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[Q] Stock OTA 3.2 to Tiamat Katana, is this possible?

My Xoom is completely stock and I just received and installed the 3.2 update. I am pretty disappointed in the SD card support and lack of other features. I held off on rooting and installing Tiamat before as I wanted to see what Google would give us, and well I think I have waited long enough to see that it pales in comparison to what you devs can do.
So now I would like to give the Tiamat kernel a try. So I read through several of the threads and on the Tiamat 2.0.0 Kernel thread it assumes you are on 3.1, where I am already on 3.2. As it took me several months to convince the wifey that I needed my Xoom I do not want to risk bricking it, so I am looking for some help.
-First, is it currently possible to go straight from complete stock 3.2 to Katana?
-Second, and much more difficult, can someone provide me step by step instructions? I've seen several of the threads out there, some of them are very helpfull, some get me part way, but none of them cover this exact upgrade scenario. This just makes me very concerned with doing something wrong or if something changed in 3.2.
I know this is a lot to ask, but I think there are a lot of people who would benefit from this information.
Thanks

HuckFinn said:
My Xoom is completely stock and I just received and installed the 3.2 update. I am pretty disappointed in the SD card support and lack of other features. I held off on rooting and installing Tiamat before as I wanted to see what Google would give us, and well I think I have waited long enough to see that it pales in comparison to what you devs can do.
So now I would like to give the Tiamat kernel a try. So I read through several of the threads and on the Tiamat 2.0.0 Kernel thread it assumes you are on 3.1, where I am already on 3.2. As it took me several months to convince the wifey that I needed my Xoom I do not want to risk bricking it, so I am looking for some help.
-First, is it currently possible to go straight from complete stock 3.2 to Katana?
-Second, and much more difficult, can someone provide me step by step instructions? I've seen several of the threads out there, some of them are very helpfull, some get me part way, but none of them cover this exact upgrade scenario. This just makes me very concerned with doing something wrong or if something changed in 3.2.
I know this is a lot to ask, but I think there are a lot of people who would benefit from this information.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The quick answer to your question is Yes, you can go from stock 2.3 to Tiamat Katana 2.0 kernel, but you must be rooted.
Are you rooted? If so, and if you have already installed Clockwork Mod Recovery 3.2.0.0 (from solarnz' thread in Development) you can just flash the Katana kernel and you should be fine.
If you are not unlocked and rooted--you can follow the directions here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1170760
There are actually some more user-friendly (for noobs) instructions http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1130996 in this thread, but for STEP 5 (ROOTING) you have to substitute the method from jase's post (above) for the instructions for Step 5 in the "idiot's guide" I can't find any 3.2 root files yet. It's the same procedure but a bit more hands on. No matter what you do, you will have to use adb to unlock your bootloader and root, so gather all the necessary files, drivers and print out your instructions.
One thing to know is never try to install a .zip file through adb...that will cause massive headaches. However, it seems pretty hard to actually brick one of these Xooms through updating and flashing. (Don't drop it into water, though!)

Thank you for the information. All the posts asking for help because something did not go right still have me pretty apprehensive. I am not at all interested in over clocking, so it is really the what I assume is proper SD card support and USB tethering that interest me the most.

HuckFinn said:
Thank you for the information. All the posts asking for help because something did not go right still have me pretty apprehensive. I am not at all interested in over clocking, so it is really the what I assume is proper SD card support and USB tethering that interest me the most.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's only by rooting that you are able to get the full functionality of the Xoom. It's great as it is...HC 3.2 is very good and improved, but this device is made to driven like a sports car, not just sat in like a minivan.

okantomi,
Well I have gone back and forth on wether to root or not and you have been very helpful with pointing me to good information. I am hoping you do not mind answering a couple more questions.
-In the "Idiot's guide to flashing" you pointed me to it installed CWM before rooting. Is this the proper order or would you root first? I know I should just follow the guide and give it a shot, but that just seems odd.
-Can you explain to be the difference between the Tiamat kernels and the ROMs? My assumption is that the ROM would include the kernel, but I have a strong feeling that is incorrect. I have read posts of installing the ROM first and then the kernel and I am just more confused.
Thanks, one day I will get there.

HuckFinn said:
okantomi,
Well I have gone back and forth on wether to root or not and you have been very helpful with pointing me to good information. I am hoping you do not mind answering a couple more questions.
-In the "Idiot's guide to flashing" you pointed me to it installed CWM before rooting. Is this the proper order or would you root first? I know I should just follow the guide and give it a shot, but that just seems odd.
-Can you explain to be the difference between the Tiamat kernels and the ROMs? My assumption is that the ROM would include the kernel, but I have a strong feeling that is incorrect. I have read posts of installing the ROM first and then the kernel and I am just more confused.
Thanks, one day I will get there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got to be quick...I have to do some work today, lol, but here goes:
Actually, follow the Idiots Guide regarding the adb, moto drivers setup.
Then follow this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1170760
It's got all the right files and steps, and though it's pretty much to the point, it's user friendly enough. It will get you rooted, I'm sure.
While the difference between ROMs and kernels is somewhat over my head, the ROM does contain the kernel (it's sort of an all inclusive package to tell the device how to behave, whereas the kernel manages particular functions, but not others. It's more limited.) Because the Honeycomb source code hasn't been released, the developers are somewhat limited in the ROM-development department, but they have been able to work wonders with kernels. However, the Tiamat 1.1 Rom for HC3.1 was great and the new ROM in development for HC3.2 will be great too, if the Katana kernal for HC3.2 is any indicator.

Sorry to be a pest but just want to make sure I understand.
A) Follow the idiot's guide steps 1-2, which covers Xoom driver installation and ADB installation.
B) Then follow the other link (How to root your Xoom from stock 3.2) for unlocking and rooting.
C) Then go back to the idiot's guide, skip step 3 (unlocking-already done above) and do step 4 (CWM Installation), skip step 5 (rooting-already done above), then follow step 6 (installing the new kernel).
Again I really appreciate all the advice.
-HuckFinn

HuckFinn said:
Sorry to be a pest but just want to make sure I understand.
A) Follow the idiot's guide steps 1-2, which covers Xoom driver installation and ADB installation.
B) Then follow the other link (How to root your Xoom from stock 3.2) for unlocking and rooting.
C) Then go back to the idiot's guide, skip step 3 (unlocking-already done above) and do step 4 (CWM Installation), skip step 5 (rooting-already done above), then follow step 6 (installing the new kernel).
Again I really appreciate all the advice.
-HuckFinn
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess that my original idea of using the idiot's guide for everything but step 5 still might work, as long as you substitute any older HC 3.1 specific files with the new ones from jase33's post.Meaning new boot image for old boot image, etc...At some point, someone willcreate a "rootboot"zip for HC3.2 but til then, jase33's way is it.
The Tiamat recovery listed in the Idiot's Guide is still valid and jase33 didn't include a custom recovery in his guide (at least I didn't see it). So I think you can install it earlier or later. I'm not sure it makes a difference, as long as you have it installed so you can flash the new kernel!

I just upgraded from a rooted Viewsonic G tablet to the Xoom WiFi. I have not had a chance to work with it yet. A list of reasons to root would be helpful. Thanks in advance.
.

okantomi said:
I've got to be quick...I have to do some work today, lol, but here goes:
Actually, follow the Idiots Guide regarding the adb, moto drivers setup.
Then follow this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1170760
It's got all the right files and steps, and though it's pretty much to the point, it's user friendly enough. It will get you rooted, I'm sure.
While the difference between ROMs and kernels is somewhat over my head, the ROM does contain the kernel (it's sort of an all inclusive package to tell the device how to behave, whereas the kernel manages particular functions, but not others. It's more limited.) Because the Honeycomb source code hasn't been released, the developers are somewhat limited in the ROM-development department, but they have been able to work wonders with kernels. However, the Tiamat 1.1 Rom for HC3.1 was great and the new ROM in development for HC3.2 will be great too, if the Katana kernal for HC3.2 is any indicator.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the kernel is the Linux derivative operating system that the Java based android layer runs on top of. Technically ROM means Read Only Memory which is not being used correctly. A ROM really is a factory produced Masked ROM (burned in, fixed) or an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) as in a chip or integrated circuit.

davidsos said:
I believe the kernel is the Linux derivative operating system that the Java based android layer runs on top of. Technically ROM means Read Only Memory which is not being used correctly. A ROM really is a factory produced Masked ROM (burned in, fixed) or an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) as in a chip or integrated circuit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your answer is more technically correct. Thanks.

Random reboots, coming from 3.2 stock OTA
Does anybody else get random reboots in Tiamat Katana coming from 3.2 stock OTA? So far it's been exclusively a sleep-related problem; I haven't seen it reboot during active use. I'm not (over|under)(clocking|volting).
I've tried clearing cache and Dalvik cache. If it matters, I've been using the Overclocked GPU version. I'll try the Standard GPU version of Katana, but that's not a likely fix, since all the problems seem to be sleep-related.
(PS: I've read all the FAQs I could find, but I couldn't find the answer to this one: I'm coming from a Viewsonic G, and I'm used to the ability to nvflash completely back to a working state no matter what. Is there an equivalent method of restoring a Xoom to absolute stock? Thanks!)

Nevermind...I did one more "clear user data" and now it's stable. Tiamat devs, you are gods among men and heroes to all the little children. Thanks!

redhairedscot said:
Nevermind...I did one more "clear user data" and now it's stable. Tiamat devs, you are gods among men and heroes to all the little children. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And if you set WiFi sleep to NEVER (hardly uses any additional battery) you will not have any more random sleep-related reboots.

CWM after rooting?
I followed the instructions in Post #2 of this thread to root my Xoom (HC 3.2). All seemed to go well. However, I have noticed that when following pingvinen's instructions (linked from Post #2), in http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1130996, to install Tiamat 2.0.0, the steps include installing CWM before rooting. I can't see that it matters that I install CWM after rooting and before Tiamat installation, but I thought that I had better check. Could somebody please confirm that it doesn't matter whether CWM is installed before or after rooting?
Thank you
Gordon

cwm before root, because you need to flash a new recovery to root and flash a new ROM. I'm a noob, too, and just figuring this out myself, but think I am explaining this right.
one of the many guides I reviewed was by steady Hawkins (now part of team tiamat) over on xoomforums... partly pasted below... I actually rooted using the older files and images he references, then upgraded cwm to 3.2 then flashed tiamat 2.0... probably more steps than necessary, but these were the clearest directions and by going through several rounds of flashing I learned a good bit about the process.
Prerequisites:
1) Copy whatever you want to retain, your device will wipe when it unlocks 2) You must have SDK/ADB set up, for instructions please see- Setting up ADB on Windows 7 64 bit (and other Windows platforms) 3) Open SDK and copy all of the files inside of tools folder and paste them inside of platform-tools folder. Vice versa will work as well. If it asks you if you want to replace files select no. The folder you paste these files into will be the folder you will run ADB commands from. 4) Download the files from the link below. Place recovery.img in the file you will run commands from in ADB. ***Wifi-Only Users***- manually put the System and bootloader zips files onto a sdcard card and insert card into xoom. ***3G/4G Users***- manually put the System, bootloader, and 3G fix zips onto a sdcard and insert card into xoom.
Downloads:
Recovery- http://db.tt/GXNxZkF System- 3.1 System - Downloads - Android Forum Bootloader- Bootloader Patch - Downloads - Android Forum 3G Fix- 3G Fix for 3.1 - Downloads - Android Forum
Notes:
In the following two sections you will see red text. This text represents the command that needs to be entered in ADB/Command Prompt. After each command press enter and wait for your computer to push the info to your Xoom. When you see the next command line come up you are ok to enter the next command. You can copy and paste the commands if you would like.
1) To start the process place your Xoom into USB debugging mode. This is done by going to settings, applications, development, and checking the box next to USB Debugging. 2) Plug your Xoom into your computer, open your command prompt (with the path set to the correct folder) and type adb devices 3) If you get a string of numbers your good to proceed, if not refer back to Setting up ADB on Windows 7 64 bit (and other Windows platforms) to see where you went wrong.
Unlocking:
adb reboot bootloader Xoom will reboot into a screen with text on the upper left corner. While you are on this screen enter the following fastboot oem unlock A bunch of text will appear and you will need to use the down volume rocker to select yes, followed by volume up to confirm Xoom will then wipe, reboot, and your back up and running. At this point you will need to go back and re-enable USB debugging
Flash Recovery Img:
Make sure Xoom is connected to computer. Test connection by running adb devices if you get the string of numbers proceed.
Rename the Recovery img you downloaded ~~~> recovery.img
adb reboot bootloader Xoom will reboot into a screen with text on the upper left corner. While you are on this screen enter the following fastboot flash recovery recovery.img Wait for it to finish, then read the below note before you enter the next command!!!!!!!!! fastboot reboot ***As soon as you enter the "fastboot reboot" command in the previous step, your device will reboot. You have to boot into recovery right away or your Xoom will reflash the stock recovery over the custom recovery you just flashed. Follow these next steps very carefully-
a. When you see the Motorola logo appear, wait approximately 3 seconds. b. Tap the Volume Down button. You should see the words "Android Recovery" appear at the top of the screen. Now tap the Volume Up button to boot into recovery. c. If when attempting to boot into recovery it says 'Starting Fastboot protocol support' then you hit Volume Down too soon. Hold Vol UP + Power to reboot and try again.
Root Time:
***For the following use the volume rocker to move the selector up and down, use the power button to select***
1)Select wipe data/factory reset and confirm 2)Select install zip from SD and confirm 3)Select the system file and confirm After it loads select install zip from SD again and confirm 4)Select the bootloader file and confirm
***3G USERS ONLY- Select 3G fix and confirm***
5)Select Reboot and confirm
At this point Xoom will reboot. Please note the first boot will take a while. After it boots up you will be rooted and you should have SDsupport!
Root info:
To ensure that you are rooted download Terminal Emulator from the market (its free). Open it and type su followed by pressing enter. On the next line you should see #. If you do your dialed in.
To view your SDcard use a file manager program such as Root Explorer. Your sdcard will be located in /sdcard/external.
Big thanks to Bigrushdog for the imgs!!!!!

kosenn said:
I just upgraded from a rooted Viewsonic G tablet to the Xoom WiFi. I have not had a chance to work with it yet. A list of reasons to root would be helpful. Thanks in advance.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had my 3g zoom for 4+ months before deciding to root. The advantages I've seen in a few short days rooted:
better performance, faster booting, smoother webpages
full SD card use (write access to go along with read in stock 3.2)
ability to fully and truly back up the device
a very resposive developer community
a very knowledgeable and helpful user community (though they'll help you even stock)
a growing understanding of how this great device works
what I'm not sure of is how much effort and attention it will take to keep up with updates from the dev community, and whether tinkering with this thing will become addictive and end up consuming as much time as my original reasons/uses for buying it in the first place

Thank you for the reply. I thought the thread had died
You say:
cwm before root, because you need to flash a new recovery to root and flash a new ROM. I'm a noob, too, and just figuring this out myself, but think I am explaining this right.
I tried to install CWM (flash with fastboot) on a rooted stock US 3.2 WiFi Xoom. I am not clear why starting with a rooted device would make any difference for flashing a new recovery, before flashing a new ROM. Can you explain further? Nevertheless, I haven't managed to flash a fully functioning CWM. It works but with error messages, as indicated in my post at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1130996&page=4.
Maybe I need to go back and unroot.
Thank you
Gordon

1st, a disclaimer that I'm not much more experienced than you (if at all). Take what I offer knowing that.
I actually experienced an identical problem. Like you, I was working from several "guides" at once and I think the issue resultedbfrom mixing instructions for one cwm version with an earlier (or later) version. I THINK the version you have is the same as the one referenced in the guide I pasted. If you'll note his directions, he suggested renaming the recovery document to "recovery.img" before flashing it. When I went back and did that, it worked for me... then I was able to flash the updated cwm 3.2.0.0 with no errors.... then tiamat 2.0
I have no idea, though, whether there are ramifications to being rooted without a error-free recovery.

Thanks again for this ... at least someone has been through the same problems as me!
The version of CWM that I am trying to flash is "recovery-Tiamat-R4c-100611-1150-cwm.img", which is what is shown in the fastboot line in http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1130996. However, I am not seeing any reference to renaming to recovery.img. Are we looking at different threads?
If necessary, I will go back to stock 3.0.1 and un-root, but I would like to avoid the stress, if possible
Thank you
Gordon

Update on How to Root from Scratch, (Backup TA, Unlock Bootloader, then Recovery)

First off, i'm sorry if the title is misleading and/or belong in the wrong part of this forum.
So, I'm late to the party, just got myself a Z5 E6653 and when I look for guides on how to obtain root they kind of out-of-date. So i'm here to make sure the path I choose to follow will be the correct one as I dont want to lose my TA partition. As far as I know, according to this guide to back up my TA partition I have to downgrade to Lollipop, but I found something interesting about backing up TA partition on Marshmallow using dirtycow method (sorry Nougat users).
So, the steps I'm proposed is, if my device is already on stock MM unrooted, locked bootloader.
1. Go here Sony cross-devices development and download file called backupTA_v2.zip this shouldnt makes us need to downgrade
2. Run the BackupTA.cmd file if you're on windows
3. There will be errors about dirtycow failed but the script automatically retry, me myself got screen-full of retries before the script actually backed up my TA partition and you'll be presented with .imgfile called TA_devicemodel_somenumbers_timestamp.img about 2MB in size (am i correct so far? this is why i want to make sure this will work)
4. Save your file in a very secure place.
That concludes the Backup TA part of rooting process am I on the right path so far?
To get unlocked bootloader according to this :
Given that you have downloaded flashtool and installed the drivers in the \drivers folder in flashtool installation
!!THIS WILL WIPE ALL DATA!!
1. Click the BLU button at top then open Sony developer website
2. Select device and follow instruction until you get a key
3. Paste the key to flashtool
4. THAT'S IT?
Now after this we can use fastboot command to flash kernel and the kernel includes recovery.
Are these steps correct so far?
I might as well add these here.
To get kernel and recovery up and running, I'll be taking androplus kernel for example, I'm assuming it works with stock ROM.
1. Get the kernel .zip here at Androplus homepage
2. And download latest TWRP recovery from androplus download page, at this time of writing it should be TWRP-3.0.2.2-e6653.img
3. Notice that it's in .zip format which we cannot use yet since we don't have custom recovery.
4. Open the zip file you just downloaded and you should see boot.img That's your brand new shining kernel, extract it outside put it in a folder along with your favorite fastboot.exe file
5. Go to fastboot, as far as I know you go to fastboot by turning off the device -> hold volume down then plug USB cable. (see note)
6. First, according to Androplus page, flash the kernel first using the command
Code:
fastboot flash boot boot.img
7. Then the recovery
Code:
fastboot flash recovery TWRP-3.0.2.2-E6653.img
8. Reboot by unplugging the USB cable
Note: some interesting thing I found while trying to enter fastboot or flashmode that it might not work if your USB port is powered How to tell if your port is powered? I'm not sure. You will have to change port and hope for the best ^_^

Yes. Explained many times. Not hard to do.. 4-5 minutes then WHOLA!

sceryavuz said:
Yes. Explained many times. Not hard to do.. 4-5 minutes then WHOLA!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahaha, sorry. Those guides are "old" in android way of changing things very fast, and I haven't seen a guide which includes backup TA partition on marshmallow so I wasn't sure it'd work correctly. Now that I know it worked, I can proceed to unlock my bootloader.
Any tips or Kernel/Rom I should use for first time flash?

webslasher said:
Ahaha, sorry. Those guides are "old" in android way of changing things very fast, and I haven't seen a guide which includes backup TA partition on marshmallow so I wasn't sure it'd work correctly. Now that I know it worked, I can proceed to unlock my bootloader.
Any tips or Kernel/Rom I should use for first time flash?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LineageOS, CarbonROM, eXistenZ, SunKernel..

Dear both,
I was just doing quite the same, so it was nice to read the short summary. Honestly, I'm doing these "Flash ROM stuff" very rarely, so I'm not 100% confident how to bring back those DRM/TA. I recorded it - the device came with Android LP 5.11, so this was easy done by iovyroot.
Anyway, I have the TA-backup - so I'm also going to unlock the Boot Loader now. :good:
Good to know I spend a day on reading so many related stuff, and it could be done in 4-5 min

sceryavuz said:
LineageOS, CarbonROM, eXistenZ, SunKernel..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will try Existenz as I want to keep it stock looking, thanks!
bosquarid said:
Dear both,
I was just doing quite the same, so it was nice to read the short summary. Honestly, I'm doing these "Flash ROM stuff" very rarely, so I'm not 100% confident how to bring back those DRM/TA. I recorded it - the device came with Android LP 5.11, so this was easy done by iovyroot.
Anyway, I have the TA-backup - so I'm also going to unlock the Boot Loader now. :good:
Good to know I spend a day on reading so many related stuff, and it could be done in 4-5 min
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm glad to find someone that is going to go through these procedures too! I will also proceed to unlock my bootloader what rom and kernel do you plan to flash?

Hi, thanks for this. I just got the Z5 today so my first port of call was coming here and finding out how to root it. I previously had the Z2 and Z2 tablet which I rooted last year with the help of the members here, I hope the process for this isn't too different for this one. I think I forget more than I remember so the guide is helpful.

Already rooted Samsung J5 - general inquiry

Hello guys. I just bought a used Samsung Galaxy J5 (SM-J500FN) with android version 5.1.1. The previous owner told me that it is rooted. Nothing seems weird with the phone other than when i try to factory reset it it takes me to a "bios" kind window where i have to manually choose to delete all data (hard delete i think its called), that and when i normally turn on the phone, at the top left corner it says "set warranty bit kernel". I was just wondering how do i go about installing custom roms since its already rooted, and can i unblock the default carriers (T-mobile) block for other sim cards. When asked how he rooted it (what method was he using) he said he just used Odin. I dont know much about rooting so, whatever you can tell me as to the handling of the phone would be amazing. Any other guides to installing some custom roms and making the phone easier and faster ( i only want functionality, don't care much about the UI) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

luan96 said:
Hello guys. I just bought a used Samsung Galaxy J5 (SM-J500FN) with android version 5.1.1. The previous owner told me that it is rooted. Nothing seems weird with the phone other than when i try to factory reset it it takes me to a "bios" kind window where i have to manually choose to delete all data (hard delete i think its called), that and when i normally turn on the phone, at the top left corner it says "set warranty bit kernel". I was just wondering how do i go about installing custom roms since its already rooted, and can i unblock the default carriers (T-mobile) block for other sim cards. When asked how he rooted it (what method was he using) he said he just used Odin. I dont know much about rooting so, whatever you can tell me as to the handling of the phone would be amazing. Any other guides to installing some custom roms and making the phone easier and faster ( i only want functionality, don't care much about the UI) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For starters, I'd head over the J5 forum
Galaxy J5 Forums
Or here's a great post that includes a lot of stuff to get started on reading:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-j5/how-to/galaxy-j5-root-twrp-roms-news-tips-t3620892
But the basics are: To flash a custom ROM, research what a custom recovery is, how to flash a custom recovery to your phone model and after that, flashing a custom ROM is as easy as loading the .zip file to your SD card and selecting it in the custom recovery.
I'd also research on how to flash to stock, as this is a life-saver in case you accidentally do something wrong. Pretty much you need to know how to flash via Odin (yes, learning how to use Odin is important to us Samsung users).
Don't worry though, it's not that big of a pain, Odin is pretty easy to learn

ShaDisNX255 said:
For starters, I'd head over the J5 forum
Galaxy J5 Forums
Or here's a great post that includes a lot of stuff to get started on reading:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-j5/how-to/galaxy-j5-root-twrp-roms-news-tips-t3620892
But the basics are: To flash a custom ROM, research what a custom recovery is, how to flash a custom recovery to your phone model and after that, flashing a custom ROM is as easy as loading the .zip file to your SD card and selecting it in the custom recovery.
I'd also research on how to flash to stock, as this is a life-saver in case you accidentally do something wrong. Pretty much you need to know how to flash via Odin (yes, learning how to use Odin is important to us Samsung users).
Don't worry though, it's not that big of a pain, Odin is pretty easy to learn
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I love about Samsung, as long as you have your ducks in a row, the files and tools are extremely easy to use, a 4 year old could do it.
I DO NOT PROVIDE HELP IN PM, KEEP IT IN THE THREADS WHERE EVERYONE CAN SHARE

ShaDisNX255 said:
For starters, I'd head over the J5 forum
Galaxy J5 Forums
Or here's a great post that includes a lot of stuff to get started on reading:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-j5/how-to/galaxy-j5-root-twrp-roms-news-tips-t3620892
But the basics are: To flash a custom ROM, research what a custom recovery is, how to flash a custom recovery to your phone model and after that, flashing a custom ROM is as easy as loading the .zip file to your SD card and selecting it in the custom recovery.
I'd also research on how to flash to stock, as this is a life-saver in case you accidentally do something wrong. Pretty much you need to know how to flash via Odin (yes, learning how to use Odin is important to us Samsung users).
Don't worry though, it's not that big of a pain, Odin is pretty easy to learn
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, ill be sure to check them out. Although, i would like to do the entire process from the beginning (root it again myself since i have no idea what the previous owner has done) and then try to install custom roms and other cool features rooting offers. I read that the KNOX security on samsung phones can pose some problems, any thoughts on that ?
Thank you again for your response.

ShaDisNX255 said:
For starters, I'd head over the J5 forum
Galaxy J5 Forums
Or here's a great post that includes a lot of stuff to get started on reading:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-j5/how-to/galaxy-j5-root-twrp-roms-news-tips-t3620892
But the basics are: To flash a custom ROM, research what a custom recovery is, how to flash a custom recovery to your phone model and after that, flashing a custom ROM is as easy as loading the .zip file to your SD card and selecting it in the custom recovery.
I'd also research on how to flash to stock, as this is a life-saver in case you accidentally do something wrong. Pretty much you need to know how to flash via Odin (yes, learning how to use Odin is important to us Samsung users).
Don't worry though, it's not that big of a pain, Odin is pretty easy to learn
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, i use Linux so i hear the alternative to Odin is Heimdall, anyone have any experience with it, or should i just do it on a Windows PC?

luan96 said:
Also, i use Linux so i hear the alternative to Odin is Heimdall, anyone have any experience with it, or should i just do it on a Windows PC?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got no experience with Linux, sorry. SuperSU disables knox so there's nothing to worry about.

luan96 said:
Also, i use Linux so i hear the alternative to Odin is Heimdall, anyone have any experience with it, or should i just do it on a Windows PC?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're a Linux user and you have knowledge of using terminal commands then you should have no trouble setting up Hiemdall. Getting full USB functionality set up for the device in Hiemdall can be a pain if you aren't familiar with that kind of thing.
But, having a Windows PC will make a lot of things very simplified for you. A Windows/Linux dual boot system would be very handy to you if you can set that up. Then you could also use Kies/SmartSwitch if it ever comes to a point that you need it.
There are some handy rarely used instances with Linux when it comes to Samsung. They have no fastboot like other devices so only adb is usable. I think they primarily centered around Windows being the preferred OS to interact with their devices.

Droidriven said:
If you're a Linux user and you have knowledge of using terminal commands then you should have no trouble setting up Hiemdall. Getting full USB functionality set up for the device in Hiemdall can be a pain if you aren't familiar with that kind of thing.
But, having a Windows PC will make a lot of things very simplified for you. A Windows/Linux dual boot system would be very handy to you if you can set that up. Then you could also use Kies/SmartSwitch if it ever comes to a point that you need it.
There are some handy rarely used instances with Linux when it comes to Samsung. They have no fastboot like other devices so only adb is usable. I think they primarily centered around Windows being the preferred OS to interact with their devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the info. I already have a dual boot on my pc with windows. I am an experienced Linux user and setting up Hiemdall should not pose a problem, but i opted to go for Windows since as you said makes things simpler.
Still looking for guides and tutorials on how exactly the root process goes. Doing research, so i guess its going to be a late night. If you have any links or pages you can guide me to for my Samsung J5 it would be amazing. Right now am looking around this forum and wherever the links lead me.
Thank you again.

luan96 said:
Thank you for the info. I already have a dual boot on my pc with windows. I am an experienced Linux user and setting up Hiemdall should not pose a problem, but i opted to go for Windows since as you said makes things simpler.
Still looking for guides and tutorials on how exactly the root process goes. Doing research, so i guess its going to be a late night. If you have any links or pages you can guide me to for my Samsung J5 it would be amazing. Right now am looking around this forum and wherever the links lead me.
Thank you again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First, just to make sure that you are not walking blindly into some potential traps.
1) download the root checker app from Playstore, use it to verify whether the device is actually rooted.
2) power the device off, wait 5 seconds, hold volume up+home+power, when it boots past the logo, let go. It should boot to recovery, tell me what you see. Does it say TWRP with grey buttons on a black screen? Or does it have an android lying on his back and have options listed?
3) verify whether or not the bootloader is unlocked or not on your specific device model number with your specific build number/android version, if it's locked it will create problems if you try to flash custom recovery. Though you can flash CF autoroot with locked bootloader.
Then I'll help find what you need to do what you are looking to do. It may be simpler than you think.
If he in fact used Odin and the device is rooted, he did one of three things.
1) flashed custom recovery(TWRP) via Odin then flashed SuperSU.zip to root, not possible with locked bootloader.
2) flashed CF auto root via Odin, potentially leaving stock recovery if your bootloader is locked.
3) flashed a pre-rooted stock firmware via Odin, not likely though.
The first 2 being more likely than the last one, the second one being the most likely if your bootloader is locked.
Edit: @luan96, edited for more information.
I DO NOT PROVIDE HELP IN PM, KEEP IT IN THE THREADS WHERE EVERYONE CAN SHARE

@Droidriven Thank you for the info. After a rough night of research i realized what i need to do. According to root checker, my phone is not rooted, and the recovery seems to be stock. This is very weird, since the phone is obviously not just the stock version that came from T Mobile. Im guessing its probably a badly done root or one that was removed. Anyways, this is how i am planing to proceed:
1. Turn on OEM Unlocking and USB Debugging from developer versions
2. Download CM Autoroot for my specific phone ( i do not know what is the difference between "normal" root and autoroot, but autoroot seems to be simpler and offers the same thing. Please correct me if i am wrong, i would love to know how to do a manual root as well if it has more benefits).
3. Volume down+home+power to get to the download screen
4. Launch Odin that comes with the autoroot package
5. Plug my phone into the USB and wait for Odin to add it.
6. Select the autoroot md5 file from the folder and begin the flashing process
7. Hope for the best and that my phone is still functional when it auto reboots.
After this i should check with Root Checker weather its properly installed or not. If it is, and i see the SuperSU application i continue to installing the custom recovery ( through some research i found out that TWRP is the best choice for me). Installing the custom recovery should be as easy as auto rooting the device. I should download the files from an official website, and flash them using the same process i did for AutoRoot.
After that its mod heaven. With my understanding so far, TWRP lets me install custom roms, and other things i might need.
This is what i plan on doing as soon as im done with a little more research. If anyone has any tips, corrections or general information on what to expect or do please share.
Many thanks to every contributor on this thread.

luan96 said:
@Droidriven Thank you for the info. After a rough night of research i realized what i need to do. According to root checker, my phone is not rooted, and the recovery seems to be stock. This is very weird, since the phone is obviously not just the stock version that came from T Mobile. Im guessing its probably a badly done root or one that was removed. Anyways, this is how i am planing to proceed:
2. Download CM Autoroot for my specific phone ( i do not know what is the difference between "normal" root and autoroot, but autoroot seems to be simpler and offers the same thing. Please correct me if i am wrong, i would love to know how to do a manual root as well if it has more benefits).
3. Volume down+home+power to get to the download screen
4. Launch Odin that comes with the autoroot package
5. Plug my phone into the USB and wait for Odin to add it.
6. Select the autoroot md5 file from the folder and begin the flashing process
7. Hope for the best and that my phone is still functional when it auto reboots.
After this i should check with Root Checker weather its properly installed or not. If it is, and i see the SuperSU application i continue to installing the custom recovery ( through some research i found out that TWRP is the best choice for me). Installing the custom recovery should be as easy as auto rooting the device. I should download the files from an official website, and flash them using the same process i did for AutoRoot.
After that its mod heaven. With my understanding so far, TWRP lets me install custom roms, and other things i might need.
This is what i plan on doing as soon as im done with a little more research. If anyone has any tips, corrections or general information on what to expect or do please share.
Many thanks to every contributor on this thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would recommend using the command line to flash the twrp instead of the GUI if you want a simple process in linux
Run a terminal as a superuser (sudo)
heimdall flash –RECOVERY filename.img
Do step 1 and 3 you gave before before doing this
Or just flash the twrp image using Odin
J500FN twrp
https://dl.twrp.me/j5nltexx/

-Hope- said:
I would recommend using the command line to flash the twrp instead of the GUI if you want a simple process in linux
Run a terminal as a superuser (sudo)
heimdall flash –RECOVERY filename.img
Do step 1 and 3 you gave before before doing this
Or just flash the twrp image using Odin
J500FN twrp
https://dl.twrp.me/j5nltexx/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm going to use Odin for this. Since I'm quite new to the rooting community I dont want to mess things up on the first try. I'd rather get comfortable with some standard stuff before I proceed to try different variations. Thank you for your input. Though I would still like to know if I should use cm auto root or do a manual root. The difference is not quite clear to me yet. Again, thank you for your input, it is appreciated.

luan96 said:
@Droidriven Thank you for the info. After a rough night of research i realized what i need to do. According to root checker, my phone is not rooted, and the recovery seems to be stock. This is very weird, since the phone is obviously not just the stock version that came from T Mobile. Im guessing its probably a badly done root or one that was removed. Anyways, this is how i am planing to proceed:
1. Turn on OEM Unlocking and USB Debugging from developer versions
2. Download CM Autoroot for my specific phone ( i do not know what is the difference between "normal" root and autoroot, but autoroot seems to be simpler and offers the same thing. Please correct me if i am wrong, i would love to know how to do a manual root as well if it has more benefits).
3. Volume down+home+power to get to the download screen
4. Launch Odin that comes with the autoroot package
5. Plug my phone into the USB and wait for Odin to add it.
6. Select the autoroot md5 file from the folder and begin the flashing process
7. Hope for the best and that my phone is still functional when it auto reboots.
After this i should check with Root Checker weather its properly installed or not. If it is, and i see the SuperSU application i continue to installing the custom recovery ( through some research i found out that TWRP is the best choice for me). Installing the custom recovery should be as easy as auto rooting the device. I should download the files from an official website, and flash them using the same process i did for AutoRoot.
After that its mod heaven. With my understanding so far, TWRP lets me install custom roms, and other things i might need.
This is what i plan on doing as soon as im done with a little more research. If anyone has any tips, corrections or general information on what to expect or do please share.
Many thanks to every contributor on this thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flashing CF autoroot will simplify rooting, again, just make sure you have the correct autoroot for your specific model number and firmware, flashing the wrong one can softbrick or hardbrick your device, this would require flashing stock firmware via Odin to repair if softbricked and more serious methods to restore if hardbricked. There isn't much difference in effect with the different rooting methods. They all get the job done about equally.
Just make sure that you verify that your bootloader is in fact unlocked BEFORE you flash TWRP. As stated earlier, if it is locked, it will certainly cause issues and you'll have to restore stock recovery and/or stock firmware.
As long as your bootloader is unlocked then your outlined plan should be good to go.
I DO NOT PROVIDE HELP IN PM, KEEP IT IN THE THREADS WHERE EVERYONE CAN SHARE

Droidriven said:
Flashing CF autoroot will simplify rooting, afain, just make sure you have the correct autoroot for your specific model number and firmware, flashing the wrong one can softbrick or hardbrick your device, this would require flashing stock firmware via Odin to repair if softbricked and more serious methods to restore if hardbricked. There isn't much difference in effect with the different rooting methods. They all get the job done about equally.
Just make sure that you verify that your bootloader is in fact unlocked BEFORE you flash TWRP. As stated earlier, if it is locked, it will certainly cause issues and you'll have to restore stock recovery and/or stock firmware.
As long as you're bootloader is unlocked then your outlined plan should be good to go.
I DO NOT PROVIDE HELP IN PM, KEEP IT IN THE THREADS WHERE EVERYONE CAN SHARE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, looks like i messed up somehow. I was fiddling around the recovery mode and Odin mode. Those were the only two screens i could view besides normal booting, so i was looking for any info.
Recovery Mode https://ibb.co/hotYZ5
Odin mode 1 https://ibb.co/nFfVE5
Once on the recovery mode, i selected "reboot to bootloader" hoping to find info if its locked or not. I got redirected to this screen
Odin Mode 2 https://ibb.co/kqhtZ5
And then i did what i think is the dumbest thing this year....i removed the batery and now when i try to turn on my phone -
Blocked https://ibb.co/kkOd1k
Please tell me i did not brick my phone without even trying to root it first. My understanding is that i accidentally wiped the current OS (softbrick?) and now i have to flash a new one and then continue with what i had planned. Or is this a small problem that can be fixed easier? Or a more serious one ? Good news tho maybe, i think that the bootloader is unlocked ?
Thank you @Droidriven for your info so far, you have been extremely helpful.
*EDIT* - Pictures didnt link correctly.

luan96 said:
Well, looks like i messed up somehow. I was fiddling around the recovery mode and Odin mode. Those were the only two screens i could view besides normal booting, so i was looking for any info.
Recovery Mode https://ibb.co/hotYZ5
Odin mode 1 https://ibb.co/nFfVE5
Once on the recovery mode, i selected "reboot to bootloader" hoping to find info if its locked or not. I got redirected to this screen
Odin Mode 2 https://ibb.co/kqhtZ5
And then i did what i think is the dumbest thing this year....i removed the batery and now when i try to turn on my phone -
Blocked https://ibb.co/kkOd1k
Please tell me i did not brick my phone without even trying to root it first. My understanding is that i accidentally wiped the current OS (softbrick?) and now i have to flash a new one and then continue with what i had planned. Or is this a small problem that can be fixed easier? Or a more serious one ? Good news tho maybe, i think that the bootloader is unlocked ?
Thank you @Droidriven for your info so far, you have been extremely helpful.
*EDIT* - Pictures didnt link correctly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It looks to me like they attempted to root the device but didn't do it correctly.
FRP can be a pain to deal with. Some can be bypassed easily, those that have trouble bypassing must sign in with the original owner's original Gmail and password used to activate the device.
The method of bypassing FRP varies from device to device.
Did you factory reset in recovery? If so, that's why you FRP blocked you.
If you have stock recovery then you should not have been able to wipe out the OS using stock recovery, typically, only custom recovery can do that, unless you did something accidentally that somehow corrupted/wiped your OS.
If the OS is gone, you'll have to flash your stock firmware via Odin and start over from the beginning.
I DO NOT PROVIDE HELP IN PM, KEEP IT IN THE THREADS WHERE EVERYONE CAN SHARE

Droidriven said:
It looks to me like they attempted to root the device but didn't do it correctly.
FRP can be a pain to deal with. Some can be bypassed easily, those that have trouble bypassing must sign in with the original owner's original Gmail and password used to activate the device.
The method of bypassing FRP varies from device to device.
Did you factory reset in recovery? If so, that's why you FRP blocked you.
If you have stock recovery then you should not have been able to wipe out the OS using stock recovery, typically, only custom recovery can do that, unless you did something accidentally that somehow corrupted/wiped your OS.
If the OS is gone, you'll have to flash your stock firmware via Odin and start over from the beginning.
I DO NOT PROVIDE HELP IN PM, KEEP IT IN THE THREADS WHERE EVERYONE CAN SHARE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you. At least its not just a paperweight. I'm installing new software on it with Kiesk 3 right now. Hope that works so i can do the rooting and TWRP install soon. I pressed "reboot to bootlader" to try and find out if its locked or not, but then it got me in download mode (without having to press up volume to contionue). After i turned off my phone by removing the battery, the OS was gone.

luan96 said:
Thank you. At least its not just a paperweight. I'm installing new software on it with Kiesk 3 right now. Hope that works so i can do the rooting and TWRP install soon. I pressed "reboot to bootlader" to try and find out if its locked or not, but then it got me in download mode (without having to press up volume to contionue). After i turned off my phone by removing the battery, the OS was gone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you get this restored with Kies?

Droidriven said:
Did you get this restored with Kies?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, i did. Worked like a charm, and even got the new 6.0.1 android on it. Also installed TWRP, and just finished installing Xposed Framework, now waiting for it to boot up ( i hear it takes some time). Seems all well so far. If any problems pop out ill be sure to post about it. Also thinking about making a new thread just to help newbies like me who really just want to remove some bloatware, and install some nice modules and not heavily mod the phone. You have been very helpful during this process. Many thanks to you ^-^ .

luan96 said:
Yes, i did. Worked like a charm, and even got the new 6.0.1 android on it. Also installed TWRP, and just finished installing Xposed Framework, now waiting for it to boot up ( i hear it takes some time). Seems all well so far. If any problems pop out ill be sure to post about it. Also thinking about making a new thread just to help newbies like me who really just want to remove some bloatware, and install some nice modules and not heavily mod the phone. You have been very helpful during this process. Many thanks to you ^-^ .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have issues with Xposed causing a bootloop, you can flash the Xposed uninstaller zip in TWRP to remove it, then troubleshoot why it bootlooped and try again.
Are you using the Touch wiz marshmallow Xposed framework?
I DO NOT PROVIDE HELP IN PM, KEEP IT IN THE THREADS WHERE EVERYONE CAN SHARE

Need Guru to Discuss Rooting in general with me

I'm fed up with people on this forum. I keep trying to engage people in a discussion, a conversation to explain some things to me and No one seems willing. It's like there are No Rooting gurus that can answer my simple questions. On a forum full of Android developers, I'm very disappointed, I thought i'd get tons of help. If you read this, Please consider staying to have a discussion/conversation with me.
Preface to The Discussion:
I have used both Android and Linux in the past, I know what Super User is, I use it in Zorin 12 Linux and own a rooted (kingroot) android tablet. I am trying to get information on rooting my Figo Atrium phone by trying to understand Rooting better in general. perhaps this discussion will make since to you and together you can help me find a way to root my phone - But I Must have a back and forth or I'll never understand this. - I know there are many exploits to root a phone used by tools like kingroot. I know these exploits are many and varied depending on your phone's CPU architecture, and software and not all root tools with work with my device. . I know the bootloader has to be unlocked and one must have USB Debugging enabled in Developer Options. I know some phone manufacturers make tools that help you root your phone (MTK Droid Tools) So far, none of these tools can root my phone.
Let's Start The Discussion Here:
I was able to not root but my Upgrade my phone from Lollipop to Marshmallow. I did this using SP Flash Tool and these instructions (which were badly translated and which as you can see by the comments in the video, I had to correct due to bad translation) See this video and comments by me to understand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEIJM2YjNzE - I used SP Flash Tool and a Rom Figo provided. After I figured out the botched instructions, I was able to upgrade my device with no problems.
Question 1: Isn't this essentially the same process that is used for Rooting? It proves my bootloader is unlocked and the phone does have the ability to flash a new Rom. <- Based on That, doesn't it seem to you that my phone would be in fact Rootable?
If you think so, tell me why, if you think Not, tell me why.
Question 2: If you think So, then: Someone suggested to me that using a tool like Magisk or SuperSU may be able to root my device. Does this seem likely to you based on what I've told you so far? No one in the SuperSU sub forum can answer this question.
If you think No, then we'll discuss this more. I'll wait for your replies. Thank you.

Rooting is, simply said, placing a 'su' binary in the system folder. SU means switch user, when you give that command you're instructing Android to give you root user privileage. OEM's don't want that to happen so they won't include it in their ROMs. Tools like supersu are made to copy that 'su' file to the system partition. There are a lot of ways to explain this, I'm just giving you something quick and easy to understand.
Now regarding your questions;
1) Flashing anything requires the bootloader to be unlocked on most phones. BUT MTK phones don't. (Except some HTC phones). SP Flash Tool can flash any partition without needing to unlock. It's dangerous security wise, but this means its also easier to root.
Infact all MTK phones are rootable. So don't worry about that.
2) How to root? The best way to root is with supersu. (You can also try magisk if you want to use Android Pay).
You need a custom recovery like TWRP first.
I found one here which is for your same CPU. https://www.needrom.com/download/twrp-recovery-13/
^I am just giving you a link to recovery which uses the same CPU so It may or may not work. PLEASE take a backup of your original recovery before doing anything.
Now download SuperSU zip file from here https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/supersu/download/zip/SuperSU-v2.82-201705271822.zip
Don't open it, just keep it in your sd card.
Flash the recovery using SP Flash Tool (check only the recovery box and select this file). Now unplug the phone and press Volume Up+Power Button to boot into recovery.
Then if it says swipe to allow modifications, swipe.
Now goto Install->Select the Supersu.zip file you downloaded->Swipe and reboot.
That's it! You're rooted!

Thanks.. again, you've answered things others couldn't. Much appreciated.
You say, " You need a custom recovery like TWRP first.
I found one here which is for your same CPU. https://www.needrom.com/download/twrp-recovery-13/
^I am just giving you a link to recovery which uses the same CPU so It may or may not work. PLEASE take a backup of your original recovery before doing anything."
Lets say Twrp doesn't work. What is this for, just to re-flash your original rom in case twrp fails at making a backup? ( I assume the tool makes your installed rom flashable in case the root doesn't work and you need to revert back to your original system) I have the SP Tool and the Rom for Marshmallow that works with my device from Figo. Can I use that if Twrp fails - or am I not understanding what twrp is used for? Just checking before I start this. Otherwise, I'll try to follow your instructions to the letter and see what happens.

Still Looking ?
STILL Looking? IF so, a few thoughts .... It is a nice phone for the price. The newer version eventually coming out looks even nicer, and for now, it is still my backup phone to my Figo Gravity. Discovered Figos when I got totally fed up with BLU phones.
ONE - If you have upgraded your Atrium to Marshmallow, as I did, none of the rooting methods that worked on Lollipop will work, so forget about them.
TWO - Down in Developer Settings you need to make sure OEM unlocking is allowed.
THREE - ASSUMING you have a TWRP build that will work, it is pretty simple. Take the ROM image that FIGO sent you and replace the "recovery.img" file with the TWRP (re-name it recovery.img and save the old one as recovery.old JUST IN CASE) file. It will be much larger than the factory ROM recovery image and that's fine. The scatter table, if you read hex addresses, provides for enough space to do this. Flash ONLY the recovery (TWRP) image, and be sure to DOWNLOAD ONLY with the SP FLASH tool. If uncertain, DO NOT PROCEED. It can be a real pain in the arse to re-do things if you accidentally format or upgrade things you didn't mean to. ASSUMING that worked, you can boot into TWRP by holding down the power / volume buttons (I assume you are familiar with this sequence).
FOUR - it is entirely possible that the next time you boot the thing normally, TWRP will be blown away. Happened to me a few times. There is some setting down in the boot image that causes this and I will have to dig up my notes to see exactly what the heck it was. It required taking apart the boot image - I used Carliv - fixing the one setting, and then re-packing and re-flashing it, BUT, you can ALWAYS keep replacing the TWRP image as needed. Inconvenient, but better than a sharp stick in the eye.
FIVE - when booted into TWRP, you should be able to flash SU, which will give you root, and it should STAY rooted after that unless and until you uninstall SU. FLASHIFY is STRONGLY recommended as a VERY useful app for rooted devices. TWRP, if you are unfamiliar with it, is SO MUCH MORE than just a recovery replacement. Handiest whole device backup there is. Has saved my bacon on several devices through numerous acts of personal stupidity. :crying:
SIX - IF ALL ELSE FAILS, you can ALWAYS revert to the factory image ROM. Just DOWNLOAD ONLY rather than Upgrade and DO NOT Format.

I need to edit build.prop file on my J3 without root. Is it possible?

Hello team. I need to edit build.prop file on my J3 but I cannot root.
My understanding is that this is possible using custom recovery, just mount the system partition and push and pull the file file with adb. The problem is my handset (SM-J330FN) is running Android 8, and I think only custom recovery exists for Android 7. I tried installing the TWRP I found for Android 7, but the phone just boot loops, get stuck at Samsung logo and reboot. Don't think I can use this Android 7 TWRP with Android 8.
So next plan, I tried to wipe and install Android 7 firmware instead, but Odin said no. I take UK BTU firmware from updato.com the same way I do with Android 8 but it gets to the first stage and Odin says FAIL!
Can anyone provide a suggestion for how I can edit build.prop without root? I don't care how - maybe I can find a custom recovery for Android 8, maybe someone can help with why I can't install the Android 7 firmware, maybe someone knows of a way I can do a 1 time boot to recovery image (have used "fastboot reboot recovery.img" in the past but am aware that Samsung bootloader does not support fastboot). Maybe I can do it with root and remove the root after? Root needs to be not detected so I can use certain tools.
Any advice hugely appreciated

marshedpotato said:
Hello team. I need to edit build.prop file on my J3 but I cannot root.
My understanding is that this is possible using custom recovery, just mount the system partition and push and pull the file file with adb. The problem is my handset (SM-J330FN) is running Android 8, and I think only custom recovery exists for Android 7. I tried installing the TWRP I found for Android 7, but the phone just boot loops, get stuck at Samsung logo and reboot. Don't think I can use this Android 7 TWRP with Android 8.
So next plan, I tried to wipe and install Android 7 firmware instead, but Odin said no. I take UK BTU firmware from updato.com the same way I do with Android 8 but it gets to the first stage and Odin says FAIL!
Can anyone provide a suggestion for how I can edit build.prop without root? I don't care how - maybe I can find a custom recovery for Android 8, maybe someone can help with why I can't install the Android 7 firmware, maybe someone knows of a way I can do a 1 time boot to recovery image (have used "fastboot reboot recovery.img" in the past but am aware that Samsung bootloader does not support fastboot). Maybe I can do it with root and remove the root after? Root needs to be not detected so I can use certain tools.
Any advice hugely appreciated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You obviously ignored my reply I gave you yesterday.
As I already stated TWRP fully supports your device on Oreo.
Your issue is not reading the thread properly.
All you need to do is explained in the TWRP OP.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...overy-twrp-3-1-1-1-samsung-galaxy-j3-t3709056

ashyx said:
You obviously ignored my reply I gave you yesterday.
As I already stated TWRP fully supports your device on Oreo.
Your issue is not reading the thread properly.
All you need to do is explained in the TWRP OP.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...overy-twrp-3-1-1-1-samsung-galaxy-j3-t3709056
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello, if you look at the times you will see that i made this post before I commented on yours!
I did not ignore your message, I just had not seen it yet.
As it turns out, you were right - I just tried again, taking extra care to follow instructions exactly and this time it works.
Leaves me with mixed feelings, because I am really grateful for the great development work you have done to help people like me, but also the way you are speaking to me above was a bit rude and I do not deserve that just for a small mistake. I was polite.
Thank you regardless.

marshedpotato said:
Hello, if you look at the times you will see that i made this post before I commented on yours!
I did not ignore your message, I just had not seen it yet.
As it turns out, you were right - I just tried again, taking extra care to follow instructions exactly and this time it works.
Leaves me with mixed feelings, because I am really grateful for the great development work you have done to help people like me, but also the way you are speaking to me above was a bit rude and I do not deserve that just for a small mistake. I was polite.
Thank you regardless.
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There's a difference between being rude and being direct.
I am the latter.
Nothing personal was included in my reply nor was it intended to be.
You're upset, but I also get upset when people cannot seem to take the time to read the descriptive instructions I've included in my posts.
Trust me, it takes far longer for me to create this stuff than for yourself or anyone else to read and apply the instructions.
Don't be offended it's just frustration from my end manifesting itself in my posts.