Related
hello
i have setup a website www.our-xda.co.uk as a portal for downloading roms and other cool stuff that used to be available from xda-developers ftp site.
i have started by uploading artemis roms etc the phone i actually have but in order to be effective i need other roms from the other devices. please can users with these devices log-on to the website and upload whatever they have and i will make them available for others to share and so we can continue to develop these devices.
thanks
l6cum
You posted this in the apache section, but didn't include an apache section on your site...
actually the website doesnt seem to exist .. so.. hmm !! i wonder !!
Yup, just checked there and the site is not available.. was it exist earlier? or the webmaster just doing some upgrade...? .. cheers..
I have an old phone that uses Android 2.x, I think froyo or gingerbread. I want to download AFWall+ which is a firewall application that's the successor to DroidWall. The problem is the most recent version no longer supports the Android version used by my old phone. The app's details are here (I can't make it a hyperlink because I don't have 10 posts):
Code:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dev.ukanth.ufirewall&hl=en
The relevant part says:
- Supports 4.x ,5.x and 6.x (for 2.x support use 1.3.4.1 version)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But the problem is I don't know how to get the 1.3.4.1 version and verify it is the legitimate version. There are a lot of websites that offer downloads for older versions of apks but they could inject anything they want in them couldn't they?
I would ask the developer in his thread what is the proper way to go about this but as I mentioned I don't meet the post requirements at the moment.
Thanks for any help you can offer.
agenda21 said:
I have an old phone that uses Android 2.x, I think froyo or gingerbread. I want to download AFWall+ which is a firewall application that's the successor to DroidWall. The problem is the most recent version no longer supports the Android version used by my old phone. The app's details are here (I can't make it a hyperlink because I don't have 10 posts):
Code:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dev.ukanth.ufirewall&hl=en
The relevant part says:
But the problem is I don't know how to get the 1.3.4.1 version and verify it is the legitimate version. There are a lot of websites that offer downloads for older versions of apks but they could inject anything they want in them couldn't they?
I would ask the developer in his thread what is the proper way to go about this but as I mentioned I don't meet the post requirements at the moment.
Thanks for any help you can offer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
use this google search to find it.
i saw it on several sites, but cant post the links because they contain warez.
edit,
ha, im an idiot, i didnt read your whole post. yea, im not sure how you would verify.
maybe mention the dev here and he may come. @devsnamehere <-- thats how to mention someone.
bweN diorD said:
yea, im not sure how you would verify.
maybe mention the dev here and he may come. @devsnamehere <-- thats how to mention someone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks.
@ukanth can you tell me how to obtain and verify version 1.3.4.1?
agenda21 said:
Thanks.
@ukanth can you tell me how to obtain and verify version 1.3.4.1?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought f-droid builds still pointing to 1.3.4.1. I will upload in OP of my thread. Thanks !
ukanth said:
I thought f-droid builds still pointing to 1.3.4.1. I will upload in OP of my thread. Thanks !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@ukanth Sorry to bother you again but I can't find version 1.3.4.1 in your thread. Did you ever get a chance to post it somewhere? I can get it from a 3rd party website but I just need you to give me the hashes of the packages so I don't install something that's trojaned. I'm a computer programmer but I don't know much about phones, so please keep that in mind if you have special instructions. Thanks
agenda21 said:
@ukanth Sorry to bother you again but I can't find version 1.3.4.1 in your thread. Did you ever get a chance to post it somewhere? I can get it from a 3rd party website but I just need you to give me the hashes of the packages so I don't install something that's trojaned. I'm a computer programmer but I don't know much about phones, so please keep that in mind if you have special instructions. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@agenda21, Can you try this and let me know, this I found in my backup's. If it doesn't work, then I will build one using the old source and update it.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/c3g4lqzbltbuxfq/dev.ukanth.ufirewall-171.apk?dl=0
I raised a request in f-droid to restore the old version https://gitlab.com/fdroid/fdroiddata/issues/362 . Lets see.
I hope this is the right thread.
Hello bois, I got a QiKU 360 N4 which is a pretty sick phone for the money I paid it.
It came out recently on the chinese market and its bootloader is locked.
I googled a bit and found some tutorials tho unlock the bootloader and install TWRP, because somebody compiled that already! Awesome, right?
Too bad are in chinese, yeah.
Google translate doesn't help that much, it is incomprehensible, and even if it did help: I am required to sign up to the chinese forum to read the whole tutorial (which requires me to understand how to sign up) and from what I understand the procedure makes use of a software running on windows to enter the bootloader and such software is in chinese only!
So I am looking for some kind soul who could translate the procedure and, if possible, reupload the necessary files somewhere so people like me wouldn't have to sign up to the linked chinese forum to get them.
In exchange I can offer some tips on health and fitness for I have a master in sports sciences. Or, I could offer you a beer?
P.S. sadly xda does not allow me to post links, can link in private... I guess.
Robert Hall said:
I hope this is the right thread.
Hello bois, I got a QiKU 360 N4 which is a pretty sick phone for the money I paid it.
It came out recently on the chinese market and its bootloader is locked.
I googled a bit and found some tutorials tho unlock the bootloader and install TWRP, because somebody compiled that already! Awesome, right?
Too bad are in chinese, yeah.
Google translate doesn't help that much, it is incomprehensible, and even if it did help: I am required to sign up to the chinese forum to read the whole tutorial (which requires me to understand how to sign up) and from what I understand the procedure makes use of a software running on windows to enter the bootloader and such software is in chinese only!
So I am looking for some kind soul who could translate the procedure and, if possible, reupload the necessary files somewhere so people like me wouldn't have to sign up to the linked chinese forum to get them.
In exchange I can offer some tips on health and fitness for I have a master in sports sciences. Or, I could offer you a beer?
P.S. sadly xda does not allow me to post links, can link in private... I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please PM me the link to the website . I don't know Chinese but I remember a root tool that was in Chinese and I will try my best to "mimic" how I got my way around that.
RAZERZDAHACKER said:
Please PM me the link to the website . I don't know Chinese but I remember a root tool that was in Chinese and I will try my best to "mimic" how I got my way around that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've sent you a message however I don't think you'll manage without knowing chinese
The tool they use is to unlock the bootloader and it's a proprietary tool.
Robert Hall said:
I've sent you a message however I don't think you'll manage without knowing chinese
The tool they use is to unlock the bootloader and it's a proprietary tool.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea I saw it, I'll see what I can do...
I'm sorry but I did not have time yesterday. I don't have access to a proper computer so I am using my raspberry pi to do all this. Since it does not have a photo editor I am working on a google slide document that will be accessible by link. I'll post it here as fast as I am done
---------- Post added at 10:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:20 PM ----------
Here is how far I have come. I assume you have to download a bunch but at least the company gives you information. I've heard numerous people who buy Chinese phones and are stuck with whatever software they offer.
Yeah there is no chance to write a custom rom because the kernel source is never being given by Mediatek.
However having the ability to backup and play around with the stock firmware is great.
Robert Hall said:
Yeah there is no chance to write a custom rom because the kernel source is never being given by Mediatek.
However having the ability to backup and play around with the stock firmware is great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, I like how it has become a meme that "I'll die before mtk releases their sources".
Any more news on this? Loving my N4 so far, but would like to install TWRP and gapps, but not quite sure how. Have read somewhere that Kingroot has worked on other Qiku/360 phones but haven't got that far myself. Any chance you could send me that link to me too, your googling skills are clearly far superior to my own!
Hi.
I wiped my data from the stock recovery and now i am stuck at boot logo.I don't know how that happened.but i think i have to flash stock firmware which i cant find anywhere.
Qiku forum is unresponsive and there is no other place with info of this rare phone.
Help me out here please
help me please! I.want to unlock my QIKU N4S, but i can not download from chinese forum. thank you a lot！
Bootloader unlock - HERE
Found some ROM's also .... Althought, You'll Need TAMPERMONKEY and Baidu Download Script for Tampermoney
ROM'S - HERE and other Tools + rom's HERE
There is a whole Qiku N4 forum but it's in chinese .... didnt have time to bother with it,
since it requires to be registered ...
And, as bonus ...
I found Russian modified ROM's ....
HERE for HW version A01
and
HERE for HW version M02
TWRP Recovery - HERE
Check HW version of your phone, if you want to flash roms and BEFORE screwing it up.
Hope that's enough for now ....
p.s. Be carefull what are you doing and flashing into phone. Links I posted are from third party sources,
people reported they are working, but all you do - you do on your own responsibility.
b.r.
Alex
mobilexpert said:
Bootloader unlock - HERE
Found some ROM's also .... Althought, You'll Need TAMPERMONKEY and Baidu Download Script for Tampermoney
ROM'S - HERE and other Tools + rom's HERE
There is a whole Qiku N4 forum but it's in chinese .... didnt have time to bother with it,
since it requires to be registered ...
And, as bonus ...
I found Russian modified ROM's ....
HERE for HW version A01
and
HERE for HW version M02
TWRP Recovery - HERE
Check HW version of your phone, if you want to flash roms and BEFORE screwing it up.
Hope that's enough for now ....
p.s. Be carefull what are you doing and flashing into phone. Links I posted are from third party sources,
people reported they are working, but all you do - you do on your own responsibility.
b.r.
Alex
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you want root your phone,you must use ROM V019
mobilexpert said:
ROM'S - HERE and other Tools + rom's HERE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello Alex,
Those links are sadly down.
Do you know any other link to a stock N4 image and scatter file that I could use to factory-reset a pattern-locked N4 ? I got my hands on a discarded one, but the factory reset option in recovery mode requires that cloud account be first deleted, which I can't to because of the pattern lock.
Thanks !
EDIT :
Sorry, I spoke too fast. I gave another try and the links are up, though in chinese. I'll try to get what I can. Thank you !
I am Chinese
Robert Hall said:
I hope this is the right thread.
Hello bois, I got a QiKU 360 N4 which is a pretty sick phone for the money I paid it.
It came out recently on the chinese market and its bootloader is locked.
I googled a bit and found some tutorials tho unlock the bootloader and install TWRP, because somebody compiled that already! Awesome, right?
Too bad are in chinese, yeah.
Google translate doesn't help that much, it is incomprehensible, and even if it did help: I am required to sign up to the chinese forum to read the whole tutorial (which requires me to understand how to sign up) and from what I understand the procedure makes use of a software running on windows to enter the bootloader and such software is in chinese only!
So I am looking for some kind soul who could translate the procedure and, if possible, reupload the necessary files somewhere so people like me wouldn't have to sign up to the linked chinese forum to get them.
In exchange I can offer some tips on health and fitness for I have a master in sports sciences. Or, I could offer you a beer?
P.S. sadly xda does not allow me to post links, can link in private... I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello Is the 360n4 on your hand still there? I can help you with the problem!
1915007283 said:
Hello Is the 360n4 on your hand still there? I can help you with the problem!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi !
I'm not the original poster, but am in the same situation, and have a N360 at hand. Are you willing to help me ?
Hello
breversa said:
Hi !
I'm not the original poster, but am in the same situation, and have a N360 at hand. Are you willing to help me ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the cell phone on your hand 360n4? This cell phone has two versions of 360n4 and 360n4s
Yes, it a 360N4, not a 360N4S.
What I'm trying to do is follow that howto : http://www.cnroms.com/360-n4-061-unlock-bootloader-install-twrp-recovery.html to downgrade it, then factory reset it and install TWRP.
However, I can't read chinese (can't even tell whether it's cantonese or mandarin). Google Translate helps, but most link seem to be broken, and when they're not, the download speed is abysmally slow (several days…).
Is there any way you could help me ? Maybe get the needed files and reupload them somewhere faster ?
I see
breversa said:
Yes, it a 360N4, not a 360N4S.
What I'm trying to do is follow that howto : http://www.cnroms.com/360-n4-061-unlock-bootloader-install-twrp-recovery.html to downgrade it, then factory reset it and install TWRP.
However, I can't read chinese (can't even tell whether it's cantonese or mandarin). Google Translate helps, but most link seem to be broken, and when they're not, the download speed is abysmally slow (several days…).
Is there any way you could help me ? Maybe get the needed files and reupload them somewhere faster ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We have a lot of links, and if you have QQ, I think I can give you faster links
Because I don't know what tools you use to chat
1915007283 said:
We have a lot of links, and if you have QQ, I think I can give you faster links
Because I don't know what tools you use to chat
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
QQ ? What's that ?
In case your links are private, why not using private messages on this here forum ?
I'm sorry
breversa said:
QQ ? What's that ?
In case your links are private, why not using private messages on this here forum ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just came to this forum, I still don't know how to send messages
Hi Guys,
I am new to Android (a noob) - Started with flashing some custom ROMs on my devices and i am bothered by the security of my device, although android is open source, is it possible that a custom ROM is bugged to steal your personal or financial information? I don't have any experience with android development and i don't have time to jump into Android development so even if the ROM is open source i wont be going through the code to check for leaks or potential built-in hacks.
Basically my question is, is it safe to install Unofficial ROMs such as CM unofficial? I understand, the majority of apps store sensitive data on device in encrypted way but still, i don't think it will be hard to just modify the ROM to develop a built-in key-logger OR read username/password from a username/password fields while user is typing using an on-screen keyboard, save it as LOG file and when connected to the internet, send it to the 'unknown' source. I can see so many possibilities, the user wont even have a clue that they are sharing data. it is like Microsoft making windows Open Source and people making their own versions of Windows and users installing them on thier PCs.
Please help me understand - How safe are our devices when running on custom ROMs from developers we don't even know (no disrespect to any dev, all this amazing work is appriciated, I just want to understand the security of android - Please help me understand as after flashing custom ROMs on my devices i am avoiding installation of sensitive apps or even using chrome to type my passwords) - am i paranoid ?
Cheers
It's entirely possible that a malicious custom ROM could steal your data (or worse), and there's really no technical way to mitigate it. You're implicitly trusting the developer of a ROM by flashing it. All you can really do is make sure that whatever ROM you choose is from a well-known, trusted developer.
aliusman999 said:
Hi Guys,
I am new to Android (a noob) - Started with flashing some custom ROMs on my devices and i am bothered by the security of my device, although android is open source, is it possible that a custom ROM is bugged to steal your personal or financial information? I don't have any experience with android development and i don't have time to jump into Android development so even if the ROM is open source i wont be going through the code to check for leaks or potential built-in hacks.
Basically my question is, is it safe to install Unofficial ROMs such as CM unofficial? I understand, the majority of apps store sensitive data on device in encrypted way but still, i don't think it will be hard to just modify the ROM to develop a built-in key-logger OR read username/password from a username/password fields while user is typing using an on-screen keyboard, save it as LOG file and when connected to the internet, send it to the 'unknown' source. I can see so many possibilities, the user wont even have a clue that they are sharing data. it is like Microsoft making windows Open Source and people making their own versions of Windows and users installing them on thier PCs.
Please help me understand - How safe are our devices when running on custom ROMs from developers we don't even know (no disrespect to any dev, all this amazing work is appriciated, I just want to understand the security of android - Please help me understand as after flashing custom ROMs on my devices i am avoiding installation of sensitive apps or even using chrome to type my passwords) - am i paranoid ?
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are paranoid but that's good!
Yes we are trusting the devs (or Samsung et al with stock) AND hopefully smart coders who regularly check the code (but I suspect checking doesn't happen a lot!). You can use a firewall/packet sniffer to check what servers your phone is connecting to and see (some) of the data being sent to reduce your risk and put your mind at ease. But still it's no guarantee, as I understand it (I'm no expert!).
---
trainsuit said:
If you get a stock android you are also trusting the developer. Just look at these lenovo laptops which had malware served on their stock windows versions. Best is to always start clean when buying any form of product.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's true, but how do you define ”clean”? In theory, you could build AOSP for your device yourself so you're only trusting Google, but that's completely impractical for most people. If you just switch from stock to someone else's custom ROM, you're just changing who you're trusting.
---
Perhaps it's a silly question but I do it: do you think that a XDA Senior Member with one or two thousand of thanks is reliable?
Bach_J said:
Perhaps it's a silly question but I do it: do you think that a XDA Senior Member with one or two thousand of thanks is reliable?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Another question for you: if a ROM has malicious code that send personal information to unknown servers, is using a firewall like AFWall+ twhich blocks all system apps sufficient to prevent this malicious ROM to stole data?
Thanks
Bach_J said:
Perhaps it's a silly question but I do it: do you think that a XDA Senior Member with one or two thousand of thanks is reliable?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably.
Bach_J said:
Another question for you: if a ROM has malicious code that send personal information to unknown servers, is using a firewall like AFWall+ twhich blocks all system apps sufficient to prevent this malicious ROM to stole data?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, a custom ROM could make data look like it's coming from any app it wants, or just bypass the firewall completely.
josephcsible said:
No, a custom ROM could make data look like it's coming from any app it wants, or just bypass the firewall completely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alternatively if the device is on your own network you could wireshark it using a computer and monitor IP addresses that the device attempts to connect to.
LyricalMagical said:
Alternatively if the device is on your own network you could wireshark it using a computer and monitor IP addresses that the device attempts to connect to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is helpful but not perfect. There's a bunch of ways to stealthily exfiltrate data over a monitored network, and don't forget a malicious ROM might only do its dirty work over cell and not Wi-Fi for this very reason.
josephcsible said:
This is helpful but not perfect. There's a bunch of ways to stealthily exfiltrate data over a monitored network, and don't forget a malicious ROM might only do its dirty work over cell and not Wi-Fi for this very reason.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you it's not a perfect solution; this question is sort of like asking if you can trust someone who has a root account to your computer when you cannot see what they are doing, it's an incredibly disadvantaged situation from the start.
LyricalMagical said:
I agree with you it's not a perfect solution; this question is sort of like asking if you can trust someone who has a root account to your computer when you cannot see what they are doing, it's an incredibly disadvantaged situation from the start.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't want to flash custom ROMs anymore! :crying:
It can be very dangerous! Or am I paranoid and I can trust xda developers?
Bach_J said:
I don't want to flash custom ROMs anymore! :crying:
It can be very dangerous! Or am I paranoid and I can trust xda developers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Remember, everything I've been saying is reasons not to flash a ROM unless you trust the dev. None of it is saying that devs aren't trustworthy. I don't know of a single instance when a well-respected XDA member's ROM turned out to be malicious.
josephcsible said:
Remember, everything I've been saying is reasons not to flash a ROM unless you trust the dev. None of it is saying that devs aren't trustworthy. I don't know of a single instance when a well-respected XDA member's ROM turned out to be malicious.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for clarifying that but the question comes once more: how to recognize a well-respected XDA member? With the number of thanks? It is obvious that if the smartphone you are interested in is not so famous, there will be few comments on custom ROMs, too. So, how to evaluate the reliability of a xda dev who is developing ROM for not-well-known devices?
Are ROMs in Original development Section trustworthy?
Bach_J said:
Thank you for clarifying that but the question comes once more: how to recognize a well-respected XDA member? With the number of thanks? It is obvious that if the smartphone you are interested in is not so famous, there will be few comments on custom ROMs, too. So, how to evaluate the reliability of a xda dev who is developing ROM for not-well-known devices?
Are ROMs in Original development Section trustworthy?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Number of thanks can hardly tell that a dev is reliable or not(in some cases it can), rather it's the quality of their work and their expertise on the related topics that could clarify their position a bit. the recognized contributors, recognized developers, recognized themers you should look at cause
these are given to a member after being checked and passed by moderaters here on XDA. So they are pretty much reliable guys. in cases where there are no recognized developers and hardly any comments. you will have to check and find out yourself
1. ask the dev if he has tested the ROM himself?
2. how did he compiled the ROM? is it a port or just a modified copy of another ROM or a build from source.
3. check the link of the download, if it's to some survey site or ask for a password, stay away from it.
4. if you trust the download link, then download scan with antivirus and unzip the file.
5. generally I look inside app if there are apps which I don't trust and I remove them, then check build.prop, init.d folders. basic things to look for is any references of some other website/ports in between codes. if you're more paranoid you can check bin folder as well and every other you want.
6.don't install the ROM simply Root and debloat.
billysam said:
Number of thanks can hardly tell that a dev is reliable or not(in some cases it can), rather it's the quality of their work and their expertise on the related topics that could clarify their position a bit. the recognized contributors, recognized developers, recognized themers you should look at cause
these are given to a member after being checked and passed by moderaters here on XDA. So they are pretty much reliable guys. in cases where there are no recognized developers and hardly any comments. you will have to check and find out yourself
1. ask the dev if he has tested the ROM himself?
2. how did he compiled the ROM? is it a port or just a modified copy of another ROM or a build from source.
3. check the link of the download, if it's to some survey site or ask for a password, stay away from it.
4. if you trust the download link, then download scan with antivirus and unzip the file.
5. generally I look inside app if there are apps which I don't trust and I remove them, then check build.prop, init.d folders. basic things to look for is any references of some other website/ports in between codes. if you're more paranoid you can check bin folder as well and every other you want.
6.don't install the ROM simply Root and debloat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the complete explanation!
billysam said:
Number of thanks can hardly tell that a dev is reliable or not(in some cases it can), rather it's the quality of their work and their expertise on the related topics that could clarify their position a bit. the recognized contributors, recognized developers, recognized themers you should look at cause
these are given to a member after being checked and passed by moderaters here on XDA. So they are pretty much reliable guys. in cases where there are no recognized developers and hardly any comments. you will have to check and find out yourself
1. ask the dev if he has tested the ROM himself?
2. how did he compiled the ROM? is it a port or just a modified copy of another ROM or a build from source.
3. check the link of the download, if it's to some survey site or ask for a password, stay away from it.
4. if you trust the download link, then download scan with antivirus and unzip the file.
5. generally I look inside app if there are apps which I don't trust and I remove them, then check build.prop, init.d folders. basic things to look for is any references of some other website/ports in between codes. if you're more paranoid you can check bin folder as well and every other you want.
6.don't install the ROM simply Root and debloat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've just unzipped ROM but I can't find what you said. I've only found build.prop and nothing else!
Here a screenshot:
Bach_J said:
I've just unzipped ROM but I can't find what you said. I've only found build.prop and nothing else!
Here a screenshot:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's because lollipop and marshmallow ROM files are further zipped into system.new.dat files which needs another method to extract, https:\\forum.xda-developers.com/android/help/extract-dat-marshmallow-lollipop-easily-t3334117
Just a small correction. When going to aosp you I ly are trusting yourself as you can inspect everything you add and remove what you don't.
Now to add to your paranoia. A custom rom could be made that allows all apps root permission without the users knowing. Add in a Key logger and have e it all headed without you ever knowing. This is common is xiaomi and other china based devices.
Heck there are a few key parts in the playstore with built in Key loggers.
Heck most of the go apps send all their data to China. Things like their Keylogger files, screen recording and device usage. But mind you it is all legal
I know the first comments on this post will be the pessimistic "if you are asking all these questions, then you will not be able to do this" type.. however, if that is the case, how did all the developers learn to build custom ROMs for their devices? They must have learnt from somewhere or by their own trial and error.. therefore they can share their knowledge if willing to do so.
My question is about the building of a custom ROM e.g. LineageOS for an unsupported device which has no device tree or anything of the sort, such as a BLU Studio X Plus.
I know the basic commands.. But I'm not sure of the full process for creating the necessary blobs for my device(s).
I am aspiring to be a developer myself, but need someone to teach me. If any of you are willing to assist me in my endeavour, comment down below, or you can even privately message me.
Any assistance will be greatly appreciated!
Alando123 said:
I know the first comments on this post will be the pessimistic "if you are asking all these questions, then you will not be able to do this" type.. however, if that is the case, how did all the developers learn to build custom ROMs for their devices? They must have learnt from somewhere or by their own trial and error.. therefore they can share their knowledge if willing to do so.
My question is about the building of a custom ROM e.g. LineageOS for an unsupported device which has no device tree or anything of the sort, such as a BLU Studio X Plus.
I know the basic commands.. But I'm not sure of the full process for creating the necessary blobs for my device(s).
I am aspiring to be a developer myself, but need someone to teach me. If any of you are willing to assist me in my endeavour, comment down below, or you can even privately message me.
Any assistance will be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They started by starting with smaller, less complicated developments/modifications to get some basic understanding. Then they started spending more time doing more diligent research, reading, reading again then reading again than they did spending time asking questions.
As for the "sharing their knowledge" for others to learn.... Well, that is exactly why there are hundreds or even thousands of guides and threads on the various types of android custom development on many different websites and forums. The issue you are having is based in the fact that all of the guides are written with an assumption that the reader already has some form of intermediate programming knowledge, they are not written for the proverbial "noob". Another factor is that none of the guides are an "all-in-one, everything you need to know from start to finish" type of guide, this is because there are too many differences in the various android versions, hardware architectures, SDK versions, APIs and etc. to make a guide complete enough for general usage on every type of device, there are specific things involved that make that an impossible task. So don't get your hopes up about some kind of miracle answer that takes the pain and hard work out of your journey.
Study the guides, start small, get good at what you start with, then work your way up, starting with trying to build something like a ROM with no previous programming experience, is not a good idea for a starting point.
There is no shortage of people coming to XDA wanting to be developers and asking for someone to help teach them, it just doesn't work that way, you gotta be willing to put the time into learning and figuring out at least 95% of it on your own, that is how they learned, why should it be any different for you. The cold reality is, those that truly desire it, seek it diligently without reaching out for a hand to do the "real" work for them, the ones that succeed and excel are the ones that climb the ladder themselves with very little help from the outside because they reach inside of themselves and apply themselves to their goal without quitting or losing heart or saying "this is too hard, help me".
First of all, it depends on whether the stock source code is available for your device, if there is no stock source code available to the public(no, I'm not talking about the stock firmware file), then you will not be able to build a custom ROM from source for your device, which means that you won't be able to build anything like LineageOS because setting up the device tree requires the stock source code. No source code=no device tree, no device tree=no LineageOS or AOSP ROMs. Devices that do not have a source code available can only get ROMs if someone chooses to port a ROM from a similar device with similar hardware, that is the only way to get a ROM without stock source code. The stock firmware would be required in order to port a ROM from a similar device, if the stock firmware is not available, you can't port a ROM.
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Droidriven said:
They started by starting with smaller, less complicated developments/modifications to get some basic understanding. Then they started spending more time doing more diligent research, reading, reading again then reading again than they did spending time asking questions.
As for the "sharing their knowledge" for others to learn.... Well, that is exactly why there are hundreds or even thousands of guides and threads on the various types of android custom development on many different websites and forums. The issue you are having is based in the fact that all of the guides are written with assumption that the reader already has some form of intermediate programming knowledge, they are not written for the proverbial "noob". Another factor is that none of the guides are an "all-in-one, everything you need to know from start to finish" type of guide, this is because there are too many differences in the various android versions, hardware architectures, SDK versions, APIs and etc. to make a guide complete enough for general usage on every type of device, there are specific things involved that make that an impossible task. So don't get your hopes up about some kind of miracle answer that takes the pain and hard work out of your journey.
Study the guides, start small, get good at what you start with, then work your way up, starting with trying to build something like a ROM with no previous programming experience, is not a good idea for a starting point.
There is no shortage of people coming to XDA wanting to be developers and asking for someone to help teach them, it just doesn't work that way, you gotta be willing to put the time into learning and figuring out at least 95% of it on your own, that is how they learned, why should it be any different for you. The cold reality is, those that truly desire it, seek it diligently without reaching out for a hand to do the "real" work for them, the ones that succeed and excel are the ones that climb the ladder themselves with very little help from the outside because they reach inside of themselves and apply themselves to their goal without quitting or losing heart or saying "this is too hard, help me".
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Thanks for the advice.. I was hoping for something along the lines of a "I found a formula, you can use it to solve your problem" kind of answer.. But I understand your point of view. I was by no means asking for anyone to do the "real" work for me, just for a helping hand to point me in the correct direction. Most of the guides I see are just to create some basic files using the boot.img of my device.
Alando123 said:
Thanks for the advice.. I was hoping for something along the lines of a "I found a formula, you can use it to solve your problem" kind of answer.. But I understand your point of view. I was by no means asking for anyone to do the "real" work for me, just for a helping hand to point me in the correct direction. Most of the guides I see are just to create some basic files using the boot.img of my device.
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I added to my post above, it might give you an idea of what is possible and what isn't.
Go to the LineageOS website and read the basic guide for setting up an android build environment, then read some guides for building ROMs for other similar Blu Studio devices.
Also, another important factor in whether or not a custom ROM is possible for your device is thst your bootloader must be unlocked or at least "can" be unlocked.
You also need a custom recovery such as TWRP(which you'd probably have to build for yourself, which is yet another task to learn in development along with learning to build a ROM, not to mention learning how to get the kernel right) in order to flash a LineageOS custom ROM or any other ROM that is not based on stock, TWRP is easier to learn how to build than a ROM, but still a task in itself. Modified stock ROMs can be customized and flashed without root or custom recovery but they aren't "true" custom ROMs, they are still fully stock underneath with some tweaks "on the surface".
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Droidriven said:
I added to my post above, it might give you an idea of what is possible and what isn't.
Go to the LineageOS website and read the basic guide for setting up an android build environment, then read some guides for building ROMs for other similar Blu Studio devices.
Also, another important factor in whether or not a custom ROM is possible for your device is thst your bootloader must be unlocked or at least "can" be unlocked.
You also need a custom recovery in order to flash a LineageOS custom ROM or any other ROM that is not based on stock. Modified stock ROMs can be customized and flashed, but they aren't custom, they are still fully stock underneath with some tweaks "on the surface".
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Yes.. I have made a TWRP for my device.. I also created a modified (rooted, debloated, updated) stock ROM.. But want to reach a stage where I'm able to make an actual custom ROM. I am currently flying through many guides to get an idea of what is needed.
I've set up build environments and built ROMs for Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime (grandprimeve3g) but that device already had proprietary blobs made for it.
Alando123 said:
Yes.. I have made a TWRP for my device.. I also created a modified (rooted, debloated, updated) stock ROM.. But want to reach a stage where I'm able to make an actual custom ROM. I am currently flying through many guides to get an idea of what is needed.
I've set up build environments and built ROMs for Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime (grandprimeve3g) but that device already had proprietary blobs made for it.
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Ok, so you have a decently basic understanding, that is in your favor. As for the blobs, is the stock source available for your specific device? That would help increase your chances of success. Are their any other models of Blu Studio or other device with similar hardware that have custom ROMs already available? If so, you may can put something together using some blobs from those devices and then filling in the blanks.
@Alando123
Can you get a ROM dump or system dump from your device?
I'm going to assume that you've read this and experimented with it?
https://wiki.lineageos.org/proprietary_blobs.html
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Droidriven said:
Ok, so you have a decently basic understanding, that is in your favor. As for the blobs, is the stock source available for your specific device? That would help increase your chances of success. Are their any other models of Blu Studio or other device with similar hardware that have custom ROMs already available? If so, you may can put something together using some blobs from those devices and then filling in the blanks.
@Alando123
Can you get a ROM dump or system dump from your device?
I'm going to assume that you've read this and experimented with it?
https://wiki.lineageos.org/proprietary_blobs.html
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No, BLU rarely releases source for any of their devices, however I made a system dump using MTK Droid Tools. I also just stumbled upon the link to the LineageOS page about blobs right before you replied ?
Alando123 said:
No, BLU rarely releases source for any of their devices, however I made a system dump using MTK Droid Tools
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You should be able to use the system dump to generate vendor blobs by extracting them from the system dump or from a system dump pulled from a similar BLU studio or MTK device running a current LineageOS ROM as described in the first portion of the guide in the link that I gave you.
Also, there is a Lineage forum and a place to comment/ask questions on their github page.
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Droidriven said:
You should be able to use the system dump to generate vendor blobs by extracting them from the system dump or from a system dump pulled from a similar BLU studio or MTK device running a current LineageOS ROM as described in the first portion of the guide in the link that I gave you.
Also, there is a Lineage forum and a place to comment/ask questions on their github page.
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Hey, I currently ported several ROMs for my device.. the only problem I have with all of the ROMs are auto-focus and front camera (though camera is an issue for almost all ROMs, developed or ported at first). Most of the devices are similar, so, I'll do some digging and see what I can do about this. Or if I can develop a ROM, with some kanged blobs and some of my own, that will work, then fix camera piece by piece.
Alando123 said:
Hey, I currently ported several ROMs for my device.. the only problem I have with all of the ROMs are auto-focus and front camera (though camera is an issue for almost all ROMs, developed or ported at first). Most of the devices are similar, so, I'll do some digging and see what I can do about this. Or if I can develop a ROM, with some kanged blobs and some of my own, that will work, then fix camera piece by piece.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, stock camera is always an issue when building ROMs because stock camera is proprietary, this means the camera is a closed source software instead of open source software.
Generally, the "quick fix" is to use a 3rd party camera app from PlayStore such as Google Camera or A Better Camera(ABC camera). Try some 3rd party camera apps and see if any work.
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Droidriven said:
Yes, stock camera is always an issue when building ROMs because stock camera is proprietary, this means the camera is a closed source software instead of open source software.
Generally, the "quick fix" is to use a 3rd party camera app from PlayStore such as Google Camera or A Better Camera(ABC camera). Try some 3rd party camera apps and see if any work.
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Yeah.. replacing libcameracustom.so results in the same issue with front camera, also even Footej closed when trying to use the front camera.
Alando123 said:
Yeah.. replacing libcameracustom.so results in the same issue with front camera, also even Footej closed when trying to use the front camera.
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Click to collapse
Try more than just a few camera apps, try many, try several, try them all, one of them might work. It's aggravating and time consuming, but with patience, it might work out for you.
You might need to try an app and then if it doesn't work, uninstall the app then boot into recovery and wipe cache and dalvik cache then reboot and try another camera app, you might also need to try a factory reset along with wiping cache from recovery before trying another camera app because some things might be left behind from the non working app that you tried and it might interfere with the next app that you try. Factory resetting and wiping cache before trying the next app might increase the chances that it will work. If you try an app and it doesn't work, just uninstalling it before trying the next app might not be "enough" if it leaves something behind that prevents the next app from working.
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Droidriven said:
Try more than just a few camera apps, try many, try several, try them all, one of them might work. It's aggravating and time consuming, but with patience, it might work out for you.
You might need to try an app and then if it doesn't work, uninstall the app then boot into recovery and wipe cache and dalvik cache then reboot and try another camera app, you might also need to try a factory reset along with wiping cache from recovery before trying another camera app because some things might be left behind from the non working app that you tried and it might interfere with the next app that you try. Factory resetting and wiping cache before trying the next app might increase the chances that it will work. If you try an app and it doesn't work, just uninstalling it before trying the next app might not be "enough" if it leaves something behind that prevents the next app from working.
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I don't think that any camera app would have helped.. I replaced libcameracustom.so from a different device, and front camera works, but no both cameras have a blue hue on them
I am having problems with building lineageOS for my "Unsupported" Device I have made themed ROMS, Themes for cyanogenmod, Themes for substratum, basic apps for my ROM, and customized recovery and ported ROMS to my device but I need a small headstart to actually "Build" lineageOS for my device. Thats It
Regards
Manav Harsana