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Hi all I am putting together an android app that will making the rooting process much easier. This thread is discuss issues and suggestions with this app.
I have the app near done, the biggest problem is that I cannot format the sdcard as fat32. Is formatting to fat32 required. Why do we do this? What is the real need to do this?
I have not tested the app out yet, but so far this is how it has been put together. There is a main activity with textboxes that have the urls of the files needed to root (dreaimg.nbh, recovery.img, hardsplupdate.zip, JF_RC33update.zip) and there are buttons for each step in the process to download these necessary files and extract them if needed and put them on the sdcard and renaming them properly. You can change the urls to something else if needed.
so you click the first button it downloads the .nbh and puts it on the sdcard and then prompts the user to turn off, power+camera on, flash. when phone is on then reinstall this app and go to step 2 (because it would of been lost when flashed)
you click the second button it downloads recovery.img and hardsplupdate.zip. renames the files appropriately and puts them on the sd. it runs a script to do the recovery.img flash. It then prompts you to restart into recovery mode and gives the instructions on flashing the hardspl. and tells you to reopen this app when done
you click the third button it downloads the latest JF firmware (lets just say the RC33 flavor) puts it on the sdcard and renames it as update.zip. it prompts you to restart into recovery mode and do the flash.
Anybody see any possible problems with this logic? Also what do people think about maybe packing some of these files in the app instead of having them be downloaded?
Update: app is working http://allshadow.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5229
I am still looking for help to make it better.
I need devs to help make it nicer.
I am also looking for someone who's familiar with the update.zip package, to pack the radio, hardspl, and jf_rc33 all in one update file.
If anybody is interested in helping, PM me
I dont think its that big of a deal to format the card yourself, but why not make an app on the desktop that does some of the work for you, like formatting the card, then downloading and renaming the files needed to get started?
Packing the files into the app is going to make the app big. I like this whole idea though.
when you flash the .nbh it does a wipe on its own so one would need to re-download the app after that unless you can get it to stick somehow, i like the idea, is each button of the app just running a script? like to get the dreaimg.nbh have a script that runs:
"$wget [url to the .nbh file]
$echo 'please reboot your phone into SPL by holding the camera and power button'"
or did you have some other idea?
i like the idea but i am just not sure how easy this would be to code as i am just used to writing scripts that do everything for me.
or you could follow Kllian's advice and make a desktop program that does all this. i could easily write a script for linux that would do it, and a .bat file wouldn't be too hard either. you would just need to have adb and you could have the scipt/batch reboot the phone into recovery to do the flashing of each update.zip
pm me if you have an questions or would like me to write a script to do all this
tubaking182 said:
when you flash the .nbh it does a wipe on its own so one would need to re-download the app after that unless you can get it to stick somehow, i like the idea, is each button of the app just running a script?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tubaking brings up a good point.
I have an idea that possibly could resolve the "wiping" issue. What you do is, the initial app would be placed on the desktop (assume RC30). From here you'd downgrade the firmware to RC29.
The problem is though, the app you are scripting will be wiped. SO...
How about saving it on the SD temporarily.
THEN modifying the .nbh file to restore the <rooting app> to desktop (from SD)
Just throwing some stuff out there.
IF you need some help, hit me up.
if anyone knows how to convert a .sh bash script from linux to a .bat batch file for windows then i already have the script written, send me a PM to get it. or we could port it into java, but i don't know how to do that stuff. tomorrow i will upload my script onto 4shared and provide a link here as long as it works. keep in mind that i am on a linux machine and my script will not work in M$ windows. i don't know a damn thing about mac, so i have no idea if this will work or not for them.
my script is nearly completely automated, the only thing you need to do is hit ENTER a few dozen times, i will also write a completely automated one that sleeps rather than waits for you to hit enter, but it will take longer to run most likely since i will have to oversetimate the sleep time.
hopefully i can find a windows machine and learn what commands in the cmd are equal to the commands in my terminal
akapoor said:
tubaking brings up a good point.
I have an idea that possibly could resolve the "wiping" issue. What you do is, the initial app would be placed on the desktop (assume RC30). From here you'd downgrade the firmware to RC29.
The problem is though, the app you are scripting will be wiped. SO...
How about saving it on the SD temporarily.
THEN modifying the .nbh file to restore the <rooting app> to desktop (from SD)
Just throwing some stuff out there.
IF you need some help, hit me up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
modifying ,nbh files is no easy task, i tried it once and fortunately for many people GSLeon3 was able to help me fix my tilt. i think the .bat or .sh would be the easiest way to root your phone
Tubaking,
Send over the file you have. Ill work on converting it to a .bat, useable from windows.
Email : akapoor92_at_gmail.com
I should have it soon, but since its like 3:30am here, I'm off to bed. Haha
tubaking182 said:
modifying ,nbh files is no easy task, i tried it once and fortunately for many people GSLeon3 was able to help me fix my tilt. i think the .bat or .sh would be the easiest way to root your phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uh, you'd not only need to modify the nbh file, but you'd also need to sign it with the Google OTA keys - otherwise the phone will refuse to flash it.
If it were possible to create Google-signed nbh files we'd dispense with all this downgrading nonsense and just create an nbh of the latest JF firmware with root and directly flash that.
The issue is that until you've patched the recovery loader the phone won't flash anything that isn't signed by Google. The reason we can get around this is that there is a leaked signed file with the old firmware version, and that version happens to contain a vulnerability that you can use to get root access. Once you have root access you can reflash the recovery loader with a new one which accepts the test keys. At that point you can dispense with the hacks and begin directly flashing whatever you want.
In any case, rooting a phone is serious enough of a matter that we probably shouldn't be encouraging anybody who can download an app to do it. They should at least have some confidence in reading and following obscure instructions online, because of anything goes wrong later that is what they'll be doing...
Thanks for all your input. I have been trying to hold hand people through the root process and it is a real pain. Biggest issues are people not being able to unzip files correctly, rename files correctly, and the biggest thing is the recovery.img step and typing in the commands.
- .nbh cannot be patched because it is signed.
- yes my app will get wiped because of the .nbh flash. It does tell the user to reinstall this app once done with the .nbh step and then continue
- i prefer an android app, so people can do it without a computer and without having to install the sdk
- the app does not run a script to get the files. it uses some android sdk functions to download files. it does use the unzip linux command to unzip, not sure if this will work because of permissions, i may have to figure out how to do it from the sdk. the app does run a script to do the recovery.img step, during this step we should already have root so no issue there with permissions.
Biggest problem I see is Fat32 format I heard it is not absolutely necessary. Does anyone have any more information about why this needs to be done?
it IS necessary, you need the card formatted in order to do the NBH flash, after that you should be ok. most card come formatted in the box they came in so anyone that said they didn't need to format their card is lying because is was already formatted to fat 32
in the RC29 firmware is there a su command in /system/bin/ or are all commands run as root without having to call /system/bin/su ??
moussam said:
in the RC29 firmware is there a su command in /system/bin/ or are all commands run as root without having to call /system/bin/su ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
from what i've read, in the RC29 version andything you type on the home screen gets put through a root shell as well all on it's own
I have a feeling whoever makes this app is going to sell iot for a ridiculous price on the market
My script is written but requires the user to do certain things, later I hope to have it be completely automated after a certain point and it will be free. After I get it written in linux shell I will be converting it to use in windows. Expect my automated root to be available for download by the weekend.
I got the app pretty close to done. I hope to put something up tonight or tomorrow that you guys can test. I am not going to charge for this app, I want to give it for free so everybody can have root and a more rich experience.
The place were I am stuck right now is the unzipping of the DREAIMG.NBH file from its zip file after it is downloaded. I am using java.util.zip I am not sure if the problem is because the file is so big or if I am doing it wrong. does anyone have an android java unzip code snippet?
The app now downloads files for you and unzips them if needed. THere is an issue with the unzipping though, after around 25 MB of unzipping DREAIMG.NBH i get this error...
java.io.IOException at java.util.zip.InflaterInputStream.read(InflaterInputStream.java)
anybody have any suggestions? Is their not enough memory to unzip the files or something?
For now I am not going to let the .nbh file be zipped up. THe app instead will have to download the full uncompressed .nbh file.
So it is ready to be tested, if you want to try it out PM me, I do not want to just post it and have everybody use it until it has been tested more.
Good news the app works on downloading the .nbh file and then flashing you to RC29. It then successfully downloads the recovery.img and hardspl update.zip
I had someone testing it and when they ran the recovery script the mount command gave them mount: operation not permitted. Is this correct? I know without root it is supposed to give you mount: permission denied.
If this is correct the app is working, and I just need someone else to confirm.
Mike
Does anybody else want to help with the coding of this project? If so create an open-source repository and I will add the current source in there.
I've done my searching homework, but haven't found a reference on how to load a resource.zip file. Is this done the same as an update.zip, or am i supposed to manually load the contents via the shell?
Just curious. I'm currently running 5.0.1H.
Thanks in advance.
Sephatine said:
I've done my searching homework
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doubtful.
Unzip the resource.zip to your SD card.
You'll have two new folders.
audio
resource
Enjoy.
and put it in the /sdcard/media/ folder for the audio...
the wallpapers can go wherever..
thanks
I DID actually do just as I told you I did, and I appreciate the answer. There was 1 thread on this board in the search results for 'resource.zip'. Those topics talked about the contents, but not the method of using the file.
I'm familiar enough with the SDK to know that a zip archive is just a java container that, if formatted correctly, can be used by the system, hence the reason I didn't just dump the contents on my SD card which I knew I could do. I figured since i had seen multiple versions of this file... always named the same... with a zip extension, that it MIGHT actually be a file that the API would recognize and do something with.
I'll go find the wiki and put this up there so as to prevent someone else from having to search for this.
Hello everyone. Although n00bs aren't allowed here, I do want to ask you a question that might be very n00bish. And maybe a little inappropriate. Or asked in the wrong section of this forum.
But here it goes: I want to try and edit a savegame for a game on my HTC Hero (baseball superstar 2010). So, first I tried to locate where all the files for this game could be installed on my phone. I did not succeed.
But with help from this forum, I found out that I might find the files by using Astro File Manager. I can use this app to click on the .apk from the game, that I have on my sdcard, and then choose the option 'browse file'. There, I find a lot of files! So, the first problem is solved.
The second problem is, that I cannot edit any of the files I then find. And I cannot find a file that has the datestamp of today, or yesterday, when I last played the game. Shouldn't there be a very recent file with the saved game data in it somewhere?
For me, it would be a lot easier if I could browse the apk on my desktop with a simple explorer. But if I hook up my sd-card to my pc, I cannot open the .apk. How can I accomplish this?
I hope I gave a decent description of my problems, and hopefully anyone can help me with A) finding out which file to edit B) how to open or edit this file and C) what to edit!
Thank you all in advance for your time and patience.
Use 7zip to open/extract the .apk file. You can use winrar too, but I like 7zip better. I'll try to find a link in a minute, or you can always google it if I don't post back quick enough for you.
Your questions are reeallly noobish ;-P
Apk files store libraries and other static files of your applications - there you could find images, texts, code, etc., but not runtime data like savegames. Look into /data/{package-name}/ - you could find package name in many places, I think it's in Settings -> Manage applications, but I'm not sure.
Very noobish yes
I have done something in the meanwhile, and that is: buy the real deal from the market. I no longer seem to have the .apk, but that should be no problem. Now the real game is officially installed onto my phone.
But ... where? I have tried looking in /data with my file managers, but they say that the folder is empty! So... where are my apps installed then? They must be on my phone somewhere. Do I have to root my phone in order to see anything in the /data/folder?
dekraan said:
Do I have to root my phone in order to see anything in the /data/folder?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure, but I think so. This directory is read-protected, so apps can't steal data of other apps. And I've mistaken: it's /data/app/{package-name}.
Hmmm. Do you know a good way to do that? I have a HTC Hero with the 2.1-update1 firmware (so my phone tells me!).
dekraan said:
Do I have to root my phone in order to see anything in the /data/folder?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I'm correct in saying yes. I use RootExplorer and can see my apks in data/app, but if I use AndExplorer I can't.
XperiaX10iUser said:
I think I'm correct in saying yes. I use RootExplorer and can see my apks in data/app, but if I use AndExplorer I can't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi There,
I've opened another thread to stop the clutter, but: I have installed Root Explorer and used (I thought) Universal Androot to root my mobile phone. It did install Superuser, but when I open Root Explorer, I don't get a prompt to put it on the superuser list... so nothing seems to work. Do you know what I should do, and how I can do that?
dekraan said:
Hi There,
I've opened another thread to stop the clutter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But thought you'd clutter the forum instead.
dekraan said:
but: I have installed Root Explorer and used (I thought) Universal Androot to root my mobile phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might be best searching your phones forum for a solution unless someone can offer you help here.
Iirc, savedata and settings would be in /data/data/com.gamevil.bs2010/
probably in a folder named "files".
start by looking in there.
other apps would be in /data/data/[packagename]
for those who do not know how to do this yet, follow directions given here.
Just took this info from the web. None of this except for the guide is written by me.
I am not responsible for anything please do not contact me if a green sludge starts attacking your neighborhood eating one person at a time.
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http://code.google.com/p/unyaffs/downloads/list
made for linux, but if you know a bit of c, you can probably change it to work with windows, maybe I will do that if I have some time this week.
********OR********
http://jiggawatt.org/badc0de/android/unyaffs-x86-win.zip
or http://www.4shared.com/get/fgryPnPx/unyaffs-windows.html
for windows..... instructions below apply for both
if not included in the zips above, cygwin1.dll and unyaffs.exe are included as an attachment of this reply.
open up a command line, in windows vista/7 just press start and then type cmd press enter and change the directory to the folder with the unyaffs and the img in it. in xp press start>run>cmd... then the same
the usage is: unyaffs /path/to/img
example:
(if unyaffs.exe and system.img are both in c:\temp)
"c:\temp> unyaffs /temp/system.img"
note: the '/' is the way linux determines the pathname of a file and since it is built using cygwin(a file allowing for windows) it is preferrable that the path to the actual file is in unix POSIX format ie: / instead of \ between folders and files.
*********WARNING************
this will extract to directory that unyaffs binary is in.
That's so weird -- I was gonna post the same thing tonight. Thx for writing this up. It's odd that more people don't talk or ask about this tool!
I remember reading this stuff back when I got my G1, and tonight I was trolling the themes and apps section cause I couldnt sleep. (which I rarely look at)
I was baffled that this wasnt common knowledge. I figured if there was no threads about it that people just knew how and didnt have any problems with it. My mistake lol...
enjoy.
can you please explain what is it? what it does? thanks
ericizzy1 said:
can you please explain what is it? what it does? thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Umm, it expands nandroid img files not sure how else to explain it. Clockworkmod backups are in the img file format. This process allows you to extract those files to get stuff out of them
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
When you create a backup in Clockwork recovery, it leaves you with a folder like this:
2010-11-18.08.52.49
As you can prob figure out, I made that backup on 11/18 at 8:52am
Inside that folder are .img files, such as: data.img and system.img
Those files basically contain your data (like apps you've installed from market) and system (..system apps that might've come with the phone).
In the orig post, he's explaining how to extract the files from these large .img files.
To give an example, I had a couple of corrupted clockwork backups, and wanted to ONLY pull out some database files (like text messages and call logs) which were not corrupted. Even tho the backup was messed up, I could still extract the files I needed by using the method above, then copied them manually to my phone.
decalex said:
When you create a backup in Clockwork recovery, it leaves you with a folder like this:
2010-11-18.08.52.49
As you can prob figure out, I made that backup on 11/18 at 8:52am
Inside that folder are .img files, such as: data.img and system.img
Those files basically contain your data (like apps you've installed from market) and system (..system apps that might've come with the phone).
In the orig post, he's explaining how to extract the files from these large .img files.
To give an example, I had a couple of corrupted clockwork backups, and wanted to ONLY pull out some database files (like text messages and call logs) which were not corrupted. Even tho the backup was messed up, I could still extract the files I needed by using the method above, then copied them manually to my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thx
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
smeyerhuky said:
Umm, it expands nandroid img files not sure how else to explain it. Clockworkmod backups are in the img file format. This process allows you to extract those files to get stuff out of them
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right, like if you wanted a file or a few files from clockworkmod img backup, then this process would give you an extended file system, other than what you would normally use to extract the img files. Just trying to understand this so, please correct me if im wrong.... I've been trying to get more knowledge of this, so im still learning.
I prolly sound like a complete idiot, lol...
Sweet! Thanks for this man. I'd been looking for how to do this for some time and kept ending up learning about emulation or some other tangential topic. This is the basic functionality I was looking for. Thanks for posting!
Np. I'm working on writing some stuff on top of the source code that should allow you to browse and pull just one our more file
Its been a but since I looked theory source code so it might take a while... Maybe in between semesters?
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Dode you saved my as** thx big thx
Great, now how can I re-compress back to .img after I've made the changes that I want?
EDIT: Nevermind. I just made a zip of the new system folder and flashed it in CWM.
This worked great for me.
Thanks,
Bud
Man, I do not know how to thank you. I was able to recover some important stuff off of my cwm recovery backup. THANKS!!
Hey everyone!
On the rom I currently use there are about 20 apk's I have no need for. What I do is download the rom, and individually delete the apk's before flashing the rom. The thing is I flash quite often (cheeky, I know ) and this is getting quite frustrating.
Ideally I want a script that does this all for me. I found one but it seems be for running on the phone, after the apk's have been installed. Does anyone know how I can create a script for the PC that does this before I even install the rom?
Thank you for any suggestions.
Oh and here's the thread I found that looked relevant...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=674357
edcoppen said:
Hey everyone!
On the rom I currently use there are about 20 apk's I have no need for. What I do is download the rom, and individually delete the apk's before flashing the rom. The thing is I flash quite often (cheeky, I know ) and this is getting quite frustrating.
Ideally I want a script that does this all for me. I found one but it seems be for running on the phone, after the apk's have been installed. Does anyone know how I can create a script for the PC that does this before I even install the rom?
Thank you for any suggestions.
Oh and here's the thread I found that looked relevant...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=674357
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Over what OS?
If in Windows (or any M$ OS, incl. DOS) you can make a batch file.
My file is adjunted as example (modify as you like, put in the root dir -obviously to the unzipped ROM- and run. Rezip and maybe re-sign)
salu2
Thank you. This is exactly the kind of thing I am after. If I had of been born just a few years earlier I would probably know all about batch scripts. Fortunately, I just missed the DOS days!
Anyway, I puzzled out / looked up the commands in the script you posted. Based on that I extracted the rom, then placed the batch file within it, so that the cd (current directory) command runs correctly.
Unfortunately this mucks up the signing on the rom. Do you re-sign your CM7 roms every time you do this or is there an easier way?
Edit: My PC is Win 7, 64bit, soon to be Win 8 Consumer Preview.
Edit: The roms do not need resigning.
I don't re-sign the ROM, simply flash again over Clockworkmod Recovery.. and work.
But, you can:
1) sign using Auto-Sign....
2) Click [Thanks]...
Salu2
__________________________________________________________________
I know, I know.... my english is ****ty... but my spanish is much better... ;-)
Big thank you. That's solved that one nicely for me!
You're welcome.
Updated zip in my first Post.
Salu2
Hey again. I was hoping to build on the script you kindly provided. At the moment I am using various alpha roms where the exact apk's present changes fairly often. It would be great if I could see the outcome of each action. This way I would know if the apk has had it's name changed or been removed. How would I enable this?