Database Info

[Q] Simple adb question (or perhaps not?) Permission Denied

Hi all--in need of some help here--have been crusing the forums for three days and still hitting a brick wall...
Have a rooted (and minimally modded) Atrix 4g in serious need of a hard reset and all the pain that comes with as nearly every app force closes on startup.
Hoping to backup some of my data (contacts, SMS, etc), but unable to do so my usual way (an app, root explorer, or the like), so I'm attempting to use ADB pull to grab the .db files. I'm relatively comfortable with linux, but running into a problem with ro/rw permissions (I think).
have tried the following:
adb pull /data/...../mmssms.db (yields Permission Denied)
# cp /data/....mmssms.db (appears to copy, but no file in destination, and can't copy out of shell)
have been able to remount /system as rw, but not /data where the files are located.
Anybody have suggestions? I'd be most apprecative!

Copy the the files as superuser to your sdcard first and adb pull them from there.

Unfortunately, the whole reason I'm needing to reset is that every app (incl superuser accesses) force closes on start--no chance to move through the phone itself. Since the .db files are not in the usb-accessible file structure I'm thinking that ADB is the only way to access.
Does that make sense?

Hi, OP here--anybody else have a suggestion? Getting a little desperate here... Any thoughts would really be appreciated!

im assuming your accessing ADB via recovery?
You should be able to use su without superuser.apk's permission in that case - however, theoretically, you should not need to use su in recovery anyway.
you can try running
Code:
adb shell ls -l /data/data/*tele*/databases/mmssms.db
and see what you get permissions wise, maybe a chmod could fix it?
Otherwise you could try
Code:
adb shell mount -o remount,rw /data
Another alternative to cp and adb pull is cat
Code:
adb shell cat /path/to/mmssms.db > /path/to/destination-file.db
might copy remote mmssms.db to a local file, while
Code:
adb shell
cat /path/to/mmssms.db > /path/to/destination-file.db
exit
would copy remote to remote
Is /data mounted at all?
This is strange, you should have read access to everything, especially in recovery.
What phone and what recovery?
Its not something as simple as geting the URIs the wrong war round ('cmd local remote' vs 'cmd remote local')?

So, still tinkering... Will give it one last try before I call it quits and just wipe the bloody thing. So, your thoughts were spot on--its probably me missing something.
Quick data dump on progress to data:
Phone: Rooted Motorola Atrix running 2.2
no trouble accessing shell or via ADB
/data is mounted, though only in Read Only mode--can't seem to change, have tried several ways in various modes (shell, su, etc)
Permissions for mmssms.db are: -rw-rw---- radio radio
chmod 777 of the file yields: "Read-only file system," which makes sense since I can't seem to change /data... to rw
Tried to remount rw:
adb shell mount -o remount,rw /data
and
mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mmcblk0p11 /system (for systeem
but get "Operation not permitted" in both cases.... UGH!
Hadn't thought of cat--great idea. Still no real joy however.
I seem to have managed a copy to /system, but can't seem to get it off the device or onto the SD card.
Thanks much for your help so far. Any final thoughts?

SO CLOSE!!!! (and yet...)
crags said:
Hadn't thought of cat--great idea. Still no real joy however.
I seem to have managed a copy to /system, but can't seem to get it off the device or onto the SD card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SO FRUSTRATING!!!! so close, but not quite there--HELP!!!
As noted at the end above, have been able to copy the mmssms.db file to /system/ after remounting as RW
Can't seem to copy or pull off the device--still getting "Permission Denied" no matter which course I try!?!?!

It sounds as if your doing this while booted into the ROM, and (maybe) without su (root)?
su-ing might help, just type su and hit return to enter a root shell
alternatively, going in through recovery ('adb shell reboot recovery') might help as most recoveries ignore permission rules - make sure to mount the partitions your using though.
It almost sounds like the sdcard has no write permissions - you can get the NAND partitions to mount rw, but cant copy to the sdcard.
On my Desire, there is (at least) two mount points: /sdcard and /mnt/sdcard - maybe on your phone only one of your mount points has write permissions?
Otherwise i suggest going in via recovery. You can still use adb (will have to manually mount - 'mount /system' 'mount /date' and 'mount /sdcard' usually work, otherwise use the menu item in recovery )
When in recovery, and after mounting partitions/card, try adb pull, cp /sdcard and cat > sdcard (and if possible cat > computer) plus anything else i forgot (quite tired )
if these dont work something is messed up somewhere in the ROM, or likely kernel and so without ideas a reflash would be the only real solution :/
I did have a bare-minimum+apps recovery script (attached) which might be worth a read to see if your forgetting something obvious - it works on my desire

[Q] Problems with ADB remount / pushing app

I've unlocked my phone via HTCDev, which to my understanding should give enough permissions and whatnot for adb to work on system files too.
I'm trying to push application to replace system application, I know the application works, I got both signed & unsigned versions of it but same thing with either one of them.
adb remount says "remount failed: operation not permitted" and adb push [file] /system/apps says "failed to copy '[file]' to '/system/apps/': read-only file system
--
What am I doing wrong, or do I really have to root the phone just to get one damn application replaced with modified one?

Bump

Have you rooted?

frazzeld said:
Have you rooted?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This^
You need to have SU# access, which be definition needs root permissions. If you haven't already, use the all in one tool kit to flash clockwork and root that beech. Then when in ADB you enter SU and you will get a prompt like this #, indicating you have root privileges.

Update, I have rooted, stock rom still though
If I use adb shell, I get $, but writing "su" in shell gives me #
still, I've tried both the adb remount and in shell mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
the latter seems to work, but however still when I try to push something to /system/app it still says permission denied
edit:
not quite sure what I did, but i finally got SUCCESS from installing from shell

how did you install through the shell

[Q]How to "remount /system rw" on Android 4.2.1/CM10.1 for SSH/SFTP?

Hallo,
i'm using SSH/SFTP for Android maintenance. On previous Android versions (4.1.2 and below) i simply used apps like 'root explorer' to remount /system to rw but starting with Android 4.2.1/CM10.1 (multi user environment) the remounted /system folder is only remounted for the app itself (root explorer) and not for any other app (including SFTP).
The only workaround i know so far is to remount the folder externally with 'adb remount' but that's a very uncomfortable solution.
Is there any solution how to remount /system rw for SSH/SFTP?
Is it possible to do an 'adb remount' from local shell?
What does 'adb remount' exactly and why does it affects all UIDs and not just one user like if done by (root) apps or local shell (mount -o remount,rw /system)?
Edit: Never mind... it must be some strange side effect with root explorer. If i use the shell command directly without ever using root explorer it seems to work. If is use a 'custom command' (mount -o remount,rw /system) in WinSCP it does work as well.

Did not test it, but first thing that comes to my mind is wrapping the sftp binary in a shell script which does the remount before calling the sftp binary. Then change the subsystem line in the sshd.conf to point to that shell-script. The drawback is that it will always be remounted, no more read-only access at all.

gaius.baltar said:
The drawback is that it will always be remounted, no more read-only access at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That wouldn't be so dramatically since the RW would only affect the sftp process. That's the weird stuff i haven't understand yet (the per user mount state). But somehow it does work now when using ssh/shell.

Cannot remount /system partition even when rooted (Sony xperia M2)

I have a Sony xperia M2 D2303 with kitkat 4.4.4 and compilation number 18.3.1.C.1.17.
I have successfully rooted it using KingRoot v4.9.5.
Also I have checked that system is rooted using tools such as root checker and it says rooted.
Now, I am trying to remount /system partition as RW but without succcess.
I have googled and tried several solutions posted here but nothing works for me.
Access to /sys/kernel/security/sony_ric and try to disable sony ric security using:
problem here is that sony_ric folder is empty, I mean, there is no "enable" file and I cannot create it as partition is RO (read-only).
Using ES file explorer or other file explorers as root I have tried to remount partition as RW but it fails.
Code:
echo 0 > enable
Using ROM Toolbox pro, and then from terminal emulator I have tried some commands:
Code:
su
mount -o remount,rw /system
fails.
Code:
su
system/bin/mount -o remount,rw /system
also fails.
Code:
adb shell
su
mount -o rw,remount /system
also fails...
I have tried to install busybox but it fails as well.
I have tried the method explained here but when executing the command:
sh /sdcard/mrw/root.sh
some errors appear as script tries to do things in /system so since it is read-only (not rw) it fails.
Also I have tried the method using SuperSu-me explained here but without success. It completes ok but then SuperSu is executed automatically. SuperSu says to update binaries so I update binaries, then another screen comes saying that another root app was detected, so I press the button to uninstall it and continue installing SuperSu. SuperSu says "Installing ........" and then it crashes, that is, it appears a screen with two buttons, "How to update" and "Reboot". Kingroot, purify apps continued installed and working, and I cannot replace them with SuperSu.
So at this point I have no idea what to do...
My conclusion is that all these tools need to make changes to / and /system but since I have these two partitions set to read-only (cannot make them rw) then all these tools fail. So I think the main cause is that I have / and /system readonly.
Any help will be highly appreciated.
Please, help!

Troubles Mounting System R/W

For some reason I have never been able to mount my system r/w through adb or terminal emulator. I'm not quite sure what I'm doing wrong since I've been doing it for years now. I imagine it has to do with root. I can use ES file explorer and modify system to my hearts content just not through adb or terminal emulator. I am on 7.1.1 Pure Nexus with ElementalX 1.08 and SuperSU with 2.79 binaries. I've tried to mount multiple different ways and all result in same error.
Code:
sailfish:/ # mount -o remount,rw /system
mount: '/dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/system_b'->'/system': Device or resource busy

Nvm found it. I guess it's same as Pixel C.
Code:
mount -o rw,remount /system

Geofferey said:
For some reason I have never been able to mount my system r/w through adb or terminal emulator. I'm not quite sure what I'm doing wrong since I've been doing it for years now. I imagine it has to do with root. I can use ES file explorer and modify system to my hearts content just not through adb or terminal emulator. I am on 7.1.1 Pure Nexus with ElementalX 1.08 and SuperSU with 2.79 binaries. I've tried to mount multiple different ways and all result in same error.
Code:
sailfish:/ # mount -o remount,rw /system
mount: '/dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/system_b'->'/system': Device or resource busy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here but with Oneplus 3T.
I think its kind of encripted "new way" in Android 7.1.1

Also, if you check the magisk thread there is a way to use the mount remount command inside root browser

mate9-109 said:
Same here but with Oneplus 3T.
I think its kind of encripted "new way" in Android 7.1.1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope just a different mount syntax not encrypted at all. I was kinda thinking same at first like a security feature or root keeping you from so you don't accidentally modifying system.
mount -o rw,remount /system
Instead of
mount -o remount,rw /system

Geofferey said:
Nope just a different mount syntax not encrypted at all. I was kinda thinking same at first like a security feature or root keeping you from so you don't accidentally modifying system.
mount -o rw,remount /system
Instead of
mount -o remount,rw /system
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sadly I tried your new syntax, adb did some stuff, but it does not work either.
Anyway thank you very much, your solution almost got it.
:good::good::good::good::good: