[TUT] How to extract .ftf file to make custom rom - Flashable ZIP [2012 Xperia]
This tutorial is for developers who want to make their own custom rom based on official firmware. OK, let's start.
Explanations:
Inside every flashable zip file there are two folders - system and META-INF:
1) system folder - That is actually your ROM and all it's content (If you ROOT your device you gain access to this folder in your device).
2) META-INF folder - That folder gives instructions to your device (ClockWorkMod) how to flash ROM, sets permissions...
This is method to get Stock/Official system folder that you need to edit to make custom ROM.
You will need to find/make yourself contents of META-INF folder - You may took it from another ROM and (maybe) edit.
NOTE: If you use this method your ROM will work for both Locked/Unlocked bootloaders, and it will require that you have firmware your ROM is based on already installed before flashing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How to get contents of stock/official system folder - Extract .ftf file:
1. Download .ftf file for your device.
2. Extract .ftf file using 7Zip.
3. You will get system.sin and other files. You only need system.sin file so delete others.
4. Open flashtool and inside flashtool open SIN Editor to dump data from system.sin - you will get an ext4 file.
5. Open ext2Read and extract ext4 file.
6. Done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How to put CWM into your ROM:
OK, Now you ask - Why do I have to put CWM into ROM? Let's explain:
CWM is custom recovery that you use to flash zip files to your device. There are two types of CWM:
1. For both Locked and Unlocked bootloaders - Recovery is in the system folder of the ROM.
2. Only for Unlocked bootloaders - Recovery is somewhhere else (You don't need that).
Because your ROM is based on official firmware it will be for both Locked/Unlocked bootloaders.
Therefore, you will flash your ROM in CWM for both Locked/Unlocked bootloaders.
And if you flash you will replace system folder of previous ROM. Because CWM was in that folder of previous ROM - You will lose CWM.
That is why you need to put CWM.
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1. Find CWM for both bootloaders for your device.
1. Copy sh file inside files folder to system/xbin.
2. Copy other files inside files folder to system/bin.
3. Go to META-INF/com/google/android/ and you will find updater-script.
4. Add the following lines to it
Code:
set_perm(0, 0, 0755, "/system/bin/recovery.tar");
set_perm(0, 0, 0755, "/system/bin/battery_charging");
set_perm(0, 0, 0755, "/system/bin/battery_charging_help");
set_perm(0, 0, 0755, "/system/xbin/sh");
Thanks srl3gx for tutorial.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How to add ROOT into your ROM:
Want your custom rom to be rooted? Here is how:
1. First you need to choose from two great root management apps: Superuser (choose ARM one) and SuperSU(I prefer SuperSU).
2. Download zip file.
3. Go to "system" folder in downloaded zip and copy files within their folders to its place in your rom (same directory - if was "app" then copy in "app".
4. Edit updater-script to set correct permissions - Find that on someone elses rom, it should look just like for CWM, but for those files.
5. Done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Useful notes:
1. Don't edit any file in zip with Windows Notepad or else you will get an error in CWM - you need Notepad++.
2. When you put system and META-INF folders into zip set compression to - Store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks.....
very helpful :good:
Option58 said:
[TUT] How to extract .ftf file to make custom rom - flashable ZIP [2012 Xperia]
This tutorial is for developers who want to make their own custom rom based on official firmware. Note that as of 2012 our Xperias use ext4 file system so other tutorials won't work.
Inside every flashable zip file there are two folders - system and META-INF...System folder is ROM content...and META-INF gives instructions to CWM how to flash ROM Content....This is method to get contents of SYSTEM folder, you must find META-INF yourself....
1. Download .ftf file for your device.
2. Extract .ftf file using 7Zip.
3. You will get system.sin and other files..You only need system.sin file so delete others...
4. Open flashtool and inside flashtool open SIN Editor to dump data from system.sin - you will get an ext4 file.
5. Open ext2Read and extract ext4 file...
6. Done...you will get contents of system folder that you need to modify...
7. IMPORTANT - When you later make zip choose compression - Store
PS: Don't edit files with Windows Notepad or else you will get an error in CWM - you need Notepad++...
Maybe later I will make Screenshots
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
any idea on how I can edit boot.img? the one used for this device are different from what I know.. I am trying dual boot..
you can pack and repack boot img with Android kitchen i think
Great tut
Sent from my Xperia Tipo using xda app-developers app pro
I already knew this method. However I congratulate you for your initiative. :highfive:
Well I learned something else. Before it only used to extract some files. I did not know we could do this way the custom roms.
I'll try to make a custom rom.
However verified that the file size of system.ext4 is 665,654 KB. Once extracted using ext2read, is only 467 MB.
It is normal for this situation? Instead of decreasing, should not increase after extracted?
Kind regards,
Jorge Moreira
drummer1839 said:
you can pack and repack boot img with Android kitchen i think
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nope.. you cant.. It says android magic header not found. researching a bit, found out that this is a cpio archive.. I did manage to extract it to get 2 .gz files.. but they cannot be opened..
Jorge Moreira said:
I already knew this method. However I congratulate you for your initiative. :highfive:
Well I learned something else. Before it only used to extract some files. I did not know we could do this way the custom roms.
I'll try to make a custom rom.
However verified that the file size of system.ext4 is 665,654 KB. Once extracted using ext2read, is only 467 MB.
It is normal for this situation? Instead of decreasing, should not increase after extracted?
Kind regards,
Jorge Moreira
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was my problem too I ended up with an ext2read error and less size
But ext4 is Linux system partition and not zip file. Maybe flashtool made partition that big so every file could go there easily and it couldn't set exact size.
There is no other tool on internet, only ext2read.
Option58 said:
That was my problem too I ended up with an ext2read error and less size
But ext4 is Linux system partition and not zip file. Maybe flashtool made partition that big so every file could go there easily and it couldn't set exact size.
There is no other tool on internet, only ext2read.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyway I will try this weekend, make a custom rom lighter and functional.
Kind regards,
Jorge Moreira
Jorge Moreira said:
Anyway I will try this weekend, make a custom rom lighter and functional.
Kind regards,
Jorge Moreira
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, don't forget to add CWM and root into your ROM. Actually I will rewrite my post in few days.
OK, the tutorial is rewritten. But it is not done. I will finish the rest later.
i did these steps[even without adding CWM ,just making a flashable stock rom(not included cwm) from cwm] ,but while want to install zip (my custome rom) from recovery ,installation after 2 seconds facing with error("installation aborted")
what is it's reason?
thanks
Jamal_RS said:
i did these steps[even without adding CWM ,just making a flashable stock rom(not included cwm) from cwm] ,but while want to install zip (my custome rom) from recovery ,installation after 2 seconds facing with error("installation aborted")
what is it's reason?
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's some error in updater script, upload it...
Have you edited with notepad or Notepad ++
Option58 said:
There's some error in updater script, upload it...
Have you edited with notepad or Notepad ++
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i didn't edit updater script
Jamal_RS said:
i didn't edit updater script
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And you took it from who?
Option58 said:
And you took it from who?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh understood!!
i want to combine your tutorial and this thread
to make a rooted and included cwm custom rom
so i used from "META-INF folder and ROOTING files" that presented on that thread
i think this is my fault!
is it right?
thanks
Jamal_RS said:
oh understood!!
i want to combine your tutorial and this thread
to make a rooted and included cwm custom rom
so i used from "META-INF folder and ROOTING files" that presented on that thread
i think this is my fault!
is it right?
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand now.
First that zip should only make use to you to learn a little bit more about development. To install that you need already to be rooted with CWM installed.
Second it doesn't install because our devices use a little bit different things. Edit and change every MTD to EMMC and every yaffs (or similar) to ext4. (Notepad ++)
I have only one recovery, from this thread : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2034639
Where I need to put it? in zip file or in system folder?
lozohcum said:
I have only one recovery, from this thread : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2034639
Where I need to put it? in zip file or in system folder?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read my tut again, that recovery wont do the job.
Does anybody want help me about the new project. Extract ftf. Look at Q&A section.
I read it several times and still can't get it. So please explain. And can You reupload flashtool?
Is there anyway how to make stock rom to a flashable zip format??
Please let me know!!
I need help!!
.img to flashable .zip
LioN-HearT said:
Is there anyway how to make stock rom to a flashable zip format??
Please let me know!!
I need help!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pls let us know if you got something that can do that, especially from image(s) file.
Re
I don't think that that's possible, been searching the forums and google for a week and no answer...
LioN-HearT said:
Is there anyway how to make stock rom to a flashable zip format??
Please let me know!!
I need help!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, Iv'e done this before.
1. Rename the .ftf to .zip and extract system.sin with winrar.
2. Get program Called Internals Linux Reader.
3. With Flashtool use the option extract data from sin and select system.sin and extract data.
4. With Internals Linux Reader Mount Image and Copy everything inside the image to a folder.
5. Go into folder and highlight everything and right click and press add to archive (WINRAR!!!!!!!)
6. CHOOSE ZIP AND DONE THERE YOU GO!
NOTE - YOU DONT HAVE META-INF FOLDER SO YOU WONT BE ABLE TO FLASH!
LioN-HearT said:
Is there anyway how to make stock rom to a flashable zip format??
Please let me know!!
I need help!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=How+to+make+flashable+zip+from+ftf
or
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=How+to+make+flashable+zip+from+stock+rom
:laugh:
Or just pull system(if u currently using stock fw) folder using root browser to ur sdcard, make update script and some other and zip it. Ure done!!
Sent from my Xperia Miro using xda premium
Does anyone have, or know where I can find, a copy of the 4.4.3 stock mail & exchange apps?
I'm running modded versions, which I need to restore to stock before I can apply the 4.4.4 update (getting bored of seeing the notification now) - and have misplaced my own backup copies.
Thought a factory restore would have done the job - but didn't!
Thanks
The factory update zip would be a good place to look
pepdavies said:
The factory update zip would be a good place to look
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I'll give that a go - not extracted files from a factory image before, but do have the image so I'll give it a try!
aldredd said:
Thanks, I'll give that a go - not extracted files from a factory image before, but do have the image so I'll give it a try!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would be easier to find a rooted stock flashable zip file. The factory images have .img files which take effort to extract
http://forum.xda-developers.com/goo...t/rom-stock-4-4-3-ktu84m-odex-deodex-t2771010
rootSU said:
Would be easier to find a rooted stock flashable zip file. The factory images have .img files which take effort to extract
http://forum.xda-developers.com/goo...t/rom-stock-4-4-3-ktu84m-odex-deodex-t2771010
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers, I will call that one plan B then - I've managed to extract the files - just moving the to app folder now!
(this link was very useful for the extract process http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2294909)
Fab, was able to get it all to work using the extracted files - and learnt something new in the process (how to extract from an image)
thanks for the help.
Hi guys, I was able to extract system.new.dat from a rom (purity lollipop) and now I have the old good system with folders, so I can change whatever I want. But I tried to flash the zip and only the boot.img gets installed, the rest seems to be ignored.. What should I change in the zip on order to get it to install correctly?
carlese said:
Hi guys, I was able to extract system.new.dat from a rom (purity lollipop) and now I have the old good system with folders, so I can change whatever I want. But I tried to flash the zip and only the boot.img gets installed, the rest seems to be ignored.. What should I change in the zip on order to get it to install correctly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look at the updater-script
Lethargy said:
Look at the updater-script
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I use the updater from the same rom but kitkat version? The things I install are the same I think..