Hopefully this will clear this up for me and maybe educate some newer users.
For those that dont know the NAND disk on an android smartphone is split into these partitions:
/boot -- contains kernal bootloader and romdisk
/system -- contains android OS files
/recovery --- contains recovery program
/data -- contains apk files and resources
/cache -- ...
/misc -- not sure whats in here
/sdcard -- all media goes here
Okay so we install a new rom we wipe boot, system, data, cache and misc. and completely replace them with whatever our rom has.
If thats the case why do roms require a certain firmware version. The 'firmware' HAS to go somewhere but it must be lost when we wipe during the install. In that case what am i missing. What is firmware, what does it do? what does it contain??
Thanks
The firmware is mainly two things, the radio, and the Hboot or bootloader but there is other things too like RIL files to go with the radio. The radio has it's own partiton and the Hboot is stored in a totally different location than the NAND flash memory. I am not sure if the RIL file is stored in the radio partition or if it is stored where the Hboot is. But I hope that answers your question some.
Edit: You asked why ROMs need certain firmware versions. The firmware also has for lack of knowledge of what they are really called i will call drivers in them that is needed by Android and if these drivers are not present certain versions of Android will not boot on the device or function properly.
Also Cache files are files made by a app or the OS whenever it does certain task. These files are saved so they can be accessed again later and do not have to be generated again. This is done in a effort try and help speed up the performance of the device.
syserr presents...
"SE" ROMs for the A2107A-F and A2107A-H
Stock ROMs flashable with SP Flash Tool
-------------------------------------------------------------
SE_A2107A-F_S486_130221_SP.7z (updated Oct 5, 2013)
Complete, all partition blocks you need and then some
Partition block images from freshly opened -F, made with SPFT read mem then chunked with dd
No Root
NVRAM partition for those that have clobbered it and don't have a backup
^ yes, I know I just gave away my MAC address, but I doubt we are neighbors
Android 4.0.3
SE_A2107A-H_A404_121011_ATT_SP.7z (updated Oct 8, 2013)
Note: This is for the 1 SIM version, I don't guarantee it will work on 2 SIM hw.
Complete, all partition blocks you need and then some
Partition block images from a barely used -H, made with SPFT read mem then chunked with dd
I had rooted it before, so I carefully removed Superuser, su, busybox, busbox symlinks, and RootExplorer.
NVRAM partition for those that have clobbered it and don't have a backup, but I've blanked the MEID... so you'd have to restore your own with MKDRT or similar tool.
Android 4.0.4
SE_A2107A-H_VOD_SP.7z (updated May 15, 2014)
Note: This is for the 1 SIM version, I don't guarantee it will work on 2 SIM hw.
Complete, all partition blocks you need and then some
Partition block images from a Vodafone -H, made with SPFT read mem then chunked with dd
Rooted.
NVRAM partition for those that have clobbered it and don't have a backup, but I've blanked the MEID... so you'd have to restore your own with MKDRT or similar tool.
Android 4.0.4
A2107A-F ROMs flashable with CWM Recovery
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SE_STOCK_A2107A-F_S486_130221-signed.zip (updated Oct 5, 2013)
FAC partition is recreated with a lighter weight mechanism to choose country.
Origins were the above "-F" SPFT dump
No Root, Trying to be stock!
SE_SRS_A2107A-F_S486_130221-signed.zip (updated Oct 7, 2013)
SRS = Stock Rooted Scrubbed
FAC partition is recreated with a lighter weight mechanism to choose country.
Rooted with SuperSU Rooted with chainsdd Superuser
Busybox
All the vendor bloatware removed
Splash animations and annoying load audio removed
A2107A-H ROMs flashable with CWM Recovery
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SE_STOCK_A2107A-H_ATT_A404-signed.zip (updated Oct 8, 2013)
Note: Only use this on Dual-SIM if you are an experimenter with a full backup of NVRAM partition
Origins were the above "-H" SPFT dump
No Root, Trying to be stock!
Android 4.0.4
From US/AT&T model with 1 SIM slot
This appears much snappier than my -F with 4.0.3 firmware
SE_SRS_A2107A-H_ATT_A404-signed.zip (updated Oct 8, 2013)
Note: Only use this on Dual-SIM if you are an experimenter with a full backup of NVRAM partition
Like SE_STOCK*, but rooted with chainsdd and busybox installed.
Removed boot and shutdown animations
Really there isn't much bloatware to begin with.
Android 4.0.4
SE_FOXTROT_REROOTED-signed.zip (updated Nov 11, 2013) NEW!
I started with FoxtrotKZ's ROM
I found that "su" didn't work and the Busybox install said there was a problem opening a shell with root access.
I re-rooted it. (it works now)
I re-installed busybox. (it works now)
USB Debugging / ADB is enabled right away - adb logcat works first boot.
I removed boot animation/audio and shutdown.
I resisted the urge to remove more, but my objective was just to rework it as a test ROM for myself.
Tree of Tools for the A2107A
------------------------------------------------------------
in my A2107A directory
I'm going to make this second post contain...
---------------------------------
MISC ROM Tweaks
---------------------------------
ClearSky_Overlay_BigData_For_4GB.7z
Overlay files for A2107A-H with 4GB.
Increases standard 1.35GB /data to 2.01GB
Copy these files over your SPFT ROM directory
Tested with ClearSky SPFT ROM, but other 4GB SPFT should work
Custom Scatters
Scatter_And_XBRs_16GB_-_SYSTEM_1.5G_CACHE_.5G_DATA_2.0G.7z
Looking good thanks
Sent from my C6603 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
F user here, looking forward to flashing this and playing around with it tomorrow. Just wanted to say thanks!
Fine, I bought it for € 99.- in germany last week. In the moment I have the foxtrot rom with phone function on it. Do you plan a 4.04. rooted zip rom for recovery, also ?
Nice rom but dual sim version do not see any sim card.
good :good:
xclaw said:
F user here, looking forward to flashing this and playing around with it tomorrow. Just wanted to say thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your welcome. I found a little oddness with the root, I just switched back from chainfire SuperSU to chainsdd Superuser. I'll get the new SRS uploaded today. (UPDATE: new one is uploaded a few hours ago)
NEO130 said:
Fine, I bought it for € 99.- in germany last week. In the moment I have the foxtrot rom with phone function on it. Do you plan a 4.04. rooted zip rom for recovery, also ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For -H, I will be releasing a rooted one probably tonight. Bare in mind though, this is from a single SIM model. I wouldn't mind purchasing a dual SIM so I had all variants to test on.
I could release an updater that would allow you to reinstall the recovery to CWM5 or CWM6.
nefilim23 said:
Nice rom but dual sim version do not see any sim card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. Hum, I wonder what is going on. My single SIM -H works "ok" with the dual SIM -H ROMs. I can see MEID etc.. it just shows the second SIM as MEID 000000 or unknown.
It'd be nice to get my hands on a couple of the SPFT dumps of stock roms for -H variants. Or purchase a dual -H tablets even.
That would be great if You could make it work on dual sim. Rom is faster and more responsive than 4.03.
In dual sim all the sim options are inactive and there is no cell networks.
nefilim23 said:
That would be great if You could make it work on dual sim. Rom is faster and more responsive than 4.03.
In dual sim all the sim options are inactive and there is no cell networks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the confirmation on it 4.0.4 being snappier, very good to know. Apparently AT&T was able to have Lenovo develop longer than they would have normally and got 4.0.4 stock.
In general to all readers....
So here is what I've found:
The LeWa ROM claims to be 4.0.4 also. It is the only -H ROM I've seen out of about 10 I've archived that claims this, besides my AT&T ROM.
The LeWa ROM may have originated from the Lenovo A750 phone... as that shows as it's build:
ro.product.device=lenovo75_ics
A few reason that the AT&T ROM might serve as a better base for custom work:
1. It's for the hardware, no doubt. Need to figure out tweaks needed for 2 SIMS
2. It apparently uses a newer MTK frameworks: ro.mediatek.version.release=ALPS.ICS.MP.V2 instead of V1
LeWa is much slower than Your rom. I am on foxtrot now that seems little faster than LeWa.
thanks for your sharing
but please , I want to know one thing before flashing this rom to my Lenovo A2107A-H with Duel SIM ,
Is this rom will change my original wireless address and my IMEI for the Duel SIM , I mean is this rom will change the original nvram folder , or it will keep it as it is .
And please for the stock roms without root , I found that the link to A2107A-F is the same as A2107A-H , it means that there is no right link to A2107A-H
I hope that I get an answer from you before I make any crazy modification .
Thanks again and have a nice day
sam_pon said:
thanks for your sharing
but please , I want to know one thing before flashing this rom to my Lenovo A2107A-H with Duel SIM ,
Is this rom will change my original wireless address and my IMEI for the Duel SIM , I mean is this rom will change the original nvram folder , or it will keep it as it is .
And please for the stock roms without root , I found that the link to A2107A-F is the same as A2107A-H , it means that there is no right link to A2107A-H
I hope that I get an answer from you before I make any crazy modification .
Thanks again and have a nice day
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oops on the mixup of links. I'll fix, sorry.
It shouldn't change anything in the nvram. NVRAM is somehow magically mounted, it's actually it's own filesystem in a partition block on the flash. So when my -H ROM installs it -- it ONLY writes to the BOOT and SYSTEM/ANDROID partition blocks -- no others. If I were you, I'd still have a backup of your NVRAM directory or partition block (.img).
About root vs no root, I think you noticed I removed the root files from the -H image -- it should be truly stock now. I'm pretty sure I was careful enough that no one would ever notice it was ever rooted.
syserr said:
Oops on the mixup of links. I'll fix, sorry.
It shouldn't change anything in the nvram. NVRAM is somehow magically mounted, it's actually it's own filesystem in a partition block on the flash. So when my -H ROM installs it -- it ONLY writes to the BOOT and SYSTEM/ANDROID partition blocks -- no others. If I were you, I'd still have a backup of your NVRAM directory or partition block (.img).
About root vs no root, I think you noticed I removed the root files from the -H image -- it should be truly stock now. I'm pretty sure I was careful enough that no one would ever notice it was ever rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for answering my question , you know : my problem is that i sent my tablet to changing the whole motherboard for only that NVRAM , So , if you are sure that it will not be touch , i will try the rom , because i realy liked this rom even before i test it ,
and one other thing : you told me that to keep partition block (.img) , what is that partition , and is that mean that there is a way to fix nvram fixed fix or you mean that this fix will be a temperory fix .
please excuse my english because i am egyption , and forgive me for all this questions , but i want to understand every thing before taking my decision .
sam_pon said:
Thanks for answering my question , you know : my problem is that i sent my tablet to changing the whole motherboard for only that NVRAM , So , if you are sure that it will not be touch , i will try the rom , because i realy liked this rom even before i test it ,
and one other thing : you told me that to keep partition block (.img) , what is that partition , and is that mean that there is a way to fix nvram fixed fix or you mean that this fix will be a temperory fix .
please excuse my english because i am egyption , and forgive me for all this questions , but i want to understand every thing before taking my decision .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your English is certainly good enough.
What I meant: Your /data/nvram is really just it's own file system on a partition block on flash. You can copy the files form /data/nvram, but also you can make an image backup of the partition block of flash. Either way should work fine, the partition block image is a bit more "absolute" and it could be restored easily with SP Flash Tool.
Flashing this rom do not change mac, imei etc. WiFi works fine but still no 3g for dual sim
Can You add more languages to this rom? I would like to have polish language and working 3g .
Thanks for Your work. Rom is great and it is good to see this device have chance for better software.
syserr said:
Your English is certainly good enough.
What I meant: Your /data/nvram is really just it's own file system on a partition block on flash. You can copy the files form /data/nvram, but also you can make an image backup of the partition block of flash. Either way should work fine, the partition block image is a bit more "absolute" and it could be restored easily with SP Flash Tool.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really , many many thanks for you , i got your point now about taking a copy of my NVRAM folder for safety Purpose only , but final question : could you please tell me how to make an image backup of this partition to be flashed later by SP flash tool .
i know that my questions too much , but i believe that you are the best one to answer me.
nefilim23 said:
Flashing this rom do not change mac, imei etc. WiFi works fine but still no 3g for dual sim
Can You add more languages to this rom? I would like to have polish language and working 3g .
Thanks for Your work. Rom is great and it is good to see this device have chance for better software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for telling us about your try , and many thanks to make me sure that nothing will change .
Last night I wasn't successful at much.
I tried throwing FM on the AT&T ROM... App and drivers. Didn't work.
Then I tried putting the AT&T ROM on the -F but with boot.img tweaks so it would find the system partition. Didn't work.
I guess I need to scale back a little to have some success.
Sent from my XT912 using xda app-developers app
Hello everyone
So I have this $200 Xiaomi Redmi Pro (MT6797) on which I was trying to unlock LTE Bands.
I hooked it up to MAUI Meta and fiddled with nvram settings, trying to stay logical where possible... that's to say I've paid attention at indices, changed at all occurrences of settings, etc (I'm a programmer after all).
Nevertheless , after the N-th dry run, I've managed to touch the "right" value and now Android says no sim inserted (baseband version unknown in system info).
More importantly, I thought I could simply revert the changes, as I have kept track of them, but MAUI Meta now balks with a big red flashing MODEM Exception message, and will not connect.
Most importantly though, I have no nvram backup.
What are my options to revive this thing?
Will it go away with a factory reset, or are nvram changes done with MAUI Meta real?
Any TWRP options? (i.e. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2594364 )
Is it feasible to just flash someone else's Redmi Pro nvram backup (...yeah I know I must change IMEI's).
thanks a lot!
I have root access to the /NVRAM folder with a lot of files named MT03_000, xxxx_000 etc.
It would be wonderful if the specific file and offsets for all settings could be extrapolated from a nvram database file...
(The settings I've changed with MAUI Meta are NVRAM_EF_EL1_ANT_PDATABASE, NVRAM_EF_EL1_BAND_INDICATOR, and NVRAM_EF_EL1_MPRADJTBL)
Hi,
I bought an IMEI changed Samsung Galaxy Note 9. Its rooted using Magisk, I m not a familiar with android ROM installations.
I want to upgrade android version from currently running 9 to android 10. But I dont want to loose the Changed IMEI.
What will happen if I flash official android 10 ROM onto my device, will the IMEI be changed to the factory one?
Thanks
Backup /EFS partition before changing ROM.
FYI:
EFS stands for Encrypted File System. Imagine the EFS as a big folder containing all of the important stuff that makes the "phone" part of your phone (i.e. what lets you communicate from one person with a phone to another) tick. It contains your IMEI, lots of files revolving around your SIM card and Wifi/Bluetooth (this includes your MAC address for all the radios of your phone), and lots of other things that should never ever under any circumstance be deleted or touched. It's sensitive, it's devastatingly important, and it's a huge pain. If you lose your EFS folder, you lose pretty much any chance of your phone being able to use data, Wifi, Bluetooth, and ( probaby) your phone will just not want to respond and reboot quite a lot.
Hi all,
Just wanted to give a background story as to why I formatted the Flash by accident on my device. I received the phone not too long ago and was excited to venture into the possibilities of testing and trying out different images. Unfortunately without backing up the device I kind of jump the gun and formatted the drive after I ran into some issues thinking I could restore it with the Stock ROM files. To my horror I found out that not all ROMs were included when reimaging the Stock Roms.
So, here I am. The device is working ok, but these are the issues I'm facing below:
- Partially lost of cellular signals - (Flashing "Modem.bin could resolve this, but don't know where to flash it or what folder structure)
- Wifi working inconsistently - (Stock Roms, does include a "Modem_bin" folder with the files, but again don't know where to flash it)
- Don't have all the calibrations files (Maybe I do, but don't have the correct partition or where it would be placed)
- The Databases were also included, but again don't know where to flash it
- Lost IMEI/BaseBand - (Fixed by flashing IMEI numbers through SN Writer Tool)
- Lost Google Device certification - (Fixed by flashing Attestation files with SN writer tool)
Few things I need help with:
- Does anyone have the full structure of their Doogee V20 phone that does not mind pointing me in the right direction of where to flash the Modem.bin files to?
- Also, if IMEI and SN is corrected, does it means now that the NvRam and NvData info is all there or partially there?
Thanks in advance and hope my insights or issues helps other to avoid my mistakes.
I have attached the scatter files and stock roms if you have any way of extracting what I need from them I would highly appreciated it.
Scatter files : attached
Stock rom : Here