Any way to truely "flash" SD version of ROMs ? - Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet

Forgive my blinding ignorance and noobiness.
I have been off the forums for some time. I have been running an old version of Paranoid Android off an SD card since December. (Thank you iamafanof...........I've been using your first incarnation of PA all this time!) Finally, I have a bit of time and energy to update my ROM.
When I first created this SD card running the PA ROM, I had to download to my computer four files..... two ROM zips: (one internal and the SD version), boot.zip and GAPPS. I then had to use my computer to place files in the boot partition of my newly partitioned card (I used SD Formatter for that), first swaping files from the SD zip into the Internal zip of the ROM and GAPPS as originally described in the CM7/CM9/CM10 post (these instructions have been repeatedly posted all over the forum and digimax wrote me a handy tutorial back then....thank you digimax, I get how to do that). Here's my question:
Is there an easier way to update the ROM on the card I am using (i,e., do I have to go through all that again)? I see that the developers are still posting Internal and SD versions of the ROMs and boot.zips for updated ROMS. In my dreams, I wish I could just go to GOO images on my NT, download a new, ready made SD.zip ROM into my boot partition somehow, wipe dalvik and system, data 1 partitions , and use cyanogen mod options to install the fabulously ready pre-prepared SD ROM.zip and a handy GAPPS. Right? OK, back to reality. Bottom line, my computer up is a piece of crap running windows 98 so I can't download from GOO images with it (old version of explorer) even in compatibility mode...I will have to download onto my NT, move the files over...yada yada yada and so on.
I understand very little about development. No offense meant to the developers who work so hard to keep us all in ROMs, I don't expect my fantasy about the SD ROMs to happen. If I have to "go through all that" again, no big deal, I just wanted to be sure I wasn't missing anything about an easier way for me to update my ROMs. Can I somehow prepare a new card using my rooted NT instead of having to mess with my computer? Any links available on how to? Just a hint would be fine. I'm willing to learn since there is no new computer in my immediate future.
Please don't respond just to blast me about reading the forums and so on. I am not just lazy, there is a good reason for me to be asking for a bit of assistance. If you don't have anything nice to say, I would prefer you didn't say it at all.
Thanks.
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I'm a little confused over what it is you want to do. Do you want to run from sd or do you want to install internally?
If you want to run from sd there are ready made images to download at Iamafanof website. Just download and burn!
The talk about flashing, wiping Dalvik suggests you want to make an internal install. If that indeed is the case then you need cwm version 6.x.x. If you have that, then it's as simple as booting into cwm and install Rom and gaps that you have put on your card.
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snooch6923 said:
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Is there an easier way to update the ROM on the card I am using (i,e., do I have to go through all that again)?
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To update from your current PA ROM build to a newer build, you only need to download the SDC version of the zip archive files for the new ROM build and the corresponding Gapps onto your SD boot partition, and flash them using SD CWM recovery (steps 7-12 in http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2098419). You only need to wipe /data if the two ROM builds have different android base versions (e.g., 4.2.1 vs. 4.2.2).
Although I have not done it, you should be able to download the zip files directly onto the SDcard boot partition (/sdcard).

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Thank you asawi and digimax. Yes asawi, I want to continue to run off the SD card. I guess wipe dalvik only applies to internal (didn't know), I will educate myself on that. Digimax...again, you understood my essential question and came to my rescue. Thank you again for taking the time to respond!
Snooch
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snooch6923 said:
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I guess wipe dalvik only applies to internal (didn't know)
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Cache & Dalvik apply to both, and the same /cache partition on emmc is used whether you are running a ROM on emmc or on SD card. You should wipe Cache/Dalvik when flashing a new ROM build (although I myself don't always do it ).

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Thanks again digimax, that saved me some time and helped me understand why I thought that (wipe dalvik/cache and possibly data 1) was necessary. OK so the System partition wiping was dumb.
{EDIT POST: I downloaded the PA 3 ROM SD.zip and PA 3 GAPPS.zip files and used .zip viewer and I now see that boot.img and recovery.img are in the SD ROM.zip (as indicated in iamafanof's PA 3 ROM post) so I answered my own questions below! (For anyone reading and following this that was interested, I am answering my own questions below just in case it helps someone else.}
So to clarify as I was just reading the thread this post came from:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=36685310&postcount=1
{EDIT: Forget this post...not applicable for THIS ROM}
1.) Question: I do NOT need to extract boot.IMG, recovery.IMG (flashing boot.IMG, mlo) from the updatd SD.zip and copy to SD boot partition? (I see that correct voldfstab and updater are now incorporated into SD.zips, which means if I was to be able to collect enough beans to buy an new 32GB SD card, I could set up partitions on the new card and not have to swap voldfstab and updater the way I used to?).
1) Answer: NO MORE SWAPPING those files. Dreams do come true!
2) QUESTION: Since for now I want to update my current card, I just need to somehow get PA Updated SD.zip and PA Updated GAPPS.zip onto boot partition and flash them with cyanoboot? Why does that not sound correct to me? Did I misunderstand you? Does this mean the original boot.IMG, recovery.IMG and so on stay the same with the Updated PA ROM (as the thread I have referred to in connection with the updated CM10 builds says at minimum usually boot.img and possibly recovery.IMG need to be changed.)?
2) ANSWER: The update PA 3 ROM SD.zip folder contains the necessary boot.img and recovery.img files. These will I believe overwrite the old ones on the boot partition (I hope) when I install the new ROM using cyanogen mod Install Zip from SD Card.
Geez I hope I am making sense here! I read that thread because I wanted to understand the principal behind what you had instructed me to do and also I stumbled on it while trying to find out how to access the boot partition on the SD card for download from my NT.
3) QUESTION: (If I boot into my rooted emmc, would I be able to see the boot partition on the SD card and then download directly to it as you suggested was possible?)
3) ANSWER: Yes, once booted into emmc with SD card left in (choose Internal Boot in cyanogen mod or just don't click SDC boot) as long as you are rooted, you can see the boot partition using a file manager (I use ES Explorer). I am going to download the zips directly to the SD card boot partition by booting into my rooted emmc, then boot into cyanogenmod and install the zip files using SD Card (I have CWM already updated and installed on SD Card).
Note: iamafanof (succulent)suggests in his PA 3 OP that prior to installing GAPPS.zip, you fix permissions. Also, as a reminder, heed digimax's note to clear data if necessary (see his above post).
Will let you all know how it goes! Thanks again digimax!
Snooch
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snooch6923 said:
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OK so the System partition wiping was dumb.
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/system automatically gets reformatted (aka "wiped") as part of the ROM flashing.
Note that to wipe /data partition on SD card, use the "wipe data1" item on CWM recovery menu. You'll need to use one of Succulent/iamafanof's more recent CWM versions such as cwm_6.0.2.8_acclaim_recovery_sdcard.img (available at http://goo.im/devs/succulent/acclaim/recovery) as older versions do not have this "wipe data1" option.
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1.) Question: I do NOT need to extract boot.IMG, recovery.IMG (flashing boot.IMG, mlo) from the updated SD.zip and copy to SD boot partition?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The boot.img and recovery.img inside the SD ROM zip file will be flashed onto the SD card /boot partition (replacing any corresponding existing copy on the partition).
For the NT to boot into SD card CWM recovery you need to have in the /boot partition: MLO, u-boot.bin, flashing_boot.img (aka Cyanoboot) and recovery.img. If they are already there you don't need to replace them.
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2) ANSWER: The update PA 3 ROM SD.zip folder contains the necessary boot.img and recovery.img files. These will I believe overwrite the old ones on the boot partition (I hope) when I install the new ROM using cyanogen mod Install Zip from SD Card.
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Yes.
3) QUESTION: (If I boot into my rooted emmc, would I be able to see the boot partition on the SD card and then download directly to it as you suggested was possible?)
3) ANSWER: Yes, once booted into emmc with SD card left in (choose Internal Boot in cyanogen mod or just don't click SDC boot) as long as you are rooted, you can see the boot partition using a file manager (I use ES Explorer). I am going to download the zips directly to the SD card boot partition by booting into my rooted emmc, then boot into cyanogenmod and install the zip files using SD Card (I have CWM already updated and installed on SD Card).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no need to boot into rooted stock ROM in order to access the SD card /boot partition, you should be able to access it while running CM off SD.

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Thanks Digimax. Yes, "wipe". That was a case of my losing a word, it happens sometimes. :banghead:
As you can see I have been trying to figure this out for myself. I hate having to ask and ask questions, and you have been extraordinarily kind and patient. I really appreciate that! I saw in a much earlier thread, just after you had written up those instructions for me for the first PA ROM, that you moved the instructions to this site and others had similar questions to the ones I had. That made me feel better about having had to ask the first time around
Of course once again I had trouble getting my point across when I asked the question here. :banghead:
I am really tired right now, up too late. I have another question, but I want it to make sense and not much does right now! (I had written this post with a question but in editing it deleted it because my brain began melting and I don't think I was making sense!)
Maybe tomorrow I will see things more clearly!
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OK, I'm back after lots of reading, but still stuck.
I want to install the updated CWM 6.0.2.8 as suggested on my SD card ROM, so when I go into SDC Recovery I get that ( I am now getting CWM 5.x.x.x). I believe that came preinstalled with the original PA ROM as I don't recall doing a manual install of it.
I downloaded the 6.0.2.8 zip from the link you provided. As I understand it, I need to place that zip in the root of the SD card, rename it "update.zip" and then select Update Zip from SDC Recovery. (Or, don't rename it and select install zip, correct?)
Here's the problem, which is the same problem I will have when trying to flash (install) the updated PA ROM: I don't know how to put the zips in the "root" (i.e., not enclosed in any folder, in the SDC boot partition) using only my NT (without my computer). I'm not even sure if I did boot into stock rooted that I could successfully do this, it is just what I mused I could do if nothing else. I also thought I might use GOO to flash the new ROM/GAPPS but worry that although the app is installed on my SD card, it is set by default to install on emmc and would not do what I intend.
Anyway, digimax, now for me it's the principal of the whole thing! You seemingly implied that it was possible to download the zips directly into the SDC root (boot partition as described above) or copy them into it using my NT only while running the old PA on my SDC, but I can't figure out how. Logic tells me that I should NOT be able to download or copy files into the boot partition while I am running the SD ROM (my logic so there's that).
Obviously, I've wasted enough time trying to figure this out that I could have just plugged in to my computer and avoided all this nonsense. So, that is my next step. But, since I often get like a dog with a bone when I can't figure something out, am I missing something really obvious here?
I don't want to waste any more of your time just because my computer sucks. It is possible for me to download the zips on the NT from GOO and move the files to the computer, and then just copy the zips into the root via the computer and I am going to do that. If I am missing something here that is not just incredibly stupid but might inform others and you have the time to respond, that would be great. If not, no worries! You have been awesome and I learned a lot from you and through my reading (I understand how to use cyanoboot MUCH better, so it was all worth it!
Thanks again!
Snooch
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snooch6923 said:
OK, I'm back after lots of reading, but still stuck.
I want to install the updated CWM 6.0.2.8 as suggested on my SD card ROM, so when I go into SDC Recovery I get that ( I am now getting CWM 5.x.x.x). I believe that came preinstalled with the original PA ROM as I don't recall doing a manual install of it.
I downloaded the 6.0.2.8 zip from the link you provided. As I understand it, I need to place that zip in the root of the SD card, rename it "update.zip" and then select Update Zip from SDC Recovery. (Or, don't rename it and select install zip, correct?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't need to rename the zip file to flash it.
Make sure though that you download the version for SDC and not the one for Internal.
Here's the problem, which is the same problem I will have when trying to flash (install) the updated PA ROM: I don't know how to put the zips in the "root" (i.e., not enclosed in any folder, in the SDC boot partition) using only my NT (without my computer). I'm not even sure if I did boot into stock rooted that I could successfully do this, it is just what I mused I could do if nothing else. I also thought I might use GOO to flash the new ROM/GAPPS but worry that although the app is installed on my SD card, it is set by default to install on emmc and would not do what I intend.
Anyway, digimax, now for me it's the principal of the whole thing! You seemingly implied that it was possible to download the zips directly into the SDC root (boot partition as described above) or copy them into it using my NT only while running the old PA on my SDC, but I can't figure out how. Logic tells me that I should NOT be able to download or copy files into the boot partition while I am running the SD ROM (my logic so there's that).
Obviously, I've wasted enough time trying to figure this out that I could have just plugged in to my computer and avoided all this nonsense. So, that is my next step. But, since I often get like a dog with a bone when I can't figure something out, am I missing something really obvious here?
I don't want to waste any more of your time just because my computer sucks. It is possible for me to download the zips on the NT from GOO and move the files to the computer, and then just copy the zips into the root via the computer and I am going to do that. If I am missing something here that is not just incredibly stupid but might inform others and you have the time to respond, that would be great. If not, no worries! You have been awesome and I learned a lot from you and through my reading (I understand how to use cyanoboot MUCH better, so it was all worth it!
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a way to access the SD card /boot partition while running your current PA on SD but it would be a bit involved (basically you'd need to edit /etc/vold.fstab to get it mounted).
What I'd suggest is for you to use a File Manager app such as ES File Explorer (freeware from Google Play) while running your rooted stock ROM on the NT and see if the SDcard /boot partition is visible (you might need to get into the app's Settings menu to enable "Root Explorer" so that you can navigate around the whole file system). If the partition is visible you should be able to download or copy files to it.

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Yup, that was my thought. Going to try that for kicks.
Thanks again!
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