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Hi all,
I expect to receive my new SGSII in the next few days, but want to make sure that I have a full backup concept in place, so that I can always get back to a state that I want.
At the moment I am not too concerned with custom ROMs, just the abaility to Backup the state of my own device, and then bviously be able to restore it later.
My current intention is the following,
1) Get SGSII
2) Perform root as per thread- http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1056334&page=1' by Chainfire.
3) Then install 'Titanium Backup Root' (To be able to backup application settings, and freexe apps where necessary)
4) Install ROM Manager from ClockWorkMOD.
5) Flash ClockWorkMOD Recovery(requires Custom Recovery image to have been developed by ClockWorkMOD devs).
6) From Custom Recovery select Nandroid and created backup.
7) Then if needed repeat step 5 then perform Nandroid Restore.
My concern is regarding Step 5. As I read it someone needs to have written a custom recovery image for SGSII for this step to be possible. Does anyone know if a custom recovery image exists in ClockWorkMOD for SGSII? Or whether one is likely to come soon?
Secondly, is a better option to use SPRecovery and Nandroid backup\restore, or does this have the same Custom recovery image problem?
p.s. Does ClockWorkMOD Custom Recovery image replace the standard recovery image, or is it possible to backup this up somehow, so that I can always get back to the factory default.
Thanks
link does not work
AaronUK said:
link does not work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fixed link, sorry about that
Clockworkmod will come soon. But the kernel devs need the full kernel sources, which have not yet been released. Once they are out work on adding clockworkmod will begin. I would say 2-3 Weeks max before clockworkmod.
My concern is regarding Step 5. As I read it someone needs to have written a custom recovery image for SGSII for this step to be possible. Does anyone know if a custom recovery image exists in ClockWorkMOD for SGSII? Or whether one is likely to come soon?
Secondly, is a better option to use SPRecovery and Nandroid backup\restore, or does this have the same Custom recovery image problem?
p.s. Does ClockWorkMOD Custom Recovery image replace the standard recovery image, or is it possible to backup this up somehow, so that I can always get back to the factory default.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unlike what some people say, you don't actually need kernel source to make a kernel with CWM. It is by no means easy, and not always possible to do, but usually it's possible (the SGS2 kernels are weird, though).
There is no kernel with CWM yet. But I expect it won't take long. I'll probably get started on one as soon as I have an SGS2 myself (3 more weeks from now at least) - assuming I have time at that point. I won't even try before I have the device myself, too much things need to be tweaked / adjusted / tested for CWM.
Any decent recovery needs a custom kernel, SPRecovery, CWM, something homegrown, it's all the same A recovery tool needs to be in the kernel's file system to work perfectly. It can be done outside of the kernel's file system, but it'd be less reliable.
I'm saying kernel here instead of recovery image, because on previous Galaxy devices they are the same thing, unlike some other brands of Android devices. I'm not sure if it is the same thing with the SGS2 (yet), but so far I assume so (I have no reason to believe otherwise so far). In this case, it is usually not possible to actually backup your original recovery image, because you need root for this. But to get root, you need to flash a custom kernel. Do you see the cyclic reference? Luckily, we have the flash binaries for a fair number of firmwares, so it's possible you will actually be able to download your original recovery image and/or kernel.
Thanks for the clear explanation Chainfire, and for all the'Root' work thus far
Thanks for the explanation Chainfire, but I have a question. Is it safe now to root it before having the CWM? I mean can we restore the phone if we do something wrong and the phone comes to brick? It's the first time I use Android so I'll have many questions
In such a case you download a full firmware and flash that ...
i was wondering how i can backup firmware before rooting but now it clear that i don't need to as one can download and flash the full original firmware. Thanks for the info chainfire.
Chainfire said:
I'm saying kernel here instead of recovery image, because on previous Galaxy devices they are the same thing, unlike some other brands of Android devices. I'm not sure if it is the same thing with the SGS2 (yet), but so far I assume so (I have no reason to believe otherwise so far).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Checking the .PIT file, RECOVERY is blank which 99.9% means that the kernel and recovery are the same thing.
Unlike the SGS1 though, FACTORYFS and DATA seem to be two seperate images, which seems strange, since in the SGS1 data.img was inside factoryfs.img and was copied across whenever /data was blank. This might/might not have implications for custom roms.
I'd like to be able to use ROM Manager to make backups easier for my wife, and wouldn't mind it myself. We have the stock 4349 firmware that was pushed out a few weeks ago (then retracted), which means a 1.2 kernel.
I have no intention of actually flashing firmware using ROM Manager. I have cwm recovery working just fine, but if I install ROM Manager it can't find cwm and says I need to flash it. If I do flash it, that breaks recovery completely. I suspect the version flashed only works for 1.1 kernels.
Can anyone provide a method for using basic ROM Manager features with a 1.2 kernel?
Which version of CWM is Rom Manager asking you to flash?
I think when I first installed CWM it was version 2.5.1.1-bekit-0.8 however when I installed Rom Manager it did not recognize that version of CWM & it asked me to flash it to CWM 2.5.1.8 which I did & have had no issues with recovery whatsoever.
BTW I'm running one of the CyanogenMod 7 nightly builds.
Are you able to get to the recovery menu whatsoever?
EL TEJANO said:
I'm running one of the CyanogenMod 7 nightly builds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CyanogenMod 7 uses a 1.1 kernel, though, doesn't it?
mstevens said:
CyanogenMod 7 uses a 1.1 kernel, though, doesn't it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yup, after further reading this may be able to answer some of your quiestions:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1035983
EL TEJANO said:
yup, after further reading this may be able to answer some of your quiestions:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1035983
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really. That thread discusses recovery issues with the new stock firmware or derivatives of it that use a 1.2 kernel, but doesn't address ROM Manager at all. I have a version of cwm recovery working just fine with my 1.2 kernel. In general, roebeet has taken a solid position against using ROM Manager to flash firmware because it just doesn't work well on our tablets. I'm not trying to flash firmware with it. I just want to use it as a front end to ease the process of creating and managing nandroid backups.
You can create recoveries and restore them from cwm in recovery mode. I don't understand why you need rom manager. You can make a backup and then use a file explorer to re-name the backup whatever you want so your not guessing at dates or rom backed up.
The other alternative would be to use Titanium Backup For Root Users
Mantara said:
I don't understand why you need rom manager. You can make a backup and then use a file explorer to re-name the backup whatever you want so your not guessing at dates or rom backed up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry you don't understand. I explained as well as I'm able (and as much as I'm going to) that I'm trying to make the process easier for another user, not myself. In general, it's simpler not to have to go through the steps of manually rebooting into recovery, creating the backup, then using a file explorer to manage the files created and it's way simpler for me not to have to teach and support all those steps.
Ultimately, though, this is not a thread about whether anyone needs ROM Manager. It's a thread about whether and how it's possible to use it with a 1.2 kernel.
EL TEJANO said:
The other alternative would be to use Titanium Backup For Root Users
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it possible to create a nandroid backup this way? I hadn't thought so. As far as I can tell, it's also not possible to use it (or at least the free version) to restore to a specific backup point as opposed to the most recent one.
mstevens said:
Is it possible to create a nandroid backup this way? I hadn't thought so. As far as I can tell, it's also not possible to use it (or at least the free version) to restore to a specific backup point as opposed to the most recent one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never really delved into the whole app itself, though I do use it to restore apps & data after flashing a ROM. However I did see an option that allows one to create a .zip file that can be flashed from the recovery menu, but whether it just does apps or the whole system as well beats me.
Just out of curiosity can you be for sure that flashing the recovery that Rom Manager asks for will in fact break recovery? I mean I myself can't say either way, but if you're willing to take that chance then give it a try. Just make sure to have NVFlash on hand. It's saved me many a heart ache that's for sure.
EL TEJANO said:
Just out of curiosity can you be for sure that flashing the recovery that Rom Manager asks for will in fact break recovery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.
As noted in the initial post, "If I do flash it, that breaks recovery completely." I flashed it. It broke recovery. I nvflashed a different version and it restored cwm recovery but wouldn't work with ROM Manager.
I've been trying to understand all the steps necessary to replace the OEM ROM in my HTC Amaze 4G phone, but I can only find a disjointed set of pieces about the various steps and not one overarching document that covers all the stages of custom ROM flashing. A lot of the docs are aimed at the "insiders" of the Android developer community and few to people like me who would just like to try something better than what that ICS update did to my phone.
Having dabbled at one time with Linux from version .98 to 2.6 and being software developer most of my working life, I figure this should be easy for me. Yet, I find the documentation frustrating. I only imagine what it must be for others with less computer experience than me.
Since Android is based on Linux, I don't understand the big fuss about rooting. In Linux having the rooting privilege simply meant having a root password. Why is Android so much more complicated than that? Also, loading a new Linux kernel used to be a fairly simple process if one used compiled modules. The installation script pretty much took care of it. Android totally obscures this process and the disjointed documentation doesn't seem to help much. A lot of it assumes certain knowledge by the reader as if he/she was also an "insider" in that circle.
On my part I would like to so the following steps documented:
1.) How to save user installed content and the factory ROM image before wiping it out so it could be eventually restored if needed.
2.) How to prepare the phone for installing a new ROM
3.) What new and stable ROM images will work with given phone and how to obtain them and in what form? Zip, rar, or what?
4.) In what SD Card directory or in USB-connected PC directory the new ROM should be.
5.) How the flashing process would look like? Expected phases and length?
6.) Do I need to lock the new ROM's root just as the factory ROM was? How would I do that?
7.) Any special issues when booting the new ROM for the first time?
8.) How would I restore the original factory ROM saved in step 1?
Some of you might think I ask too much from guys who do the dev work as a hobby but I always thought that if one does something, might as well do it right, regardless of pay.
Well, that's my 2 cents worth for the day.
Howdy. I'll try to answer some of the questions you asked.
I would also recommend talking with @ravike14 who can easily guide you through the back up and routing and s-off process. It's not that difficult really. The most bizarre thing for me was sticking a piece of wire into a hole in the back of the phone to short out a process to achieve s-off.
With the right recovery image installed, it won't matter where you place the Rom.zip. which may be named just about anything. But it will always be a zip file.
The important one is the PH85img.zip must be placed in the root of your external sdcard. That file is loaded when you boot into the bootloader. And is for updating firmware.
Once you have root, and have made a nandroid backup, flashing is easy.
If you download viper, it is vipera1.7.2.1.zip. you can have it anywhere on you internal or external sdcard.
If you use 4ext recovery, you can select install and it will take you to a directory that you can browse to the place where the Rom, whatever name it is, is stored.
Click the Rom zip file and you will be guided thru the install process, if it has an aroma installer, or it will just install otherwise.
Then reboot and go thru the set up as if it was a brand new phone.
If you don't do the s-off thing, 4ext offers a smart flash option. If you aren't s-off you can't just flash a Rom if it contains a kernel. So smart flash will be required.
There are a few guides in the dev section and the general section on how most of this process works.
Again, talk with ravike and he'll be glad to help. Plus the more people we can keep here and happy, the longer we will be creating roms and fun stuff to play with.
Regards,
Chevy
Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using xda app-developers app
Is there a good documentation for all ROM flash steps?
Thanks, Cowboy, for the helpful reply, though I don't see any HELP button to push that the end of your post refers to.
I think at this point I'd like to figure out on my own how to install a custom ROM, though I must say that your S-OFF reference is one of the things that confuses me because the HTC dev site itself spells out that it is not necessary to change S-On to S-Off. Go, figure ...
Also, I think I like what I've read about the Revolution ROM, so that's the one I'd like to install if that is working with T-Mo branded Amaze 4G phones, though mine is no longer locked to T-Mo.
Your welcome!
NWsoccerfan said:
Thanks, Cowboy, for the helpful reply, though I don't see any HELP button to push that the end of your post refers to.
I think at this point I'd like to figure out on my own how to install a custom ROM, though I must say that your S-OFF reference is one of the things that confuses me because the HTC dev site itself spells out that it is not necessary to change S-On to S-Off. Go, figure ...
Also, I think I like what I've read about the Revolution ROM, so that's the one I'd like to install if that is working with T-Mo branded Amaze 4G phones, though mine is no longer locked to T-Mo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're using the web to look at xda, there is a thanks button on the lower left side of the screen before the very end of the post line.
If you're using the XDA app, you have to tap on my post, and it should have a thanks selection in the options that come up.
A few more suggestions.
1.) How to save user installed content and the factory ROM image before wiping it out so it could be eventually restored if needed.
A) one you are rooted you should be able to back up all of your user data through a nandroid which is available in TWRP or 4EXT recoveries. This will back up everything to be able to restore exactly like it was before you change roms.
(NRG is my ICS preference, and Afnan has a good modified stock rom. ARHD (revolution) is also a good one without too many frills.
2.) How to prepare the phone for installing a new ROM
B) again, Root - s-off (really a good idea and not too hard to do) - dev unlock - and Super CID
3.) What new and stable ROM images will work with given phone and how to obtain them and in what form? Zip, rar, or what?
C) any roms listed in the dev section in the Amaze forum works. And, they should all be Zip fles. You can restore somone elses nandroid back up, but not adviseable.
4.) In what SD Card directory or in USB-connected PC directory the new ROM should be.
D) anywhere (except the PH85IMG.zip MUST be on the root of your EXTERNAL sdcard)
5.) How the flashing process would look like? Expected phases and length?
E) There are two types of rom flashes, standard and Aroma (thanks @amarullz)
1) Standard just does it's thing and when it's done, it returns you to the recovery menu to reboot.
2) Aroma is a highly configurable installation (preferred for selections of different kernels and adding or removing apps, keyboards, cpu freq's and much more) after it's done, most often it can reboot directly from the installer. ARHD has this type of installer, also NRG roms, and mine!
6.) Do I need to lock the new ROM's root just as the factory ROM was? How would I do that?
F) all of the "Custom" rom's (even thought some may be stock) should be rooted. A rooted rom containd the busybox and super user bianaries and apps (IE chanfireSU or SuperSU)
7.) Any special issues when booting the new ROM for the first time?
G) You shouldn't have any issues when booting a new rom for the first time. Some do require a little bit of behind the scenes set up time. Most users see just the boot animation reach the end, or it may seem like it's not doing anything, but it's doing an unbelievable amount of background processing, dexopting, and some comminucation with the carrier for data and validation set up. Some may take five to ten minutes to complete depending on the amount of apps and goodies that are in the rom.
H) if you see the HTC logo for an extended amount of time, more than five minutes, and you dont see the boot animation (which varies by rom) then you are stuck in a preload loop. This happens when you flash a carrier specific rom without being "Super CID", or you may not have flashed the kernel (if you are S-Off this won't be a problem) because you didn't select smartflash from the recovery settings.
** I had issues trying to install ARHD at first because there is a firmware update, a requirement to be Super CID (probably the easiest of things to do), and some roms specify that you should be using TWRP recovery instead of 4EXT, or vise versa.
8.) How would I restore the original factory ROM saved in step 1?
I) nandroid restore There is also a rooted stock rom based off of the latest OTA ICS Update. It is just like the rom that comes preloaded, or updated to on stock non-rooted phones. If you go that route, flash the "Stock ICS" rooted rom and do an advanced nandroid restore and only restore your data. That will (should) get you back to where you started from but keeping root, S-Off, Dev unlock, and Super CID.
I rewrote some of what I noted befor so maybe other's can benifit from this knowledge. And I wanted to expand on a few items. All good questions!
There's a lot of things that happen in the background that people need to see sometime (pull a logcat) to see the crazy lines of code flying by on a terminal screen.
If more poeple took the time to understand all of this it would reduce the amount of errors while flashing and poeple would be more happy.
And in doing so I think people will learn more about what they are doing, and the more you do it, the better you get at doing it.
Enjoy!
Chevy
chevycowboyusa said:
If you're using the web to look at xda, there is a thanks button on the lower left side of the screen before the very end of the post line.
If you're using the XDA app, you have to tap on my post, and it should have a thanks selection in the options that come up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use the web for this and the only thing I see on the lower left side is a DONATE button. That's what you mean?
chevycowboyusa said:
A few more suggestions.
1.) How to save user installed content and the factory ROM image before wiping it out so it could be eventually restored if needed.
A) one you are rooted you should be able to back up all of your user data through a nandroid which is available in TWRP or 4EXT recoveries. This will back up everything to be able to restore exactly like it was before you change roms.
(NRG is my ICS preference, and Afnan has a good modified stock rom. ARHD (revolution) is also a good one without too many frills.
2.) How to prepare the phone for installing a new ROM
B) again, Root - s-off (really a good idea and not too hard to do) - dev unlock - and Super CID
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I still use my phone after it is rooted but before the new ROM is installed? How would the phone behavior change on a rooted phone?
You did not comment on why the htcdev site recommends against the S-Off as not being necessary for installing a custom ROM.
chevycowboyusa said:
3.) What new and stable ROM images will work with given phone and how to obtain them and in what form? Zip, rar, or what?
C) any roms listed in the dev section in the Amaze forum works. And, they should all be Zip fles. You can restore somone elses nandroid back up, but not adviseable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, I've got that. Does this Nandroid backup the entire image of the phone's content sector-by-sector, or as individual files? To the external SD card or to the PC connected by USB cable? BTW, why are all flashing procedures requiring loading of the HTC USB drivers when such drivers must be on the phone already? Otherwise we could not link the phone to PC in the first place.
chevycowboyusa said:
4.) In what SD Card directory or in USB-connected PC directory the new ROM should be.
D) anywhere (except the PH85IMG.zip MUST be on the root of your EXTERNAL sdcard)
5.) How the flashing process would look like? Expected phases and length?
E) There are two types of rom flashes, standard and Aroma (thanks @amarullz)
1) Standard just does it's thing and when it's done, it returns you to the recovery menu to reboot.
2) Aroma is a highly configurable installation (preferred for selections of different kernels and adding or removing apps, keyboards, cpu freq's and much more) after it's done, most often it can reboot directly from the installer. ARHD has this type of installer, also NRG roms, and mine!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aroma? That doesn't smell too good to me.
chevycowboyusa said:
6.) Do I need to lock the new ROM's root just as the factory ROM was? How would I do that?
F) all of the "Custom" rom's (even thought some may be stock) should be rooted. A rooted rom containd the busybox and super user bianaries and apps (IE chanfireSU or SuperSU)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, so this might answer my earlier question about how a rooted phone might behave. Essentially a user might not even know the difference, right? So, I could also do this process in two stages: First just root the factory ROM and use the phone that way till I am ready to actually flash the new ROM in the second stage, right?
chevycowboyusa said:
7.) Any special issues when booting the new ROM for the first time?
G) You shouldn't have any issues when booting a new rom for the first time. Some do require a little bit of behind the scenes set up time. Most users see just the boot animation reach the end, or it may seem like it's not doing anything, but it's doing an unbelievable amount of background processing, dexopting, and some comminucation with the carrier for data and validation set up. Some may take five to ten minutes to complete depending on the amount of apps and goodies that are in the rom.
H) if you see the HTC logo for an extended amount of time, more than five minutes, and you dont see the boot animation (which varies by rom) then you are stuck in a preload loop. This happens when you flash a carrier specific rom without being "Super CID", or you may not have flashed the kernel (if you are S-Off this won't be a problem) because you didn't select smartflash from the recovery settings.
** I had issues trying to install ARHD at first because there is a firmware update, a requirement to be Super CID (probably the easiest of things to do), and some roms specify that you should be using TWRP recovery instead of 4EXT, or vise versa.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got this.
chevycowboyusa said:
8.) How would I restore the original factory ROM saved in step 1?
I) nandroid restore There is also a rooted stock rom based off of the latest OTA ICS Update. It is just like the rom that comes preloaded, or updated to on stock non-rooted phones. If you go that route, flash the "Stock ICS" rooted rom and do an advanced nandroid restore and only restore your data. That will (should) get you back to where you started from but keeping root, S-Off, Dev unlock, and Super CID.
I rewrote some of what I noted befor so maybe other's can benifit from this knowledge. And I wanted to expand on a few items. All good questions!
There's a lot of things that happen in the background that people need to see sometime (pull a logcat) to see the crazy lines of code flying by on a terminal screen.
If more poeple took the time to understand all of this it would reduce the amount of errors while flashing and poeple would be more happy.
And in doing so I think people will learn more about what they are doing, and the more you do it, the better you get at doing it.
Enjoy!
Chevy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I like your attitude about this.
When you get time stop by
XDA University.
I learned tons here its a great place to start and much better than trying to Google everything
http://forum.xda-developers.com/general/xda-university
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
been busy
NWsoccerfan said:
I use the web for this and the only thing I see on the lower left side is a DONATE button. That's what you mean?
Can I still use my phone after it is rooted but before the new ROM is installed? How would the phone behavior change on a rooted phone?
You did not comment on why the htcdev site recommends against the S-Off as not being necessary for installing a custom ROM.
OK, I've got that. Does this Nandroid backup the entire image of the phone's content sector-by-sector, or as individual files? To the external SD card or to the PC connected by USB cable? BTW, why are all flashing procedures requiring loading of the HTC USB drivers when such drivers must be on the phone already? Otherwise we could not link the phone to PC in the first place.
Aroma? That doesn't smell too good to me.
Oh, so this might answer my earlier question about how a rooted phone might behave. Essentially a user might not even know the difference, right? So, I could also do this process in two stages: First just root the factory ROM and use the phone that way till I am ready to actually flash the new ROM in the second stage, right?
I've got this.
Thanks. I like your attitude about this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you're welcome! I wish everyone would try to learn this
and the university is also very helpfull as freakboy noted above,
I've been busy working at bringing the comunity the next greatest romz!
Hello Everyone,
Ok so not sure where to start, umm yesterday i decided to root my phone i have the HTC Desire C from Cricket wireless. I was successful at unlocking my bootloader and rooting the device. Now for some reason im unable to flash a custom rom or whatever to my device, not sure if im doing something wrong, but i must have screwed something up because i cant even perform a factory reset or a hard reset to the device at all, and the google play store no longer works and the sync icon never goes away. Now when i attempt to flash the custom rom the clockwork recovery tool wont allow me to do a full wipe which i believe must be completed before you can even install the roms.
any help or suggestion would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You.
Just unlocking and rooting the device should not affect how the Play Store works at all. That seems odd. What's the error? By the Clockwork recovery tool, are you referring to the Rom Manager or the actual ClockWorkMod recovery?
es0tericcha0s said:
Just unlocking and rooting the device should not affect how the Play Store works at all. That seems odd. What's the error? By the Clockwork recovery tool, are you referring to the Rom Manager or the actual ClockWorkMod recovery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually you know what, I think i know what happened. when i was trying to flash the rom i also flashed the gapps for jelly bean into my phone which is running ice cream sandwich currently because the rom flashing failed. So basically i think the gapps apps are conflicting with the stock apps on the phone ? It seems like all the google apps are the only ones messing up and the google account sync is messing up also the google playstore and google plus crashes a lot so its only the google apps. so what do you think and how do i restore the phone ? I didnt make a back up recovery either. If someone could also just walk me through how to flash a custom rom like CyanogenMod i believe everything will probably fix its self (hopefully). oh and as for the Clockworkmod i think its the actual clockworkmod recovery the one with a black hat, i accessed it through bootloader recovery options, anyway it doesnt allow me to flash any custom roms ive tried like 3 so far and everytime it ask me for some update file or something about a update not sure.
Yep, the other Google apps is what did it. You don't need to flash Gapps on a stock rom, only for ones like CM that don't come pre-installed. Well, first off, it's good to take note of what system version and baseband version you have, in case you need to find the files for later to reflash. As far as CM, well, you might want to check on how stable a version is for your phone. Often times less popular HTC CDMA phones don't have as good of support from CM. If you just find another stock rom and install it through CWM, you'll probably be fine. Just make sure to wipe everything suggested in the install guide for the rom you pick. Some devs and roms require a full wipe including /system and some do not. ProTip : Do a backup in CWM before ever wiping /system, even your system now which doesn't work right, because if you wipe the system and the rom you downloaded doesn't work, then you will be stuck with nothing to do and at that point would need to find the RUU from HTC to restore the phone back to stock.
FYI: If you unlocked via htcdev.com, this is not a full unlock and whenever you install a custom rom that has a different kernel than what is already on the phone, then you need to extract the boot.img from the rom.zip and install it via fastboot. You should get familiar with fastboot as it is very handy for reviving the phone in a worst case scenario.
es0tericcha0s said:
Yep, the other Google apps is what did it. You don't need to flash Gapps on a stock rom, only for ones like CM that don't come pre-installed. Well, first off, it's good to take note of what system version and baseband version you have, in case you need to find the files for later to reflash. As far as CM, well, you might want to check on how stable a version is for your phone. Often times less popular HTC CDMA phones don't have as good of support from CM. If you just find another stock rom and install it through CWM, you'll probably be fine. Just make sure to wipe everything suggested in the install guide for the rom you pick. Some devs and roms require a full wipe including /system and some do not. ProTip : Do a backup in CWM before ever wiping /system, even your system now which doesn't work right, because if you wipe the system and the rom you downloaded doesn't work, then you will be stuck with nothing to do and at that point would need to find the RUU from HTC to restore the phone back to stock.
FYI: If you unlocked via htcdev.com, this is not a full unlock and whenever you install a custom rom that has a different kernel than what is already on the phone, then you need to extract the boot.img from the rom.zip and install it via fastboot. You should get familiar with fastboot as it is very handy for reviving the phone in a worst case scenario.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok Thanks for the reply, now as for the full wipe my CWM wont allow me to do this im only allowed to do a cache wipe and I believe this is why im unable to get a Rom working on my phone and this is getting very frustrating, the CWM is the latest version and TWRT wont even flash to my phone so that one doesnt work at all if you know of any others please let me know. Yesterday morning i soft bricked my phone and none of the roms are working because i believe i must perform a full wipe which i am unable to do at this time. oh and about unlocking my bootloader via htcdev.com and it not being a full unlock, do you suggest that may have something to do with the fact roms wont work on my phone and how do you do a full unlock ? oh and i tried to restore back to stock also thats not working either, I get a status 7 error when installing the roms and sometimes a status 6.
Silver5150 said:
Ok Thanks for the reply, now as for the full wipe my CWM wont allow me to do this im only allowed to do a cache wipe and I believe this is why im unable to get a Rom working on my phone and this is getting very frustrating, the CWM is the latest version and TWRT wont even flash to my phone so that one doesnt work at all if you know of any others please let me know. Yesterday morning i soft bricked my phone and none of the roms are working because i believe i must perform a full wipe which i am unable to do at this time. oh and about unlocking my bootloader via htcdev.com and it not being a full unlock, do you suggest that may have something to do with the fact roms wont work on my phone and how do you do a full unlock ? oh and i tried to restore back to stock also thats not working either, I get a status 7 error when installing the roms and sometimes a status 6.
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Click to collapse
Are you sure you don't have the recovery from another version of the Desire C - GSM maybe? I still don't understand what you mean when you say you can factory reset. Why not? What is the error? And sounds like at this point you should just use the RUU to return to full stock and start over.
es0tericcha0s said:
Are you sure you don't have the recovery from another version of the Desire C - GSM maybe? I still don't understand what you mean when you say you can factory reset. Why not? What is the error? And sounds like at this point you should just use the RUU to return to full stock and start over.
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Click to collapse
Ok not sure what the RUU is and how im suppose to use it to return to full stock, and correct i cant perform a factory reset in bootloader period, when i select factory reset it does nothing but reboot and say HTC "this build is for development purposes only do not distribute outside of htc without written permission. Failure to comply may lead to legal action." then it stays like that and nothing else happens period, not sure what im doing wrong but no worries im going to buy a new phone tomorrow and never use custom roms again, if i want a upgrade ill just go out and buy a new phone which i should have done in the first place, only thing ill be doing is rooting my devices for now on and nothing more thank you for your help.
Well, once you have a custom recovery, you don't factory reset from the bootloader screen, but via the recovery itself. That's one of the main reasons for the recovery - better options to wipe the phone as well as backing up, restoring, and flashing the custom stuff. Not saying you shouldn't buy another phone, but no reason to give up on this one. I just think it would require a bit more reading since you don't see very familiar with what to do with CWM after you installed it. Have you even booted INTO CWM?
Big problem with my I777 running stock Jellybean...
I deleted the wallpaper file from data\system\users\0 and now my phone will not boot. It powers on and gets to the lock screen, but won't allow me to slide to unlock. The phone isn't entirely unresponsive as the clock still updates every minute. But it won't do anything else.
I have my old wallpaper file handy on the computer, so I can surely copy it back to the phone. Question is: how?? I have USB debugging enabled so ADB is possible, but I have absolutely no idea how to use it. If I boot to system recovery the only option I get for ADB is sideload. I can execute ADB on my computer, it finds the device. But when I try to use the "push" command, ADB responds with "error: closed." I tried to use the "sideload" command (with a dummy file) just to see if ANY ADB command would work. "Sideload" works (the phone reports an error about the file being invalid), so I know the connection is fine.
Help appreciated, thanks. I'm stuck with a ****ty iPhone until this situation is resolved.
You're still on the stock kernel/recovery, so I'm not sure that you have any easy options. It is also relevant to know just how much information you want to recover.
File replacement:
Using desktop ODIN to flash a syiah kernel, then reboot to recovery:
You might then be able to adb-push the necessary item to /system, but this is a hack-approach to a problem better suited by a proper flash. <-- will retain all existing data & customization. Maybe worth a try, but I don't recommend it
Dirty-flash:
Using desktop ODIN to flash a syiah kernel, then reboot to recovery:
You will be able to flash a (custom) samsung-based firmware, which WILL overwrite /system, but will NOT overwrite your /data partition, likely allowing you to boot and properly back-up the stuff you want to keep, or even create a nandroid of the existing setup. <-- Will retain all existing data, will lose /system customisations. I have used this method.
Start-fresh:
Use desktop-Odin to flash the official firmware may be your only other option, which will retain everything in internal memory (photos, downloads, music, nandroid backups), but not messages, or any app data.
-Cyril
Mr. Barker said:
Big problem with my I777 running stock Jellybean...
I deleted the wallpaper file from data\system\users\0 and now my phone will not boot. It powers on and gets to the lock screen, but won't allow me to slide to unlock. The phone isn't entirely unresponsive as the clock still updates every minute. But it won't do anything else.
I have my old wallpaper file handy on the computer, so I can surely copy it back to the phone. Question is: how?? I have USB debugging enabled so ADB is possible, but I have absolutely no idea how to use it. If I boot to system recovery the only option I get for ADB is sideload. I can execute ADB on my computer, it finds the device. But when I try to use the "push" command, ADB responds with "error: closed." I tried to use the "sideload" command (with a dummy file) just to see if ANY ADB command would work. "Sideload" works (the phone reports an error about the file being invalid), so I know the connection is fine.
Help appreciated, thanks. I'm stuck with a ****ty iPhone until this situation is resolved.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cyril279 said:
You're still on the stock kernel/recovery, so I'm not sure that you have any easy options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I do have CWM installed, but am curiously (and annoyingly) unable to boot to it now, for whatever reason. It boots to stock recovery instead, every time.
cyril279 said:
Using desktop ODIN to flash a syiah kernel, then reboot to recovery:
You might then be able to adb-push the necessary item to /system, but this is a hack-approach to a problem better suited by a proper flash. <-- maybe worth a try, but I don't recommend it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it's worth a try. I really would prefer to get my phone back working as it was, quickest way possible, because I've done a lot of heavy customization that would take many many hours to have to do over if I flash the official firmware again.
Could you please point me in the right direction of the syiah kernel, and proper instructions as to how to flash it? Would be much appreciated.
If it doesn't work out so hot, I'll try one of the other methods you mentioned. Thanks.
Mr. Barker said:
I think it's worth a try. I really would prefer to get my phone back working as it was, quickest way possible, because I've done a lot of heavy customization that would take many many hours to have to do over if I flash the official firmware again.
Could you please point me in the right direction of the syiah kernel, and proper instructions as to how to flash it? Would be much appreciated.
If it doesn't work out so hot, I'll try one of the other methods you mentioned. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would be glad to provide more detailed information, but I prefer to do so from a desktop computer, and I won't be near one for several days, so this may be a slow process unless one of our peers steps in to help.
In the meantime, you should gather:
-Odin 1.85 or 3.07
-A Siyah s2-v5.x or s2-v6.x .tar.md5 kernel (for the i777 or i9100)
The latter you can find at http://www.gokhanmoral.com
I will outline the process in a later post, explaining the purpose of each step.
Sure, I'm OK waiting a few days. I appreciate the help, I haven't done any flashing in quite some time and don't want to make a mistake, especially with all the important data that's at stake.
Thanks.
File Replacement Method
1) Use desktop Odin to flash Siyah kernel
-Installs a kernel that will allow you to perform a nandroid backup, and MAY allow you to adb push the missing file to the device.
-This WILL change the initial boot screen (can be corrected later, but does not affect the function of the firmware), and will notch the flash counter (simply doesn't matter).
2) Boot to recovery
3) Create nandroid backup
-If things go sideways, you have a snapshot of where you are. If you have to start from scratch, there are apps that can restore Apps, settings, and more, from a backup.
4) Adb push missing file to /data/path_file_belongs
5) Shell chmod XXX the missing file
-to correct file permissions; that 0.xml file has -rw------ on my device, which translates to 600 (I think)
6) Flash appropriate ajk kernel
-for stock jb, use "NoSwap" http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2110542
-custom kernel that will boot stock rooted android.
7) Attempt Reboot into android
-If successful, reboot to recovery and perform another backup.
-If not successful, then we use a different method.
This is the trickier method of the three, but will retain all customization if it works. I have not tried it, and we're assuming that the missing file is actually the problem.
Please be sure that you are comfortable with all of the steps before attempting any of them. I will be able to provide step by step instructions, but not for several days.
Happy flashing,
-Cyril
Well, that was fun. Followed the instructions to a "t" and even learned some things. But, sadly, did not achieve the results I'd hoped for.
I was indeed able to push the wallpaper file over to data\system\users\0 and CHMOD it. But after flashing AJK "NoSwap" the phone shows the "Android is upgrading..." message, with "Starting apps." trying to process. But it doesn't. The little circle swirls a bit, then the screen goes black. The "Starting apps." message appears again, then the screen goes black again. And then it repeats this cycle forever. I eventually got irritated and yanked the battery.
So... *sigh*... what's my next best option?
The Nandroid backup completed successfully? If so, that's great, any APP customization is likely captured in the backup. How well they will restore is a different concern, but we need to get the device booted completely into android first.
Before moving onto the next step, lets reboot to recovery, clear cache and dalvik, and fix permissions. It's a bit of a shot in the dark, but I prefer to exhaust the possibility before abandoning this approach.
@Mr. Barker, You say that you've done a lot of heavy customization. What is the nature of the customization? app related? build.prop tweaks? I'm trying to determine how much might be lost by each of the next recovery methods.
@mrcook, what do you think of an attempt to dirty-flash cooked over a stock setup with corrupt /data?
cyril279 said:
Before moving onto the next step, lets reboot to recovery, clear cache and dalvik, and fix permissions. It's a bit of a shot in the dark, but I prefer to exhaust the possibility before abandoning this approach.
@Mr. Barker, You say that you've done a lot of heavy customization. What is the nature of the customization? app related? build.prop tweaks? I'm trying to determine how much might be lost by each of the next recovery methods.
@mrcook, what do you think of an attempt to dirty-flash cooked over a stock setup with corrupt /data?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I say wipe caches and fix permissions first. If that doesn't work format /system, and install a ROM of the same version of android.
After that if it's still not booting suck it up do a full wipe and start from scratch.
Sent from my SGH-S959G
@Mr. Barker
If the cache wipes / permissions fix doesn't help, then our next attempt is:
**this assumes that you were running stock Android 4.1.2 when the trouble began**
get i777UCMD8 cooked v2.2 onto a flashdrive, (or prepare it for sideload)
reboot to recovery
format /system
install cooked v2.2
attempt to boot into android
OK, I'll give it a try, thanks.
Hooray! All's well that ends well. Flashing i777UCMD8 cooked v2.2 got me up & running again, near-same as I had everything before. Just a little work to do to get it right back how I had it. Thanks a million, gents! :victory:
Two questions remain, for the moment:
+ How can I get the "AM/PM" to display on the notification bar? I'm in the US, and prefer to have this for the 12-hour clock. But using this ROM, it is omitted even when time is set to 12-hour clock.
+ How can I restore the default battery charging icon from the stock firmware? The one that comes bundled with this cooked ROM is needlessly flashy.
Mr. Barker said:
Hooray! All's well that ends well. Flashing i777UCMD8 cooked v2.2 got me up & running again, near-same as I had everything before. Just a little work to do to get it right back how I had it. Thanks a million, gents! :victory:
Two questions remain, for the moment:
+ How can I get the "AM/PM" to display on the notification bar? I'm in the US, and prefer to have this for the 12-hour clock. But using this ROM, it is omitted even when time is set to 12-hour clock.
+ How can I restore the black notification pull-down menu? This ROM sets it transparent by default, which doesn't work for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Am/pm is gone forever. I removed because I think it looks better without it. Use the sun. You'll get used to it after a couple days and never miss it.
To change the notification background go to the mods section of the installer, and just install the black notification background.
Sent from my SGH-S959G
mr-cook said:
Am/pm is gone forever. I removed because I think it looks better without it. Use the sun. You'll get used to it after a couple days and never miss it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, no, I was afraid you were going to say that. *sigh*
Unfortunately I will not get used to it, and will miss it. It's the little things that really matter to me, and this is one of them.
Is there absolutely no way I can add it back in? Maybe by editing or replacing a certain file? Or perhaps there's a notification bar replacement that will facilitate this need?
Also, how can I restore the default battery charging icon from the stock firmware? The one that comes bundled with this cooked ROM, I feel, is needlessly flashy.
Other than these two points, I am quite pleased with this ROM. Is it just me or does it run a little quicker than the stock one?
"needlessly flashy"
Simply asking 'how to change the icon' is sufficient, and inherently implies that you prefer something different.
Cooked v2.2 is definitely quicker than stock;
The premise of both cooked and shostock are that they have taken the stock firmware, and stripped it down of unnecessary junk, and run it over a well-optimized kernel for the best touchwiz experience that you could possibly have on this device.
If your firmware desires are different than what cooked v2.2 provides, then I suggest creating a nandroid backup, wiping /system, and giving shostock a try. It's the other touchwiz favorite for the i777, packaged with a different very good kernel, and also runs quicker than stock.
Mr. Barker said:
Oh, no, I was afraid you were going to say that. *sigh*
Unfortunately I will not get used to it, and will miss it. It's the little things that really matter to me, and this is one of them.
Is there absolutely no way I can add it back in? Maybe by editing or replacing a certain file? Or perhaps there's a notification bar replacement that will facilitate this need?
Also, how can I restore the default battery charging icon from the stock firmware? The one that comes bundled with this cooked ROM, I feel, is needlessly flashy.
Other than these two points, I am quite pleased with this ROM. Is it just me or does it run a little quicker than the stock one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To close the loop, now your initial boot screen is a yellow triangle with an exclamation point? It doesn't affect the functionality of the firmware at all, but if you prefer to have the correct initial boot animation, then you'll need to follow an additional procedure.
Summary:
Nandroid-backup desired setup
Flash official stock-firmware to the device via Desktop-Odin (clears the warning)
Root & recovery via Framaroot/Mobile-Odin (a method that does NOT trip the custom-flash monitor)
Restore nandroid to return to the established custom setup
Procedure:
gather onto internal memory, or micro-sd:
-Framaroot
-Mobile Odin APK
-Mobile Odin flash kernel for i777
-Boot.img (extracted from your chosen firmware.zip)
boot to recovery
perform nandroid backup
^^ this MUST complete successfully
perform factory reset
boot to download mode
flash official UCMD8 using Desktop ODIN
^^ clears the custom-flash warning
install and use framaroot
^^ uses an exploit to establish and manage root access
install mobile Odin and the mobile Odin flash-kernel
^^ the method that will NOT trip the custom-flash monitor
flash the boot.img via Mobile Odin
^^ flashes the kernel and recovery of the firmware that you are going to restore
boot to recovery
restore nandroid backup
enjoy
-Cyril
If I am going to be restoring the nandroid backup, must I install & use the very same firmware that was installed when I made the backup? Or could I, say, simply flash the stock firmware and be done with it? (i.e. not use mobile odin to install a custom firmware afterwards) My point is, are nandroid backups firmware-specific?
If I opt to go the custom firmware route, how do I go about getting the boot.img file? Simply rename zimage, or ???
Before all this I've never flashed anything but stock firmware, and never had to create nor restore nandroid backups. So most of this is all new to me. But I enjoy the learning process.
Mr. Barker said:
If I am going to be restoring the nandroid backup, must I install & use the very same firmware that was installed when I made the backup?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Different custom firmwares may be structured differently, so for the lowest likelihood of compatibility issues, nandroid backups should be considered firmware specific.
Edit: As Mentioned below, a CWM nandroid will restore the entire backed-up firmware installation, which can be done over ANY firmware.
If the goal is to keep your App data across different firmwares, then a Titanium backup restoration may be what you're after. /Edit
Mr. Barker said:
[...]could I, say, simply flash the stock firmware and be done with it? (i.e. not use mobile odin to install a custom firmware afterwards)[...]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think that the stock recovery allows to restore nandroid backups at all. The restrictive nature of the stock recovery is one of the more practical reasons to root the device & use a custom kernel.
Mr. Barker said:
If I opt to go the custom firmware route, how do I go about getting the boot.img file? Simply rename zimage, or ???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mobile Odin will flash a zImage, no need to rename it. I didn't check to see that shostock or cooked use a zImage instead of boot.img.
cyril279 said:
Different custom firmwares may be structured differently, so for the lowest likelihood of compatibility issues, nandroid backups should be considered firmware specific.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
?? I thought that because a nandroid copied (backup) and then formatted/recopied the 5 partitions (restore), that it didn't matter what firmware you had installed?