So I've got some old full image backups of my long dead Samsung phone, as well as a couple of others. I need to get some information off of them, however attempting to extract data from these images is turning out to be pretty complicated and to be quite honest, I don't know exactly what I'm looking for and so I'm looking to see if there is a way to simply restore these image files to an emulator. I'm aware that images are device specific but I don't know to what extent is the failure. Should I manage to "restore" an image and boot it, is android setup to just halt the moment it sees it's not the original hardware, or do certain functions just not work? And if any of you guys have any knowledge of QEMU and if it has the ability to emulate more than just system core architecture (x86, arm, etc...) but maybe it can emulate Samsung devices in a general way? I know this last question is a bit out of place, I'll be asking on the QEMU board as well, but just thought I'd toss it in here since it pertains.
Sorry for the total nub question, but since my case isn't device specific, I couldn't find a better place for it.
Tin_Man_0 said:
So I've got some old full image backups of my long dead Samsung phone, as well as a couple of others. I need to get some information off of them, however attempting to extract data from these images is turning out to be pretty complicated and to be quite honest, I don't know exactly what I'm looking for and so I'm looking to see if there is a way to simply restore these image files to an emulator. I'm aware that images are device specific but I don't know to what extent is the failure. Should I manage to "restore" an image and boot it, is android setup to just halt the moment it sees it's not the original hardware, or do certain functions just not work? And if any of you guys have any knowledge of QEMU and if it has the ability to emulate more than just system core architecture (x86, arm, etc...) but maybe it can emulate Samsung devices in a general way? I know this last question is a bit out of place, I'll be asking on the QEMU board as well, but just thought I'd toss it in here since it pertains.
Sorry for the total nub question, but since my case isn't device specific, I couldn't find a better place for it.
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OK, I hope this isn't breaking any forum rules ;-) System dumps aren't considered warez are they?
I'm just now moving from developing applications on android to working on the system itself, but I need a little bit of help. I've never been much into hacking (well... we could go back to college days but lets not ;-)
I've developed a few android applications for my business; which is very exciting - they should be launching within the next few months, but I want to work on my own Android roms and ports and I have a complete newbie question.
I've got my development environment set up - I've got the AOSP 2.1 (android-2.1_r2 to be specific) source, GIT, REPO and everything I need from HTC's Kernel lists, I know how to sign a package, etc, etc, but I've run into a problem I can't seem to fix with Google search (HONOES!)
What the hell do I do with a system dump from another device? Whats the typical process most developers use to get these dumps up and running? Am I missing something blatantly obvious? (Don't flame me, I've been stuck in javascript, PHP and C# for nearly 4 years, I'm rusty :-( )
You don't have to write me a book, but a link to a guide would be helpful.
Hi all!
I'm sort of new here, although i've been reading forums for quite some time now.
I have a Galaxy S (the main reason i'm here in the first place), and given i have a programming experience on different platforms i figured - what the hell. I am planning to try myself in Android apps development and possibly get down to custom ROMs and all that jive.
It is obvious where i should start with development (e.g. download SDK, read some tutorials, books etc.). As for messing with ROMs, i couldn't find an easy introduction to that. I mean, come on, everyone can root the device and install Voodoo lagfix (as i did already), but actually *creating* these ROMs is another story. If someone could possibly point me in the right direction (i just don't know where to start) it will be very appreciated.
P.S. I'm not your usual noob. I am neither afraid of command line, nor technicalities that are involved with this, and i completely understand that this will require HELL OF A LOT of reading, understanding, learning, and i completely understand that all this is way above my current knowledge, that's why i'm interested in the first place.
I think a good start would be to search tutorials for "deodexing" as this is one of the methods to prepare a ROM. From there it should lead you deeper into the rabbits burrow.
Thanks for the tip. Now i have questions that are probably belonging to the Chef section (started to read threads in there and realized that i should have started reading that section in the first place), but anyway.
If i compile the AOSP from source - will it work straight away on any device? Probably not, as the hardware needs drivers and stuff. So, next thing is drivers. As my device is Galaxy S, you can assume that all i ask is related to that device.
I saw that the open-source package (including the drivers) for Galaxy S has been released by Samsung. Does that mean that i can take Eclair AOSP source, copy the drivers, compile and use the result on my device? Well, probably Samsung made some modifications to the kernel, so it would be good idea to copy the kernel source too (i have never done kernel development before but i hope i have a somewhat general idea of how things work down there).
Anything else i need to be aware of?
Following the advice given earlier, i have googled for deodexing and ended up having a folder full of apk's. Does that mean that if i wish to install some Samsung stock apps (like camera) - i can take these apk's and install them as a regular app (or even include them in a resulting vanilla android ROM)?
First, I know there are some other topics out there asking the same exact thing, but I think my situation is kinda different.
So, want to learn how to develop for Android. Building custom ROMs, Android apps, tweaks, etc. But my actual knowledge is only user lever. I only know what a android user should know (flash ROMs, root, etc). Zero dev knowledge. Nothing.
I want to know with what should I start to learn to do Android dev. Nothing like: 1 hour and you're the best dev out there. I know it takes time. But I want to focus on Android.
So, what do you have to say?
In very general terms it would be to pick one of your favorite roms for your phone, pull it apart and then put it back together until you understand what is going on.
In more "specific" (though this is frankly scratching the surface) terms, you would first spend hours finding out how to back up your phone including the AAA key, the meid and so forth as well as other software compatible with your phone to restore it. As frankly since you're likely using your phone to test, you'll have more than one occasion it will be soft bricked.
Thereafter you would learn more in regards to development tools, in specific over at developer.android.com. Read the dev guide and so on.
Third, decide how you want to implement a unix/linux test environment, unless you're already on linux.
And forth you'd look at your favorite rom developer's build from their development site (the name of the domain escapes me) pull it apart and try to analyze the details.
Last but not least you'd FOLLOW new developments with android and the phone as well as learn to adjust to any new firmware that comes out from the manufacturer.
I'm in the process of learning how to develop myself but I've already discovered a lot more with the phone's underlying structure. That said, a lot of the answers are found in bits and pieces on this forum. But when you start to learn and ask specific questions like "what partition is the system mounted on for a Samsung Galaxy Ace" you'll begin to understand the file structure and then underlying software involved.
This was very helpful. I'm glad to see there are helpful people here that aren't going to talk down to a "new user" and I was also wondering how I could view files on windows 7. For example the structure of apk files or any of the others that say no program found to open this file
For example I want to begin by changing the boot screen from the solar flare looking Android boot screen to scrolling tiles or something of the sort then back can some explain that and I'm sure I can gain quite an understanding on the process that way
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If you want to do programming you should start with the Android SDK: http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html
An apk file is actually a zip file.
If you want to get an idea of all the stuff that is in there, just rename it to .zip and open with your favorite utility.
The contents of this archive file are also in binary form and compressed.
To get down to the lowest level you need to use something like apktool: http://code.google.com/p/android-apktool/
Much obliged I'll do that. Any Intel on boot.img
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This thread may be pointless but I don't care. I can't find a straight general answer.
I am kind of new to Android modding but have ok skills with coding and decent skills with Linux (I know how to survive in a shell).
What are good code examples or what are the best methods(exploits) used to privilege escalate a shell?
Do I need to find a hole in the Linux kernel or try to hijack an active process running as root?
What is needed to crack the bootloader? I know I'm asking a lot and most of my terms used may be wrong but I find it hard to take that next step. Would I find answers by reading an Android developers book?
Please, where do I start???
There are many options in the development criteria, the two main consist of OS Development (Roms) and Application Development.
Judging by what you're stating, I think you're trying to work towards OS Development? Correct me if I'm wrong.
I know I'm being a bit cheap by not typing out everything needed, as I will have to put some time into that... But the official CyanogenMod wiki shows you how to set up a building environment on Mac, Windows and Linux.
From there they explain in detail on what shell commands you must use to run exploits and such. They also explain what specific components and files do and how you can modify and update them from what I have previously seen. The site also shows you how to build a ROM for your device itself, using the CyanogenMod source of course, the method applies to all source to be honest.
Here's a link to the website - http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Main_Page
If this wasn't what you were asking for let me know so I can explain furthermore.
Krish.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Hello,
I posted this in the hacking forum and then figured that was the wrong place. Apologies for the double post.
I have recently come into an oldish Qualcomm Mobile Development Platform (8974) tablet (http://www.anandtech.com/show/7082/s...lopment-tablet). It is on some type of custom android os with a bunch of test tools, but no google play store app. It is admittedly an oldish platform (2 generations old), but I was hoping there might be an image somewhere out there that I can flash it with and use it as a reader/photoframe or something similar.
1. Anyone know of a usable image for this tablet?
2. How do I flash an image to something like this?
I'm unable to find any useful info on the web, and there's precious little info on this as it were.
Not sure if this is in the right place. Any guidance is greatly appreciated.
You actually posted both threads in the General section, which isn't right. Questions go in the Q&A section. I've moved the other one there, and am closing this one.