[Q] Flashing For The First Time - AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II SGH-I777

I own a Samsung Galaxy S II i777. I've already rooted the phone. I'm about to flash UnNamed ROM over my stock ROM, but I have questions before I feel comfortable doing anything.
(1) I read about backing up my data and stock ROM. I've backed up my data using Titanium Backup, but the ROM is giving me problems. I've installed the ROM Manager app (via Android Market) and flashed the Clockwork Mod 3e through the app. But when I try to backup my stock ROM, at the reboot screen the app gives me an error "E: can't find signature" or something like that, and the backup fails. How can I make a backup (I think it's called a Nandroid backup?) of my stock ROM in case I want to revert?
(2) The procedure I want to follow for everything is here. My goal is to flash anything & everything without incrementing the flash counter (using Mobile Odin Lite, as outlined in the procedure). Is this realistic? What, in general, should I avoid so as not to increment the flash counter?
(3) The app I'm going to be using to flash is Mobile Odin Lite. Is that the same as flashing with Clockwork Recovery? Does using Clockwork Recovery Mod to flash increment the flash counter?
(4) Let's say I want to install a different custom ROM, or an update for UnNamed ROM comes out. Will I be able to do that with Mobile Odin Lite, and without incrementing the flash counter? Can I just flash (using Mobile Odin Lite) over the previous ROM?

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Completely_Clueless said:
I own a Samsung Galaxy S II i777. I've already rooted the phone. I'm about to flash UnNamed ROM over my stock ROM, but I have questions before I feel comfortable doing anything.
(1) I read about backing up my data and stock ROM. I've backed up my data using Titanium Backup, but the ROM is giving me problems. I've installed the ROM Manager app (via Android Market) and flashed the Clockwork Mod 3e through the app. But when I try to backup my stock ROM, at the reboot screen the app gives me an error "E: can't find signature" or something like that, and the backup fails. How can I make a backup (I think it's called a Nandroid backup?) of my stock ROM in case I want to revert?
(2) The procedure I want to follow for everything is here. My goal is to flash anything & everything without incrementing the flash counter (using Mobile Odin Lite, as outlined in the procedure). Is this realistic? What, in general, should I avoid so as not to increment the flash counter?
(3) The app I'm going to be using to flash is Mobile Odin Lite. Is that the same as flashing with Clockwork Recovery? Does using Clockwork Recovery Mod to flash increment the flash counter?
(4) Let's say I want to install a different custom ROM, or an update for UnNamed ROM comes out. Will I be able to do that with Mobile Odin Lite, and without incrementing the flash counter? Can I just flash (using Mobile Odin Lite) over the previous ROM?
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(1) DO not use rom manager. It has problems on this phone. You can install a custom kernel and then make a nandroid backup of the stock system plus custom kernel. However, there is a return to stock package which you can flash to get total stock.
(2) (3) (4) Please go to the guide you linked, scroll down to the bottom of the guide, and read step 4. Then if you have an analytical mind and want to know more about how things work, click on the link at the end of the Discussion section titled "Here is some additional information for noobs about the tools and techniques used in this guide."
Please be assured that you can flash custom binaries without tripping the flash counter. That is what the guide is all about, after all.

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creepyncrawly said:
(1) DO not use rom manager. It has problems on this phone. You can install a custom kernel and then make a nandroid backup of the stock system plus custom kernel. However, there is a return to stock package which you can flash to get total stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah OK, and I think I did find the return-to-stock package; is it the "Odin3 One-Click Downloader Stock I-777 UCKH7 No Bootloaders" you posted here?
creepyncrawly said:
(2) (3) (4) Please go to the guide you linked, scroll down to the bottom of the guide, and read step 4. Then if you have an analytical mind and want to know more about how things work, click on the link at the end of the Discussion section titled "Here is some additional information for noobs about the tools and techniques used in this guide."
Please be assured that you can flash custom binaries without tripping the flash counter. That is what the guide is all about, after all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, sorry for coming across as noob. I read the noob-explanation post, and from what I gather, as long as I don't use Odin or Heimdall, I shouldn't trip the flash counter and get that yellow exclamation point? EDIT: Nevermind, figured this one out.
Now, I've already installed ROM Manager and used it to flash the custom kernel. If I uninstall using Titanium Backup, will that undo the flashing that it did? It won't conflict when I flash using Mobile Odin Lite, will it?

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Completely_Clueless said:
Now, I've already installed ROM Manager and used it to flash the custom kernel. If I uninstall using Titanium Backup, will that undo the flashing that it did? It won't conflict when I flash using Mobile Odin Lite, will it?
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Click to collapse
I'm not sure what you mean. To my knowledge you cannot install a kernel with ROM Manager. However, I have not installed or even looked at the program since I acquired the SGS II in early October. When I used ROM Manager on the Captivate in Fall 2010, when Captivate was still on Eclair (Android 2.1), it used the stock recovery to install a custom recovery as an update. But since our phone has 3e recovery, requiring files that are flashed to be signed by Samsung, my understanding it that ROM Manager can not flash a ClockworkMod Recovery onto our phone. To my knowledge, you can flash a custom kernel on our phone only with Odin3, Heimdall, adb, Android Terminal Emulator, Mobile Odin, or ClockworkMod Recovery.
I don't see why you would keep ROM Manager, since there is very little that it can do to help you.
As far as how to proceed, I think it would be advisable to follow the Guide from the beginning, even if it means doing something redundantly.

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Oops, I think I got the terminology mixed up. I meant I used ROM Manager to flash ClockworkMod Recovery.
Here's a picture of what I'm talking about (taken from the ROM Manager page on the Android Market website, not my phone, but the option is still the same). I did the first option, and I was just wondering if the "flash" was permanent even if I uninstalled the app itself using Titanium Backup. I was just concerned that if I flashed using two tools, then there would be a problem.
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But I followed your guide, and I just successfully flashed my first custom ROM! My phone booted without a hitch, so I assume flashing ClockworkMod Recovery with ROM Manager first didn't have any negative impact. I also didn't see any yellow exclamation point.
Thank you very much for your help ! I've bookmarked your threads about going back to stock and about how to flash without increasing the flash counter.

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Not sure if you actually flashed anything from rom manager, regardless of what the screen says.
Anyway, success is sweet. Enjoy your phone.