[Q] reading partition images other than recovery and boot (such as aboot and firmware - General Questions and Answers

Hello! So this should be an interesting first post. First, a little background:
I'm relatively new to this, and I've been trying to root my NEC Terrain for a little while now. I've followed the instructions on numerous pages in order to understand how to do things. And now I have been able to rip any partition from the phone. I've looked through everything I could in both the boot and recovery partitions but I haven't found anything I can use (I also explored /system but there doesn't seem to be anything in there either). Also, I tried to do everything on this page: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2337642 but I can't get SuperSU or TiBu to work. (As an aside, if anybody can point me in the right direction for the most recent su binary, that would be awesome). SuperSU wants to update the binary but fails. I would assume it's because it tries to install it directly into /system/bin, which isn't writable. If I could make it install it into /data/sbin, it might work, but that's off topic right now.
I would like to explore more of the partitions to understand what they are and what they do (I can't seem to find much information about them anywhere). I'm hoping to find something in the code to give a hint as to how to get into the bootloader. So, I have things like "aboot", "firmware", "MM", and "GROW", among others. Is there any way to decode or decompile those images so I can see what coding goes into them? Am I going about this the wrong way?
Thanks in advance to anyone that can help!

Maybe this will help you
In this post by E:V:A you can find some information about partitions and links to more!
I think latest SuperSU should be with latest SU binary (I can be wrong about this), so you could download "CWM / TWRP / MobileODIN installable ZIP" from this post and take one from "x86" folder.
Good luck.

Thanks for the links! Some of these may be very helpful. However, the su binary I got from that link was much older than the other most recent I had. It's a version 2.0 and they're up to at least 3.2 (I'll check the link again to see if I missed something). Also, for these phones, if anybody is wondering, they are ARM, not x86.
There seems to be only one direction I can go with this: Find an exploit that can run at boot that will interrupt it at the right time and allow editing of the /system partition. I can get a root shell with that script and a bind mount, but it's not enough to get anything else to work (ro.secure is still active, so there's no way to change it after the system is booted). Root is granted to root, and that's all. Any app requesting root does not get it.
The guys on that other thread said they got SuperSU and TiBu to work, but they provided very limited information and I can't seem to make them work. I wonder though, if that would matter as long as ro.secure is still enabled.

Related

Trying to get more info about the actual root process

Hey,
As the title suggested, and the phone is a Galaxy S Fascinate.
I rooted using a technique which did what this does, with some info from here as well.
Arg, it won't let me post URL's, retarded...wow, can't even edit it because that counts as my '5 minute cooldown' between posts...anyway, after 5 minutes, remove the spaces at the beginning to get them to work..
Link 1: http : // rootzwiki.com/index.php/Smartphones/Samsung-Group/Fascinate.html
Link 2: http : // droidforums.net/forum/rescue-squad-guides/80208-multiple-phones-root-them-unroot-them.html
I'd like to unroot my phone manually, but I don't have enough knowledge of how the root actually works to do so. From what I hear, the word on the street is to just reflash with Odin using the OEM platform/application image. I'm not to keen on reflashing.
So I'm trying to figure out a bit more about how the root works, so I can unroot it via command line. (No, I don't want to be pointed in the direction of one-click root/unrooters, been there, done that, got the t-shirt, was pretty damn pissed about it)
So there's 4 elements that go phone side
- su binary
- busybox binary
- Superuser.apk package
- rage image
So first, there's su, the binary most likely already exists on the phone, which means if I'd like to unroot, I'd need the OEM version of the su binary, is this correct?
Same can possibly go for busybox, assuming if it was there. If busybox didn't come on the phone, then there's no need and you can just remove it.
Now from what I understand about the Superuser package, is it isn't quite an application...but it is, or something. It can probably be removed via uninstall, but I'd need somebody to verify that who knows what Superuser actually is.
Now this is where things get really hazy, the actual exploit, the rage binary. Depending on what this does, it may or may not be a complete pain to get it back to the OEM state. Does anybody have any info or know about the actual binary itself, how it works, etc.? I'm assuming if it just replaces a certain piece of a binary, that piece can be put back in there, but with the root the binary is RAN, not dropped in, so it obviously does something more...and I can't seem to figure out what nor how nor why, etc.
Synopsis:
I'm trying to unroot manually and am not sure about a bunch of specifics regarding the root.
I'd definitely appreciate any info on this...and PLEASE don't just say "search" - because while the root aspect has been covered many times, the specifics haven't..
TIA!!
PS:
Reason I want to unroot is b/c my camera is hosed and I need to take it back to the VZW store for replacing..
Bump?
This might be a dumb Q, but is the rage bin src open?

[Q] recovery.img and recovery-from-boot.p

Hi all,
I am trying to make sense of how the android system is made up w.r.t to boot/kernel.
I have been looking at the .img files in the build (I built for the "passion" device), and have been googling around to find some more information about the various .img files.
I ran into a nice HOWTO in android-dls.com 's WIKI, titled HOWTO:_Unpack%2C_Edit%2C_and_Re-Pack_Boot_Images (I'm sorry, I'm a new user so XDA won't allow me to post links. I will try to modify my post a soon as I'm granted permission for that)
but I am afraid it is a little outdated:
I have several questions, but I will try to be brief, so I'll focus on
one of them, and if that works I'll proceed to the next questions, all related to "Android bringup for dummy embedded linux kernel experts".
I am fairly aware of differences between different linux
configurations, and I am very familiar with linux bringup concepts, so I will just use common examples from the linux world as my terminology. Hope it will be clear enough.
I understood that boot.img a combination of a kernel (e.g. bzImage in linux) and an initial ramdisk (e.g. initrd.gz), wrapped by some header, as in common linux kernel loading practice (piggy.o etc.).
Now, the aforementioned HOWTO says that the "recovery" image is built on
the same way, and that it is stored on the target's /system/
recovery.img .
I would assume that this would be compound of the ramdisk-
recovery.img, and some other kernel.
Now, the problem is that:
1. This /system/recovery.img does not exist from what I saw (on my
Motorola XOOM tablet)
2. What does exist is /system/boot-from-recovery.p , which is
created during the boot process in obj/PACKAGING/
recovery_patch_intermediates/recovery_from_boot.p .
I saw tons of posts referring to the files, all said that "in order to
replace the rescue disk image, this file needs to be renamed" - but I
am looking for a way to figure out what it is, and how to extract its
contents.
I assume /system/recovery.img is deprecated, is that correct?
3. I did not see any flash devices in /proc/mtd (which is strange).
I searched for hours before sending this post, so I would appreciate
your help. I also posted a similar message at the google android-building group, but it has not been answered yet, and I got the impression that these forums are more active and can help me get where I need.
If it is not the right place to ask the question please let me know -
I just assume this is a general android concept and not device
specific.
Thanks,
Ron
I meant of course /system/recovery-from-boot.p , and not recovery-from.boot.p
-R
Hi,
I don't know if you managed to find out what "recovery-from-boot.p" is, since this is quite an old post, but I think I'll try to help anyway.
recovery.img is not deprecated at all. From my own experience, it looks like "recovery-from-boot.p" is a protection measure introduced in Gingerbread, but not the recovery itself. What it does is replacing any recovery currently installed on the phone with the default one on every boot.
I discovered it after flashing a custom recovery on my Android 2.3.4 phone. It worked, but just during the first boot. The next time I rebooted the phone, the default recovery image was there again. After browsing several sites, I found that "recovery-from-boot.p" is responsible for that.
So, if you flash a custom recovery image on a Gingerbread phone and want to keep it forever, you must delete this "recovery-from-boot.p" from /system, or at least rename it. That way, your new custom recovery will never get overwritten buy the default one, unless you do it yourself.
I hope this helps you and clarifies this question.
Well, it helped me. I'm new to rooting and just came across mention of this file. I am trying to learn 'why' as well as 'how'', so your post was informative.
Was going to ask a dumb question but I figured it out
i need to delet those files
bigrammy said:
Was going to ask a dumb question but I figured it out
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello
can't delete those files >> i am rooted but every time i delete or rename it take permission then nothing happen >> how i can delete them plsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
recovery from boot p
ahmed morsy said:
Hello
can't delete those files >> i am rooted but every time i delete or rename it take permission then nothing happen >> how i can delete them plsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey good day. Did you get your problem fixed...? I have an xt912 it has the same file. For days I've been trying to wipe the phone. Tryed rooting it. I tryed reprogramming it. And I got through with all of that. But everytime the phone boots up it goes back to the same state. Then I used a root browser and while exploring I saw this recovery from boot file. I need help. And I don't think I can downgrade the Motorola phones. Thanks in advance.
jman0 said:
Hi,
I don't know if you managed to find out what "recovery-from-boot.p" is, since this is quite an old post, but I think I'll try to help anyway.
recovery.img is not deprecated at all. From my own experience, it looks like "recovery-from-boot.p" is a protection measure introduced in Gingerbread, but not the recovery itself. What it does is replacing any recovery currently installed on the phone with the default one on every boot.
I discovered it after flashing a custom recovery on my Android 2.3.4 phone. It worked, but just during the first boot. The next time I rebooted the phone, the default recovery image was there again. After browsing several sites, I found that "recovery-from-boot.p" is responsible for that.
So, if you flash a custom recovery image on a Gingerbread phone and want to keep it forever, you must delete this "recovery-from-boot.p" from /system, or at least rename it. That way, your new custom recovery will never get overwritten buy the default one, unless you do it yourself.
I hope this helps you and clarifies this question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have deleted it . then flash recovery ,, but it failed .. it wont even now go to stock recovery itself.. any help..
Does recovery from boot has to do anything with ota update applying ? or it will cause issues in system update ?
I have recovery-from-boot.p in my system and i cant root my phone i cant change the recovery img ... Help?
I hadn't had to deal with this for some time, perhaps because I've updated my devices (Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7 '13) with the factory images, with "-w" removed from flash-all, then flashing CWM's recovery, ensure SuperSU was installed, then continuing. Today, I used the new OTA image on my Hammerhead/N5, and recovery-from-boot.p seems to be up to its old tricks again.
Solution is simple.
Flash your alternate Recovery in fastboot, fastboot flash recovery [recovery image file] . Boot into Recovery. Apply/install root app (typically via sideload). Mount /system. adb shell mv /system/recovery-from-boot.p /system/recovery-from-boot.p.bak. Reboot. Done. (If you're unfamiliar with fastboot, adb, and flashing new recovery partitions, you have some reading to do. Commence RTFM.)
I also used to have to move /system/etc/install-recovery.sh but that seems to be gone in Marshmallow. :} Or moved...?
well, after following a guide I have extracted the system.img from a pure-nexus ROM(The ROM I'm currently using), now I can see that "recovery-from-boot.p" file is responsible for recovery lock in my phone. I'll keep it short and straight to the question
"Can I remove this file and rebuild the .dat file and flash it?, so that I won't have any other problems at all"
I want to know if recovery-from-boot.p file is linked to anything other than just locking the recovery or re-flashing it innumerable times.

[Q] Trying to Root: hboot 1.45.0013, Unlocked Bootloader, S-ON

Okay, have found a lot of threads similar to this, but with key differences that are making the answers not-terribly-helpful in my particular circumstances. Not a comment on the answers, but enough that I feel the need to ask my question specifically.
I am trying to gain more control over my MyTouch 4g Slide (aka Doubleshot), obviously on T-Mobile.
It is running Android 2.3.4, and has hboot 1.45.0013. I have wiped it a few times in the process of fuxing with it, so right now I'm not worried about losing anything other than basic function (i.e., bricking it is still bad).
I have tried the zergrush exploit (it's been closed),
have managed to unlock the bootloader using the HTC unlock tool,
and have managed to flash the appropriate Clockworkmod recovery and get the blue menu to come up.
My overall goal isn't to do any major overhauls- I want to be able to allow some apps to turn my GPS on and off, clean out some bloatware, and put some new ringtones into the same folder as the stock ones. My understanding is that temporary root access is enough to do these things- go in and clean up, change some permissions on apps, then go back to being a normal user, just like with a well-managed Linux computer.
I just can't seem to get the next step to work.
My understanding is that I now somehow use Clockworkmod to install Superuser from the .zip archive. The options I get in the recovery screen are:
reboot system now
apply update from sdcard
wipe data/factory reset
wipe cache partition
install zip from sdcard
backup and restore
mounts and storage
advanced
power off
My impression is that I should be using "install zip from sdcard" to install Superuser, but when I select that, the menu just disappears, and I am left looking at the logo, with no further options. I have seen it implied that there should be choices about which zip to install- those never come up.
What am I missing? My google-fu is failing me in trying to find instructions or guides for this particular combination of limitations and progress.
EDIT TO ADD: Ah- found part of my problem... the recovery menu uses the camera button, not the power button. Still somewhat at a loss to see what's next. Installing from the SD card fails. Info in a second post.
Got the menu working, but now failing to install Superuser. I get the following output:
Mounting SYSTEM...
Deleting SYSTEM:bin/su...
Extracting files to SYSTEM...
Setting SYSTEM:bin/su permissions to 06755...
Creating SYSTEM:xbin/su symbolic link...
E:Error in /sdcard/Superuser-3.0.7-efghi-signed.zip
(Status 0)
Installation aborted.
Now what?
I am seeing in other places that HBOOT 1.45.0013 can't be rooted. I've been trying for about 9 hours to do this. . .no luck, even with a variety of methods.
bummer.
I'm in the same boat as the both of you. Spent the last two hours and enough tabs in my browser that my music player was skipping when switching between them, and my machine is nothing to be scoffed at!
There just doesn't seem to be enough clear information about how to root this device, and with only 7 pages of development threads, it's gonna be hard to be told to search!
In recovery you use the trackpad to navigate, and select....also, why not just flash a pre rooted stock rom? Follow the directions in this thread, it will work with any rom, not just ICS roms. I used the instructions in this thread to install Bulletproof on my Bf's phone which was an insurance replacement, so it had the same hboot that you guys have, and S-on. It worked flawlessly, I am not sure why so many people are having such a hard time, because it worked the first time perfectly for me.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1508556
Edit: Which recovery are you using?
Woot! Oops...
Well, I managed to root my phone... and then borked it through my own overexuberance. :headdesk: Oh well, I can fix it. Important part:
I finally found out what "Status 0" means- the zip you are trying to install wasn't signed properly. I re-downloaded, no luck. But there is an option to turn off signature checking in CWM, and that worked, after some fiddling- Superuser installed and worked fine. Not sure if re-downloading ended up being relevant or not.
So, you can root this version without flashing a new ROM.
That said, I think I probably did enough weirdness to mine that I will go for a new stock ROM, so much thanks to yellowjacket for posting that thread link. Removed HTC Sense, then somehow borked Go Launcher Ex, so my phone doesn't have a home screen and I can't get to the app I used to move stuff to fix it. Of course I never found a set of instructions for making a Nandroid backup until after I messed things up... Oh, well, time to go looking for the stock ROM.
Thanks all!
If anyone has a Nandroid backup or copy of the dead-standard out-of-the-box ROM for this phone, please let me know. All I am finding is modified versions. Can't find the base that they were made from, and even the most basic version says it requires S-OFF to install. :headdesk:
Do you specifically need a nandroid backup, or would a flashable ZIP do? Pointers to the latter are available.
Flashable zip would actually be preferable, and pointers would be very much appreciated. I know they have to be out there somewhere, I'm just not finding the right search terms to locate them among all the modified versions.
Look at this post in the developer reference thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=17384145&postcount=7
(There's lots of stuff listed there, but look for the 400 MB+ images.)
NOTE: Some ZIP tools get confused by these signed ZIPs, so they might seem corrupt. Check the MD5s to see that you got a good download. 7Zip seems to deal with them OK if you want to look inside.
I have personally flashed the 1.28 and 1.55 ZIPs without incident, but I did check the MD5s.
Well, I was not able to restore the ROMS from the links wjcarpenter linked- everything worked fine, as far as I can tell, but the phone said the "updates" were older than what was originally installed, so the installation was aborted. Not sure how to fix/handle that.
For the moment, I have one of the cleaned-up ROMs that is very similar to stock, but I would really rather it not be obvious that I rooted the phone the second you start it up (the one I found has changed the startup animations), so I will keep looking.
If it's going to be obvious that I changed the ROM, I guess I might as well start looking for the best custom ROM... any suggestions as to which is the most stable?
Firefairy said:
Well, I managed to root my phone... and then borked it through my own overexuberance. :headdesk: Oh well, I can fix it. Important part:
I finally found out what "Status 0" means- the zip you are trying to install wasn't signed properly. I re-downloaded, no luck. But there is an option to turn off signature checking in CWM, and that worked, after some fiddling- Superuser installed and worked fine. Not sure if re-downloading ended up being relevant or not.
So, you can root this version without flashing a new ROM.
That said, I think I probably did enough weirdness to mine that I will go for a new stock ROM, so much thanks to yellowjacket for posting that thread link. Removed HTC Sense, then somehow borked Go Launcher Ex, so my phone doesn't have a home screen and I can't get to the app I used to move stuff to fix it. Of course I never found a set of instructions for making a Nandroid backup until after I messed things up... Oh, well, time to go looking for the stock ROM.
Thanks all!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just think of it as a big learning experience! The first time I rooted a phone, I messed it up so much I had to keep flashing back to stock and rerooting at least 3 or 4 times. Thankfully I had a phone that was virtually unbrickable. It was a good learning experience though, and I now feel comfortable rooting and flashing on several different devices.
Firefairy said:
Got the menu working, but now failing to install Superuser. I get the following output:
Mounting SYSTEM...
Deleting SYSTEM:bin/su...
Extracting files to SYSTEM...
Setting SYSTEM:bin/su permissions to 06755...
Creating SYSTEM:xbin/su symbolic link...
E:Error in /sdcard/Superuser-3.0.7-efghi-signed.zip
(Status 0)
Installation aborted.
Now what?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
download from androidsu and either save it directly to the ROOT of your sdcard, or copy and paste to the root of your sd card. i always get that same error when i install superuser from a folder in my sd card.

[Q] Something Missing from my files?

Hi
I am trying to install the Jellybean 4.1.1 ROM on my rooted Nexus S.
The history of my attempts so far are here: Rooted Nexus S OTA Upgrade to 4.1 http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1833420
I have downloaded the "image-soju-jro03e.zip" form the Android open source website, and used the Nexus Root Toolkit to install it.
This failed, and I attempted to install the image using ROM Manager.
This also failed, and produced a lengthy Recovery Log.
I have read through it and it seems to be telling me that certain files or folders are missing from the download.
e.g can't open /dev/tty0: No such file or directory
W:Unable to get recovery.fstab info for /datadata during fstab generation!
W:Unable to get recovery.fstab info for /emmc during fstab generation!
W:Unable to get recovery.fstab info for /sd-ext during fstab generation!
can't find /sd-ext in /etc/fstab
Is that what this means?
How can I correct it?
The full log is here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HWeYsXPnppQbgoloz72RH81E8a479LBmvYXIlzYPETo/edit
S
Help with recovery log
Hello?
Can anyone help me to understand this recovery log?
Should I direct my question to the "ROM Manager" people?
I have tried without success to install JB 4.1.1 from the Google Android Images page, and I think it must because something is missing from the file structure of my current ROM.
Am I on the right track?
M S
First of all, what variant of the Nexus S do you have? If you turn off the device and remove the battery, it should be on the sticker showing the device serial number.
Once you find that, you can head over to this link and look for the right image for your device:
http://www.randomphantasmagoria.com/firmware/nexus-s/
I'm assuming that since you're from 4.0.4, you just need to flash the update zip. If you're device is rooted, chances are you have ClockworkMod installed. If so, maybe you should just consider putting in a custom ROM. Flashing it should be much faster. I'd be glad to help you if you can give more info on your variant, current software state (version, rooted/not rooted, etc).
new hope
nightsky87 said:
First of all, what variant of the Nexus S do you have? If you turn off the device and remove the battery, it should be on the sticker showing the device serial number.
Once you find that, you can head over to this link and look for the right image for your device:
http://www.randomphantasmagoria.com/firmware/nexus-s/
I'm assuming that since you're from 4.0.4, you just need to flash the update zip. If you're device is rooted, chances are you have ClockworkMod installed. If so, maybe you should just consider putting in a custom ROM. Flashing it should be much faster. I'd be glad to help you if you can give more info on your variant, current software state (version, rooted/not rooted, etc).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello nightsky ( is that like, "nice guy",?) thanks for taking a look.
My phone is a Nexus S i9020, no suffix.
It is running Andriod 4.0.4 ICS. It is "rooted" and "unlocked".
I have Clockwork Mod v.6.0.1.0. Superuser v.3.1.3. and ROM Manager v.5.0.2.0.
I have tried over and over again without success to upgrade to JB 4.1.1 and I am getting sick and tired of this stupid game.
I would be happy to just stick with ICS 4.0.4, but every week, the phone tells me that an "update is available", and I have to dismiss the message every time I look at the phone! When I tried to apply the update It used to crash, requiring a battery-pull reset. Now I have CWM it takes over and says "failed to verify file signature", "install untrusted package?"
If I press on and install, it fails and the android is on its back with a red triangle on its belly.
If you look at the posts I have linked to, I have been on a steep learning curve regarding ROM flashing, and I understand the basic idea, its just that when I follow the instructions given on the forum, It doesn't happen that way for me and I suspect that there is something wrong with the file structure on my phone. That is why I have posted the link to my recovery log.
If you can help, please reply.
I have had a look at the "Random Phantasmogoria" site that you recommend, is it offering anything different than the Google developers site https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images that I have downlooaded my image from?
MS
another version!
PS I have just had a look at the Google Dev. site and there appears to be a new version of 4.1.1 called JRO03L.
My next attempt, I'll try that.
MS
goodnight
Factory images are not to be installed with ROM manager/recovery.
They are factory images that are installed with fastboot.
Your solution is a rather simple but may seem complex to you at first. If that makes sense.
First screw all those one click/ ROM manager crap.
Either download the SDK and get the platform tools add on ( quides are all the over the place). Or use one of those zips people make that include fastboot.exe and a driver or whatnot.
Boot the phone into the bootloader. Connect it to the PC. Open a command prompt in the directory with fastboot.exe and the factory images....
Type in fastboot devices. If your serial comes up just follow the commands in the quide. Re root if you want.
What you where attempting to do reminds me of kids in the arcades just smashing buttons and hoping something works
I am not going to right a guide m. There are stickies and somebody actually made a very noon friendly explanation the other day on here somewhere. Sorry don't know where at the moment.
If there is a specific part or something in particular you don't get let me / us know.
Moral of the story is a once a computer is set up with fastboot properly it is very simple.
jus to add on the post above. the instruction to install the factory images are on the same page where you downloaded the image in question.
and there is something to be wary of : flashing the factory image will WIPE the phone CLEAN (except what's on the usb storage o/c).
albundy2010 said:
Factory images are not to be installed with ROM manager/recovery.
They are factory images that are installed with fastboot.
Your solution is a rather simple but may seem complex to you at first. If that makes sense.
First screw all those one click/ ROM manager crap.
Either download the SDK and get the platform tools add on ( quides are all the over the place). Or use one of those zips people make that include fastboot.exe and a driver or whatnot.
Boot the phone into the bootloader. Connect it to the PC. Open a command prompt in the directory with fastboot.exe and the factory images....
Type in fastboot devices. If your serial comes up just follow the commands in the quide. Re root if you want.
What you where attempting to do reminds me of kids in the arcades just smashing buttons and hoping something works
I am not going to right a guide m. There are stickies and somebody actually made a very noon friendly explanation the other day on here somewhere. Sorry don't know where at the moment.
If there is a specific part or something in particular you don't get let me / us know.
Moral of the story is a once a computer is set up with fastboot properly it is very simple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Smashing buttons and hoping something works?
That's not very nice, or fair!
If you take the trouble to read my post, and the linked previous posts, you will see that I am trying my best to follow the instructions given on this forum, where I hoped to find knowledgeable professionals who contribute their valuable time free of charge to help noobs like me.
So far I have followed the instructions, only to get something other than the result described. This is why I am asking for your help to understand the recovery log, so that I can work out for myself what went wrong, and what I should change next time to get it right.
At this point in the journey I am still unsure about backup. I have "backed up" using the nexus root tool kit, which is a Nandroid back up, and I have "backed up" using ROM manager, but Titanium Back-Up does not recognise the backups and wants me to "back up" some more. After all this is over will I be able to clear out all the dross that my phone memory is accruing? Is there any point backing up Apps like "Google Earth" when I can easily download them from the Play Store after I have my new OS? etc... etc...
Anyway, I am going to try again, this time with the new JRO03L image, and this time I shall do it Command Line style instead of the "one click crap", as you recommend, my friend. I'll let you know how I get on.
MS

About to buy an AT&T LG G4, can someone QUICKLY answer this question?? Thanks!

Dear Friends,
About to pull a trigger on an AT&T LG G4, can someone give me a short answer, ASAP?
Is it possible to have permanent Root and Xposed on the AT&T variant WITHOUT ridiculous bugs like a "green dot" in the camera of the phone? (what does the green dot even mean? It's on every picture? Is it a watermark? Just on the GUI?)
If possible, how? And should I buy the phone?
Appreciate any QUICK responses, about to buy now! Thanks so much in advance!
I just bought the G4 a couple of days ago. I was able to root, but there is no twrp or xposed as far as I know. I also don't have the green dot and everything is working fine!
Thanks for the quick response, my friend. Can you share the method/thread/image you used to Root?
I think you can install Xposed without TWRP via FireFlash? Can someone please confirm?
Thanks guys!
Just got my G4 two days ago. You can root and you can install Xposed with FireFlash. Root requires pushing a rooted version of whatever software version you are currently running. If you can't find one you can inject root into your own system.img using Ubuntu. After root get FireFlash and the right xposed zip and be patient, it can sit black screen, appearing dead for 20-30 minutes. Over all not too hard. Took me a couple hours from The un-boxing to Xposed. Definitely do it. The green dot on camera comes from the PR system.img. I'd stay clear of that. Everything is working great on mine!
@Nowak4G - Thanks bud, that's what I read too. Can you point me to the guide and img file you used that worked for you? I doubt I'd prefer the Ubuntu way...
One other question... Is there a way/app/Xposed module that's kind of like G3TweaksBox for us? Letting us change the Status bar icon colors and toggle colors?
I highly doubt themes work for us since we can't Flash them without custom recovery?
Thanks again!
GravityBox works for status bar stuff and yeah here are the threads I used. Good luck bud!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=62028519
http://forum.xda-developers.com/g4/general/lg-g4-100-root-success-directives-root-t3180586
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=62664473
I'm not totally sure what stuff can and can't be flashed using FireFlash. But for applying icon themes with Xposed I use this module, Unicon:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1nrydqmmOBUdFoyV0FBLUM1OVE/view?usp=docslist_api
I've had my LG G4 rooted and running Xposed with a lot of modules enabled.
If the phone you buy is on the 10G software version (and want to stay on that version), you should be able to root it following the method in the LG G4 Low Effort Root thread. Follow it to the dot and enjoy partial freedom.
If the phone you buy is on 10I, there is a rooted image floating around. So you could take the 10I update (or make sure your phone's on the 10I version), and root it using the Low Effort Root method.
I would also recommend the following:
1. keeping a copy of your untouched fresh system image in your internal memory (as early as possible after buying the phone). In case of a bad flash you have something to possibly go back to - otherwise you'll end up with the PR ROM and the green dot. The method and commands to extracting the system image is very similar to rooting, except instead of dd'ing into the system partition from SD, you do the opposite (from system partition to SD)
2. disabling system apps and system updates using the debloater tool and a tutorial here on the forums
Regarding flashing files via recovery, I usually extract the files and place them in the correct directory with the right permissions. Usually most files use 0644 permissions, but I would first check the existing permissions with ES File Explorer.
Hello @Nowak4G and @mu3g,
Guys thank you for your response. I can confirm that the seller I bought the phone from took the 10l upgrade. I have little to no experience rooting locked bootloader phones, and I have to be honest, I am more confused than I have the answers. Now that I have confirmed that I will end up with 10l update, can you guys give me a noob boost and give me step by step on how to root, Xposed, and possibly back up my stock image, since I do NOT want to end up with the PR build, with the green dot, in case things go wrong?
Am I correct that the right answer to my problem is, Low Effort Root with the floating 10l rooted img file, located here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B54ceS-n3ZAiaVAxMkJFLXNMYmM/view?pli=1
Please help me out guys, would even appreciate more if we can maybe connect on Google Hangouts for some dynamic help? Please let me know and thank you again for your wonderful so far !
Yes, exactly. Use the floating around 10I rootedsystem.img with the Low Effort Root instructions. But definitely keep a unrooted system.img on the internal storage as a backup. Instructions are in the LER thread. Just read carefully and follow the steps and you should be fine. All copy and pasting.
You have the correct 10I rooted system img file. I would recommend following the LER steps and backing up the system image for 10I (see post 2 of the LER thread). This would give you the stock image for later use. Then follow the LER steps to the dot using the rooted system image file you have from the google drive link. The LER thread has pretty clear instructions on backup and flashing system image files for the G4. Just make sure to rename your downloaded file as "system.rooted.h81010i.img" and use it in the command...the file name here is the most important!
Thank you guys, couple of follow up questions:
1. Do I run the backup command to copy my Non Rooted image, right after the step that gives us the DIAG Port Number? Or do I do it after the "id" step?
2. The generated back up, I assume will be done as an .img file in the root of my phone, correct? I assume I just back this up on my computer and/or External HD?
3. This is the scariest step. When I am running the step for flashing the rooted img, I need to rename the downloaded file to, "system.rooted.h81010i.img" as @mu3g recommended? Why not, "system.rooted.h81010m.img" for example?
4. I just use the exact file name we determined above for my downloaded rooted 10l image file, in the flash command when following the LER guide? Exactly that file name, correct?
Thank you again for all your help and excuse me for my continuous noobness!
Answers:
1. Run the backup command in Step 7 of the LER root ("Run the command specified in the section below titled 'Commands to Run' to flash the rooted system image.") <<---replace the commands to run with the command to backup your unrooted clean system image to your internal memory ---- if you compare the commands, it will become obvious on how the data is being moved (pushed or pulled from the phone).
2. The generated backup will be on the root of the internal memory of the phone. Yes, you can then move it to your computer or any other location for safekeeping AFTER you've booted your phone up properly - don't do any of this while you're still in the LER state.
3. I just gave you a recommendation on the name..you can name the rooted system image file whatever you want - you can even leave it as the way it is....just make sure to use the EXACT file name for the image in the commands to run (also 10I, 10M etc. are software version numbers..I'm not aware of a 10M version being released for AT&T. In any case, just use the EXACT file name for the rooted image.
Thank you @mu3g! I think I am now ready to go through the process myself with confidence.
I am, however, still a bit confused about the file name of the rooted image that I will be flashing. If the phone already has 10l installed, and I leave the name of the rooted image intact, that is, "system.rooted.h81010l" would the phone still accept/get tricked into, thinking that it's getting an "update"? Or did you mean that the file name could literally be anything like, "filename.img" and if the commands match it, all will be installed correctly? As in, when the system boots, it will have all the correct build and software information with it being a 10l update and etc?
Please forgive the annoying, detailed questions, but I want to not mess this up, since every guide triple emphasizes the importance of the command being absolutely right! Thank you!
You can literally name it blahblahblah.img as long as you use blahblahblah.img in the commands to run for the rooted system image. The file naming scheme has nothing to do with the acceptance or rejection of a system image. When you're in the bootloader mode ready to download files (which is the mode for LER), you can inject any file into any partition, anywhere on the phone...it's just whether the phone can use it or not properly and whether or not it ends up being a brick
Your file name for the system has nothing to do with the build number showing on the phone after booting up.
EDIT: The only reason I gave you that file naming scheme is because you don't seem to be too comfortable with the command line, thats all..that way you could copy paste the command from the LER guide and just replace "g" with "i" - that's all..if you're good with the command line and careful, you'll be fine..just make sure the file name is correct..you can't get much else wrong.
Understood brother, just needed that clarity. I am not an absolute noob with cmd line, but you know how it goes when you're rooting your phone, the perpetual fear of an expensive paperweight!
I cannot find the thanks button here, wish I could, so I could thank you over and over and @Nowak4G, but either way, thank you so so much @mu3g!!
good luck!
How did it go? Were you able to go through with it?
While the green dot does usually appear on 810 phones running the PR KDZ, I have heard reports of it on some 815 ...its pretty random. I just did a warranty exchange for my 810 so I will likely be staying on the ATT software.
Hi Guys, wanted to update this thread with my results...:
I successfully rooted on H810l (AT&T) with 0 issues, following the Low Effort Root. Per the recommendations of the process, I also backed up my Stock, Unrooted, .img file for restoration to Stock, if it were needed. Well, I might be moving on from this phone and need to return to stock. Can someone advise the exact steps/commands to return to stock using the unrooted .img file I backed up before pushing the rooted .img? And can you confirm that you did this successfully as well?
I would really appreciate it! Thank you!
I have not done it myself, but if you uninstall all your root apps completely, make sure to enable any and every disabled app you may have (like for example AT&T apps etc.) using the debloater software and then follow LER to install the stock image on it, it should come back to bone stock. Remember, the key here to to ensure that no root apps exist on the phone - I guess SU will get wiped out, but its better to do it clean. And secondly, any disabled apps need to be re-enabled for a smooth process. These are just my $0.02...so proceed with caution.

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