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Introduction
If you are rooted and running a Hard SPL or a Stock SPL and really want to flash a ROM that claims to require Danger/Haykuro SPL, but you do not want to upgrade your SPL there are alternative ways to make these ROMs work on your phone without upgrading your SPL.
This is a very easy process, Ive done it with a few ROMs with no problems:
First off, keep in mind that on a Stock SPL
/system = about 67MB
Any ROM that has a system partition 67MB or Greater will require Danger/Haykuro SPL, UNLESS you can shrink that ROM's /system down below 67MB.
How do you do this, you ask?
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Method #1 (Easy) -Move/Delete unneeded Apps, Sounds, Files
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NOTE: This Method does NOT apply to HERO/SENSE ROMs, they are way too big! Check Method 2 if you want to fit ANY ROM on any SPL (Advanced)
Make sure you have 7-Zip! Dont have it? Google is your friend!
1) Read the first post and changelog of the ROM you wish to install on your phone. After youve made yourself familiar with what needs to be Wiped (ie: dalvik cache, ext, data) the Partition Layout the developer suggests (ie: FAT32/Ext3/Swap), then go ahead and download the ROM. Unzip it to a folder, name it something short. for example: C:\1\rom
now click on the system folder, scroll down and click on the media folder, and delete the audio folder. This will erase every sound effect and ringtone on your phone and usually will free up about 2MB in system.
To get your ringtones and sounds back download this (thanks Robot Teapot!) and unzip the folder to the root of your sdcard. (note: your ringtones might not show up the first time you boot the rom, in this case, reboot and theyll all be right there)
If removing your ringtones isnt enough to keep /system under 67MB then move on to step 2), if youre already below 67MB skip to step 3)
2) Return to the first post and changelog of the ROM you are trying to install. Look for apps the dev has added to the ROM that dont seem necessary for the ROM to function such as Twidroid.apk, Facebook.apk, NeroMedia.apk, WirelessTether.apk, WiredTether.apk, Maps.apk(takes up a lot of room, and sometimes outdated...just delete it and install the latest from the market!)etc.
You can use Android Barebones/Necessary Apps - CyanogenMod Wiki as a general guideline to determine which apps are essential to Android running properly and the functions of many system apps.
Delete those unnecessary apps or move them to your sdcard, and use ASTRO File Manager or a similar app to install them after you flash the ROM.
3) Okay, assume youve trimmed /system down below 67MB, good job! now you need to get those folders you extracted and the boot.img zipped up and signed. select the folders from the ROM you extracted and modified, the boot.img, right click, and select 7-Zip < Add to .zip
4) Download Stericson's Autosign place it in any directory and follow the instructions in the thread to sign your zip file.
5) Move the signed zip to your SD Card, making sure you have the proper partitions, wipe the necessary things, then flash your zip file and cross your fingers!
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Method #2 (Advanced) -"Cache Hack"
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NOTE: This Method will fit any ROM on any SPL but is more advanced than Method 1
lbcoder introduced the concept of moving files to the /cache partition of the phone and linking them back to /system or /data.
Firerat has come up with a way to make this concept work and explains the whole process in his thread and shows some examples of his method by providing some ports:
[HACK][ROM][BOOT.IMG][CACHE]-Stk SPL ROMs with Danger SPL size & extra 30mb! any SPL!
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There you have it folks! Congrats if youve bypassed the Danger SPL requirements! Be sure to always keep a Nandroid/BART backup!!!!
Disclaimer: Not saying these methods will brick or damage your phone, but in the rare event this occurs I am NOT responsible for bricks or or any damages to your phone!
Autosign doesnt need to be in the SDK place, I had it in my music folder and it worked fine.I accidentally formatted my PC last night and dont have the SDK installed but autosign works for me so im happy.
Note to OP-You cant brick from flashing any 32B rom, you would only get a blank screen that stays..which some seem to call soft-brick, i call it nonsense though.
Thanks for this excellent tutorial
Ace42 said:
Autosign doesnt need to be in the SDK place, I had it in my music folder and it worked fine.I accidentally formatted my PC last night and dont have the SDK installed but autosign works for me so im happy.
Note to OP-You cant brick from flashing any 32B rom, you would only get a blank screen that stays..which some seem to call soft-brick, i call it nonsense though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? I had no idea that the SDK wasnt required, ill remove that.
and yeah i know its usually a soft brick, if anything, and youre right its nonsense, and can be solved using a nandroid backup and wiping the proper things, but im playing it safe with that disclaimer just like the rom devs do lol
migalito said:
Thanks for this excellent tutorial
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
.
Youre welcome! I hope it works out for you!
Will this work with the Super D rom?
cg87 said:
Will this work with the Super D rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes! I tried it on Super D!
speedysilwady said:
yes! I tried it on Super D!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then I'm so confused. If it's possible, why does the rom still require the Danger SPL? Why didn't bbuchacher make it so it doesn't require the Danger SPL? Doesn't make any sense to me. Can someone please enlighten me?
cg87 said:
Then I'm so confused. If it's possible, why does the rom still require the Danger SPL? Why didn't bbuchacher make it so it doesn't require the Danger SPL? Doesn't make any sense to me. Can someone please enlighten me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, to be honest, im not sure why, but im assuming some developers like to include features and apps that arent necessarily required for the rom to run properly but to make their rom more appealing to users, than other roms. keeping those apps in system prevents those apps from disappearing after you wipe your phone/ext. Plus devs always keep ringtones and sounds included in their roms for completeness's sake.
Now a Hero ROM on the other hand is loaded with system apps that cant be deleted and i dont think theyll ever fit on a Stock SPL, except maybe MicroHero, but im not sure.
But for whatever reason, a lot of regular ROMs are fat and bloated with apps and extras that dont necessarily have to be saved on the system partition,so the best thing to do is shrink those roms down till they fit, if you can't or dont want to upgrade your SPL.
How to make it work *WITHOUT TRIMMING*
Take a look at your update.zip archive.
Probably has 4 things in the root:
boot.img
system
META-INF
data
If system is greater than about 67MB (or lets say 60 just to be real safe...), then create ANOTHER directory and call it "cache".
Now MOVE /system/app into /cache/
You now have the space cleared up, but it still won't work.
So go into META-INF/com/google/android and edit the script "update-script".
just below the line where it says "format CACHE:", add these lines:
copy_dir PACKAGE:cache CACHE:
set_perm_recursive 0 0 0755 0644 CACHE:
symlink /cache/app SYSTEM:app
Wow, did we just move the extra crap into cache? Yep.
May require slight modification. Use your head.
Seems someone else is in the same boat as I am.
Can't update my radio, looks like some kind of hardware problem almost. Tried everything in any possible way.
So it looks like we're stuck with the standard or engineering SPL, which is fine but means there are some restrictions.
I'll try some of the tips you gave and flash something besides Cyanogenmod tonight.
lbcoder said:
Take a look at your update.zip archive.
Probably has 4 things in the root:
boot.img
system
META-INF
data
If system is greater than about 67MB (or lets say 60 just to be real safe...), then create ANOTHER directory and call it "cache".
Now MOVE /system/app into /cache/
You now have the space cleared up, but it still won't work.
So go into META-INF/com/google/android and edit the script "update-script".
just below the line where it says "format CACHE:", add these lines:
copy_dir PACKAGE:cache CACHE:
set_perm_recursive 0 0 0755 0644 CACHE:
symlink /cache/app SYSTEM:app
Wow, did we just move the extra crap into cache? Yep.
May require slight modification. Use your head.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought about that but I'm not 2 good @ programing unless its cars/video console. But doesn't the cache get used for something after the rom is up and running? Or is it only for ota updates?
If only for ota updates how come the danger spl doesn't give you 120mb or so since cache and system are 67mb each
That's a very good question. Just tried it and it seems to work, though. It's booting as we speak. All system/app files in the cache directory.
EDIT: Actually, all apps seem to force close on boot. So I'll just try it the regular way I guess.
try the Fix apk uid mismatches maybe idk ill try it in a lil bit
*update*
Got a boot loop on openeclair1.0.1 not sure why but dont got the time to fig. it out right now.
also why does a boot loop drain the crap out of your battery?
lbcoder said:
Take a look at your update.zip archive.
Probably has 4 things in the root:
boot.img
system
META-INF
data
If system is greater than about 67MB (or lets say 60 just to be real safe...), then create ANOTHER directory and call it "cache".
Now MOVE /system/app into /cache/
You now have the space cleared up, but it still won't work.
So go into META-INF/com/google/android and edit the script "update-script".
just below the line where it says "format CACHE:", add these lines:
copy_dir PACKAGE:cache CACHE:
set_perm_recursive 0 0 0755 0644 CACHE:
symlink /cache/app SYSTEM:app
Wow, did we just move the extra crap into cache? Yep.
May require slight modification. Use your head.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I remember you suggested this a while back when I asked about eclair roms on stock spl, I'm guessing if you use this method and wipe, you'll have to reflash the rom because those system apps are gone, correct?
yea anytime you wipe you would have to reflash the rom because a wipe deletes. data and cache folder
Dr-b said:
That's a very good question. Just tried it and it seems to work, though. It's booting as we speak. All system/app files in the cache directory.
EDIT: Actually, all apps seem to force close on boot. So I'll just try it the regular way I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Might be a minor goofup on the permissions. Just verify the permissions and it will be fine.
What programming?
There is no programming involved in this.
Mainly cache is for OTA, but also some other crap related to the download manager.
As for the deathspl allocation, it puts *some* of the /cache into /system, *some* of the /cache into /data, and the balance of /cache remains in /cache.
xile6 said:
I thought about that but I'm not 2 good @ programing unless its cars/video console. But doesn't the cache get used for something after the rom is up and running? Or is it only for ota updates?
If only for ota updates how come the danger spl doesn't give you 120mb or so since cache and system are 67mb each
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
speedysilwady said:
I remember you suggested this a while back when I asked about eclair roms on stock spl, I'm guessing if you use this method and wipe, you'll have to reflash the rom because those system apps are gone, correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why would you want to wipe it?
Note: you could just create an update.zip with an update-script that says ONLY "format DATA:" That would wipe the data withOUT wiping the /cache. Maybe name it "betterwipe.zip" and put it on your sdcard. Boot into recovery and apply "betterwipe.zip".
lbcoder said:
Why would you want to wipe it?
Note: you could just create an update.zip with an update-script that says ONLY "format DATA:" That would wipe the data withOUT wiping the /cache. Maybe name it "betterwipe.zip" and put it on your sdcard. Boot into recovery and apply "betterwipe.zip".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
true, with fix permissions, and wipe dalvik, there really isnt much use in wiping data anymore, but would fix permissions still work if the apps are in cache? i know theyre syslinked, but im not sure how that works with the fix_permissions script. sorry if im asking dumb questions, im still learning.
Ill try your idea a really big rom and see if it works.
just wanted to confirm that all Hero ROMs seem to require Danger SPL, I see no way of shrinking system anywhere close to 67 or less.
But my method should still work on any eclair or donut rom. I still havent had a chance to try lbcoder's method though it should work. if people can get lbcoders method to work ill add it to the first post!
Seems like it would be a good idea to get people in the habit of backing up absolutely everything before rooting, installing roms, etc. We could perhaps avoid problems with people overwriting their 4G keys or other unforeseen consequences.
Problem is, I don't know how to do it. Could someone please write a quick guide on how to backup everything (nand, ext, wimax, radio, etc.) and also how to restore it when something goes wrong?
gthing said:
Seems like it would be a good idea to get people in the habit of backing up absolutely everything before rooting, installing roms, etc. We could perhaps avoid problems with people overwriting their 4G keys or other unforeseen consequences.
Problem is, I don't know how to do it. Could someone please write a quick guide on how to backup everything (nand, ext, wimax, radio, etc.) and also how to restore it when something goes wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Reboot into recovery (Clockwork/RA)
2. Select nandroid backup
3...
4. Profit
imaxreed said:
1. Reboot into recovery (Clockwork/RA)
2. Select nandroid backup
3...
4. Profit
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A nandroid backup will backup the wimax partition? Pretty sure radio/wimax partitions are not included.
Doesn't that put the previous rom you had when backed up back on there so if you flash a new one then restore the new rom is gone and your back to where you were?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
krizno said:
Doesn't that put the previous rom you had when backed up back on there so if you flash a new one then restore the new rom is gone and your back to where you were?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, but some things, like the radios, are not included in the backup.
So you want to be able to back up the radio too i get you I guess you would just have to download the newest radio off here or find the download for the radio you have that works for you and save it to the root of sd and just flash it over when you need it just a suggestion
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
gthing said:
Seems like it would be a good idea to get people in the habit of backing up absolutely everything before rooting, installing roms, etc. We could perhaps avoid problems with people overwriting their 4G keys or other unforeseen consequences.
Problem is, I don't know how to do it. Could someone please write a quick guide on how to backup everything (nand, ext, wimax, radio, etc.) and also how to restore it when something goes wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Scratch what I had.
I guess nandroid doesn't backup radio and wimax.
My guide I wrote doesn't get this far in depth, but covers boot partition pretty well.
+1 on this request.
I'm not doing any radio changes until I can back up the originals first. (Hence my low post count.)
I found this from the broken 4G thread:
redsolar said:
Broken EVO backup
Backup your existing wimax partition on your broken EVO. We may need it some day.
Open command line window (cmd)
Make sure you have no PC36IMG.zip files in the root of your SD Card, or it will take a while to power your phone up
Power down your phone
Power it up while holding down the Volume Down key
HBOOT will attempt to scan for PC36IMG files. Let's hope you read carefully and don't have it on your SD Card root
Once HBOOT fails to find the file, use Vol Up/Down buttons to go into Fastboot mode
Connect the USB cable to your phone (and PC). You may have to install the USB drivers that come with Android SDK, but chances are if you are looking for this solution, you already have them installed and working
The FASTBOOT mode will switch to FASTBOOT USB (that's good)
Test your fastboot by typing "fastboot oem h" in command window you opened earlier (note, no adb, or adb shell anywhere, the command is "fastboot oem h". From here on all fastboot commands are issued in that window
If you see less than ~40 lines of output, you don't have a propertly rooted phone, and you need to do step 1 and step 2 (see above)
Dump your wimax data by issuing "fastboot oem saveprt2sd wimax -n wimax.bin" command (varies, anywhere between 7 to 8.5 MB, mine was 7MB)
Dump complete partition (~12MB) by issuing "fastboot oem saveprt2sd wimax -n wimax.bin -a" command
Reboot your phone
Pull the data files you dumped to a safe place ("adb pull /sdcard/WIMAX.BIN" and "adb pull /sdcard/WIMAXRAW.BIN"). Note the capitalization, it's important
SNIP
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Edit:
Haven't tried this yet, but it would backup wimax. How do we back up radio?
krizno said:
So you want to be able to back up the radio too i get you I guess you would just have to download the newest radio off here or find the download for the radio you have that works for you and save it to the root of sd and just flash it over when you need it just a suggestion
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reason you would want your own backup is because it could contain wimax keys, etc. If everyone had backed up we wouldn't have tons of people running around with bricked 4G radios now. Some things you can't fix with a generic download - you need a backup.
nefas110 said:
+1 on this request.
I'm not doing any radio changes until I can back up the originals first. (Hence my low post count.)
I found this from the broken 4G thread:
Edit:
Haven't tried this yet, but it would backup wimax. How do we back up radio?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
why do you need to backup the radio? there's a list of radio and wimax in the development section, you can always download those file and save it onto your computer or your sdcard if you ever need to use them again.
the PC36IMG.zip itself contain the wimax and the radio in it. i've downgrade from 1.47...OTA update with the new radio and wimax, and it downgraded just fine along with the radio and wimax.
if you wanna backup your wimax, try this.
in a shell,
Code:
cat /proc/mtd
you should get a list from mtd0 through mtd7. wimax should show up as mtd0.
to back up the wimax img to your sdcard,
Code:
cat /dev/mtd/mtd0 > /sdcard/mtd0.img
that should back up your wimax image to your sdcard. i'm now sure if you could flash that like you flash a radio through your recovery(i wouldn't try it) but if you wanna revert you could probably do something like
Code:
cat /sdcard/mtd0.img > /dev/mtd/mtd0
another method may be to use fastboot. i'm not sure if you can do this or not, and i can't verify it since i'm not at home, but maybe do something like
Code:
fastboot flash wimax /sdcard/mtd0.img
might work. but if you try this and something breaks... it's not my fault.
campchi said:
why do you need to backup the radio? there's a list of radio and wimax in the development section, you can always download those file and save it onto your computer or your sdcard if you ever need to use them again.
the PC36IMG.zip itself contain the wimax and the radio in it. i've downgrade from 1.47...OTA update with the new radio and wimax, and it downgraded just fine along with the radio and wimax.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those don't include the unique encryption key embedded on each phone. It's too bad none of the backup solutions out there do a complete backup.
campchi said:
why do you need to backup the radio? there's a list of radio and wimax in the development section, you can always download those file and save it onto your computer or your sdcard if you ever need to use them again.
the PC36IMG.zip itself contain the wimax and the radio in it. i've downgrade from 1.47...OTA update with the new radio and wimax, and it downgraded just fine along with the radio and wimax.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read that thread by redsolar: [TUTORIAL] Proof of concept solution on fixing badly broken 4G after bad MAC, etc
To summarize, each Evo comes equipped with security keys for wimax that are SPECIFIC TO THAT ONE DEVICE. If you loose those keys, there is no way to revive your bricked 4G at this time. You can lose the keys if you flash a bad image (this is what happened to people) or you can have a bad flash (can happen at random). Now do you want to backup your wimax?
As for the rest of the radio, how can we be certain a generic image will restore the device? The only way to be sure is to make a backup of that image too.
I read that nandroid used to backup the radio. That feature should be brought back as an option. Does anyone know who runs nandroid now? I would like to write to the suggestion box.
justinisyoung said:
if you wanna backup your wimax, try this.
in a shell,
Code:
cat /proc/mtd
you should get a list from mtd0 through mtd7. wimax should show up as mtd0.
to back up the wimax img to your sdcard,
Code:
cat /dev/mtd/mtd0 > /sdcard/mtd0.img
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, this part works. I used a hexeditor to at least find and copy my encryption keys. (Search for BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY).
justinisyoung said:
if you wanna backup your wimax, try this.
in a shell,
Code:
cat /proc/mtd
you should get a list from mtd0 through mtd7. wimax should show up as mtd0.
to back up the wimax img to your sdcard,
Code:
cat /dev/mtd/mtd0 > /sdcard/mtd0.img
that should back up your wimax image to your sdcard. i'm now sure if you could flash that like you flash a radio through your recovery(i wouldn't try it) but if you wanna revert you could probably do something like
Code:
cat /sdcard/mtd0.img > /dev/mtd/mtd0
another method may be to use fastboot. i'm not sure if you can do this or not, and i can't verify it since i'm not at home, but maybe do something like
Code:
fastboot flash wimax /sdcard/mtd0.img
might work. but if you try this and something breaks... it's not my fault.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While this does work for a sheer purpose of extracting wimax key and certificate, the resulting file is not binary safe. cat appears to do some codepage interpretation, so the resulting file is not consistent between phones, even when firmware is mostly identical, and the differences are just MAC address and RSA key/SSL certificate.
So far, the only safe (and restorable) way to do a backup is described here. I verified, and backing up/rewriting image this way does work, and works correctly.
In case anyone want's to resize their System, Cache, and Userdata partitions on their EVO. This may be useful for some of the newer ROMs that require a larger system partition.
Default partition sizes for EVO are 350MB for System, 160MB for Cache, and 427.625MB for Userdata.
I did not create this. It was developed by FireRat who's account is now inactive on XDA. I started looking into it because I wanted to resize my Boot partition from 2.5M to 3M because I have bad NAND blocks in my Boot partition and can't flash ANY Sense-based Gingerbread ROM, even the leaked official one from HTC. I get the following error when debugging by flashing the boot.img using Fastboot:
FAILED (remote: image update error) ...
With all that said, it doesn't work to resize your Boot partition. I modified the source to make it resize Boot partition as well, it passes the parameters to the kernel correctly, but the system does NOT like it and gives a bunch of errors about unsupported block addresses. If you want to read more about this issue, see my post: here
How This Works
This is simple a shell script that extracts the recovery and/or boot images and modified the commandline passed to the kernel so that it recognizes different partition mappings for the NAND partitions.
Warnings
First of all, there is no brick risk if you have Fastboot access (.76 ENG HBOOT). That said, I'm not in anyway responsible if something happens and your device gets bricked. Two things could potentially go wrong:
* Recovery Flash Corrupt - This happened to me a few times when I was playing with trying to get the Boot partition to change sizes, but never when I was just attempted to resize System, Cache, and Userdata.
Easiest way to fix is to re-flash the recovery.img from Fastboot. You may also be able to re-flash the recovery via your ROM using ROMManager.
* Corrupt System, Cache, and Userdata partitions - This will happen if you don't wipe the three partitions after you do the resizing. You need everything removed from them because their start points are being remapped.
To fix this, you can use Fastboot:
Code:
fastboot erase system -w
You can also use your recovery (advanced menu) and manually wipe System, Cache, and Userdata.
I Understand What Has Been Said, Let's Get Started
1. Before you begin, you need to create a file on the root of your sdcard called mtdpartmap.txt. This file is where we set the partition sizes we want. To create this file, you can use adb shell or a terminal program on your phone. Simply type:
Code:
echo "mtd 350 160" > /sdcard/mtdpartmap.txt
Replace 350 and 160 with the sizes you want your System and Cache partitions. Your Userdata partition is automatically given the remained. For example, if I used "mtd 300 100" I would be gaining 110MB on my Userdata partition ((350-300)+(160-100) = 110). Your sizes must be divisible by .125.
2. Make a nandroid backup. After we modify the partition sizes for the recovery, you can restore it, or you can flash a whole new ROM.
3. The next step is to Flash a file in recovery. I recommend you Flash the recovery-v1.5.9-Alpha3-CustomMTD_TESTRUN.zip. This will NOT perform any changes, only make sure everything looks good. If you get no errors here, you can then proceed.
4. Wipe System, Cache, and Userdata. This is very important. You have a nandroid backup.
5. Flash recovery-v1.5.9-Alpha3-CustomMTD_R.zip, This will make the changes to your recovery.img and re-flash it to your phone. All it's doing is adding kernel commandline parameters so that the recovery knows where your System, Cache, and Userdata partitions start.
6. Reboot recovery. This is easier in CWM than RA. CWM offers a menu option for it. In RA, I normally just select the menu item to power off. Then restart the phone and hold volume down, then select Recovery from the Bootloader menu.
7. Nandroid restore or flash a new ROM.
8. Very important! Flash boot-v1.5.9-Alpha3-CustomMTD_S.zip. This does basically the same thing as in Step 5 but instead of changing the kernel commandline for recovery, it does it for your boot.img.
9. Reboot.
Important Notes
If you ever flash your recovery to a new version, or change recoveries, you must redo step #5 so that your new recovery has the partition sizes and start points passed to it.
If you ever flash a new ROM, you must perform step #8 again so that the ROMs kernel has the partition sizes and start points passed to it.
Reverting/Backing Out
1. Make a nandroid backup if you want to keep your current ROM. If not, or you will be restoring a previous nandroid backup, you can skip this step.
2. Wipe System, Cache, Userdata. This is very important.
3. Flash recovery-v1.5.9-Alpha3-CustomMTD_REMOVE.zip. This will remove the kernal commandline from the recovery and boot partitions.
4. Reboot recovery.
5. Nandroid restore or flash a new ROM.
6. If you restored a nandroid backup that had custom partitions mapped to it, you must re-flash recovery-v1.5.9-Alpha3-CustomMTD_REMOVE.zip at this point so the restored boot.img has the kernal commandline removed.
6. Reboot.
Other Thoughts
If anyone has any ideas on how to resize the Boot partition, let me know.
You know Calkulin has already posted a custom partition mod based off of Firerat's work, right??
Apparently not, or I wouldn't have wasted my whole morning writing this up.
fldash said:
Apparently not, or I wouldn't have wasted my whole morning writing this up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe you shoulda searched first...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=855424
I did search using Google and limiting it to the XDA site but it never came up. Only FireRat's original thread and a few others, but none in the Supersonic forum. Oh well, sorry for wasting your precious time. Just ignore the thread and move on...
At least the OP has newer links.
This never really caught on with the EVO since there is a2sd in almost every ROM and the default space was enough for most... and if not 2.2. allows at least some apps to be moved.
Back on my HeroC ... it was a blessing
I didn't even know this was an option OP. So thanks for educating me and a few others at least.
Sent from my Infected EVO using XDA Premium App.
O.M.J said:
maybe you shoulda searched first...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=855424
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haters gonna hate. Thanks for the info. Wouldn't have known about it otherwise.
There are tons of people posting about ways to root and unroot and many of them are basically writing about the same method but in different words so why is there a problem with the OP writing about Custom Partition Sizes? I cosign with not knowing about Caulkin's post either. Is it because the OP has a small "Thanks" meter? Caulkin has extremely helpful posts and threads but other people can post helpful threads as well.
Good write up!
Thanks
~ I'm a fungi
interesting...another good subject that I never know existed.
I actually want to thank you OP because I was thinking just today to try the Virus Kingdom REVOlution and was wondering the way to do this so, THANK YOU!!!!
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
I use this because of Calk's write up. I like the idea of having more internal space. I hear it helps the rom function better but who knows. However, I found your thread because I was still searching for some answers. One thing I am noticing, is how well this works on non sense roms, but how I can't even get past the splash screen on a sense rom like synergy and merge. So, I found your thread very informative because you explain the math behind the science. I think I will go back to Calk's thread, and use some of what I learned here to see if a few tweaks in the mtdpartmap.txt makes a difference. I will report back. If you have any advice along these lines, I am all ears.
cns
Might wanna add in the nandroid not to backup recovery...some people might not know this... Thanks for the write up. Thanks button hit.
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium
As we now have functional recovery options on our tablets, and people will inevitably mess things up with their device, we need to get a way to get your tablets back to factory condition. But I need your help with this!
What do you want?
Here's my idea: We have all seen various ZIPs floating around, most of them leaked from somewhere. The problem with these is that you can't use OTA updates, and I'm not sure what Acer Service Center thinks of custom ROM installs. What I want is to build a list of software that is officially distributed by Acer, is OTA-updateable, etc. For this reason, I want people that have not yet modified their tablets (except root) to provide image dumps of their /system, /boot, /flexrom, and /recovery partition. It's really easy to do, and you'll help yourself and others when they get into trouble.
Can I help?
Answer all of the following questions. If at one point the answer is "Sorry, you can't help", well... You can't help
Is your device unlocked and rooted? Yes - You can help! / No - You can still help, but you need to unlock and root your device.
Do you have the original Acer ROM installed on your device? Yes - You can help! / No - Sorry, you can't help
Have you received the latest OTA updates for your device? Yes - You can help! / No - You can help as well!
Have you removed any apps or files from the /system or /flexrom partition? Yes - Sorry, you can't help / No - You can help!
Have you installed a custom recovery image? Yes - You can still help, as long as everything else is still original / No - You can help!
Okay, so I can help, now what?
If you can and are willing to help (remember, it could save your own ass one day), follow the instructions below. If you get stuck or simply don't know where to start but are willing to help, let us know in this thread and I'm sure we can all help eachother out.
This will not gather any personal data from you. Personal data is stored on the /data partition, which we don't need, so: No worries!
Root your device, if you haven't already.
Connect your tablet to your computer via ADB
Type the following command: adb shell. You are now logged into your tablet. You can exit at any time by typing exit and hitting ENTER.
Type the following command: dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p2 of=/sdcard/boot.img. This will copy your /boot partition to a file called boot.img on your internal storage. This one will be fast, it only has about 8MB to copy.
This step can be skipped if you have a custom recovery! Type the following command: dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p1 of=/sdcard/recovery.img. This will copy your /recovery partition to a file called recovery.img on your internal storage. This one will be fast as well, it only has about 6MB to copy.
Type the following command: dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p3 of=/sdcard/system.img. This will copy your /system partition to a file called system.img on your internal storage. This one will take a bit longer, it has about 360MB to copy.
Type the following command: dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p6 of=/sdcard/flexrom.img. This will copy your /flexrom partition to a file called flexrom.img on your internal storage. This one will take a bit longer as well, it has about 360MB to copy.
Type exit to exit the ADB shell. Copy the four .img files from your tablet (internal storage) to your computer. You might have to reboot your tablet if the files don't show up.
ZIP or RAR these files, and upload them somewhere. If you can't find a place to store them: send me a private message or reply in this thread and we'll arrange something else. If you have uploaded the files somewhere: again, send me a private message or reply in this thread.
So now what?
When I receive your files, I will package them into an update.zip that can be flashed from custom recoveries. This will then restore everything (including the custom recovery) to factory state, which can help you in getting your device back to stock.
What versions do you have already?
Acer_AV041_A510_1.044.00_WW_GEN1 (download links will follow shortly)
Acer_AV041_A510_1.098.00_EMEA_CUS1 (download links will follow shortly)
Acer_AV041_A510_1.099.00_EMEA_DE (download links will follow shortly)
The idea sounds great so far. But I have a small problem to make a complete backup for my a511.
Your linked root tutorial for the procedure is only for a100/a510 and doesn't work for a511, as I understand.
The tutorial for rooting the a511 needs first to flash a CWM.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1729432
So it isn't possible for us to backup the recovery partition, right ?
I have the stock Acer_AV041_511_1.028.00_EMEA_DE on my device.
Is it even possible to backup and recover the baseband ?
I'm very interested in your CWM recovery for a511 too, but since many guys f++++d up their device now, I want to make sure that my device will not goes the same way.
i can help, n my tab is rooted.
but i don understand the first step: Connect your tablet to your computer via ADB
What about if we have removed system apps (such as the antivirus that comes with the tablet). It wouldn't be a complete dump if it didn't include those.
I have root and am happy to provide a dump, but I did uninstall several of the crappier pre-installed apps that came with my tablet.
scorpio16v said:
The idea sounds great so far. But I have a small problem to make a complete backup for my a511.
Your linked root tutorial for the procedure is only for a100/a510 and doesn't work for a511, as I understand.
The tutorial for rooting the a511 needs first to flash a CWM.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1729432
So it isn't possible for us to backup the recovery partition, right ?
I have the stock Acer_AV041_511_1.028.00_EMEA_DE on my device.
Is it even possible to backup and recover the baseband ?
I'm very interested in your CWM recovery for a511 too, but since many guys f++++d up their device now, I want to make sure that my device will not goes the same way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, your device will not brick, I can send you a test A511 recovery if you want. Worst that can happen is that recovery won't boot, but in that case you can simply put back recovery. Send me a private message and we can work something out.
scae said:
What about if we have removed system apps (such as the antivirus that comes with the tablet). It wouldn't be a complete dump if it didn't include those.
I have root and am happy to provide a dump, but I did uninstall several of the crappier pre-installed apps that came with my tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then it's of no use, unless you have a backup of your pre-installed apps. Removing apps from the /system or /flexrom partition is not recommended, and you gain nothing by it: You only gain space on read-only filesystems which you won't use in 99% of situations, and you've now broken OTA's for yourself as well, as OTA's will only install when apps are present unless you start modifying OTA files.
The 'correct' way to get rid of pre-installed apps is simply freezing them, either from the settings menu or with an app like Titanium Backup. This will make it seem like they're not there (so they don't use resources at all), but the APKs don't get removed.
So unfortunately, we can't use your dumps to restore devices to factory state. Unless, ofcourse, you've made a backup of the apps somewhere.
skymario said:
i can help, n my tab is rooted.
but i don understand the first step: Connect your tablet to your computer via ADB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have ADB or the Android SDK installed?
NoThrills said:
Do you have ADB or the Android SDK installed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just learned ADB, n successful install ur CWM, later will try to dump my stock Rom to u.
My stock Rom version 1.073 ww gen1
does it matter if the system apps have been frozen or do they need to be unfrozen first?
I have flashed that remove stock recovery mod so the stock rom doesn't keep overwriting cwm on reboot. Does that disqualify me? If not I'll dump my rom for you when I get home.
I'm on this rom version:
ro.build.pandora.id=Acer_AV041_A510_RV28RC04_PA_CUS1
ro.build.flexrom.id=Acer_AV041_A510_1.076.00_PA_CUS1
I unlocked bootloader,rooted,installed cwm then backed up my stock rom.Could i restore my stock rom then be able to send you those fills
and return to total stock.
NoThrills said:
Hi, your device will not brick, I can send you a test A511 recovery if you want. Worst that can happen is that recovery won't boot, but in that case you can simply put back recovery. Send me a private message and we can work something out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think he mean that the a511 recovery doesn't work properly....you can flash a zip, but nearly all other options brick the device
i have a a511 too with Acer_AV041_A511_1.028.00.EMEA_DE and can help with testing or something else
I have Acer AV041_A510_1.079.00_PA_CA. (Canada)
I have not done a thing to it because it is a replacement for the Galaxy Note I bricked trying to upgrade from GB to ICS, too early.
I might try again if I was sure I could get back to where I am, using your process.
I assume that your Root link is comprehensive but I also need reassurance on how to ADB.
[email protected]
Sent from my A510
blgblade said:
i think he mean that the a511 recovery doesn't work properly....you can flash a zip, but nearly all other options brick the device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, as I understand, the only working methode to root the a511 is to bootloader unlock, flash the custom recovery and then the root.zip.
Maybe I'm wrong and there is another working way to root the device ?
The problem is simply, that we lost the stock recovery before we have a backup from it.
If we have another root way for a511, the backup of stock firmware is done in a few minutes and from this point we can test the a511 custom recovery from NoThrills.
To the A511 owners: Technically, if you have a install-recovery.sh file on your device, the device will always flash recovery back from the boot.img.
In theory: To test, one could simply overwrite the stock recovery with my Recovery (not the other ones, they will brick your device) and then when you reboot, your device will overwrite the recovery with the stock one again. So you really don't need a backup of the recovery partition.
As long as you don't let your device fully boot (so, stay in recovery) there's plenty of time to test if the recovery works or not. If it doesn't, simply reset your device and it will flash back the original recovery (again: provided there is a install-recovery.sh in your /system partition).
So again, if anyone is willing to test, let me know
NoThrills said:
To the A511 owners: Technically, if you have a install-recovery.sh file on your device, the device will always flash recovery back from the boot.img.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't find a install-recovery.sh in /system partition on my a511. Search on root-explorer can't find one on the device.
Even NOT on /system/etc like on other devices.
NoThrills said:
So unfortunately, we can't use your dumps to restore devices to factory state. Unless, ofcourse, you've made a backup of the apps somewhere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah damn, I did back them up via titanium but it doesn't seem to want to restore them - it just sits there say restoring app.
scorpio16v said:
I can't find a install-recovery.sh in /system partition on my a511. Search on root-explorer can't find one on the device.
Even NOT on /system/etc like on other devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I meant /system/etc... That's weird, I'd figure Acer would use the same system on the A511... Let me check one of the leaked ROMs...
Hello,
I have an stock Acer_AV041_A510_1.098.00_EMEA_CUS1, there we go for the files
Host file is not the stock version, it was edited by AdAway.
Can you make a version without recovery overwritting ?
I thinks a lot of people want to try some roms... just for testing...
Acer_AV041_A510_1.098.00_EMEA_CUS1 boot && system && flexroom:
http :// dl.free.fr/jDEmTNSD4
Have Fun
Hello,
I have the same rom without root or unlocked bootloader or moded recovery so if the above on does not make it I'll upload mine.
Sent from my A510 using xda app-developers app
Hi, I have a t959v and I have been trying to restore my IMEI (that's because I was able to backup my /efs partition).
However, after I flash CM 10.1 for my device, my IMEI is gone, or has turned to 0000000.... or has turned to ASCII characters that I couldn't even read. I tried restoring my nv_data.bin file, done everything I could(googled and tried so many posts, I've lost count already.) and ended up with still, a corrupted/missing IMEI. Well after tinkering with my device, I've found out that the reason why my nv_data.bin (5.2 Mb) corrupts as I transfer it to the /efs partition--it's because my /efs partition is a little bit small, that's why my nv_data.bin ends up in an incompleted transfer state(corrupted file). From 5.2Mb, it falls to around 3-4Mb. No, it's not compressed or anything, it's cut-off, or "cropped" if it's the right term(which I doubt). Now, the my question is, is it possible to resize or grow my /efs partition? If yes, then how? First of all, thanks for spending some time in reading my post. Now, could anybody help me? or if it's such a pain to do, is there an alternative to CM 10.1 that has minimal glitches or bugs? 'Coz it's a pity if I couldn't upgrade from GB. The hardware of this phone is good enough, but the firmware is kinda frustrating(slow, freezes, and worst of all, GB), don't get me wrong, I don't hate GB but for the hardware of this phone, it's too good to just stay in GB. Thanks again!
Reflash back to gingerbread. That should restore your ieme number. Than try again.
Sent from my BNTV250A using XDA Free mobile app
cryzone77 said:
Hi, I have a t959v and I have been trying to restore my IMEI (that's because I was able to backup my /efs partition).
However, after I flash CM 10.1 for my device, my IMEI is gone, or has turned to 0000000.... or has turned to ASCII characters that I couldn't even read. I tried restoring my nv_data.bin file, done everything I could(googled and tried so many posts, I've lost count already.) and ended up with still, a corrupted/missing IMEI. Well after tinkering with my device, I've found out that the reason why my nv_data.bin (5.2 Mb) corrupts as I transfer it to the /efs partition--it's because my /efs partition is a little bit small, that's why my nv_data.bin ends up in an incompleted transfer state(corrupted file). From 5.2Mb, it falls to around 3-4Mb. No, it's not compressed or anything, it's cut-off, or "cropped" if it's the right term(which I doubt). Now, the my question is, is it possible to resize or grow my /efs partition? If yes, then how? First of all, thanks for spending some time in reading my post. Now, could anybody help me? or if it's such a pain to do, is there an alternative to CM 10.1 that has minimal glitches or bugs? 'Coz it's a pity if I couldn't upgrade from GB. The hardware of this phone is good enough, but the firmware is kinda frustrating(slow, freezes, and worst of all, GB), don't get me wrong, I don't hate GB but for the hardware of this phone, it's too good to just stay in GB. Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting...
champ1919 said:
Reflash back to gingerbread. That should restore your ieme number. Than try again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, but that doesn't answer the original question. Going back to BML (which was on Gingerbread, of course) will restore the original /efs partition. This is because all of the MTD installs do not overwrite the original BML /efs partition.
Now, the concerning issue is that the nv_data.bin shouldn't be getting any bigger then the original (I don't have my sgs4g on hand to verify), but what may have happened is yaffs2 partition options in the kernel may not be the same or formatting may have added more partition data to the filesystem layout that makes the available free space on the partition less. (does this paragraph not make sense? If so, ask and I'll go into more detail)
So, let me ask you to do a test.
WARNING!!! Make sure you backup the EFS partition while on GB before emptying the directory!
Backup EFS (do this from recovery with adb shell):
Code:
su -
mount /efs
mount /sdcard
cd /
tar cf /sdcard/efs-backup.tar /efs
Go back to stock GB. There are Cne-Clicks I made to do this. Root the install and post the output of:
Code:
su -
rm -rf /efs/* /efs/.*
df /efs
Restore EFS (again, from recovery, adb shell):
Code:
su -
mount /efs
mount /sdcard
cd /
tar xf /sdcard/efs-backup.tar
Next, do the same for cm-9.1.0.
After that, do the same with which ever cm-10 or 4.4.x kernel you're using.
Post all of the values here and lets debug that way. I'll bet you that the available free space and total size are DIFFERENT when the partition is empty.
You don't need to restore the EFS on MTD installs, but MAKE VERY SURE you restore the EFS on the BML (Gingerbread) install!!!
Maybe also try different CM10.x and 4.4.x kernels and see if there is a difference. For each test, note which kernel, which rom. Also for each test, flash back to Gingerbread (bml, from the oneclick) before flashing a new rom!
All the nv_data.bin files I have are 262.1kB.
The tar backups the installtion script creates for you should be 700kB or less.
It sounds like something went seriously wrong with the nv_data.bin file you are trying to restore, so I recommend you follow the advice @champ1919 gave you and go back to gingerbread an flash your ROM again.
After you flash make sure that the nv_data.bin file under /efs/root/afs/settings/nv_data.bin is exactly 262.1kB. If that's the case then save the efs backup the install script made for you in a safe place.
Mine from froyo are 256.0 KB for locked and 260 for unlocked., weird..
champ1919 said:
Mine from froyo are 256.0 KB for locked and 260 for unlocked., weird..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. I think all the ones I got were from phones built at around the same time since they have similar text in the nv_data files.
The locked/unlocked files should be the exact same file size every time. All the tends to change is a single 1 in the file becomes a 0 to unlock it.
I had stored them in Dropbox. I betcha one is from the vibrant I lost, but, I thought I deleted it so I would not goof. As soon as I can get to a PC, I'll dig into it somemore. I wonder who wrote that guide years a go on how to hexedit that file. I should give them another thanks.
bhundven said:
Interesting...
Sure, but that doesn't answer the original question. Going back to BML (which was on Gingerbread, of course) will restore the original /efs partition. This is because all of the MTD installs do not overwrite the original BML /efs partition.
Now, the concerning issue is that the nv_data.bin shouldn't be getting any bigger then the original (I don't have my sgs4g on hand to verify), but what may have happened is yaffs2 partition options in the kernel may not be the same or formatting may have added more partition data to the filesystem layout that makes the available free space on the partition less. (does this paragraph not make sense? If so, ask and I'll go into more detail)
So, let me ask you to do a test.
WARNING!!! Make sure you backup the EFS partition while on GB before emptying the directory!
Backup EFS (do this from recovery with adb shell):
Code:
su -
mount /efs
mount /sdcard
cd /
tar cf /sdcard/efs-backup.tar /efs
Go back to stock GB. There are Cne-Clicks I made to do this. Root the install and post the output of:
Code:
su -
rm -rf /efs/* /efs/.*
df /efs
Restore EFS (again, from recovery, adb shell):
Code:
su -
mount /efs
mount /sdcard
cd /
tar xf /sdcard/efs-backup.tar
Next, do the same for cm-9.1.0.
After that, do the same with which ever cm-10 or 4.4.x kernel you're using.
Post all of the values here and lets debug that way. I'll bet you that the available free space and total size are DIFFERENT when the partition is empty.
You don't need to restore the EFS on MTD installs, but MAKE VERY SURE you restore the EFS on the BML (Gingerbread) install!!!
Maybe also try different CM10.x and 4.4.x kernels and see if there is a difference. For each test, note which kernel, which rom. Also for each test, flash back to Gingerbread (bml, from the oneclick) before flashing a new rom!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the fast response bhundven and the rest...
i apologize for not being able to reply as soon as you posted.
going back... i tried reflashing to stock and backed up my efs... however, when i looked at how big it was as a tar(ive tried making an rfs then put it into a tar. this is from the commands cat /dev/block/stl3 > /sdcard/efs.rfs or something like that. im sure that code came from a post here in xda too.) its size is 6.2mb.
and also... i have the log files of my cm10.1 upgrade attempt. posting it in case it would help...
also tried reflashing to stock ang flashing slimkat but the problem persists.
thanks for giving your time in helping me. i will try to reply as soon as i can. thanks again.
Q: is t959v the same as vibrant? been googling but posts are really confusing.. XD
cryzone77 said:
thanks for the fast response bhundven and the rest...
i apologize for not being able to reply as soon as you posted.
going back... i tried reflashing to stock and backed up my efs... however, when i looked at how big it was as a tar(ive tried making an rfs then put it into a tar. this is from the commands cat /dev/block/stl3 > /sdcard/efs.rfs or something like that. im sure that code came from a post here in xda too.) its size is 6.2mb.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, that does not work. That is also not what my directions said to do.
cryzone77 said:
and also... i have the log files of my cm10.1 upgrade attempt. posting it in case it would help...
also tried reflashing to stock ang flashing slimkat but the problem persists.
thanks for giving your time in helping me. i will try to reply as soon as i can. thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You kinda buggered up the Quoting of the post, kinda hard to follow. So I removed what I wrote and only quoted what you said so it makes sense. But even after that, I can't really make sense of what you are doing and why you can't follow my directions?!?
cryzone77 said:
Q: is t959v the same as vibrant? been googling but posts are really confusing.. XD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not confusing at all. SGH-T959V (VibrantPlus) is not the same as SGH-T959 (Vibrant). They are not compatible, and flashing roms between the two will lead to bricks. Make sure that under the battery it says: SGH-T959V
The only thing these two devices have in common is their original provider: T-Mobile
Otherwise, go to the right forum for your phone before following any directions in this forum.
champ1919 said:
Reflash back to gingerbread. That should restore your ieme number. Than try again.
Sent from my BNTV250A using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the quick reply!
Well, the reason why I was trying to flash CM10.1 is to upgrade from GB so if I were to reflash to GB then I would've defeated my purpose.
But, I did try that, and backed up my EFS so as to restore it later on after I have flashed CM10.1 but to no avail.
cryzone77 said:
Thanks for the quick reply!
Well, the reason why I was trying to flash CM10.1 is to upgrade from GB so if I were to reflash to GB then I would've defeated my purpose.
But, I did try that, and backed up my EFS so as to restore it later on after I have flashed CM10.1 but to no avail.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which phone model do you have?
Im running the new slimkat with no issue. Fb's cm11 was just as good. I bounce between those and back to GB when I need tv out with no issues.
Sent from my BNTV250A using XDA Free mobile app
bhundven said:
Nope, that does not work. That is also not what my directions said to do.
You kinda buggered up the Quoting of the post, kinda hard to follow. So I removed what I wrote and only quoted what you said so it makes sense. But even after that, I can't really make sense of what you are doing and why you can't follow my directions?!?
It's not confusing at all. SGH-T959V (VibrantPlus) is not the same as SGH-T959 (Vibrant). They are not compatible, and flashing roms between the two will lead to bricks. Make sure that under the battery it says: SGH-T959V
The only thing these two devices have in common is their original provider: T-Mobile
Otherwise, go to the right forum for your phone before following any directions in this forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im sorry for the messed up reply sir, and thanks again for your reply,
Just to confirm, my device is INDEED T959V.
I did the cat > /sdcard/efs.rfs bla bla bla thing in the hope to make an ODIN flashable "fix" in the hope of getting my IMEI and baseband fixed.
And, just as you said, it didn't work. I also tried erasing the /efs by erase_image then mkdir -p /efs and then cd /efs then tar xf /sdcard/efs.tar but that also produced a "cropped" nv_data.bin. Im sorry I can't try your directions as of now because I'm currently using my phone for work, however, I will do as you said as soon as I can free up my device.
Q: Do I need to take my backup before I flash a custom kernel? or is it ok if back it up while using a custom kernel?
Q: So T959V is VibrantPlus, is it the same as Samsung Galaxy S 4G?
Q: So if T959V is VibrantPlus, should I look for ROMs with the naming convention of <rom name>-vibrantplusmtd?
champ1919 said:
Which phone model do you have?
Im running the new slimkat with no issue. Fb's cm11 was just as good. I bounce between those and back to GB when I need tv out with no issues.
Sent from my BNTV250A using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a T959V.
I tried the SlimKat and SlimSabre but I still got no IMEI even after manual restore. I also tried the CM11 and still have the same problem.
So, when you go back to gingerbread, your number is still hosed?
Sent from my BNTV250A using XDA Free mobile app
cryzone77 said:
Im sorry for the messed up reply sir, and thanks again for your reply,
Just to confirm, my device is INDEED T959V.
I did the cat > /sdcard/efs.rfs bla bla bla thing in the hope to make an ODIN flashable "fix" in the hope of getting my IMEI and baseband fixed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have no clue where you got those directions.
cryzone77 said:
And, just as you said, it didn't work. I also tried erasing the /efs by erase_image then mkdir -p /efs and then cd /efs then tar xf /sdcard/efs.tar but that also produced a "cropped" nv_data.bin. Im sorry I can't try your directions as of now because I'm currently using my phone for work, however, I will do as you said as soon as I can free up my device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here it sounds like you are mixing up directions.
cryzone77 said:
Q: Do I need to take my backup before I flash a custom kernel? or is it ok if back it up while using a custom kernel?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go back to stock gingerbread with my oneclick. Read all of the directions here first.
cryzone77 said:
Q: So T959V is VibrantPlus, is it the same as Samsung Galaxy S 4G?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes
cryzone77 said:
Q: So if T959V is VibrantPlus, should I look for ROMs with the naming convention of <rom name>-vibrantplusmtd?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, we don't call it vibrantplus, because it cause so much confusion with vibrant. we call it galaxys4g for bml or galaxys4gmtd for mtd.
champ1919 said:
So, when you go back to gingerbread, your number is still hosed?
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I'd like to know the answer to this as well. Good question!
bhundven said:
I have no clue where you got those directions.
Here it sounds like you are mixing up directions.
Go back to stock gingerbread with my oneclick. Read all of the directions here first.
Yes
No, we don't call it vibrantplus, because it cause so much confusion with vibrant. we call it galaxys4g for bml or galaxys4gmtd for mtd.
I'd like to know the answer to this as well. Good question!
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Well I've tried many posts about restoring nv_data.bin but none of them seems to work. I even tried to edit nv_data.bin by hex. That's how desperate I am to upgrade. XD
By hosed, you mean corrupted or invalid? I use OneClick Heimdall by sir bhundven I believe..
and to answer the question, I get my IMEI and baseband back everytime I flash the OneClick. It's when I try to upgrade to CM++ that I get the null baseband and IMEI.
and to clarify, I got that backup process directions from this post http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=859914
cryzone77 said:
Well I've tried many posts about restoring nv_data.bin but none of them seems to work. I even tried to edit nv_data.bin by hex. That's how desperate I am to upgrade. XD
By hosed, you mean corrupted or invalid? I use OneClick Heimdall by sir bhundven I believe..
and to answer the question, I get my IMEI and baseband back everytime I flash the OneClick. It's when I try to upgrade to CM++ that I get the null baseband and IMEI.
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Ok, so you go back to gingerbread and get your imei back.
cryzone77 said:
and to clarify, I got that backup process directions from this post http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=859914
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NO This is not the right place to look for help. Although the 'Galaxy S 4G' is a 'Galaxy S' based-device, it is VERY different from the i9000!!!
Do not use instructions from other device forums!!!
We have documented a lot for this phone in this device forum and on our wiki
As I mentioned before (in this thread) instructions on backing up your efs, and restoring it. Use my instructions and let us know in this thread if you have any problems!
bhundven said:
Ok, so you go back to gingerbread and get your imei back.
NO This is not the right place to look for help. Although the 'Galaxy S 4G' is a 'Galaxy S' based-device, it is VERY different from the i9000!!!
Do not use instructions from other device forums!!!
We have documented a lot for this phone in this device forum and on our wiki
As I mentioned before (in this thread) instructions on backing up your efs, and restoring it. Use my instructions and let us know in this thread if you have any problems!
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Click to collapse
1st, YES I got my IMEI and baseband back, but its a shame if I can't upgrade to CM++(because I don't get my IMEI and baseband after flashing meaning I can't use my phone for work.) because it's a cool rom, it has everything I'm looking for in a custom rom.
AND yeah, I wasn't aware that they were THAT different. Anyways, thanks for pointing that out.
Q: Is there an upgrade path or something that I need to do aside from the standard flashing procedure for these roms?
Bhundven's modified kernel should give you root. You could skip that step of using the oneclickroot and use the heimdall one click (of his kernel) and get cwm & root in one step. It's linked in the link he gave you.
After you install cwm, is that when you loose the imei number? Are you letting the phone fully boot? How were you getting cwm in order to flash the cm?
champ1919 said:
Bhundven's modified kernel should give you root. You could skip that step of using the oneclickroot and use the heimdall one click (of his kernel) and get cwm & root in one step. It's linked in the link he gave you.
After you install cwm, is that when you loose the imei number? Are you letting the phone fully boot? How were you getting cwm in order to flash the cm?
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Sorry,
What I meant by OneClick is using Heimdall in flashing the purely stock GB rom. After that, I root using Framaroot(successful) then I flash a custom kernel(bhundven's blastoff...IMEI and baseband still ok after this), then I flash CM++ ROM, this is where it gets ugly--I lose my IMEI(null) and baseband(also null). and YES I let the phone fully boot, I even wait around 15mins and try to turn the radio on and off to see if I got my IMEI and baseband back, I also tried taking out the battery and letting the phone loose all it's power and then turning it on, again, to no avail. And to answer the other question, I get CWM through the blastoff kernel.