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Okay. Ignore the title, I couldn't think of anything to put. In short, I want to know about roms, about clockworkmod, cyanogen mod, and stuff like that. What they do, how to put them on, and I pretty much wanna know about the general stuff you do past rooting your phone. And I know that the section says No Noobs, but technically, I'm a newb, as far as I know i'm not annoying anyone or being completely nooblike.
Mainly with cyanogen. I read the instructions, and they seem too, I dont know, simplistic. I'd prefer exact details. Like, after I have clockwork mod installed, and I flash cyanogen, can i restore all the stuff I had on it? And once cyanogen is on there, is it already rooted, or must i root again? And if someone would explain to me how clockworkmod works in the first place. And how would I flash cyanogen? I thought it'd be through clockworkmod, but if I wipe everything and factory reset, wouldn't clockworkmod be gone?
My phone is a Samsung Galaxy S (Vibrant or not vibrant, I dont even know) It's a GT-i9000M. Running android 2.2.1, Rooted, I have clockworkmod installed, but still no idea what to do past that point. Also, my Kies isn't telling me about any 3.x upgrade, so how would i go about manually installing a new version of android? I know it has to do with Odin, but whenever i tried i ended up not doing anything.
And one last thing about MetaMorph. Where could i find themes for it? And do i need to have a certain Rom running in order to use metamorph themes?
I'm mainly used to iPhones and such, where there isnt really much to do besides jailbreaking and such, and moving on to android phones is pretty intense. XD So much more to do with Android phones.
Well uh, thats about all i can think of at the moment. Also please post anything you feel that a (somewhat) newb to android modding should know.
Sorry for all the questions, and to those that help me, I love you. <3
And if any moderators deem this thread as against the 'No Noobs' rule, at least send me a message telling me you deleted it, or else I'll end up looking endlessly through the forums for my thread. I've done that before, not fun. LOL (Couldn't find a 'My Threads' thingy on the forum i was using.
Gutana said:
Okay. Ignore the title, I couldn't think of anything to put. In short, I want to know about roms, about clockworkmod, cyanogen mod, and stuff like that. What they do, how to put them on, and I pretty much wanna know about the general stuff you do past rooting your phone. And I know that the section says No Noobs, but technically, I'm a newb, as far as I know i'm not annoying anyone or being completely nooblike.
Mainly with cyanogen. I read the instructions, and they seem too, I dont know, simplistic. I'd prefer exact details. Like, after I have clockwork mod installed, and I flash cyanogen, can i restore all the stuff I had on it? And once cyanogen is on there, is it already rooted, or must i root again? And if someone would explain to me how clockworkmod works in the first place. And how would I flash cyanogen? I thought it'd be through clockworkmod, but if I wipe everything and factory reset, wouldn't clockworkmod be gone?
My phone is a Samsung Galaxy S (Vibrant or not vibrant, I dont even know) It's a GT-i9000M. Running android 2.2.1, Rooted, I have clockworkmod installed, but still no idea what to do past that point. Also, my Kies isn't telling me about any 3.x upgrade, so how would i go about manually installing a new version of android? I know it has to do with Odin, but whenever i tried i ended up not doing anything.
And one last thing about MetaMorph. Where could i find themes for it? And do i need to have a certain Rom running in order to use metamorph themes?
I'm mainly used to iPhones and such, where there isnt really much to do besides jailbreaking and such, and moving on to android phones is pretty intense. XD So much more to do with Android phones.
Well uh, thats about all i can think of at the moment. Also please post anything you feel that a (somewhat) newb to android modding should know.
Sorry for all the questions, and to those that help me, I love you. <3
And if any moderators deem this thread as against the 'No Noobs' rule, at least send me a message telling me you deleted it, or else I'll end up looking endlessly through the forums for my thread. I've done that before, not fun. LOL (Couldn't find a 'My Threads' thingy on the forum i was using.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I guess to first start off, here's a few pointers:
1. don't put the title in 1337 (people will most likely not click on it, thus no help)
2. you're right about this being the wrong thread. You should post this under the Samsung Galaxy S section (google your model number and you'll see it instantly) and should probably try the Q&A moreso than a general area (but it doesn't really matter all too much)
3. no matter how nooblike you may or may not be, you're still a noob XD
Now that we've gotten past the anally parts and all (hate doing that, but gotta =P), let's talk about what you came here for: answers.
Let's start with some definitions:
ROMs - these are the (usually modded) softwares that you flash to your phone. Depending on which phone you have, you can only flash ROMs made for your phone. Of course, if you have root/custom recovery, you can also install custom ROMs.
ClockWorkMod (CWM) is a recovery system made in order to allow people more features while they're in recovery mode. Of course, this is one of a few out there, but people stick to CWM cause of its huge support plus it's popularity. When you think of CWM, think of custom features being installed in (almost) one step (modding files and such will be taken care of for you, so you don't have to do it yourself). You can usually also fix a bricked system this way by reflashing either the entire ROM or the boot.img/other files (we'll get to this in a second)
CyanogenMod (CM) is an example of a very popular custom rom. They have a great team and usually is available for most devices, which in turn makes them so popular. It is widely supported and has a lot of extra features like updating to the latest OS and features not previously available on your phone. It's skinned, but usually follows the stock Android look for the OS in which they've skinned.
lol The reason why the instructions look so simple is because they've taken out all the hard work and all the stuff where you can possibly screw up your phone, so that they don't get a million messages saying "OMG MY PHONE BRICKED WHAT HAPPENED" and stuff like that. Protects them, makes it easier for you. If you had made a backup before you flashed CM (usually you only have to back up whats on the phone if it has internal and external memory, but back up your sd card always just in case. never hurt to), then yes. If you backed it up with your previous ROM, then you'll probably need to revert to get it back. If you didn't, chances are whatever you didn't backup and didn't sync, is safe to say gone. You can try recovering it using a recovery software on the computer like i detailed here for another person, but of course you'd skip the whole trying to save the phone part and just start with mounting the phone to your computer and running the software.
CM is a custom rom, and so most (if not all) custom roms have root preinstalled (besides, who wouldn't want root?!) As for CWM, it works by being (usually) flashed into the recovery partition of your phone. The nice thing about the phone is that it's split up into parts: boot, recovery, system, and some other ones i can't think of off the top of my head. Those three are important, as if you get a softbrick, you might still be able to recover all your data simply by using CWM/fastboot (a dev-tool used to flash/unlock, but only available in certain phones, as it is disabled usually) to reflash the boot.img (one requires command line, whereas CWM only needs you to flash a created/pre-made package). Also, since they're in separate partitions, even if your system and boot.img doesn't work, you can probably still access recovery (unless you screwed up really REALLY bad, and in that case I can't help >.<)
Observant you are =] Yes, if you were to flash CM, your CWM will be gone (i don't understand why most people don't just bake it into the ROM in the first place) but, not all is lost. Just go back into the Android Market and redownload ROM Manager. Of course you'll need to open it up and flash the same exact recovery again (annoying, isn't it?) but unless you know how to mod zip/img files and edit the script, you'll just have to make do with that. If you do, you could just (usually) take out the recovery partition and just leave the one you have already in there (but its usually safer and better to just redownload/reflash it as annoying as it is). But yes, you would use CWM to flash it. It's as simple as "Install from SD Card" which is why custom recoveries like CWM are popular. So simple
At this point, I would look into a few things. One is skinning your phone (though you probably can't do too much if you don't want to touch system files). If you find a psuedo-rom (slightly modded) that themes it, that's your best bet. Another is gaining access to certain features in apps you didn't have before (i.e. androidLost, LBE Privacy Guard, titanium backup) and of course more control by the ability to control your system files (if you know what you're doing, of course). Lastly, you can use stuff like MetaMorph to theme out certain sections of your rom (provided that they give you one compatible with your phone model/rom), minus having to flash it and having more fine-tuned controlled. Usually, Metamorph will run on all ROMs, but it doesn't guarantee that there'll be stuff for every ROM. Also, want themes? google it (google is your best friend!)
Kies won't tell you that you have an upgrade because it is ROM-dependent. It looks for their official ROM and says "Hey, this guy has our ROM. Check for an update". Think of owning a custom rom like being kicked out of your family. You won't get anymore updates from them XD. However, if you're looking to get the latest updates, check out the Samsung Galaxy S Dev threads. They will usually have another method of loading in the new ROM into your phone. And if you want to stick with ROM Manager, shell out for premium and they'll include "Check for Updates" in ROM Manager, along with several other functions (though you can check for free via computer/browser ). Mostly, manually updating the software requires the "Install from SD Card" feature in CWM/other recoveries, so you don't have much to worry about.
Odin is, as you stated, most likely your best bet. Not too many people repackage official ROMs into easy-to-flash zips. Odin is the Samsung equivalent to Motorola's RSD Lite from what I googled (i have motorola, so no exp. on odin >.<) It's mostly like a dev tool allowing you to flash/re-flash phones and is also usually your one-way ticket out of a semi/full brick (assuming you didn't mess up the hardware and you can get into download mode). It's the flashing tool that can access the core system of the phone even without root and allows you to reflash OFFICIAL ROMs. Should you use Odin (should be your last resort), you WILL lose root and all your data. No questions asked. Its like reinstalling everything to the state in which you got it in when you bought the phone. Word of advice: BACK UP OFTEN! (did i forget to mention Titanium Backup? )
Yeah, the transition from Apple to Android is so different and had I not had experience with my PSP, i'd be dying with the information overload. However, just read a lot of stuff on the forums (*cough*general android forums*cough*) and you should be just fine. We have an excellent community here that will try our best to fix whatever problems you encounter (note the key word: try. we're not gods XD) You'll get the hang of it soon enough.
Oh, well, I don't want to keep you for much longer, but since you mentioned something that any noob should know, it's definitely ADB (Android Debugging Bridge). This is where you'll probably spend a lot of time, as people's fixes usually involve shell (terminal for your phone). If anything, get acquainted with it, as it might save your butt in the future/unlock a few extra features for you ;D .
Well, that's all i can think of, and honestly, after typing this thing up for about an hour now, I think I'm going to grab me some breakfast Good luck to you and welcome to the Android commmunity! (and next time, remember to post in the right place! XD)
~jojojohnson7410
P.S. PM me if you need anything. =]
Observant you are =] Yes, if you were to flash CM, your CWM will be gone (i don't understand why most people don't just bake it into the ROM in the first place) but, not all is lost. Just go back into the Android Market and redownload ROM Manager. Of course you'll need to open it up and flash the same exact recovery again (annoying, isn't it?) but unless you know how to mod zip/img files and edit the script, you'll just have to make do with that. If you do, you could just (usually) take out the recovery partition and just leave the one you have already in there (but its usually safer and better to just redownload/reflash it as annoying as it is). But yes, you would use CWM to flash it. It's as simple as "Install from SD Card" which is why custom recoveries like CWM are popular. So simple
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to nit-pick a bit. CWM is part of the recovery partition, and unless the Galaxy S is different from every other android device, flashing will not remove it. ROM Manager and CWM are two different things. ROM manager will allow you to download the roms, which will then instruct CWM to flash the rom (when it reboots).
jojojohnson7410 said:
Well, I guess to first start off, here's a few pointers:
1. don't put the title in 1337 (people will most likely not click on it, thus no help)
2. you're right about this being the wrong thread. You should post this under the Samsung Galaxy S section (google your model number and you'll see it instantly) and should probably try the Q&A moreso than a general area (but it doesn't really matter all too much)
3. no matter how nooblike you may or may not be, you're still a noob XD
Now that we've gotten past the anally parts and all (hate doing that, but gotta =P), let's talk about what you came here for: answers.
Let's start with some definitions:
ROMs - these are the (usually modded) softwares that you flash to your phone. Depending on which phone you have, you can only flash ROMs made for your phone. Of course, if you have root/custom recovery, you can also install custom ROMs.
ClockWorkMod (CWM) is a recovery system made in order to allow people more features while they're in recovery mode. Of course, this is one of a few out there, but people stick to CWM cause of its huge support plus it's popularity. When you think of CWM, think of custom features being installed in (almost) one step (modding files and such will be taken care of for you, so you don't have to do it yourself). You can usually also fix a bricked system this way by reflashing either the entire ROM or the boot.img/other files (we'll get to this in a second)
CyanogenMod (CM) is an example of a very popular custom rom. They have a great team and usually is available for most devices, which in turn makes them so popular. It is widely supported and has a lot of extra features like updating to the latest OS and features not previously available on your phone. It's skinned, but usually follows the stock Android look for the OS in which they've skinned.
lol The reason why the instructions look so simple is because they've taken out all the hard work and all the stuff where you can possibly screw up your phone, so that they don't get a million messages saying "OMG MY PHONE BRICKED WHAT HAPPENED" and stuff like that. Protects them, makes it easier for you. If you had made a backup before you flashed CM (usually you only have to back up whats on the phone if it has internal and external memory, but back up your sd card always just in case. never hurt to), then yes. If you backed it up with your previous ROM, then you'll probably need to revert to get it back. If you didn't, chances are whatever you didn't backup and didn't sync, is safe to say gone. You can try recovering it using a recovery software on the computer like i detailed here for another person, but of course you'd skip the whole trying to save the phone part and just start with mounting the phone to your computer and running the software.
CM is a custom rom, and so most (if not all) custom roms have root preinstalled (besides, who wouldn't want root?!) As for CWM, it works by being (usually) flashed into the recovery partition of your phone. The nice thing about the phone is that it's split up into parts: boot, recovery, system, and some other ones i can't think of off the top of my head. Those three are important, as if you get a softbrick, you might still be able to recover all your data simply by using CWM/fastboot (a dev-tool used to flash/unlock, but only available in certain phones, as it is disabled usually) to reflash the boot.img (one requires command line, whereas CWM only needs you to flash a created/pre-made package). Also, since they're in separate partitions, even if your system and boot.img doesn't work, you can probably still access recovery (unless you screwed up really REALLY bad, and in that case I can't help >.<)
Observant you are =] Yes, if you were to flash CM, your CWM will be gone (i don't understand why most people don't just bake it into the ROM in the first place) but, not all is lost. Just go back into the Android Market and redownload ROM Manager. Of course you'll need to open it up and flash the same exact recovery again (annoying, isn't it?) but unless you know how to mod zip/img files and edit the script, you'll just have to make do with that. If you do, you could just (usually) take out the recovery partition and just leave the one you have already in there (but its usually safer and better to just redownload/reflash it as annoying as it is). But yes, you would use CWM to flash it. It's as simple as "Install from SD Card" which is why custom recoveries like CWM are popular. So simple
At this point, I would look into a few things. One is skinning your phone (though you probably can't do too much if you don't want to touch system files). If you find a psuedo-rom (slightly modded) that themes it, that's your best bet. Another is gaining access to certain features in apps you didn't have before (i.e. androidLost, LBE Privacy Guard, titanium backup) and of course more control by the ability to control your system files (if you know what you're doing, of course). Lastly, you can use stuff like MetaMorph to theme out certain sections of your rom (provided that they give you one compatible with your phone model/rom), minus having to flash it and having more fine-tuned controlled. Usually, Metamorph will run on all ROMs, but it doesn't guarantee that there'll be stuff for every ROM. Also, want themes? google it (google is your best friend!)
Kies won't tell you that you have an upgrade because it is ROM-dependent. It looks for their official ROM and says "Hey, this guy has our ROM. Check for an update". Think of owning a custom rom like being kicked out of your family. You won't get anymore updates from them XD. However, if you're looking to get the latest updates, check out the Samsung Galaxy S Dev threads. They will usually have another method of loading in the new ROM into your phone. And if you want to stick with ROM Manager, shell out for premium and they'll include "Check for Updates" in ROM Manager, along with several other functions (though you can check for free via computer/browser ). Mostly, manually updating the software requires the "Install from SD Card" feature in CWM/other recoveries, so you don't have much to worry about.
Odin is, as you stated, most likely your best bet. Not too many people repackage official ROMs into easy-to-flash zips. Odin is the Samsung equivalent to Motorola's RSD Lite from what I googled (i have motorola, so no exp. on odin >.<) It's mostly like a dev tool allowing you to flash/re-flash phones and is also usually your one-way ticket out of a semi/full brick (assuming you didn't mess up the hardware and you can get into download mode). It's the flashing tool that can access the core system of the phone even without root and allows you to reflash OFFICIAL ROMs. Should you use Odin (should be your last resort), you WILL lose root and all your data. No questions asked. Its like reinstalling everything to the state in which you got it in when you bought the phone. Word of advice: BACK UP OFTEN! (did i forget to mention Titanium Backup? )
Yeah, the transition from Apple to Android is so different and had I not had experience with my PSP, i'd be dying with the information overload. However, just read a lot of stuff on the forums (*cough*general android forums*cough*) and you should be just fine. We have an excellent community here that will try our best to fix whatever problems you encounter (note the key word: try. we're not gods XD) You'll get the hang of it soon enough.
Oh, well, I don't want to keep you for much longer, but since you mentioned something that any noob should know, it's definitely ADB (Android Debugging Bridge). This is where you'll probably spend a lot of time, as people's fixes usually involve shell (terminal for your phone). If anything, get acquainted with it, as it might save your butt in the future/unlock a few extra features for you ;D .
Well, that's all i can think of, and honestly, after typing this thing up for about an hour now, I think I'm going to grab me some breakfast Good luck to you and welcome to the Android commmunity! (and next time, remember to post in the right place! XD)
~jojojohnson7410
P.S. PM me if you need anything. =]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, thanks a lot. I still have a question or two, bear with me.
Well for one, is flashing roms made for different firmwares alright, or no? Since I have 2.2, and im assuming the latest cyanogen is made for 3.x, would I have to upgrade my firmware to the corresponding firmware.
And about Clockwork, if my phone bricks, I'd have to restore using odin, right? But if the phone still works, i can just root and cwm and restore it using rom manager?
And uh, I'm not sure if this is a problem or im just doing something wrong, but in RomManager, i click Backup Current ROM, and it goes into recovery mode, and theres no new options, there's just like, format, factory reset, clear cache, reboot, but nothing involving rom manager. And when i check for the recovery file in my sd card, it's not. Wut do.
WoZZeR999 said:
Just to nit-pick a bit. CWM is part of the recovery partition, and unless the Galaxy S is different from every other android device, flashing will not remove it. ROM Manager and CWM are two different things. ROM manager will allow you to download the roms, which will then instruct CWM to flash the rom (when it reboots).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol true true that would be my mistake. XD Nice catch
~jojojohnson7410
Gutana said:
Wow, thanks a lot. I still have a question or two, bear with me.
Well for one, is flashing roms made for different firmwares alright, or no? Since I have 2.2, and im assuming the latest cyanogen is made for 3.x, would I have to upgrade my firmware to the corresponding firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, you wouldn't have to upgrade to the latest firmware to get the ROM installed. So long as the ROM is confirmed to work for your device, you can flash any ROM you want (which is convenient in my case since I have an Atrix 4G and it was oh-so-lonely without some Gingerbread XD)
Gutana said:
And about Clockwork, if my phone bricks, I'd have to restore using odin, right? But if the phone still works, i can just root and cwm and restore it using rom manager?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, the thing is, you really only need that usually if you're on a stock rom or some official version and either you want to flash a new stock ROM from Samsung or you want to pull your phone out of a brick. Most of the time, however, even if you bricked it, so long as you can get into the recovery menu, you'll be alright. Just re-flash the ROM that you want (or in my case yesterday when I was dealing with an Inspire, I had to use a different ROM to unbrick the phone. I don't know why this happen, but it was being nit-picky >.<)
Gutana said:
And uh, I'm not sure if this is a problem or im just doing something wrong, but in RomManager, i click Backup Current ROM, and it goes into recovery mode, and theres no new options, there's just like, format, factory reset, clear cache, reboot, but nothing involving rom manager. And when i check for the recovery file in my sd card, it's not. Wut do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol nooo this is not a problem at all. See, like the guy above me posted, the Recovery Menu is completely separate from anything in the ROM. It's located in the recovery partition rather than the system and the boot partitions, so they usually don't touch the recovery. ROM Manager is just a means of providing GUI to CWM so then you can either flash the CWM to your phone or help download ROMS into your SD card. Stuff like backup and everything needs you to boot into recovery as you can't be backing up the system while your system is mounted on, so they send you to CWM. From there, there's an option called "backup and restore". In this place, you can choose where to save the backup. And since the backup is made by CWM, it will be recognized by CWM if you want to restore it. I think it saves it in a zip file, but im not 100% positive, so take that one with a grain of salt.
Hope this answers the questions! Let me know if you need more help (or just PM me. I check that regularly )
~jojojohnson7410
jojojohnson7410 said:
No, you wouldn't have to upgrade to the latest firmware to get the ROM installed. So long as the ROM is confirmed to work for your device, you can flash any ROM you want (which is convenient in my case since I have an Atrix 4G and it was oh-so-lonely without some Gingerbread XD)
Well, the thing is, you really only need that usually if you're on a stock rom or some official version and either you want to flash a new stock ROM from Samsung or you want to pull your phone out of a brick. Most of the time, however, even if you bricked it, so long as you can get into the recovery menu, you'll be alright. Just re-flash the ROM that you want (or in my case yesterday when I was dealing with an Inspire, I had to use a different ROM to unbrick the phone. I don't know why this happen, but it was being nit-picky >.<)
lol nooo this is not a problem at all. See, like the guy above me posted, the Recovery Menu is completely separate from anything in the ROM. It's located in the recovery partition rather than the system and the boot partitions, so they usually don't touch the recovery. ROM Manager is just a means of providing GUI to CWM so then you can either flash the CWM to your phone or help download ROMS into your SD card. Stuff like backup and everything needs you to boot into recovery as you can't be backing up the system while your system is mounted on, so they send you to CWM. From there, there's an option called "backup and restore". In this place, you can choose where to save the backup. And since the backup is made by CWM, it will be recognized by CWM if you want to restore it. I think it saves it in a zip file, but im not 100% positive, so take that one with a grain of salt.
Hope this answers the questions! Let me know if you need more help (or just PM me. I check that regularly )
~jojojohnson7410
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But theres no backup and restore options, its jut the recovery options you'd get if you were on a brand new phone.
First off love the N00b video at sign up that was hysterical, nice work to whoever made it.
Ok on to what I need to know:
I understand HOW TO root/flash a rom, my issue is kind of different than most peoples. I have scoured the web and this site for the files I need to accomplish this with my GT-P3113 build ending in LG5 however I am confused to hell.
1 place will say that CWM 6.0.1 is not usable on my device, another will say that it works fine and another will say to use TWRP (which might I add looks cool to use). Some will say that I need the expresso_wifi file to root my device, others will say use update.zip, and others will say a totally different file all together.
I know what ROM to get, I understand the steps:
Download drivers
Boot to download
use odin to install CWM
back up everything with CWM (which goes to the MicroSD I am guessing? since I wipe the device in a later step)
wipe the device
wipe the cache
wipe the Dalvik cache
flash the rom
flash the root
is all that correct? (just to make sure I got it right) so my biggest question is, which files do I really use? There is a thread from back in June before the 4.0.4 update OTA came through) saying to use instead of that if you have LG3 or etc.
Help would be greatly appreciated, I am a smart guy, just want to have my facts straight before I make this happen.
PS sorry if this is in the wrong place, figured this was the best place for it.
Please be sure and thank the person who decides to do your homework for you.
:laugh:
FlynnErik said:
First off love the N00b video at sign up that was hysterical, nice work to whoever made it.
Ok on to what I need to know:
I understand HOW TO root/flash a rom, my issue is kind of different than most peoples. I have scoured the web and this site for the files I need to accomplish this with my GT-P3113 build ending in LG5 however I am confused to hell.
1 place will say that CWM 6.0.1 is not usable on my device, another will say that it works fine and another will say to use TWRP (which might I add looks cool to use). Some will say that I need the expresso_wifi file to root my device, others will say use update.zip, and others will say a totally different file all together.
I know what ROM to get, I understand the steps:
Download drivers
Boot to download
use odin to install CWM
back up everything with CWM (which goes to the MicroSD I am guessing? since I wipe the device in a later step)
wipe the device
wipe the cache
wipe the Dalvik cache
flash the rom
flash the root
is all that correct? (just to make sure I got it right) so my biggest question is, which files do I really use? There is a thread from back in June before the 4.0.4 update OTA came through) saying to use instead of that if you have LG3 or etc.
Help would be greatly appreciated, I am a smart guy, just want to have my facts straight before I make this happen.
PS sorry if this is in the wrong place, figured this was the best place for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From someone relatively new to this as well, this is basically correct. Here are some tips from someone who has recently done it.
Make a backup.
Research the files you intend to flash, make sure they are right for your device
Verify the guide you are using has been tested and known to work.
This may seem elementary, but I didn't follow #3 and it cost me a lot of headache un-bricking my SGT 2.
ryphil said:
From someone relatively new to this as well, this is basically correct. Here are some tips from someone who has recently done it.
Make a backup.
Research the files you intend to flash, make sure they are right for your device
Verify the guide you are using has been tested and known to work.
This may seem elementary, but I didn't follow #3 and it cost me a lot of headache un-bricking my SGT 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fully agreed! That's why I came to the experts. I have done my homework but the thing is my homework leads me to several different files from before the ICS update. There has only been 1 thread on 1 forum that has been post ICS update, and no real feedback on it. I think I even found one that uses ADB (I understand that concept, but would prefer not to use it since I don't know Linux well enough).
I would love to know what files to use, which ones to stay away from. As I said I have the concepts, I have the understanding, its the actual files that I want to verify, I can rattle off tons of files from tons of sites, but they may or may not be correct (and may have the same name as a correct one but still be incorrect, ie "update.zip" appears a few times on different threads from different time frames).
There is only post in the teamhacksung CM10 wiki that was last edited 8/12/2012, but that could have been anything that was updated, not the files/links to be used.
So I thank you in advance for your help, and you will certainly get a thank you in the forum for help you are providing, I always give credit where credit is due.
Well here goes nothing, going to reboot (to ensure the Kies drivers are installed and loaded into the system 100%), and try the instructions from this link http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1788625
It seems to work for most, the only concern I have is that I have a different end to the build than most others do (and I am not sure why?)
Did I screw myself?
I rooted, and have CWM installed.
Is it to late to create a ROM backup of my device for when i go to install CM10 (I need a drink for now, so I might install it tomorrow night lol).
That link I posted in the last post is good to go if anyone else needs a safe bet set of directions.
Seriously though, I didn't do a backup, am I screwed now?
EDIT: I just did a back up and it said no sdcard/.android secure found, skipping of backup of apps
and
no sd-ext found skipping backup of that.
is that normal? Did it backup to my microSD?
Still hope I didn't screw myself by backing it up after rooting.
Okay! (bit of a noob here but I really want help T_T)
I'm on 4.2.1 by the way - build number should be latest available.
So I finally decided to get root on my tablet. I followed the instructions by a youtube user, and succeeded. I downloaded SuperUser and a root checker to make sure everything went right, and proceeded to download PacMan 4.2 Milestone, as well as CyanogenMod 10
I did a factory reset from the settings menu of the tablet, and tried to set up PacMan. It worked alright until the loading screen, where the ghost would bounce indefinitely. When it was clear I wasn't going to get in, I restarted, and factory reset again from the TWRP menu, this time making sure to erase Dalvik, cache, and system (I think that's all?).
I then tried to install CM10, which didn't work either. I found out later it was because CM 10 didn't work with the 4.2 bootloader.
So I factory reset again, erased dalvik, system, and cache, and proceeded to reboot into the recovery I made on external. I don't know if it's normal, but when it reached the step 'restoring data,' it was basically stuck. I let it continue overnight, and found that recovery overall took 1933 seconds (is this a sign of something bad?)
And now I'm back to booting! It's taking a really long time though - at least ~45 minutes on the ASUS screen with the little circle going around.
I guess my question is, (1) what do I do, (2) what is the situation I'm in/how did I get here, (3) how do I avoid it (if possible) in the future?
by the way, I forgot to mention that I can still access the twrp menu. I don't know if that helps though?
Hope this helps!
hobomobile said:
Okay! (bit of a noob here but I really want help T_T)
I'm on 4.2.1 by the way - build number should be latest available.
So I finally decided to get root on my tablet. I followed the instructions by a youtube user, and succeeded. I downloaded SuperUser and a root checker to make sure everything went right, and proceeded to download PacMan 4.2 Milestone, as well as CyanogenMod 10
I did a factory reset from the settings menu of the tablet, and tried to set up PacMan. It worked alright until the loading screen, where the ghost would bounce indefinitely. When it was clear I wasn't going to get in, I restarted, and factory reset again from the TWRP menu, this time making sure to erase Dalvik, cache, and system (I think that's all?).
I then tried to install CM10, which didn't work either. I found out later it was because CM 10 didn't work with the 4.2 bootloader.
So I factory reset again, erased dalvik, system, and cache, and proceeded to reboot into the recovery I made on external. I don't know if it's normal, but when it reached the step 'restoring data,' it was basically stuck. I let it continue overnight, and found that recovery overall took 1933 seconds (is this a sign of something bad?)
And now I'm back to booting! It's taking a really long time though - at least ~45 minutes on the ASUS screen with the little circle going around.
I guess my question is, (1) what do I do, (2) what is the situation I'm in/how did I get here, (3) how do I avoid it (if possible) in the future?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hobomobile said:
by the way, I forgot to mention that I can still access the twrp menu. I don't know if that helps though?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Assuming you know how to do this, try flashing the ASUS stock rom and kernel using TWRP. Before asking more questions, use the search tool in XDA developers first since it is most likely someone may of been in a similar situation to yours.
2. It is probably that the person who you followed on youtube might of been be using a different build of stock. That's just my hypothesis-others may differ to mine. Since you have TWRP, you will be able to recover from this situation. (Pun not intended)
3. You should always research about what you're doing with your android device before you do anything about it, especially if the guide is not moderated by the wonderful people from XDA-Developers, and even more so if you are a noob-even if you consider yourself a novice (like me)
To save you some time:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1697227 The mother of guides, read this first.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=42407269 [TOOL]Minimal ADB and Fastboot
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2257421 Ask any question here-Noob friendly help thread.
Will update this post with more information if need be. Don't be afraid to ask if you're absolutely confused.
Hope this helped.
Live long and prosper.
If I have helped you in any way, shape or form, hit the thanks button. If I have given you a link to someone on XDA that helped you, give them thanks first.
Thanks a lot! I'll do my best trying to find the info - sorry if I have to bother you again though!
Okay, so I have minimal ADB (I actually used that to get root in the first place), and I downloaded the latest kernel and firmware - I'm pretty sure they're the right versions too (10.6.1.27).
Do I just open TWRP, factory reset, clear dalvik and cache, and install both of the above from an SD card? I did some looking around, but I still don't get what a kernel does, or if it's necessary in this situation.
I'm looking at this right now, by the way (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2187982), method three.
Okay, so I downloaded this: ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T Firmware: V10.6.1.27.1 Only for US SKU (Android 4.2) - 2013.07.29 update, unzipped the file, went back into twrp, and wiped system, data, and dalvik. When I tried to install it though, it says 'failed.'
What now?
Potential Solution?
Quote:
hobomobile said:
Okay, so I downloaded this: ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T Firmware: V10.6.1.27.1 Only for US SKU (Android 4.2) - 2013.07.29 update, unzipped the file, went back into twrp, and wiped system, data, and dalvik. When I tried to install it though, it says 'failed.'
What now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hobomobile said:
Okay, so I have minimal ADB (I actually used that to get root in the first place), and I downloaded the latest kernel and firmware - I'm pretty sure they're the right versions too (10.6.1.27).
Do I just open TWRP, factory reset, clear dalvik and cache, and install both of the above from an SD card? I did some looking around, but I still don't get what a kernel does, or if it's necessary in this situation.
I'm looking at this right now, by the way (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2187982), method three.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Define Kernel:
Google:
Define Kernel:
ker·nel
/ˈkərnl/
Noun
A softer, usually edible part of a nut, seed, or fruit stone contained within its hard shell.
The seed and hard husk of a cereal, esp. wheat.
Synonyms
core - nucleus - pith - grain - heart - seed - essence
So that was useless. :silly:
XDA:
Define Kernel-and ROM, and everything:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=ROM-VS-Kernel "ROM vs Kernel"
If I was you, I would just flash a custom ROM. From here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1697227
There are plenty of ROMs linked there. Even if you want to use one based on the Stock ROM, you can find the links there.
Flash it in TWRP the same way you flashed the "ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T Firmware: V10.6.1.27.1 Only for US SKU".
Personally, I prefer custom roms because they provide a lot of customisation options.
Is that what your looking for, or do you really want to use the stock ROM?
Remember to at least have a look at the ROMs before dismissing them.
The kernel needs to be the same type as the ROM. e.g, A stock (based) rom will need a stock (based) kernel. AKOP/ASOP ROMS need ASOP/AKOP Kernels. You get the point. See the link mentioned for more information.
Check the compatibility of the ROM with your bootloader before you flash it to not get into situations like this again. (From when you said that CM10 failed to work with your boot loader.
Hope this helped.
BTW, this did not bother me one bit. Your Welcome!
Live long and prosper.
If I have helped you in any way, shape or form, hit the thanks button. If I have given you a link to someone on XDA that helped you, give them thanks first.
If you are running "10.6.1.27" that might be the issue some roms don't boot if you can access fast boot try downgrading to 10.6.1.15.3
Sent from my HTC Desire C using xda app-developers app
1337 H4X0R said:
XDA:
Define Kernel-and ROM, and everything:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=ROM-VS-Kernel "ROM vs Kernel"
The kernel needs to be the same type as the ROM. e.g, A stock (based) rom will need a stock (based) kernel. AKOP/ASOP ROMS need ASOP/AKOP Kernels. You get the point. See the link mentioned for more information.
Check the compatibility of the ROM with your bootloader before you flash it to not get into situations like this again. (From when you said that CM10 failed to work with your boot loader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to add a *tiny* little tidbit right here: every rom has a kernel. It wouldn't boot without one. Yes, a dev can remove the kernel and force you to find one to flash, but that's utterly pointless. I'm just saying that you really don't have to bother yourself with that as yet.
While it's great to educate yourself, don't get overwhelmed. You have PLENTY time to learn more.
I ran into similar issues. You need to make sure your ROM/kernal matches your bootloader and matches your recovery. If not all three match, you run into this issue.
Sent from my EVO using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
so far no good :/
I gave up on this for a couple days, figuring I'd come back to it later when I wasn't as distressed.
so right now, my goal is to get back to stock, and get everything working again before downgrading to 10.6.1.15.3, and then install a custom ROM
Not sure why, but right now, I can't even install the stock kernel flashed onto the device - twrp still tells me 'failed.'
I'm sure that I got the right stock kernel/rom for my build number, so what is going on?
I have a rooted Moto G with CWM Recovery and by stupidity installed the 4.4.4 OTA.
CWM aborts the installation, the phone reboots and unfortunately after the ROM is booted it automatically reboots to once more try and install the OTA.
So what are my options now? When a similar thing happened on my Nexus 7, I just flashed the factory image and all was fine. But I'm not sure what image to use for the Moto G. Is there even an official flashable image? If not, which is closest to stock?
Or is it possible to prevent the phone from automatically rebooting? I can access it with adb and have 10-20 seconds after the boot where I could open some apps.
bur2000 said:
I have a rooted Moto G with CWM Recovery and by stupidity installed the 4.4.4 OTA.
CWM aborts the installation, the phone reboots and unfortunately after the ROM is booted it automatically reboots to once more try and install the OTA.
So what are my options now? When a similar thing happened on my Nexus 7, I just flashed the factory image and all was fine. But I'm not sure what image to use for the Moto G. Is there even an official flashable image? If not, which is closest to stock?
Or is it possible to prevent the phone from automatically rebooting? I can access it with adb and have 10-20 seconds after the boot where I could open some apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can find all the stock firmware images here:
http://sbf.droid-developers.org/phone.php?device=14
Flash either with RDS (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2637338) or fastboot (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2542219)
Thanks, there's no 4.4.4 for O2 Germany though. Do I need the right carrier/country? Otherwise I'll just go with 4.4.2
I also found this ROM (it's 4.4.4 despire thread titel). Is there any harm in trying it? I did a backup of the current half-broken system.
bur2000 said:
Thanks, there's no 4.4.4 for O2 Germany though. Do I need the right carrier/country? Otherwise I'll just go with 4.4.2
I also found this ROM (it's 4.4.4 despire thread titel). Is there any harm in trying it? I did a backup of the current half-broken system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can flash any firmware you want, except the ones for dual sim version (but if you want to be totally safe flash the retail de image). 4.4.4 images aren't available currently, you have simply to restore the stock 4.4.2, flash the stock recovery and take the OTA update.
The ROM you linked is for Moto G dual sim variant (XT1033), flashing it will probably cause a soft brick.
I have the exact same problem.
1. Is there any way to get the phone out of this loop and get it usable again without a computer?
2. How can I flash the rom if the phone keeps doing this?
Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you.
fertchen said:
I have the exact same problem.
1. Is there any way to get the phone out of this loop and get it usable again without a computer?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would say no. Theoretically it might be possible to quickly do something before the phone reboots.
2. How can I flash the rom if the phone keeps doing this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just follow the fastboot link in the post by Azarielz. WARNING: If you don't want to loose you user data don't do the mfastboot erase userdata step. For me that still removed the reboot loop while retaining my data and apps. I had some problems with the mobile connection though, only after I manually searched for available carriers and pressed "select automatically" it connected. After that no problems.
bur2000 said:
After that no problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much. I will try that when I get home next week. Will be a nice exercise in living without a phone for some time...
bur2000 said:
I would say no. Theoretically it might be possible to quickly do something before the phone reboots.
Just follow the fastboot link in the post by Azarielz. WARNING: If you don't want to loose you user data don't do the mfastboot erase userdata step. For me that still removed the reboot loop while retaining my data and apps. I had some problems with the mobile connection though, only after I manually searched for available carriers and pressed "select automatically" it connected. After that no problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just did the same mistake with unlocked & rooted XT1032. I use TWRP and ended up there after every reboot. What I did is use the File Manager under "Advanced" to delete the .zip under /cache. Alternatively you could just wipe cache/ dalvik cache and the update zip should be gone, phone should reboot normally and after app optimization (if you wiped dalvik cache) everything should be back to normal. The first few seconds I got an error when checking for an update, but it went away after a minute.
Not sure if I should go through the trouble of updating to 4.4.4 or wait for Android L that's supposedly coming to the Moto G and X...
I was in the same situation, with bootloader active from cmd:
mfastboot erase cache
or whatever you use
Any improvement?
Hello everyone,
I had the same problem and had to restore a backup.
But can anyone tell us why this happens? Is Google aware of this and is a fix on the way?
I've seen that the update would fix the annoying incompatibility problem with the class 10 SDCards so I'd like to install this update.
I have seen that some of the improvements would also be :
- coloured tiles in the phone dialer
- ability to pause when you record a video
But I can already do that with my phone right now (I'm in 4.4.3 on a Moto G 4G), is this normal ?
Thank you.
suiller said:
I was in the same situation, with bootloader active from cmd:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much, suiller. This:
fastboot erase cache
did it for me.
gnayug said:
Not sure if I should go through the trouble of updating to 4.4.4 or wait for Android L that's supposedly coming to the Moto G and X...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What would be the easiest/most foolproof way to apply an OTA update when the Moto G is rooted?
fertchen said:
What would be the easiest/most foolproof way to apply an OTA update when the Moto G is rooted?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I want to know as well. XDA has all these devs and freaks and advanced tutorials but nothing at all for the most simple and popular issues for the average user such as applying an OTA with a rooted device. Apparently it's supposed to work with Phil's Flash Recovery, well it didn't, it gave me the same error message that CWM gave me. Or you're supposed to use "stock recovery", but nobody tells you how to get that in the first place.
...Help?
gnayug said:
That's what I want to know as well. XDA has all these devs and freaks and advanced tutorials but nothing at all for the most simple and popular issues for the average user such as applying an OTA with a rooted device. Apparently it's supposed to work with Phil's Flash Recovery, well it didn't, it gave me the same error message that CWM gave me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My guess is that there are just too many versions of phones out there and too many different prerequisites (differences in how the phone was rooted, which apps might have been de-installed, which rom/recovery installed etc) that it is extremely hard and laborious to provide a truly foolproof way. That might be different if there was one standardized manual/tutorial on "Hot to root foolproof and OTA proof for the future" and everyone would follow that precisely.
gnayug said:
Or you're supposed to use "stock recovery", but nobody tells you how to get that in the first place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a page that lists all the available stock Moto G Roms in different versions. It would be great if there was such a page for the recovery as well.
If there was a person that decided to take care of all these issues for the Moto G on this forum, he or she could maintain a page with direct links to all the tools, roms and recoveries as well as one general (foolproof) and possibly a handful of alternate ways and fixes.
That is a lot of work, particularly dealing with people who are not willing to read more than one sentence in order to get what they want. And certainly it must be frustrating for a "freak" or dev to encounter us newbies on a daily basis. A 101/primer on what boot/recovery/rom etc is would be helpful - and it does even exist in the wiki. It's that many of us don't find it. That could be changed by a very well thought-out and structured sticky post that provides all the necessary links and knowledge but not too much so that a beginner is frightened by 10 pages of instructions.
But I am certain that a person would be willing to do that if this forum allows it (which I assume is the case). Maybe this person has not been identified yet. Or maybe we have just missed it. I know I will not be this person simply because it would take me a lot of time to gather the necessary knowledge for such a position and right now I have other priorities and I usually use my phone once every 10 days or so.
I am aware that as a user I am not entitled to anyone providing this service. At the same time I am pretty sure that there is someone, maybe even within this great community, who would be willing to do it.
By the way, here is how I ultimately fixed the rooted-Moto G-OTA-update-problem: http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g/help/how-to-update-rooted-moto-g-t2828857/post54528345
Thank you for the link and everything you wrote! I was actually thinking the same the last few days... If only I was qualified enough or had the time to gather and polish all the information. I realize I shouldn't have written "Freaks". They're hard-working, skilled individuals that provide us with all this amazing software for us to use free of charge. I just wish they'd put some effort into explaining and laying out the basics etc. for all the "newbs" they encounter each day, because what good do their stuff do when nobody knows how to use it? All those devs that put out kernels and ROMs and then make a thread with changelogs and download links WITHOUT actually saying what they contain and why anyone should use them - I'm looking at you.
I'll go try to get my Moto G to 4.4.4 without losing my stuff using your link now, thanks again!:good:
Brand New OnePlus One rooted and with adware etc
I am a very newbie to not all but many of the particular issues in this post so would be grateful of any newbie taylored advice.
Background:
==============
I purchased a Oneplus one recently, stocked and fulfilled by amazon with amazon returns policy but seller was a chineese company.
It was advertised as 100% Original Oneplus One New Cell Phone
The phone arraived and appeared to already be rooted
evidence:
Barclays App says it is rooted and won't run. It ran fine on my Nexus 4
I can connect via adb and set to su straight away
The phone appeared to have arrived with significant malware / adware with popups and auto launch ad in browser pages and bloteware / PUPS(?), and other issues. After a great deal of research checking notifications and trial and error I disabled the following, some via settings\apps some via adb, pm ... disable ...
2048 (com.digiplex.game)
App Manager (com.shyz.steward)
Browser (com.android.browser)
Caller ID (com.android.tools.callassistant)
Clean Master (com.cleanmaster.mguard)
Cool Browser (com.cool.coolbrowser)
DU Speed Booster (com.dianxinos.optimizer.duplay)
Magic Photo (cn.dotui.magicphoto)
Videos (com.haolianluo.video)
and disabled gestures due to torch issues
The phone now seems quite stable.
I installed MalwareBytes, however None of the items it identifies is it able to disable/uninstall I set it not to scan automatically but it continues to tell me I have not responded to its list of issues, but I have responded by selected them, but on selection it tries to uninstall them but fails.
I was able to disable one of them via adb because it provided the package name for that one but:
CallerID.apk (disabled in settings\apps)
coolbrowser.apk (disabled in settings\apps)
201507140923731g.apk
AppStore.apk
I do not know how to uninstall (or disable at least on 2 of them) and I do not know how to refer to them from package manager because I don't have the package name.
Key Questions:
================
I am familiar with much of software engineering and programming but not with mobile phone OS / disk / memory / file system, etc. I am having a lot of difficulty getting to grips with the vocabulary, definitions and terminology depending what you read.
- Some say OnePlus from factory comes with cyanogenmod but is not rooted
- So one wonders how my phone go to be rooted if the seller is a retailer
- Some say if the phone is rooted the warentee is invalidated. What do you think?
- WhatsApp says the phone has a custom rom and watsapp may not work properly with a custom rom
It is very difficult to get to the bottom of exactly what the difference is between a stock rom
and a custom rom. Some seem to be saying cyanogenmod is a custom rom, but then others say what
comes on the phone from the mobile manufacturer is a stock rom, eg HT Sense or in the case of
OnePlus, cyanogenmod! Is it only a custom rom if it is somehow NOT proven to be a
custom rom validated by the mobile manufacturer in factory (i.e. stock rom)?
- Some say having a custom rom invalidates warrantee, is this right?
- How do i prove that the rooting and the custom rom were not introduced by me?
- I have thought about factory reset, but I cannot manage to find anything that tells
me what this actually means and does, only how to do it.
- does a factory reset actually do what it suggests. I have read that factory reset does
not involve going to the manufacturers site and obtaining an appropriate image and flashing
it to the phone so I do not quite understand how else it could guarantee it
- If a factory reset will just make it like it was when I received it then that I do not want.
- Can I and ought I to flash a fresh image on the phone to get it like it WOULD HAVE been
had I bought it from OnePlus factory on invite and not through a mediator
- Finally. There is a notification "System Update is ready" . When I select this it appears
to download something (next version of cyanogenmod I guess though I don't recognise the version
number against any cyanogenmod versions) then it restarts and goes to a recovery app.
At this stage it is not completely intuitive what one should do and it seems to want you
to navigate to a location.
Now, I think I could probably figure this out with some reading but two things come to mind:
1) Presumably for a from factory OnePlus phone this kind of ambiguous unintuitive update
process would not be going on for people who just bought their phone and knew nothing
so it suggests the phone is in a different state to that. I also read you need root
already to install a (good) recovery app.
2) I am loath to do this update since it is not clear whether the update is this retailers
system update and will reintroduce all that I have disabled to create stability. Therefore
up to now I have always selected just do nothing and reboot. I favor stability over
features.
I am kind of inclined now I have managed to get it stable to just stick with it as it is and just use it without any further updates / resets / flashes and without returning it, but...
Sorry to ask all these questions. I would be grateful of any advice. Can be given with the assumption that I understand foundational general stuff ram, rom (though this word seems to be used differently to what I'm used to), flash, image, partition etc, but not that I actually know all about how the android/cyanogenmod platform is laid out and behaves as an installation.
Thank you.
Hi, All Oneplus One phones comes with CyanogenMod without rooted. One must Unlock bootloader and Flash custom recovery and Flash SuperSu to get root access.
Yours already says rooted means either you bought the used phone or refurbished. However even when a phone is refurbished OnePlus company locks it and make it unrooted.
OnePlus Phones warranty doesn't get over bu rooting. OnePlus actually supports rooting. Warranty becomes void when you do something blunder while flashing and your devices becomes dead aka bricked.
What I am suspecting is the chinese seller bought new OnePlus and Installed different ROM as the chinese OPO comes with ColorOS which doesn't have PlayStore. Now in the procedure they introduced unwanted Adwares which may be Intentional or Unintentional.
Now you have 2 options.
Either ask Amazon for a refund.
Or if the time is passed then I suggest you to start fresh. If you have already custom recovery installed then go ahead and install fresh stock CyanogenMod ROM from xda.
sent from Bacon (OnePlus One)
Hi Abhinav_Rakesh,
Thank you so much for your response, I really appreciate your advice. I think I understood most of what you said, generally but I am still a bit unclear on some points:
Is there any way to tell if the phone is refurbished. I would rather it were new even if they have installed a different rom.
What do you mean by "time is passed" I have only had the phone a few days. I am in a quandary whether to return it or not, whether amazon will believe it was not me who rooted it and whether I will be able to get another one that is not just the same as this one anyway since you cannot get them direct from OnePlus any more.
I saw some kind of recovery screen over one reboot but did not do the install. How do I know if this is the "custom recovery" you describe, if it is not how do I obtain / get to "custom recover"?
Can you direct me to a script that shows me how to "install fresh stock CyanogenMod ROM from xda"? Will that completely blank out everything that the chineese company may have done on the phone, or might some stuff still be left behind? Is there a risk to that process, given that I at least have a fairly stable phone now? Will it include or do I have to get separately "PlayStore" so I can download my usual apps?
Thank you again, I really appreciate it?
i suggest you to start from fresh, since obviously your OPO is not in stock state and has been tampered with..
the (general) steps to make the OPO like new are as follows..
(1) connect it to a pc via usb cable
(2) in command prompt, issue "adb reboot bootloader" (and wait for it to boot into bootloader/fastboot mode)
(3) issue "fastboot oem unlock" (to unlock the bootloader.. all data will be wiped but the warranty is not voided)
(4) issue "fastboot flash recovery custom_recovery.img" (replace "custom_recovery.img" with the actual recovery file name)
(5) power off mobile and disconnect from pc
(6) press power button together with volume down button (to boot into custom recovery we just flashed)
(7) while in recovery, install rom image (which should be put in the internal storage beforehand)
(8) reboot to enjoy the reborn mobile
to be able the complete the above steps, you need to get some files in advance:
- adb.exe/fastboot.exe (which you should already have since you could do adb)
- custom recovery (TWRP suggested.. get the image for OPO, whose codename is bacon, at http://twrp.me/ ), and put it in your pc..
- stock or custom rom (the stock for OPO is cyanogenmod, and there is also a OnePlus provided OxygenOS rom.. go to respective sites to get a copy), and put it into the mobile's internal storage..
mind you that by doing so (the fastboot oem unlock step) all your mobile's data will be wiped..
@hardya Hi .. You can follow this link to restore your phone according to OnePlus Standards. This will remove all that chinese ads and all and will make it fresh.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2970390
sent from Bacon (OnePlus One)
I feel like i need to reanswer a some of your question even though some already have answered them. You seem very interested and it seems fair to clear up some things.
hardya said:
- Some say OnePlus from factory comes with cyanogenmod but is not rooted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a little misconception about what cyanogenmod is.
The offical Oneplus One comes preinstalled with CyanogenOS (or CM12S), which is derived from Cyanogenmod. It get's a bit complicated. Cyanogen is a company founded by the lead programmer of Cyanogenmod. CyanogenOS is a commercial product, that is licensed to phone manufactures.
Cyanogenmod is the codebase for CyanogenOS. CyanogenOS adds some functionalities that are not present in the community maintained Cyanogenmod. (e.g. a alternate dialing app, theme store, etc.)
The offical Oneplus One comes NON-rooted. You need to manually enable root.
Please keep in mind that it gets REALLY complicated from this point!
The Oneplus One debuted with CM11S (CyanogenOS, the commercial version of Cyanogenmod). Cyanogen (the company) promised users 2 years of support and updates for the owners on the Oneplus One. But Oneplus and Cyanogen had some major issues that resulted in ending the partnership.
Oneplus had to offer an alternative Android Firmware for their upcoming phone Oneplus Two. So they did another android version called OxygenOS. This was installed onto all Oneplus One phones from a certain date onward!
THIS is the OFFICAL Android Software Version for your Oneplus One!!!
See: https://oneplus.net/de/support/answer/how-can-i-download-oxygen-os
I would strongly recommend to install OxygenOS, as it is the easiest way of experience the phone as Oneplus intended it to be.
Most tutorials on here are a little bit older so they are offering guides which mention either CM11S, CM12S, Cyanogenmod or OxygenOS. (or if you are more familiar with other customroms, whatever you'd like to install! But this is something you should look into, when you are more familiar with what costumroms are and what they do! There are so many excellent guides on here, which i'd recommend you to read sometime!)
- So one wonders how my phone go to be rooted if the seller is a retailer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He rooted it either manually or used an android version (e.g. something downloaded off XDA or got one from some developer). Such versions are often called Customroms.
Also note, that there are no official retailers of Oneplus phones. They are officially offered from the website only. However, there are some shops in China, that offer Oneplus phones.
- Some say if the phone is rooted the warentee is invalidated. What do you think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most phone manufactures actually tell you that your warranty is void when rooting your phone.
Oneplus however is very, very supportive when it comes to rooting!
And of course installing other Android Versions and Roms!
See: https://oneplus.net/de/support/answer/will-rooting-or-unlocking-the-bootloader-void-my-warranty
- WhatsApp says the phone has a custom rom and watsapp may not work properly with a custom rom
It is very difficult to get to the bottom of exactly what the difference is between a stock rom
and a custom rom. Some seem to be saying cyanogenmod is a custom rom, but then others say what
comes on the phone from the mobile manufacturer is a stock rom, eg HT Sense or in the case of
OnePlus, cyanogenmod! Is it only a custom rom if it is somehow NOT proven to be a
custom rom validated by the mobile manufacturer in factory (i.e. stock rom)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cyanogenmod is indeed a custom rom. (or sometimes aftermarket firmware)
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CyanogenMod
A stock rom is the firmware that is installed by the manufacturer. (in your case: CyanogenOS, called CM12S. the 12 stands for the version number of Cyanogenmod. 12 = Android 5, 13 will be Android 6. There was a CM11S version, when the phone debuted last year.). The S marks it as CyanogenOS, the commercial product. So CM12 would be the community maintained Cyanogenmod. CM12S the product by the company Cyanogen. As said before, it's a bit complicated, as the current OFFICIAL rom is OxygenOS
Your findings of software not present in the official stock Oneplus One rom (which is either CM12S or OxygenOS), suggests your software on the phone is actually a unofficial costum rom.
- Some say having a custom rom invalidates warrantee, is this right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See the answer to the rooting question. Almost all major phone manufactures void your warranty if you flash a custom rom. As it involves tampering with system files and most people are not very knowledgeable when it comes to "computery things". It's just a security measure, so that people won't sue the company when something bad happens (most likely deleting precious pictures, etc.)
Oneplus actually encourages people to try other roms. This made the Oneplus One a very popular phone for tinkerers and as you can see on this forum there are a lot of custom roms you can choose from.
- How do i prove that the rooting and the custom rom were not introduced by me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the seller was not so careful, there will be a notice, which can be read by software programs available here on XDA, that say how many times a custom rom was installed.
However, i think your main concern is, that you wouldn't be able to get support form Oneplus, because you think your warranty is not valid anymore. As said above, your concerns are not that problematic. Especially as you seem to be knowledgeable enough to actually fix things on your own!
- I have thought about factory reset, but I cannot manage to find anything that tells
me what this actually means and does, only how to do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A factory reset will delete all your apps and reset the system to the state"it came out of the factory". So when you start up your phone, you need to set it up again. Enter your name, configure your WiFi settings, install your favorite apps.
However. Your photos and your music files will not be deleted! Be careful though. Resetting your system will delete your app settings. I just want to point that out, because the first time a did a factory reset and reinstalled everything i thought i lost all my Whatsapp photos. They were there in the Picture folder, but weren't linked to the images in my chat window! This is a bit complicated, but can be solved quite easily, if you know what your doing (backing up your apps with certain programs, e.g. Titanium Backup).
- does a factory reset actually do what it suggests. I have read that factory reset does
not involve going to the manufacturers site and obtaining an appropriate image and flashing
it to the phone so I do not quite understand how else it could guarantee it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Factory reset is a internal function of your phone (to be precise of your phones recovery!)
However, as most people said and your suspected is: Your phone does not run the official factory image, provided by Oneplus (or Cynaogen).
The official software can be obtained from
https://oneplus.net/de/support/answer/how-can-i-download-oxygen-os
- If a factory reset will just make it like it was when I received it then that I do not want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it will most likely to what you fear. It depends on what the retailer did. Most costum roms include software in their phones, that will be installed again with a factory reset. If your seller did install the programs AFTER the phones original state (e.g installing it from an appstore or from the APK's (Androids Software Packages)) they won't be present!
- Can I and ought I to flash a fresh image on the phone to get it like it WOULD HAVE been
had I bought it from OnePlus factory on invite and not through a mediator
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely! I'd recommend you to flash a new image to your phone!
There are a lot of great programs here on XDA that offer easy and intuitive options of doing that, without even knowing anything about flashing programs! Try to take a look around and see what you can make of it.
I personally think they are great, but can be dangerous if you didn't read the proper instructions. I'm just saying, as they often delete EVERYTHING on your phone. So whatever you do to your phone, backup everything before!!!
But these simple programs are what you are looking for. They will install the firmware (Cyanogenmod or OxygenOS) that are bloatfree and as the Oneplus intended them to be.
- Finally. There is a notification "System Update is ready" . When I select this it appears
to download something (next version of cyanogenmod I guess though I don't recognise the version
number against any cyanogenmod versions) then it restarts and goes to a recovery app.
At this stage it is not completely intuitive what one should do and it seems to want you
to navigate to a location.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This further suggests, that your are not running an official version. The official update process is fully automated and doesn't need any user intervention! From your description it doesn't do anything and you are stuck in recovery, that is waiting for user input. This is not the case with proper official roms!
Now, I think I could probably figure this out with some reading but two things come to mind:
1) Presumably for a from factory OnePlus phone this kind of ambiguous unintuitive update
process would not be going on for people who just bought their phone and knew nothing
so it suggests the phone is in a different state to that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely correct! See above.
I also read you need root
already to install a (good) recovery app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do not need root to install a recovery. This is a bit complicated, as there are some misconceptions about what is what. You need to "unlock" your phone to install another recovery. This is not rooting, but is also restricted by many manufacturers. But as with rooting, Oneplus is offering support on unlocking your phone and there are lots of guides on how to do it.
2) I am loath to do this update since it is not clear whether the update is this retailers
system update and will reintroduce all that I have disabled to create stability. Therefore
up to now I have always selected just do nothing and reboot. I favor stability over
features.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wise decision.
I am kind of inclined now I have managed to get it stable to just stick with it as it is and just use it without any further updates / resets / flashes and without returning it, but...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would strongly recommend to NOT leave it this way! As you yourself found out, there are chances that there are programs on the phone, that are not to be supposed to be there. I'm not saying that there is spyware on your phone, but it is most likely that there could be malicious code running in the background of your phone. I would strongly recommend NOT to use apps, that need sensitive information of yourself!
Try to look for guides and tutorials here on XDA and just install CM12S, Cyanogenmod or even better OxygenOS, the official ROM from Oneplus! OxygenOS is not everyone's favorite choice, but that way you can be sure, that NOTHING fishy is going on on your phone!
There is an easy app available from the offical oneplus site!
https://oneplus.net/de/support/answer/how-can-i-download-oxygen-os
Or use the app that is mentioned in the post above! Will to the same thing!
Use the instructions on there and you are much safer on using your phone than you are in the present state!
BUT PLEASE, PLEASE DO A BACKUP OF YOUR DATA! I mean, your photos, contacts and everything important before doing anything to your phone. I'm just stressing that out, as so many people complain afterwards that they lost everything, etc.! Not just because the process they did was unsafe, but becaus the didn't properly read the instructions that tell people that they should make a backup, BEFORE tampering the system. It says factory RESET, so it should be clear, that everything will be reset!
I'd suggest you return it and get one through official channels. Official OnePlus devices can only be purchased through the OnePlus store.
I'd suggest you to read this story:
https://medium.com/@tuesdev/as-many...ve-a-oneplus-2-invite-ba20ac8606ae#.qgq3fhmn7
Ctuiku,
Sorry I wasn't able to respond sooner. I really do appreciate your very clear and detailed response and it's care to address each point very clearly and to make clear distinctions between similar things gives me significant confidence in its accuracy.
I must say I appreciate the significant amount of time you have taken and I do hope that at least some of your responses were cut and pasted from text you had already written else where.
I think I may have a number of minor follow up questions, but for now I shall digest your advice and decide on my plan of action.
Thank you again for being so helpful and understanding.
Andrew
I actually didn't read much of it and the comments, but I'd suggest you to unlock the bootloader, flash TWRP, take a backup, wipe everything(not the internal storage of course) , and perform a clean flash of CM13.0 by sultanxda. It's the smoothest and the most stable ROM out there.
Well, that was all in brief. You gotta read(and understand) and perform. It's fun, just like programming. Keep flashing!
~noob (you gotta start from somewhere)
Ctuiku
Thank you again for all your help. Sorry for the delay in responding been busy with other things and also since had some time to digest...
THIS is the OFFICAL Android Software Version for your Oneplus One!!!
See: <I am not allowed to include this link in quote>
I would strongly recommend to install OxygenOS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This link appears to be out of date
or even better OxygenOS, the official ROM from Oneplus! OxygenOS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My search and his post
_forums_oneplus_net_threads_mirrors-for-official-oxygen-os-roms-and-ota-updates.387615
suggests you cannot get the official OxygenOS ROM from Oneplus, doesn't this pose some risks using TP apps to download and flash OS ROM?
There is an easy app available from the offical oneplus site!
<I am not allowed to include this link in quote>
Or use the app that is mentioned in the post above! Will to the same thing!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't this pose some risks using TP apps to download and flash OS ROM?
Also the official link
_account_onepluscontent_com_downloads_tools_oneplus-one-reflash_zip
appears to be out of date
I cannot seem to find a way to find an official location or to identify the genuineness of CM12S image or OxyGenOS image. Is there some kind of published standard hash of the file or something? How does it work?
a lot of what I read, like on the oneplus site or the way links are named seems to suggest that OxygenOS is just for OnePlus Two. I believe that OnePlus One moved to OxygenOS at some point, but I don't want to apply an OS version to a device that is under resourced. Is there a version of OxygenOS that the OnePlus One should not go beyond.
P.S. How do I get your XDA user name to appear as a link?
iamelton
Thank you so much for your advice I really do appreciate the time you took to help me. Sorry for the delay in responding. Difficult circumstances.
regarding your point (7)
(7) while in recovery, install rom image (which should be put in the internal storage beforehand)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- I wonder if you would mind indicating where beforehand in this list putting the rom image in the internal storage ought to occurr?
- Also, so sorry, but I wonder would you mind elaberating just a little on how to put the rom image in the internal storage?
Regarding the files, I am happy with adb.exe, fastboot.exe, TWRP.
However I understand that the genuineness of OxygenOS images are not provided by OnePlus, is this right?
_forums_oneplus_net_threads_mirrors-for-official-oxygen-os-roms-and-ota-updates_387615
How do confirm the genuineness of OxygenOS images?
Is it a kind of hierarchy of trust, i.e. n users use and recommend this location for the images.
Or is there some kind of standard hash for the images that is published on secure OnePlus site?
I have similar issue / understanding issue with CM12S
It would appear after roaming around forums etc that the official Cyanogen OS (not mod/custom) are located below here _builds_cyngn_com_ but the site itself seems to have no web pages I visit cyngn.com_get-cyanogen-os but can find no page with a list of rom images and their corresponding dates, attributes and inclusions etc.
I hear that some versions of CM12S do not support 64GB (as per my OPO) but I seem to have no clear certified single source way to know exactly the name/url of the CM12S I should get.
I am probably misunderstanding the philosophy behind things, but it seems if anyone can do anything with the source you would think that OnePlus would into the bargin also provide users (of which there will be a variety) a "sure fire" way to get their (grey market?) phone to (original) factory standard. They still apparently cover it for warentee, so...
Many thanks
P.S. How do I get your XDA user name to appear as a link?