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Dual boot 2 Android partitions on the Eee Pad...possible?

Seeing all the work being done over in the dev section, I was reminded of something I did when modding my xbox. The boot img for the xbox is very small, it basically just looks for various executable files in order from different places and then fails if it doesn't find them..and that's all it does, so it is much smaller than an entire ROM, 256k to be exact. The thing is the chip it was contained on in earlier models of the xbox were 1MB, 4 times what was needed. By shorting out the board on the TSOP one could use a physical switch to toggle how much of the chip was visible to the CPU, and you could in essence split this chip into four banks, and flash 4 different boot images if you wanted (although you needed a 4 position switch and a hell of a lot of 32 gauge wire + patience). Since that was really overkill, what I did was split the TSOP into 2 banks and flashed 2 separate bootloaders, one could remain stable and near stock, as to maintain all the function of the xbox, while with a flick of the switch I could boot from and flash the other bank experimentally, if it failed to flash or got stuck in a bootloop then you could switch over and reflash from the working side, keeping it from being brickable.
Now, of course we have much more control over a rooted android device's hardware via software than the xbox has, and can dual boot without adding switches and soldering the board (at least in the case of ubuntu), I was wondering is there any way to get a Eee Pad dual-booting from two ANDROID partitions, so one could boot and flash developing roms (like the ICS rom coming along in the dev section) while maintaining a safe bootable img that works as a safeguard?
Or does hardware limit this function in our machines?

It may be possible to do so by installing one of the ROMs to the recovery partition like we can do with Ubuntu.

I'm sure something like Boot Manager, that stores ROMs on the SD card, could be put in place for dual booting.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA App

Does recovery boot from the internal SD card or does it flash to an internal EEPROM chip?
I know the ROM itself is on the SDcard internally like any OS, wondering if there might be a way of getting the bootloader to actually search for a file on the external SD card and if it doesn't find it search for the same sys file that the OS uses on the internal?
On the xbox, the OS file was initiated by launching a single file, named default.xbe (xbe=xbox executable files), and all autorun files on the discs were also named 'default.xbe'..is this an option to actually change the initialization of the bootloader to search for the OS on the external before trying to boot from the internal OR conversely simply partitioning the interanl (though I don't know how you would go about getting the bootloader to differentiate between one partition and the other, much less have control of which it chooses to load/flash, without perhaps an intermediate 'OS selection' option)

this is not an xbox.
EDIT: however there would be a way to boot 2 android partitions, it would just require a very different set up to what you are saying. you are stuck in the minimalist xbox approach that has a small microkernel which can only run one executable at a time

I know it isn't an xbox, but that is the only linux-based system I've got experience hardware modding, I assume the TF could assume a similar function without hardware modifications..?
On another note- I just found out that there is an Android PS3 emulator (WOW) wondering how far off an Xbox360 emulator is from being ported from PC to Android..that would give someone a reason to want to dual boot...would be a novel thing to turn on the TF and be greeted by a gaming console boot animation

luna_c666 said:
I know it isn't an xbox, but that is the only linux-based system I've got experience hardware modding, I assume the TF could assume a similar function without hardware modifications..?
On another note- I just found out that there is an Android PS3 emulator (WOW) wondering how far off an Xbox360 emulator is from being ported from PC to Android..that would give someone a reason to want to dual boot...would be a novel thing to turn on the TF and be greeted by a gaming console boot animation
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol, xbox is winnt based not linux based

I understood it was UNIX based, at least the EVOX and UNLEASHX dashboards were, I wrote code for them and had to study UNIX in order to do so..I'm sure the OEM xbox stuff was MS proprietary, but everyone went to UNIX based dashboards instead, even installing DSL (Damn Small Linux). I even got a ported version of Windows CT running in a Linux application on the OEM Xbox, but now we are getting way off topic- my knowledge (or lack thereof) of the xbox isn't what's in question, rather my desire to learn MORE about the TF..how about giving me some constructive information instead of simply trying to tell me I am wrong here?

ok yes, we are getting away from the point, as I said, yes it could be done but not quite in the way you propose, it is a fair bit of work.

Check out the ubuntu project for android,
It creates two partitions by using your recovery area.
But the end result is that you a boot android or b boot ubuntu arm. (Don't get excited with arm ubuntu 90% of what I wanted to do I couldn't since its arm.
But my point is, I bet that could be easily modified replacing the ubuntu image with another android image and maybe some other stuff to "dual boot" your tf101.
Course the more I think about it the more reasons I get to doubt it'd be that simple.
Idea 2, one word..... safestrap.
Sent from my XT862

Ok ignore half of what I said, coffee hasn't kicked in and I didn't the part where you mention the Ubuntu project.
So my vote is going to a safestrap. Its exactly what I do on my Droid 3. Non safe is my rooted debloated ROM. Reboot, enable safe mode and I get hashes ics ROM.
Although this use isn't what he designed it for, it's a useful side effect. Takes about 3 minutes to get from nonsafe to safe, for me.
Sent from my XT862

I will have to look up safestrap I've never heard of it, is it a hardware device?

luna_c666 said:
Seeing all the work being done over in the dev section, I was reminded of something I did when modding my xbox. The boot img for the xbox is very small, it basically just looks for various executable files in order from different places and then fails if it doesn't find them..and that's all it does, so it is much smaller than an entire ROM, 256k to be exact. The thing is the chip it was contained on in earlier models of the xbox were 1MB, 4 times what was needed. By shorting out the board on the TSOP one could use a physical switch to toggle how much of the chip was visible to the CPU, and you could in essence split this chip into four banks, and flash 4 different boot images if you wanted (although you needed a 4 position switch and a hell of a lot of 32 gauge wire + patience). Since that was really overkill, what I did was split the TSOP into 2 banks and flashed 2 separate bootloaders, one could remain stable and near stock, as to maintain all the function of the xbox, while with a flick of the switch I could boot from and flash the other bank experimentally, if it failed to flash or got stuck in a bootloop then you could switch over and reflash from the working side, keeping it from being brickable.
Now, of course we have much more control over a rooted android device's hardware via software than the xbox has, and can dual boot without adding switches and soldering the board (at least in the case of ubuntu), I was wondering is there any way to get a Eee Pad dual-booting from two ANDROID partitions, so one could boot and flash developing roms (like the ICS rom coming along in the dev section) while maintaining a safe bootable img that works as a safeguard?
Or does hardware limit this function in our machines?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldnt you mount the developing or experimental ROM's like ics as loop devices?
Im not sure how many loop devices you can have but i think its like 6 or something
Before little stevie brought out hes ubuntu system thats how i had linux for awhile it wasnt the fastest or most efficient but good enough for testing
Sent from my tf Enigmatic V2 beta 1.65Ghz Panda.test cust kernel settings

[Q] Blueing M77 (model A770) PHABLET Rooting options; device configuration questions

Hello,
Really Hopeful in having your support and ideas on quite few issues!
(I hope it is OK to post links) I bought above mentioned tablet ebay co.uk/itm/121228145297
and few accessories intending to use it as Traffic Recorder(Dash Cam) and (ideally iGO SatNav application) for my travels through Europe (mainly UK)
Main specs:
Specifications:
1General
2Operating System
3Android 4.1
4CPU
5ARM(Cortex-A7) MTK8377
6GPU
7PowerVR SGX 531
8Processor Speed
91.5GHz
10RAM
111G
12Hard Drive Capacity
138GB
14Extended Memory
15Support external TF card extend up to 32GB
16Gravity Sensor
17Yes
18Flash Player
19Yes, Support Flash Player 11.1
20Display Size
217 Inch
22Display Technology
23IPS Capacitive Touch Screen
24Multi-Touch
25Yes, 5 points
26Display Resolution
271024x 600 pixels
28Camera
29Front Camera
300.3MP
31Rear Camera
322.0MP
33Flashlight
34Yes
35Connections
36Wi-Fi
37Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
383G
39Yes,Built in
40LAN
41Yes,Support external USB LAN modem.
42Bluetooth
43Yes, 4.0
44GPS
45Yes,Built in
46Telephone
47 Yes,built-in 2G GSM;850/900/1800/1900MHz
48 3G WCDMA:850/2100 MHz
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In specs and images it was posted as (will insert image later)
(all is rather optimistic and NOT what it came like!)
it appeared as(will insert image later1)
and issues with me trying (and achieving some sort of control level) there from
(will insert image later)
varied degree of success working on it gets me to (will insert image later2)
So, I have managed to disable some apps, once managed to get mobile networking connections to the 1Mobile Market and get some apps to work, but not GooglePlayStore. Most of remaining (and new apps) are not in Chinese no more, so I am very hopefull, that with rooting I'll get rid of the rest of them gremlins.
Actual specs (will insert image later3)
The questions to you Gentleman (and) Ladies:
1- Do I have to (must) root the device, so that GooglePalyStore would work? as currently, it is installed, but majority of apps are kicking some or the the sort of errors(unsupported etc), and actual GoogleStore app- "works" via Browser...
2- If yes, how do I (step by step) root it in order to have better control? (what applications( with links please) I should install for such Odyssey and what order etc please!?
3- If rooting, is it possible to Get IE 4.4.0 ROM to install?(instead of 4.1.1)- what will happen to the features of IE analogTV receiver hardware management?
4- Would it matter at all, if device is not rooted, but intended to be installed iGo Primo is packaged somehow with GooglePlay app?- will it work? or will that "modified" app work with rooted device all together? (I already learned, that IE Traffic recorder apps are only available on Google)- meaning not available for me for now...
Very many thanks for the answers and ideas in advance!

Am I wrong in believing, that particular tablet is really just a different badge wearing JXD P1000 MTK8377 tablet?
Hardware specs seem to match, as well as appearance/hardware configuration seems ever so similar, is it that daft of an idea to consider rooting and replacing ROM with one, made for JDX device?
Sent from my blueing tablet A770 using Tapatalk 2

[Q] Developing a customer rom for work

Hi,
My name is Chris, I work for a company called Mobile Genius.
We sell second hand mobile phones mainly on eBay, hoping to set up our own eCommerce site sooner rather than later. However this is not why I'm here. For a lot of issues with phones, from flashing to hard resetting a device, XDA has been great for me and really helped me out. So thanks to all the people who post here, and whoever takes the time to reply to me now.
We have a Z3X box and a piece of software called Chimera (only got Chimera 2 days ago). They save us a lot of money on unlocking devices. I've been looking into flashing all of our phones, as a lot come with passwords and data on already and they must be wiped before being sold. Does anyone know if it's possible to flash more than one phone at a time on the same computer?
Question 2:
Is there any kind of testing tool to test an Android device. For example, we must go through each device one by one, testing the speaker, ear piece speaker, microphone, buttons, touch screen, WiFi and other tests. This is a must, especially with second hand devices. We don't sell iPhones due to they seem to break easier than other phones (personal opinon, but I do have an iPhone myself ) So this would be needed for android devices only.
Question 3:
In regards to flashing devices. We are wondering whether it's possible to create your own branding, like how the networks add there branding so it is seen on the boot process and the wallpaper. How would one go in regards to adding this to each device. I was curious whether it's possible to make a file which can be flashed onto each device. For example when I use the Z3X box to change the network unlock code to 00000000 on an Ace 2 it requires me to root the device as it's unable to root the device automatically. The easiest way I found was to copy an update.zip file to the phones memory and then flash a pda file which is rooted and it then makes the device rooted) Is there a simple way I can have a pda file and flash it to the phone and it will keep the original software but just add branding with our logo? Or if anyone knows of a completely different way to do this but quickly I'd be very grateful for any advise.
If any of the above has been answered elsewhere, send me a link and call me a noob and I'll get the info from there.
Thanks
Chris

kimber015 said:
Hi,
My name is Chris, I work for a company called Mobile Genius.
We sell second hand mobile phones mainly on eBay, hoping to set up our own eCommerce site sooner rather than later. However this is not why I'm here. For a lot of issues with phones, from flashing to hard resetting a device, XDA has been great for me and really helped me out. So thanks to all the people who post here, and whoever takes the time to reply to me now.
We have a Z3X box and a piece of software called Chimera (only got Chimera 2 days ago). They save us a lot of money on unlocking devices. I've been looking into flashing all of our phones, as a lot come with passwords and data on already and they must be wiped before being sold. Does anyone know if it's possible to flash more than one phone at a time on the same computer?
Question 2:
Is there any kind of testing tool to test an Android device. For example, we must go through each device one by one, testing the speaker, ear piece speaker, microphone, buttons, touch screen, WiFi and other tests. This is a must, especially with second hand devices. We don't sell iPhones due to they seem to break easier than other phones (personal opinon, but I do have an iPhone myself ) So this would be needed for android devices only.
Question 3:
In regards to flashing devices. We are wondering whether it's possible to create your own branding, like how the networks add there branding so it is seen on the boot process and the wallpaper. How would one go in regards to adding this to each device. I was curious whether it's possible to make a file which can be flashed onto each device. For example when I use the Z3X box to change the network unlock code to 00000000 on an Ace 2 it requires me to root the device as it's unable to root the device automatically. The easiest way I found was to copy an update.zip file to the phones memory and then flash a pda file which is rooted and it then makes the device rooted) Is there a simple way I can have a pda file and flash it to the phone and it will keep the original software but just add branding with our logo? Or if anyone knows of a completely different way to do this but quickly I'd be very grateful for any advise.
If any of the above has been answered elsewhere, send me a link and call me a noob and I'll get the info from there.
Thanks
Chris
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, possibility exists for all three questions of yours.
Q1) You could make a wipe.bat file which wipes through adb, requires batch programming knowledge.
Or you could look under my signature. You will find an ultimate tool, it is basically a tool which can bend your Android in any way... It has wipe option factory reset
Q2)Yes, for MTK there's a built in function called engg. Mode which is used to detect errors, for other devices. Some bootloaders support factory mode. Which is also used for a complete checkup
Q3) Yes, your boot.img holds the Bootlogo (you can extract the boot.img from the tool in my signature and leave regards ) wallpaper also resides in system somewhere (forgot exact loc). And es EFS part can be reprogrammed but could be illegal (?)
HIT THANKS if you like my post
-------------------------------------------
My work:
[TOOL]Kernel/Boot.img (un)packer

Beginners FAQ

Hey there.
I bought a new MTCD 5.1 from Erisin for my Audi A3 8P. It took me a lot of time for research due to the lack of available noob's information. This is why i want to make a summary of my lessions learned. But before i still have some questions to ask:
1) There are 2 types of "firmware": MCU and MTC* (MTCB, MTCC or MTCD). Is this like ROM and Kernel?
2) Installing a new firmware: It is possible to flash a zip in Recovery OR just add a correctly named image file into the main directory and system will ask if it should update?
3) Is a Recovery plattform always preinstalled? (I'm used to having to flash TWRP or similar first)
4) What has to be backed up to be able to get in the original state? Can this be done in the Recovery?
5) Did anyone manage to use the original car microphone? (I read about a ROM which uses double Bluetooth connection for phone AND internal car handsfree system)
6) I understand that FUSE improves the overall performance because it uses the same space for ROM and RAM and therefore enhancing the RAM performance significantly?
7) Is it possible to install a Joying Software on a Erisin device and so on?

First of all just to clear things up. There is two moving pieces. "firmware" and the android software ROM installs which some also call "firmware" sometimes just to make it confusing. The firmware is very low level hardware code that is installed onto the MCU which is a separate very low level hardware controller on the systems and is totally separate from the processor which runs android, the MCU's are in different models/revisions called MTCB, MTCD, MTCC. Go to your settings->about and look at the MCU type it will have the letters MTCD, MTCB, or MTCB in the hardware version. You have to load the correct firmware for the correct hardware type. If you load MTCB firmware on MTCD hardware etc.. you will brick it. You must load MTCD firmware on MTCD hardware.
There is also different ANDROID installs available for the units. Those are generally built specifically for a) the MCU version, b) the screensize, and d) the processor. So there is a specific build of android for the head units that have an MTCB MCU processor, are 800x600, and have a RK3188. If you have a different MCU such as MTCD, or a different screen resolution you have to find the one that matches your system.
2) Recovery using a USB stick or SD card is the best way to go. Usually when installing different versions(stock vs malysk etc) of the android system install (ROMS) you have to first do the wipe/clear from inside recovery because they can't be installed 'on top' of each other. Sometimes a change will also require a wipe to be done when installing even a newer version of the same system.
3) The recovery is in the hardware itself on these units. No need to do anything other than know the magic incantation and keypress sequence etc to get to it on your device.
4) Most of us backup our APPS/App Data using Titanium Backup. Most people don't chase every update because often updating the ROM software android on these units is generally basically a full new install and you lose all your setups and apps and you have to do a re-setup like a brand new unit when you update and its a bit of a hassle. Titanium Backup of your apps can help make that time a little shorter but it still is a bit of effort, so personally I only update every so often and not every version.
5) Most of the newer models seem to have better mics. I had a MTCB and I had to do the 'mod' to get mine usable, but on the newer MTCD I have now, the mic worked fine as is.
6) The BIGGEST benefit of FUSE is that it makes the 'internal' space look like a full 16GB+. The stock roms., only have 2GB internal (OS) space, and 16GB looks like a 'SD Card", so you only have very little space to install apps and you have to do the whole 'move apps to SD' thing to be able to install apps on that space. Also doing the 'move apps to sd' thing messes up the icons on apps lots of times. With the FUSE mod, you have a huge amount of space to install apps 'internally' and it just works much much better.
7) Generally the 'sticker' on the front does not matter, its the system/MCU type such as "JY, RA, etc." But I would stick with either the stock rom for YOUR brand, or use Malysk's install.

[Tablet BQ M10 FHD] HDMI output deconfiguration after all partition format

Hello,
Excuse my broken English, I made a translation with google!
Relates to BQ AQUARIS M10 FHD tablet (freezerhd project).
- Processor MEDIATEK MT8163
- Screen Full HD 1920x1200
- Android 6.0
- Kernel 3.18.22+
- SW : alps-mp-m0.mp8-V1.35_mlt8163.tb.m_P72
After a return to the last original stock rom (version 2.62_20180126-1035_bq_aquaris_m10_FHD), important bugs impacted the functioning of the tablet, such as for example unable to install applications, unable to add shortcuts on the desktop ... without root access or with root.
I then thought that the custom rom that I had installed previously caused problems ... So I decided with "SP Flash Tool" to execute a "Format All", then always flashed the latest stock rom version 2.62. The problem was the same.
By doing long research, I understood that this latest version of original rom (2.62) had several unresolved bugs (BQ support forum in Spanish). So I installed an older stock rom, version 2.30_20170405-1553_bq_aquaris_m10_FHD. There more problem everything worked well, well almost ...
I had the problem of the mac address of the wifi interface which changed with each restart. I solved it with the "SN Write Tool".
By cons, now I have a problem that I can not solve: When I connect the tablet with its micro-HDMI port to an FHD monitor, I have no video and audio signal that is transmitted, by cons the FHD monitor synchronizes well a signal in 1080p ... I launched the "Factory Mode" (power + down buttons when starting the tablet), then "Manual Test", then "HDMI" and made the hdmi test. There it works, I have the video signal and the image to the FHD monitor.
I therefore deduce that it is not a hardware problem, but software and that the formatting of all partitions caused this problem, but I find no subject on it after very long research and tests with several tools for NVRAM.
Maybe it "enough" to flash the nvram partition, but of course I have no backup, and I do not find on the internet for this tablet model.
Maybe I could manually add specific files relating to the hdmi port in the nvram, but is it "standard"? and perhaps linked to a type of architecture?
Maybe it's on a different level than nvram?
Or maybe the kernel version installed (3.18.22+) is different from the one that comes with the stock version 2.30 ?
Thank you for your help on the subject, because I intend to keep this tablet, because the functionality of the hdmi port is important to me, especially that the hdmi ports have disappeared on the tablet, and that the vast majority now have USB-C ports but in version 2.0 and not MHL, which is a regression ... except buying a Samsung or Huawei tablet that has a USB-C port version 3.0 or 3.1 ...
Especially I do not want to use audio / video signal transmission in Wifi with a Wifi/HDMI adapter on the monitor in order to use the Android function of caster the screen.
Thanks to the community.