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Flash custom files or use adb?

Hi, this is my first time posting on this site and I apologizes if this is in the wrong place. I just recently rooted my evo and was wondering when I want to apply a customization such as a new notification bar how do I know to use either flashing the file from the sd card or to run a command in adb? Is there an important difference, or can either be used? Thanks in advance for the help.

rafroehlich2 said:
Hi, this is my first time posting on this site and I apologizes if this is in the wrong place. I just recently rooted my evo and was wondering when I want to apply a customization such as a new notification bar how do I know to use either flashing the file from the sd card or to run a command in adb? Is there an important difference, or can either be used? Thanks in advance for the help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most files can be flashed, if they are in a .zip form, you should be okay. However for things like the bootscreens, the recommended method is to use ADB and push the bootanimation.zip file to the specified folder on the phone. However, this has been extremely simplified by user-made tools here on the EVO forums, not many people like using ADB (don't know why)... so there are tools to make it easier for people.
Usually the person that is distributing the file should say whether you need to flash or use ADB commands, just read the OP's post.

Thanks so much for your help.

rafroehlich2 said:
Thanks so much for your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, no problem!

pseudoremora said:
Most files can be flashed, if they are in a .zip form, you should be okay. However for things like the bootscreens, the recommended method is to use ADB and push the bootanimation.zip file to the specified folder on the phone. However, this has been extremely simplified by user-made tools here on the EVO forums, not many people like using ADB (don't know why)... so there are tools to make it easier for people.
Usually the person that is distributing the file should say whether you need to flash or use ADB commands, just read the OP's post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I use the flashing method will the files be moved to the correct system folder or will it just deposit it in the ROM? When you use adb you specify the target, if I'm not mistaken. I just don't want my system to get cluttered with random files. Sorry if this isn't worded well.

rafroehlich2 said:
If I use the flashing method will the files be moved to the correct system folder or will it just deposit it in the ROM? When you use adb you specify the target, if I'm not mistaken. I just don't want my system to get cluttered with random files. Sorry if this isn't worded well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When using ADB, the system won't get "cluttered"... mainly because when you're are using the adb push (copy) command, you will be overwriting the file that is currently residing on your phone.
For example, if I wanted to replace my bootanimation -- I would type:
Code:
adb push bootanimation.zip /system/customize/resource
This would copy the new bootanimation.zip over to the directory being specified (/system/customize/resource -- where the bootanimation resides), upon copying, it explicitly overwrites any file/folder with the name "bootanimation" -- unless you set a parameter when typing the command to ask you if it should overwrite. You don't need to worry about this though, almost always you'll overwrite the files.
As long as you push (copy) any and all files to its correct directory, nothing should ever get cluttered and if it does, then you can always remove it just as easily.

pseudoremora said:
When using ADB, the system won't get "cluttered"... mainly because when you're are using the adb push (copy) command, you will be overwriting the file that is currently residing on your phone.
For example, if I wanted to replace my bootanimation -- I would type:
Code:
adb push bootanimation.zip /system/customize/resource
This would copy the new bootanimation.zip over to the directory being specified (/system/customize/resource -- where the bootanimation resides), upon copying, it explicitly overwrites any file/folder with the name "bootanimation" -- unless you set a parameter when typing the command to ask you if it should overwrite. You don't need to worry about this though, almost always you'll overwrite the files.
As long as you push (copy) any and all files to its correct directory, nothing should ever get cluttered and if it does, then you can always remove it just as easily.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for taking the time to answer. I'm new to this and any time I see command line I get hesitant. Thanks again for the thorough answer.

rafroehlich2 said:
Thanks for taking the time to answer. I'm new to this and any time I see command line I get hesitant. Thanks again for the thorough answer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, no problem. I try to usually give a detailed answer, as I'm sure not everyone will understand vague answers.

pseudoremora said:
Yup, no problem. I try to usually give a detailed answer, as I'm sure not everyone will understand vague answers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since you seem to be knowledgeable what is the difference between flashing a rom by its name.zip as opposed to renaming it update.zip? Does the former start new and the latter maintain all apps/settings?
Sent from my PC36100

rafroehlich2 said:
Since you seem to be knowledgeable what is the difference between flashing a rom by its name.zip as opposed to renaming it update.zip? Does the former start new and the latter maintain all apps/settings?
Sent from my PC36100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No difference.
The naming conventions don't mean anything really. There used to be a time when all packages had to be called "update.zip", but the Devs that built the recoveries made it so you could name the .zip files whatever you wanted.
You'll see ROM's/theme's/etc with fancy names -- that's just so its easier for the end user to identify what he/she is actually going to flash.
When I say "update.zip", I just mean that the file can be flashed via recovery and won't require command line/terminal/ADB.
However, there are certain files that will always have a static name (bootanimation.zip) -- that can't change because the phone is programmed to look for that specified file. So whenever someone uploads a bootanimation and calls it: "Nexus-bootanimation.zip" --- this should be renamed to bootanimation before adb pushing or flashing to its specified directory.

Now I understand the idea behind flashing a radio, however I don't understand flashing a kernel. How do I know when to do this and do the risks of radio apply to the kernel? Also, are there any other major components that I'll eventually have to flash? Thanks for answering my many questions.
Sent from my PC36100

rafroehlich2 said:
Now I understand the idea behind flashing a radio, however I don't understand flashing a kernel. How do I know when to do this and do the risks of radio apply to the kernel? Also, are there any other major components that I'll eventually have to flash? Thanks for answering my many questions.
Sent from my PC36100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are risks with both.
Flashing a kernel or radio has the potential to brick your phone. The radio is used for controlling all the "wireless" functions (3G, 4G, x1 connections (texting/calling)) -- pretty much anytime the phone connects to the Sprint towers, the radio is playing its part. So if you flash it incorrectly; the consequences are obvious.
The kernel is the heart of the Android. The kernel itself is actually Linux. Android is built upon Linux, so pretty much Google took the already existing Linux kernel and built Android on top of it (the UI, the apps, etc) and made Android into a Mobile OS, which can run on virtually any platform or device.
How do you know? You don't -- it's a matter of wanting to be curious enough to test. Some devs will put out kernels that overclock your device, others will add different features (screen fixes, loopback interface, underclocking, etc). The kernel controls all the hardware on the phone and how everything functions -- so when devs mess with source code, they are essentially making the hardware function differently for your device.
Some of the major components? -- The biggest ones so far are the wireless driver and 4G driver. When the EVO came out -- the battery life wasn't great; but after the new update (1.47 and the accompanying radio's); battery life on the device have improved significantly and people have experience better WiFi reception and such.
Hope that helps.

pseudoremora said:
There are risks with both.
Flashing a kernel or radio has the potential to brick your phone. The radio is used for controlling all the "wireless" functions (3G, 4G, x1 connections (texting/calling)) -- pretty much anytime the phone connects to the Sprint towers, the radio is playing its part. So if you flash it incorrectly; the consequences are obvious.
The kernel is the heart of the Android. The kernel itself is actually Linux. Android is built upon Linux, so pretty much Google took the already existing Linux kernel and built Android on top of it (the UI, the apps, etc) and made Android into a Mobile OS, which can run on virtually any platform or device.
How do you know? You don't -- it's a matter of wanting to be curious enough to test. Some devs will put out kernels that overclock your device, others will add different features (screen fixes, loopback interface, underclocking, etc). The kernel controls all the hardware on the phone and how everything functions -- so when devs mess with source code, they are essentially making the hardware function differently for your device.
Some of the major components? -- The biggest ones so far are the wireless driver and 4G driver. When the EVO came out -- the battery life wasn't great; but after the new update (1.47 and the accompanying radio's); battery life on the device have improved significantly and people have experience better WiFi reception and such.
Hope that helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That does help. This is my first time with android and my first time attempting to actually mess with it.

rafroehlich2 said:
That does help. This is my first time with android and my first time attempting to actually mess with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There will be a lot more "firsts", believe me. Some things will be harder than others; but if you stick with it and actually take the time to learn, you'll realize that working Android can be a helluva lot of fun and unbelievably addictive!

pseudoremora said:
There will be a lot more "firsts", believe me. Some things will be harder than others; but if you stick with it and actually take the time to learn, you'll realize that working Android can be a helluva lot of fun and unbelievably addictive!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The bug has already bit me. I appreciate the help. It's nice to know there is a community to get good answers from when needed.
Sent from my PC36100

pseudoremora said:
There will be a lot more "firsts", believe me. Some things will be harder than others; but if you stick with it and actually take the time to learn, you'll realize that working Android can be a helluva lot of fun and unbelievably addictive!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Instead of posting a new thread perhaps you can help me on this. When I attempt to use adb to remove a bundled app.
adb shell
cd /system/app
ls
rm app.apk
I get Disk space read only. I have full root and NAND I assume. I used the OTA method and am able to flash custom ROMs. I am using the rooted stock 1.47.651.1

rafroehlich2 said:
Instead of posting a new thread perhaps you can help me on this. When I attempt to use adb to remove a bundled app.
adb shell
cd /system/app
ls
rm app.apk
I get Disk space read only. I have full root and NAND I assume. I used the OTA method and am able to flash custom ROMs. I am using the rooted stock 1.47.651.1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When a "read-only" message is returned, it usually means that you don't have RW (read-write access), to circumvent this, run this command:
Code:
adb remount -- Should always be run if you plan on changing something that requires RW access
Then:
adb shell
cd /system/app
ls
rm app.apk
If for some reason you get a error message with adb remount (most likely due to permissions), then you'll need to use the full "remount" command, for that, run:
Code:
mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock4 /system
Hope that helps.

pseudoremora said:
When a "read-only" message is returned, it usually means that you don't have RW (read-write access), to circumvent this, run this command:
Code:
adb remount -- Should always be run if you plan on changing something that requires RW access
Then:
adb shell
cd /system/app
ls
rm app.apk
If for some reason you get a error message with adb remount (most likely due to permissions), then you'll need to use the full "remount" command, for that, run:
Code:
mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock4 /system
Hope that helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried your method, but I get another error. It looks like:
Code:
mac-mini:~ rafroehlich2$ adb remount
remount failed: Operation not permitted
mac-mini:~ rafroehlich2$ mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock4 /system
mount: exec /usr/sbin/mount_yaffs2 for /System: No such file or directory
Is there a preventable reason
Code:
adb remount
fails? Thanks for the help.

rafroehlich2 said:
I tried your method, but I get another error. It looks like:
Code:
mac-mini:~ rafroehlich2$ adb remount
remount failed: Operation not permitted
mac-mini:~ rafroehlich2$ mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock4 /system
mount: exec /usr/sbin/mount_yaffs2 for /System: No such file or directory
Is there a preventable reason
Code:
adb remount
fails? Thanks for the help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I figured you might have trouble with the ADB remount -- again, this is usually due to permissions. For testing purposes, try booting into recovery and then issuing the adb remount command.
In regards to the full remount command -- I'm wondering if you have busybox (it contains all the Linux command line tools) so that you can run the above commands.
Can you issue and then paste the output back here?:
Code:
cat /proc/mounts
Also, run this:
Code:
adb shell
cd /system/xbin
ls
If you can see a huge list of files -- then that means you do in fact have Busybox installed.
Also, what ROM are you running?

pseudoremora said:
I figured you might have trouble with the ADB remount -- again, this is usually due to permissions. For testing purposes, try booting into recovery and then issuing the adb remount command.
In regards to the full remount command -- I'm wondering if you have busybox (it contains all the Linux command line tools) so that you can run the above commands.
Can you issue and then paste the output back here?:
Code:
cat /proc/mounts
Also, run this:
Code:
adb shell
cd /system/xbin
ls
If you can see a huge list of files -- then that means you do in fact have Busybox installed.
Also, what ROM are you running?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After
Code:
cat /proc/mounts
Code:
rootfs / rootfs ro 0 0
tmpfs /dev tmpfs rw,mode=755 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts rw,mode=600 0 0
proc /proc proc rw 0 0
sysfs /sys sysfs rw 0 0
tmpfs /sqlite_stmt_journals tmpfs rw,size=4096k 0 0
none /dev/cpuctl cgroup rw,cpu 0 0
/dev/block/mtdblock4 /system yaffs2 ro 0 0
/dev/block/mtdblock6 /data yaffs2 rw,nosuid,nodev 0 0
/dev/block/mtdblock5 /cache yaffs2 rw,nosuid,nodev 0 0
tmpfs /app-cache tmpfs rw,size=8192k 0 0
/dev/block//vold/179:1 /sdcard vfat rw,dirsync,nosuid,nodev,noexec,uid=1000,gid=1015,fmask=0702,dmask=0702,allow_utime=0020,codepage=cp437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,utf8,errors=remount-ro 0 0
Code:
mac-mini:~ rafroehlich2$ adb shell
$ cd /system/xbin
$ ls
wireless_modem
dnsmasq
su
I download the BusyBox app to keep it up to date and also installed it through the "problems" section on titanium backup. However, that's all I got.
The ROM I am using is the fully rooted stock RUU. I'd post a link, but am not sure if I'm allowed to yet. It is the one posted by whitslack.

[Recovery][WIP] ARecovery

DO NOT FLASH ANYTHING FOUND HERE YET!!!
FOR DEVELOPMENT AND SHARING PURPOSES ONLY
if you flash anything before we say it's ok to, we take no resopnsibility...​
the purpose of this thread is to get all of the devs together and working on this. this is a great method of getting us a fully functional recovery without needing the bootloader unlocked. this will work on a number of motorola devices as well.
Preface
ok, the bootstrap recovery works, however, without being able to boot directly into the recovery from a power up state, it makes actual "recovery" difficult. the bootstrap recovery is great, and nitro did an awesome job with it as well as adapting it to the atrix 2 with ninja-like quickness. but i would like to build onto his awesome work and expand it's functionality.
the purpose of ARecovery is to provide a fully functional recovery that you can boot directly into, like you can with any clockworkmod recovery device that has a locked bootloader.
there has been a couple different ways this has been achieved on other devices, some will actually use an sdcard as a recovery partition, others have used a hijacked boot file to launch recovery. the hijacked boot file worked great on the xperia line of phones, so this is the method i am using.
i have had some help from doomlord putting this together, and he is one of the top xperia devs. he has given me some guidance on how the hijack boot could work on the atrix 2 and i am in the process of putting this together. so whatever comes of this project, we owe it all to doomlord
The Plan
what i plan to do, is actually use nitro's bootstrap recovery to initially flash the ARecovery package, this will move the files i plan on using for the hijack boot.
The files that will initially be flashed will be the hijacked boot file, the redirected file and the arecovery package.
the hijacked boot file is emc_mgt_tool, this file is called early on in the boot sequence in init.mapphone_utms.rc. this file will be replaced with this code (which is a work in progress and i will update this script as i work on it):
Code:
#!/system/bin/sh
cat /dev/input/event3 > /dev/keycheck&
sleep 3
kill -9 $!
if [ -s /dev/keycheck ]
then
# remount rootfs rw
mount -o remount,rw rootfs /
# Umount MTDs
umount -l /cache
umount -l /data
# Mount recovery partition
cd /
rm -r etc
# stock files will need to be added to arecovery.tar
rm -r /sbin
# stock files will need to be added to arecovery.tar
tar -xf /system/xbin/arecovery.tar
# Umount /system
umount -l /system
# chroot
chroot / /init
fi
# Continue normal booting
/system/bin/enc_mgt_tool2
exit
this script at boot will be activated with a hardware keypress, if triggered, the ARecovery process will start. if not triggered, boot will continue by being passed to the redirected file.
Progress
Pretty much where i am at right now, is still pretty much the beginning. stock system files need to be added to the arecovery.tar and the hijack script needs work. i will continue working on this until an sbf is found. when the sbf is found, i will start testing this.
doomlord has pretty much said that when we get an sbf, let him know and he'll help put this together.
and again, this will work on a number of motorola devices, so the more devs in on this, the better.
i attached arecovery_flash.zip. this is the initial flash package that contains the ARecovery stuff.
DO NOT FLASH THIS!!!​
do not flash
version .01 download

Change Log:
11-16-2011
The start
11-16-2011 version .01
added stock sbin and etc to recovery.tar
added redirect file

Take a look at this a see what you think?
http://hash-of-codes.blogspot.com/p/how-to-safestrap.html

JRW 28 said:
Take a look at this a see what you think?
http://hash-of-codes.blogspot.com/p/how-to-safestrap.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
even this would need to be built basically the same way as we are doing here

[EP4D/FP1H/FP5E][MOD][ODIN] Change Boot Splash Image

This is from a whole lot of brainstorming, reading, headaches & lack of sleep. I now understand Odin & Heimdall a whole lot better; & my skills with Samsung Android phones have increased a bit more. I hope that at least one person can benefit from having a modified param.lfs for a custom boot splash.
Let me know if there are any ways that I can improve this post.
Before you begin, this is for the fearless types that know what they're doing or go all out even if they're jumping into a tornado. Your phone may soft-brick if something goes wrong.
Modified Instructions (from kmalinich's thread):
Needed:
Rooted Samsung Droid Charge
Working ADB
Latest Odin3
Hacked param.lfs (attached & mirrored)
New jpeg boot logo size 480x800 (less than 64KB - test to see if larger works)
Steps:
Copy your new splash image (logo.jpg) to your sd card however you'd like.
Remove your SIM card for safe keeping until this process is finished
Start Odin
Enter download mode (reboot to it or disconnect the phone, take out the battery, press the volume down button, plugin the USB cable, wait for the download screen to appear & place the battery back in)
Extract param_mod.tar.md5 from droid_charge_param_mod.zip
Flash hacked param_mod.tar.md5 via Odin3 in the PDA area _*ONLY*_
Reboot into CWM recovery
Mount the system partition from within CWM
Open ADB shell
Enter these commands:
Code:
mount -o remount,rw /dev/block/stl7 /mnt/.lfs
cp /sdcard/logo.jpg /mnt/.lfs/logo.jpg
Reboot and enjoy!
Notes:
I've tested multiple versions of Heimdall with just the modified param.lfs & it fails to upload 99 times out of 100. I recommend Odin3, SamsungPST Lite, or redbend_ua.
The boot splash image only appears for a short while since the Droid Charge kernels have splash images, too. If you'd like the same image for the duration of boot, utilize an app or a guide to change your favorite kernel's splash image.
Mirror:
modded param.lfs - http://db.tt/fjyx4uEf
sample boot splash - http://db.tt/Nj26hmb6
original param.lfs - http://db.tt/HcCZ6O0H
Sources:
Free Your Android - Modifying Samsung Splash Screens (Galaxy S Series + SGS2) <- how I learned to do it
[Mod][ec09] samsung boot splash/image change 7.7.11 - xda-developers <- how I learned about it with the Fascinate
Fixes & verification of FP5E by Tanno of DroidForums

Attempted and soft-bricked phone, I am sure it was my fault, but if you are not comfortable fixing your phone then do not try this mod. That being said it looks sweet and thanks for your effort!

Endless2232 said:
Attempted and soft-bricked phone, I am sure it was my fault, but if you are not comfortable fixing your phone then do not try this mod. That being said it looks sweet and thanks for your effort!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you happen to select "Re-partition"? That will soft-brick your phone if you're only flashing the param.lfs.

CrimsonKnight13 said:
Did you happen to select "Re-partition"? That will soft-brick your phone if you're only flashing the param.lfs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, not a complete idiot. =) haha. I will try again later and report back.

Endless2232 said:
Nope, not a complete idiot. =) haha. I will try again later and report back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was hoping for the best. I'll do what I can to help & correct any errors that jack phones up. :fingers-crossed:

This looks great; thanks for doing this! I'll give this a try in a few days once I'm reunited with my laptop (and hence have access to Odin).
Some suggestions:
It would be good to provide the stock param.lfs for people who want to return to the original boot logo. Alternatively, you could provide a CWM zip for people who have the mod installed to revert to the original logo.
It's possible to mount filesystems and perform file operations using the Android recovery, so you could create a CWM zip and just instruct people to drop in their logo image of choice and flash it after applying the base modification through Odin. This would reduce the steps required to just flashing the Odin package and then flashing a CWM zip.
Would it be possible to flash the param.lfs file through CWM? This would simplify things even further.
Anyway, thanks again and I look forward to trying this out!

substanceD said:
This looks great; thanks for doing this! I'll give this a try in a few days once I'm reunited with my laptop (and hence have access to Odin).
Some suggestions:
It would be good to provide the stock param.lfs for people who want to return to the original boot logo. Alternatively, you could provide a CWM zip for people who have the mod installed to revert to the original logo.
It's possible to mount filesystems and perform file operations using the Android recovery, so you could create a CWM zip and just instruct people to drop in their logo image of choice and flash it after applying the base modification through Odin. This would reduce the steps required to just flashing the Odin package and then flashing a CWM zip.
Would it be possible to flash the param.lfs file through CWM? This would simplify things even further.
Anyway, thanks again and I look forward to trying this out!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Original param.lfs in tar.md5 format will be posted tonight.
I'm reading mixed news regarding /mnt/.lfs/ file flashing through CWM. Most people are saying its unflashable from CWM but I need to confirm that it can be done.
As far as I know, param.lfs can't be flashed through CWM.
Edit: It appears I can create a CWM zip but I'll need to dig into what others have made to verify that its doing what I need it to do.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1474753

CrimsonKnight13 said:
Original param.lfs in tar.md5 format will be posted tonight.
I'm reading mixed news regarding /mnt/.lfs/ file flashing through CWM. Most people are saying its unflashable from CWM but I need to confirm that it can be done.
As far as I know, param.lfs can't be flashed through CWM.
Edit: It appears I can create a CWM zip but I'll need to dig into what others have made to verify that its doing what I need it to do.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1474753
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sure others will get to this before I do, but I'll tinker a bit with this as well - at least in reference to exploring what cwm recovery can do.

Works.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using xda premium

dwitherell said:
I'm sure others will get to this before I do, but I'll tinker a bit with this as well - at least in reference to exploring what cwm recovery can do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any community effort to make this into a smooth working mod is fine with me. I'll do more research myself tonight.
kvswim said:
Works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great to know.

I attempted to make a usable CWM zip but it fails with a line in the updater-script.
assert(package_extract_file("param.lfs", "/tmp/param.lfs"),write_raw_image("/tmp/param.lfs", "/dev/block/stl7"),delete("/tmp/param.lfs"));
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It gives the error:
assert failed: write_raw_image("/tmp/param.lfs", "/dev/block/stl7")
<snip> (Status 7)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm wondering if /dev/block/stl7 is even writable from CWM.
I have attached both zips for anyone's perusal.

CrimsonKnight13 said:
I attempted to make a usable CWM zip but it fails with a line in the updater-script.
It gives the error:
I'm wondering if /dev/block/stl7 is even writable from CWM.
I have attached both zips for anyone's perusal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been playing around with things on my end - but it seems you are right. I've had no luck w/ this as well. Tried a few changes but to no avail. Ah well - other than that your original method worked for me

dwitherell said:
I've been playing around with things on my end - but it seems you are right. I've had no luck w/ this as well. Tried a few changes but to no avail. Ah well - other than that your original method worked for me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm glad that the original method does work & that we both came to the same conclusion. Thanks for looking into it.
Is there a method to split the zImage, change the RLE, & rejoin it into a workable kernel? Making this thread into a boot & kernel splash image mod combo would be nice. I'm coming up empty handed with my searches through Google & XDA. Most modifications are for Sony phones.

Is step #7 something that can be done within the stock recovery or is that a separate ADB command?

nismology said:
Is step #7 something that can be done within the stock recovery or is that a separate ADB command?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't recommend EVER using stock recovery due to the possibility of complications with custom-built zips.
/system can be mounted via adb shell as well. The step assumes that you know how to do it via cwm or adb. If I need to clarify, I can.

CrimsonKnight13 said:
I don't recommend EVER using stock recovery due to the possibility of complications with custom-built zips.
/system can be mounted via adb shell as well. The step assumes that you know how to do it via cwm or adb. If I need to clarify, I can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was in the process of attempting the ADB method of this mod and had CWM installed which was overwritten by the modded param file and step 6 says allow it to boot into recovery which turned out to be the stock one. I guess that is what threw me off.
I guess I didn't know I had to re-Odin CWM to remount the system partition. Just for posterity though, what is the command for mounting it via ADB? I have it all setup already. Thanks for your patience!
Edit: I got it to work. I had to let it boot up, enter shell, get superuser permission, then execute the mount command. This was great ADB practice for a newb like myself. Excellent work and it looks great! Thanks for the how-to!
:good:

nismology said:
I was in the process of attempting the ADB method of this mod and had CWM installed which was overwritten by the modded param file and step 6 says allow it to boot into recovery which turned out to be the stock one. I guess that is what threw me off.
I guess I didn't know I had to re-Odin CWM to remount the system partition. Just for posterity though, what is the command for mounting it via ADB? I have it all setup already. Thanks for your patience!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't & won't overwrite CWM. It is merely overwriting the /dev/block/stl7 partition of your phone.
The mount for system varies if you have rfs or ext4.
rfs
mount once: mount -t rfs -o rw /dev/block/stl10 /system
remount: mount -t rfs -o remount,rw /dev/block/stl10 /system
ext4
mount once: mount -t ext4 -o rw /dev/block/stl10 /system
remount: mount -t ext4 -o remount,rw /dev/block/stl10 /system
nismology said:
Edit: I got it to work. I had to let it boot up, enter shell, get superuser permission, then execute the mount command. This was great ADB practice for a newb like myself. Excellent work and it looks great! Thanks for the how-to!
:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know. I'm glad it worked out for you.
Just doing mount is another good way since it calls up fstab or whatever equivalent it might be on the system.

CrimsonKnight13 said:
It doesn't & won't overwrite CWM. It is merely overwriting the /dev/block/stl7 partition of your phone.
The mount for system varies if you have rfs or ext4.
rfs
mount once: mount -t rfs -o rw /dev/block/stl10 /system
remount: mount -t rfs -o remount,rw /dev/block/stl10 /system
ext4
mount once: mount -t ext4 -o rw /dev/block/stl10 /system
remount: mount -t ext4 -o remount,rw /dev/block/stl10 /system
Good to know. I'm glad it worked out for you.
Just doing mount is another good way since it calls up fstab or whatever equivalent it might be on the system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that. I used a slightly different syntax for mounting /system but it seemed to work out anyway.
And by "just doing mount" are you referring to doing it through CWM? That might be a more straight-forward method indeed. I could use the ADB practice though.

And the original source of my confusion was that step #6 says "allow the phone to reboot into recovery". When you flash the modded param and power on the phone, it automatically boots into stock recovery. It might help other people if the step mentions the fact that you must enter into CWM to mount the system partition instead of "allowing" it to boot up normally, which will result in stock recovery after initial boot-up.

nismology said:
And the original source of my confusion was that step #6 says "allow the phone to reboot into recovery". When you flash the modded param and power on the phone, it automatically boots into stock recovery. It might help other people if the step mentions the fact that you must enter into CWM to mount the system partition instead of "allowing" it to boot up normally, which will result in stock recovery after initial boot-up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said, it shouldn't be booting into stock recovery when the modded param.lfs is pushed. If you have already flashed a custom kernel, CWM recovery will stay. If you still have a stock kernel, stock recovery will constantly take over.
Additionally, whenever I did it, due to lack of logo.jpg, it would kick me straight into CWM. I'm unsure what your setup on your phone looks like though.
nismology said:
Thanks for that. I used a slightly different syntax for mounting /system but it seemed to work out anyway.
And by "just doing mount" are you referring to doing it through CWM? That might be a more straight-forward method indeed. I could use the ADB practice though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, mounting through CWM is the easiest way.

[Completed] Softbrick Recovery with backups available (not img or zip files though)

Hello,
I am trying to recover from a softbrick issue. I have a BLU Studio C 5+5 LTE and therefore can't use TWRP or CWM (At least that is my assumption, maybe someone knows different). Before getting into the softbrick state I took 3 different types of backups in the hopes that one of them could be used in case it was needed. (like this)
Type 1 - I did an ADB shell backup from a completely stock device (unrooted) I used this command-
adb backup -apk -all -f fullbackup.adb
For this method I followed this guide here-
https://linuxiswonderful.wordpress.com/2015/04/04/full-backup-of-nonrooted-android/
Type 2 - I used Titanium backup and performed a complete system and application backup
Type 3 - I rooted the phone and backed up all partitions using dd after reviewing the partition layout of the device. For example, to backup the system partition I did the following at an ADB shell-
dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p21 of=/storage/sdcard1/firmware-img/system.img
I believe the last operation I tried before softbricking was installing the Xposed framework module for my device (running Lollipop 5.1.1).
I am able to still communicate to my device using ADB and I can get an ADB shell. or enter fastboot mode My device presently shows the manufacturer's logo when booting and gets no further.
To recover from this issue I think I have two basic options
#1 restore from backup
#2 locate the problem that is causing the system to hang at startup in the first place
At the end of the day I am trying to find the simplest, quickest method to get back up and running. Both methods are acceptable to me. I am not worried about losing any data.
My challenge/sticking point is how to turn my backups into a usable format to get me back on track or understand the boot process enough to get out of the boot loop.
The first thing I tried was mounting my raw image files created from the dd process. I followed this guide-
https://samindaw.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/mounting-a-file-as-a-file-system-in-linux/
I ran these commands-
#losetup /dev/loop0 /path/to/my/system.img
# mkfs -t ext3 -m 1 -v /dev/loop0
# mount -t ext3 /dev/loop0 /mnt
# cd /mnt
# ls
The various image files I created all seemed to mount "ok" OK meaning that the loopback mount process worked but it appears there is nothing but a lost+found folder in the mounted image. (I'm not sure why that is.)
I am still researching methods to turn my other backups into something usable for recovery purposes.
For using the adb backup file I created, this is what my understanding is-
Adb backup uses a type of compression (don’t remember what kind). I would need to uncompress the file first. After uncompressing and being able to view the file contents I would think I should be able to put together a flashable zip file of some sort.
I think the process for Titanium backup would generally be the same- uncompress/convert file format, create/assemble a flashable zip file
The last thought I had was trying to get the system to boot. To do so, I need to better understand the boot process. I am familiar with how Linux boots as I am a Sys Admin. I know Android is similar but just different enough to make me research this further. I can pull dmesg log for anyone if that will help. I was also seeing where you could use the logcat command. (That is new to me as it seems more Android specific and not used in Linux that I know of)
If there is any other info you need to see, please let me know. I made a lot of notes about the system architecture, partition layout, etc.
Many thanks in advance for your help!

XDA Visitor said:
Hello,
I am trying to recover from a softbrick issue. I have a BLU Studio C 5+5 LTE and therefore can't use TWRP or CWM (At least that is my assumption, maybe someone knows different). Before getting into the softbrick state I took 3 different types of backups in the hopes that one of them could be used in case it was needed. (like this)
Type 1 - I did an ADB shell backup from a completely stock device (unrooted) I used this command-
adb backup -apk -all -f fullbackup.adb
For this method I followed this guide here-
https://linuxiswonderful.wordpress.com/2015/04/04/full-backup-of-nonrooted-android/
Type 2 - I used Titanium backup and performed a complete system and application backup
Type 3 - I rooted the phone and backed up all partitions using dd after reviewing the partition layout of the device. For example, to backup the system partition I did the following at an ADB shell-
dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p21 of=/storage/sdcard1/firmware-img/system.img
I believe the last operation I tried before softbricking was installing the Xposed framework module for my device (running Lollipop 5.1.1).
I am able to still communicate to my device using ADB and I can get an ADB shell. or enter fastboot mode My device presently shows the manufacturer's logo when booting and gets no further.
To recover from this issue I think I have two basic options
#1 restore from backup
#2 locate the problem that is causing the system to hang at startup in the first place
At the end of the day I am trying to find the simplest, quickest method to get back up and running. Both methods are acceptable to me. I am not worried about losing any data.
My challenge/sticking point is how to turn my backups into a usable format to get me back on track or understand the boot process enough to get out of the boot loop.
The first thing I tried was mounting my raw image files created from the dd process. I followed this guide-
https://samindaw.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/mounting-a-file-as-a-file-system-in-linux/
I ran these commands-
#losetup /dev/loop0 /path/to/my/system.img
# mkfs -t ext3 -m 1 -v /dev/loop0
# mount -t ext3 /dev/loop0 /mnt
# cd /mnt
# ls
The various image files I created all seemed to mount "ok" OK meaning that the loopback mount process worked but it appears there is nothing but a lost+found folder in the mounted image. (I'm not sure why that is.)
I am still researching methods to turn my other backups into something usable for recovery purposes.
For using the adb backup file I created, this is what my understanding is-
Adb backup uses a type of compression (don’t remember what kind). I would need to uncompress the file first. After uncompressing and being able to view the file contents I would think I should be able to put together a flashable zip file of some sort.
I think the process for Titanium backup would generally be the same- uncompress/convert file format, create/assemble a flashable zip file
The last thought I had was trying to get the system to boot. To do so, I need to better understand the boot process. I am familiar with how Linux boots as I am a Sys Admin. I know Android is similar but just different enough to make me research this further. I can pull dmesg log for anyone if that will help. I was also seeing where you could use the logcat command. (That is new to me as it seems more Android specific and not used in Linux that I know of)
If there is any other info you need to see, please let me know. I made a lot of notes about the system architecture, partition layout, etc.
Many thanks in advance for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Greetings,
Thank you for using XDA Assist.
There are no specific forums for your device model on XDA. However, if you create an XDA account, you can ask your questions here:
Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting
You will receive expert advice there.
Good luck and welcome to XDA!

Accessing my phone with a dead screen

So my phone screen connector was liquid damaged. No touch or display. It's an Essential Phone which supports HDMI output, however I can't unlock it because I don't see the lock screen on the monitor I just see a lock icon. I have fingerprint/pattern set up but I can't use fingerprint because it wants me to do the pattern first after a reboot. I do not have access to ADB since for whatever reason MTP is always enabled. I do have TWRP except the contents of the phone are encrypted so I can't get the data off that way. I am running an Android 12 custom rom. Any ideas on how I can access my files/unlock the phone?

we can enable adb in boot.img - please backup from adb while in TWRP recovery, share zip here so I will have a look.
Code:
adb pull /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/boot boot.img
with adb enabled we can use scrcpy to mirror lock screen and unlock from PC.

aIecxs said:
we can enable adb in boot.img - please backup from adb while in TWRP recovery, share zip here so I will have a look.
Code:
adb pull /dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/boot boot.img
with adb enabled we can use scrcpy to mirror lock screen and unlock from PC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the response, I've got the boot image backed up.

Just for fun a built a digitizer emulator. It will work even when the ADB is turned off.

are you sure that is actually the boot.img dumped off your current boot partition? there is a twrp.fstab inside? However, I have modified prop.default and added custom.rc in overlay.d to enable adb. try this without flashing, then check adb. if it works, you can run scrcpy (link above)
Code:
fastboot devices
fastboot boot boot.img
adb devices
in case it does not work, you could also try to boot this TWRP (do not flash)
https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/official-twrp-3-2-3-0-for-essential-ph-1.3840931
you can decrypt pattern from adb too
https://twrp.me/faq/openrecoveryscript.html
(attachment removed)

aIecxs said:
are you sure that is actually the boot.img dumped off your current boot partition? there is a twrp.fstab inside? However, I have modified prop.default and added custom.rc in overlay.d to enable adb. try this without flashing, then check adb. if it works, you can run scrcpy (link above)
Code:
fastboot devices
fastboot boot boot.img
adb devices
in case it does not work, you could also try to boot this TWRP (do not flash)
https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/official-twrp-3-2-3-0-for-essential-ph-1.3840931
you can decrypt pattern from adb too
https://twrp.me/faq/openrecoveryscript.html
md5: 2baeb682f45ac1da8fcdbf75a60c99a4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah it is, that is there probably because you need to install TWRP to the boot partition for the Essential Phone. Anyway, it didn't work sadly. I get the same result, all I got in device manager is "Essential MTP Device" and an inaccessible folder cause it's still locked. and it appears that twrp for the Essential Phone can't decrypt Android 12 data. I couldn't get it decrypted back when I could see my screen & used a pin either iirc
Renate said:
Just for fun a built a digitizer emulator. It will work even when the ADB is turned off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do I use it?

okay flash this boot.img to boot_a and boot_b and try again. I have added some flags for TWRP in recovery ramdisk too, maye it decrypts now. at least, it should enable adb. it may require ADB Interface Driver re-installed from device manager.

aIecxs said:
okay flash this boot.img to boot_a and boot_b and try again. I have added some flags for TWRP in recovery ramdisk too, maye it decrypts now. at least, it should enable adb. it may require ADB Interface Driver re-installed from device manager.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately neither situation has changed, also reinstalled the ADB drivers

Zumbuh said:
Unfortunately neither situation has changed, also reinstalled the ADB drivers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can you please provide TWRP recovery.log after passing encoded pattern from cmd line?
Code:
adb shell twrp decrypt '12357'
adb pull /tmp/recovery.log
what custom ROM you are running?
maybe startup script requires u:r:init:0 secontext, or it is executed too early and just dropped before zygote? or maybe it is too late, as usually build.prop properties are triggers for init.rc so the resetprop is not working.
this is how I did
https://topjohnwu.github.io/Magisk/guides.html#root-directory-overlay-system
it will work, it's just a matter of right parameters. you can unpack boot.img your own and replace late-init with boot or post-fs-data or something different.
you can also try to write log to /cache partition and view from TWRP afterwards, so you will figure out script is even executed.

Zumbuh said:
How do I use it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was really just a proof of concept using a microcontroller that gets the swipe/click details from a desktop.
If you had a 2nd rooted Android that had HID USB Gadget built in (g_hid) it would be possible to write an app to do this.
You'd tether the two Androids together.
Edit: I did get it working with just the rooted Android and the target Android.
It's just a bit cumbersome to install. You need a custom USB config daemon and a udevd.
No design awards here, but it works.

I spend mostly 2 hours, I could change properties from overlay.d and also confirmed double check after boot. However, my Xiaomi denies any usb connection in case of modifications. So the default.prop trick did not work for me.
What worked is get a copy of %UserProfile%\.android\adbkey.pub rename it to adb_keys and copy to cache partition.
Code:
adb push %UserProfile%\.android\adbkey.pub /cache/adb_keys
adding these two files in boot.img overlay.d will copy /cache/adb_keys -> to /data/misc/adb/adb_keys. this worked for me, so give it one more shot.

aIecxs said:
I spend mostly 2 hours, I could change properties from overlay.d and also confirmed double check after boot. However, my Xiaomi denies any usb connection in case of modifications. So the default.prop trick did not work for me.
What worked is get a copy of %UserProfile%\.android\adbkey.pub rename it to adb_keys and copy to cache partition.
Code:
adb push %UserProfile%\.android\adbkey.pub /cache/adb_keys
adding these two files in boot.img overlay.d will copy /cache/adb_keys -> to /data/misc/adb/adb_keys. this worked for me, so give it one more shot. (edit: fixed)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually saw your earlier version of this reply so I was trying it myself, then when I went to reply I saw that you added a boot image and tried that as well. Though neither worked for me. I've attached my recovery.log though I assume the part you wanted to see was this.
I:operation_start: 'TWRP CLI Command'
Attempting to decrypt data partition via command line.
get_crypt_ftr_info crypto key location: ''
Unexpected value for crypto key location
Error getting crypt footer and key
Failed to decrypt data.
I:Done reading ORS command from command line

does phone have cache partition at all? you can check if /cache/adb_keys still exist. if you can see /cache/adb_keys.bak that is dump including all the existing keys. if not increase the timeout 60 seconds.
What ROM you are using? crypto-footer sounds more like FDE encryption, but I did only add flags FBE + metadata encryption.
kindly provide recovery.log. you can share via pastebin.com with expire date

aIecxs said:
does phone have cache partition at all? you can check if /cache/adb_keys still exist. if you can see /cache/adb_keys.bak that is dump including all the existing keys. if not increase the timeout 60 seconds.
What ROM you are using? crypto-footer sounds more like FDE encryption, but I did only add flags FBE + metadata encryption.
kindly provide recovery.log. you can share via pastebin.com with expire date
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using this Pixel Extended 12L rom. For whatever reason it wouldn't attach recovery.log to the last post, anyways here's the pastebin link
Starting TWRP 3.2.3-0-007de98f-dirty on Thu Jan 1 00:00:13 1970 (pid 601)I: - Pastebin.com
Pastebin.com is the number one paste tool since 2002. Pastebin is a website where you can store text online for a set period of time.
pastebin.com

the log is not from my (3) boot.img
I:Mount: Unable to find partition for path '/cache'
where did you place your adb_keys?

aIecxs said:
I:Mount: Unable to find partition for path '/cache'
where did you place your adb_keys?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In cache originally, but yeah I noticed that it didn't mount earlier as well. I did try placing them in a new directory I created and modifying the adbguard.sh file but it didn't work. The adb_keys file is still in that directory but there is no .bak file. Got anywhere else I could place it?

what directories can you access unencrypted on /data?

aIecxs said:
what directories can you access unencrypted on /data?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems the only one that isn't encrypted is /data/gsi

so you can place adbkey.pub there instead. change these lines in overlay.d/sbin/adbguard.sh. increase the timeout. you can also add some output to see if script is running at all.
Bash:
while [ ${i:-0} -le 60 ]; do
set_adbkey /data/gsi/adb_keys
echo "Hello World ($i)" >> /data/gsi/hello.txt
Code:
adb push adbkey.pub /data/gsi/adb_keys
according to the ROM you linked, that is just FBE encryption, I bet some dev can fix that TWRP.
/vendor/etc/fstab.mata
Code:
# Android fstab file.
# The filesystem that contains the filesystem checker binary (typically /system) cannot
# specify MF_CHECK, and must come before any filesystems that do specify MF_CHECK
#<src> <mnt_point> <type> <mnt_flags and options> <fs_mgr_flags>
/dev/block/platform/soc/1da4000.ufshc/by-name/system / ext4 ro,barrier=1 wait,slotselect,verify
/dev/block/platform/soc/1da4000.ufshc/by-name/userdata /data ext4 noatime,nosuid,nodev,barrier=1,noauto_da_alloc latemount,wait,check,formattable,fileencryption=ice,quota
/dev/block/platform/soc/1da4000.ufshc/by-name/misc /misc emmc defaults defaults
/dev/block/platform/soc/1da4000.ufshc/by-name/modem /vendor/firmware_mnt vfat ro,shortname=lower,uid=1000,gid=1000,dmask=222,fmask=333,context=u:object_r:firmware_file:s0 wait,slotselect
/dev/block/platform/soc/1da4000.ufshc/by-name/dsp /vendor/lib/dsp ext4 ro,nosuid,nodev,barrier=1,context=u:object_r:adsprpcd_file:s0 wait,slotselect
/devices/*/xhci-hcd.0.auto* auto auto defaults voldmanaged=usb:auto
/devices/*/0000:01:00.0* auto auto defaults voldmanaged=usb:auto
/dev/block/zram0 none swap defaults zramsize=2147483648,max_comp_streams=8

aIecxs said:
so you can place adbkey.pub there instead. change these lines in overlay.d/sbin/adbguard.sh. increase the timeout. you can also add some output to see if script is running at all.
Bash:
while [ ${i:-0} -le 60 ]; do
set_adbkey /data/gsi/adb_keys
echo "Hello World ($i)" >> /data/gsi/hello.txt
Code:
adb push adbkey.pub /data/gsi/adb_keys
according to the ROM you linked, that is just FBE encryption, I bet some dev can fix that TWRP.
/vendor/etc/fstab.mata
Code:
# Android fstab file.
# The filesystem that contains the filesystem checker binary (typically /system) cannot
# specify MF_CHECK, and must come before any filesystems that do specify MF_CHECK
#<src> <mnt_point> <type> <mnt_flags and options> <fs_mgr_flags>
/dev/block/platform/soc/1da4000.ufshc/by-name/system / ext4 ro,barrier=1 wait,slotselect,verify
/dev/block/platform/soc/1da4000.ufshc/by-name/userdata /data ext4 noatime,nosuid,nodev,barrier=1,noauto_da_alloc latemount,wait,check,formattable,fileencryption=ice,quota
/dev/block/platform/soc/1da4000.ufshc/by-name/misc /misc emmc defaults defaults
/dev/block/platform/soc/1da4000.ufshc/by-name/modem /vendor/firmware_mnt vfat ro,shortname=lower,uid=1000,gid=1000,dmask=222,fmask=333,context=u:object_r:firmware_file:s0 wait,slotselect
/dev/block/platform/soc/1da4000.ufshc/by-name/dsp /vendor/lib/dsp ext4 ro,nosuid,nodev,barrier=1,context=u:object_r:adsprpcd_file:s0 wait,slotselect
/devices/*/xhci-hcd.0.auto* auto auto defaults voldmanaged=usb:auto
/devices/*/0000:01:00.0* auto auto defaults voldmanaged=usb:auto
/dev/block/zram0 none swap defaults zramsize=2147483648,max_comp_streams=8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright I have replaced those lines and that file was never created, so it looks like it never runs the script