Last week I was given a new, boxed SGS2 model GT-I9100G, running ICS 4.0.4, purchased in China. Much of it I can use, after setting it to UK English. However, all the important high use apps. refer to the Chinese national equivalents, and it appears to be linked to the Chinese app. store. So, no Google, no YouTube, no Twitter, no FaceBook and so and none of the obvious European email providers etc.
My local service provider pointed me to a site, with the name androidauthority, as a way of (hopefully) installing a European version of ICS 4.0.4: However, as a new user I am prevented from giving a link to this location (!), so could I ask somebody here with the necessary knowledge to tell me if there is going to be a safe procedure for replacing the Chinese system in my phone with a European equivalent, with a reasonable chance of success?
The questions that come to mind are such things as:
1. This procedure does not appear to require me to have acquired root privileges. Can it work as 'non-root' user?
2. Is the handset as secure after the change as it was before?
3. How much of ICS is replaced by this procedure?
4. Does ICS imply a kernel too? Or is it just an operating system on top of the kernel. If the latter, won't the kernel need changing too, from a Chinese version to a European version?
5. If there is a black screen of death after this procedure, what should I do, in aditional to wailing, throwing myself on the ground or banging my head forcefully against a wall?
By the way, I have purposely held off putting any useful data on the handset before I have solved the language-version issue, so I don't have any back-up/recovery issues (do I?)
Having read a little on this forum, I notice that there does not seem to be a version of CF-root for my handset. 'About phone' gives me a kernel version of 3.0.8-1067026. This version name doesn't seem to match any of those in the list of downloads elsewhere on this forum - it contains no alpha characters for example. 'About phone' also tells me that I have something called 'Baseband Version' - identified as I9100GZCLPL. What is this?
greatbridge said:
Last week I was given a new, boxed SGS2 model GT-I9100G, running ICS 4.0.4, purchased in China. Much of it I can use, after setting it to UK English. However, all the important high use apps. refer to the Chinese national equivalents, and it appears to be linked to the Chinese app. store. So, no Google, no YouTube, no Twitter, no FaceBook and so and none of the obvious European email providers etc.
My local service provider pointed me to a site, with the name androidauthority, as a way of (hopefully) installing a European version of ICS 4.0.4: However, as a new user I am prevented from giving a link to this location (!), so could I ask somebody here with the necessary knowledge to tell me if there is going to be a safe procedure for replacing the Chinese system in my phone with a European equivalent, with a reasonable chance of success?
The questions that come to mind are such things as:
1. This procedure does not appear to require me to have acquired root privileges. Can it work as 'non-root' user?
2. Is the handset as secure after the change as it was before?
3. How much of ICS is replaced by this procedure?
4. Does ICS imply a kernel too? Or is it just an operating system on top of the kernel. If the latter, won't the kernel need changing too, from a Chinese version to a European version?
5. If there is a black screen of death after this procedure, what should I do, in aditional to wailing, throwing myself on the ground or banging my head forcefully against a wall?
By the way, I have purposely held off putting any useful data on the handset before I have solved the language-version issue, so I don't have any back-up/recovery issues (do I?)
Having read a little on this forum, I notice that there does not seem to be a version of CF-root for my handset. 'About phone' gives me a kernel version of 3.0.8-1067026. This version name doesn't seem to match any of those in the list of downloads elsewhere on this forum - it contains no alpha characters for example. 'About phone' also tells me that I have something called 'Baseband Version' - identified as I9100GZCLPL. What is this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, here we go:
0) You really should check if your device is authentic. You are mentioning apps restrictions (In the about the phone section tag, does it says "Android Version 4.0.4"?) and apps country related (might be chinase carrier bloatware).
1) You can flash a new ROM (Euro Version for example) via Odin (no Root) or via CWM (Root required).
2) Flashing is all about changing operating systems, If you choose the right ROM for YOUR device, and you FOLLOW instructions given, it's safe.
3) ICS versions comes in 2 ways, Branded (Carrier Bloatware) & Unbranded (No carrier bloatware).
4) ICS package comes with ROM, Modem and Kernel. You can look it up each of them so you'll get familiar with these terms.
5) Don't think about that, should be fine.
6) No worrys about data, this is a system flash, not a SD Card flash.
7) You can follow many guides here on XDA to root your device.
8) Baseband is related to Modem. Network for your country / region.
And most importantly, make sure anything u flash is for the I9100G and not the I9100.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Hayth said:
And most importantly, make sure anything u flash is for the I9100G and not the I9100.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True + Read about Brick Bug (4.0.4) kernel.
gastonw said:
Okay, here we go:
0) You really should check if your device is authentic. You are mentioning apps restrictions (In the about the phone section tag, does it says "Android Version 4.0.4"?) and apps country related (might be chinase carrier bloatware).
1) You can flash a new ROM (Euro Version for example) via Odin (no Root) or via CWM (Root required).
2) Flashing is all about changing operating systems, If you choose the right ROM for YOUR device, and you FOLLOW instructions given, it's safe.
3) ICS versions comes in 2 ways, Branded (Carrier Bloatware) & Unbranded (No carrier bloatware).
4) ICS package comes with ROM, Modem and Kernel. You can look it up each of them so you'll get familiar with these terms.
5) Don't think about that, should be fine.
6) No worrys about data, this is a system flash, not a SD Card flash.
7) You can follow many guides here on XDA to root your device.
8) Baseband is related to Modem. Network for your country / region.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great, thanks for this detailed reply.
From what I write here you will conclude that I am totally uninformed and (naturally) would be a little impatient. I would ask your indulgence. The fact is that I am totally uninformed - about things mobile - but I have been messing around with technology since 1959, (yes, that's 1959), especially with Linux installs and updates since about 2003. Being exceptionally outdated, I am exceptionally diligent at following instructions, so I have read your guidance in detail. Ignorance-driven questions arise:
As far as I can reasonably tell the device is not a fake - packaging style and contents, reputation of supplier, functionality of the phone all appear to be authentic (but what do I know?), This begs the question: what is a water-tight test of authenticity? The (non Samsung) apps. on the device appear to be only the Chinese national equivalents of those US/European ones which I expected: Weibo, QQ, YouKou, Baidu, RenRen - with, perhaps the stuff from TenCent which is admittedly bloatware, It does indeed say (in 'About phone') Android 4.0.4.
From elsewhere (sorry, cannot identify from browser history where) I found a list of all the ROMs(?) currently 'current' for the GT-I9100G. which seemed to link my system to ChinaUnicom, However it doesn't seem to be locked to that service provider because I was able to make phone calls with SIMs from both O2 and Giff-Gaff (which is really O2) installed in the handset. There was no SIM in the handset when I received it.
a). How do I identify the 'correct' ROM - seeing as the one I have is 'incorrect' in the sense that it is not what I want and therefore isn't much of a guide to me in identifying the correct one! I assume here correctness is synonymous with handset model number being fully and unambiguously identified. Yes?
b). Where do I download an unbranded, unbloated, version of ICS 4.0.4? I have downloaded a 380MB file (following instructions on the Androidauthority website that I am not permitted to mention <sigh>) named I9100GXXLPY_I9100GDBTLP3_DBT.zip - does this look like an unbranded ROM of approximately the correct size and naming convention?
c). Is it necessary to root the device (I was planning to use Odin, which I have downloaded)? In my naive state I associate a system in which the user has root privileges as being about as secure as Windows 2000 - i.e. a welcome destination for every hacker and psycho in the world. Is this correct? If so, why would I ever want to run with a 'rooted' handset, give the remarkable growth in the number of malware and the number of ways of 'acquiring' them? Thus, I was hoping to be able to make this change without having to 'root' the device. (btw did anybody from Oz ever point out what the commonly understood meaning of that word is? It surprised me to see it in common use!)
I look forward to your continued advice. Thanks again.
Hayth said:
And most importantly, make sure anything u flash is for the I9100G and not the I9100.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I think I have realised that. The G version has quite different hardware (main processor and graphics processor) than the non-G version. I would expect a 'black screen of death' if using the wring ROM. But is there some naming convention in the ROM which will, without doubt, identify its intended hardware target?
greatbridge said:
Great, thanks for this detailed reply.
From what I write here you will conclude that I am totally uninformed and (naturally) would be a little impatient. I would ask your indulgence. The fact is that I am totally uninformed - about things mobile - but I have been messing around with technology since 1959, (yes, that's 1959), especially with Linux installs and updates since about 2003. Being exceptionally outdated, I am exceptionally diligent at following instructions, so I have read your guidance in detail. Ignorance-driven questions arise:
As far as I can reasonably tell the device is not a fake - packaging style and contents, reputation of supplier, functionality of the phone all appear to be authentic (but what do I know?), This begs the question: what is a water-tight test of authenticity? The (non Samsung) apps. on the device appear to be only the Chinese national equivalents of those US/European ones which I expected: Weibo, QQ, YouKou, Baidu, RenRen - with, perhaps the stuff from TenCent which is admittedly bloatware, It does indeed say (in 'About phone') Android 4.0.4.
From elsewhere (sorry, cannot identify from browser history where) I found a list of all the ROMs(?) currently 'current' for the GT-I9100G. which seemed to link my system to ChinaUnicom, However it doesn't seem to be locked to that service provider because I was able to make phone calls with SIMs from both O2 and Giff-Gaff (which is really O2) installed in the handset. There was no SIM in the handset when I received it.
a). How do I identify the 'correct' ROM - seeing as the one I have is 'incorrect' in the sense that it is not what I want and therefore isn't much of a guide to me in identifying the correct one! I assume here correctness is synonymous with handset model number being fully and unambiguously identified. Yes?
b). Where do I download an unbranded, unbloated, version of ICS 4.0.4? I have downloaded a 380MB file (following instructions on the Androidauthority website that I am not permitted to mention <sigh>) named I9100GXXLPY_I9100GDBTLP3_DBT.zip - does this look like an unbranded ROM of approximately the correct size and naming convention?
c). Is it necessary to root the device (I was planning to use Odin, which I have downloaded)? In my naive state I associate a system in which the user has root privileges as being about as secure as Windows 2000 - i.e. a welcome destination for every hacker and psycho in the world. Is this correct? If so, why would I ever want to run with a 'rooted' handset, give the remarkable growth in the number of malware and the number of ways of 'acquiring' them? Thus, I was hoping to be able to make this change without having to 'root' the device. (btw did anybody from Oz ever point out what the commonly understood meaning of that word is? It surprised me to see it in common use!)
I look forward to your continued advice. Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like you are already getting the hang of it.
First off, here's some reading material:
Index Guide.
Here you will learn about the infamus brick bug (Everyone on 4.0.4 should be aware of this).
Here you will see what NOT to do, because these guys already did and went bad. It's about how to get it back, so you'll get to know some interesting process.
About Root, you got this guy.
Worried about possible exploits, see what the Android Main Man did.
About some Root Humour, you got this.
If you are root sold, here's how you do it (I9100G Version).
Sammobile.com has got plenty of branded and unbranded ROMs for you to choose from (remember that crazy G at the end!).
About that fake remark, here's an example.
I guess I'm not forgetting anything....if I did, well, I'll notice it
gastonw said:
True + Read about Brick Bug (4.0.4) kernel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried searching on this term in Google. It referred me to
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1897295
in which I learn that if I flash my handset with kernel 4.0.4, when that kernel is already installed (as it is on my handset), then I will be certain to have a bricked kernel. So, is this another way of saying that a solution to my original problem is not available?
Here's some additional info on your device:
Custom Roms & Kernels for I9100G.
Switch Between Chinease & International.
Here is something abour porting, whatever that is
gastonw said:
Looks like you are already getting the hang of it.
First off, here's some reading material:
Index Guide.
Here you will learn about the infamus brick bug (Everyone on 4.0.4 should be aware of this).
Here you will see what NOT to do, because these guys already did and went bad. It's about how to get it back, so you'll get to know some interesting process.
About Root, you got this guy.
Worried about possible exploits, see what the Android Main Man did.
About some Root Humour, you got this.
If you are root sold, here's how you do it (I9100G Version).
Sammobile.com has got plenty of branded and unbranded ROMs for you to choose from (remember that crazy G at the end!).
About that fake remark, here's an example.
I guess I'm not forgetting anything....if I did, well, I'll notice it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, I find myself overwhelmed by all this information.
You know, all I really want to do is change the operating system language version, so that it makes my handset look like one that was purchased in UK/Europe, and that avoid a costly embarrassment. (The person who gave me the phone is waiting for me to use it...)
To refer to a Linux desk-top analogy, I want to replace Ubuntu 12.04 , simplified Chinese version, with Ubuntu 12.04 UK English version. I don't want to change my Linux kernel version, there's no need to when I'm not changing the version of Ubuntu and anyway too new = too risky; too old = inadequate hardware support. I don't want to change my ROM: I've got no hardware errors or bugs in my ROM which are directly responsible for functional limitations which affect my use of the phone - the 3 'dead' motherboards in my cupboard here are proof that ROM flashing is not without its risks.
So, conceptually, I want to try to do something straight forward. In the desktop scenario I would just download the correct level & version of Ubuntu from a Canonical server and install it. End of task. But in this mobile scenario I'm told about flashing ROMs, secure and insecure kernels, asked to choose whether or not to root the phone, asking to locate and choose 'firmware' (what ever that is, in this contex)t and also told that that the update is bound to fail, rendering my phone unusable.
That's all a very daunting story, which at the least requires me to embark on a serious and in-depth re-education program. That's a bit of challenge for somebody into their 7th decade, when all they want to do is use a phone.
Isn't there a simpler, more straightforward way of doing this?
Trust me, this isn't as hard as its sounds. And I'm also sure that in one week you will be sticking your teeth into the flashing & rooting world.
As you already are a Linux user, you'll find this OS very similar, because it's based on it.
Once you realize everything you can do with that little guy sittin right next to you, yoo'll be up for a thrill, regardless of your age or whatever.
You can start by Internationalization here.
gastonw said:
Trust me, this isn't as hard as its sounds. And I'm also sure that in one week you will be sticking your teeth into the flashing & rooting world.
As you already are a Linux user, you'll find this OS very similar, because it's based on it.
Once you realize everything you can do with that little guy sittin right next to you, yoo'll be up for a thrill, regardless of your age or whatever.
You can start by Internationalization here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that is indeed where I want to start, so I really appreciate this link.
My first step in education is to be able to correctly interpret the English that is being used - I'm from a different age & universe, so some of the expressions in the linked article are confusing to me. The guide appears to be written from the assumption that the target audience is the uninformed user (like myself) but then invites the reader to 'use any stock ROM you choose' which implies a level of knowledge (about what a 'stock ROM' is, which ones are appropriate and where to find them) that is wholly inconsistent with the assumption. If I new all that stuff already, I wouldn't need the guide!. As it is the guide is great - but leaves me hanging in the air while I research the missing - and key - chapter.
Ah, well, never a dull moment; pity I have so few of them left (moments, that is)
gastonw said:
Trust me, this isn't as hard as its sounds. And I'm also sure that in one week you will be sticking your teeth into the flashing & rooting world.
As you already are a Linux user, you'll find this OS very similar, because it's based on it.
Once you realize everything you can do with that little guy sittin right next to you, yoo'll be up for a thrill, regardless of your age or whatever.
You can start by Internationalization here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn it, this is so frustrating: none of the links available directly or indirectly in the article you have directed me to identify a suitable ICS firmware for United Kingdom. However, the threads that are referenced obviously are started by people with inappropriate knowledge, but - frustratingly - lacking the necessary credibility I am not allowed to post to those threads to ask.
The primary article has the same issue:I would like to post a reply to this method of internationalization by asking for an interpretation of the expression '- Manual Load Driver for OMAP4430 From usb_drv_windows folder (included in download content )' - 'manual load'? Load what from where into what? What is this download content? I don't have any 'download content'
Next frustration is my attempts to get Samsung USB drivers. EVERY site I have tried says words to the effect that this file has been deleted because too many people have requested it - or it points me back to XDA in an area I am not allowed access to - or it points me to the singularly ineffective (in my experience) SAMWARE site, which does not list anything, irrespective of language, for the I9100G.
Yep - it's truly like the Linux world: frustrating in the extreme, full of dead ends and self-referential logic, notable for its disciple (in the sense of the total lack thereof), wondrously chaotic and - by simple observation - very effective. But not for me.
Lol, think of it as a marriage.
D.L. mode (you probably screwed up and you gotta turn the balance to your side)
Recovery Mode (now YOU did screw up)
Flash (show off)
wipe (start from scratch, now on your feet)
Stock (this is who I married, now I just gotta hang in here)
Custom (An affair)
Brick ("Honey, we need to talk")
gastonw said:
Trust me, this isn't as hard as its sounds. And I'm also sure that in one week you will be sticking your teeth into the flashing & rooting world.
As you already are a Linux user, you'll find this OS very similar, because it's based on it.
Once you realize everything you can do with that little guy sittin right next to you, yoo'll be up for a thrill, regardless of your age or whatever.
You can start by Internationalization here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, it's more than a week - and I still have not been able to locate the right firmware to download, or a process for using it that can be followed.
I did invoke Samsung UK Technical support. They directed me to a service agent - a 6 hour round trip plus waiting time. This 'service agent' announced that it would take 'more than 2 hours' to download the firmware, then advised me that the attempt to flash my phone failed at the point of loading the PIT. He refused to tell me what firmware load he had tried and refused to return the phone unless I paid a service charge. At this time Samsung haven't responded to my complaint about this con-trick.
Got any advice on where else I might go to get this fixed?
gastonw said:
Lol, think of it as a marriage.
D.L. mode (you probably screwed up and you gotta turn the balance to your side)
Recovery Mode (now YOU did screw up)
Flash (show off)
wipe (start from scratch, now on your feet)
Stock (this is who I married, now I just gotta hang in here)
Custom (An affair)
Brick ("Honey, we need to talk")
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh?
greatbridge said:
Huh?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
analogys
gastonw said:
analogys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This dialogue has not made one word of sense to me; I'm clearly in the wrong time or place, or both.
Can somebody point me to the exit so I can come in again, and ask for some guidance on how to get my phone updated?
alt + f4?
Sent from the little guy
The g model doesnt have a Uk rom because the phone isnt meant for here.
You can see what custom firmware is available.
"noob ok...lazy noob not ok"
Related
If you wish to find if something is idiot proof, I am that man. The simple becomes not so simple when these fingers decided to touch the computer *sigh*. Anyone else who is like me follow along, learn from my mistakes.
Backstory: I’ve been doing a lot of reading before I decided to embark on this adventure of rooting and unlocking the Bell Galaxy 2. Lots of videos and reading forms etc, for basically a 40 second produce. Thinking I have a grasp, I bought my SG2 from Best Buy Tuesday, then the hair pulling began.
Technical: Everything is being performed on Windows 7 64bit platform
Step 1: The first thing I did was went here to get the insecure root and Odin….verified on the phone it would be the KG2 code I would need
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1103399
Downloaded: Odein3-v1.85.zip
Downloaded: CF-Root-SGS2_XX_OXA_KG2-v4.1-CWM4.zip
Step 2: Downloading Superoneclick
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=803682
Downloaded: v1.9.5
Step 3: With all the applications on hand, I began the process.
-Loading the insecure root through Odin was not an issue, it ran smoothly.
Problem: Superoneclick hanging error message : “peneuter running”
The problem happens after I closed Odin and Run superoneclick. The program runs then hangs with the message “peneuter running” It has a message in the window along the lines “if program is haning turn off degbug mode”, how can you do that that when the usb cable is attached to the phone? The phone simply wont let you do it in the settings. It says “usb cable has to be unplugged”...am i missing something here?
Personal troubleshooting attempts:
Attempt 1 – Thinking it might be the version of superoneclick that might be the issue I downloaded:
SuperOneClickv1.7-ShortFuse.zip
Ran the application with similar results. Hanging with the same message.
Attempt 2 – Diging through forms I read that some people managed to root it using a different insecure root:
CF-Root-SGS2_JP_XSG_KG2-v4.1-CWM4.zip (which is the current root on the phone now)
Downloaded, applied it using Oden without any problems used Superoneclick v1.9.5, the same problem, hanging with the message "psneuter running....".
I'm at my wits end. If anyone could provide some assistance it would be of great help.
Am I missing something here? Flashing CF's kernel already gives you root. It is redundant to install SuperOneClick afterwards.
it looks like you are following the instructions from this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1056334
But at the beginning of the first post in that thread it says dont use that anymore, use this one: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1103399
full disclosure: i haven't attempted either of these yet
donkeyhitman said:
Am I missing something here? Flashing CF's kernel already gives you root. It is redundant to install SuperOneClick afterwards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct! You need one or the other. NOT BOTH.
Lesson Learned Tip 1 - Flashing CF's kernel gives you root
Thanks for that statement (I don’t mean that sarcastically), you spelt it out ….I was constantly bombarded was tutorials one needed to run superoneclick to root. When you load the CF kernel it already has the root built into it.
Lesson Learned Tip 1 - Flashing CF's kernel gives you root
If you don’t mind I would like to ask a couple other questions that it would be great to have a direct answer: I’m sure it will also benefit other users
Question : When Selecting A CF Kernal at the moment there are 3 options: (for bell sg2)
CF-Root-SGS2_ZS_OZS_KG2-v4.1-CWM4.zip
CF-Root-SGS2_JP_XSG_KG2-v4.1-CWM4.zip
CF-Root-SGS2_XX_OXA_KG2-v4.1-CWM4.zip
Is there a difference between them, and which is recommended for users to select to make the next step/question easier ie unlocking.
kennypowersnow said:
Thanks for that statement (I don’t mean that sarcastically), you spelt it out ….I was constantly bombarded was tutorials one needed to run superoneclick to root. When you load the CF kernel it already has the root built into it.
Lesson Learned Tip 1 - Flashing CF's kernel gives you root
If you don’t mind I would like to ask a couple other questions that it would be great to have a direct answer: I’m sure it will also benefit other users
Question : When Selecting A CF Kernal at the moment there are 3 options: (for bell sg2)
CF-Root-SGS2_ZS_OZS_KG2-v4.1-CWM4.zip
CF-Root-SGS2_JP_XSG_KG2-v4.1-CWM4.zip
CF-Root-SGS2_XX_OXA_KG2-v4.1-CWM4.zip
Is there a difference between them, and which is recommended for users to select to make the next step/question easier ie unlocking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm trying to figure this out right now too.
CF-Root-SGS2_JP_XSG_KG2-v4.1-CWM4.zip Does the JP mean Japan? What's the most suitable one for us Canadians?
kennypowersnow said:
Thanks for that statement (I don’t mean that sarcastically), you spelt it out ….I was constantly bombarded was tutorials one needed to run superoneclick to root. When you load the CF kernel it already has the root built into it.
Lesson Learned Tip 1 - Flashing CF's kernel gives you root
If you don’t mind I would like to ask a couple other questions that it would be great to have a direct answer: I’m sure it will also benefit other users
Question : When Selecting A CF Kernal at the moment there are 3 options: (for bell sg2)
CF-Root-SGS2_ZS_OZS_KG2-v4.1-CWM4.zip
CF-Root-SGS2_JP_XSG_KG2-v4.1-CWM4.zip
CF-Root-SGS2_XX_OXA_KG2-v4.1-CWM4.zip
Is there a difference between them, and which is recommended for users to select to make the next step/question easier ie unlocking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I rooted mine using CF-Root-SGS2_ZS_OZS_KG2-v4.1-CWM4.zip. I can't comment on the others since I didn't need to flash them. As far as unlocking, try to use the Sim Unlock Code Finder app created by the same Dev that gave you the aforementioned kernels. I've heard of varying success coming from the UGKG2 (Bell phone) users. You can get the app from here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1092451
Unlocking Program For Bell SG2
After some reading, another popular unlock program is Galaxy_S Unlock by Helroz
Has anyone unlock the Bell SG2 with this program?
kennypowersnow said:
After some reading, another popular unlock program is Galaxy_S Unlock by Helroz
Has anyone unlock the Bell SG2 with this program?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the recommended unlock method for Canadian SGS2 models.
kennypowersnow said:
Thanks for that statement (I don’t mean that sarcastically), you spelt it out ….I was constantly bombarded was tutorials one needed to run superoneclick to root. When you load the CF kernel it already has the root built into it.
Lesson Learned Tip 1 - Flashing CF's kernel gives you root
If you don’t mind I would like to ask a couple other questions that it would be great to have a direct answer: I’m sure it will also benefit other users
Question : When Selecting A CF Kernal at the moment there are 3 options: (for bell sg2)
CF-Root-SGS2_ZS_OZS_KG2-v4.1-CWM4.zip
CF-Root-SGS2_JP_XSG_KG2-v4.1-CWM4.zip
CF-Root-SGS2_XX_OXA_KG2-v4.1-CWM4.zip
Is there a difference between them, and which is recommended for users to select to make the next step/question easier ie unlocking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Makes no difference really. The most important part is matching the KG2 part.
Mikroft said:
Makes no difference really. The most important part is matching the KG2 part.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, let me start this off by explaining something.....
The rom letter versions are actually based upon 5 letters, not 3. There are several variants of KG2. Basically, the Samsung naming convention is as follows:
Model name: I9100M
Provider/Area: UG (Bell/Virgin/Sasktel)
Rom Version: KG2
Now, the rom version can get broken down into each letter as well...
K = 2011
G = July
2 = 2nd version that month.
All area's roms are developed completely separate from each other...
Ours is UGKG2. Which is unavailable for download from the Samsung servers, so we're not able to actually get back to stock, or make any kind of custom firmwares/kernels based upon it.
All the other ones, including ZS, JP, and XX are completely different roms and kernels than what we have on our Bell phones.
So, in actual fact, it's not at all important. The KG2 that either of those 3 kernels are based on are either 2.3.4 roms or different 2.3.3 roms. So, matching that is no different than installing a KG1 or KG3 or any KF* CF-Root kernels. ChainFire has not made a CF-Root based upon UGKG2 yet, so no matter what one you install, it's not based upon our rom, meaning you can basically install ANY CF-Root Kernel and as long as your phone still works with it, it doesn't matter. All the roms are completely different and the naming convention has nothing to do with each other unless all 5 letters/numbers match up.
However, I suggest installing a 2.3.3 kernel as that's the UGKG2 Android version.
Noob question..
Is there any benefit to the CF-root compared to a straight up plain root ... is there any advantages/disadvantages (if I do CF-root am I restricted from doing certain things)
Thanks for any help
CF-Root is a plain root, though it has some added functionality in the form of a bundled version of CWM and Busybox. Doesn't restrict anything.
"Trimming the fat" (Bell SG2"
I would like to thank the senior guys for taking the time to answer the questions that are being thrown out there....
If people are following along and they picked their CF- and unlocked their phone, they will be face with a great nuisance, bloatware, bell had to install to leave their mark.
It's like buying a brand new car, only to find someone been using the back seat as a hotel.
From reading, here are the options that ive come across, maybe someone might be able to point me the right way.
Option 1: Lite'ning Rom v4.2 XXKG3 - Fast as Lightning
Yes another custom ROM with everything striped right down to the bare bones. Use Odin and bam fast and no bloat, correct?.....from reading issues people are having at the moment kinda worries me at the moment...ie dropping signal sticking browser etc..... Again this is just what im reading. Has anyone used this and what are their thoughts on it? is it stable enough for the average joe to load and not be worried?
Option 2: Titanium backup or System App Remover
was reading this is more a manual hands on pick and choose what to get rid off.
would have to investigate which files are critical and which are not....and u better not pick the wrong file or you're in trouble
Option 3: ive seen "bloadware" remover scripts on xda, are they any good?
Question: what is the best plan of attack to address the bloatware issue with with a newly rooted/unlocked Bell SG2?
I unlocked a Bell phone, running great on Telus. Bloatware was mostly Samsung. First download was Launcher Pro. That made the desktop nice and clean.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
From what I was reading about laucher pro, it makes the desktop nice, but it does not delete the Samsung junk, like crappy social hubs, games, etc and bell junk ie Bell remote, and streaming etc.
Am I wrong in my understanding of this?
kennypowersnow said:
From what I was reading about laucher pro, it makes the desktop nice, but it does not delete the Samsung junk, like crappy social hubs, games, etc and bell junk ie Bell remote, and streaming etc.
Am I wrong in my understanding of this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not wrong at all. But those apps don't run by themselves. They're just there in your app drawer doing nothing. So unless the icons that are hidden 95% of the time bother you, what's the big deal? Personally, I much prefer to have a warranty than to get rid of apps that I never have to click on.
Installed ADW Launcher EX on mine last night. LOVE IT. Also running the same launcher on my tablet.
I flashed the "JP" kernel with the Virgin Mobile version of the phone I got, which starts off with the same kernel as Bell.
Everything is working nicely on Rogers.
help
toiler1 said:
I unlocked a Bell phone, running great on Telus. Bloatware was mostly Samsung. First download was Launcher Pro. That made the desktop nice and clean.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i would like to know how to unlock this and run on telus. please email me with help on which tutorial and which kernel you used for this. please... thank you.
Hi All
I have a brand new SII from the Vodafone shop in Australia. I set it up at a basic level, WiFi etc and it offered me an OTA upgrade to 4.0.3 (it was on 2.something, sorry about the sketchy details but it's a bit irrelevant)
It now says is a 3.0.15-I9100TDULP9-CL422302. I want to root it, but I can't find a suitable image based on that firmware ID. Also, has Clockwork gone out of vogue/energy/business? I rooted my Xoom like that, no problems.
Without actually asking for explicit directions starting with how to tie shoelaces, the version thing has me paused, as does venturing into an unknown flashing tool (OK, unknown by me, lots of others use it, it seems very satifactorily.) I think my big mistake was letting the OTA happen.
Doing the OTA update wasn't necessarily a mistake. To root your phone, I recommend CFRoot. There are other methods, but CFRoot is simple & installs CWM/Recovery which makes backup/restore/flashing quick & easy.
Go to the CFRoot thread, read the first page carefully. Pay particular attention to the section that begins with 'Help ! Which file do I use ?' in bold red. All the info (and the kernel) you need is in this thread.
Also, for future reference, questions belong in Q&A.
I asked if they planned to update the CC version to llollipop I got this as a reply....
Thank you for contacting us. I apologize for the delay in response. We do not update operating systems for any of our Android smart phones. If we can be of further assistance please let us know by replying to this email or calling 800-686-4460.
Hopefully we can flash to a different model....
Of course your going to get the update to L! Its the same phone with the sim card locked. Yes Consumer Cellular is not going to push the update over the air but you will be able to download it right here the week its out i'm sure..
Your phone is an MT2-L03 that is all that matters.
superbass311 said:
Of course your going to get the update to L! Its the same phone with the sim card locked. Yes Consumer Cellular is not going to push the update over the air but you will be able to download it right here the week its out i'm sure..
Your phone is an MT2-L03 that is all that matters.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats a bit opimistic. I am looking into putting sonething together myself since we have no devs for this device. Played around with the e970. Wasnt hard.
No this phone will not be getting an update. That is why I am going to sell this one and get me a regular unlocked one.
I don't understand if you install twrp why would you not get the update? you just download it from here (XDA) and flash the new 5.0 update
CC and update
Heres CC'S response to me re update "Hi Susan thanks for your response. Unfortunately, we do not have any control over when they will be available. To find out how soon operating system updates maybe available for your phone you will need to check with Google. They will usually release the update for the newest phone models first, but we do not have time frame for when they will occur. We do support the equipment that we offer, but have no information on the availability of aftermarket updates."
I am new to cell phones, this is my first and i must confess i have no idea what root, unlocked, twrp, etc mean. Is there a good site that explains these terms?
I really love my Huawei ascend mate 2 and would like to understand more about how it works.
Thanks so much, Susan
SusanH said:
Heres CC'S response to me re update "Hi Susan thanks for your response. Unfortunately, we do not have any control over when they will be available. To find out how soon operating system updates maybe available for your phone you will need to check with Google. They will usually release the update for the newest phone models first, but we do not have time frame for when they will occur. We do support the equipment that we offer, but have no information on the availability of aftermarket updates."
I am new to cell phones, this is my first and i must confess i have no idea what root, unlocked, twrp, etc mean. Is there a good site that explains these terms?
I really love my Huawei ascend mate 2 and would like to understand more about how it works.
Thanks so much, Susan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Susan. Not to be overly rude but this forum is called XDA DEVELOPERS for a reason. That said, start where I did. Don't begin with the idea that you will blindly flash stuff until you brick your device. Just read, read, read. There is a lot of info here but Google is a great resource, too. Begin by understanding the definitions for the items you listed, i.e. root, unlocked, twrp, etc. Good luck.
SusanH said:
I am new to cell phones, this is my first and i must confess i have no idea what root, unlocked, twrp, etc mean. Is there a good site that explains these terms?
I really love my Huawei ascend mate 2 and would like to understand more about how it works.
Thanks so much, Susan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK. Let me be the nice guy here. You don't need to have any special knowledge to flash a ROM. After you do it once, you'll see what I mean. So first thing first:
1. A custom ROM is an operating system (OS) that is created by some individual or group that is nice enough to upload for others to download and use.
2. People use custom ROMs because they usually include more/better features than the one released by the phone manufacturer (also called OEM, for original equipment manufacturer). The operating system you get when you first buy your phone is also called "Stock ROM".
3. Before you can flash a custom ROM, you need to unlock your phone's bootloader. The bootloader is usually locked by the OEM to prevent people from gaining unauthorized access to the device partitions (where system files are kept). Luckily for us, you can email Huawei with the serial number and IMEI numbers of your device and they'll usually send you the bootloader unlock code. There's already a thread on this forum that tells you exactly what to do.
4. To unlock your bootloader, you need to install the andorid data bridge (ADB) and the driver of your phone on your PC. It takes one line of code to unlock the bootloader. There's already a thread which explains that.
5. With your bootloader unlocked, you can decide whether you want to continue using the stock ROM or a custom ROM. If you're happy with the stock ROM, you can install Super User Binaries which is something that gives you elevated privileges to files on your device.
6. If you decide to go with a custom ROM, you'll have to install a custom recovery over the stock recovery. This custom recovery is a simple menu that allows you install, backup and restore ROMs among other things. One of the most popular is TWRP.
7. Deciding on which custom ROM to install is a personal preference because most of the ROMs presently available are stable meaning that they do not have many bugs. Some ROMs have more features than others that will allow more tweaking by the user. However, a lot of people like Cyanogenmod ROMs because of their simplicity and elegance.
With that brief intro, I trust you can find your way !!
Hi, I am new here, but have recently gotten into rooting phones etc, but my knowledge base is still Novice at best. I have an AT&T Optimus G that was rooted and had CWM, Free G and Kitkat. Long story short, a co-worker who claimed to know what they were doing has reset my phone, wiped my external sd card and totally factory reset my phone. When I turn it on now ClockworkMod Recovery comes on, but all of my back ups etc have been wiped. I am assuming that it is now just a machine with no info on it. What do I do now? I'm sure that the answer to this will be very involved so if anyone could possibly suggest a thread to read or somewhere to start I would greatly appreciate it. I'm sorry for the inconvenience guys...
The google account that this was linked to is my current one so no issues with reset protection once it gets running or what not. Any info I can provide on my end if need be feel free to let me know. I know one of the specifics to the device was: geefhd???
Here is the current update: Android 4.4.2 KitKat
The details
Release date: September 29, 2015
Android version: 4.4.2
Baseband version: APQ8064/MDM9x15M
Kernel version: 3.4.0
Build number: KOT49I.E98020i
File size: 9.47MB
Software version: E98020i
EMT803 said:
Hi, I am new here, but have recently gotten into rooting phones etc, but my knowledge base is still Novice at best. I have an AT&T Optimus G that was rooted and had CWM, Free G and Kitkat. Long story short, a co-worker who claimed to know what they were doing has reset my phone, wiped my external sd card and totally factory reset my phone. When I turn it on now ClockworkMod Recovery comes on, but all of my back ups etc have been wiped. I am assuming that it is now just a machine with no info on it. What do I do now? I'm sure that the answer to this will be very involved so if anyone could possibly suggest a thread to read or somewhere to start I would greatly appreciate it. I'm sorry for the inconvenience guys...
The google account that this was linked to is my current one so no issues with reset protection once it gets running or what not. Any info I can provide on my end if need be feel free to let me know. I know one of the specifics to the device was: geefhd???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since your phone has been wiped, you are going to have to re-install your ROM either via LGNPST, which will return your phone to stock, or you will need to install your favorite custom ROM via adb sideload.
If going back to stock via LGNPST refer to FAQ Number 3 here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2006946
If installing custom rom via ADB Sideload refer here http://www.droidviews.com/sideload-roms-mods-using-adb-sideload/
Kilogrm said:
Since your phone has been wiped, you are going to have to re-install your ROM either via LGNPST, which will return your phone to stock, or you will need to install your favorite custom ROM via adb sideload.
If going back to stock via LGNPST refer to FAQ Number 3 here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2006946
If installing custom rom via ADB Sideload refer here http://www.droidviews.com/sideload-roms-mods-using-adb-sideload/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was able to fix the problem late the night of this post, but I REALLY DO APPRECIATE the advice.
I had to reinstall the firmware ultimately. I did learn the commands and process for the sideload, so that was cool, and the program zips did show as downloading from 0-100% and attempted to install, but the 4g part of "this device is geef4g" was an error that I was unable to surmount. I attempted to install the madmack version of TWRP to no avail. I am lucky I figured out the tool ONLY by accidentally stumbling over the advice referencing turning back the clock on the pc.
Moving Forward...
Ok... Had to at least stop in and say thank you for the response and post the conclusion to the handful of people that stopped and looked at the thread and at the least not be one of the members that pops on to fix their device and lurks around until they need help to post again. I wouldn't be back to stock with my Optimus if others did that. I do apologize that I was able to find onsite and unable to do it at the time of the threads origin. I wont re-post links, FlashTool the fix was figuring out the right order to go in with the drivers and eventually flashing the stock AT&T firmware with the LG FlashTool. I kept on getting an error when placing the dll file and the tot in to the Tool and it was total mental error on my part when "organizing" everything beforehand. It did require me to wipe my pc back down to Windows 8.1 simply because this is all new to me and I had files EVERYWHERE from rooting every thing I can get my hands on recently. I'm having fun, but this Optimus is my heart for some reason. Originally I had her rooted with Towelroot (I believe), it could of been the LG one click flash thing that I grabbed from here, and I remember Freegee and KitKat recovery being part of the process, but I attempted to install TWRP (personal preference for me from messing with a Kindle Fire for weeks installing CM) but during reboot always went back to CWM 6.0.2.1 (or similiar). Ultimately CM was the goal on this device but was never possible, for me at least, due to my device being "geef4g" yada yada. I think I have read the fix for this in another post, so I will re study up on all that again if need by, but I wanted to pose this question simply because the "Mystique" of successfully installing CM has passed, and while I love the interface and style of that ROM, I kinda liked AndroidArea51 Rom and another ROM whose name escapes me at the moment that I put on some OLD LG phones that I practiced on in the beginning. So this is my goal. I would love it if one or two of you guys would take the time to look at what I want to accomplish and point me in the right direction as far as the procedure and order I should install these modifications to this device and if you have preferences I would love to hear them. I will look up the threads on how to do everything, so I'm not asking for an easy way out of hitting the search box, but I am WAY behind you guys as far as skill set and knowledge base is concerned and trial and error is not the method I wanted to use on this particular machine. If I need to begin a new thread or if a MOD wants/requires me to rename this thread or move it I understand. Stand by for what my goal is ultimately......
OBJECTIVE
AT&T Optimus Pro G (will HOPEFULLY be accepted by StraightTalk and used on their network or whatnot)
I ran the IMEI through their BYOD tool and it was accepted initially a week or so ago while "rooted", so I am assuming that since it is mine from another network they wont sweat me. HOWEVER, if they are going to send any code or require me to allow them modifications during the activation process that is going to in anyway alter my device down to the castrated ST standard they sell, I will have to weigh finances and options again. I realize that Tethering will be frowned upon, traceable, and grounds for termination in either case, but the subject of Mobile Hotspots is what brought me to you guys here in the first place. It irks me.
In my original "build" of this phone I attempted to dabble in "Over-Clocking" with Kernel Booster and Kernel Auditor. I didn't have a f******* clue what any of that $hiT meant. If the app's pretty much optimized it I did so for SPEED rather than battery. I don't know why, I want this thing to FLY in a noticeable fashion for performance and so that I can whip it out and show my family and friends just what the hell it is that I am accomplishing.
1. Optimize it for speed, but I would like the eventual permanent ROM to be stable PERIOD. Whether I customize the Kernel and then place the ROM, or build the ROM and then mess with the Kernel is a hurdle that I don't understand how to approach really, so when you guys talk about it I just think it sounds cool. I am assuming that "Xposed" is something I should maybe begin studying? Build props through ES File Explorer has peaked my interest as well. Long story short, if CM is what you guys suggest I install, I dont want to Optimize the hell out of the stock only to have all of it be replaced when the custom ROM is flashed. I hope that makes sense.
2. I want to optimize the range on my WIFI and every other manner of device communication without losing security. I have numerous friends that are very generous with their personal accounts that allow me to randomly log in to strangers spots (EX. Xfinity accouts), in order to truly connect to it, I have to sit outside in the yard like a weirdo at 3am with my phone in my backyard, much to the disgust of every dog in the neighborhood. I dont want to be that guy. Honestly, I am really curious in learning how to access the internet and/or any other data networks that are out there with out using these major carriers at all. I feel like there is a lot more out there than the average person is aware of. Maybe they are super low key because they are owned by the upper rich 1% or the military etc etc, but if other networks exist that facilitate the same communications that us peasants pay $100/month to access I want in on it.
3. Optimize the picture, color and clarity of the screen for any and everything being shown on it, optimize the Audio with a good "Music Player"(currently what I use) which I generally heard through head phones and when in the car pushed to that system via FM signal. I currently have over 1000 tracks, discovering a cost efficient way of adding to that Library would be wonderful (ie: spend $0), but I have been out of the music file sharing game for a while so I dont know if this is realistic. Optimizing my camera to take the best shots possible on this phone. I generally shoot nature shots, sunsets, sunrises.... unsuspecting women in doggy, the usual... I will not be loading movies and super large files. I am a NAZI with my storage. If I could expand upon the internal or external factory specs that would be great. In other words, real life applications... I haven't been a gamer for decades so nothing crazy, but this device's beautiful picture is what I fell in love with.
4. A kick ass ROM UI that is eye catching and user friendly... sorry so long winded. Got to go run calls at work now....
DEPRECATED
This firmware is old and deprecated.
See the below link for new firmware and a better root method.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8/development/root-partcyborgrom-aqi6-deodexed-t3702988
You can just flash the BL_ tarball if you don't want to install a new system
but want the better screen and modem drivers.
PART 2: FIRMWARE RELOADED
I have done extensive research into the issues reported by those of you who are still experiencing screen issues.
I was unable to reproduce the screen issue on my then-current firmware with this update.
Not being content to leave people with buggy screens, I learned as much as I could about the s8 firmware.
This is what I did with that information.
Flashable Custom Firmware Package For ALL SM-G950U/U1 ON US CARRIERS
If you have a non-us G950U and want to install this pm me or ask in the thread and ill make one. Its very simple but I wanted to get this out to everyone else ASAP
NOTICE!
This an UPDATE (and More) to the Green/Garbled Screen Issue firmware.
There is NEW firmware to download below, and everyone who is rooted should read on, even if you installed the previous version.
Background
At the core of the issue with the garbled screen, modem panics, and sd card issues are two central themes: Bugs, and Incompatibilities. The S8 family of phones was fraught with issues early in its release, including the infamous "Red Tint', Fingerprint scanner malfunctions, mysteriously poor battery life, and surely a bunch of smaller others. Many of these bugs were caused by issues in the device's underlying firmware. Like most devices, Samsung has worked to fix these bugs and improve device performance throughout the phones lifetime for sale in public.
Root Bugs
The problem was unfortunately worse for users of one of the rooting methods for the S8. The biggest reason for this is that in order to relax security constraints enough to make rooting possible, a "non-user oriented", "factory" combination firmware was used. This firmware, being designed apparently for configuration/repair processes inside a factory, was not tuned to the normal level as the public firmware, likely did not go through the same testing, and ultimately any bugs unique to this "Combination" firmware that did not directly affect basic functionality or also stock were probably largely initially ignored.
This is where most of the issues that you all have had come from.
Finding a Solution
As I was unable to reproduce the issue on my device without resorting to the original firmware shipped out with the root method I used, I decided to think about what made my device different than the other devices reporting these issues. While sure we may have slightly varying hardware and that may contribute to these issues as well. What I am absolutely certain of is that most of us have different releases of software from each other. Not only have people essentially ad-hoc upgraded from the original firmware they rooted with until now, many have not upgraded at all or, only partially upgraded (such as with the pervious version of this).
While I could have simply packaged up my firmware/bootloader flashfire backup, I decided to take it a step further.
THE GOODS
Without further ado, I present to you:
S8Root Improved: A SM-G950U1 Custom Firmware Package for Root Users
This package contains a custom mix of the latest AQH3 STOCK (not combination) firmware used wherever possible with the Necessary boot/kernel images from the combination firmware necessary to keep root working with permissive SELinux. It contains all of the improvements from the previous version, and many more.
RESULTS
I can only speak for myself, but the results I experienced were amazing:
- Better UI Responsiveness.
Things surprise me how they move
- Sharper/brighter screen colors
I thought it couldn't get better than the last version but it has! Everything just looks crisper and are super bright without being oversaturated like with the Adaptie Mode.
- POSSIBLY Improved LTE network connectivity.
Note I said POSSIBLY. I personally regularly experienced 8-10Mb/s download bumps and 2-3Mb/s upload bumps in LTE while moving back and forth from this new firmware. I have my LTE radio locked to a specific channel (there are two i pick up at my place and one is terrible) and I carefully measured -107 to -112 dBm RSRP and -13 to -14 dB RSRQ prior to each measurement. I almost left this out but I figured it would be better to give you the information with no conclusion either way. It ABSOLUTELY could be Atmospheric changes, Traffic level changes, or any other of a million thins. YMMV
- Could POTENTIALLY still any remaining fix long-standing SDCard issues
I did not experience this, but had a few reports from users that did. The same pieces used in that version that would touch SDcard usage are used here, so that fix/improvement will carry over.
DISCLAIMER
Unfortunately proving beyond any shadow of a doubt that this package fixes the issue was impossible . I have TRIED AND TRIED AND TRIED to trigger the screen issues, including tweaking on and off every setting (auto brightness, multiple DPIs, different graphs modes, etc) I could get my hands on and it just was not happening. I used every software/systems trick I could think of to break this again, and I was completely unable to tickle the bug on this firmware, despite being able to reliably trigger it almost on command using my previous firmware.
The only thing left to do is either:
- Get the source from samsung, fix the bug myself, and get them to sign my new kernel image with their key so our locked bootloaders would allow it (HAHA I DOUBT IT)
- Acquire a large fleet of S8s (and S8+s) to run distributed integration testing (like the kind Android use at Google). Well if someone wants to buy me a few dozen s8s and s8+s (each) sure I'll take a month off work and squash this, but otherwise not gonna happen either.
If it STILL happens for you, I'm sorry.
I have done everything I can think of, and if it happens to you and you have suggestions, I'm all ears.
BUT HEY, but this is XDA right? Land of mods like Xposed which will brick one persons device and work flawlessly on the identical one next to it. And we love Xposed don't we?
Despite absolutely hilarious comments to the contrary, this package absolutely meets the (aka "BugFix") as well as just about any android update ever does, given the wide variety of environments, usecases and software configurations out there. I surely hope that this works for you.
Instructions
1) Download the package from the link above.
- Here it is Again for good measure.
2) Reboot into download mode and flash using Comsy Odin
Thats it! I packaged this in a way to make the process as smooth as possible.
There is NO reinstall, NO wipe of any kind, nor ANY further work on your part needed to install and use this.
The file size is small so the download is fast, and again, there is NO WIPE or config change needed.
if (for some inexplicable reason) you want to roll back, or go to 100% stock sans root, that process should not be made any more difficult as well.
Legacy Information
If you were here before and either looked at or downloaded the previous version, AND YOU HAVE NO QUESTIONS you can skip this part.
If you have questions, please read through to the end of the post before asking them, as I tried to answer as many as I could before hand and all of this information still applies.
WHAT IT IS NOT:
I wanted to outline a few things it is NOT about, to make a valliant effort to stem off the flow of questions before they begin (ha!):
NOT: A new Stock ROM for Your Phone
THIS IS NOT A FULL OS BUILD! DO NOT DOWNLOAD THE WHOLE THING AND FLASH IT EXPECTING AN ENTIRELY UPGRADED OS.
There is no full stock AQI1 image I have found. Believe me I looked a bunch of places after I found it
NOT: Oreo Early Preview
Given the predictions that the next release from Samsung would likely be Oreo, there was some initial over excitement. This wound up being NOT the case and if you read at least current Samsung Oreo projections they are predicting AQB now.
NOT: A Fix for the 80% Battery Issue
I know this is completely futile to hope for but:
THIS DOES NOT FIX THE 80% BATTERY ISSUE!!!!
NO WE DO NOT HAVE A FIX FOR THAT OR ONE COMING ANY TIME SOON!
YES SOME PEOPLE ARE STILL TRYING!
PLEASE DO NOT ASK! OFF TOPIC FOR THS THREAD
NOT: Currently Tested by ANYONE but ME
Since the moment I installed this I have not had ONE SINGLE screen issue, where previously I would have them several times throughout the day (at least 3 sometimes upwards of 6). For the case of ME and MY device, I am confident in declaring that this boot ROM does not have the same kernel bug that was causing the issue on the boot.img provided as part of your traditional root method.
NOTE: This is for the s8 G950 US Snapdragon models ONLY! Do NOT Flash this on your exynos, your Chinese/HK S8, your N8, your MOTO RAZR flip phone, whatever else you have. Kernels/boot.img files are very device specific and you will surely break it if not completely brick it.
DISCLAIMER:
YOUR WARRANTY IS ALREADY VOID if you are paying attention and are doing this to fix bugs with the existing sampwnd root.
HOWEVER IT IS EVEN VOIDER NOW. FLASH THUS TO YOUR DEVICE AT YOUR OWN RISK!
and if you break it I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE! FLASH AT YOUR OWN RISK!
As I said I have not tested this anywhere but my phone as I dont have any other s8s nor do I have access to any locally. I hope it works for you as well as it has for me.
STEPS
Download Boot Image
Use the URL here to Download the AQI1 boot.img file: Go Download the New Hotness
Prepare Phone for Flashing in FlashFire
If you did not download it on your phone, copy it somewhere FlashFire can see it.
Flash it
Open up FlashFire
Hit the "+" button
Select the "Flash Firmware Package" option, NOT the "Flash Zip or OTA" option!
You should see a popup window thing that has a checkbox next to the word BOOT, with "boot.img, 22MiB" underneath.
Make sure the checkbox is checked.
Make sure that it says BOOT above boot.img.
I have no idea if its possible for this to get messed up, but BOOT implies flashing the BOOT partition so if it says something else you are headed towards brick town, abort immediately.
Press the Check mark at the top right corner once you have confirmed the two things above.
MAKE SURE EVER ROOT IS DISABLED!!!
Click on the "Reboot" box, and choose "Recovery". MAKE SURE PRESERVE RECOVERY IS NOT CHECKED!
Back at the main menu, click the lightening bolt next to the word FLASH. Confirm.
Wait for FlashFire to do its thing. Sometimes it takes a minute for FF to wake up and start flashing. Occasionally for me it never happens, if this happens DO NOT PANIC ITS FINE. Hold down power+volDown until you eventually wind up in upload mode, then just reboot normally and everything will come back fine.
When FlashFire finishes (it will go really fast, the image is only 22MB we arent flashing a 5GB system here), it will auto-reboot your device into the recovery men
Select Wipe Cache and Confirm
This will wipe cache which is fine and safe. Again maybe not needed, feel free to skip if you know what you are doing. If you mess up and accidentally click factory reset instead, please tell me so I can laugh at you.
Reboot into a Clear New World
Select reboot and boot the system normally. If you formatted the cache partition above, it will take a little longer to start your phone. This is just the first time per normal.
Thats it! Welcome to the world of clear screens and bright colors. It could be a total placebo effect but I actually think this kernel drives the display better sometimes.
Please let me know what you think, and if this works for you. I wi;; be here for a while to answer questions or fix anything i typoed above or whatever.
FYI: A s8+ thread is coming too, as I sprung for purchasing both downloads to be an equal opportunity XDAer (at least with US flagship Samsung devices lol) but since I have an s8 and thus had the files locally already I made this one first
@jhofseth for nerding out with me the last few nights on trying crazy **** to get a bootloader unlock which prompted me to dig at this in the first place
Most of all, all of the tons of you who have made so many aewesome mods, themes, apps, what have you that I use every day and that make me enjoy my device all the more. I could not be happier to have the opportunity to give back a little.
Here is the restof the s8 combo firm if you are interested, but don't just flash this as its not a full OS:
EDIT: DOWNLOAD THE NEW ONE ABOVE
Can I Get The Link To The S8+ Boot im willing to try it
Mark805 said:
Can I Get The Link To The S8+ Boot im willing to try it
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Coming very soon I promise! 10m max
Ok thanks
Mark805 said:
Can I Get The Link To The S8+ Boot im willing to try it
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Its up now! https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...sampwnd-root-green-screen-corruption-t3673815
whats the bootloader verison? it can be found by booting into download mode manually.
Cameron581 said:
whats the bootloader verison? it can be found by booting into download mode manually.
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This isn't a bootloader change, it's boot.img which is the kernel and root filesystem essentially
Hey, btw this does not void warranty. I understand it's a standard disclaimer but it doesn't void it. It doesn't trip knox, so warranty is still very intact.
mweinbach said:
Hey, btw this does not void warranty. I understand it's a standard disclaimer but it doesn't void it. It doesn't trip knox, so warranty is still very intact.
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Uh just because their service does not catch you does not mean that technically you are not violating your warranty contract thus making using technically illegal
That would be like saying "it's not murder if you leave no forensics!" Lol
wildermjs8 said:
Uh just because their service does not catch you does not mean that technically you are not violating your warranty contract thus making using technically illegal
That would be like saying "it's not murder if you leave no forensics!" Lol
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i mean legally a warranty can not be void through software modifications unless it causes physical damage to the device. Since the efuse was not tripped no physical damage has been caused and no warranties have legally been void.
I had the green screen/graphics corruption after flashing this still...
goliath714 said:
I had the green screen/graphics corruption after flashing this still...
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Apparently this happens to some people. I am fairly certain it is a firmware combination issue but I haven't been able to track it down. One thing you can do to eliminate it if you have the issue still (please let me know if this does not work) is to disable auto brightness.
wildermjs8 said:
Apparently this happens to some people. I am fairly certain it is a firmware combination issue but I haven't been able to track it down. One thing you can do to eliminate it if you have the issue still (please let me know if this does not work) is to disable auto brightness.
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I have auto brightness off and still get it here and there.
goliath714 said:
I had the green screen/graphics corruption after flashing this still...
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Please check out the OP again and download/flash the new version. Rather than just a few files, its a whole new entire bootloader/kernel package that I assembled piece by piece to have as much latest stock firmware as possible while maintaining what we need for root.
My primary suspect for why some people experience this regression is having older parts of their system. Rather than push everyone to upgrade, I made a painless upgrade process for all of their firmware instead
This includes the Radio drivers and bootloaders, kernels and flash layer libraries. Its all either latest stock or its AQI1 Combination because it was absolutely necessary.
wildermjs8 said:
Please check out the OP again and download/flash the new version. Rather than just a few files, its a whole new entire bootloader/kernel package that I assembled piece by piece to have as much latest stock firmware as possible while maintaining what we need for root.
My primary suspect for why some people experience this regression is having older parts of their system. Rather than push everyone to upgrade, I made a painless upgrade process for all of their firmware instead
This includes the Radio drivers and bootloaders, kernels and flash layer libraries. Its all either latest stock or its AQI1 Combination because it was absolutely necessary.
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We flash the tar in the AP slot correct?
CloudyxVision13 said:
We flash the tar in the AP slot correct?
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Yep
---------- Post added at 08:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:28 PM ----------
Seems to be running better to me. Thanks bro
CloudyxVision13 said:
We flash the tar in the AP slot correct?
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It actually does not matter, as Odin will do the right thing no matter what.
Sorry I should have made that clear. I will update the op to make that clear
Just wanna make sure of something. First, I flash the first download files through modded doin, then afterwards, flash the second file in ff?
AngelIsL33T said:
Just wanna make sure of something. First, I flash the first download files through modded doin, then afterwards, flash the second file in ff?
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Nope, only need the tar file bud. The old boot.img file is just basically the previous version of this.
AngelIsL33T said:
Just wanna make sure of something. First, I flash the first download files through modded doin, then afterwards, flash the second file in ff?
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The old image is actually part of the new tar, do you will have it anyway . I packaged it in Odin this time because there are some pieces of firmware FF either can't or warns against using it for. Plus one clean simple tar seemed easier, no?
Do you see the boot.img in the op? I thought I nixed all the instances of the link but I may have missed one.
I almost rewrote all the old text to reflect now but it felt like editing history so I tried to preserve what made the most sense still. It sounds like it's still a little confusing sobrskr another crack at it shortly.
Please let me know if you have any trouble! I'll be here to help all evening