore)
Back up your $hit
Boot I recovery (phone off, hold vol up while powering phone on) then scroll to recovery
(At this point opinions differ a bit) I go to mounts and storage and format the following data, cache, system, then boot then back out to the main menu and wipe all factory reset (I'm kind of a neat freak just.like to make sure I'm always starting with a clean slate)
Then install your.ROM and Gapps after a few min main recovery menu will come up
Select reboot
Go through the norm set up
Re-install backup app
Restore your apps
Then play around with all.the new features on your Nexus
Sorry if this is too basic of a walkthrough no offense if so. You can PM me if you need more detail. Good luck, happy flashing.
Sent from my phone using my thumbs and a keyboard
Nexism said:
Here is the AOKP thread. Its located in the general section.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1645400
As far as flashing goes...
Download the ROM from the above thread
Download a good app backup app (I use Android Tuner, it seems like everyone else uses Titanium Backup or ROMToolbox all have free versions only thing you'll miss is batch restore)
Back up your $hit
Boot I recovery (phone off, hold vol up while powering phone on) then scroll to recovery
(At this point opinions differ a bit) I go to mounts and storage and format the following data, cache, system, then boot then back out to the main menu and wipe all factory reset (I'm kind of a neat freak just.like to make sure I'm always starting with a clean slate)
Then install your.ROM and Gapps after a few min main recovery menu will come up
Select reboot
Go through the norm set up
Re-install backup app
Restore your apps
Then play around with all.the new features on your Nexus
Sorry if this is too basic of a walkthrough no offense if so. You can PM me if you need more detail. Good luck, happy flashing.
Sent from my phone using my thumbs and a keyboard
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome, thanks man.
It was exactly what I needed to know - not too basic. I flashed it and now I'm checking it out. Is there any reason I would need to use a custom kernel for anything?
No, only i u find it slow as it is now. If u want a custom kernel go for matr1x one
Sent from my Nexus S using xda app-developers app
Glad to here your Nexus is doing well.
Now that you have a good build make a backup (in recovery) so you will always have a working configuration to go back to then experiment all you want. I may get corrected on this but as long as I have a backup and access to recovery mode I know that the chances of me bricking my phone is slim to none. So I am a flash happy fool. I try everything new when it comes out.
Get comfortable with your new ROM and flashing in general and as you see a need try different stuff out.
I use a custom kernel because I use the on screen navbar and I like to turn off the hardware key backlight. You also have control over CPU min/max Frequency,governors, and I/o schedulers as well as some extra tweak options. If you're like me the more you learn the more you'll flash.
Check out NSTools it is one of the must have apps for our phones.
Again, I am available for anymore help I can.offer.
Sent from my phone using my thumbs and a keyboard
This guide is intended to be an all-in-one resource for people coming to Samsung phones after using other devices. It is a general introduction to the S4 and a glossary/explanation of terms you may see here in the forums.
This thread is slightly out of date but the info is still good, I will be updating again soon!!! Remember to hit thanks if this was useful
Disclaimer "Just because I am trying to be helpful does not make me responsible for anything that you do to your phone. Playing with any of this stuff could destroy your phone"
The layout of this post is as follows:
Welcome
FAQ
Glossary of terms
First off, welcome to XDA
The XDA community is home to the most talented and helpful phone developers on the planet.
These developers spend lots of their free time working on making all of our phones better. You should be nice and respectful to them and follow the rules. WHY? If the statement above isn’t enough reason then think selfishly, the less time they are dealing with redundant questions, the more time they have to develop stuff for all of us!
Help them help you by following the following basic rules:
1.If you are confused or have a question, the first thing to do is READ! Read lots, look things up both on xda and using google.
2.If after searching you still have not answered your question, then post in the Q&A forum.
3.Asking for ETAs on ROMs, updates, etc. is considered rude.. DON’T DO IT!
4.Don’t report bugs to a developer unless:
a.You know 100% that it hasn’t already been reported,
b.You know how to reproduce it
c.You can get a logcat of the problem (more on this later)
Some advice if you are new to all this and don’t want to ruin your phone:
1.Be patient. Don’t be the first or even the tenth person to flash anything. Wait until you see others using whatever Rom or kernel with success.
2.If you have any doubts about what you are doing, read more. Don’t flash.
3.Make sure you are in the forum for your device, not some similar or related device.
FAQ:
Q. Is my bootloader locked?
A. Only if you have an AT&T or Verizon phone
******* Info for AT&T users *******
Q. What is LOKI?
A. Loki is an exploit for phones with locked boot loader that allows us to bypass the locked boot loader in order to install custom roms or recoveries. More Loki info down below
Q. Whats the deal with MF3?
A. MF3 is the current firmware from AT&T that comes on any new phone. Your phone may also auto update to MF3 if you are not careful. MF3 patched the ability to use Loki to install custom roms/recoveries so if you are on MF3 things are much more difficult.
Q. How can I keep my phone from updating to MF3?
A. If you want to avoid the update, you should root your phone and freeze the following three apps using titanium backup or some similar app.
1. AT&T Software update Vxx_x_xxxx_x_x
2. FWUpgrade x.x.x
3. LocalFOTA vx_xxxx_x_x
Why flash?
by flashing your device you can make your phone act differently, look different, and enable new or disabled options. you could ,for example:
enable native tethering
enable call recording
change the look of your phone
add custom toggle buttons
overclock or undervolt
increase battery life
etc..
Kernel vs Rom vs Recovery vs Modem
Kernel is the layer between the phone hardware and the rom. it controls things like Wi-Fi power, touch sensitivity, possible range of screen brightness, phone logging, and processor max and min speed. kernel must be designed not only for your device but also for the type of rom you are using (Sammy rom or Aosp) some kernels support all roms, others are specific.
Rom is the operating system of your phone. there are three main categories of roms.
roms that are based off of the Samsung stock rom (Sammy rom)
roms that are based off of Android open source project aka AOSP (AOSP, AOKP)
roms based off of the miui project (these used to be a branch of AOSP but recently they have also used Sammy base for miui)
recovery is a partition that you can access at boot by holding down a combination of keys. (volume up and home button in the case of our sgs4) every phone has recovery stock but it doesn't do much. you can replace stock with clockwork mod recovery which is extremely useful for flashing all kinds of things and making backups before you do. There are other alternative recoveries besides clockwork but that seems to be the most common. TWRP is also gaining popularity these days. You can easily switch between recoveries and or upgrade your current recovery. All that needs to happen is for a new image to be flashed onto the recovery partition. See the rooting guide for more info on how to flash a custom recovery.
modem is a file that controls the cell radio of the phone. Helps determine what frequencies to use and settings for a particular network. It is important when flashing a radio that you flash a radio that is for the AT&T sgs4
Methods for flashing files - Odin vs mobile Odin vs. clockworkmod(cwm) vs adb
Odin is the internal Samsung tool for flashing. I believe it only exists on Windows platform. This tool is mostly used to initially flash an insecure kernel or rooted kernel, OR to return to completely stock rom.. Files for flashing in odin generally should end in .tar or .tar.md5 although sometimes they come zipped and the tar is inside the zip. Read more about Odin before using it as it can easily break your phone. !!!as a general rule make sure you never check the "partition" checkbox EVER!!!
Mobile Odin (THIS TOOL DOES NOT SUPPORT ALL S4 MODELS...make sure you check that it specifically works with yours first. I think at this time it works on your phone unless you have locked bootloader but STILL DOUBLE CHECK) is a phone based version of Odin made by the very talented developer Chainfire. It can be installed on a rooted phone and used to flash the same .tar based files as the desktop version. Mobile odin has a few advantages. 1 you can use it from your phone. 2 it can auto root a stock rom (nice if you want to try out a brand new update that has not been rooted yet)
clockworkmod(cwm) or TWRP is recovery based tool that can make backups of your entire phone, flash new roms, kernels etc.., and do many other useful tasks. Once you have this on your phone my guess is that most of your flashing will be done through this tool. The files for flashing through clockworkmod are .zip files.
ADB is the android develpment bridge. It allows for command line interface with your phone through its debugging options. ADB can do most anything as I understand it. In my several years of flashing I have only had to use it once, and i could have waited for someone to come up with another solution. In general as a noob i recommend you stay away from ADB.
open source vs Samsung base(aka Touchwiz or TW) vs miui
Open Source Roms such as AOSP/AOKP are built using Google's open source android code as a base. The developers then add functionality specific to the device. The advantages of these builds are that they often have tons of options built in to the rom that change the behavior and look of the phone. They usually allow you to change the toggles in your notification pull down, change the battery display, make all kinds of adjustments to sounds, vibration etc... Some people also prefer the "vanilla" android look and feel. These roms often provide "bleeding edge" concepts, design, and modifications. The Disadvantages of these roms is that some of the hardware coding is done closed source by the phone manufacturers, which means that things like Infrared, bluetooth, camera, video recording, and MHL video out often don't work or take much longer to get working by the developers. Basically anything that relies on the Samsung framework will not work in an open source build. This means Svoice, Snote, and the Samsung camera app will not work.
Samsung based roms (aka Touchwiz/TW) are taken from the Samsung original phone software and modified by the developer. Usually, these roms are modified in order to be faster and to make changes to some of the features. Expect to see changes to the stock rom like: debloated (ATT and samsung software removed), de-odexed (explained later), enable tethering, unlimited sms recipients, added notification toggles, etc. Most of these changes are made to: make the phone faster, improve battery life, make the phone easier to theme. The advantage of these roms is that they still use the Samsung framework so all the proprietary stuff like camera, bluetooth, MHL still work, the disadvantage is that they will never be as customisable as open source roms.
MIUI is a rom that focuses on theming. Official MIUI (Chinese) gets updated weekly on Friday and then there are lots of miui developers who adapt it to other languanges and make some tweaks to it. MIUI can be built from AOSP source or Samsung source and depending will have different features. The first MIUI rom for our phone just appeared in these forums and it is based off of AOSP. MIUI has a unique look and is also highly customizable through theming. There are tons of themes available for download through the rom itself and you can mix and match any part of any theme you want. This includes icons, lockscreen style, etc.. Some people criticize while others praise MIUI for being very "iphone like". This is because the icons look more iphone like and there is no app drawer in the MIUI launcher. However, you can still use any launcher you like within MIUI.
odexed vs de-odexed
odexed is how the phone comes stock from Samsung. Odexed means that system files and apps are split into two pieces and kept in different places on the phone. This is done to speed things up a bit. However, it makes it harder to theme the phone because the apps are split up. Most custom roms choose to de-odex (basically regroup the files back into one) so that custom themers can make themes more easily for the phone.
Flashing "dirty" vs flashing "clean"
Clean
Doing a clean install of a rom means erasing or formatting all the data from the previous rom before you flash the new one. This is the prefered way to flash a rom to ensure that it will run smoothly. It is necessary if you are switching from one rom type to another (CM to Samsung base). In order to do a clean flash you need to boot into recovery and select the following options: wipe user data (this wipes all apps and personal data, but not your photos/videos), wipe cache, advanced>wipe dalvik cache, storage/mounts>format system. This will ensure that no trace of the former rom is left on the phone. Beware that at this point your phone will not boot until you install a new rom. I suggest using titanium backup to backup apps and smsbackup+ for texts to make getting your new rom configured easy.
Dirty
Doing a dirty install means just flashing a new rom right over the top of the old one without wiping any data. The advantage to this is that you don't lose any apps or account info. The disadvantage is that you open up the possibility for problems. Generally you only want to flash this way if you are upgrading a rom (CM10 nightly to the next nightly, or from one samsung based rom to another). If you decide to flash over the top and have any issues, you should not report bugs, but try flashing clean first.
Logcat
Logcat is a way to access the android system log for everything that is going on behind the scenes. This tool is used to help developers pinpoint problems in a rom. If you want to actually be helpful to a dev when reporting a bug, you should really learn to use this tool. I am no expert on logcat but you can find some good information in this post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1726238
What is the Bootloader?
The bootloader is basically what it sounds like...it loads the boot image of the device. Basically it is one of the first things to run on the phone and it shows the phone where to find the boot image and how to start. The bootloader is also responsible for allowing access to the recovery part of the phone.
Locked Bootloader?
This seems to confuse a lot of users so here goes: The AT&T and Verizon versions of our phone have a locked bootloader. What does this mean? To the noob, it means that the devs had to figure out how to bypass or unlock this part of the phone in order to be able to boot custom recoveries such as CWM and TWRP. Getting a custom recovery means being able to backup the phone as well as flash custom roms. Luckily for us, Djrbliss (make sure and thank him! his thread is here:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2292157) figured out how to bypass the locked bootloader. The exploit he used is known as Loki. Please remember that the loki exploit is not the same thing as unlocking the bootloader, it is a bypass/trick. AT&T and Verizon have fixed the exploit that allowed loki to work in there newest firmware. Loki patch will not work for MF3 firmware or later.
Loki
refers to the exploit that allows us to run custom recoveries as well as custom roms. You only need to have a loki'd rom if you have a model with a locked bootloader (AT&T). Thankfully, you can install a custom recovery that will auto-Loki any rom you flash so that you can install almost any rom built for our model phone (see below). I strongly recommend flashing an auto loki recovery if you have a phone with locked bootloader. I use this one here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2291956
Compatible Roms
you should be able to run any rom built for AT&T, TMobile, or the I9505 international model (NOT I9500!!) as long as you flash with an auto loki recovery. You can check out this thread for more info. Make sure and thank TheAxman! http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2295557
You may have to manually set the APN. If you encounter problems with the rom look in that roms thread for answers.
Sticky!!
Well damn, I thought I knew a lot, but after reading this thread, I really didn't. Well done. :good:
Incredible resource for those coming in from a different ecosystem.
Thanks much!!
Thread stuck!! Nice work!
Got my new At&t Samsung Galaxy S4 and this will definitely help me!!
this is another thread that really helped me as well these two have really helped me so far i have rooted several divices and just relied on everyone else and not i am starting to take a lot more of an interest ant these threads have been the most helpful
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=42055644#post42055644
WoW
Great work! I'm sure this thread will be very helpful to a lot of people (Myself included). Tanks bro! :victory:
More! More! :d
I've been searching high and low ive read everything and maybe im not understanding but after I root my phone how do I do the whole loki thing??... I'm eager to start flashing roms... Ive read of some recoveries that do this is that an accurate assessment??
KINGDROID25 said:
I've been searching high and low ive read everything and maybe im not understanding but after I root my phone how do I do the whole loki thing??... I'm eager to start flashing roms... Ive read of some recoveries that do this is that an accurate assessment??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What exactly are you trying to do?
If you want to install a custom ROM or kernel, you need a custom recovery. The ROM or Kernel developer will have LOKI-fied it for you.
For TWRP (my custom recovery of choice) Download GooManager from the Play Store and install.
Inside the goo.im app, go to menu>Install OpenRecovery Script
then you can boot into recovery to apply kernels, ROMs, etc to your hearts desire
joeybear23 said:
What exactly are you trying to do?
If you want to install a custom ROM or kernel, you need a custom recovery. The ROM or Kernel developer will have LOKI-fied it for you.
For TWRP (my custom recovery of choice) Download GooManager from the Play Store and install.
Inside the goo.im app, go to menu>Install OpenRecovery Script
then you can boot into recovery to apply kernels, ROMs, etc to your hearts desire
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its tht ez just root and add custom recovery??.. The whole loki thing is what's been throwing me off
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
KINGDROID25 said:
Its tht ez just root and add custom recovery??.. The whole loki thing is what's been throwing me off
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes... the difficult part is if you are a developer. They make our lives much easier.
joeybear23 said:
Yes... the difficult part is if you are a developer. They make our lives much easier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanx ima root tonight I jus need to get a copy of the stock firmware
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
KINGDROID25 said:
Thanx ima root tonight I jus need to get a copy of the stock firmware
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stock Firmware:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2261573
That is a HUGE download, but the process is simple.
im not a newb but i need to boost my post count lol...soooo spam
KINGDROID25 said:
I've been searching high and low ive read everything and maybe im not understanding but after I root my phone how do I do the whole loki thing??... I'm eager to start flashing roms... Ive read of some recoveries that do this is that an accurate assessment??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have updated the OP to explain Loki, hope that helps :good:
Noob here first time posting I rooted my phone and installed cwm using casual method, created backup and installed mint rom love it but after a couple of post I see I didn't backup EFS should I be worried?
I'm not sure what the deal is with backing up the IMEI number on our phones yet. I have not seen anyone post about losing their IMEI yet so I wouldn't be too worried. On the s3 only the international model phones could be backed up by saving the efs folder. The backup process for AT&T phones was much more complex. I assume the same holds true on the s4. Will update when I find out more
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium
I wanted to make sure Thx. Is it to late to back EFS or can I just restore my backup and do it?
Okay so, I love my Infuse but getting really tired of not being able to download anything off the play store. Just tired of it's rather less than great performance right now as well. It's is running 2.3.6 GB and want to get this thing up to ICS if possible. Just something running 4.0 so I can use my phone for what I need too. It is not rooted, no cyanogenMod, NOTHING. As the title says, I'm a full on noob here and I apologize if all this is covered in other threads, however I have just gotten to the point where I have found myself even more lost than where I started on what I needed to do/get. If someone can, I will literally need this spelled out to me (no pun intended), in order of the steps I need to take with everything. I'm getting tired of confusing myself even more from all the different stuff I have seen all over the place and I know without some serious guidance, I will just brick my phone. Thanks for any help! :laugh:
I understand this community can be a bit unorganized and confusing so I'll give you my process for rooting and installing custom firmware (there are other ways, but this works for my AT&T Infuse 4G SGH-i997).
First of all, no one uses ICS on the Infuse. There is a ROM, but it's underdeveloped because JB came out so quick. You will need to flash it to get to higher operating systems, but it is by no means a daily driver. Even JB is a little buggy compared to KitKat on the Infuse these days.
The first thing you want to do is root your phone and get a custom recovery.
There are more than a few options for rooting, but I prefer using ODIN (as I understand it, this is the tool Samsung uses to restore soft bricked phones). So this is a good thing to know how to do, in case you ever do soft brick your phone, you'll know exactly what to do.
Read the ODIN instructions in full as I will only briefly explain.
You're going to have to install Samsung drivers.
You'll be using UCLB3_Unbrick_root_1.1.zip. If you used UCLB3_Unbrick_1.1.zip it would just get you back to stock GB with no root added.
To put your phone into download mode, first turn off your phone. Plug a usb cable into your computer. Then with the phone off, hold down both volume buttons and plug the usb cable into your phone. A warning will come up and you push volume up to accept, realizing that you can easily soft brick your phone if you loose power or unplug during a download.
Once downloading is done, the phone will reboot and you'll be disappointed to see that nothing has changed. Except one small thing, you are now rooted and you should have an application called SuperUser that will allow you to do nifty and also dangerous things.
Now follow this step in the ODIN instructions to add the custom recovery (CWM = Clock Work Mod):
The version with root works exactly like the above version, but adds root. To add CWM recovery to the rooted version, download a custom Gingerbread kernel from HERE or HERE and flash the zImage using SGS Kernel Flasher (found in the Play Store) on the phone. If you go this route for root and CWM, your Custom Binary Download counter will not show any custom binary activity.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you follow the link in the second "HERE," you'll get the kernel I prefer since it was most recently updated. Scroll down the downloads section and grab "2013.04.30-CWM-Synthesis-1.2Ghz.zip." (1.2Ghz is stock for our processor, anything higher will be overclocked which I don't recommend).
Extract that and grab the zImage file in the update folder. You're going to copy this to your phone in a second.
But first you need SGS Kernal Flasher, you can get it off the playstore, but I despise having to log in to an OS I'm going to write over in less than a minute so I download the APK from here. Hopefully you know how to install APKs from your SD card and that you'll have to check install from unknown sources.
Now flash the zImage using SGS Kernel Flasher. Your phone will reboot and hang on the Samsung logo and a creepy voice is going to tell you about how she's partitioning your phone and installing Voodoo lag fix. This is normal. Eventually your phone will reboot back into GB and you'll be ready to flash any ROM of your choice by rebooting into recovery.
You reboot into recovery by holding the volume up and volume down button while powering on the phone. This is different than download mode and will take you do a new screen that you control with the volume keys.
You'll be using this to put new software on your phone.
Now you can bassically follow the instructions for getting to CyanogenMod 11 (Kit Kat) from GB.
The first bullet is what I just explained in detail.
Note that I didn't include the links in these instructions, just follow the link above to get to the original post.
Obtain CWM, this can be done using Jscotts Odin back to stock (Follow instructions and use SGS kernal flasher to obtain CWM)
Run Qksters IMEI backup script here
Make certain you are on ICS, this can be done by flashing Entropy's CM9
It is recommended now that you remove your SD Card
CWM: Wipe Cache / Factory Reset
Install ROM: Scroll down for downloads sectoion
... The package will start to install..
... Phone will reboot into the install screen again...
... Continue to install [Automatically] If not manually flash again
... Phone will reboot again and be at the recovery screen...
Install Gapps: Here - Working swipe!
CWM: Wipe Cache Partition
CWM: Advanced/Wipe Dalvik Cache
Reboot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be clear, when you flash a ROM, it won't be like flashing the zImage (that was just to get custom recovery). To flash the CM9 ROM or Qksters IMEI backup script for example, you leave the rom in the .zip file and simply put it on your SD card. Once in the recovery screen, you select "Install Update from ZIP" and navigate to the particular ROM you wish to install.
Also after updating to a higher version of Android, your phone will sometimes hang on the install screen for a long time. If it does for more than five minutes, it's safe to pull the battery and try flashing again (and sometimes necessary).
After flashing Entropy's CM9, you will be on ICS, you can use if you want but I don't advise it. You should continue with the instructions and update to KitKat after getting to ICS. I recommend Scott's CM11 (what I linked you to) or Scott's BeanStalk (find it in the Android Development Section).
Lately I've been using CyanFox and I have to say, it's the most stable ROM I've used in a while.
If you have any questions about this, feel free to ask.
Best of luck and happy flashing,
~bokonon9
Thank you muchness!
Thank you very much for helping me in this mess! I greatly appreciate it. I love my Infuse and do not want to get rid of it quite yet so hopefully this will help! Once I get a new usb cord I will get on this. My toddler decided to get a hold of it and it has to set a certain way now and can't be moved. This, is no bueno! Anyways, THANKS AGAIN!!! :laugh:
Goodluck! :laugh: :good:
I'm new in the android world and I'm using a nexus 7 and an infuse to make experiments just to learn.
bokonon9, thank you! You're guide has been precious to me.
Unfortunately I only succeeded installing ICS, infact I get till here:
After flashing Entropy's CM9, you will be on ICS, you can use if you want but I don't advise it. You should continue with the instructions and update to KitKat after getting to ICS. I recommend Scott's CM11 (what I linked you to) or Scott's BeanStalk (find it in the Android Development Section).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried to install CM11 and even CM10 at least half a dozen times each, following step by step the instructions that I've found on the thread but all the times I have the same issue:
after the zip rom update and the reboot, the bootloader keeps launching the CWM recovery. I see the logo, the progress bar and then I land in recovery
I don't get any kind of error (and I don't know where to look for to get more information than what's shown on the screen) and I'm just stuck in the recovery and I have to start from scratch every time using Odin all the way down.
I'm not interested in Gapps so, at the beginning I tried without installing them but then I tried also using the appropriate gapps as indicated in the procedure. Either way I didn't get any solution to my problem.
Do you have an idea? Is there a way for me to provide more information or debug?
Thank you!
wwr said:
I'm new in the android world and I'm using a nexus 7 and an infuse to make experiments just to learn.
bokonon9, thank you! You're guide has been precious to me.
Unfortunately I only succeeded installing ICS, infact I get till here:
I tried to install CM11 and even CM10 at least half a dozen times each, following step by step the instructions that I've found on the thread but all the times I have the same issue:
after the zip rom update and the reboot, the bootloader keeps launching the CWM recovery. I see the logo, the progress bar and then I land in recovery
I don't get any kind of error (and I don't know where to look for to get more information than what's shown on the screen) and I'm just stuck in the recovery and I have to start from scratch every time using Odin all the way down.
I'm not interested in Gapps so, at the beginning I tried without installing them but then I tried also using the appropriate gapps as indicated in the procedure. Either way I didn't get any solution to my problem.
Do you have an idea? Is there a way for me to provide more information or debug?
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i would say go back to stock gb with odin and basically start over but with ics i always let it reboot to get a "feel" for it then i reboot to recovery and wipe basically everything then flash the next level of android which should be cm 10 then i let that boot then repeat that to get to kitkat 4.4.3 CarbonRom....sometimes you have to flash the same rom twice to get it to flash tho
I already tried all that and I can't figure out a way out ... I'm really banging my head against the wall
wwr said:
I already tried all that and I can't figure out a way out ... I'm really banging my head against the wall
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2091900&page=370
read the last post on that page by scmfxt