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[GUIDE][CWM] WLAN Calibration and MAC address fix [CM]

This is for CyanogenMod and its derivates. Stock ROMs should be fine.
If you are inrested in editing your MAC address, there's a guide linked below. I don't know if stock ROMs will automcatically correct the MAC. In this case I think you have to edit /efs/imei/.nvmac.info (read more something about /efs before playing with it!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The easiest way to do the calibration is:
Turn wifi ON and run
Code:
tiwlan_plts -n
This is the script called from a oneshot init service in my init.latona.rc if someone is interested. It will calibrate and correct the MAC automatically, even after a data wipe:
Code:
#!/system/bin/sh
if [ ! -f /data/misc/wifi/nvs_map.bin ]; then
insmod /system/lib/modules/tiwlan_drv.ko
/system/bin/tiwlan_loader -i /system/etc/wifi/tiwlan.ini -f /system/etc/wifi/firmware.bin
/system/bin/tiwlan_plts -n
rmmod tiwlan_drv
fi
____________________________________
Older method
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
UPDATE: I found an easy way to get the real MAC.
Download the apk attached or run the following commands:
Code:
su
mount -o remount,rw /system
ln -s /system/lib/modules/tiwlan_drv.ko /system/etc/wifi/tiwlan_drv.ko
#Make sure wifi is off
./mfgloader -l #Take the binary from a stock ROM
./mfgloader -u
rm /system/etc/wifi/tiwlan_drv.ko
mount -o remount,ro /system
After that your MAC address shoud begin with D0:C1:B1 and not 08:00:28.
To see your current MAC: System Settings > About phone > Status (turn wifi on)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
____________________________________
This is the first post with some more informations about the calibration
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I was reading some logs, I noticed these lines
Code:
TIWLAN: 1089.979242: Starting to process NVS...
TIWLAN: 1089.983698: No Nvs, Setting default MAC address
TIWLAN: 1089.989007: pHwInit->uEEPROMCurLen: 1c
TIWLAN: 1089.993462: ERROR: If you are not calibating the device, you will soon get errors !!!
...
TIWLAN: 1094.726827: Station ID : 08-00-28-12-03-58
...
You can see that the device is not calibrated and that the default MAC address is assigned.
Each device should have a unique MAC address, two devices with the same MAC address in the same network will give problems.
________
UPDATE
I made two flashable files:
wlan_calibration.zip will only do the calibration
wlan_calibration_rand.zip will do the calibration and will randomize the last three octets of the address
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you still want to do it on your own, here the guide:
_______________
WLAN Calibration
Here the steps you need to follow (taken from: WLAN Calibration):
1) Turn wifi off
2) From ADB/terminal emulator run the following commands [1]:
Code:
$ su
# cd /data/misc/wifi
# insmod /system/lib/modules/tiwlan_drv.ko
# start wlan_loader
# ifconfig tiwlan0 up
# tiwlan_cu -b
/ w p 1 l 2 f 2
/ t b v 21
/ t b t 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
/ q
# rmmod tiwlan_drv
This will create this file: /data/misc/wifi/nvs_map.bin. If it's not there, you did something wrong.
After that you should not get the error while turning wifi ON.
________
MAC address fix
Even after the calibration, you'll still have the default MAC address (Station ID : 08-00-28-12-03-58). But no problem, you can 'easly' change it: Editing the MAC Address.
You need to get the newly created /data/misc/wifi/nvs_map.bin and edit it with an hex editor as described in the guide linked above.
I still don't know if the calibration will improve anything, but it surely won't hurt:
For optimal Wi-Fi performance it is mandatory to calibrate the Wi-Fi hardware
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NOTE: nvs_map.bin is in /data, so if you do a factory reset you have to do this again.
___
[1]
ADB: System settings > Developers options (ON) > Root access > Apps and ADB

Wow...good solution buddy. I think u shouldpost this in development thread. People dont look much in general thread.

this should be added to the cm9/10 instalation .zip file

I did flash the zip file, ran the other commands thru terminal and see the file /data/misc/wifi/nvs_map.bin.
I don't understand the next step to be done.
I cannot open the bin file using hexeditor, I gave it root access.
And, in case i open it what mac address should i use? Is some address hard coded to each phone?

Hetalk said:
I did flash the zip file, ran the other commands thru terminal and see the file /data/misc/wifi/nvs_map.bin.
I don't understand the next step to be done.
I cannot open the bin file using hexeditor, I gave it root access.
And, in case i open it what mac address should i use? Is some address hard coded to each phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know how MAC are assigned, I simply randomized the last part of the address (I kept the first part: 80:00:28).
Anyway I just uploaded a new zip file to make things even simpler. It will automatically randomize the last four three groups. If you want to use it, you need to delete /data/misc/wifi/nvs_map.bin first. EDIT: I changed the script, now you can do the calibration without removing the file.
Anyway I don't know what's wrong with your editor, I did it from my computer.

I tried using hex editor from play store.
I'll try the new zip tomorrow..

As I wrote in the OP, today I found the way to get the original MAC.
I don't know what is needed to make the commands work while in recovery (services needed etc...), so I made a dummy app (I simply adapted the code of an app I made few days ago to do a similar thing).
No fancy icon (it's the default one), no checks, ugly etc... It simply does the job (my Java knowledge is almost zero)
EDIT:
I almost forgot to say that the real MAC is in /efs/imei/.nvmac.info. It was the first place where I looked, but it's an hidden file an I didn't see at first.

bam....

Dear @loSconosciuto
I following this guide to solve the problem that actually I have in my phone with CM 11. In the Status menu, "non available" appears in my device WIFI mac. I following the guide step by step and I couldn't change it.
Could you help me?

carniman78 said:
Dear @loSconosciuto
I following this guide to solve the problem that actually I have in my phone with CM 11. In the Status menu, "non available" appears in my device WIFI mac. I following the guide step by step and I couldn't change it.
Could you help me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This guide is for the kernel 2.6.35 which uses a completely different driver, it's quite an old thread. The calibration is done in a different way and I don't think that's the problem.
I'm not using CM11, so it's quite hard for me to know exactly what's wrong.

loSconosciuto said:
This guide is for the kernel 2.6.35 which uses a completely different driver, it's quite an old thread. The calibration is done in a different way and I don't think that's the problem.
I'm not using CM11, so it's quite hard for me to know exactly what's wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, sir. Thank you for your help.

Hi there
trying to fix Samsung s4 active i9295 wifi problem. at least got the MAC address showing (was 02:lots of zeroes) still unable to start wifi. is there anything else I should search for? tiwlan_drv.ko was not there so I downloaded it sepparately. do I need some more modules to be added? using stock 4 file engineering FW Android 5.0.1

[GUIDE] Ubuntu in a chroot on the Galaxy S4 - now with Native Booting!

Notice (4/16/14): I'm no longer here. I've said "goodbye" to AT&T and their locked bootloader schemes. I'm voting with my wallet - I've sold my I337 and switched to T-Mobile. My apologies to the community, but you're now on your own here.
Intro/About/Requirements:
This thread started as a guide for people who wanted to run Ubuntu in a chroot, and then connecting to it locally with a VNC client. This method has been used countless times on other devices, with many thanks to @zacthespack and his his group, LinuxonAndroid. Unfortunately, this method did not work out-of-the-box on my device, so I tweaked things to work with the Galaxy S4 and posted them here in this thread.
However, the most people immediately noticed that with this method the performance is not great, and some applications can't work in a headless environment. With a comment made by zackthespack, I began researching what it would take to get Ubuntu to write directly to the device's framebuffer. After a few months, I not only managed to accomplish this, but also developed a way to get the Galaxy S4 to boot directly into Ubuntu. As far as I have seen, both of these are a "first" for this handset.
All of these methods require root. The VNC Chroot does not require a custom kernel, but the other methods require a custom-built kernel. For the I337 (AT&T) handset, this can pose a problem if you have bootloaders that are MF3+. If you're using MDB/MDL bootloaders still, you shouldn't have a problem with this and you can Loki the custom kernel without issue.
Depending on your ROM and/or Kernel, you may also need a new version of BusyBox installed, even for the VNC method. You'll find a few apps on the Play Store that can do this for you. Beware that some of them are not easily reversible (such as TinyBox), so if you're stuck on MF3 with no way to create/restore a nandroid/system backup, you should be careful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Disclaimers:
Following this guide and/or flashing anything I've provided to your device is your own responsibility. If something breaks, you break your device, or something explodes, I can't be held liable (I'll help correct any situations you may put yourself in, however). I claim no rights to any proprietary software or intellectual property included in this post or the packages contained herein. By using any of this software, you agree to whatever licenses/agreements that the creators may have included with their software. If you use any of this stuff in your own project, please provide credit where credit is due. For example, if you take my u.sh script and adapt it to some new device (i.e. Galaxy S 5), please at least mention where it came from.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
VNC Chroot Method (original):
This method is loosely based on this thread for the Galaxy S3 and the ubuntu.sh script there. It didn't work for the S4, but I've made several tweaks to it, simplifying it a ton, and otherwise getting it to work perfectly on my S4. I've tried this using my AT&T Galaxy S4 (SGH-I337) on both the MDL build and the MF3 build - both seem to work great.
Instructions:
Download the Ubuntu 13.04 Small v1 image here.
Create a folder on your sdcard labeled "ubuntu" by whatever means you want to.
Extract the ubuntu.img from your downloaded zip into this folder.
Download my version of the ubuntu.sh and place it on the root of your sdcard.
Open the script in a text editor and read through it. Never run a script like this on your android without first knowing what it does - especially when the author is telling you that you need root. If you're happy with it, proceed.
Install an terminal emulator of your choice. I personally used this one, and technically an adb shell will work too (but you'll be tethered to your PC...).
Install a VNC Client of your choice. I personally used this one, but there might be better/faster ones out there.
Open the terminal emulator, and execute the following commands:
Code:
su
sh /sdcard/ubuntu.sh
If you see a bunch of errors and get dumped back at the "[email protected]:/ # " prompt, then something went wrong. Report your errors in this thread. Remember, this requires root (and the "su" command to get there, of course).
You'll be prompted for some setup parameters, which you can save at the end for later. Just answer each question and press Enter after each:
You'll need to provide a new password for the "ubuntu" user. A simple passwords like "ubuntu" works, unless you want some security.
Start VNC server? (y/n) - always choose "y". We need this to interact with the device.
SSH server? Optional. If you use it, you should enable it.
Screen size: Enter whatever you want. I personally used 960x540 (one quarter of the S4's screen size) so that I could actually interact with things using the touch screen.
Save settings as defaults? - You might not want to do this until you have a screen size that works best for you.
Once you see the prompt, "[email protected]:~# " - you're in! You now have Ubuntu running in a chroot. As the on-screen instructions suggest, type "exit" at this prompt to end the chroot and Ubuntu. It is recommended to do this when you are done so that the ubuntu.sh script can clean up after itself (unmounting things, etc.).
Leave your terminal emulator app running! Use your Home button to return home and leave it running.
Open you VNC client and connect with the following settings:
Nickname: (whatever you want)
Password: ubuntu
Address: localhost
Port: 5900 (default)
Username: (leave blank)
Color Format: 24-bit color (you can use lower if you want better performance)
Connect. For the VNC app I used, I had to zoom in to make the screen fit correctly (use pinch-to-zoom, and then use the "+" button on-screen). Also, you can play around with the Input Mode some if you wish.
Enjoy Ubuntu!
As you can see, it's not terribly complicated to get this up and running. Once you have set it up the first time, it's a lot smoother from then on out. The script is designed to allow you to use the external SDCard if you wish. Just use place the ubuntu.img in an "ubuntu" folder on your external SDCard, drop the ubuntu.sh on the root of the external SDCard, and use "sh /mnt/extSdCard/ubuntu.sh" instead (don't forget "su"!).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Freedreno Chroot Method (NEW):
This long-winded tutorial will explain how you can setup Xubuntu-desktop in a chroot. Before attempting any of this, you should read through all the steps and be sure you're comfortable performing the steps needed.
This requires roughly 2GB free space on your /data partition - the actual finished install is about 1.4GB, but it will require some extra space while it installs Freedreno and other components. HINT: Keep in mind that your /data partition is shared with your internal sdcard (your internal sdcard gets whatever space is leftover at the end of the /data partition), so you can get an idea how much free space you have by looking at how much space your internal sdcard has available.
Instructions:
Step 0 (option A) - Build Custom Kernel
You will need to install a custom kernel that has specific options enabled in the configuration, along with a few patched files in the source code. This list of changes is based on a delta from the stock I337 MF3 kernel, available at http://opensource.samsung.com/. You should be able to apply these changes to "any" kernel that you can build from source, so this documentation may apply to devices other than the I337.
Kernel Mods:
Required config changes:
Code:
CONFIG_DEVTMPFS=y
# CONFIG_DEVTMPFS_MOUNT is not set
CONFIG_DRM=y
CONFIG_MSM_KGSL_DRM=y
# CONFIG_KGSL_PER_PROCESS_PAGE_TABLE is not set
# CONFIG_MSM_KGSL_PAGE_TABLE_COUNT is not set
CONFIG_FB_MODE_HELPERS=y
CONFIG_FB_MSM_TRIPLE_BUFFER=y
CONFIG_FB_MSM_DEFAULT_DEPTH_BGRA8888=y
# CONFIG_FB_MSM_DEFAULT_DEPTH_RGBA8888 is not set
Fix for Wi-Fi problems when using MF3 kernel on UCUAMDL bootloaders (i.e. "unadulterated" or "neutered"):
Code:
CONFIG_PROC_AVC=y
Required Patches to kernel source code:
https://github.com/freedreno/kernel-msm/commit/4c0281745f8c85707be88acebb557aca0b8f1dba
https://github.com/freedreno/kernel-msm/commit/228f65d48d4855d903e3b4642179dfa14eedd040
https://github.com/freedreno/kernel-msm/commit/54b510b2e6bccf08fdf3a8ad00a62b27c2f8c1e6
Additional changes required for sudo to work (added 10-25-13 in v4):
Code:
# Samsung Rooting Restriction Feature
#
# CONFIG_SEC_RESTRICT_ROOTING is not set
# CONFIG_SEC_RESTRICT_SETUID is not set
# CONFIG_SEC_RESTRICT_FORK is not set
# CONFIG_SEC_RESTRICT_ROOTING_LOG is not set
Additional changes to the initramfs required for sudo to work (added 10-25-13 in v4):
Edit fstab.qcom, remove the nosuid, part of the line that references userdata.
Step 0 (option B) - Download Custom Kernel Instead
Don't want to compile your own kernel from source? If you have the I337, you can use mine! As mentioned above, this kernel is based on the original MF3 source from Samsung, with the modifications listed above. If you are stuck with MF3+ bootloaders on your I337, you will not be able to install this kernel directly (at the time of this writing). MDB/MDL bootloaders are fine, but you will need to flash loki-doki afterwards (this kernel is not pre-lokified!). This kernel might work with other similar variants (such as the M919), but I haven't tested this on anything except my own I337 daily-driver. YMMV. If you run into issues, you might need to wipe cache/dalvik. This will likely only work with TouchWiz-based ROMs (I have not tried it with AOSP). Here's some downloads for you:
mf3-freedreno-android-boot-v4.zip - CWM/TWRP flashable zip.
- Boots to android, allows Ubuntu with Freedreno to work in a chroot.
- Compiled with the original (slightly modified) MF3 initramfs and "mf3-freedreno-minimum-zImage-v4" (below).
- Includes minimal configuration changes described above, plus the WiFi fix part.
mf3-freedreno-minimum-zImage-v4 - Just the MF3 kernel itself with minimal changes to get the chroot to work.
mf3-freedreno-minimum-config-v4 - Yeah, that's right. I'm providing the .config files I used for all of this.
Step 0.5 - Install the Kernel
Before you can start up the chroot properly, you'll need to have the custom kernel installed. You don't want the "ubuntu-boot" version right now, because you don't have an Ubuntu install to boot to. If you're using my pre-built kernel, first flash mf3-freedreno-android-boot-v4.zip and then flash loki-doki.zip.
Step 1 - Companion Files
Download this file: mf3-freedreno-companions-v4.zip - Non-flashable zip. This includes the script files, which you should promptly read through both u.sh and launch.sh. It is always good practice to read through any script file you get from the internet, making sure it's doing what you would expect it to. Also check out CREDITS.txt, which includes information about the included upstart-dummy.tar.gz and start-stop-daemon files.
Extract the companion files .zip and place its contents on the root of your internal sdcard (/sdcard/). Don't extract the contents of upstart-dummy.tar.gz. This is your $src directory. You can change this if you wish (see script for details).
Step 2 - Install/Configure Ubuntu
Install an terminal emulator of your choice. I personally used this one, and technically an adb shell will work too (but you'll be tethered to your PC...). At the console/shell, type the following two commands:
Code:
su
sh /sdcard/u.sh bash
The script will download Ubuntu Core and install Freedreno, upstart-dummy, and lubuntu-desktop. Total download size will be around 425MB. Total install time will vary, but count on it taking at least 45 minutes to install and configure everything. At the very end, you'll be prompted to enter a password for the new user "ubuntu".
Step 2.5 - Exit ubuntu
When you see the message "Type 'exit' (without quotes) to leave ubuntu," the install is complete. You'll notice that your prompt changed to "[email protected]". This is the easiest way to confirm that you're actually inside the ubuntu chroot. Type exit and hit Enter to get back to android.
Step 3 - Fire it up!
From now on, you can start Ubuntu using u.sh in any of these three ways:
sh /sdcard/u.sh - This will make initial prep, STOP android (black screen), launch the chroot, install/configure if needed, and will execute "service lightdm start". This will give you the greeter and you can login as "ubuntu". If the lightdm service stops for whatever reason (see info about the home button below), the script will continue by exiting the chroot and rebooting your device.
[*]sh /sdcard/u.sh bash - Same as above, except that it will not stop android, not startx (will give bash shell instead), and will not reboot your phone when you exit the shell.
[*]sh /sdcard/u.sh destroy - This will do exactly as it sounds - destroy your ubuntu installation. This will unmount your /sdcard from ubuntu (if still mounted somehow) and then recursively delete your ubuntu installation. If you change the source or destination directories in the main script, you should be careful deleting things.
NOTE: Remember to ALWAYS run any these from a root shell, whether via terminal emulator, via adb shell, or using SManager (or similar).
Step 4 - Note the Home Button and Touchpad
Take note that any time you have X running via lightdm, the hardware Home button will kill the X server. This is intentional, and will exit the chroot and reboot your phone. You'll also notice that currently, the touchscreen acts like a giant touchpad (like on a laptop). Use two fingers to right-click or scroll. Direct touchscreen input is not available at this time due to a segmentation fault that evdev causes when used on this device in a chroot.
Step 5 - (optional) Make Changes and Do it All Over Again
Customize the crap out of it! Edit my u.sh, launch.sh or xorg.conf and have fun. If you find great improvements, please post them in this thread! In future revisions, I might include them. Things should be well documented within the scripts. You might even change the bit at the end of launch.sh that starts "service lightdm start&" instead of "startx" - this would give you the greeter and let you login as the user "ubuntu" if you want. Also note that those three files are the only ones that must remain in your $src directory if you wish to continue to run this as a chroot. By the way, booting directly to Ubuntu after it is installed does not require any of the companion files anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Native Boot Method (NEW):
This part of the tutorial is for those who wish to take things a step further and boot your device directly into Xubuntu-desktop. This will require that you setup the Freedreno chroot properly, and then you'll be installing a new boot.img. While this doesn't replace your /system partition, you won't be able to boot directly into Android while you have this boot.img installed.
Instructions:
Step 1 - Install Ubuntu
Basically, you need to perform all the steps for the Freedreno Chroot method, and get that up and running first. All you're doing here is swapping out your kernel.
Step 2 (option A) - Build Custom Kernel
You'll need all of the kernel customizations included in the freedreno chroot method, plus these listed below:
NOTE: You will need some proprietary blobs, which can be found on your device in the /etc/firmware directory.
Config changes to enable booting directly into Ubuntu (beyond replacing the initramfs...):
Code:
CONFIG_EXTRA_FIRMWARE_="audience-es325-fw.bin a300_pm4.fw a300_pfp.fw vidc_1080p.fw"
CONFIG_CMDLINE="console=tty0 fbcon=vc:0-3"
# CONFIG_CMDLINE_FROM_BOOTLOADER is not set
CONFIG_CMDLINE_EXTEND=y
# CONFIG_CMDLINE_FORCE is not set
Optional config changes to enable the framebuffer console when booting directly into Ubuntu - useful for debugging.
Code:
CONFIG_VT_CONSOLE=y
CONFIG_VT_CONSOLE_SLEEP=y
CONFIG_VT_HW_CONSOLE_BINDING=y
CONFIG_DEVPTS_MULTIPLE_INSTANCES=y
CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE=m
CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE_DETECT_PRIMARY=y
# CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE_ROTATION is not set
# CONFIG_FONTS is not set
NOTE: You will need to grab some .ko files that are created, which must be loaded in the following order:
Code:
insmod /ko/font.ko
insmod /ko/softcursor.ko
insmod /ko/bitblit.ko
insmod /ko/fbcon.ko
I recommend that you include these four lines into the init script that is included in the ubuntu ramdisk. These can go pretty much anywhere after the ". /scripts/functions" part, but before it calls out to run-init. Also, don't forget to drop those .ko files into a new /ko directory in the initramfs. If you want to load these with modprobe, I'll leave that up to you (good luck).
Replace the entire ramdisk/initramfs:
At this time, I'm not going to provide instructions on how to do this. You'll need this mako boot.img straight from Ubuntu, repacked with the zImage created here. For what it's worth, the re-pack tool I'm using includes --cmdline 'androidboot.hardware=qcom user_debug=31 zcache', but I'm not sure if that's needed (especially considering our kernel seems to use qcache?). Anyways, good luck.
Step 2 (option B) - Download Custom Kernel Instead
Again, if you don't want to compile your own kernel from source, you can download mine and use it. The same warnings and restrictions apply as they do in Step 0 (option B) of the Freedreno Chroot method. And here's your downloads:
mf3-freedreno-ubuntu-boot-v4.zip - CWM/TWRP flashable zip.
- Boots to Ubuntu directly, but only if your Ubuntu install is located at /data/ubuntu (Default).
- Compiled with the original MF3 initramfs and "mf3-freedreno-everything-zImage-v4" (below).
- Includes all configuration changes described above.
mf3-freedreno-everything-zImage-v4 - Just the MF3 kernel itself with all changes for both chroot and direct booting to Ubuntu.
mf3-freedreno-everything-config-v4 - Yet again, I'm providing my complete .config file for this.
Step 3 - Install the Kernel
Here's the easy part. Flash your completed boot.img, flash loki-doki, and reboot. If you're using my pre-built kernel, first flash mf3-freedreno-ubuntu-boot-v4.zip and then flash loki-doki.zip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flashable Zip Method (NEWEST):
It's finally finished: a flashable .zip that you can use to dump a pre-built rootfs onto your data partition. This will still require that you flash one of the two custom kernels (whether for chroot or native booting), but it will allow you to skip the whole build/install process.
ubuntu-install-v4.zip - CWM/TWRP flashable .zip. Requires approx 2GB free space on your data partition during install, and the final install size is approximately 1.3GB (may want more free space to add your own programs/etc.). Output folder is /data/ubuntu. This can be changed in u.sh, but heed the warnings within!
Instructions:
Instructions for Chroot-style Ubuntu:
Download the "companions" .zip and extract its contents to the root of /sdcard.
Download the "ubuntu-install" .zip to your internal or external SDCard.
Download the "mf3-freedreno-android-boot" .zip to your internal or external SDCard.
Make a nandroid backup of your phone, and store it on an external SDCard or your computer. Always a good idea to have this.
Install the "ubuntu-install" and "mf3-freedreno-android-boot" .zip files, followed by loki-doki.zip if you need that for your device (e.g. I337).
Restart and resume with Step3 of the Freedreno Chroot Method.
Instructions for Native Boot Ubuntu:
Download the "ubuntu-install" .zip to your internal or external SDCard.
Download the "mf3-freedreno-ubuntu-boot" .zip to your internal or external SDCard.
Install the "ubuntu-install" and "mf3-freedreno-ubuntu-boot" .zip files, followed by loki-doki.zip if you need that for your device (e.g. I337).
Restart and let it start into Ubuntu!
NOTE: The username is "ubuntu" and the password is also "ubuntu" - it is highly recommended that you change this ASAP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Known Issues/Bugs:
Below is the list of known issues that I can think of, from the top of my head. This will probably be updated later as everyone points stuff out. Some issues only apply to some of the methods, so the applicable methods are listed in parenthesis after each.
Sound has not been tested (freedreno/native)
3D graphics or OpenGL support has not been tested (all)
Some applications don't work in a headless environment (vnc)
Some applications don't like to run as root, such as chromium (freedreno) lightdm is working in companions-v3, so no need to login as root anymore
Onboard is not working (freedreno/native) fixed in companions-v3
sudo does not work (all) fixed in kernel-v4 for freedreno/native, but problem remains for (vnc) if you are not using a custom kernel
A few kernel Oops's (native)
Shutdown menu doesn't always work (freedreno/native) fixed partly in companions-v4 - proper locale settings seem to allow the shutdown menu to work once you are logged in
Performance issues due to VNC connection (vnc)
No 3G/WiFi/network connection that I'm aware of... (native)
No control over 3G/WiFi/network/bluetooth yet (all)
Xorg's normal touchscreen driver evdev causes segmentation faults (freedreno/native)
Working on a possibly trying to get fbdev to work natively without Freedreno for simplicity (freedreno/native)
Anything you'd normally expect from a phone does not exist (freedreno/native)
Screen rotation (with or without accelerometer) doesn't work yet (freedreno/native)
HDMI/MHL output remains untested at this time. I got it to briefly work once, but I need to revisit this. (freedreno/native)
Many more to come, I'm sure...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To-Do:
Add mirrors to the download links.
Add a CWM/TWRP-flashable .zip that just dumps a clean Ubuntu install onto your data partition. This should be easy enough. completed!
Fix some of the bugs above.
Simplify the launch.sh and xorg.conf files. The u.sh script seems pretty solid.
Develop a method that works with only fbdev. This method might eliminate the possibility of 3D acceleration, but should enable screen rotation and other nifty things.
Possibly look into getting kexec (or similar) to work on the Galaxy S4 to offer a dual-boot option. Low priority at the moment, because flashing a kernel back and forth is pretty easy stuff.
Get Ubuntu Touch to work. This would eliminate a lot of bugs. I mostly need to just buckle-down and build CM10.1 from source, and then slowly visit each step of the Ubuntu Touch boot process.... Ugh.
Rebuild Freedreno to try to get Mesa/Gallium3D working properly. I'm probably going to need a lot of help from Rob Clark on this one!
More to come...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Revision History:
[11-13] mf3-freedreno-companions-v2.zip - Updated launch.sh: added some error checking and fixed the Freedreno build process.
[11-15] mf3-freedreno-companions-v3.zip - Updated launch.sh to include onboard and English language. Removed florence and xvkbd. Removed .keyb script. Added sudo. Simplified upstart-dummy, and included new upstart-dummy.tar.gz. Prepped for new flashable .zip method.
[11-26] mf3-freedreno-companions-v4.zip - Updated launch.sh: included fix for onboard so that it should work anytime lightdm is launched, added some bits for sudo to work, and home button now kills lightdm (not just the Xsession); Updated u.sh: Added check for root, added notes about sudo and nosuid.
[11-26] mf3-freedreno-android-boot-v4.zip & mf3-freedreno-ubuntu-boot-v4.zip - Finally fixed sudo! See kernel mods sections for details.
[11-26] ubuntu-install-v4.zip - rebuilt with new companions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aou said:
Check out this app: SManager (Script Manager). It makes running the ubuntu.sh or u.sh a whole lot easier, plus you can send it into the background (vnc method only). Just remember to jump back into SManager later, use the Menu Key and open the console to be able to kill the ubuntu.sh. You can also add "bash" as an additional argument (freedreno method only). This seems to be an effective replacement for the Terminal Emulator. Don't forget to choose the "su" option to run either script as root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have literally spent hundreds of hours working on this project, and many more hours documenting it thoroughly - just so that I could share it with all of you. If you found this guide, custom kernel or scripts to be beneficial, please hit the THANKS button on this post.

This mostly works, but I think I may have made an error. I see it starting the sshd, but not VNC server. I can call vncserver, but when launching the vnc client app I just get stuck at "Establishing Handshake" until it times out. This differs from when I don't call vncserver, where I get immediately connection refused.
I'm going to redownload the image and start from scratch, but the image isn't very friendly when I'm trying to figure out how to rerun the initial configuration script...

On my S4 running OTA-MF3 with root, this didn't work for me until i used Busybox Installer from the market. Tried internal and external without it, neither worked. Only thing that looked like an error after that was
Code:
chown: cannot access '/external-sd/': no such file or directory
but this only showed the first time I ran it. Opened VNC connection just fine from my computer to the phone, and though there was slight graphics glitching (orange and red boxes on desktop) it worked just fine and they didn't interfere. Thanks for this!

Tsaukpaetra said:
This mostly works, but I think I may have made an error. I see it starting the sshd, but not VNC server. I can call vncserver, but when launching the vnc client app I just get stuck at "Establishing Handshake" until it times out. This differs from when I don't call vncserver, where I get immediately connection refused.
I'm going to redownload the image and start from scratch, but the image isn't very friendly when I'm trying to figure out how to rerun the initial configuration script...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not, I agree. I found that the easiest way to clear the configuration and start anew is to do the following from the "[email protected]" prompt (that is, within ubuntu):
Code:
rm /root/DONOTDELETE.txt
rm /root/cfg/linux.config
DeadlySin9 said:
On my S4 running OTA-MF3 with root, this didn't work for me until i used Busybox Installer from the market. Tried internal and external without it, neither worked. Only thing that looked like an error after that was
Code:
chown: cannot access '/external-sd/': no such file or directory
but this only showed the first time I ran it. Opened VNC connection just fine from my computer to the phone, and though there was slight graphics glitching (orange and red boxes on desktop) it worked just fine and they didn't interfere. Thanks for this!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. I looked through the image's init.sh, and found something that's relatively new (wasn't in beta):
Code:
# Fix for sdcard read/write permissions by Barry flanagan
chown ubuntu /external-sd/
As far as I can tell, that message is harmless. It's only included in the initial configuration, as it's in the section:
Code:
if [ ! -f /root/DONOTDELETE.txt ]
As for the need to download/install the BusyBox installer, that's not surprising at all. I've had so much trouble BusyBox ever since I switched to MF3. I might include this as an extra step in the OP - thank you.

You kidding right...does this really work? To cool, thanks Aou. Great work.

TheAxman said:
You kidding right...does this really work? To cool, thanks Aou. Great work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yessir, it does indeed work! The S4 handles it very nicely with the extra RAM & CPU it has to spare, so the only limiting factor is VNC. If someone could devise a way to get Ubuntu to draw directly on the screen from within that Chroot, that would be perfect. I don't think it's really possible by design, but this might be the closest we get to running native linux on the I337 until we see some unlocked bootloaders.
Thanks

Aou said:
Yessir, it does indeed work! The S4 handles it very nicely with the extra RAM & CPU it has to spare, so the only limiting factor is VNC. If someone could devise a way to get Ubuntu to draw directly on the screen from within that Chroot, that would be perfect. I don't think it's really possible by design, but this might be the closest we get to running native linux on the I337 until we see some unlocked bootloaders.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In fact I am currently working on getting xorg to write to androids frame buffer which will mean no more vnc
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

zacthespack said:
In fact I am currently working on getting xorg to write to androids frame buffer which will mean no more vnc
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You, sir, are the man. thank you so much for working on this! I threw $10 at you to help fund the skittles/cheetos/carrots/beer/pizza/whatever it takes to help you along.

Added a couple things to the OP. Looks like pure-stock roms will indeed need BusyBox installed, by some means or another. Also, found SManager, which makes executing the ubuntu.sh script much, much easier.

The second script that allows me to launch ubuntu, but the first that allows me to get a real X server on my vnc. Thank you so much !
PS: Why am I unable to install wine ?
"Package wine is not available, but is referred to by another package.
This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
is only available from another source"

This is working pretty good, slow though, do I have it setup right, or did I miss something?

TheAxman said:
This is working pretty good, slow though, do I have it setup right, or did I miss something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have found it to run a bit slow, and with regular crashing of GUI programs too. Is it just slow or unusable? You can always try closing other apps besides terminal and VNC, or try to VNC from a computer even.

tboss1995 said:
The second script that allows me to launch ubuntu, but the first that allows me to get a real X server on my vnc. Thank you so much !
PS: Why am I unable to install wine ?
"Package wine is not available, but is referred to by another package.
This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
is only available from another source"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like you're not the only one. Check out this thread on the LinuxOnAndroid site:
http://forum.linuxonandroid.org/index.php?topic=268.0
TheAxman said:
This is working pretty good, slow though, do I have it setup right, or did I miss something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DeadlySin9 said:
I have found it to run a bit slow, and with regular crashing of GUI programs too. Is it just slow or unusable? You can always try closing other apps besides terminal and VNC, or try to VNC from a computer even.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of the slowness comes from interacting with it via VNC, it would seem. Hard to compare to anything else, considering VNC is all we've got at the moment. I wonder if @zacthespack can shed some light on this. As he mentioned before, he's working on getting it to draw directly to the Android screen. I'm certainly not going to ask for any status updates, but I'm wondering if he can confirm that we'd see a speed increase without VNC...
EDIT: Also, as I use it more, I am noticing the app crashes too (such as Chromium). Could just be something in the 13.04 image, but also could be because we're running this all on ARM architecture.

Aou said:
Looks like you're not the only one. Check out this thread on the LinuxOnAndroid site:
http://forum.linuxonandroid.org/index.php?topic=268.0
Most of the slowness comes from interacting with it via VNC, it would seem. Hard to compare to anything else, considering VNC is all we've got at the moment. I wonder if @zacthespack can shed some light on this. As he mentioned before, he's working on getting it to draw directly to the Android screen. I'm certainly not going to ask for any status updates, but I'm wondering if he can confirm that we'd see a speed increase without VNC...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
RE installing WINE, sure you can install the ARM verson but Wine is not a emulator (infact WINE stands for Wine Is Not a Emulator) so you can only run ARM compiled windows software.
Yest there is a good speed increase, as with VNC xorg writes to the vnc server and passes it to the vnc client to then render on the screen.
With the new method xorg just writes to Androids frame buffer, no inbetween man.
And it can get even faster once we have graphics accelerations although not all chip sets will get that.

zacthespack said:
RE installing WINE, sure you can install the ARM verson but Wine is not a emulator (infact WINE stands for Wine Is Not a Emulator) so you can only run ARM compiled windows software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point, forgot about that. It's really just a big package of Windows dependencies, responding to API calls, etc. The software that Wine runs is still sending stuff to/from the processor directly, therefore it would have to be compiled for ARM.
I wonder what Windows8 programs are available that are compiled for ARM (because of the Microsoft Surface and all...).

Aou said:
Good point, forgot about that. It's really just a big package of Windows dependencies, responding to API calls, etc. The software that Wine runs is still sending stuff to/from the processor directly, therefore it would have to be compiled for ARM.
I wonder what Windows8 programs are available that are compiled for ARM (because of the Microsoft Surface and all...).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's plenty or ARM software within the built in app store, but I'm not sure where they install to or how one would go about extracting them. I have it on desktop and it shows what processors it runs on. Can't wait for the straight to screen function though
Also, I'm going to see if a different image is more stable. Chromium was the most obvious crashing for me and others generally crashed.

DeadlySin9 said:
There's plenty or ARM software within the built in app store, but I'm not sure where they install to or how one would go about extracting them. I have it on desktop and it shows what processors it runs on. Can't wait for the straight to screen function though
Also, I'm going to see if a different image is more stable. Chromium was the most obvious crashing for me and others generally crashed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I noticed that with 12.04, it doesn't seem to connect to Xorg or something, because when you use VNC, it only shows a grey screen with a cross cursor. Same for both "Lite" and "Full" packages. Haven't tried older (10.x) packages of Ubuntu.
The other Linux images should work just fine. Optionally, you can edit the ubuntu.sh script to be more appropriate, but it should theoretically work the same (unless the init.sh is located elsewhere inside the image...).

I tried the Ubuntu 10 image and the Debian image but ubuntu didn't run vnc (vncserver not found or something) and debian kept saying I didn't have permissions.

It appears chromium is incredibly unstable on this image, so I've uninstalled it.
I'm currently working on trying to get Minecraft to work, but ever since 1.6.2 and this new launcher, it's incredibly difficult to modify the client files and such. Something is going wrong with liblwjgl.so. I can get the launcher to work correctly, but when it goes to load the game, it can't find liblwjgl.so and says that it might be because of 32bit vs ARM. I did get lwjgl installed correctly, and pulled the ARM version of the .so and stuck it in [what I believe was] the right .jar file, but it still has the error.
I'll keep you all posted. If I can get this to work, and if zacthespack can get xorg to draw on the android screen, ... :good:
EDIT:
Found out that every time the launcher runs minecraft, it downloads several libraries and other crap to run the game, to keep itself current and to support multiple versions, yada, yada. Unfortunately, this means that it downloads https://s3.amazonaws.com/Minecraft..../2.9.0/lwjgl-platform-2.9.0-natives-linux.jar every time you click Play, and overwrites any custom one you might have (i.e. one with ARM libraries inside). I tried revoking write access to the file, but then the launcher aborts the launch because it can't overwrite the file.
Any suggestions?
EDIT #2:
Well, the easy solution was to modify the file, run the launcher, disconnect mobile data temporarily, and then launch the game ("couldn't connect to server .... have local copy of file .... assuming it's good...."). No more errors about that stupid library file. However, the game immediately crashes now with an error report. Investigating this now. PROGRESS!

Problem
I'm aware I may need to modify the script in order to accommodate my setup, but I figured I'd post here first before changing anything in case someone else had a similar problem and came up with the solution.
I followed all the instructions, except I want to boot from an external USB stick (mounted using StickMount).
I reviewed the script, dropped it on the root of the USB stick, and copied the unzipped image to a folder named ubuntu.
Here is the output when I run the script:
Making mount points and mounting to them...
mount: mounting /dev/loop20 on /data/local/ubmnt failed: Operation not supported
mount: mounting devpts on /data/local/ubmnt/dev/pts failed: No such file or directory
mount: mounting proc on /data/local/ubmnt/proc failed: No such file or directory
mount: mounting sysfs on /data/local/ubmnt/sys failed: No such file or directory
Connecting to /sdcard...
mount: mounting /sdcard on /data/local/ubmnt/sdcard failed: No such file or directory
Putting in some settings...
net.ipv4.ip_forward = 1
/sdcard/usbStorage/sda1/ubuntu.sh[19]: can't create /data/local/ubmnt/etc/resolv.conf: No such file or directory
/sdcard/usbStorage/sda1/ubuntu.sh[20]: can't create /data/local/ubmnt/etc/resolv.conf: No such file or directory
/sdcard/usbStorage/sda1/ubuntu.sh[21]: can't create /data/local/ubmnt/etc/hosts: No such file or directory
ubuntu is configured with SSH and VNC servers that can be accessed from the IP:
(You will see an error about wlan0 if your WiFi is disabled. Safe to ignore.)
----------------- OKAY, starting Ubuntu! -----------------
chroot: can't execute '/root/init.sh': No such file or directory
----------------- Ubuntu has exited! -----------------
Cleaning up - unmounting everything and removing what we made...
umount: can't forcibly umount /data/local/ubmnt/dev/pts: No such file or directory
umount: can't forcibly umount /data/local/ubmnt/sys: No such file or directory
umount: can't forcibly umount /data/local/ubmnt/proc: No such file or directory
umount: can't forcibly umount /data/local/ubmnt/sdcard: No such file or directory
umount: can't forcibly umount /data/local/ubmnt: Invalid argument
Welcome back to your android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am running as root, BusyBox free has been installed. My terminal app has been granted root privileges. The path to the USB stick is sdcard/usbStorage/sda1.
Any help/guidance would be greatly appreciated! :fingers-crossed:

[Completed] irulu 10.1 root/remount problems solved

I own an irulu K1001L1 10.1 (build number A20_K1001_K1001L1.20130713), a cheap one.
Many people complain about "partial rooting" and being unable to remount system in rw mode. Clueless as I was, I had tried several times with Uberizer, z4root and SRSroot, to no avail (the problem is not in the root, in my tablet su came by default in xbin directory).
D_rex (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2606510&page=2) found an effective solution which also helped in my situation: I think my tablet came with "su" application by default (notice overclocking worked) but due to /dev/block/nandd ext4 partition (I think /system starts at some offset) containing some errors (seen in dmesg) and due to this partition having the "s_errors" flag (behavior when errors detected) set to "mount read-only (02)", the partition is ALWAYS mounted read only, and remount as root doesn't change anything. More info on this ext4 option can be found here
For me, the solution that worked was changing that flag s_errors to continue (01). I wasn't able to run e2fsck as the partition is already mounted; and I wasn't able to do a fsck in recovery mode since the recovery mode of this tablet lacks seems to lack both shell and e2fsck.
Tune2fs (old version precompiled here) can change that flag in the partition. Using adb shell I pushed it to de device, set attribute as executable and run it, successfuly changing that "behavior when errors detected" in both partitions.
It has been suggested filesystem errors are linked to stability and realiability problems. Unfortunately this tablet lacks a version of CWM o TWRP as a recovery custom rom. I also adjusted the "max-mount-counts" value via tune2fs -c hoping it forces Android to run e2fsck, but it seems dmesg keeps displaying errors. I can only hope this problem is given more attention by developers.
After this I used the usual tools to root the device, noticing I had spent many hours in this cheap tablet.
On a side note, the adb driver setup tool found here didnt work for me (it seems &USER_PROFILE% in the .bat file should be replaced by "%USER_PROFILE%" and Desktop should be replaced according to the language of your operating system. Nevertheless the tool didn't work for me and I had to install another driver found in Uberizer distribution as the official "android_winusb.inf" didn't work in my Windows XP computer.
Thanks to the creators of tune2fs, to D_rex and other people/programs mentioned here. This is my experience with this problem; I'm not responsible if anyone tries this and bricks his device. All brands are property of their owners.
edition: should also mention by default now my tablet mounts in read-only mode (which is of course safer) but lets me change to rw whenever I want

Hi there,
Sorry but this forum is not for guide and tutorials.
The mission of XDA Assist is to provide basic help to those who have tried searching but can't find what they are looking for and need assistance. This is not a "helpdesk" providing technical assistance but more to point you in the correct direction with your problem. Perhaps you can't find posts on how to root your phone, install custom recovery or maybe you have questions about how to navigate and use features on the site.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can post your thread, in this forum:
> Android Development and Hacking > Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting
Good luck
Thread closed

exFAT and NTFS fuse drivers easy build for any platform

My primary goal was to build exfat and ntfs-3g for x86, for my Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 830L, but I've resulted with a project that can be built for any platform, using only Android NDK, even under Windows/Cygwin. Also I've ended up with a mount script, which was not a trivial task. I thought it might be useful for other devices, or other developers. The project is here:
https://github.com/Lurker00/Android-fs
The pre-built binaries for ARM and x86, along with a mounting script, are here:
https://github.com/Lurker00/Android-fs/releases
So, if your device is running Android KitKat, it misses exFAT and/or NTFS support, and you have rooted it, you may try... I said, KitKat, because I have no idea how these things are working in Lollipop and later, and I don't believe there is any interest in earlier versions.
If you have any suggestions on how it can be improved, you are much appreciated

Very nice, I'll try with Lollipop and get back to you.

I've created a CWM/TWRP installation zip, with pre-built binaries for most of platforms, including 64-bit. It is also there:
https://github.com/Lurker00/Android-fs/releases
It still requires root and SuperSU already installed.

I've updated the drivers to version 1.0.2:
1. One more supolicy rule added to the mounting script. Without it, unmount from Android Settings didn't work.
I didn't put per-platform binaries this time, because the recovery zip contains them all.

I'm sorry for so frequent updates, but
exFAT/NTFS fuse drivers binaries for Android v1.0.3
The problem is that the original exFAT driver was designed to update the file system only at unmount events, but the current Android never unmounts microSD mounted not by Android's vold process Meaning, file system corruption may happen on a reboot or power off.
Version 1.0.2 partially addresses that issue, and is stable enough. Only freshly created directories can be damaged by a reboot, and only if there were no any file operations after that, i.e. a rare case. Version 1.0.3 ensures that the file system is kept consistent almost always. It can be damaged only by removing microSD card during write operation.
Nevertheless, I plan to make at least one more release, to keep microSD clean, when there are no pending writes. Also, I'd try to improve the write performance compared to 1.0.3, without a penalty of the file system consistency.

I just have released
exFAT/NTFS fuse drivers binaries for Android v1.0.4
and I can say I'm quite satisfied with both performance and robustness of the resulting exFAT driver (no changes were made to ntfs-3g). So, I believe, it is the final build for a while.

Lurker0 said:
I just have released
exFAT/NTFS fuse drivers binaries for Android v1.0.4
and I can say I'm quite satisfied with both performance and robustness of the resulting exFAT driver (no changes were made to ntfs-3g). So, I believe, it is the final build for a while.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I mount an external with exfat I get "Permission denied" for any writing op...it's totally r/o. Running as root
Code:
mount.exfat -o rw,umask=000 /dev/block/sda1 /system/test
Thanks for any help...currently stumped.

Do you try to write also as root? If you don't, the reason can be CELinux restrictions.

setenforce 0 fixed me up. Thanks for the reply!
(and for the binaries)

Work

Hi,
I'm trying to use your drivers on my Chuwi Vi8 Intel based tablet but i have an error message in the log :
Error: SECONDARY_STORAGE is not set. Don\'t know where to mount!
I tried to take a look at the shell script but my memory is too confused about sh to understand what is done.
Can you help me to fix this ?
I installed your drivers using the zip file and modified the logfile variable to enable log.

PrinceGITS said:
Hi,
I'm trying to use your drivers on my Chuwi Vi8 Intel based tablet but i have an error message in the log :
Error: SECONDARY_STORAGE is not set. Don\'t know where to mount!
I tried to take a look at the shell script but my memory is too confused about sh to understand what is done.
Can you help me to fix this ?
I installed your drivers using the zip file and modified the logfile variable to enable log.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello,
I have the same problem here, and the same kind of device. Can I set the path manually, instead of using the environment variable?

asteck said:
I have the same problem here, and the same kind of device. Can I set the path manually, instead of using the environment variable?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course, you can!

asteck said:
Hello,
I have the same problem here, and the same kind of device. Can I set the path manually, instead of using the environment variable?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey there, meanwhile I had some time, and figured it out. I can give the path manually in the script. I modified it that if it not find the system variable SECONDARY_STORAGE, then it uses the path what Chuwi Vi8 use(/storage/sdcard1), and it is working with my Chuwi Vi8!
I attached the modified script.
!!!USE IT ONLY WITH CHUWI Vi8 dual boot windows8.1/android4.4!!!

Lurker0 said:
Of course, you can!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And ready!
Thank you very much for your work!

asteck said:
Hey there, meanwhile I had some time, and figured it out. I can give the path manually in the script. I modified it that if it not find the system variable SECONDARY_STORAGE, then it uses the path what Chuwi Vi8 use(/storage/sdcard1), and it is working with my Chuwi Vi8!
I attached the modified script.
!!!USE IT ONLY WITH CHUWI Vi8 dual boot windows8.1/android4.4!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks ! :highfive:
I didn't had time to check this thread since last year ( ).
I'll update with your shell script this evening.
Thanks again for your help.
And thanks Luker0 for your driver.
It will ease the use of my SDcard between Android and Windows.

PrinceGITS said:
Thanks ! :highfive:
I didn't had time to check this thread since last year ( ).
I'll update with your shell script this evening.
Thanks again for your help.
And thanks Luker0 for your driver.
It will ease the use of my SDcard between Android and Windows.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But keep in mind, sdCard handling is not perfect in Chuwi Vi8. When you switch from android to windows, somehow the android keeps the sd-reader locked. That is why you can't use it in windows. If you make a turn off-turn on (not simple restart) in windows, then you can use the sdcard again. From windows to android it works perfectly, only from android to windows is problematic.
Sorry for the slight off topic in this thread, this is the chuwi vi8 thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/general/chuwi-vi8-review-cheap-z3735f-8-tablet-t3066807

asteck said:
But keep in mind, sdCard handling is not perfect in Chuwi Vi8. When you switch from android to windows, somehow the android keeps the sd-reader locked. That is why you can't use it in windows. If you make a turn off-turn on (not simple restart) in windows, then you can use the sdcard again. From windows to android it works perfectly, only from android to windows is problematic.
Sorry for the slight off topic in this thread, this is the chuwi vi8 thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/general/chuwi-vi8-review-cheap-z3735f-8-tablet-t3066807
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know this problem and had it several times.
I think I'll unmount the SDcard in Android before switching to Windows.

I tried last evening but it didn't work.
asteck, I looked at your script and I have a question.
Why do you add the variable in the "if...then" ?
Code:
if [ x$SECONDARY_STORAGE == x ]; then
echo "Error: SECONDARY_STORAGE is not set. Don\'t know where to mount!" >> $logfile
#exit 1
secstor=/storage/sdcard1
fi
I think this can be done outside the condition.
I didn't haave enough time to make some checks, I'll try to execute the script from a terminal with echo messages to understand where it doesn't work.

PrinceGITS said:
I tried last evening but it didn't work.
asteck, I looked at your script and I have a question.
Why do you add the variable in the "if...then" ?
Code:
if [ x$SECONDARY_STORAGE == x ]; then
echo "Error: SECONDARY_STORAGE is not set. Don\'t know where to mount!" >> $logfile
#exit 1
secstor=/storage/sdcard1
fi
I think this can be done outside the condition.
I didn't haave enough time to make some checks, I'll try to execute the script from a terminal with echo messages to understand where it doesn't work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you can put it outside. My mistake. I think I put it there to execute only if there is no SECONDARY_STORAGE system variable, but if there is one, then it is fails now, because the variable don't get a value. It was a quick resolution for the exact problem.
However, to solve you problem maybe you should just change the path "/storage/sdcard1". You can check the right path by putting a FAT32 sdcard in it, and see where it mounts in a file explorer. My Chuwi Vi8 mounts to here, that is why I use this path.
I attached again with an else statement for use SECONDARY_STORAGE if exist, and the log is turned off.

[TOOL] KDZ Writer

Tool for writing portions of KDZ files to LG devices. As long as KDZ files for the particular device are available and LGE doesn't change the format in an incompatible fashion, this will handle upgrades. Presently this tool targets the format as is used with UFS devices. The LG G5 and LG V20 are examples; the G6 and V30 may turn out to be compatible.
KDZ files are available for several LG V20 variants. Notably H918TN (US T-Mobile), H990 (non-US single-SIM), H990DS (non-US dual-SIM), H990N (Korea dual-SIM), US996 (US unlocked), and VS995 (US Verizon).
The primary goal of this tool is updating /system and /firmware, though updating other areas is in theory possible.
XDA:DevDB Information
KDZ Writer, Tool/Utility for the LG V20
Contributors
emdroidle
Source Code: https://github.com/ehem/lg-v20-tools
Instructions
Boot into TWRP. Upload an appropriate KDZ for your phone somewhere on your phone. This can be on a SD card, since all known KDZ files are just under 3GB even TWRP's in-memory filesystem is sufficient. Download(the Downloads tab, above), and upload kdzwriter to your phone:
Code:
adb push kdzwriter.gz /
Then in a shell (`adb shell`):
Code:
gunzip -c /kdzwriter.gz >/sbin/kdzwriter
chmod 755 /sbin/kdzwriter
[STRIKE]umount /system
ln -s /sbin /system/bin[/STRIKE]
The `umount` command may give an error. If you're on TWRP 3.0.2-1 /system won't have been mounted and you'll get "invalid argument"; if you get an error saying "busy" there is a problem. If using version 1.95 or later, the second two commands are unnecessary.
From here you can invoke `kdzwriter` with various arguments to write /system and /firmware:
-v
Increase verbosity. At lower levels not too much is added, at level 3 `kdzwriter` starts gushing debugging information.
-r
Report mode, tells you about how the chunks in the KDZ file match your phone.
-t
Test mode, tells you whether `kdzwriter` has decided the KDZ is an appropriate match for your phone (safety check). If used with other options, `kdzwriter` will run through the write procedure and tell you whether all the steps succeed.
-a
Write areas known safe to apply to the device. As of right now this is /system, /firmware and /cust. (equivalent to -s -m -a)
-s
Write /system. If you only want to update /system, this is the option for you. By default -s will attempt to preserve the kernel modules present on /system and overwrite the ones on the new /system image with those. This is appropriate if you've installed a custom kernel.
-M
Disables preserving kernel modules from the current /system. If you've got a stock kernel you want this option. If /system has been corrupted, this also avoids mounting /system and ensures -s succeeds.
-m
Write /firmware (aka modem).
-c
Write /cust. Some files of these files appear related to VoLTE. I'm unsure whether they're critical or optional. One (seemingly harmless) error message generated when switching regions can be avoided by writing this area.
-k
Write boot (/dev/block/bootdevice/by-name/boot). If you're opting to stay with the stock kernel then you'll want this option. This can also be used to recover from a failed Magisk/SuperSU/Superuser installation.
-P
GPT restoration mode. If a "ROM" has modified the GPTs this will attempt to restore them closer to stock. There are plans to have LineageOS do just this, so I wanted to be prepared to return to stock.
-R
Modified GPT restoration mode. "userdata" is moved closer to the begining of the device potentially allowing additional data to be merged without needing to wipe.
The most common invocation will be `kdzwriter -a <some location>/<KDZ_for_your_device>.kdz`, as noted you can use "-at" to simulate the process and confirm no errors occur.
The -b option has been allocated, but are not yet implemented. A deliberate attempt to minimize flash wear has been made. Blocks will not be rewritten if possible. Empty areas will be discarded/TRIMed.
`kdzwriter` attempts to preserve some files when writing areas. When writing /system unless -M is specified, `kdzwriter` will attempt to preserve kernel modules. When writing /cust, `kdzwriter` attempts to preserve "official_op_resize.cfg" (see GPT restoration mode for details). There are plans for v2.0 to try to preserve the contents of "open_path_mapping.cfg" and "op_list.cfg".
If you get an error message about "Failed while writing /system, major problem, PANIC!" this is most likely to be caused by a corrupt KDZ file. In this case retrying the download is the most likely solution.
Apparently for some devices/KDZ files it is necessary not to skip too many revisions. Notably going from H990N version 10b to version 10o does not work; instead you need to do 10b -> 10e ->10o. This hasn't yet been observed on other devices, but beware big skips can fail.
GPT Restoration mode
There are plans to have a future version of LineageOS hack off a piece of /system to utilize as /vendor. This is reasonable for LineageOS (or another "ROM"), but a problem if you desire to return to stock. As such v1.95 has been brought out which features the ability to restore the GPTs.
Crucial item: In the interest of safety this operation demands a KDZ which is a better match for your device! You will need to use a KDZ file matching what your device was at when you initially rooted! (H990ds10b* or so for most devices)
You can confirm whether a given KDZ is appropriate using the "-t" option. If `kdzwriter -t <someKDZfile>.kdz` gives the message "KDZ appears applicable to this device" then kdzwriter will not use that file for this operation, that command must give the output "KDZ appears applicable to this device and matches original" in order to be acceptable for this operation.
On the H990 some space is stolen from userdata for use as /OP. Everything in /OP appears to be bloatware, but since I'm trying to make it possible to go back close to stock, I've got to do something about /OP. The size of /OP is controlled by the file "/cust/official_op_resize.cfg". As I didn't have a better way of handling it, I simply grab the first line and use that. If /cust is unavailable (hasn't been restored?) a size of 0 will be assumed. If a size of 0 is found, `kdzwriter` will wipe the slice^Wpartition and the space will in fact end up as part of /data (hint, hint).
Important note: Since the normal order is system, cache, cust, OP then userdata, modifying the size of /OP will require wiping /data!
The -R option restores a modified GPT. The modified GPT mode tries to reorders the slices^Wpartitions as userdata, OP, cust, system, cache. The theory is that if cust isn't needed in LineageOS, cust could be removed from the GPT and the space merged into userdata. Since userdata is then first, it could be enlarged without the need to wipe and restore.
Examples
I expect by far the most common usage to be `kdzwriter -a <somekdz>.kdz`, but as typed there extra flags for certain situations:
Recovering from bad flash attempt -sM
If there was a problem when attempting to write /system there is a decent chance it won't be possible to mount /system for saving kernel modules. In this case using `kdzwriter -sM <somekdz>.kdz` is your need. This skips mounting /system at the cost of being unable to preserve kernel modules, you will need to reinstall whatever kernel you were using.
Partial unrooting -k
If you want to switch between Magisk, SuperSU, and Superuser this is your need. `kdzwriter -k <somekdz>.kdz` overwrites the boot/kernel area with the image from the KDZ file. Your next step will likely be to reinstall whatever kernel you were using. Afterwords all traces of a systemless install will have been wiped and you can install a different `su` implementation.
Going mostly back to stock -ak
For owners of the V20s where the stock kernel works, you can use a combination of these two options to update /system and to a newer kernel (you don't want to be hit by DirtyCOW). After doing this you'll need to reinstall whichever `su` implementation you were using.
Version Information
Status: Stable
v1.98a
Identified which check was preventing installation of 20a KDZ files. That is now disabled. There is also a force option which will override the safety check, but please be careful. That safety check was written to try to make it hard to generate bricks...
v1.98
Implemented modified GPT restoration mode. This mode reorders the slices^Wpartitions during restoration. This allows for potentially merging more space into /data without needing to wipe /data again.
v1.95
Found the appropriate compiler flag for setting the runtime linker. Thanks to the TWRP folks, kdzwriter is now a bit easier to use.
Implemented GPT restoration mode. This allows for restoring modified GPTs back to stock. This is valuable if a "ROM" has modified the GPTs. Given how there are plans to have LineageOS do just that, I'm figuring a number of people may be rather interested in this feature.
v1.3
Fixed testing for whether a KDZ is applicable to the device. This should merely be a safety precaution, but I need it there so I don't get fingers pointed my way on failure.
Finally tracked down the issue with kernel module preservation. This is a really stupid bug. There should no longer be any need to reinstall modified kernels after updates!
v1.2
Added additional debugging information around calls to Zlib. There has been a report of difficulty around Zlib so extra information is available. Some of this is only available at verbosity level 3 though.
Created 2017-07-31
Last Updated 2019-01-02
v1.2
MD5: 49b06410f8f90606f9829cc8ff8ed82a
SHA1: ce1f84f579c94e788539e462febc2f2e293a64ff
SHA512: 47a94ae6c6d1157dd406319d2d44ba72c9f954c3f0ad6b892eafbb818d01a7bf9c14b0a9f01ab6f092c07537d3273f8981b83c80ebf67f2cf9e33c26f8838ad3
v1.3
MD5: a412c7fe58722b6e63560c5074bc59b7
SHA1: 8e7e1fbd2edef0ff10516c57a84b642a1a92a758
SHA512: a5b9d3a66bf4237138264a5756f1637ba849a3aeb78d935e0fe6033486de41ad56a0ca5c62b3d94546fd2b4fe86e9edf7958e80481f1f10ef7ef2b6b562a412a
v1.95
MD5: 5f8797b5829ca5a919d1d685404a2726
SHA1: 62d7476ec50a2ea3a682b86654dd1ddc03da0c24
SHA512: ee717f3803e43862dc6faac3788e16267d9661bf98f8fdeebedd6b871dcd4cadb7dc4ee5208dc6072f5f7ba44e46440a759425536a354b530584f824570283c7
v1.98
MD5: 7dfee90d7e0711f5742b94efb81a8b18
SHA1: f020345935b078ebc336e88e3b0623e0792f71ad
SHA512: 71e82f535d33cc64fe023425db0b6d924c6d11677b04843628a9c6ca90cc6700d0a6c5e868c964e31d54f7d3c835d9ecd3b6c33108926da29e75e3be3e1456b2
v1.98a
MD5: 31f207a865b453472271eed29544833e
SHA1: 42ab0486cfc100b52dde9c6bac9bca684eccfde2
SHA512: fe127bece0e25ae4927f3499d708d1533b5fe0a00513de9cb8565ffc24b3e4ee08e9000d828a0177feb4b3b449137836b63cda72cf178b5cd67ae377997a1d37

@emdroidle I'm getting "permission denied" from KDZWriter when I execute the kdzwriter -a /external_sd/H990_something.kdz command in TWRP Terminal. I noticed that I can't umount /system either, it says it's an invalid argument?
Would this be something to do with the locking of /system I read about earlier? I did try manually mounting /system in TWRP before trying anything too, but that doesn't seem to have helped at all.
I've also tried doing mount -o rw,remount,rw /system
I'm running rooted 10C-TWN firmware with Magisk (interestingly, phone will flat out refuse to boot if I flash SuperSU, so Magisk it is). When I go to install Magisk it says "mounting /system" with no problems at all

Thanks very much for your work.
Iam confused about the instructions im not very familiar with adb shell . can you please elaborate more the steps for easy running of kdzwriter. thank you and let me tell you that you are awesome

Where is kdzwriter.gz? No attachment? Works kdzwriter from Dirty Santa thread?

i am getting kdzwriter: permission denied

iDefalt said:
I'm running rooted 10C-TWN firmware with Magisk (interestingly, phone will flat out refuse to boot if I flash SuperSU, so Magisk it is). When I go to install Magisk it says "mounting /system" with no problems at all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My first attempt to install Magisk failed, "Unable to repack ramdisk". At which point I had a problem. Suddenly the "-k" option came into existence and a retry succeeded.
iDefalt said:
@emdroidle I'm getting "permission denied" from KDZWriter when I execute the kdzwriter -a /external_sd/H990_something.kdz command in TWRP Terminal. I noticed that I can't umount /system either, it says it's an invalid argument?
Would this be something to do with the locking of /system I read about earlier? I did try manually mounting /system in TWRP before trying anything too, but that doesn't seem to have helped at all.
I've also tried doing mount -o rw,remount,rw /system
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, I guess I'm not that great at writing instructions. The added `chmod` will fix the "permission denied" error.
The `umount` is more an issue if you've updated to TWRP 3.1.1-0 which does successfully mount /system, whereas TWRP 3.0.2-1 didn't. The "invalid argument" is saying it isn't mounted and you can simply proceed. It is a problem if it says "busy". In this case you would get an error "Failed mounting system for kmod saving: <message>", then "kdzwriter: Failed while reading kernel modules" and `kdzwriter` wouldn't proceed.
Also replace "/external_sd/H990_something.kdz" with the filename/where you installed it (did you really rename the KDZ file to H990_something.kdz?).
dadme said:
Where is kdzwriter.gz? No attachment? Works kdzwriter from Dirty Santa thread?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Notice the "Download" tab at the top of this thread?

does anyone have the link to TWRP 3.1.1-0 for the h990ds? My device didn't seem to like the command 'kdzwriter -a /external_sd/H990ds10f_00_OPEN_TW_DS_OP_0622.kdz' I received the error "Failed while writing /system, major problem, PANIC!" . It's in a bootloop now should have run '-at' first!
second attempt...
You have to try harder than that message to make me panic
i figure my 10f kdz must be corrupt, so tried 10e
kdzwriter -a /external_sd/H990ds10e_00_OPEN_TW_DS_OP_0517.kdz
errors recieved were:
Failed mounting system for kmod restoring: Invalid argument
kdzwriter: Failed while restoring kernel modules, recommend kernel reinstall!
I reinstalled the kernel. Not sure what the kmod error means?
Anyway android upgraded and works a charm. Didn't fix my camera focus issue but i guess that must be down to the kernel.
Thanks for this awesome tool emdroidle, are you taking donations?

Sorry, Emdroidle i use classic theme, so download tab is not visible. Can use this TWRP https://forum.xda-developers.com/v20/development/recovery-twrp-3-1-0-0-touch-recovery-t3603760, elsa version? TWRP can be updated from TWRP 3.0.2.1 or from fastboot?
Got this on 10f H990DS TWN,
Failed mounting system for kmod restoring: Invalid argument
kdzwriter: Failed while restoring kernel modules, recommend kernel reinstall!
Finished rewrite of system area
Begining rewrite of modem area
ooo...ooo.oooooooo.ooooo...oooooooo.o*
Finished rewrite of modem area

dadme said:
Sorry, Emdroidle i use classic theme, so download tab is not visible. Can use this TWRP https://forum.xda-developers.com/v20/development/recovery-twrp-3-1-0-0-touch-recovery-t3603760, elsa version? TWRP can be updated from TWRP 3.0.2.1 or from fastboot?
Got this on 10f H990DS TWN,
Failed mounting system for kmod restoring: Invalid argument
kdzwriter: Failed while restoring kernel modules, recommend kernel reinstall!
Finished rewrite of system area
Begining rewrite of modem area
ooo...ooo.oooooooo.ooooo...oooooooo.o*
Finished rewrite of modem area
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Either TWRP should work, just there is a small behavior difference. TWRP 3.0.2-1 has a small bug and never manages to mount /system; while TWRP 3.1.1-0 does manage to mount /system. With 3.0.2-1 the `umount /system` can be skipped, with 3.1.1-0 that command needs to be run before /system is upgraded.
Mars104 said:
does anyone have the link to TWRP 3.1.1-0 for the h990ds? My device didn't seem to like the command 'kdzwriter -a /external_sd/H990ds10f_00_OPEN_TW_DS_OP_0622.kdz' I received the error "Failed while writing /system, major problem, PANIC!" . It's in a bootloop now should have run '-at' first!
second attempt...
You have to try harder than that message to make me panic
i figure my 10f kdz must be corrupt, so tried 10e
kdzwriter -a /external_sd/H990ds10e_00_OPEN_TW_DS_OP_0517.kdz
errors recieved were:
Failed mounting system for kmod restoring: Invalid argument
kdzwriter: Failed while restoring kernel modules, recommend kernel reinstall!
I reinstalled the kernel. Not sure what the kmod error means?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well seeing that "PANIC" message means something rather problematic occurred, and the state of /system is Bad(tm).
"kmod" is short for "kernel module". The Linux kernel has the capability to load/unload extra bits of code (generally drivers) while the kernel is running. These are specific to the particular kernel and trying to load modules for the wrong kernel could fail or cause problems.
I was surprised to learn the Bluetooth and FM Radio drivers are modules, as well as the exfat filesystem is a module. The userspace portion of talking to the Bluetooth chip won't load unless it successfully loads "brcm_bt_drv.ko" into the kernel.
The kernel modules are located in /system/lib/modules. When writing /system, `kdzwriter` first tries to mount /system and save copies of the modules. Once /system has been rewritten it tries to restore them. If either of those steps fails, there is need to reinstall the kernel since the modules on /system will match LG's stock kernel, not the static-fixed kernel I built.
Mars104 said:
Thanks for this awesome tool emdroidle, are you taking donations?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I don't send them back.

emdroidle said:
The added `chmod` will fix the "permission denied" error. (did you really rename the KDZ file to H990_something.kdz?).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha no mate I didn't, was just using the name for the KDZ from your example
Just wanted to say thanks as well. Used your tool with the updated instructions. Booted into TWRP, plugged into PC, used ADB from Command Prompt to do the whole thing. Went perfectly. It gave me a line when it was done about recommending a kernel re-install, so once the tool was finished I re-flashed the H990 kernel zip from your other thread, Magisk, the latest Aroma GAPPS package, and then rebooted. After the optimization process, I'm now on V10F-TWN with a patch date of 1st June, and rooted.
It's a touch of a process to get to this point, but if you follow everything properly to the letter, it works. Cheers mate.

i rename my kdz into "some.kdz" i run kdzwriter -at /external_sd/some.kdz itsays : Next chunk starts beyond end of file, Failed to open KDZ file, aborting what does this mean thank you

iDefalt said:
Haha no mate I didn't, was just using the name for the KDZ from your example
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, fine. I just wanted to make sure since there are people who don't realize you're supposed to adapt the name and complain when things don't work. Just one of those things that makes one go wait-a-minute...
kuachi00 said:
i rename my kdz into "some.kdz" i run kdzwriter -at /external_sd/some.kdz itsays : Next chunk starts beyond end of file, Failed to open KDZ file, aborting what does this mean thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most likely you don't have the full file. Were you downloading it and the download got interrupted?

Success! Upgraded to 10f with root

emdroidle
Can you please make a small tool that extract the content of the KDZ file and the system.img file to modify things with ease on PC, and can easier interchange between versions to see what bugs can be avoided....

zinou213 said:
emdroidle
Can you please make a small tool that extract the content of the KDZ file and the system.img file to modify things with ease on PC, and can easier interchange between versions to see what bugs can be avoided....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There already are tools for this. https://github.com/Bigcountry907/kdztools and https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2600575
Though I'm not sure they are completely compatible with the newest kdz's. Simple extraction should work.
-------
Nice tool btw. Now if only it where possible to flash kdz's directly in EDL mode, that would be great !!

askermk2000 said:
There already are tools for this. https://github.com/Bigcountry907/kdztools and https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2600575
Though I'm not sure they are completely compatible with the newest kdz's. Simple extraction should work.
-------
Nice tool btw. Now if only it where possible to flash kdz's directly in EDL mode, that would be great !!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, I know this tools but i want a confirmation about there compatibility with v20's KDZs, and what is the EDL mode you talk about ??

zinou213 said:
Thank you, I know this tools but i want a confirmation about there compatibility with v20's KDZs, and what is the EDL mode you talk about ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That last part was not for you specifically. It's Sahara Download Mode, or Emergency Download Mode I was talking about, something you probably won't know much about until you brick your phone

askermk2000 said:
That last part was not for you specifically. It's Sahara Download Mode, or Emergency Download Mode I was talking about, something you probably won't know much about until you brick your phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK Sahara Download Mode i know, i saw this with my old bricked gflex 2 that i unbricked with too many tools and processes that i forget now...

why is it that only the android security patch has been changed and the version is still v10e iam trying to upgrade to v10g thanks
---------- Post added at 11:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:47 PM ----------
also my cpu load is alway going 90 to 100 percent even tho im not using any app did not also do cpu adjustments . it drains my battery fast

@emdroidle
Your donation button doesn't work:
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse