Pardon my ignorance...terms, instructions, methods, etc - Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4

Being newly interested in rooting and tweaking my devices (started with my S3) there are a lot of terms that are mentioned in customizing threads that I do not understand, and a lot of those threads don't have detailed instructions for someone that's new to tweaking. Is there one post somewhere on xda that lists terms, methods, etc for newcomers like me?
I don't trust any forum other than xda because I simply think its the best forum for tweaking, etc so I don't really trust links outside xda. I also know that the way some things need to be done is device specific.
I'm confused about how to "flash" something in "recovery' (such as removing the wifi notification thread), flashing a custom recovery, using Goomanager to flash, etc. Don't get me wrong; I can follow detailed instructions as long as they are there......but if they aren't, that leaves me and a great deal of newcomers in the dark.
Some of these things are done via the phone and some have to be done via PC....and many times there aren't detailed instructions so I'm unsure what I an supposed to do and don't want to brick a $700 device.
So....is this information contained in all separate posts throughout the forum? Or is there one thread per device that details it? Being as some of these things are device specific, I'm hesitant to even look in other device forums.
Thanks for reading, and any assistance is appreciated.

wolfgrrl said:
Being newly interested in rooting and tweaking my devices (started with my S3) there are a lot of terms that are mentioned in customizing threads that I do not understand, and a lot of those threads don't have detailed instructions for someone that's new to tweaking. Is there one post somewhere on xda that lists terms, methods, etc for newcomers like me?
I don't trust any forum other than xda because I simply think its the best forum for tweaking, etc so I don't really trust links outside xda. I also know that the way some things need to be done is device specific.
I'm confused about how to "flash" something in "recovery' (such as removing the wifi notification thread), flashing a custom recovery, using Goomanager to flash, etc. Don't get me wrong; I can follow detailed instructions as long as they are there......but if they aren't, that leaves me and a great deal of newcomers in the dark.
Some of these things are done via the phone and some have to be done via PC....and many times there aren't detailed instructions so I'm unsure what I an supposed to do and don't want to brick a $700 device.
So....is this information contained in all separate posts throughout the forum? Or is there one thread per device that details it? Being as some of these things are device specific, I'm hesitant to even look in other device forums.
Thanks for reading, and any assistance is appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, this can be a complex arena to play in. For the S4, you'll want to download Odin v3.07 and a copy of the stock ROM just in case you break something.
> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2289325
> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2189539
ROM = read-only memory - this is the part of your phone's internal storage you're not really supposed to be able to play with (like /system, or the phone's radio for example)
The act of "flashing" is writing data to ROM
Recovery just means that you should always be able to boot your device into this mode to RECOVER from a software problem; IE: flashing a bad ROM (IE: one that doesn't work and you can't start your phone anymore).
I don't really know a whole lot more than that, I just poke around and pretend like I do =)

OverkillSD said:
Well, this can be a complex arena to play in. For the S4, you'll want to download Odin v3.07 and a copy of the stock ROM just in case you break something.
> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2289325
> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2189539
ROM = read-only memory - this is the part of your phone's internal storage you're not really supposed to be able to play with (like /system, or the phone's radio for example)
The act of "flashing" is writing data to ROM
Recovery just means that you should always be able to boot your device into this mode to RECOVER from a software problem; IE: flashing a bad ROM (IE: one that doesn't work and you can't start your phone anymore).
I don't really know a whole lot more than that, I just poke around and pretend like I do =)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks As I learn more, I think I'm going to make a post that contains everything I learn, so others have it all in one place.

Well, there's a LOT to learn...like I said; complex arena. So much so that there's no way to make a single post take you from newbie to knowledgeable newbie in one read.
Then there's Google;
"what is rom"
"what is flashing rom"
"what is recovery mode android"
Eliminates the need for said post
Plus, by the time you get it all written, it will have all changed ^_^

Related

[Q] Starting Off

I have the following:
Samsung-SGH-I777
2.3.6
I777UCKK6
2.6.35.7
GingerBread.UCKK6
I have spent a lot of time reading XDA and other Android Boards hoping I could find a pretty straightforward way to get control of my phone (su access?). I want to get rid of apps that T put on and I also want to be able to hotspot my phone. But I really want to understand what I am doing. Every thread seems to assume a level of knowledge I just don't think I have. I'm tempted to jump in but feel like I'll then just be a poster saying HELP BRICKED MY PHONE.
When I come across a youtube or pdf that looks promising - it invariably has comments associated with it like: Oh, if you upgraded to 2.3.6 watch out.....or, I did this and now my wifi doesn't work.
Here is my question - can anyone point me to a thread or website that really walks a novice through the basics like the difference between a Rom and a kernel, how the SD card works etc.
And certainly if someone can point me to a solid root procedure for my phone (see above) please feel free.
Thanks for listening
Peter
Stackman1 said:
I have the following:
Samsung-SGH-I777
2.3.6
I777UCKK6
2.6.35.7
GingerBread.UCKK6
I have spent a lot of time reading XDA and other Android Boards hoping I could find a pretty straightforward way to get control of my phone (su access?). I want to get rid of apps that T put on and I also want to be able to hotspot my phone. But I really want to understand what I am doing. Every thread seems to assume a level of knowledge I just don't think I have. I'm tempted to jump in but feel like I'll then just be a poster saying HELP BRICKED MY PHONE.
When I come across a youtube or pdf that looks promising - it invariably has comments associated with it like: Oh, if you upgraded to 2.3.6 watch out.....or, I did this and now my wifi doesn't work.
Here is my question - can anyone point me to a thread or website that really walks a novice through the basics like the difference between a Rom and a kernel, how the SD card works etc.
And certainly if someone can point me to a solid root procedure for my phone (see above) please feel free.
Thanks for listening
Peter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry man, That level of knowledge you speak of, is what you need. If you cant find the info, dont root your phone.
We dont hold hands here, there is plenty of info around. Find it and put it to use.
If you searched for everything your looking for, you'd find your answers.
Its obvious that you HAVE NOT spent anytime looking for the answers you seek.
Good luck peter.
Like what was said above, getting the information for all these things is really simple.
Read the stickies.
All of the warnings and disclaimers are tacked onto the instructions because people don't want you to blame them if you don't follow directions or if something that works for someone else doesn't work for you.
Stackman1 said:
I have the following:
Samsung-SGH-I777
2.3.6
I777UCKK6
2.6.35.7
GingerBread.UCKK6
I have spent a lot of time reading XDA and other Android Boards hoping I could find a pretty straightforward way to get control of my phone (su access?). I want to get rid of apps that T put on and I also want to be able to hotspot my phone. But I really want to understand what I am doing. Every thread seems to assume a level of knowledge I just don't think I have. I'm tempted to jump in but feel like I'll then just be a poster saying HELP BRICKED MY PHONE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you using the AT&T phone on T-mobile? Just curious.
When I come across a youtube or pdf that looks promising - it invariably has comments associated with it like: Oh, if you upgraded to 2.3.6 watch out.....or, I did this and now my wifi doesn't work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just my personal opinion, but I would forget all the other sites, and youtube videos, and stick with what you learn here.
Here is my question - can anyone point me to a thread or website that really walks a novice through the basics like the difference between a Rom and a kernel, how the SD card works etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not aware of such a guide. Some of the information is so basic that no one would think to make a guide for it. But I can give you one tip: in my guide there is a link to extra information for newbies. That can be fairly helpful.
And certainly if someone can point me to a solid root procedure for my phone (see above) please feel free.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my opinion, my guide is the best, but if you must, you can also use Jivy26's how to root guide.
Thanks for listening
Peter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Creepy -
Thanks for taking the time to reply. I am using the AT&T network.
Hey man, you gotta be willing to take that big plunge. Over in the Dev section there is some good info. But you gotta be willing to take that challenge on. Just be prepared to have a brick if you do it wrong.
BigRob1712 said:
Hey man, you gotta be willing to take that big plunge. Over in the Dev section there is some good info. But you gotta be willing to take that challenge on. Just be prepared to have a brick if you do it wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is really hard to brick your phone following the instructions here.
As long as you don't flash anything outside the AT&T Galaxy S2 Forums.
Id recommend Creepy's guide, Ive used this myself and can vouch for it. Avoid (no offense meant) using Zedomax's method to avoid the headache of breaking wifi and trying to get it back. and READ and RE READ before starting the process.
enjoy your soon to be freed phone
I very strongly agree with the advice to follow creepyncrawly's guide. Taking the time to read, understand and follow it will make the process easy and save you a lot of headaches. Don't be afraid to ask for clarification, but read, read and then read some more can't be stressed enough. Take it from a fellow novice.
I will continue to read and take the plunge soon. Definitely look into Creepy's guide.
Thanks to all that chimed in without lecturing.....
Try this link:
forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/ROM-VS-Kernel
mmarquis said:
Try this link:
forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/ROM-VS-Kernel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What link? Here ya go. http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/ROM-VS-Kernel
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2
That's an OK summary of firmware, but the use of the word ROM as a generic term for firmware needs a little explanation.
A ROM, or read-only memory, is a computer memory chip that has machine executable code built into it when it is manufactured. The code can not be changed. Later models of the chip were programable, and were called PROM, or programable read-only memory which can be programed once, and ePROM, or erasable programable read-only memory, which can be reprogrammed. These type of chips were used in the earliest micro computers, up until current computers, to accomplish the first step in the boot-up process.
Smart phones do not have a ROM or similar memory chip. They use NOR, P-SRAM and/or One-NAND, forms of non-volatile flash memory. The Galaxy series uses NAND memory to store the firmware. The iPhone uses PSRAM.
The use of the term ROM to refer to the firmware which contains the operating system for the phone is merely a convention, but one which has a huge amount of traction, so much so that we all use the term. There are some who would like to see the term ROM disappear in favor of the term firmware, but that is unlikely.
xhepera said:
I very strongly agree with the advice to follow creepyncrawly's guide. Taking the time to read, understand and follow it will make the process easy and save you a lot of headaches. Don't be afraid to ask for clarification, but read, read and then read some more can't be stressed enough. Take it from a fellow novice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 to this. Also, if you ever need help, you can check out the IRC channel. There's usually someone there that can help.
creepyncrawly said:
Are you using the AT&T phone on T-mobile? Just curious.
Just my personal opinion, but I would forget all the other sites, and youtube videos, and stick with what you learn here.
I'm not aware of such a guide. Some of the information is so basic that no one would think to make a guide for it. But I can give you one tip: in my guide there is a link to extra information for newbies. That can be fairly helpful.
In my opinion, my guide is the best, but if you must, you can also use Jivy26's how to root guide.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe I used creepy's guide, entropy's posts. Gotta focus on one thing: getting clockwork recovery mode on (CWM). Get that and you can load a from from here. Don't use rootwiz or anything else. Make XDA your some source.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium
Irc channell.... so many people in there can answer and if ur going to for some reason use zedomax tutorial.. as i did with my Mac do it with entropy daily driver kernel
im on my phone. expect terrible typos.
Please use the Q&A Forum for questions &
Read the Forum Rules Ref Posting
Thanks ✟
Moving to Q&A
All i did to root my sgs2 was get the proper drivers on pc (kies installs them i believe?). Downloaded odin 1.85 and any kernel that has cwm (i used siyah). put the phone in download mode (lots of places tell you how to do this). Put the kernel in the pda spot in odin. And flash.
Now you have a rooted phone with cwm (if all went right).
then you just download your favorite rom (i used serendipity 9.4) and place on sd card. Boot to recovery. Wipe cache/dalvik cache and factory wipe. Then flash your rom.
That's how i did it any way
Must be something in the water...
murauder said:
All i did to root my sgs2 was get the proper drivers on pc (kies installs them i believe?). Downloaded odin 1.85 and any kernel that has cwm (i used siyah). put the phone in download mode (lots of places tell you how to do this). Put the kernel in the pda spot in odin. And flash.
Now you have a rooted phone with cwm (if all went right).
then you just download your favorite rom (i used serendipity 9.4) and place on sd card. Boot to recovery. Wipe cache/dalvik cache and factory wipe. Then flash your rom.
That's how i did it any way
Must be something in the water...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The bolded statement is inaccurate. If you followed this sequence exactly as stated, you were not rooted until you installed serendipity.
Noob to noob
The information creepy posted is the way to go. I used his superoneclick with root to get out of a failed clockwork mod loop back to stock with root.
The post was I777UCKH7OCD Root no BL.7z. This will give you clockwork mod recovery from which you can do further modifications.
The program is a 7zip file. READ about 7Zip. Follow the instructions.
Practice getting your phone into download mode (dry runs).
Don't panic.
After reading if you still have questions, read some more. All the information is here.
When you sucessfully root, look in the dev section and read about the custom roms/firmware and see how they operate, problems, successes before choosing.
Personally I like the AOKP by Task, but it is all preferences.
Good luck, you can do it.

Return to Stock Walkthru Feedback/Sugestions

Hello XDA!
I opened a new thread hopefully to open a discussion about improvements I think are beneficial, my experience over the last 24 hours that a couple sticky edits would have saved me (and others) time.
My Story:
Yesterday (5/3) I saw I had around a 250 mb OTA. Excited (hoping for 4.2, assuming was the 4.1.2 that VZW released recently) I kick on WiFi, download and watch as it reboots and appears to install successfully. Time for work to end, grabbed phone off charger as it appeared to be rebooting after successful install, and ran out to catch train home.
Downstairs, at train stop, take a look at phone and heart sinks as it is in a fast splash screen loop, blinking the VZW Galaxy Note 2 screen for about 1 second in endless loop. As I had never seen before was thinking firmware update bricked it and I was looking at least until Tuesday before I'd have a working phone. Luckily, I was able to quickly see that I could still get into download mode, so knew I was (likely) going to be ok.
Get home and a Quick Robin, to the Internetz! later I'm browsing XDA and following the t=t=2024207 walkthu to restore stock. FYI, my device prior to the failed OTA was unrooted stock. At this point I'm not sure if it's going to restore, so I'm trying to do the true stock, no unlocked bootloader in case it has to be RMA'd. I've downloaded all my files, waited patiently for the slow hosting service for the FXZ(?) to download and am grinding through it and of course it fails at the system.img. Luckily, blessedly the awesome community here had released the image that included the unlocked bootloader which I was (after waiting to download, etc etc again) able to successfully get installed via Odin, booted up and working successfully.
So, while the first post section regarding restore to stock does indicate users with latest firmware "L4 OTA Only" shouldn't be attempting to use the Official VRAL I didn't think it applied to me. I would say that a fair amount of individuals looking to take the drastic step of a full restore to stock might be in a scenario like mine, where something significant has happened and likely confirming what OS/firmware/etc you are on might not be feasible. In my case, I assumed never rooted/unlocked vanilla device should be about as receptacle to an "official" restore as any. In this scenario, where a 100% for all devices stock recovery ("alternative") works, 'I feel that it should have been pushed harder than the official or at least blurbed with if you don't know what you are on, use this' While I understand that it is the "official" image, it has requirements for it to work. A co-worker had an ASUS TF300T that tried pushing a recovery image for ICS after he had upgraded to JB and it hard bricked his tablet, with ASUS wanting to charge him about 60% cost of the tablet to replace motherboard. That's heartbreaking, and I am sure since a hard brick wasn't a likely scenario here, why it wasn't mentioned.
Also: The download link for the Alternate Restore lists the file as: I605_VRALJB_Restore.tar.md5.xz which requires that it be unpacked using 7zip AND also that once extracted, it needs to be renamed to kick of the extra extension md5 in order for ODIN to see it properly as a PDA image file. (I605_VRALJB_Restore.tar.md5 ) Neither step is mentioned in the original post, and I had to read through to I believe the 11th page or so before realizing that was the problem. I'm sure with most of the people that are daily users of this forum knew automatically that these steps were required, but I would counter that a thread explaining how to restore Stock is one of the few threads that is likely to reach a larger, inexperienced demographic who would need to know such details.
Lastly, since (I thought) I had an unlocked bootloader, but otherwsie working phone again (Thank you, thank you thank you!) might as well get it rooted, and grab a ODEX'd stripped ROM with the OS release because getting the Software Update nag and not being able to complete or even brick my phone makes my OCD gland flex mightily. Was delighted to see an on-device APK root option which threw me back to the ease of z4root a few years ago with my Droid X. APK installs, and it roots so easily, like it had the functionality out of the box. I grab goo.im manager and install TWRP. Go to boot into custom recovery so I can install my sexy updated OS ROM and enjoy my fun device without all the yucky bloatware I've just ignored/dealt with for the last 2 months and I get the dreaded and in my opinion illegal "VZW unauthorized software" software brick.
Back to the forums, see I need another stock 'alternative' restore to fix AND a little confused, but believe I need to run a "jailbreak" bootloader unlock (CASUAL ?t=2118348) Which I haven't done yet. I have all files downloaded, just paused to post my experiences here.
So, this was main reason for my post, as I can understand some of why walkthru is laid out the way it is above, but why not have this included as part of the stickied root walkthru? It's mentioned thusly:
section 1a is a old method and no longer needs to be used unless the end user wants root only. proceed to Adam Outler's "JAILBREAK" thread linked at the bottom of this section for rooting and unlocking bootloader so custom roms can be flashed!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't find the link it refers to at bottom of section? I ended up googling to find guide. ((t=202420)
if this is still a requirement for root, custom ROM/Recovery, I would have made this steps 1-x of the root guide. is it because another person authored it? It would be nice to be able to credit and quote, I know alot of what drives contributors is the 'Thanks" and Donations, be great if XDA admins could round table and find a solution that allows for a consolidated guide for each device and still give each contributor a way to get their +1's and plug donation/web/twitter handle url's
So, is my understanding incorrect of what is needed or do folks agree with me that current setup is not the most efficient way XDA community could be offering instructive guides on Root/Mods? It would be wonderful if XDA Mods upon announcement of devices, when creating the forum threads for device (Development, OG Development, General, etc etc) created a blank thread for the how to root et.al and then allowed it to be edited by the community as a Wiki. Or even if an individual created, allow that person to allow x amount of other community members to edit, add and adjust.
I see droidstyle created a thread about questions for softbrick, and I might have to look at the original sticky thread about how to stock restore, but it seems he/she might have better saturation if this info was included in the original post. The stickied How To recover stock is direct accessible from a google search. I doubt his Q&A thread is or definitely not going to be one of the highest page-ranked sites.
So, please let me know if I'm just out of my mind, off the mark. I will give myself a small escape clause based on the fact that I probably scored about 2 hours of sleep last night messing around trying to get the note running again. I am actually concerned that the instructions for Return to Stock/Root/Etc for the VZW i605 doesn't have the link to unlock bootloader via casual and am hoping that following that process before rooting/customrecovery/ROM is correct, and not going to be another BrickGate for me. I know as OS versions are updated and/or Big Red and Big Blue constantly push patches trying to lock people out of their phones that instructions change and methods break. As new directions are implemented it's easy to lose steps as edits occur on the fly.
Most importanly! I hope this thread comes across as constructive criticism/suggestions, I have nothing but the highest respect for this community and it's contributors. Even skewed, outdated and conflicting information is better than no information and I SUPER appreciate the hard work required to get it out to us. I am most definitely not expressing displeasure with my experience or the content, only using the threads I mentioned as examples of what I personally see as opportunity for improvements XDA could implement that would allow for easier dissemination of the information the community is sharing so unselfishly. I only open it for discussion, so that others like me can access the information quicker with less confusion. I read comments of disgust and exasperation as people are directed to search, rather than post, and they are right, the information is invariably there, and most often or not within the first 5 posts of a thread. But sometimes when a developer talks to another developer, the tiny and considered minor details are not mentioned because it's considered common knowledge, and thats where the noobs, soccer moms and Grandmas can get left scratching their heads trying to puzzle how you got from point a to b. (Stereotypes used for comedic effect, please take no offense) I believe it would save alot of people having to answer the same questions over and over again time and frustration and freeing them to focus their talents on making us the next epic ROM/Kernel/App
thanks for reading! Also, I'm not just drive-by b*tching, if anyone is interested, I would love to show a mock-up of the i605 guide these great contributors have created as I would compile it. I'm passionate about mobile technology and customization, sadly my talents don't lie in the creation of such, only the enjoyment of it. But I'm a hell of a document admin. I create wiki's and KB's/sharepoint admin for a living, and would love to contribute what I know in that way

[Q] unroot and undo changes

Hi,
I just got my HDX und now i want to install custom recovery and root the device. I have just a few questions before i do so an got no exect answers by searching the forum:
1. If I do a backup with custom recovery can I go fully back to stock?
2. Is there some sort of Factory Image to download to override custom revocery?
3. Can I Undo and go back to stock recovery If i have to send the device back to Amazon?
I just want to know if I can totaly revert all changes bevore I change something.
thx
maroc84 said:
Hi,
I just got my HDX und now i want to install custom recovery and root the device. I have just a few questions before i do so an got no exect answers by searching the forum:
1. If I do a backup with custom recovery can I go fully back to stock?
2. Is there some sort of Factory Image to download to override custom revocery?
3. Can I Undo and go back to stock recovery If i have to send the device back to Amazon?
I just want to know if I can totaly revert all changes bevore I change something.
thx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are new to this device you probably should read the first post here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2786190.. And the answer to all your questions are technically yes. If you do not brick or break your tablet anywhere along the way and providing that you are willing to do all homework necessary and then some before attempting to do anything.. You probably need to read through all the threads about brick devices to know what things not to attempt that will cause you to break your device.. Remember all the information is here if you learn how to use this forum and remember each section of the forum has several pages of threads of information.. You have a whole lot of reading to do if you do not want to end up another of this devices victims lmao
Don't get me wrong. I own a nexus 5 and the nexus 7 (2013) (rooted, custom kernel, exposed etc.) but due to the open system and bootloader so as the asop makes it easier to handle it. I already read the warnings but the Windows supported root tool should be a easy way.... not?
Okay obviously
maroc84 said:
Don't get me wrong. I own a nexus 5 and the nexus 7 (2013) (rooted, custom kernel, exposed etc.) but due to the open system and bootloader so as the asop makes it easier to handle it. I already read the warnings but the Windows supported root tool should be a easy way.... not?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there is not a problem getting it rooted you may have read the warning but you're not understanding it.The problem is not rooting the device. The problem is what people are deciding to do with their root access . And it may be my imagination or may not but this seems to be a favorite tablet for mommy and daddy to buy the kiddies.. Then they come here not knowing how to do their own research and find the easy way to root their device , There n fine there again not a real problem it's what they are doing ...BRICKING! There again not really a problem for me but when they come to this forum acting like somebody owes them something or somebody better step up and hurry hurry come help them fix their device before mommy and daddy find out ... Burying perfectly good information that I like to access under redundant questions because they are too lazy to do their own homework .. Repeatedly asking the same questions over and over again that have already been answered over and over again they just refuse to read the information and expect others to first to come to their special lil thread and inform them like this is kindergarten again . And somebody should be holding their hand because mommy and daddy bought them a special kindle fire..THAT IS LOCKED DOWN.. With no fast boot capabilities currently working there is a lot of talk about it but no consistent.... Repeat there is not a one click fix for this device ....... unlike most other tablets like I said one of your questions asked if you can just flash and fix ... At this time NO. If you really know what you are doing and you are not afraid of or can afford to turn your tablet into a paperweight.. There are ways to get your system flashed too repair mistakes or goofy behavior (even return to stock) but not from BRICK STATE. Long story short your 1 Click Easy Way to root.. Through ignorance, laziness , and the comprehension level of a fruit fly .. For this device in the wrong hands might as well be a sledge hammer ... Repeat in no way is a Nexus 5 ,at the moment remotely similar other then android base, to this tablet... Is what you should have gotten from the thread that I posted a link to... flash and modify at your own risk and Responsibly.. Nobody here is responsible for anything you do to your tablet. Or responsible for coming to rescue you if or when you screw it up... Please read all the brick threads to save everybody lots of famed face palms and headaches... Us and yourself trust me.
Thanks. I know it can be depressing to tell people "you question or problem was answered just two days ago, just read and collect the right information you need" I don't want to change necessary files like build.prop or do things where there is an exact warning to do so because it's not really stable...
The warning pinned to this forum just got me unquestioning if there are serious problems in every usually customisation (root, custom recovery, gapps) so doing just that could probably brick the tab because maybe the closed system makes everything risky and unpredictable in contrast to a vanilla android device.
well
maroc84 said:
Thanks. I know it can be depressing to tell people "you question or problem was answered just two days ago, just read and collect the right information you need" I don't want to change necessary files like build.prop or do things where there is an exact warning to do so because it's not really stable...
The warning pinned to this forum just got me unquestioning if there are serious problems in every usually customisation (root, custom recovery, gapps) so doing just that could probably brick the tab because maybe the closed system makes everything risky and unpredictable in contrast to a vanilla android device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well for example I am only a mechanic I'm 42 years old I am not well-versed in computers but android have been a hobby of mine for about five years .. But I have very little problems following directions. And I have been able to accomplish anything I wanted to do with many many phones and tablets including this one... So if you're willing and have the understanding that this thing is very fickle and likes to actup
Where other devices would not be problems... It can be a very nice device for the right person and a very big headache for the wrong one. There are currently a lot a bugs with pretty much anything that you try to do with this thing if not done with absolute precision and patience. And perseverance. I currently own three different HDX tablets with several other Samsung.. And I switch frequently. I do have Google on my HDX but I do not depend on them for all of my Google needs. Remember at least for now while these things are locked up tight they are pretty much only an Amazon media device along with if you are willing to brave and yada yada yada you may get some Google services working like many of us have. Enjoy all of my HDX thoroughly but I also have a understanding of the current limitations.

Problem Reverting to Stock Rom

Hi all,
I installed CM11 onto my S5830i (GB) and managed to get it all working. I had to install S5360_XXMK1 modem and a newer version of CWM to prevent the "Status 7" error. Anyway, it all worked and I had CM11 up and running. Unfortunately, I had to remove it, I couldn't click any links in the browser and the browser was slow as all buggery even on a fast wifi connection. So I fired up Odin and tried to put the stock firmware on (i don't have an original state backup, the phone came with a custom rom on it already). I got these files
CSC_S5830i_BTUMD1.tar.md5
MODEM_S5830i_XXMD1.tar.md5
PDA_S5830i_XXMD1.tar.md5
But something's messing up, after Odin does its thing and the phone restarts, I notice something on the screen during restart saying it failed to format the /data partition. When I let the phone boot up normally it just stays on the "Samsung" startup animation forever. If I go into samsung recovery and try to do a factory reset, this is what I see
Code:
-- Wiping data...
Formatting /data...
E:format_volume: rfs format failed on /dev/stl11
Formatting /cache...
Data wipe complete.
Obviously, something's wrong there, can anyone tell me how to fix it pleeeeese, I'd be eternally grateful.
Thanks
NS
EDIT: I think the CM install may have messed around with my partitioning. I do not have a pit file for the phone (GB Version) and am reluctant to be using the re-partition option in Odin. I can find pit files online, but they're either not the correct version or the poster doesn't even say what version it is. I am just so lost and confused with all this.
@NicSure, Flashing wrong base band into your Ace-i is ill advised mate, go to CM11 discussion topic and read my comments . ( You will damage your EFS partition,thus device may become hard bricked in many cases)
As for troubleshooting : Already explained all of the instructions in details in many places, So I will provide links/hints for now. If your problem persisted, let us know
Here we go mate:
1. Official source for your stock firmware CSC/MODEM/PDA >> this page (sammobile.com)
2. Study this topic to get the hang of Wipe flash-able packages,,, How to produce them, Boot looder and pit files required for the process , etc etc,, all well instructed here
3. Read few last pages of this topic; my comments; for more insight into your problem. Please be advised you have already converted your partitions into MTD ,therefore formatting /data ( concerting back into RFS partitions ) might be failure through CWM/e3 recovery >> Odin process is required for"stl11" .
Hope I did help you
ehsanotaku said:
@NicSure, Flashing wrong base band into your Ace-i is ill advised mate, go to CM11 discussion topic and read my comments . ( You will damage your EFS partition,thus device may become hard bricked in many cases)
As for troubleshooting : Already explained all of the instructions in details in many places, So I will provide links/hints for now. If your problem persisted, let us know
Here we go mate:
1. Official source for your stock firmware CSC/MODEM/PDA >> this page (sammobile.com)
2. Study this topic to get the hang of Wipe flash-able packages,,, How to produce them, Boot looder and pit files required for the process , etc etc,, all well instructed here
3. Read few last pages of this topic; my comments; for more insight into your problem. Please be advised you have already converted your partitions into MTD ,therefore formatting /data ( concerting back into RFS partitions ) might be failure through CWM/e3 recovery >> Odin process is required for"stl11" .
Hope I did help you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks but you were too technical. I have been to a lot of those pages you linked and it's not all obvious what's going on. You spoke about "base band", I have no idea what that is. I have no idea what RFS, MTD
are (file systems?), not do I know where to get a bootloader from. Sam mobile won't let me download anything without paying and/or signing up which I'm reluctant to do. I'll re-read the posts you linked to (I had already seen them) and see if something starts to make more sense.
For instance:
"Please be advised you have already converted your partitions into MTD ,therefore formatting /data ( concerting back into RFS partitions ) might be failure through CWM/e3 recovery >> Odin process is required for"stl11"
May as well have been in Klingon, I didn't understand a word of it.
EDIT:
I've reviewed those threads again. Seems I need to use split fus on the downloaded file from SamMobile (which I had to register to download, not happy about that) and use the "wipe" versions. I need a pit file, there's no info anywhere on how to get that. So I've just done a general google and hopefully I've downloaded one (more info on that is needed in the tuts). And the bootloader is attached to the unbrick thread, but, is that the ONLY bootloader? Do I need a specific one for my region? Do I need a specific pit file for my region? All this info is not supplied anywhere, Newcomers are not going to know this stuff and it needs to be made clear in the tutorials. Most of the tuts have broken links (split fus for instance), so I'm not sure if the stuff I googled is actually the same. Absolute nightmare.
NicSure said:
You spoke about "base band", I have no idea what that is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please read the link was provided for your convenient. ( Absolutely suitable for beginners).
NicSure said:
I have no idea what RFS, MTD
are (file systems?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"Robust File System" is more or less equivalent to your FAT/FAT32 of your PC ( Samsung file system Format,, not going to add "Journalling system" to the mix, since you are not a sport ,,FYI : You are supposed to know common terms such as MTD , RFS when you are massing with CM11 mate >> Read the first page thoroughly, before start experimenting with Cyanogen stuff,,,
MTD (Memory Technology Device) supports YAFFS2 as a file system residing on it and is considered some type of of Partition Map.
NicSure said:
not do I know where to get a boot loader from. Sam mobile won't let me download anything without paying and/or signing up which I'm reluctant to do
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again actually start reading this topic ( quite self explanatory).
NicSure said:
Seems I need to use split fus on the downloaded file from SamMobile (which I had to register to download, not happy about that) and use the "wipe" versions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This topic contains well made Wipe packages ( European version is compatible with your device, If you are reluctant to register though).
NicSure said:
I need a pit file, there's no info anywhere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, Read the topic I mentioned above. You are on Cooperve device, so be aware of wrong file ( "cooperve_0623.pit" resided inside Odin3.v3.07.Cooperve folder) All of the related links already provided , Just take your time and read mate.
I'd already read the posts you linked to multiple times thank you. They may be "straight forward" to you, but I can assure you they are certainly not so for a newcomer. Too many things are vague, missing or not explained properly.
In any case, I managed to get the stock firmware back on after trawling the internet for a .pit file, downloading the firmware, splitting it, taking the wipe versions with the pit and the bootloader and using Odin to fully flash the phone back to stock firmware, Finally. The tuts here are indeed a lot of help, but so so so disjointed.
Also, why would changing the base band effect the file system? How could it cause physical damage to NAND memory. I'm confused. I assume you mean physical damage, because if not, why would it be ill-advised to change it if it could just be changed back with no ill-effects?
@NicSure, First of all Thanks button implanted here for a good reason and most likely you are the first person who was complaining about my assistance (How information is organized and distributed for new commers is not my responsibility nor distribution of step-by-step instructions ) . Second of all You were complaining about the technical terms and jargon, But know you are asking for technical reason in regard of the consequences of flashing Galaxy Y GT-S5360 inside your ACE-i device !
I did mention about EFS partition corruption, which renders your device mobile network communication useless and hard bricking of your device.which is a phone that shows no signs of power-on and will not access download mode with button combo. You did assume wrong mate.
Generally speaking, Carriers use different radio frequencies in our respective countries , Different Devices do contain different modem hardware inside, So you are not encouraged to do what you have done in the first place.
If you are not flashing the correct versions for your phone , or if the flash gets interrupted there’s a good chance you will Hard Brick your device, thus we may need hardwired access to modify/erase and rewrite chip's code ( Service is required).
When a phone is in a hard-bricked state it’s most likely that the bootloaders, which is the phones initial code to launch the phones ROM, becomes corrupted.
The only way to revive the phone is to rewrite the bootloader code, because the phone does not power on ., So you see so many things could go wrong :silly:
ehsanotaku said:
@NicSure, First of all Thanks button implanted here for a good reason and most likely you are the first person who was complaining about my assistance (How information is organized and distributed for new commers is not my responsibility nor distribution of step-by-step instructions ) . Second of all You were complaining about the technical terms and jargon, But know you are asking for technical reason in regard of the consequences of flashing Galaxy Y GT-S5360 inside your ACE-i device !
I did mention about EFS partition corruption, which renders your device mobile network communication useless and hard bricking of your device.which is a phone that shows no signs of power-on and will not access download mode with button combo. You did assume wrong mate.
Generally speaking, Carriers use different radio frequencies in our respective countries , Different Devices do contain different modem hardware inside, So you are not encouraged to do what you have done in the first place.
If you are not flashing the correct versions for your phone , or if the flash gets interrupted there’s a good chance you will Hard Brick your device, thus we may need hardwired access to modify/erase and rewrite chip's code ( Service is required).
When a phone is in a hard-bricked state it’s most likely that the bootloaders, which is the phones initial code to launch the phones ROM, becomes corrupted.
The only way to revive the phone is to rewrite the bootloader code, because the phone does not power on ., So you see so many things could go wrong :silly:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Firstly, I'm not complaining, I'm criticizing, there's a difference. I was critical of your language and terminology as it didn't match the links you posted. Also the level of technical talk you used toward a clear newbie who would obviously never understand it without clarification. If that offends you then I'm sorry, I'm just speaking my mind. Help offered, no matter how kindly or freely is useless if it cannot be understood. I generally take a very irritated approach to people who post links (with the implication that the information is freely available if you'd bother to look) in response to perfectly polite questions, especially when I'd already read ALL the posts you linked to before and had trouble with them, that is why I posted, to get a little more basic understanding, not be presented with links to material I'd already read and needed help with. Also, after some researching, with regard to the base-band, I think you're wrong, there's no way flashing a different base-band separately could effect the bootloader, no way at all. I seriously doubt it could even cause corruption, that's liek saying installing the incorrect driver for a graphics card on a PC could corrupt the file system, just no. So far I've flashed many many different MODEM types onto my phone to try to test this, in some caes the phone boots, in some cases it doesn't etc.. Not once has the phone failed to go into Odin flash mode, and if it can get to that, it can be restored. So based on research and some experimental evidence conducted to test your assertion, I'd have to say that my initial findings are that your assertion is probably incorrect.
Also I learn very quickly. My knowledge of the subject had increased dramatically from my first post to my second. I learned c++ in a day for example, and was posting similar newbie questions on programming forums to which I was later replying with a level of knowledge that wasn't consistent with my initial post. It's just me, sorry about that. And thanks for trying to help, but I got it myself.
NicSure said:
... I can assure you they are certainly not so for a newcomer. Too many things are vague, missing or not explained properly. In any case, I managed to get the stock firmware back on after trawling the internet for a .pit file, downloading the firmware, splitting it, taking the wipe versions with the pit and the bootloader and using Odin to fully flash the phone back to stock firmware, Finally. The tuts here are indeed a lot of help, but so so so disjointed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dear NicSure, I am in the same situation as yours, I was planning to "simply" (or maybe wrongly?) use Odin 3.09 and flash the Splitted files from here (http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-ace/s5830i-develop/stock-rom-odin-flashable-firmware-t3002776).
But you mentioned that also the ".pit" file is needed. Could you guide me through the process you followed to have back a Stock from CM11 ROM?
Thank you in advance!
thePanz said:
I was planning to "simply" (or maybe wrongly?) use Odin 3.09 and flash the Splitted files from here (http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-ace/s5830i-develop/stock-rom-odin-flashable-firmware-t3002776).
But you mentioned that also the ".pit" file is needed. Could you guide me through the process you followed to have back a Stock from CM11 ROM?
Thank you in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Per your request/confirmation @ development section/twr topic i would resume troubleshooting .
What is your device variation (5830i/C/M/V/5839i ) ? Do you have any Nandroid back up left inside your SD card from your original stock firmware partitions ? Can you see your IMEI number , when you are dialing "*#06#" ? Your original stock CSC/PDA/MODEM you are coming from ? Your Region / Country / carrier you are staying with at the moment and please give me the Totoro Modem part you did flash to get into the CM11 ? and for addressing part of your primary queries , Odin 3.07 works very well with variation I mentioned above ( you could use 3.09 with no harm though , but not recommended ) . Pit file also must be relevant, otherwise you will hard brick your device in many cases I observed .

Problems understanding how to Root

Maybe the problem is that I don't know how to properly ask for what I want/need. First off, I am new, so let's pretend I know nothing about modding phones. Second, what I am trying to achieve is the following:
Marshmallow OS or newer (I have lollipop and I highly dislike it)
Complete removal of all AT&T software/bloatware from my M8
Ability to try out different ROMs (are those the same thing as operating systems?) like cyanogenmod.
Those are the highlights to my endgame.
I have found there are several steps to this, and it seems like each step has at least one prerequisite or sub-step and I get overwhelmed when reading up on how to achieve the above goals. Feels like I'm doing taxes for a poorly run business. Apparently I need TWRP on my phone. No clue why or what it does. In order to install it, I need to have root access or a previous version of TWRP already installed, or I need to install the SDK tools package, and from that, only install fastboot and adb. Then after that I need to already have some type of drivers on my PC for that to be useful. Like I said, it is overwhelming to someone who does not know all of the lingo. Especially when I know that if I mess up at certain intervals, I could very well turn my phone into a shiny paperweight or small cocaine tray. Anywhere I have read up on this, when it says download/install _______, I cannot determine whether that means download/install on my PC, or on my phone, bc it doesn't specifically say what goes where in every instance. To make matters more difficult, I do not have an internet connection other than on my phone. Anything that needs to go on my PC, I have to download it to my phone first, then transfer it over, then install it. I asked once for a step by step tutorial or a link to one, and I was given something that was just as confusing as what I have already found. These tutorials seem to be written for ppl who know a lot by ppl who know a lot. I am not one of those ppl. I am a green noob, still wet behind the ears. I apologize in advance for not knowing, but I am just not at the level where I can guess which things go where and If I temporarily render my phone unusable, I won't be able to easily go online to find the fix, nor will I be able to download anything else, if needed. Would greatly help me if I had a list of ingredients needed before I begin, and a sequence, much like a recipe for a cake. Again, I apologize for not knowing, and I'm sure all of you reading this were, at one point, uneducated on the matter. Thank you for any advice and/or reading my TL/DR post.
See my responses below, in red font:
Damagj said:
Apparently I need TWRP on my phone. No clue why or what it does. In order to install it,
TWRP is a custom recovery, and what that is, is explained in "that" thread I linked you to: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2744194
Think of TWRP as a kind of small installer program and backup/recovery tool. You need it to flash custom ROMs, and you can also use it to backup the current ROM. It's not used within the Android OS, but rather you can boot into it separately. Which is obviously handy, if for whatever reason you can't boot to Android OS, and need to "recover" (restore the OS).
I need to have root access or a previous version of TWRP already installed, or I need to install the SDK tools package, and from that, only install fastboot and adb. Then after that I need to already have some type of drivers on my PC for that to be useful.
Don't go by the install instructions on the TWRP website, they are not device specific (to the M8) and may misguide you (every Android device has it's own nuances).
To install TWRP, you need to unlock the bootloader. The bootloader is "locked" by default, which by definition means you cannot install a custom recovery. The following is a good step-by-step guide to unlock the bootloader and install custom recovery. Note, that you do not need to root, in order to install TWRP, or flash a custom ROM. So stop before you get to the step of root (flash SuperSU). Also, the version of TWRP you install should be current (3.1) or alternately 2.8.7 (which is a known "old reliable) version).
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2799796
Like I said, it is overwhelming to someone who does not know all of the lingo. Especially when I know that if I mess up at certain intervals, I could very well turn my phone into a shiny paperweight or small cocaine tray.
No, you actually can't. Your fear of bricking the phone (permanent damage) is unfounded. As with s-on, this phone is nearly impossible to brick. The phone is fully recoverable even if you screw up; since for what you describe, you are only touching a limited number of partitions (system which is the OS, and recovery). As long as you don't mess with "critical" partitions like hboot and radio, you can't actually brick this phone. And those partitions are actually protected, and you can't modify them even if you wanted, unless you s-off. So all the more reason to stay s-on, as I described in the other thread you posted in here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=74107487&postcount=100
To make matters more difficult, I do not have an internet connection other than on my phone. Anything that needs to go on my PC, I have to download it to my phone first, then transfer it over, then install it.
but I am just not at the level where I can guess which things go where and If I temporarily render my phone unusable, I won't be able to easily go online to find the fix, nor will I be able to download anything else, if needed.
That part is difficult. While possible, doing what you describe is somewhat risky with no other device for internet. At some point, it's almost inevitable for anyone tinkering these phones, that something will go wrong. Either you forget a step, or you can't boot for no mistake of your own, at all. Even having done this stuff for years, it still happens to be, once in a while. It just happens. So without a way to ask for help, or download files, you can get stuck in a bad jam. You'll need to have some backup plan, even if it's a friend or family, letting you use their computer as a last resort.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stick with it. Keep reading up, and trying to learn the basic terms, concepts, tools, and methods. I know it seems overwhelming, but it will all start to make sense. You really can't (and shouldn't) try doing these things, until you have some basic understanding. You wouldn't ask someone to tell you how to tear the engine out of a car, without knowing how any tools work, or what any of the parts of the car are called.
I would also suggest you refer to my (AT&T M8) index thread. It has a lot of links and basic info, you may find useful: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2751432

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