Related
It seems that there are a lot of ROMs out there that are doing some funky stuff from the edify scripting in CWM and providing a poor user experience. This overall hurts the entire custom NookColor community and puts a bad taste in peoples mouths.
This post is to point out best practices when creating CWM flashable zips in a consistant way allowing the user to upgrade and migrate between roms in a predictable way.
Rule #1: Don't touch /data!
There are many reasons why you don't want to touch /data but the most important is to allow the user to be able to upgrade your rom without completely wiping your data.
If you want to bundle in an applications (first of all... don't but if you reaally think it is necessary) put it in /system/app as a system app.
Rule #2: Don't overwrite /boot/uRecRam and /boot/uRecImg!
ROM and CWM should be separate. Users should be able to use your rom with CWM or even the stock recovery if they wish to. Allow the user to choose what version of CWM they want to run and allow them to upgrade it independently of your rom.
This allows you to not re-release roms every time a new version of CWM is released.
Exceptions to the rule are update zip that are intended to install CWM (which is ok) or zips that will restore the entire system to stock.
Rule #3 Learn edify
Edify scripting is quite powerful. It saddens me to open up the updater-script of a rom and see it extracting a script and then executing the script.
Don't store your roms as .tars and require a script to extract them to the right locations, you should be doing this all from edify scripts.
Rule #4: Only touch /system and /boot/uImage and /boot/uRamdisk
All other files should be off-limit! This goes back to rule #1 and rule #2. A rom should consits of a kernel, a ramdisk to boot the system and /system files for running the rom!
Rule #5: NEVER EVER EVER modify partitions or wipe the EMMC completely!
I cannot stress this one enough. Use stock partition scheme for your rom. It may seem like a "waste" to you but this is what will make all our roms compatible with each other!
Also the Nookcolor stores NVRAM type information on /dev/block/mmcblk0p2 and factory restore information and a backup of p2 on /dev/block/mmcblk0p3.
If you wipe these directories in your update.zip you WILL BRICK THE USERS NC! It may work for you but they can never return to stock. Their serial number and mac addresses will be lost!
Just don't even think about doing anything with the partition map or these partitions!
Rule #6: When in doubt look at the CM update.zips
A good example of the rules above is portrayed in the CyanogenMod nightly roms for the NC. Look at the updater-script in META-INF/com/google/android and see how things are done.
If we all agree to follow these rules the NC users will get a better and more consistent experience and you will have more users for your rom.
For the users I will list the ROM that are compatible with the list above and list ROMs that don't follow these rules.
ROMs that follow proper packaging
These rom have been built properly according to the rules in the OP. I highly recommend testing any of these out.
Cyanogenmod Nightlies
phiremod nook V5.2
Nookie Froyo 0.6.8
(Utility Update.zip) Nook Color SDcard and emmc swap
ROMs that DON'T follow proper packaging
Use these roms at your own risk!
Flashable eMMC dual boot ROMs
Dual booting roms violates changing the the parition table! If you want to dual boot I would use a bootable SD. If you get a class 6 or higher SD card the performance difference should be pretty low. The perceived speed boost i believe is negligible.
Avoid this rom if you are new to Android or the NookColor. I would call this rom an "Advanced user" rom and not for new members of the community who are unfamiliar with Android, Linux, or the NookColor
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HC v4 eMMC 2nd ed. - Flashable ZIP
This rom packaging is the poster child for how to do it wrong. They overwrite your /data for app customization. It uses an external script and tar files for extraction and overwrites all of /boot!
AVOID THIS ROM PACKAGE!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This looks very wise and in accord with general programming principles.
In the same area of discussion, can you talk about whether or not to clear cache while doing this same update process.
In fact, some explanation of /cache and Dalvik Cache and Market Cache might help to alleviate confusion, especially in regards to specifically what they are, and when one should clear them.
Sure, a "cache" is a piece of data that is frequently used, and so put in a more accessible place, but in typical confusing fashion, that general term is being used in a specific way in Android.
Thanks !
Nice. Good guidelines.
It would, in a perfect world, be nice if a standard CWM recovery would give a choice to either write to SD or EMMC. Then we would not have many of these more involved boot file and CW file edits and changes that are making things more complicated.
If everyone used CW to right to EMMC, this would be easy. But users like myself are running ROMs from SD and are always looking for a way to easily update and flash mods or ubdate ROMs to SD. Yes I use ADB, and other methods, but often I am traveling and away from my office or studio were my PC's are.
Any ideas on CWM to keep things more unified as the op suggests and be able to write to bootable SD cards?
Thanks for starting the discussion.
12
Good explanation/write-up, nemith. Not being a dev, but a user, it helps me to better understand which ROMs to use on my NC. I really liked HC EMMC, but did not realize that it would make it so I could never return back to stock (losing my S/N and such).
Also concur with ADude about cache....a good explanation would be helpful here. I only clear the cache/Dalvik when installing a new kernel. Not sure if even necessary? And, I clear AFTER installing, not before, so not sure if I am even doing that in the correct order. Setting the record straight would go a long way for us non-devs.
Sorry, one more thing, it would be great to have a consistently updated bootable SD card with latest/greatest of CWR on it. I am still on 3.0.0.6 and I am not sure why??
Thanks!
~ Razir
Could have used this a few months ago.
Thank you.
Nemith, your thread is directed at devs. If you want to make sure people don't flash my HC v4 2nd edition, you might want to invite users to read this as well.
nemith said:
ROMs that DON'T follow proper packaging
Use these roms at your own risk!
Flashable eMMC dual boot ROMs
Dual booting roms violates changing the the parition table! If you want to dual boot I would use a bootable SD. If you get a class 6 or higher SD card the performance difference should be pretty low. The perceived speed boost i believe is negligible.
I would avoid dual booting roms if you can!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have this installed..... I am going to run the dual boot removal zip when I get home.
Am I screwed? Anthing I need to worry about?
12paq said:
Nice. Good guidelines.
It would, in a perfect world, be nice if a standard CWM recovery would give a choice to either write to SD or EMMC. Then we would not have many of these more involved boot file and CW file edits and changes that are making things more complicated.
12
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've thought of this. CWM would require a major rewrite to do this and the changes would never be sucked in.
Maybe one of these day's I will may my own CWM Kang that can do this, or better yet a desktop application that takes a update.zip and splits out a SD image!
cromanorn said:
I have this installed..... I am going to run the dual boot removal zip when I get home.
Am I screwed? Anthing I need to worry about?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No you are just in the "I am smart enough to use these roms without posting big "help me" posts on XDA.
These roms are not really harmful, but they should be avoided by people who don't understand the nook and how it works.
If you understand Android and how the NC is laid out then there should be minimal risk to using these roms. I just want to spell it out for people who are new to the NC or Android that these are "advanced" roms.
nemith said:
No you are just in the "I am smart enough to use these roms without posting big "help me" posts on XDA.
These roms are not really harmful, but they should be avoided by people who don't understand the nook and how it works.
If you understand Android and how the NC is laid out then there should be minimal risk to using these roms. I just want to spell it out for people who are new to the NC or Android that these are "advanced" roms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THANKS!!! I had the NC for about 4 days now and would hate to have messed it up in the long run. I have a Droid Incredible that has been flashed more times than I can remember. It would be nice if the warnings were incorporated into the OP of these roms. I read the entire thread before flashing and I may not have flashed if this warning was there. I like having the option of going back to Stock without repercussions.
edit: Just saw the update you put in your OP about advanced users. I don't consider myself advanced but I am not a beginner either.
nemith said:
I've thought of this. CWM would require a major rewrite to do this and the changes would never be sucked in.
Maybe one of these day's I will may my own CWM Kang that can do this, or better yet a desktop application that takes a update.zip and splits out a SD image!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup. That would be very nice.
The Nook having SD boot priority really makes it versatile for testing, and quite recoverable. It also satisfies a unique situation where many users have a family device with Nook magazines and children's books not available on the Nook app, so many like myself are booting experiments and daily runners from SD and keeping the wife happy. LOL.
cromanorn said:
edit: Just saw the update you put in your OP about advanced users. I don't consider myself advanced but I am not a beginner either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you go digging at nookdevs.com and on your own NC you should be able to figure out what is safe and what is not.
nemith said:
Rule #6: When in doubt look at the CM update.zips
A good example of the rules above is portrayed in the CyanogenMod nightly roms for the NC. Look at the updater-script in META-INF/com/google/android and see how things are done.
If we all agree to follow these rules the NC users will get a better and more consistent experience and you will have more users for your rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the ironic thing is CM Roms don't fully follow Rule #3 since they have multiple scripts that run inside their packages during rom installation.
I'm not sure you are correct in saying that if you flash one of the HC emmc roms you can not revert back to stock. I know for a fact I have done both the dual boot, and HC emmc roms and reverted back to stock multiple times after doing so
I'm not saying you are wrong but I don't think i did anything to "advanced" to get back.
Quoted:
(I have this installed..... I am going to run the dual boot removal zip when I get home.
Am I screwed? Anthing I need to worry about?)
I had it installed and got back to stock no problem... i'm not sure what he is talking about.... i could be wrong though...
It was dualbooted CM7 and HC
went back to stock, registered with BN and all was well.
nooted it and then install HC on emmc
reverted back to stock to set up the ubuntu on NC
got bored of that and am back on HC on emmc
I went back to stock after both as well. Has anyone not been able to after using one of those two roms? I work at b&n and I had to spend time with the stock since they wanted me on the nook counter. I've been back and forth between all the roms more times then I can count.
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk
To the OP again i'm not trying to be rude, but could you respond to the last few commenter on this thread, it seems like my self a few others are having an experience that is quite different from what you described in your first post.
Could you help me understand why it hasn't been that difficult to get back from the roms that you specifically said can make it very hard to go back to stock from for us?
I'm currently on HM on emmc and if i did something fancy to get back the last time i restores i'd like to know if i need to do it again.
(edit) I bring this back up only because I saw this thread referenced again recently, which means it is having an effect on peoples work so i'm just trying to understand it.
[Edit] It was the SD card's fault. It seemingly worked fine in the laptop and it mounted fine in CW Recovery, but as soon as I used a different SD card I could flash zips again.
So, now I'm playing with phiremod v6 and loving the Nook again.
I believe I just bricked my Nook through use of the dual boot script.
I can only boot from SD into CW but not a single zip can be applied to the internal storage. Not even the "reverse dual boot" zip will run. They all error out.
I believe this is due to unexpected partitioning.
I even formatted boot, system and cache and still it will not restore any Roms.
So now I'm hoping to access the Nook through USB and repartition the internal storage manually. But before I do that, I need to learn about ADB and what the correct settings are.
jlt220 said:
To the OP again i'm not trying to be rude, but could you respond to the last few commenter on this thread, it seems like my self a few others are having an experience that is quite different from what you described in your first post.
Could you help me understand why it hasn't been that difficult to get back from the roms that you specifically said can make it very hard to go back to stock from for us?
I'm currently on HM on emmc and if i did something fancy to get back the last time i restores i'd like to know if i need to do it again.
(edit) I bring this back up only because I saw this thread referenced again recently, which means it is having an effect on peoples work so i'm just trying to understand it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think Nemith was saying that the existing dual boot installer is going to prevent you from returning to stock. He singled it out as a "ROM" that modifies the partition table, which can be a dangerous thing to do. There is information stored in the /dev/block/mmcblk0p2 and /dev/block/mmcblk0p3 partitions that is specific to each device and required by the B&N software. This information can't be rebuilt easily if lost.
The dual boot install and removal tools (in their current versions) appear to leave these partitions in tact. They are modifying the partition table though, so they're not recommended for novice users. You were able to install and uninstall it with no problems, so you're clearly not one .
The other point is that future versions of the dual boot (doubtful since it has a good dev) or other similar style "ROMs" may not be so careful with your 0p2 and 0p3 partitions.
THIS UTILITY IS FOR FASCINATE TOUCHWIZ FROYO/GINGERBREAD ONLY
UPDATED FOR EC09 GINGERBREAD
I have created a format utility that can be used from within CWM3 recovery. Just select the ZIP in CWM3 recovery, and the package will do ALL of the work for you.
These utilities come in two independent packages which will completely format your device with EXT4. As a bonus, it will create all directories and setup all ownership and permissions in accordance to the Fascinate.
Voodoo recovery does not currently allow you an option to select a format style, and furthermore does not truly format any partition unless it runs through the Voodoo "lagfix" transition upon booting the device.
There is one caveat in order to use EXT4: you need a kernel that supports it, and this would be using a "Voodoo" style kernel that has built in support. Luckily, most of the "good" kernels available have this ready to go.
Understand that this package will completely wipe your system, data, datadata (dbdata), and cache. This is a "full" wipe of the device. If you already have a ROM installed on your device and want to keep your device the way it is, and also want EXT4, then use the Voodoo method to switch to EXT4. The reason for this is because it backs up your data before it formats.
After you use this package, you can install any ROM of your choosing, as the package will already self-manage Voodoo's methods for "enabling" or "disabling" the "lagfix".
--------
Please report if the package is not working.
A good indicator of this is if you try to install the package and it only takes 1 second to work, then says it is finished. This means it is probably not working, however, if you are formatting the same type of file system over itself with no pre-existing data on the device, it will take the aforementioned 1 second to work.
To see if it worked: mount each partition in CWM3 recovery, then adb shell into your device and type the mount command, in the listing you should see what file system your partitions are using. If the big four all say EXT4, then the package install has been successful.
In order to assure that it will work correctly, use the latest version of a CWM3 recovery that you can find. I can personally vouch for nemesis2all's OTB CWM3 Recovery v3.0.2.8x.OTBv2. Unfortunately not all CWM3 recoveries are the same, and yours may not work with these utilities. If you find a recovery that works fine, post it here and I will update this.
--------
Packages updated: 6/28/2011 - 12:57PM EST
EXT4 Format ALL (formats everything): http://www.mediafire.com/?6hx7f8g7c8vv6xz
EXT4 Format CACHE: http://www.mediafire.com/?2621a888ydv41mg
EXT4 Format DATA: http://www.mediafire.com/?ck2bb340yybpe4z
EXT4 Format DBDATA: http://www.mediafire.com/?ahxzs8xsyyvemed
EXT4 Format FOTA: http://www.mediafire.com/?42ijpi67grdb6mm
EXT4 Format PREINSTALL: http://www.mediafire.com/?d42as1l3pdbhr2t
EXT4 Format SYSTEM: http://www.mediafire.com/?rgs46hhq8qd951t
--------------------
If you like my work, consider donating, or thanking me by clicking the thanks button
thanks for this
navenedrob said:
I have created two format utilities that can be used from within CWM3 recovery. Just select the type of file system you want to use, select it in CWM3 recovery, and the package will do ALL of the work for you.
These utilities come in two independent packages which will completely format your device with either RFS or EXT4. As a bonus, it will create all directories and setup all ownership and permissions in accordance to the Fascinate.
Voodoo recovery does not currently allow you an option to select a format style, and furthermore does not truly format any partition unless it runs through the Voodoo "lagfix" transition upon booting the device.
There is one caveat in order to use EXT4: you need a kernel that supports it, and this would be using a "Voodoo" style kernel that has built in support. Luckily, most of the "good" kernels available have this ready to go.
Understand that this package will completely wipe your system, data, datadata (dbdata), and cache. This is a "full" wipe of the device. If you already have a ROM installed on your device and want to keep your device the way it is, and also want EXT4, then use the Voodoo method to switch to EXT4. The reason for this is because it backs up your data before it formats.
After you use this package, you can install any ROM of your choosing, as the package will already self-manage Voodoo's methods for "enabling" or "disabling" the "lagfix".
Please report if the package is not working.
A good indicator of this is if you try to install the package and it only takes 1 second to work, then says it is finished. This means it is probably not working, however, if you are formatting the same type of file system over itself with no pre-existing data on the device, it will take the aforementioned 1 second to work.
To see if it worked: mount each partition in CWM3 recovery, then adb shell into your device and type the mount command, in the listing you should see what file system your partitions are using. If the big four all say EXT4 or RFS (depending on script used), then the package install has been successful.
In order to assure that it will work correctly, use the latest version of a CWM3 recovery that you can find. I can personally vouch for nemesis2all's OTB CWM3 Recovery v3.0.2.8x.OTBv2. Unfortunately not all CWM3 recoveries are the same, and yours may not work with these utilities. If you find a recovery that works fine, post it here and I will update this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, I think I'm having a complete idiot moment here so please be patient with me. What would be the benefits of me running this on my device that is currently running jt's CM7 with OTB 1.5 kernel and EXT4 (voodoo for those who don't know) already converted? Thanks in advance.
It would be of no use. Unless you need to format your entire device.
So this would be a good thing to flash in place of wiping between rom flashes? Does it have any benefits compared to a regular data and cache wipe when you are already converted to ext4?
It would be a good idea to flash it in that scenario, yes. Currently no ROM will do the job that this package will for you, which is why a lot of ROM's say not to wipe your device, because you'll run into major issues if you do. When you do your "wipes" through recovery it doesn't really do anything besides a recursive delete of files, so it doesn't really format anything (even though it says "format" in the menu system). The only time it actually does any formatting is during the Voodoo transition. When you do wipe those areas, it does not leave the file structure intact and also does not leave the ownership and permissions intact. These packages completely solve that problem. Also, these packages are focused on performance so everything is done that is possible to make sure that your file system is as fast as possible.
navenedrob said:
It would be a good idea to flash it in that scenario, yes. Currently no ROM will do the job that this package will for you, which is why a lot of ROM's say not to wipe your device, because you'll run into major issues if you do. When you do your "wipes" through recovery it doesn't really do anything besides a recursive delete of files, so it doesn't really format anything (even though it says "format" in the menu system). The only time it actually does any formatting is during the Voodoo transition. When you do wipe those areas, it does not leave the file structure intact and also does not leave the ownership and permissions intact. These packages completely solve that problem. Also, these packages are focused on performance so everything is done that is possible to make sure that your file system is as fast as possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, so basically what you are saying is this would be ideal to use instead of data/cache/dalvik wipe for rfs to rfs and ext4 to ext4, correct? Thanks in advance.
That's correct.
I've teamed up with nemesis2all and we are thinking about adding all of these abilities to the OTB kernel, so you'll be able to choose different kinds of file systems and format options through CWM3 recovery instead of having to use these packages here. That will come when it comes, but for now this is the ideal solution.
EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/XFS/RFS etc...
Also, I've updated the attachments in the post.
navenedrob said:
That's correct.
I've teamed up with nemesis2all and we are thinking about adding all of these abilities to the OTB kernel, so you'll be able to choose different kinds of file systems and format options through CWM3 recovery instead of having to use these packages here. That will come when it comes, but for now this is the ideal solution.
EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/XFS/RFS etc...
Also, I've updated the attachments in the post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to let you know, I ran the ext4 package and I got some serious lag issues after I installed my rom and it actually starting going into a soft boot loop. It began to act very weird and unstable. I booted back into recovery and I wiped everything the way I usually do and formatted the system/data/dbdata/cache manually in mounts and storage and reinstalled. It's better than it was but it still seems like it is kinda slower and more laggier than it was before I ran the package. Any ideas? Thanks man.
You'll need to give me more information than that to determine your problem.
What kernel are you using? What recovery are you using? What ROM are you running? What are the results of running the mount command with all partitions mounted?
navenedrob said:
You'll need to give me more information than that to determine your problem.
What kernel are you using? What recovery are you using? What ROM are you running? What are the results of running the mount command with all partitions mounted?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OTB 1.5, CM7. It's kinda weird. When I ran your package and then flashed cm7 and booted it, it was laggier than I have ever seen my phone and when I would try to do certain operations it would soft boot. At one point I couldn't even turn wifi on. So, I booted back into recovery and wiped and manually formatted everything and reinstalled everything. After that it was still kind of laggy but much better. I restored all of my apps and got my phone back to all my custom settings. Then I began to notice that it wasn't really lagging anymore, in fact it seemed pretty snappy. I ran quadrant to see if the numbers were the same as before to determine if I was in fact ext4 converted. Surprisingly the numbers were higher than normal. And I even noticed in titanium backup that some of my internal memory had been freed up. I can't explain it but everything seems to be running really good right now. It's almost like after running your package the phone had to be conditioned, and once it was conditioned it ran real good. But, that doesn't explain why it was soft booting and wifi wouldn't work. Who knows.
Not really sure exactly, it actually could have been a few different things causing the "issues". I'm going to try your exact scenario and see what happens.
kidserious said:
OTB 1.5, CM7. It's kinda weird. When I ran your package and then flashed cm7 and booted it, it was laggier than I have ever seen my phone and when I would try to do certain operations it would soft boot. At one point I couldn't even turn wifi on. So, I booted back into recovery and wiped and manually formatted everything and reinstalled everything. After that it was still kind of laggy but much better. I restored all of my apps and got my phone back to all my custom settings. Then I began to notice that it wasn't really lagging anymore, in fact it seemed pretty snappy. I ran quadrant to see if the numbers were the same as before to determine if I was in fact ext4 converted. Surprisingly the numbers were higher than normal. And I even noticed in titanium backup that some of my internal memory had been freed up. I can't explain it but everything seems to be running really good right now. It's almost like after running your package the phone had to be conditioned, and once it was conditioned it ran real good. But, that doesn't explain why it was soft booting and wifi wouldn't work. Who knows.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's possible that since you wiped your market was trying to restore all your apps in the back ground which was taking all your memory up and making your phone lag. But after you restored all your apps it was all set
Coreyc1123 said:
It's possible that since you wiped your market was trying to restore all your apps in the back ground which was taking all your memory up and making your phone lag. But after you restored all your apps it was all set
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I meant was as soon as it booted (during setup wizard) it was super laggy. I download TB from the market by itself and it took forever to register. I was doing the GPS fix and it soft booted. I couldn't turn wifi on and it soft booted. All before I did a batch restore in TB. And I know that the market begins to sync automatically as it always does but this was much much different.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk
kidserious said:
What I meant was as soon as it booted (during setup wizard) it was super laggy. I download TB from the market by itself and it took forever to register. I was doing the GPS fix and it soft booted. I couldn't turn wifi on and it soft booted. All before I did a batch restore in TB. And I know that the market begins to sync automatically as it always does but this was much much different.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had these same symptoms one time that I installed kasonate v7, but after reflashing, the next time it didnt.
I know you're not talking about the same cm version, but they might be related and not related to the format utility.
Ok, I ran this package again to make sure that I didn't do something wrong and to see if I would get the same results. I ran the package, flashed cm7 then gapps then OTB GB 1.5. all from the recommended recovery in your post. Again I ended up in a soft boot loop and wifi was acting up again and was causing a boot loop. So once again I booted into recovery and wiped data/cache/dalvik normally and formatted manually via mounts and storage and reinstalled again and she's running like a dream. Very weird but I must say I am very happy with the results I ended up with, regardless of how I got them. So obviously, this was not your intention for it to be done this way but I do see an improvement in responsiveness, speed and memory being freed up. Before, my free internal memory was 1.49 and now it is 1.52. Thank you sir, I appreciate this.
Thanks for this utility! Works great. Went from Jt's cm7 to the miui/touchwiz rom and ran the utility in between. My phone is running faster than ever and no issues. Thanks again!
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Yeah running this on mesmerize with heinz 57 best my phone has ever run quadrant of 2250s @ 1.5 ghz
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
stephenj37826 said:
Yeah running this on mesmerize with heinz 57 best my phone has ever run quadrant of 2250s @ 1.5 ghz
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome, the utility enables a few nice options as far as file system performance is concerned, that Voodoo doesn't at this time.
Do tell oh and thanks a million
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
I've basically spent my entire day off from work trying to root my Nook Tablet 8GB to get CM10.1 put on it, and I'm ready to yank my hair out. A while back I successfully got CM10 on an sdcard and have been running that from the sdcard while my warranty was still active (just in case). Now my warranty's run out, and CM10 had been running sluggish for a while, in spite of my cleaning off all unnecessary files regularly. So I figured I'd try an internal ROM install. After hunting around for some really good detailed instructions for noobs (because I totally am one), I found this post (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2037368) and decided that even though it looked inefficient to go from CM7 to CM10, it broke the steps down enough for me to follow along.
However, I'm now stuck with CWM not reading the sdcard once it's time to install CM7 and gapps from the zip files. I keep getting the message, "No files found." I've tried unmounting the sdcard (and mounting "sd-ext," just for kicks), and it says, "Error unmounting /sdcard." If I try choosing "format /sdcard," it says, "E:format_volume failed to unmount '/sdcard.'" I've tried popping it out and back in multiple times. I've tried formatting in SDFormatter over again (even did a full overwrite erase, which takes forever, b/c I got a message saying the device doesn't support flash erase). I've been using Minitool to ensure that the partition is always FAT32, primary, set to active. I've gone into the stock OS and used a workaround I found to ensure that it will install apps from unknown sources. I've tried doing the root again from the beginning (which is a pain in the butt because I only have 1 sdcard to use for both the root and the ROM, so I have to keep switching the files out). I have no idea what I could be doing wrong, but I fear that it's something really basic.
Does it matter that I'm leaving the partition labeled "boot" for the ROM install? Is there a better way to put the files on the sdcard besides just with a Windows drag and drop? Is there a way for me to reboot the Nook from within CWM to maybe force it to read the sdcard fresh (keeping in mind that the sdcard no longer has the CWM files on it by that point)? I've seen some info online about people having issues with this class of sdcard, but I really don't want to spend the money on a new one until I rule out the possibility of a stupid user error. I'm also loathe to give up and go back to running a ROM from the sdcard because I've already put over 8 hours into trying to make use of the full Nook memory... If anyone has suggestions, I'd greatly appreciate it. Please keep in mind that any instructions will need to be very, very basic, though.
CWM version 5.0.2.8
sdcard type: SanDisk 8GB Class 4
Files on the sdcard: cm-7-TEAM-B-BETA1-signed.zip and gapps-jb-20130301-signed.zip
MidnightFrost1701 said:
I've basically spent my entire day off from work trying to root my Nook Tablet 8GB to get CM10.1 put on it, and I'm ready to yank my hair out.
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There is no point in flashing CM7 if you're aiming to immediately flash CM10 on top of it.
To flash CM10.x, I'd suggest you try the process outlined at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=35669871&postcount=1. See http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=42985699&postcount=117 if you'd like to use a more recent CM10.1 build.
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Files on the sdcard: cm-7-TEAM-B-BETA1-signed.zip and gapps-jb-20130301-signed.zip
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You'll need an older version of gapps to go with CM7, see http://goo.im/gapps.
digixmax said:
There is no point in flashing CM7 if you're aiming to immediately flash CM10 on top of it.
To flash CM10.x, I'd suggest you try the process outlined at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=35669871&postcount=1. See http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=42985699&postcount=117 if you'd like to use a more recent CM10.1 build.
You'll need an older version of gapps to go with CM7, see http://goo.im/gapps.
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Thank you, I'll try that tonight after work! After having been through the steps in the original instructions so many times, I'm familiar enough with things like Minitool Partition Wizard that I can get by with slightly less noobish instructions now. So that's one silver lining... [crosses fingers]
It seems to have worked! The first time I tried to turn it on after the install, the screen went and stayed black after the initial Cyanoboot screen. So I forced a reboot, but it appears to be running just fine! Thanks for the help!
After many weeks finding all the possible means to fix my Vibrant with a non-mountable internal SD, here some hints for future users do not waste too much time, as I did, trying to fix it.
Of course there are many "PHD"Threads, regarding this topic, in the forum, but many are kinda confusing or not for this specific mobile model.
If your recovery keeps saying that it "cannot mount internal SDcard"or Cannot mount mmcblk0p2, means your internal SD is gone and you have lost all the data on it (Blame Samsung, and its cheap hardware, for that).
First of all, DO NOT WASTE TIME TRYING TO RECOVER IT.
I have seen many people that have wasted precious time trying to Lagfix, Repartition, Flashing it to stock over and over, popping out batteries and so on, and nothing worked. You can give it a try (other posts have many outcomes). But for me it was only worries and no fun.
here`s how I definitely figured it out:
- If you`re acessing the recovery (CWR, Semaphore, Overstock, or whatever kernel), you`re good to skip the flashing process. If not, Back up all your data (oops, there`s no data to back-up :silly: - So why many posts keep saying that, regarding this issue??) and flash it ODIN back to stock (links and files of how to do it can be found within the forum). I used the SGH-T959.tar and 802.pit file. No need to check any of the options (repartition, reboot,...), but no problem if you do.
- If you have stock or not, remove your external SD card from the phone and plug it into your computer DIRECTLY (do not do it remotely via USB-Phone connections). Download your preferred partitioning software (I use Mini Tool Partition) and reparation your SD card in 2 blocks (one FAT32-Primary and the other EXT(4 or 2)) - Do not need to warn you`ll lose all the data in the SDCard - Doesn`t matter the sizes, but be sure you`ll have, at least, 1gb at each side (otherwise you may not have enought memory for apps and midias). To learn how to do that, please rely on specific posts on this subject.
- Copy your preferred ROM and GApps ZIP file on your FAT32 SDCard partition. Copy also this very handy zip file from this genius guy:laugh: (It will spare you from the annoying task reedit the vold.fstab file and also the risk of screwing-up the installation process and have to start all over, and over - for me was like 200 times). Plug back the SD into the phone and turn it on recovery mode.
- Once you`re in recovery mode (see how to do it over the forum as well), choose the specific ROM for your kernell. I suggest always to use the CWM 5.2 because it handles most of the android versions. And also prefer the Cyanogen Mods, since the SlimBean rom has caused this whole issue with my phone (Yes! The ROM can ruin your device, so choose it wisely).
- Chose install from SD card and then install zip from SDcard. Install your ROM, GApps and the linked vold.fstab.zip file, in a row. If you have an error message during the installation (with a warning sign over the robot), it means you`re under an incompatible kernell and must switch to the one compatible with your Android version (see details about that in the forum as well). If everything installed correctly, reboot the phone and have fun.
- "Voilá", you now may have a fully operating phone again. The bigger the SD card capacity you choose the better.
Hope to have a simple clear summary of how to fix this not-cool-at-all Samsung bug on Vibrants.
This is what I did and it worked for me.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=44794712
And 2 posts down I explain what I did
So I got given a lenovo tab the other day, i'm completely new to tablets and android software but it didn't take me long to fill up the native storage and this is where the program loophole began.
I had a few micro 32gb sdcards sitting around, so I did a speed check on them and put in the fastest one in the lenovo tab, after installing a good few programs which states they move programs to sdcards, which they do to a degree but nothing was better than the already built in move app to sdcard. I then found out about that to be able to take advantage of the sdcard fully, you need a rooted device.
This is where I found kingroot, which I then installed and started to use, after finishing up installing the standard health programs (antivirus, malware scanners etc), which flagged kinguser. After doing a bit of research about this program, I decided that I didn't feel safe using it, so I was looking around for alternatives.
I then found out, the program didn't like to be uninstalled so I started to use supersume pro, which did a good job removing kingroot but it didn't install super su as stated.
I am now in the process off trying to install twrp (which is proving to be more difficult than any other stage of this process), so i can then install super su, so i can use folder mount (this turned out to be the best program of them all imo), which in turn will allow me to use my sdcard.
This is where I am stuck, I have installed the drivers to pc, installed minimal adb and fastboot, also I have installed android studio. I have been able to use fastboot from the pc to send commands too the tablet but the bit that's confusing me is, how to tell the fastboot tablet to pull the twrp file from the sdcard ?
Or is there a vast simpler way of doing what I am trying to do, in the safest possible way.
tldr: What is the 'safest' way to root my tab for a newbie so i can use the sdcard fully at my discretion without being sent into a program loophole. Apologies for any bad grammar, it was never my strong point.
Nevermind, I managed to do it after 5 painstakingly days with hardly any sleep to rectify this issue, although I nearly bricked it in the process by installing the wrong twrp file but thankfully with all the info on this website, I have managed to undo all the problems and re root successfully and 'safely' using twrp and supersu zip as guided in another topic on this forum. So thanks to all developers and users, my tablet is now spyware and adware free for the most part.
ComatosedUser said:
Nevermind, I managed to do it after 5 painstakingly days with hardly any sleep to rectify this issue, although I nearly bricked it in the process by installing the wrong twrp file but thankfully with all the info on this website, I have managed to undo all the problems and re root successfully and 'safely' using twrp and supersu zip as guided in another topic on this forum. So thanks to all developers and users, my tablet is now spyware and adware free for the most part.
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Can you provide a few more details? I'm trying to do the same thing here but didn't manage yet... Also didn't find any rooted roms yet. Help highly appreciated
.acy said:
Can you provide a few more details? I'm trying to do the same thing here but didn't manage yet... Also didn't find any rooted roms yet. Help highly appreciated
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Hello... I do not know of your experience with android devices... But it probably will not help looking for "rooted roms"
Try googling "tb3-710f custom rom" or "tb3-710f stock rom" or "tb3-710f firmware".
If you are successful in finding firmware/rom then look for a guide to root. I myself have some experience, I will also see if I can assist you with more information through pm' s.
---------- Post added at 09:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:09 PM ----------
.acy said:
Can you provide a few more details? I'm trying to do the same thing here but didn't manage yet... Also didn't find any rooted roms yet. Help highly appreciated
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Actually... take a look at https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/general/tb3-710i-tb3-710f-rom-stock-rom-lenovo-t3437810. @PhatBmt009 seems to have a collection of everything you might need to root in regards to your device. I did not go through the whole thread though to see if the process is explained.
Please take a look by yourself and hit PhatBmt009's thanks button if you find the information helpful.
Good luck!!! :good:
r&xp said:
Hello... I do not know of your experience with android devices... But it probably will not help looking for "rooted roms"
Try googling "tb3-710f custom rom" or "tb3-710f stock rom" or "tb3-710f firmware".
If you are successful in finding firmware/rom then look for a guide to root. I myself have some experience, I will also see if I can assist you with more information through pm' s.
---------- Post added at 09:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:09 PM ----------
Actually... take a look at https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/general/tb3-710i-tb3-710f-rom-stock-rom-lenovo-t3437810. @PhatBmt009 seems to have a collection of everything you might need to root in regards to your device. I did not go through the whole thread though to see if the process is explained.
Please take a look by yourself and hit PhatBmt009's thanks button if you find the information helpful.
Good luck!!! :good:
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That is great advice, once you know for a fact you have the original firmware for you're device and learn how to use adb or fastboot, then you can start to play around a bit with some of the software. I probably went through about 50 websites absorbing as much info as I can and the rest comes with trial and error with a big fear off bricking the device and the only thing you can do to really brick it, is by corrupting the data to a point of not turning on, which is why I was learning on a cheap tab like the tb3, which is a great tab for the price.
In the end for me it was just a case off installing twrp, theres 3 variants here https://www.androidfilehost.com/?w=files&flid=80021 so massive props to Tzul, which then allowed me install supersu zip to root the device, how safe supersu is, I have no idea yet but so far its way safer than kinguser or one click root from what I have read.
Well now I am stuck and need professional advice, Last night, I don't remember what I was trying to do but in twrp I selected wipe davlik cache and wipe data (without knowing what it fully does, like a true noob mistake), this process took so long I fell asleep. I woke up this morning and the device was hanging on the boot screen. I did manage to take the battery out and reboot back into twrp mode which is enabling me to go back into the twrp menu and also fastboot if needed. So what can I do from here to reboot back into normal or do i need to flash the firmware ?. I don't mind losing all my data and starting from scratch but would be better if i didn't need to do that ofc, so any advice or help would be most welcome lol.
ComatosedUser said:
Well now I am stuck and need professional advice, Last night, I don't remember what I was trying to do but in twrp I selected wipe davlik cache and wipe data (without knowing what it fully does, like a true noob mistake), this process took so long I fell asleep. I woke up this morning and the device was hanging on the boot screen. I did manage to take the battery out and reboot back into twrp mode which is enabling me to go back into the twrp menu and also fastboot if needed. So what can I do from here to reboot back into normal or do i need to flash the firmware ?. I don't mind losing all my data and starting from scratch but would be better if i didn't need to do that ofc, so any advice or help would be most welcome lol.
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Ooops... Anyway...
Did you at any point allow TWRP to make modifications to the system?? I found that when I did that on my device it totally destroyed partition structures and went into infinite boot loops.
Also while i was trying to fix any issues (pretty much like you right now though TWRP) I noticed that when I tried to flash either supersu or twrp again or something else, I was getting a ton of red system messages not being able to mount partitions.
If that is your case, unfortunately, you might need to re-flash...
You might want to also check here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/help/lenovo-tab-3-8-tb3-850f-unbrick-root-t3598727
After applying these steps, both superuser and TWRP have had no issues with anything!!! (fingers crossed, until today that is... )
Keep us informed, especially if you find a way to actually overcome this without flashing stock and doing everything from the beginning.
Good luck for now! :good:
Thanks I wish I saw you're thread before, it would have saved me a lot of time early on but, oh boy what a day I have had with this device today, I am not sure what I did to fix it but i basically did the same steps again to wipe the cache and clear the data within twrp then rebooted. What I didn't realize was in the process of disconnecting the battery, the case snapped off part of the sdcard (so to all noobs like me, MAKE SURE TO TAKE SDCARD OUT BEFORE TAKING CASE OFF) which in turn caused a short somewhere, the device started to get really warm and twrp was showing the cpu getting to 53c, I quickly dc the battery again and pulled the sdcard, I went and got a replacement card
After a succesful reboot, the device booted up as normal so a big phew there, now a lot of the apps/games that was previously installed and linked to the sdcard are having some difficulty re downloading and installing with a few errors, some have been succesful but now i'm wondering if a full wipe will be in order here ? as the internal storage is still showing only 1gb free but I also want to keep twrp and supersu.
The original thought process was using the least amount of internal storage as possible since I have a hi speed 64gb sdcard and some games apps was still taking up a lot off the 8gb internal space, as some didn't like a full link via apps2sd with the internal data but with the ones that was succesfull didn't have any noticable slow load times. I would like to keep the dalvik cache of all programs on the internal storage if this helps with speed ? or does that not matter.
ComatosedUser said:
The original thought process was using the least amount of internal storage as possible since I have a hi speed 64gb sdcard and some games apps was still taking up a lot off the 8gb internal space, as some didn't like a full link via apps2sd with the internal data but with the ones that was succesfull didn't have any noticable slow load times. I would like to keep the dalvik cache of all programs on the internal storage if this helps with speed ? or does that not matter.
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Congrads on reviving the device!:good::good:
Out of the 8 Gigs, how much space does the whole system occupy? Did you try to remove bloatware? Did you use any similar app to root uninstaller to get rid of unwanted/ unused apps?
To my limited understanding it would require some extended knowledge in programming to re-assign partitions (ie cache) or making other than default partitions actually become the default partitions for any purpose.
Anyway... I can understand how 8Gigs internal storage can be limited... You can try:
1. Since you have custom recovery installed, 1st and most essential step is to make full backup of EVERYTHING! Just enter TWRP hit backup and choose EVERYTHING in the options of what to backup. This will most probably not destroy the communication between external SD and system (in regards to installed apps) the next time you might need a recovery (as long as you will not make changes to the SD card in the meanwhile).
Make the backup file to an external SD. I personally use a 16GB micro SD only for backing up purposes!!!
2. After you have everything in backup, install a program similar to root essentials or root uninstaller and try to get rid of anything you do not use. This might give the system some space to "breathe"...
Let me know. I got rid of a whole bunch of stuff out of my tb3-850f tablet and the system now 'rocks' (not to mention the extended battery life...)
You can even uninstall default apps like any default system picture viewer (that consumes space in your system) and install QuickPic from the/and to the SD card. Same with video player. Uninstall system video player and install something in the likes of MX Player from/and to the ext. SD. You can make a whole bunch of tweaks and uninstalling depending on your needs. I have even uninstalled most of Lenovo related apps.
Let me know how it goes. For some reason I think you are quite experienced and perhaps you knew all these already!?! Anyhow, let me know if I can be of more help.
This whole website has been a great help and helped me learn the process again, I do have extensive knowledge in hardware and overclocking, I'm just not so good with code, html is best i can do lol. Back in the day (almost 20 years), I dabbled a bit in unbricking (bricking) and flashing old phones, the process is fairly similar, it's just a few more programs but getting the right programs and the 'right firmware' is key here.
That's a good idea to get another sd card to save backups on and root essentials sounds like a worthy program to download. As with partition sizes and what data is stored where, is still a learning process for me atm, theres so much clutter aka bloatware, i'm not sure which is safe to uninstall, I will do a thread search to see.
I may start a new thread for this as this topic is solved now but I am also looking to get a rom or app so I can start to fine tweak the power and cpu/gpu usage but so far nothing I have noticed for the tb3 ***
If any mods come across this thread can turn it to solved, pls thanks I can't edit the header.
ComatosedUser said:
Well now I am stuck and need professional advice, Last night, I don't remember what I was trying to do but in twrp I selected wipe davlik cache and wipe data (without knowing what it fully does, like a true noob mistake), this process took so long I fell asleep. I woke up this morning and the device was hanging on the boot screen. I did manage to take the battery out and reboot back into twrp mode which is enabling me to go back into the twrp menu and also fastboot if needed. So what can I do from here to reboot back into normal or do i need to flash the firmware ?. I don't mind losing all my data and starting from scratch but would be better if i didn't need to do that ofc, so any advice or help would be most welcome lol.
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Just factory reset because u never wipe Calvin cache remember that