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[Guide] All in one 'Namaste guide' to Bootloader unlocking, Rooting, Flashing & more.

[Guide] All in one 'Namaste guide' to Bootloader unlocking, Rooting, Flashing & more.
So you got an Arc!!!! Congratulations on being an owner of this beauty with brains. It’s a great phone if you know how to make the most of it. Damn!!! That’s the problem. You don’t know what to do. Google led you to XDA Forums and you are lost in this techy - geeky world of Rooting, Modding and Unlocking. DON’T WORRY. Let’s go on an intellectual yet fun guide on WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU OWN A XPERIA ARC.
[Please push thanks and if possible donate to Lollylost100, Chainfire, kistigun, Androxyde, Bin4ry, constin, Blagus and many such genius’s at XDA without whom we may not be able to move even an inch with this guide].
Feel free to ask anything which you think is not clear to you, i'll be there to help. There is a thanks button on your screen waiting to be pressed & You can always donate to help me get a new phone .
Ques -What the hell is a bootloader?
According to Wikipedia – “When a computer (Your smartphone - Arc) is first powered on, it usually does not have an operating system in memory (ROM or RAM). The computer (phone) must execute a relatively small program stored in memory from which the operating system programs and data are loaded into RAM. The small program that starts this sequence of loading into RAM is known as a bootstrap loader, bootstrap or boot loader. This small boot loader program's only job is to load other data and programs which are then executed from RAM.”
Ques – Ok. So what is meant by unlocking the bootloader and why do I need it?
Every Android phone has a bootloader that instructs the operating system kernel to boot normally. But you need to understand one thing here that as Android OS is an open source OS and is available on a variety of different hardware, every manufacturer (Sony Ericsson – SE, in case of xperia arc) has their own version of bootloader specific for the hardware present in it’s environment. A bootloader is usually locked on an Android device because although it’s an open source OS, still the manufacturers (SE) want you to stick to their Android OS version specifically designed for the device. In order to apply this concept, SE lock the bootloader.
If you want to install a Custom ROM, you’d need to have your stock bootloader unlocked. In simple terms Unlocking the bootloader allows you to install custom Firmware on your Android phone. [Source - [URL]http://www.addictivetips.com/[/URL]
Ques – Got it. But what on earth is a firmware and what is meant by installing a custom ROM (or whatever you call it)?
An operating system (OS) is a piece of software which provides environment for various applications (Yes, the ones you download and enjoy from Android market) to run. For instance, Windows 7/Vista/XP or Macintosh or Linux are nothing but OS’s. A firmware/ ROM is a term used for the operating systems designed for phones. A stock/generic firmware/ROM is an OS on your phone which is developed by Sony Ericsson and comes pre-loaded when you got your phone. A custom ROM is a modified firmware where modifications can vary from modifying the speed of firmware or making it look beautiful.
Ques – Ok. So quickly tell me how to unlock my Xperia Arc’s bootloader and install a beautiful Custom ROM.
Not so fast dear. I described a deal about bootloader and benefits of its unlocking but let’s get practical. There are disadvantages of unlocking the Xperia Arc’s bootloader.
1. Important – If you unlock your phone’s bootloader, you MAY void your warranty from Sony Ericsson.
2. You will loose the DRM keys present in your phone. DRM keys are (sort of) licence files which are required in order for SE’s custom developed apps like Track ID to work. In short you will loose Track ID and some other SE based apps.
3. You will not be able to update your phone by SE's official programs (SEUS and/or PC comapnion).
Ques - Ohh!! So this means that I should never unlock the bootloader of my ARC, what a waste of my smarty phone.
Looks like I’d scared you with this voiding the warranty stuff (sometimes I scare myself too, don’t worry...). We have so far discussed the disadvantages of unlocking the bootloader, let's look at some of the major advantages -
1. All the updates released by Sony Ericsson will be available to you within a few hours of their release irrespective of your country of purchase or country of usage of the phone.
2. You will be able to root your phone (read the questions below to know more about rooting) much faster than any other method available.
3. Few custom ROMs are in their final stages of testing. By unlocking the bootloader you will be able to run those ROMs on your Xperia Arc.
Ques – Hmm, so this means that once I unlock the bootloader of my Arc, I will never be able to run Track ID or update my phone using SEUS/PC companion.
Well, there is a catch. The catch is that you can Relock your bootloader anytime you want. All you need to do is to follow these steps –
1. Go to Blagus's post at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1134335 to download Xperia_Relock_Bootloader.ftf file.
2. Follow steps 2 to 7 of the question ("I am still not ready to unlock my bootloader. So guide me how to perform rooting on my locked Xperia Arc.") given below to flash the Xperia_Relock_bootloader.ftf file to your phone.
3. You should be on a relocked bootloader. To confirm, try to use repair function in pc companion or SEUS. If these official programs update/repair your phone, then you had successfully relocked your bootloader.
4. Thanks to itskapil for a video guide at [GUIDE] How To Re-lock Xperia Arc Boot Loader.
Ques – Woooo. Thank you for the information. But Vaibhav, if warranty gets void by unlocking the bootloader and we have a method of relocking the bootloader, then why are we worried about this?
You little genius. Look, I agree that you can relock the bootloader and unlock it as many times you want, but you should always keep in mind that –
1. Even if you will certainly revert back to your initially locked state and hence technically you are not voiding the warranty...,
2. still, you can’t get your DRM keys to work once they are gone .
So, in other words, you can relock your bootloader any number of times but you can’t get Track ID to ever work on your phone. So, if you don’t like Track ID or you can live with alternatives (Shazam works like a charm, why bother about Track ID?), unlocking the bootloader is a really good choice.
Ques – Who cares about Track ID or facebook ‘like button’, android market is full of alternatives. Can you please tell me how to unlock bootloader in little detail?
Sure. I will recommend you to follow this lollylost100’s awesome guide. There is a link to step by step video of unlocking the Arc by ItsKapil . Make sure you watch that too.
For those who got their phone by a carrier can't unlock their bootloader officially, by the above mentioned method. In that case, just follow any of these two guides -
1. Paid unlocking - Remote unlocking
2. Paid unlocking - Remote unlocking
Ques – Hmmm. Done unlocking the bootloader. But my gut feeling says this is not the end. Isn’t it vaibhavknockout?
Bingo. You are absolutely right. Now, rooting and modding and theming comes in picture. The real fun begins.
Ques – Can you brief me on rooting?
In tech world, you can access any file in two modes –
1. Either as a basic user who can just read the file but is not allowed to change it in any way, or
2. As an administrator/Root who can read, write and execute any file in the OS/firmware.
When you get a fresh copy of any OS (e.g. Windows, Mac, Linux etc.) or a firmware (e.g. Android 2.3.X aka Gingerbread on your phone), the OS treats you as a basic user. Rooting is a procedure which grants you the administrator/superuser/root/su permissions so that you can modify any file inside your Android OS. Afterall you should be the one to decide the ‘flavour’ of your gingerbread.
Ques – So this means that I can change system files by rooting. Big deal. What can I possibly do by changing the system files and can we discuss the disadvantages of rooting (and advantages – if any…).
Believe me rooting is a big deal. Here are THE things you can do if your phone is rooted –
1. You can remove bloatware. Bloatware are those crappy apps that comes pre – loaded inside your Xperia Arc (e.g. LetsGolf, Whatsapp, Timescape, postcard, playnow etc.) by SE or your carrier which can’t be uninstalled, which usually drains your battery most of the time and which make your phone slower and laggy.
2. You can get any SE official firmware. This means that if someone like me is having an Indian generic firmware and want to install a generic UK firmware, rooting will allow me to do so (totally officially via SEUS or PC companion). This also means that you can debrand your carrier locked phone to use sim free phone.
3. You can customize your statusbar, lockscreen, bootanimation, homescreen etc. if you are rooted.
Ques – Vaibhav I don’t want to unlock the bootloader (just don’t feel like) but I want to perform rooting on my Xperia Arc. Can I do that?
YES. You can do that. To summarize, you can have locked bootloader and still root your phone. The advantages of rooting is that you can mod your phone without worrying about unlocking the bootloader stuff. You can unroot your phone anytime you want. As far as disadvantages are concerned there is none.
Ques – WoW!!! So guide me how to perform rooting on Xperia Arc.
Note – It is always advised to back up your contacts and other data before trying out any of the following steps. Be ready to wipe your phone to get a clean better firmware. I repeat – IT IS ABSOLUTELY SAFE AND ADVANTAGEOUS TO ROOT YOUR PHONE.
There are two modes of rooting Xperia Arc depending upon whether your bootloader is locked or unlocked. Read next few questions for further details.
Ques – I am still not ready to unlock my bootloader. So guide me how to perform rooting on my locked Xperia Arc.
Don’t worry. XDA’s big brains have developed something called a FLASHTOOL. It will help you getting a rooted 2.3.4.
1. Go to Jozinek’s post on [ROM]Generic LT15i (Arc) 4.0.2.A.0.42 (1247-1041) (Android 2.3.4) and follow the link named ‘http://multiupload.com/xxxx’ to download official SE world firmware/ROM. Unzip the file and save the LT15i_4.0.2.A.0.42.ftf file in a folder.
2. Go to Androxyde’s post at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=920746 and download the latest version (0.4.1.0) of flashtool.
3. Run the autoextractor in a folder.
4. Download LT15.rar file (attached to this post below) and copy "LT15.sin" to "loaders" folder in flashtool. You can skip this step safely.
5. Copy your “LT15i_4.0.2.A.0.42.ftf” in the "firmwares" folder.
6. Run X10Flashtool.exe (as administrator in case you are working on windows 7/Vista).
7. Follow steps in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Keo61Zffh5Q to flash the LT15i_4.0.2.A.0.42 firmware on your phone. The video asks you to download firmware and flashtool, keep in mind that you already did that in steps 1-6 above.
8. After flashing, restart phone and check your Android version, you will be on 2.3.4.
9. Now go to ‘settings’, ‘Applications’ and tap ‘Development’. Tap ‘Unknown sources’ and ‘USB debugging’ to tick on them.
10. Connect the phone (in running state) back to the computer in media transfer mode. Flashtool should detect your phone now. Press the root button on top left side of flashtool and wait(just a button tap and you are done) to root your phone on latest 2.3.4 firmware.
11. Similarly, install superuser and busybox via flashtool. The phone should now be running a rooted 2.3.4.
Ques – I have already unlocked the bootloader of my phone. How can I perform rooting on my Xperia Arc?
Congratulations. Now that you have unlocked the bootloader of your phone, you have opened a way for yourself into an awesomely wonderful world of modding your Xperia Arc. Before we move any further, let's review some techy-geeky concepts -
1. Partitions – Just like the human brain, a computer needs to store data for performing different functions. Again, a computer also has memory, similar to human brain. But unlike the human brain, a computer possesses two different sets of memories. One is relatively permanent and is called as ROM (Read only memory, should not be confused with android ROMs), the other is volatile and is referred to as RAM (Random access memory/ cache memory).
Our Xperia Arc (or any other smartphone for that matter – even iPhone ) also has two memory system. But unlike computers, smartphones have a single physical memory disk, since it is not feasible to have two different physical memory disks in a small portable device like our phone. To provide the two memory architecture, the single physical memory disk is PARTITIONED into two or more virtual disks. This is similar to the fact that although Asia (or any other continent) is a single continuous physical land surface (you need to ignore mountains and rivers ), virtual boundaries make different countries. These virtual memory disks are known as partitions.
2. Boot sector/boot partition (“/boot”)– When your phone (Arc) starts, the bootloader (you know what a bootloader is, right. What, you were sleeping!!) needs to start a boot program (known as a kernel) which further guides the rest of the system to start in sequence (the Sony Ericsson text that appears when you start your Arc is what you have as a kernel). This boot program is stored in a memory partition known as boot sector or boot partition.
3. Cache partition (“/cache”)– A cache partition (as discussed above) is a memory disk space which is volatile. This means that it stores programs temporarily onto it, until the program is executed. The moment a program is no longer needed, it is erased from cache and loaded back to a relatively permanent storage called system partition, where it stays (until user decides to erase it).
4. System partition (“/system”)– All the files and applications that are visible to you in your phone (including all the system files like settings, app drawer etc.) are stored on a disk partition known as system partition.
5. Data partition (“/data”)– Did you ever wondered as to why is it that when you save a setting or install an app, it remains as it is even when you turn off the phone? This happens because all of it is saved in the data partition of memory disk.
6. Recovery partition (“/recovery”)– Recovery is another boot program (kernel) that is added by a manufacture (Sony – Ericsson in our case) to perform restoration and damage control if something goes wrong in the system simply by booting into recovery and skipping the normal kernel boot. Recovery program is usually stored in a partition called recovery partition. Developers utilize this partition to boot their own custom recovery kernels to provide us much advanced functionalities like – Backup, Restore and Flashing to name few important ones. To read more about recoveries follow this.
7. Fastboot – Fastboot is a tool which is used to flash, erase, reboot or boot into a particular boot program (kernel). It is also used to unlock the bootloader. It is a part of Android debug bridge (ADB) supplied by google.
You must have downloaded and installed fastboot into a directory/folder when you had unlocked your bootloader. If you have an unlocked bootloader and you don't know how to install fastboot, watch this video by itskapil. You can download fastboot from a link given in lollylost100's guide.
If you are a MAC user and want to install fastboot follow this guide by im_bol2riz.
To root your phone, simply follow the previous question "I am still not ready to unlock my bootloader. So guide me how to perform rooting on my locked Xperia Arc." to root your unlocked ARC (Yes, the one click method is same for unlocked and locked bootloader phones!, beauty of flashtool!).
Alternatively, after you have downloaded and installed fastboot, just follow these steps to root your phone -
1. – Flash any desired stock ROM for Xperia Arc (download 2.3.4 update from link given in "1." of previous question - "I am still not ready to unlock my bootloader. So guide me how to perform rooting on my locked Xperia Arc.") using flashtool (read the question - "I am still not ready to unlock my bootloader. So guide me how to perform rooting on my locked Xperia Arc." to know how to flash a stock ROM using flashtool). This step is optional if you want to root your current stock ROM.
2. – Download attachments below titled recoveryARC.img and RootXperia.zip. Thanks to jlmcr87 and his post. Copy and paste the file recoveryARC.img to the fastboot folder (folder containing fastboot.exe). Also, transfer the file RootXperia.zip 'as it is' to your SD card.
3. - Open the fastboot folder. Right click on the folder background while pressing shift key on windows PC. Click "Open command window here".
4. - A black cmd window will open. Type in the following command - "fastboot.exe boot recoveryARC.img".
5. - Switch off your phone, connect to the USB cable while holding the menu button (rightmost of the three buttons on Arc). A blue led should light up (It is an indicator of entering in fastboot mode).
6. - Let the process run. Look at the cmd window. If it says the process is complete, remove the USB cable.
7. - On your phone, a menu should appear. This is Clockworkmod/ CWM recovery menu (more about this in later questions). Use volume down key to go to 'install zip from SD card' and enter by pressing camera button.
8. - Choose 'RootXperia.zip' where you've stored it on your SD card. Accept the prompt.
9. - Let the process run until it says that it installed the zip.
10. - Go back to the main menu by either pressing back button or entering into '+++Go Back+++'.
11. - Enter 'reboot system now'. When rebooted, you will have a rooted stock firmware.
Ques – Ok. So I am now rooted. Tell me how to remove bloatware from my phone.
Good. Now you are talking like a pro. Follow these steps to remove bloatware –
1. Download and install Root Explorer from android market. It’s a paid app worth buying.
2. Create backup folder on your memory card - Open Root Explorer, browse to the ‘sdcard’ directory. Press the button at the top so it is ‘Mounted as r/w’ (button will turn to Mount R/O). Create a backup folder on ‘sdcard’ (press menu button and tap “New Folder” icon). Name it anything you want, we have named ours ‘Backup’. This is the folder that we will move the unwanted apps to. By moving it to the memory card, the Android OS will not see them. The backup means that should anything go wrong you can easily move them back.
3. Go to the app directory - Using Root Explorer, browse to the app directory ‘system/app’. Here you will find a list of all of the apps installed, including all those unwanted ones too. The settings button brings up an option for ‘Multi-select’. This will be used to easily move multiple files.
4. Select apps to remove - The next job is to select which apps you want to remove. Go to Flo95's post [Tutorial] Remove Junk Apps + List (4.0.A.2.368, 4.0.1.A.0.283 & 4.0.2.A.0.42) and find the list of apps which are junk as per your phone's firmware version. You can also follow constin’s post at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1089470 and look under section "Safe to remove" for a list of apps which are safe to remove from xperia Arc.
5. Click on the settings button and hit ‘Multi-select’. Select all the apps listed under safe to remove files and then press ‘Move’.
6. Move unwanted apps to backup directory - Now using Root Explorer, browse to your backup folder on your memory card. Make sure the setting at the top is ‘Mounted as r/w’. Then click ‘Paste’. All of the chosen files will then be moved from ‘system/app’ to your memory card.
7. ENJOY YOUR EXTENDED BATTERY LIFE AND FASTER ARC!!!!
Ques – I am loving it……ok, guide me on what are the official SE firmwares and how can I change from one firmware to another?
Note - By following the procedure mentioned below, you can easily debrand your carrier sim locked phone, which means that you will remove any carrier logo, bloatware and other carrier imposed stuff (Except of course, the sim lock).
Well, SE releases its firmwares in different countries with slight differences in number of bloatwares. The one we used for rooting guide (in above mentioned question) is a global world firmware. For instance, for the Android 2.3.3 firmwares the UK o2 firmware is believed to contain least amount of bloatwares and is believed to be the fastest.
As mentioned in an earlier question on rooting, you can search for official firmwares in the XDA forums on Xperia Arc in the ROM.ftf format and flash them directly using Flashtool. A good place to start out is [INDEX]: Arc & Neo - full firmware guide! by Ambroos. Choose wisely.
If you don’t get your desired firmware, there is also a roundabout to this method for phone’s with locked bootloaders. Using Root Explorer (mentioned in previous question on removing bloatware), follow these steps –
1. Go to kistigun’s post at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1082368 and select your desired customization number (e.g. I chose United Kingdom Generic 1247-1073).
2. Open root explorer and go to \system and open the build.prop file in the text editor and change the following three lines:
*ro.product.name=LT15i_XXXX-XXXX
*ro.build.fingerprint=SEMC/LT15i_XXXX-XXXX/
*ro.semc.version.cust=XXXX-XXXX
Change the XXXX-XXXX into the customization number of your desired firmware (1247-1073 for my UK generic selection).
3. Press the menu button and save & exit. Reboot the phone.
4. If you are using pc companion, run it & on your computer and go to:
For windows XP users- C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Sony Ericsson\Update Engine\db\13740270\
Or For windows 7 users - C:\ProgramData\Sony Ericsson\Update Engine\db\13740270
5. And delete the blob_fs folder.
6. If you’re using SEUS, run it & on your computer go to:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Sony Ericsson\Update Service\db\13740270\
7. And delete the blob_fs folder.
8. Shut down your phone. Use SEUS for update or use the repair function in pc companion (You know how to use pc companion). Reboot and enjoy your new firmware.
[Source - [GUIDE]Easy way to brand/debrand or change firmware]
Ques – Hey, you said that if I unlock my bootloader, I would be able to try out different ROMs and stuff available for my Arc? How to do that?
Hold that for a minute. Let us first discuss some basic questions –
1. What is meant by flashing a kernel and recovery? – As previously explained, a kernel is a boot program that calls the rest of the system files in sequence when the phone starts. By default, when your phone starts, your bootloader looks for this program in boot partition. In a special case, bootloader can call a different special kernel known as recovery stored at a different place called recovery partition.
2. What the hell on earth is Clockworkmod? – Also known as clockwork and CWM, Clockworkmod recovery is one of the most widely used custom Android recoveries that is available for most mainstream Android devices (including our Xperia Arc). It allows you to perform several advanced recovery, restoration, installation and maintenance operations on your Android device that aren’t possible with the stock recovery. ClockworkMod recovery has been developed by Koushik Dutta (also known as Koush) – the same guy who brought us the Android ROM Manager (I am proud to be an Indian ).
3. What is Cyanogenmod? – Also known as CM, Cyanogenmod is an aftermarket modification of android OS which includes all the basic functionalities of android (as released by Google) with many added functionalities like inbuilt theme chooser. Current release of Cyanogenmod is CM7 based on android 2.3.5.
4. What is FreeXperia? – Cyanogenmod is not available for all the android devices but a few. The Xperia range of handsets by Sony Ericsson is not supported officially by CM. FreeXperia or FXP in short is a joint venture started by a handful of genuises at XDA to provide CM7 to our Xperia devices.
5. What is meant by overclocking? – CPU of a computer or a smartphone processes a huge amount of information at very high rates. The rate of processing of information (speed of a computer or snappiness of a smartphone) is governed by its clock frequency. We all know that hardwares are fabricated with a maximum limit and a safe limit. Overclocking is to shoot up from a safer limit (clock frequency of CPU) to hardware's external maximum limit. It gives you faster hardware but mostly working more than it is designed to work, hence heating and damage risks. I personally don't like the idea of pushing hardwares too much.
6. What is this Doomkernel? – Doomkernel is a supersmart kernel which is designed for our Xperia Arc by doomlord (he is a member of XDA ). It has a lot of functionalities over stock kernel such as CWM recovery, overclocking, voltage change and many more.
Continued in third post

Wow, thank you for putting it together so nicely! Love you for that post. xD
I think I'll finally try to get root on my 2.3.3. over this weekend.

Continued from first post
Ques – If your lecture is over, may I know how to change ROMs on my Xperia Arc?
For locked bootloaders, you can’t use custom ROMs. Flashing stock ROMs by SE is already described in a previous question. For unlocked bootloaders, all you need to do is this –
1. – Flash any kernel having working recovery. I will recommend using the same kernel as provided in the thread of the custom ROM but Doomkernel works well for most of them. Download latest version of kernel.img from Doomlord’s post (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1172885) here and use fastboot as described in a previous question to flash kernel.img. Use this command – “fastboot.exe flash boot kernel.img”.
2. – If you want to flash FXP’s latest release of CM7, download the package from the original thread here. The package will contain a boot.img (recovery kernel) and a CM7.zip file. Flash boot.img using fastboot same as above.
3. – Custom ROMs are usually available as zip files. Just download the ROM.zip file and place it anywhere on your SD card.
4. – Turn off the phone and turn it on. While the first logo/text appears on screen, press down volume key several times until a recovery menu appears.
5. – Install update from SD card as described above in question – “I have already unlocked the bootloader of my phone. How can I perform rooting on my Xperia Arc?”. This time choose the ROM.zip that you have just placed on your SD card.
6. – Restart the phone when done and enjoy your new ROM.
7. – Remember, ideally you need to flash doomkernel or any other recovery kernel just once. Once it is there, you can directly go and download any ROM.zip from Xperia Arc’s development section and use same recovery to flash any ROM.
8. – Since most of the ROMs are in testing stages, it is recommended at the moment to use the specific instructions given in the respective threads of the ROMs.
Ques – Wow, look at that… I just installed a new FXP CM7 based ROM on my Arc and it looks awesome. I wish I could just take a complete backup of my current ROM before trying out something else?
You name it and we have it. CWM recovery also has a popular functionality of taking “Nandroid backups”. This means that if you backup your ROM in its current state, everything in your ROM (your apps, games levels, contacts and even messages) are saved in the form of a backup called Nandroid backup. You can take a backup of your stable favourite ROM, try out a newly released ROM and revert back anytime later to your previous ROM in EXACTLY the same state as it was at the time of backup. To take Nandroid backups, all you need to do is this –
1. – Flash a recovery kernel as explained in the question above.
2. – Go to ‘Backup and Restore’ in the recovery menu.
3. – Enter restore and accept when prompted.
4. – Once done, if you start your phone and check the SD card contents, your backup will be stored in CWM folder on your SD card.
To restore later, all you need to do is this –
1. – Enter the recovery menu.
2. – Enter ‘Backup and restore’, ‘restore’ and then choose the date when you have taken a backup.
3. – Restart when finished.
To be continued

I have 3.0.1.A.0.145 on my Arc
Is it ok to follow kistiguns guide even with 3.0.1.A.0.145?
regards

A space between sentences would make it much easier to read, like where you've numbered certain points.
Sent from my LT15i using XDA App

XperienceD said:
A space between sentences would make it much easier to read, like where you've numbered certain points.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Done.....thanks for the suggestion XperienceD.

hasse_e said:
I have 3.0.1.A.0.145 on my Arc
Is it ok to follow kistiguns guide even with 3.0.1.A.0.145?
regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gingerbreak used a loophole in gingerbread 2.3 to gain root access. Google removed the security loophole in android 2.3.4 while smart-asses at SE incorporated that in 2.3.3 update of Xperia Arc.
So, currently there is no straight way to directly root Android 2.3.3. Hence it is advised at the moment to flash back to 2.3.2 (using flashtool as mentioned in the guide above) and then root the phone. After that just update your phone OTA (over the air - again as mentioned in the Namaste guide above) to retain your root access with 2.3.3.
Its easy, just try it out and feel free to ask for any further help.

vaibhavknockout said:
2. ... Also, once you’ve unlocked your Arc’s bootloader, there is no way in hell you can lock it back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Things are moving faster than your guide
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1134335

hush66 said:
Things are moving faster than your guide
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1134335
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lolz.....Totally agree with you, things here at XDA are unpredictable.....So finally we got a bootloader relocking method.....great news. Updated the guide with the same.
Thank you for the amendment.

vaibhavknockout said:
Gingerbreak used a loophole in gingerbread 2.3 to gain root access. Google removed the security loophole in android 2.3.4 while smart-asses at SE incorporated that in 2.3.3 update of Xperia Arc.
So, currently there is no straight way to directly root Android 2.3.3. Hence it is advised at the moment to flash back to 2.3.2 (using flashtool as mentioned in the guide above) and then root the phone. After that just update your phone OTA (over the air - again as mentioned in the Namaste guide above) to retain your root access with 2.3.3.
Its easy, just try it out and feel free to ask for any further help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was rooted in 2.3.2, but updated with Companion to 2.3.3
I will give it a try as you suggest
Thanx

vaibhavknockout said:
Done.....thanks for the suggestion XperienceD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome, much better.

Wow man you are awesome.... Thanks....
Akhir indian hi indian ki madad kar sakta hai.....

Bhambya said:
Wow man you are awesome.... Thanks....
Akhir indian hi indian ki madad kar sakta hai.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sahi kaha dost......and u r always welcome.

dude i triead the superoneclick step..my FW is uk and flash it back to 184 uk and use super1clik for rooting,which one should i should use for the exploit psneuter or gingerbreak,,,after i did that OTA the phone but still not yet rooted what went wrong?what am i missing?

elnitrox said:
dude i triead the superoneclick step..my FW is uk and flash it back to 184 uk and use super1clik for rooting,which one should i should use for the exploit psneuter or gingerbreak,,,after i did that OTA the phone but still not yet rooted what went wrong?what am i missing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh? You should be using GingerBreak and not SuperOneClick.

Yup ill be doing it tonight..hope things will go smoothly

elnitrox said:
dude i triead the superoneclick step..my FW is uk and flash it back to 184 uk and use super1clik for rooting,which one should i should use for the exploit psneuter or gingerbreak,,,after i did that OTA the phone but still not yet rooted what went wrong?what am i missing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not sure whether superoneclick works for this exploit. What you need to do is to flash back to 184 UK, root using gingerbreak (as is also pointed out already by hush66) and then perform OTA. That's what is confirmed to work.
See you on rooted 2.3.3.

thank you my friend =) really nice topic =)

Hi vaibhavknockout,
i've 2.3.3, i used your guide to downgrade to 2.3.2 using flashtool then updated again using WiFi, but still i'm unable to remove system components! like the chinese keyboard!!
what's wrong? please help...

use titanium backup..backup and uninstall..

Galaxy Tab GT-P1010 (WiFi Only) NooB Guide

Galaxy Tab GT-P1010 NooB Guide - Last Revised 2012-02-29
2013-03-09 - SEE POST 9 FOR IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Revisions
2012-02-27 - Initial Publication
2012-02-29 - Added Firmware Download, Thread Consolidation, Custom ROM's, Flashing Stock Firmware and Q&A Section(s)
Post Summary
In this thread I will attempt to outline the details I know of regarding the Galaxy Tab GT-P1010. I feel this is a necessary thread because this device is NOT the same as the various other devices that garner so much attention within this forum and I personally experianced quite a difficult time searching to find the questions to my answers as they releated to this device in particular. While it is my opinion that this device should have it's own sub-forum, I do not believe it is popular enough. This said I feel that it is a fairly solid device and if you are like me, you are somewhat lost in in finding the approriate information. Hopefully this thread will be informative and popular enough that it may get stickied so us lowly 1010 users can find the information they are looking for. I am an active XDA member and will do my best to keep this thread updated as new information & techniques become available. If you see some information that you feel should be included do not hesitate to bring same to my attention and I will update the OP's accordinglly. These Instructions are for use on Windows machines even though I personally use a Mac. If you are in the same boat, I recomend running windows within a Virtual Machine (VM). I use Parallels but VirtualBox is a free alternative. Mac and or Linux only instructions may follow at a later date, but honestly a majority of users use Windows so I'm starting there. Without further a do, let's get started.
GT-P1010 Device Specifications
The GT-P1010 is also know as the "Wi-Fi Only" 7" Galaxy Tab. It differs from a majority of the devices in this forum because it has NO 3G or cellular capabilities. The hardware of the device is also different enough from the 3G/Cellular versions, that the Development going on for these other devices will NOT work for it. The GT-P1010 is unfortunately considered a "forgotten" device and even Samsung has seemingly abandoned providing updates for it. This is particularlly evident within the United States (US), however other Countries, speciffically the United Kingdom (UK) have been seeing updates. For the record I am the owner of a US version and this guide was written using my experiance on that device.
A complete list of specifications can be viewed from Samsung's US Website HERE
MD5 Sums
When downloading files from the internet is extremly important that you verify the download was complete and not corrupted. Insuring this can avoid troubleshooting issues that may simply be because of a bad file. All files available from this post will have an MD5 sum next to them. To verify that your file is EXACTLY the same as the file on the server you will need to run it through an MD5 checker. These checkers are available freely over the internet and Mac OS X even has one built in. I'm not going to make this post about how to run these programs but have included a few links below to get you started. A complete explanation of MD5 Sums can be found at Wikipedia.
WinMD5Free
Drivers - Samsung KIES
In order to perform updates to your P-1010 you need to be able to communicate with the device via a USB cable. While there are stand-alone USB drivers available, I chose to install Samsung's "KIES" application so that I could see if any updates were being pushed directly from Samsung. The KIES program also offers additional functionality to allow you to sync various media on your device. This functionality may or may not be needed for all users but by installing the software you are also guaranteed that the drivers needed to communicate with the device are installed on your machine. The US Samsung KIES site can be accessed HERE but I have included a direct link to the latest Windows Version below.
Kies_2.2.0.12014_18_7 ---- MD5 Sum: 7116aa29ce9df3dc2e916128c9c0aa4c
Download the file and double click it to install KIES and the drivers to you system. Once this is acomplished running the program will present you with a screen similar to the one below:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
ODIN
ODIN is a utility that communicates with your device when it is in Download Mode (see below). This utility allows you to flash different firmware and other files to your Galaxy Tab. A screenshot of ODIN running is posted below.
To Run ODIN you will need to download and Un-zip the following file. Once this is acomplished you can run the program by simply double clicking the .EXE file "Odin3 v1.85.exe" which will be inside the un-zipped (extracted) folder. The program does NOT get "installed" and this section is just an overview of the tool. Additional steps on when to use it, and how, will be included in the appropriate sections below.
Odin3-v1.85.zip. ---- MD5 Sum: 414e3af7c4c01e21527aeaab65e68a75
Download Mode
Initiating Download Mode
To communicate with ODIN the device needs to be placed into Download Mode. This is accomplished (from an OFF condition) by holding the Volume Down button + the Power Button at the same time until Download Mode is activated. I have found that the easiest way to do this is to press and hold the Volume Down button and then press and hold the Power Button. Download mode will activate within a couple of seconds and your device will indicate such by presenting you with the following screen. As soon as that happens you can release both buttons.
Exiting Download Mode
If you flash any updated files to your Tab using the procedures outlined below, the device will accept the files and reboot on it's own thereby exiting download mode. If you find that you have entered download mode when you did not intend to use ODIN to flash files, you can EXIT download mode by Holding the Power Button for about 10 seconds. The device will then turn off and when you turn it back on it will boot normally. This can be a little scary considering the warning stating "Do Not Turn of the Target". This warning can be ignored and it is actually telling you not to turn it off while files are being written to it.
Connecting Device to ODIN
To play it safe, I recomend that you try connecting your device to KIES FIRST just to insure that the drivers have been installed properly. If KIES can recognize the device then so can ODIN. Simply open KIES and connect the device to your computer via the USB cable. Once you see that KIES is communicating with the Tab you can close KIES and disconnect the Device from the USB. This will only need to be done once, again, just to make sure the communication is working. Once you are satisfied that it is ....
Run ODIN by double clicking the executable file as outlined above. Place the device in download mode as outlined above. Connect the device to the computer using the USB cable. You will then notice that ODIN has found and is communicating with your device because the ID:COM field will turn yellow and assign a COM port to your device. This COM port will vary by user so don't be alarmed if you personally don't see "COM5" as shown in the screenshot below. As long as this field turns yellow you are good to go.
Recovery Mode - Stock
A stock Tab has a built in recovery mode that will allow you to perform a factor reset on the device and other "maintenance". This mode is entered (from an OFF condition) by holding the Volume Up button + the Power Button at the same time until you see the Samsung Logo, then Release the Power button but continue to hold the Volume up button until Recovery Mode is activated and your device presents you with the following screen. As soon as that happens you can release the Volume Up button. Once Recovery is activated you can toggle through the menu items by using the Volume up & Volume down buttons. To execute a selection use either the Power OR Home Button. It is the Power button on my device but this apparently varies on some models.
Rooting
If you are here on XDA then you are probably interested in "Rooting" your device. Rooting has many advantages and certain Market Applications will only work if you have these Root Powers. The US version of the Stock GT-P1010 is currently running the Froyo version of the Android Operating System. A Gingerbread version has not been officially released and may never be. We will deal with upgrading to Gingerbread later in the Tutorial. For now, if you want to Root your device running Froyo (My device had Build: Froyo.UEKC6), you can follow these steps:
1. Download the application Z4Root from the following link:
Z4Root.1.3.0.zip ---- MD5 Sum: 077974421412b25089289acdc763b1c1
2. Unzip the archive to Extract the file : "z4root.1.3.0.apk"
3. Connect your Tab to the PC and initiate "Mass Storage Mode"
Connect USB Cable
Drag down Status Bar and Click "USB Connected" under the ongoing tasks
Click "Turn on USB Storage"
Your device should mount and be available as a Removable Drive in Windows
4. Copy the .apk file from step 2 to your device
It doesn't matter where you put this file. Just remember where so you can find it in the next step(s)
The easiest place would be the "root" of the Removable Disk
5. Enable "Unknown Sources" on your Tab
Settings >> Applications >> Check Unknown Sources Box
6. Enable "USB Debugging" on your Tab
Settings >> Applications >> Development >> Check USB Debugging Box
7. Install Z4Root
Use any "file explorer" program on the Tab. You should have an application called "My Files". It will work fine
Navigate to the .apk file you put on the device in Step 4
Click the .apk file
Click Install
Application will install and you will have a Z4Root Icon in your app drawer
8. Setup Z4Root
Click the Z4Root Icon
You will be presented with two (2) Options. Temporary Root & Permanent Root
I chose Permanent Root but you could "try" it first if you like
In my case the device re-booted and I was rooted.
To test this I installed an application called Titanium Backup (see next Section).
Note: The Z4Root Icon will remain and if you open it again you will be given the option to"Un-Root".
Titanium Backup
Titanium Backup is a GREAT program that lets you backup all your applications as well as the user data that is used by them. For example your game progress, high scores, ETC. Titanium Backup REQUIRES Root access and in my opinion is reason enough to Root your device. There is a Free as well as a Paid version of this application. Let's install this program to verify that we have in fact "rooted" our device.
Installing and Checking for Root
Go to the market and search for Titanium Backup
Give the free version a try just to confrm Root. Simply install it from the market.
Once installed open the application and you should be presented with a dialog box stating that "Titanium Backup is requesting Super User Permissions".
Click allow and follow any on-screen instructions
You will eventually get to an "Overview" screen and should see that Root Access has a Green Checkmark next to it and that BusyBox was installed from the app.
Congratulations you are now rooted
Backing up Files
To backup your applications and user data using Titanium Backup follow the steps below:
Open Titanium Backup and click the Backup/Restore Tab near the top of the screen
A list of the applications installed on your device will appear
Click the Settings Drawer Hardware Key
Click Batch
Under the Backup section on the next screen click Run next to "Backup all User App + System Data"
On the next screen Select the applications you want to backup, They are ALL selected by default.
Make sure the "Pause Active App's" radio button is selected
Click "Run the batch operation" button
Congratulations. You have just performed an application Backup!
Saving your backup to your computer
There is no reason performing a backup if you are just going to leave it on your device. Obviously if something catastrophic were to happen, you would lose the backup as well. The backup files are located in the /sdcard/TitaniumBackup directory.
Initiate "Mass Storage" as outlined in the Rooting Section above.
Once the device is mounted navigate to the TitaniumBackup directory. Note: When mounted to the PC, the /sdcard directoy is the one mounted so TitaniumBackup should appear in the root of the Removable Disk.
Copy the entire TitaniumBackup Directory to your PC
You now have a folder that can be restored to your device allowing you to restore your applications without re-downloading them from the Market.
Remember to copy this folder to your computer after perfoming any future backups.
Restoring your applications
To restore your applications and user data using Titanium Backup make sure that the backup containing the files you wish to restore is located at /sdcard/TitaniumBackup and follow the steps below:
Open Titanium Backup and click the Backup/Restore Tab near the top of the screen
A list of the applications installed on your device will appear
Click the Settings Drawer Hardware Key
Click Batch
Under the Restore section on the next screen click Run next to "Restore missing apps with data"
On the next screen Select the applications you want to Restore, They are ALL selected by default.
Decide if you want to restore just the app, the app and it's data or just the data by clicking the appropriate radio button
Click "Run the batch operation" button
Follow the prompts to install each application
Congratulations. You have just perfored a restore
Note: Once we get into flashing custom Rom's in the sections that follow, sometimes restoring application "data" can be problematic. If you flash a new firmware or Rom and are experiancing issues with an application after restoring it's data, this may be the reason.
Custom Recovery - ClockWorkMod
In the section above we explained about the System Reovery that was built and installed by Samsung. This is great for restoring your system to an out of the box (OOB) condition but not for much else. In order to flash custom Rom's and perform Nandroid Backups we will need to replace the "stock" recovery with a Custom version. ClockWorkMod (CWM) is the recovery of choice for a majority of users and while there are "others" out there, only CWM has been made available for our devices. A Nandroid backup is an exact copy or "image" of your system and can be used to restore your system to the exact state it was in at the time you made the backup. So, lets get to installing CWM.
You will need to download the following file:
Skin1980_P1010_CWM-RECOVERY-BETA-1 ---- MD5 Sum: ca14360ee5f1eebd0efaec5adc77940e
Note: This file is only to be used if you are running the Froyo Version of Android
Using the information above put your device in Download Mode and connect it to ODIN
click the PDA button in ODIN and navigate to the file you just downloaded
Make sure your ODIN screen is setup and matched the screenshot below:
Click the "Start" button and watch your device and the "Message" section of ODIN. You will see some some text in the message center and your screen will show a progress indicator.
Once this completes your device will re-boot. It may boot directly to your new ClockWorkMod OR it might boot back into your operating system.
If it boots to the operating system you can get to CWM using the same procedure outlined in the "Stock" recovery section above. Volume up + Power.
Make sure you are booted into CWM and see the screen shown below:
Once you are in CWM the Volume Up / Down buttonas re used to navigate through the menu choices and the Settings Drawer Hardware ley is used to select an option. The Back hardware key also functions to go back to the previous menu but all screens also offer a "Go Back" choice. If you click the Power Button and are presented with a blank screen simply click it again and CWM will come back up. Now, lets make out first Nandroid Backup!
Making a Nandroid Backup
Navigate and Execute the "Backup and Restore" menu item
Navigate and Execute the "Backup" menu item
Sit back and wait for your backup to complete.
A progress indicator as well as some text will be flashing across the screen
When it completes you will see .. "Backup Complete"
That's it! Congratulations!
Saving your backup to your computer
Again, as with Titanium there is no reason performing a backup if you are just going to leave it on your device. The CWM backup files are located in the /sdcard/clockworkmod/backup directory. Inside this directory you will see a folder that is named based upon the date and time you performed the backup. For Example 2012-02-27.21.57.14 means that the backup was created on February 27, 2012 at 21:57:14. This is UTC time so make sure you add or subtract your UTC offset to get to "local" time.
Initiate "Mass Storage" as outlined in the Rooting Section above.
Once the device is mounted navigate to the clockworkmod/backup directory. Note: When mounted to the PC, the /sdcard directoy is the one mounted so clockworkmod directory should appear in the root of the Removable Disk.
Copy the folder containing your backup to your PC
You now have a folder that can be restored to your device allowing you to restore your system to the exact sate it was in at the time of the backup..
Remember to copy any future backups to your PC as Well.
Restoring a Nandroid Backup
To restore your system to it's nacked up state make sure that the backup containing the Nandroid you wish to restore is located at /sdcard/clockworkmod/backup and follow the steps below:
Boot into CWM
Navigate and Execute the "Backup and Restore" menu item
Navigate and Execute the "Restore" menu item
Sit back and wait for your restore to complete.
A progress indicator as well as some text will be flashing across the screen
When it completes you will see .. "Restore Complete"
Navigate to and execute the "Reboot System Now" menu item
Your device will reboot and you will be restored to the exact state your system was in when you made the backup
Mounting Mass Storage in CWM
In some instances you may be faced with a system that won't boot which makes getting your Nandroid Backup put back on your device problematic. Don't fear. Using CWM you can mount the USB Mass Storage without the need to be running the operating system. Here's how:
Boot into CWM
Plug your USB Cable into your PC
Navigate to and Execute the "Mounts and storage" menu item
Navigate to and Execute the "mount USB storage" menu item
The Device will mount and you will have access to it from your PC
Copy your Nandroid Backup to the clockworkmod/backup folder
Go "back"
Go "Back"
Go to "backup and restore"
Restore your Nandroid
Reboot
Welcome back to a running machine!!
Credit and Thanks
While I have compiled all the files, tested them, generated MD5 Sums and written this tutorial based upon my experiance, it should be noted that other users are responsible for the actual Development. If you think I have done a good job and find this information usefull Please click my "THANKS" button. It is not necessary to thank me by witing a seperate post and by not doing so you keep this thread clean and easy to find the information that others may be looking for You should also visit the following users, find a post or two from them and THANK them as well. Without them none of this would be possible.
Skin1980 for his Development of ClockWorkMod for the GT-P1010
RyanZA for his Development of Z4Root
motafoca for his Development of ClockWorkMod for the KPI Firmware
Donations
While I enjoy tinkering with devices and trying new methods, doing so can be time consuming. Compiling and witing this tutorial took me a considerable amount of time. I have also convieniently placed all the required files on an Ad-Free, Fast Download server so you can get them quick and don't need to hunt around. Mediafire was my server of choice but it is NOT free. I pay a monthly service charge to host on the server and this will also insure that the files are available now AND in the future. If you like my work and feel that it has helped you, I would appreciate a donation as a token of your appreciation. Simply click the button below or the "Donate to Me" button under my Username. Anything you can spare will be appreciated and go toward keeping the file sharing up and running as well as keep me interested in generating more tutorials. Thanks in advance!
Questions or Comments
If you have any questons or feel that certain information could be added or clarified, feel free to post them. I will do my best to check this thread often and assist you as best I can. Valid questions will be answered and added to the Q&A post below.

Firmware and Kernel's for P1010
This section will contain a list and download links for the various Firmware's available for the GT-P1010. As noted above the US version has been getting no love from Samsung with regard to updates. This is a shame and makes no sense to me considering the UK version HAS been actively updated. With this said however many users have been "flashing" the UK versions to their US Tab's with success.
SamMobile Firmware Page
Latest Firmware
Europe Firmware
Middle East Firmware
Compliments of Mod2Xtreme.com
Forum Post Link
Firmware Direct Links
P1010XWKC1_OXX.rar ..... MD5 Sum: 95bd7437271f3bee6eacb017d0ef45a1
P1010XXKPG_P1010XEUKPG_XEU.zip .... MD5 Sum: 3b0f63ccb0b42643d953fcba472eb5f2
P1010XXKPI_XEUKPI_Android_2.3.6.zip .... MD5 Sum: 4d33426db6cecdb48568adecf10bc8fd
Kernel's
P1010ZHKF1-kernel.ZIP .... MD5 Sum: 6dc467ff92fc676c1f61e59e893493eb

Custom Rom's
2/29/2012
Currently there are no Custom Rom's available for the GT-P1010. A Developer named Motafoca is working on a port of Cyanogenmod and information regarding progress can be viewed in the following thread.
Motofoca's Cyanogen Port
Motofoca is a member of the MadTeam and they have their own forum which can be viewed HERE.
The only other "Non-Stock" alternative at this time is CleanRom developed by scrosler There is also a website dedicated to this ROM viewable HERE.
I used the term "Non-Custom" because the CleanRom is based upon a Stock Gingerbread European firmware. From the Website they did the following:
Removed Samsung Bloat!
ADW Launcher or TouchWiz Launcher!
95% AOSP Gingerbread themed
All Apps up to date!
De-Odexed
Zip Aligned

Flashing Stock Firmware(s)
Flashing Stock Firmware(s)
We have said that updated firmware for the US version of the GT-P1010 has NOT been actively provided by Samsung however if you look in Post 2 above you will see that all is not lost. The Europe version of this device has been provided with an update as late as January 2012. I would recommend (and really it was the reason I wrote this tutorial) that you perform ALL the steps above BEFORE flashing any type of Firmawre update/upgrade. This will not only give you experiance running the "tools" but it will allow you to perform the various back-ups in case anything goes "wrong".
Quite simply, Firmware is "flashed" to your device using ODIN. I have searched for a complete guide explaining the vaious sections of ODIN to no avail. Honestly I don't know when certain fields (PIT, CSC), ETC need to be populated and when they don't. I believe, but am not 100% sure that when flashing a brand new Firmware (for example from a US to European version) that the PIT, PDA and CSC fields need to be filled in and the Re-Partition radio button needs to be Checked. I have ALWAYS had the Auto-Reboot & F. Rest Time boxes checked, but again, I can't say why. It is my belief that if the Re-Partition button is checked, that it has the effect of "wiping" all partitions on the device.The only guide I have found is the following:
P1010-Flashingguide.pdf
It is probably a fair statement to make that if a Zip or RAR file you download contains a PIT or CSC file, then you probably need to included them in your flash. Keep in mind that I have experianced an issue where a seperate ZIP file was compressed inside an overall ZIP container. Always make sure that you not only extract the main downloaded file but that you also look inside the extracted folder for another ZIP file that may need to also be extracted.
I will provide an example of my experiance upgrading my US version to the latest UK version below.
Upgrading US Version to Latest Rooted UK Version
First, I must give full Credit to Taney for developing the instructions from This Thread. I followed them and experianced no significant issues. I will be re-creating a portion of them, expanding (clarifying) on some areas that I felt would give NooB's difficulity and then taking the instructions a step farther to upgrade to what is known as the "KPI" version of the Firmware which is the latest one Available. PLEASE make sure that you "Thank" Taney because without the instructions that he provided none of this would be possible.
A. Upgrade / Downgrade to the Latest Froyo Firmware
Place your Device in Download Mode and connect it to ODIN as outlined in the tutorial above.
Download the P1010XWKC1_OXX.rar file from the link in Post 2 of this thread and check the MD5 Sum
Extract this rar file to create a folder called "P1010XWKC1_OXXKC1"
Within ODIN Click the PIT button and navigate to the file "p1wifi_20110128_r10_00.pit" within the folder you extracted.
Click the PDA Button and navigate to the file "P1010XWKC1-REV03-ALL-low-CL946441.tar.md5"
Click the CSC Button and navigate to the file "GT-P1010-MULTI-CSC-OXXKC1.tar.md5"
Make sure the Re-Partition, Auto-Reboot and F. Reset Time buttons are CHECKED
Click "Start". ****** NOTICE THIS WILL WIPE ALL DATA ON YOUR DEVICE*****
When these steps are completed and the process running your ODIN screen should look like this:
When the process Completes your Device will Re-boot. The first Boot could take significantly longer than normal. Just wait and when you see the lock screen open it and enter the OS. At this point you may be experiancing what is known as a "boot-loop". Simply stated the device will keep re-booting and not allow you to do anything without throwing "force close" errors, In his tutorial Taney says that this may or may not happen. It did for me and the fix is in the next section.
B. Flash updated Kernel
To fix the effects of the boot loop you need to flash another file known as a kernel. Like I said I personally DID experiance the boot-loops and had to perform these steps. Since my overall procedure was successful, it is my recomendation that you do it whether you experiance the boot-loop or not. This decision is entirely up to you but you have my suggestion. To flash the Kernel perform the following:
Download the file file "P1010ZHKF1-kernel.ZIP" from the Kernel's section in Post 2 of this thread and check the MD5 Sum
Extract the ZIP file to create the folder "P1010ZHKF1-kernel"
If ODIN is still open replace the file in the PDA field with the file "P1010ZHKF1-KERNEL-eng.tar" from the extracted folder OR
If ODIN was closed open it, repopulate the PIT and CSC fields as outlined in Section A above and select the new file for the PDA field.
UN-CHECK the Re-partition check box
Power off your Tab. NOTE: If it is stuck in a bootloop I found that holding the power button down finally was able to shut off the device.
Start the device in Download mode and connect it to ODIN
If everything is set-up as outlined and ODIN has found your Device.. Press Start
When the process completes your device will re-boot and the ODIN screen will look like this:
At this point you should have a bootable Device and not experiance any further boot-loops. Your About Device Information should read as follows:
Firmware: 2.2.1
Kernel: 2.6.32.9 ([email protected]_24 #1)
Build: Froyo.XXKC1
C. Flash KPG Gingerbread update
In this step we will flash our first Gingerbread update known as the "KPG Version". Follow these steps:
Download the file "P1010XXKPG_P1010XEUKPG_XEU.zip" from the Firmware section in Post 2 and Check the MD5 Sum.
Extract the ZIP file to create the folder "P1010XXKPG_P1010XEUKPG_XEU"
If ODIN is still open replace the file in the PDA field with the file "P1010XXKPG_P1010XEUKPG_HOME.tar.md5" from the extracted folder OR
If ODIN was closed open it, repopulate the PIT and CSC fields as outlined in Section A above and select the new file for the PDA field.
UN-CHECK the Re-partition check box
Power OFF your Tab
Start the device in Download mode and connect it to ODIN
If everything is set-up as outlined and ODIN has found your Device.. Press Start
When the process completes your device will re-boot.
At this point you should have a bootable Device running Gingerbread. Your About Device Information should read as follows:
Firmware: 2.3.6
Kernel: 2.6.35.7 - CL749223 ([email protected] #1)
Build:GINGERBREAD.XXKPG
D. Reinstall ClockWorkMod
The steps above have had the effect of returning your device to stock and therefore the Recovery Partition was overwritten with the "stock" recovery. We need to re-install ClockWorkMod at this point.
Download the following file and check the MD5 Sum
Skin1980-P1010-NEW-CF-ROOT-GB.tar .......MD5 Sum: 1cab6775d572c416371c09f9c3654823
Put your device in Download Mode and Connect it to ODIN
Navigate to the File you downloaded using the PDA field
Leave the PIT and CSC fields BLANK and Un-Checked
Un-Check the Re-Partition Check Box
Click RUN
When the operation completes the device will re-boot
At this point you will have a Rooted KPG Version of Gingerbread with a fully Functioning ClockWorkMod Recovery. You may wish to stop here but reports informed me that the KPI firmware was faster. I decided to Install it as outlined blelow/
E. Flash KPI Gingerbread update
Before Installing the KPI Update I did the following:
From within the running system went to CWM application and opened it.
Granted the application Superuser Permissions
Used the application to "Re-Boot to Recovery"
Device Re-Booted into CWM and I performed a Nandroid Backup
While still in CWM "Wipe Data / Factory Reset" AND
Wipe Cache Partition AND
Wipe Dalvik Cache
Power Off
Your Device is now ready to recieve the KPI Firmware Update
Download the file "P1010XXKPI_XEUKPI_Android_2.3.6.zip" from Post 2 and Check the MD5 Sum
Extract the the file to create the folder "P1010XXKPI_XEUKPI_Android_2.3.6"
Start you Device in Download Mode and connect it to ODIN
Navigate to the file "P1010XXKPI_P1010XEUKPI_HOME.tar.md5" in the PDA Field
Leave the PIT and CSC fields Blank and Un-cjecked
Make sure the Re-Partition checkbox is Un-Checked
Click Run
While the program is running your ODIN screen will look like this:
When the Process completes your Device will Re-Boot and your About Device Info will be as follows:
Firmware: 2.3.6
Kernel: 2.6.35.7-CL882382 ([email protected] #1)
Build: GINGERBREAD.XXKPI
At this point I performed the following:
Went Through Initial Setup Screens
Powered Off Device
F. Re-Install ClockWorkMod AGAIN
Same as before. The procedure has wiped out our Recovery and we need to Re-install it. This time however we will use a different file beause I do not Believe the Skin1980 Gingerbread Version is compatible with the KPI Firmware. Luckily we have another Developer working on this Device. Please visit and Thank Motafoca for providing the following file:
madteam-cwm-p1010-kpi.tar .......MD5 Sum: f868e789245ec3dae87efaf2e30b1165
Put your device in Download Mode and Connect it to ODIN
Navigate to the File you downloaded using the PDA field
Leave the PIT and CSC fields BLANK and Un-Checked
Un-Check the Re-Partition Check Box
Click RUN
When the operation completes the device will re-boot
At this point you will have a Rooted KPI Version of Gingerbread with a fully Functioning ClockWorkMod Recovery.
G. Final Steps (Optional)
Opened CWM Application and Granted SuperUser Permissions
Rebooted to Recovery Using "Reboot Recovery"
NOTE: This version of CWM uses different button mappings. Volume Up / Volume Down to navigate and POWER button to Select
Mounted Device using Mounts / Storage and connected to PC
Put Titanium Backup files back on Device
Reboot System Now
Setup Date and Time
Connected to WiFi
Went to Market and Added Google Account
Waited for Account Sync to complete
Re-Enabled "Unkonon Sources"
Downloaded and Installed Titanium Backup
Ran Titanium Backup and Restored app's and data
DONE and running PERFECT !!!! Enjoy!!!
Donations
While I enjoy tinkering with devices and trying new methods, doing so can be time consuming. Compiling and witing this tutorial took me a considerable amount of time. I have also convieniently placed all the required files on an Ad-Free, Fast Download server so you can get them quick and don't need to hunt around. Mediafire was my server of choice but it is NOT free. I pay a monthly service charge to host on the server and this will also insure that the files are available now AND in the future. If you like my work and feel that it has helped you, I would appreciate a donation as a token of your appreciation. Simply click the button below or the "Donate to Me" button under my Username. Anything you can spare will be appreciated and go toward keeping the file sharing up and running as well as keep me interested in generating more tutorials. Thanks in advance!

Thread Consolidation and Links
The following Threads have been found and pertain strictly to the GT-P1010. If you find another thread that you feel should be included either link it in a post or PM me. I will review same and add to this section as appropriate.
[WIFI Only] [How-to] GT-P1010 Gingerbread Update ........ Thanks Taney
[CWM][RELEASE] Clockworkmod recovery for P1010 ....... Thanks Skin1980
Galaxy Tab p1010 tweaks ..... Thanks s2h2golf
[Tool / Mod] - CleanMOD 1.0.1 for GT-P1010 Gingerbread 2.3.6! Mod the Tab! ..... Thanks scrosler

Omg. G-R-E-A-T thread. Soo cool. Well, maybe we can cm on the tab, but a lot of developers are selfish

thank you for creating this guide!!
I got one of these for my daughter to play with and I was having a hard time figuring out what information pertains to her model.

Question and Answer Section
***** Reserved for Questions and Answers *********

2013-03-09 - I have been away from these forums for awhile now and apologize if I haven't been around to answer any questions. Just been too busy with other responsibilities. While I still own this device, I have moved on to another and have not kept up with development on the GTP-1010. I hope that many users have had success but I know from reading the posts that a few have struggled. Thank you to those that have attempted to assist in my absence. Honestly, without doing much with this device, I don't know how to answer some of the PM's I have received. This device was at the time considered "Legacy" in my mind and over 1 year later I don't believe anything has changed. With this said I will not be providing additional information or files and it does not make financial sense for me to continue paying for the "Pro" mediafire account. I will be canceling it today but have paid for it through 2013-04-01 at which time it will revert to a "free" account. I have no idea at this time what will happen to the links in my posts on that date but suggest that anyone interested, download everything before then. If time permits I will attempt to move everything over to a new server but I make no promises. The "free" version of Mediafire may still work but I vaguely remember paying for "pro" for a reason. I just don't remember why. Thanks for all the "thanks". I'm glad this has at least helped some people. Again, I appologize for not being around and for any issues with the links after April, 1 2013

******* One More for Good Measure ********

Bravo
Thank you for your hard work. Sent donation. Saved me hours of searching and coordinating the info. C'mon guys, how much time has this post saved you?

Hi i followed your instructions until i got to "Rooting" section.. the little problem issue i have is that the device i have doesn't have the Android Market..(i know i was shocked too) it has the Samsung Apps online but even that doesn't have the Titanium Backup App... any suggestions of how to install the Android Market? (btw love the instructions, nice and clear)

apolonetics said:
Hi i followed your instructions until i got to "Rooting" section.. the little problem issue i have is that the device i have doesn't have the Android Market..(i know i was shocked too) it has the Samsung Apps online but even that doesn't have the Titanium Backup App... any suggestions of how to install the Android Market? (btw love the instructions, nice and clear)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry about the late response. Honestly this forum gets very little attention and I haven't been checking as often as I should.
That said ... I think you need to review post 4 which is an extension of the lessons learned in post 1. The firmware files ALL have the market built into them and following those steps should return you to a STOCK ROM. Make sure you backup any user files that you need before you begin. An internet search should allow you to find the .apk file for titanium backup. If you enable "unknown sources" in settings and get the app onto your device, clicking it should install the application. I'm not sure though if you finished the rooting step of stopped short or it. You NEED root to run Titanium,
Also, Keep in mind that as stated I performed these steps on a US version of the hardware and I don't offer that devices from other regions will be 100% compatible. But, from my research I believe most should be.
In summary, please provide me with additional details regarding your device and it's history. I'm sure we can get you squared away. There is always a Google App's package (GAPPS) that could be flashed to your device to get the Market but I am concerned about the fact that your's doesn't have it. This makes me think that without starting from a fresh ROM we would ultimately just be chasing our tails trying to troubleshoot other issues.

Thank you so much for replying.. i didn't think you'll reply to my post... but before i go to the next step.. i was playing around with it.. following your instructions on updating drivers and rooting etc... i then got stuck on "rooting" section hence me posting for help on getting the Titanium Backup... anyway i decided to upload couple of rugby videos so i can watch it later... i was in the middle of one video when all of sudden it stopped and turned itself off, i turned it back on and it stuck on the Samsung logo and it has been stuck on that since 24+ hrs ago after turning it on/off... on/off - i think i might have f'd it up...
I got it as a prize from a competition last year (2011) in Oct, and ever since i've been having problems with it.. let me know what other info you need me to provide!
much appreciated for the help!

THANKS SO MUCH! You made my day!
-Redbearded Tyrant
"Sic Semper Tyrannus"

apolonetics said:
Thank you so much for replying.. i didn't think you'll reply to my post... but before i go to the next step.. i was playing around with it.. following your instructions on updating drivers and rooting etc... i then got stuck on "rooting" section hence me posting for help on getting the Titanium Backup... anyway i decided to upload couple of rugby videos so i can watch it later... i was in the middle of one video when all of sudden it stopped and turned itself off, i turned it back on and it stuck on the Samsung logo and it has been stuck on that since 24+ hrs ago after turning it on/off... on/off - i think i might have f'd it up...
I got it as a prize from a competition last year (2011) in Oct, and ever since i've been having problems with it.. let me know what other info you need me to provide!
much appreciated for the help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly in order to support you I believe you should start from scratch. You should be able to get the device to download mode even if it is stuck on the Samsung Logo. Hold the power button until the unit turns off completely and then use the instructions to enter download mode. Then follow all the instructions in Post 4.
This will of course wipe your device totally clean so make sure you have everything backed up. Even though you can't get the system to boot you may be able to access your files by hooking it up to the PC. This is certainly true if you have already installed CWM. Look in the tutorial and find the section where I discuss "Mounts & Storage" from within CWM. This will allow you to copy off any important files. Then perform all the steps in Post 4.
That is really all I can offer as I don't know what you have done on the device to this point.

hai there.
i have few questions regarding upgrade to gingerbread.
my OS is 2.2.1 Froyo.DXKG1
if i want to upgrade my device to gingerbread P1010XXKPI_XEUKPI_Android_2.3.6, should i upgrade my device to the latest froyo (P1010XWKC1_OXX) then to gingerbread (P1010XXKPG_P1010XEUKPG_XEU) then to gingerbread (gingerbread P1010XXKPI_XEUKPI)??
or i can upgrade it straight away to gingerbread P1010XXKPI_XEUKPI_Android_2.3.6??
Thank you

Hi, i can't find your Post 4, are you able to post a link here please... ta

totihut said:
hai there.
i have few questions regarding upgrade to gingerbread.
my OS is 2.2.1 Froyo.DXKG1
if i want to upgrade my device to gingerbread P1010XXKPI_XEUKPI_Android_2.3.6, should i upgrade my device to the latest froyo (P1010XWKC1_OXX) then to gingerbread (P1010XXKPG_P1010XEUKPG_XEU) then to gingerbread (gingerbread P1010XXKPI_XEUKPI)??
or i can upgrade it straight away to gingerbread P1010XXKPI_XEUKPI_Android_2.3.6??
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes! This is what worked 100% for me so I recomend all the steps. The first upgrade to latest froyo has repartition checked which essentially gives you a clean slate. The seperate GB steps insure you end up with root. Good luck!

apolonetics said:
Hi, i can't find your Post 4, are you able to post a link here please... ta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its the 4th post in THIS thread. "Flashing Fimware" section.

[REF] All in One New User Guide With Video Tutorial

If you just switched from iPhone or BB or this is ur first android. Read this thoroughly and see ur questions get eliminated by this guide. if you find this helpful than show your appreciation and hit that thnx button.
All Credit Goes to appdroid for this amazing post.
I don't take any credit I Googled everything. I do take credit of modifying some stuff in word. I won't have this Phone but I am just being helpful to the community.
Little in-depth information about Android. Must Read. Thank You Pirateghost.
ADB → Android Debug Bridge (adb) is a versatile command line tool that lets you communicate with an emulator instance or connected Android-powered device..
Android →Unveiled on 5 November 2007, Android is a mobile operating system running on the Linux kernel developed by Google.
AOSP → Android Open Source Project
Apps2SD → Move applications from the internal NAND memory on the device to a removable SD Card.
BLN → BackLight Notification
Bloatware → Software bloat is a process whereby successive versions of apps include an increasing proportion of unnecessary features that are not used by end users, or generally use more system resources than necessary, while offering little or no benefit to its users. Like all the crap that comes from At&t
Brick → When used in reference to consumer electronics, "brick" describes a device that cannot function in any capacity (such as a device with damaged firmware). This usage derives from the fact that some electronic devices (and their detachable power supplies) are vaguely brick-shaped, and so those which do not function are useful only as actual bricks. The term can also be used as a verb. For example, "I bricked my phone when I tried to modify its firmware."[
Hard Brick → When your phone does not turn on at all. When you can’t get in to CWR/CWM Or Stock recovery. You are basically screwed.
Soft Brick → When your phone bootloops. When you can get into CWR/CWM. When You can use jigtag to get into download mode.
Busybox → BusyBox provides several stripped-down Unix tools in a single executable. It runs in a variety of POSIX environments such as Linux, Android, FreeBSD and others, such as proprietary kernels, although many of the tools it provides are designed to work with interfaces provided by the Linux kernel. It was specifically created for embedded operating systems with very limited resources. Platforms counterparts, but they are pretty close and useful nonetheless.
CWR OR CWM ClockworkMod Recovery →A custom recovery for Android phones and tablets that allows you to perform several advanced recovery, restoration, installation and maintenance operations on your Android device that aren’t possible with the stock recovery.
DEODEX → Apk files have respective odexes that devs use to supposedly save space. Deodexing means you convert it back to a .dex file and put it back inside the apk. This allows you to easily replace file (not having to worry about odexes), but the main point was to deodex services.jar so that you can change all text to different colors (such as the clock color to white) and to deodex services.jar, you need to deodex everything.
Flashing → The process of applying a firmware image (or ROM) to a device. It generally entails a very specific order of steps. Failing to complete any one of these steps properly may result in bricking the device.
Firmware → is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and/or data structures that internally control various electronic devices. Programs stored in the ROM, EPROM, or flash memory that usually control various internal electronic devices (Hard Drives, Keyboards, Displays, etc). Firmware is typically 'fixed' software that is not updated in consumer devices, however it is often updated (or 'flashed') by advanced users to fix bugs or add features to the device. Flashing firmware designed for one device onto a different device, or not following a specific procedure while flashing will often render the device unusable.
Kernel → is the main component of most computer operating systems; it is a bridge between applications and the actual data processing done at the hardware level. The kernel's responsibilities include managing the system's resources (the communication between hardware and software components
Radio → The cellular radio on the device which needs control software called firmware to control it.
ROM → Read Only Memory. In the context of an Android device, ROM is the internal flash memory where the core operating system resides. It can also refer to a specific version firmware that can be applied to a device through a process usually referred to as flashing. An improperly flashed ROM can often brick the device, rendering it unusable.
Superuser→ A program, which gives unlimited access privileges to perform any or all operations on the operating system.
ODIN → Odin is the Samsung software used to update Samsung phones. It does not work with any other devices other than official Samsung phones.
OTA or FOTA → (F)OTA stands for (Firmware) Over The Air and is the process by which required updates and enhancements to your phone's basic operating system can be sent to you through the cellular network. The Galaxy S II software update will be sent via FOTA and is available through Samsung Kies mini.0
ODEX → In Android file system, applications come in packages with the extension .apk. These application packages, or APKs contain certain .odex files whose supposed function is to save space. These ‘odex’ files are actually collections of parts of an application that are optimized before booting. Doing so speeds up the boot process, as it preloads part of an application. On the other hand, it also makes hacking those applications difficult because a part of the coding has already been extracted to another location before execution.
SDK → Software Development Kit.
Logcat → A debugging tool built into Android devices that displays system logs as they occur. See Logcat.
NANDroid → A set of tools that will enable anyone who has root on their Android device to make FULL system backups, in case something goes wrong or you want to try out that new experimental ROM/theme. NANDroid will backup (and restore) /system, /data, /cache, and /boot partitions.
Recovery Mode → A special environment that you can boot into for troubleshooting and upgrading purposes.
Kang → The process of creating a code based of someone else's code or reapplying code that someone else created into your own code (e.g. git cherry-pick)
Rooting → is a process that allows users of mobile phones and other devices running the Android operating system to attain privileged control (known as "root access") within Android's Linux subsystem with the goal of overcoming limitations that carriers and manufacturers put on some devices.

HOW TO ROOT YOUR SAMSUNG GALAXY SIII I9300
Step 1. Download Odin3.07 from HERE
Step 2. Power off your Galaxy S3. Then hold down Volume Down, Center Home, and Power buttons together until you see the warning screen.
Step 3. Hit Volume Up button to enter Download mode and connect a microUSB cable from your Galaxy S3 to your computer.
Step 4. Next, download GalaxyS3RootNew.zip, unzip the files and run odin3.07.exe by double-clicking on the file.
Step 5. When ODIN program opens, you should find a highlighted yellow box with a random COM number. If you don’t see this, download and install Samsung USB drivers below:
SAMSUNG_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones.exe
Step 6. DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING ELSE, hit “PDA” button and select the file CF-Root-SGS3-v6.4.tar.
Step 7. Hit “Start” button. This will install ClockworkMod Recovery on your Galaxy S3 i9300. If you get stuck on this step, just try a different USB port.
Step 8. Once ODIN is done flashing, you will see “PASS!” in green highlighted box.
Step 9. Your Galaxy S3 will reboot once into CWM Recovery and automatically install root and Superuser app.
Step 10. Once your phone reboots, you will find an app called “SuperSU”, this is your superuser app.
Step 11. Download and install Titanium Backup app from Play Store to verify you have root, a Superuser request window should pop up.
That’s it! This should take you less than 5 minutes to do and does not affect your phone in any way but give you Superuser, root, and custom ClockworkMod Recovery.
I highly recommend you to boot into ClockworkMod Recovery and make your first backup ROM at this point, which will save everything including the stock ROM, your apps and settings.
Thanks to galaxys3root.com for sources

HOW TO DO A NANDROID BACKUP
Step 1. We will first reboot into ClockworkMod Recovery by holding down Volume Up, Center Home, and Power buttons together for about 10 seconds.
Step 2. Once in ClockworkMod Recovery on your rooted Galaxy S3, choose “backup and storage”.
Step 3. You will have an option to “backup” or “backup to internal storage”. The first option will backup to your microSD card while the latter to the internal storage.
Step 4. Your rooted Galaxy S3 should now be backing up. Backing up ROM takes 5-10 minutes so go ahead and get your cup of coffee and come back.
HOW TO RESTORE FROM A BACKUP
Step 1. To restore ROM, simply use the same “backup and restore” menu then choose “restore” or “restore from internal sdcard” depending on where you backed up your ROM.
That was easy right?
So, don’t delay and make a backup ROM if you just rooted your phone, you will thank me later and save yourself time and headache when things go wrong.
Thanks to galaxys3root.com for sources

HOW TO FLASH A ROM
Basic Steps
! Choose the ROM that you want and download its .zip file
!! Transfer the zip file to your phone’s sd card. Do not put it into any folder.
!!! Turn off your phone and reboot into recovery, usually by holding the down button and power button at the same time.
!!!! Do a Nandroid backup
!!!!! Do a full Data wipe, wipe the Cache and also wipe Dalvik
!!!!!! Flash the zip file that you put on your sd card
!!!!!!! Reboot phone
You can find all ROMS HERE

HOW TO FLASH A KERNEL WITH CMW
_Download the Kernel You want to flash and put it in sd card.
__Boot in to CWM!
___Wipe cache & Dalvik Cache
____Press install from Sd card!
_____Select the kernel that you dloaded!
______Flash it!
_______Reboot!
________Check in CPU SPY to see if you successfully flashed Kernel.
All Kernels Can Be Found In The Development Section

HOW TO GO BACK TO UNROOTED STOCK
Step 1 - Download an Official Stock Rom from - HERE
Step 2 - Extract the Firmware
Step 3 - Open up Odin
Step 4 - Turn OFF your device
Step 5 - Put your device into Download MODE (Home + Volume Down + Power)
Step 6 - Click PDA and select *.tar.md5
Step 7 - Then finally click START!

Great noob dictionary!
But why reserve so many posts?
I guess they're free right?

nfsmw_gr said:
Great noob dictionary!
But why reserve so many posts?
I guess they're free right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank You. I have only edited this Guide to adapt to this Phone.
And now you should be able to see why I reserved so many posts lol

Nick Fury said:
Thank You. I have only edited this Guide to adapt to this Phone.
And now you should be able to see why I reserved so many posts lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got it,now it makes sense...great work mate.

Nick Fury said:
!!!!! Wipe the phone 3 times by clearing cache/factory restore 3 times and wiping dalvik cache and system format
!!!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3 times is a little overkill don't ya think? In fact I remember seeing a ROM thread in the development section waaay back in the first few weeks of launch and a dev had in his set of instructions to wipe and factory reset 3 times before flash. A moderator made him change it because it was unnecessary to wipe that many times and stated that it would cause issues... what exactly, I can't remember but it sounded legit. Just my 2 cents
But.. great reference guide!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

Coreym said:
3 times is a little overkill don't ya think? In fact I remember seeing a ROM thread in the development section waaay back in the first few weeks of launch and a dev had in his set of instructions to wipe and factory reset 3 times before flash. A moderator made him change it because it was unnecessary to wipe that many times and stated that it would cause issues... what exactly, I can't remember but it sounded legit. Just my 2 cents
But.. great reference guide!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank You for the Feedback and the post has now been edited with the Correct information.

If anyone finds that any of the information above is incorrect or needs updating then please let me know and I will get the Guide updated.
Thank You for reading.

Nice one
Nick Fury said:
If anyone finds that any of the information above is incorrect or needs updating then please let me know and I will get the Guide updated.
Thank You for reading.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for setting up this guide.
"account currently disabled" ??

Great guide for newbies.
Cheers!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

Thanks
Hi,
Great intro for noobs.
Keep up the good work.

another great thread nick
i'm in the process of researching both the language and process of rooting my s2. i've been reading articles and watching videos and will write out a "script" for me to follow before i root and flash a ROM. would it be OK to ask a few questions prior to this endeavor to clear up any uncertainties i might have? i know XDA has rigid rules as to where to discuss certain topics (which i completely respect and understand).

bk11222 said:
i'm in the process of researching both the language and process of rooting my s2. i've been reading articles and watching videos and will write out a "script" for me to follow before i root and flash a ROM. would it be OK to ask a few questions prior to this endeavor to clear up any uncertainties i might have? i know XDA has rigid rules as to where to discuss certain topics (which i completely respect and understand).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please feel free to to ask any questions. This would be the perfect spot as it is topic related.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

thanks!
great guide includes everything thanks :good:

R: [REF} All in One guide for NOOBS! With Videos Now!
Glad Thatcher tour thread seems to have more success than mine which id similar but with some others tutorials
You can see it here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2113656
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

R: [REF} All in One guide for NOOBS! With Videos Now!
Since my thread was closed ( i don't know if it was reported to admin by someone asking to close it) i could paste my tutorials here if you want
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

[REF} All in One guide for NOOBS! With Videos Now!

If you just switched from iPhone or BB or this is ur first android. Read this thoroughly and see ur questions get eliminated by this guide. if you find this helpful than show your appreciation and hit that thnx button.
All Credit Goes to appdroid for this amazing post.
I don't take any credit I Googled everything. I do take credit of modifying some stuff in word. I won't have this Phone but I am just being helpful to the community.
Little in-depth information about Android. Must Read. Thank You Pirateghost.
ADB → Android Debug Bridge (adb) is a versatile command line tool that lets you communicate with an emulator instance or connected Android-powered device..
Android →Unveiled on 5 November 2007, Android is a mobile operating system running on the Linux kernel developed by Google.
AOSP → Android Open Source Project
Apps2SD → Move applications from the internal NAND memory on the device to a removable SD Card.
BLN → BackLight Notification
Bloatware → Software bloat is a process whereby successive versions of apps include an increasing proportion of unnecessary features that are not used by end users, or generally use more system resources than necessary, while offering little or no benefit to its users. Like all the crap that comes from At&t
Brick → When used in reference to consumer electronics, "brick" describes a device that cannot function in any capacity (such as a device with damaged firmware). This usage derives from the fact that some electronic devices (and their detachable power supplies) are vaguely brick-shaped, and so those which do not function are useful only as actual bricks. The term can also be used as a verb. For example, "I bricked my phone when I tried to modify its firmware."[
Hard Brick → When your phone does not turn on at all. When you can’t get in to CWR/CWM Or Stock recovery. You are basically screwed.
Soft Brick → When your phone bootloops. When you can get into CWR/CWM. When You can use jigtag to get into download mode.
Busybox → BusyBox provides several stripped-down Unix tools in a single executable. It runs in a variety of POSIX environments such as Linux, Android, FreeBSD and others, such as proprietary kernels, although many of the tools it provides are designed to work with interfaces provided by the Linux kernel. It was specifically created for embedded operating systems with very limited resources. Platforms counterparts, but they are pretty close and useful nonetheless.
CWR OR CWM ClockworkMod Recovery →A custom recovery for Android phones and tablets that allows you to perform several advanced recovery, restoration, installation and maintenance operations on your Android device that aren’t possible with the stock recovery.
DEODEX → Apk files have respective odexes that devs use to supposedly save space. Deodexing means you convert it back to a .dex file and put it back inside the apk. This allows you to easily replace file (not having to worry about odexes), but the main point was to deodex services.jar so that you can change all text to different colors (such as the clock color to white) and to deodex services.jar, you need to deodex everything.
Flashing → The process of applying a firmware image (or ROM) to a device. It generally entails a very specific order of steps. Failing to complete any one of these steps properly may result in bricking the device.
Firmware → is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and/or data structures that internally control various electronic devices. Programs stored in the ROM, EPROM, or flash memory that usually control various internal electronic devices (Hard Drives, Keyboards, Displays, etc). Firmware is typically 'fixed' software that is not updated in consumer devices, however it is often updated (or 'flashed') by advanced users to fix bugs or add features to the device. Flashing firmware designed for one device onto a different device, or not following a specific procedure while flashing will often render the device unusable.
Kernel → is the main component of most computer operating systems; it is a bridge between applications and the actual data processing done at the hardware level. The kernel's responsibilities include managing the system's resources (the communication between hardware and software components
Radio → The cellular radio on the device which needs control software called firmware to control it.
ROM → Read Only Memory. In the context of an Android device, ROM is the internal flash memory where the core operating system resides. It can also refer to a specific version firmware that can be applied to a device through a process usually referred to as flashing. An improperly flashed ROM can often brick the device, rendering it unusable.
Superuser→ A program, which gives unlimited access privileges to perform any or all operations on the operating system.
ODIN → Odin is the Samsung software used to update Samsung phones. It does not work with any other devices other than official Samsung phones.
OTA or FOTA → (F)OTA stands for (Firmware) Over The Air and is the process by which required updates and enhancements to your phone's basic operating system can be sent to you through the cellular network. The Galaxy S II software update will be sent via FOTA and is available through Samsung Kies mini.0
ODEX → In Android file system, applications come in packages with the extension .apk. These application packages, or APKs contain certain .odex files whose supposed function is to save space. These ‘odex’ files are actually collections of parts of an application that are optimized before booting. Doing so speeds up the boot process, as it preloads part of an application. On the other hand, it also makes hacking those applications difficult because a part of the coding has already been extracted to another location before execution.
SDK → Software Development Kit.
Logcat → A debugging tool built into Android devices that displays system logs as they occur. See Logcat.
NANDroid → A set of tools that will enable anyone who has root on their Android device to make FULL system backups, in case something goes wrong or you want to try out that new experimental ROM/theme. NANDroid will backup (and restore) /system, /data, /cache, and /boot partitions.
Recovery Mode → A special environment that you can boot into for troubleshooting and upgrading purposes.
Kang → The process of creating a code based of someone else's code or reapplying code that someone else created into your own code (e.g. git cherry-pick)
Rooting → is a process that allows users of mobile phones and other devices running the Android operating system to attain privileged control (known as "root access") within Android's Linux subsystem with the goal of overcoming limitations that carriers and manufacturers put on some devices.

HOW TO ROOT YOUR GALAXY SII I9100
For those of you who want to root your Galaxy S2 GT-i9100 on ICS (Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0+), here’s how to do it by flashing a new kernel.
Step 1. First, put your Galaxy S2 into download mode by holding down Volume Down, Center, and Power button together for about 10 seconds.
Step 2. When you see the warning screen, hit Volume Up button to enter download mode.
Step 3. Connect a micro-USB cable from your Galaxy S2 to your computer.
Step 4. Download ODIN program and CF Kernel. Then unzip both files. - Odin3v1.85.zip - CF Kernel
Step 5. Run the ODIN program. You should see a yellow highlighted rectangle box with a number. If you don’t, you need to install Samsung Kies. - Samsung Kies
Step 6. Hit “PDA” and choose the “CF-Root-SGS2_XX_XEO_LPQ-v5.3-CWM5.tar” file you unzipped earlier.
Step 7. Hit “Start” and the kernel will start flashing to your phone.
Step 8. Your phone will reboot when it’s done.
Step 9. Once you reboot, check that you have the SuperSU app. If you do, you are rooted. Congrats!

HOW TO DO A NANDROID BACKUP
For those of you who’ve recently rooted your Samsung Galaxy S2 Android smartphone, you will probably want to learn how to backup/restore ROMs on your phone using ClockworkMod Recovery. By backing up your rooted ROM, you will have an insurance in case something goes wrong in the future such as bricking your phone while installing a new kernel or ROM.
After rooting, we highly advise you to backup your rooted stock ROM as you will also need this to unroot if needed later on.
Here’s how to backup/restore ROM on your Galaxy S2:
Step 1. Power off your phone then reboot into ClockworkMod Recovery by holding down Volume Up, Home button, and Power button together
Step 2. Once in ClockworkMod Recovery, choose “Backup and Restore” and hit the Power button.
Step 3. Choose “Backup” and hit the Power button.
Step 4. When backup is done, it will be backed up to a folder with current date and time. You can always change this folder name to something more memorable like “rooted stock ROM”.
HOW TO RESTORE FROM A BACKUP
Step 1. To restore, simply hit “Restore” instead of “Backup” and choose the backup folder you want to restore.
Backup will backup everything including your ROM, kernel, contacts, apps, etc…etc… The only thing that won’t be backed up are the contents of your SD card.

HOW TO FLASH A ROM
Basic Steps
! Choose the ROM that you want and download its .zip file
!! Transfer the zip file to your phone’s sd card. Do not put it into any folder.
!!! Turn off your phone and reboot into recovery, usually by holding the down button and power button at the same time.
!!!! Do a Nandroid backup
!!!!! Do a full Data wipe, wipe the Cache and also wipe Dalvik
!!!!!! Flash the zip file that you put on your sd card
!!!!!!! Reboot phone
You can find all ROMS Here

HOW TO FLASH A KERNEL WITH CMW
_Download the Kernel You want to flash and put it in sd card.
__Boot in to CWM!
___Wipe cache & Dalvik Cache
____Press install from Sd card!
_____Select the kernel that you dloaded!
______Flash it!
_______Reboot!
________Check in CPU SPY to see if you successfully flashed Kernel.
All Kernels Can Be Found In The Development Section

HOW TO GO BACK TO UNROOTED STOCK
Step 1. Download and UNZIP Latest Stock Rom Here
Step 2. Put your Galaxy S2 i9100 into download mode by holding down Volume Down, Center button, and Power button together for about 10 seconds until your phone reboots and you see the warning sign. Press Volume Up button to enter download mode.
Step 3. Connect a micro-USB cable to your Galaxy S2 from your computer.
Step 4. Download ODIN, unzip, and run the program - Odin3v1.85.zip
Step 5. When ODIN runs, you should see a yellow highlight with a COM appearing. If you don’t see it, Download Samsung Kies Here and install. Then plug-out and plug in your micro-USB cable to your phone, you should see it now.
Step 6. Choose “PDA” in ODIN and choose the stock ROM file you downloaded/unzipped earlier.
Step 7. Hit “Start” and your phone should start unrooting/unbricking back to ICS official stock ROM.
Step 8. Your Galaxy S2 i9100 will reboot after 5-10 minutes.
Step 9. Your phone should now be on stock ICS.

Great idea for a thread.
I hope it will help all the noobs out there.

If anyone finds that any of the information above is incorrect or needs updating then please let me know and I will get the Guide updated.
Thank You for reading.

Thanks. Indeed a helpful guide. The stock rom for ICS is applicable for all regions ?
Sent from my GT-I9100

kt_samuel said:
Thanks. Indeed a helpful guide. The stock rom for ICS is applicable for all regions ?
Sent from my GT-I9100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Each stock ROM has a different modem inside for a specific model/region . Quick answer, it should work for all i9100 models. If you are on other variants like G or P or T, get the specific stock ROMs meant for them, the i9100 stock will not work.

Very nicely done OP.

I think this has been one of the better ideas on forums, making threads like this that explain the basics to people. Now, if we can just get people to READ them! haha.

thanks guys! this is very helpful

Hi I'm trying to root my sg2 for step 6 does it matter that the last 3 letters don't match my existing kernel?
I'm on Ics 4.0.4 my letters are LPT.
I've been reading and reading all these posts and guides and I'm confused :-\
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

brilliant idea & big thanks for the effort involved.
I have just acquired the phone (moved from the HTC Desire)
The links in post #6 are not working - ?any mirrors
Cheers

shamonee said:
Hi I'm trying to root my sg2 for step 6 does it matter that the last 3 letters don't match my existing kernel?
I'm on Ics 4.0.4 my letters are LPT.
I've been reading and reading all these posts and guides and I'm confused :-\
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No it doesnt matter about the last 3 letters. And by flashing the CF Root Kernel only roots the device and gives Root Access for the user. Hope this clears things up abit mate.
cifa said:
brilliant idea & big thanks for the effort involved.
I have just acquired the phone (moved from the HTC Desire)
The links in post #6 are not working - ?any mirrors
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi I have just personally tested all the download links provided in all posts and can confirm them all to be working.
Hooe the problem is sorted for you now.
If you are still unable to download the files needed then please let me know and i will provide alternative links
Thanks
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

@ Nick Fury
Thanks for the headsup - links working again - & files downloaded.
what version of ICS is in the stock - I want to take my S2 which is on 2.3 up to ICS - but want to avoid ICS 4.04 (been reading about hard brick potential)
my S2 Model number is GT-I9100P - the stock you link to is definitely compatible with my model?
Thanks in advance....

cifa said:
@ Nick Fury
Thanks for the headsup - links working again - & files downloaded.
what version of ICS is in the stock - I want to take my S2 which is on 2.3 up to ICS - but want to avoid ICS 4.04 (been reading about hard brick potential)
my S2 Model number is GT-I9100P - the stock you link to is definitely compatible with my model?
Thanks in advance....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im not completely sure if the linked Rom is compatable with your version 100% as I dont own this device any longer.
Might be worth asking around for the compatability listing.
I confirm that all information is correct with GT-I9100.
I honestly wish I could help more but its just the compatibility with your Model im unsure of.
If you find that listed Rom is compatible with your Device then please follow all the steps as listed in the Posts and there will be no problems.
But if this is your first time then I do advice to also download the Android Stock 2.3 Firmware aswell as a backup.
So if something does go wrong then you can always Flash back to 2.3 through odin and be back up and running again.
Hope this helps.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

Great mate, nice to see someone helpful instead of the usual "get lost n00b" crap!
Everyone had to start somewhere!
Is there a CWM flashable easy root, as there is on galaxy ace, i found it much easier and less daunting than odin?
NeatROM -The Best!

@ Nick Fury
Thanks mate - your attitude & info much appreciated. Whilst I am a noob with the S2 - I had a lot of experience of ROM'ing the Desire.
I dont want to f**k this up - hence the questions
I'll research it out more.
Cheers

★★★★[INFO]ANDROID ROM & How they Work★★★★

★★★★[INFO]ANDROID ROM & How they Work★★★★
Parts of a ROM
i. The kernel.
Android (like many other Smartphone operating systems) runs on the Linux kernel. The Linux kernel was created in the early 1990’s by a gentleman named Linus Torvalds in Helsinki, Finland. It’s incredibly stable, incredibly friendly, and incredibly difficult for the layman to understand and modify. Thankfully it’s also very popular so it has been ported on to a multitude of hardware, including our Android devices.
Think of the kernel as an interface layer between the hardware and software on your device. The kernel decides when things happen, such as the LED indicator gets lit or when the soft button's LED gets lit. An application sends a request to the operating system to blink the LED. The operating system then sends the request to the kernel, which makes the light flash for the amount of time requested by the OS.
What sounds like a round-about way to get things done is also what makes the system so scalable and robust. Application developers only have to code in a way the operating system understands and the kernel makes it work on the hardware. This also keeps the application running in it’s own user-space and separate from the kernel. That means when you run the latest uber-cool app that wasn’t designed for your particular OS version, or is still very beta and it crashes, the kernel gives you the option to Force Close the application and the kernel can run untouched.
In a standard Android ROM (we will leave developer images and the like for another discussion) the kernel is bundled along with a set of instructions that tell the device how to load the kernel and the OS during boot. This is the boot.img that you see inside a zipped ROM that your not able to easily open. The device knows to extract this image to internal memory (the ramdisk) and follow a series of scripts (init scripts) to load the kernel and then the other portions of the OS. That’s what’s happening while you’re watching the boot animation. Interestingly enough this is done the same way for a PC, your smartphone, an Android tablet, or even a smart Linux powered toaster. If you’re feeling exceptionally geeky, plug your Android phone into the USB port on your PC and let the PC boot from the USB device. No, it doesn’t actually load, but you can watch the animation while it tries to match up the hardware support with what’s inside your PC. As I said, Linux is amazingly scalable and as a result so is Android.
What is a kernel? If you spend any time reading Android forums, blogs, how-to posts or online discussion you'll soon hear people talking about the kernel. A kernel isn't something unique to Android -- iOS and MacOS have one, Windows has one, BlackBerry's QNX has one, in fact all high level operating systems have one. The one we're interested in is Linux, as it's the one Android uses. Let's try to break down what it is and what it does.
Android devices use the Linux kernel, but it's not the exact same kernel other Linux-based operating systems use. There's a lot of Android specific code built in, and Google's Android kernel maintainers have their work cut out for them. OEMs have to contribute as well, because they need to develop hardware drivers for the parts they're using for the kernel version they're using. This is why it takes a while for independent Android developers and hackers to port new versions to older devices and get everything working. Drivers written to work with the Gingerbread kernel on a phone won't necessarily work with the Ice Cream Sandwich kernel. And that's important, because one of the kernel's main functions is to control the hardware. It's a whole lot of source code, with more options while building it than you can imagine, but in the end it's just the intermediary between the hardware and the software.
When software needs the hardware to do anything, it sends a request to the kernel. And when we say anything, we mean anything. From the brightness of the screen, to the volume level, to initiating a call through the radio, even what's drawn on the display is ultimately controlled by the kernel. For example -- when you tap the search button on your phone, you tell the software to open the search application. What happens is that you touched a certain point on the digitizer, which tells the software that you've touched the screen at those coordinates. The software knows that when that particular spot is touched, the search dialog is supposed to open. The kernel is what tells the digitizer to look (or listen, events are "listened" for) for touches, helps figure out where you touched, and tells the system you touched it. In turn, when the system receives a touch event at a specific point from the kernel (through the driver) it knows what to draw on your screen. Both the hardware and the software communicate both ways with the kernel, and that's how your phone knows when to do something. Input from one side is sent as output to the other, whether it's you playing Angry Birds, or connecting to your car's Bluetooth.
It sounds complicated, and it is. But it's also pretty standard computer logic -- there's an action of some sort generated for every event. Without the kernel to accept and send information, developers would have to write code for every single event for every single piece of hardware in your device. With the kernel, all they have to do is communicate with it through the Android system API's, and hardware developers only have to make the device hardware communicate with the kernel. The good thing is that you don't need to know exactly how or why the kernel does what it does, just understanding that it's the go-between from software to hardware gives you a pretty good grasp of what's happening under the glass. Sort of gives a whole new outlook towards those fellows who stay up all night to work on kernels for your phone, doesn't it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ii. The operating system.
Once the kernel is loaded, the init scripts tell the Operating System to load. Android is the user interface for a custom built Java virtual machine called Dalvik. Dalvik was written by Dan Bornstein, who named it after the fishing village of Dalvik in Iceland, where his family originated from. The debate of which Java VM is superior is best left for another discussion, so I’ll simply say that DalvikVM is a register-based machine versus true JavaVMs which are stack based.
The Dalvik machine creates executable files (.dex files) which can be interpreted by the OS and run by the end user. These .dex files are OS version dependant. That simply means that applications and core functions built to work with one version of Android may or may not work well with other versions. Google provides the tools through it’s Software Development Kit (SDK) for applications to communicate with the OS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iii. Core functions.
No smartphone would be complete without a set of functions that allow the device to be used as intended. Things like the phone and dialer interface, the calendar, the messaging system are core functions of the Operating System. In Android, these are run on top of the kernel as separate applications. The merits (or lack of) of providing these needed functions as separate applications is once again best left for another discussion, but this is what allows developers like HTC or Motorola to replace the standard functions with alternatives that provide a different look and feel from stock. HTC’s onscreen keyboard or Motorola’s MotoBlur contact list are great examples of this. The “little guy” isn’t left out of the mix either. Handcent SMS or Chomp SMS can integrate into the OS very well, as most of us already know.
An additional set of Core Functions are provided by Google. Popularly called GoogleBits, things like Gmail, sync, Gtalk and the Android Market are applications written by Google that give an extra set of useful functions to the OS. You’ll find these on all smartphones, as well as many other Android devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iv. Optional applications.
These are applications provided by the manufacturer to give the device even more usability. Things like the Amazon MP3 store, PDF readers, Corporate Calendar etc. allow you to do even more with your device. Remember - Droid Does
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
B. How is a ROM packaged?
In most cases a ROM will come packaged in a .zip file. The recovery image’s kernel (yes, it has one too!) has the ability to unzip and copy the contents into the correct place. Inside this zip file is a folder (META-INF\com\google\android\) that contains a script prepared by the ROM “cooker” (another of those techie terms - it means the person(s) who developed the ROM) that tells the system what to format, what to copy and where, and any file operations that need to be done. Each device does things a bit differently, but this script is where it all gets done. More on this folder later.
You’ll also see a /system folder. This is the meat of the ROM. It has the necessary OS files, the Core functions, and any optional applications the cooker decided to include. The folder is structured the same way it is on your device - /system/app, /system/framework, etc. The whole tree is usually copied over and the existing /system folder is overwritten. The cooker uses the script to tell the kernel to erase the existing system folder, copy the new folder over, and set the file permissions.
Sometimes you will also see a data folder. This usually is space set up for optional applications, including optional system tools like busybox or SuperUser white list. These applications could be placed in the /system folder, but placing them in the data folder makes it easier for the end user (you and I) to remove or update them as needed.
You’ll also notice a META-INF folder. This contains the update script we talked about earlier, as well as secure keys that need to be provided so the device knows the update can be trusted. A special note needs made here. Trusted means that the update is trusted to be in the correct form to load the device. It in no way means the ROM is safe from malicious code. Anyone is able to use a set of test keys and create a ROM that will flash and run your device - even those people with bad intentions. Flashing and running a custom 3rd party ROM is putting faith in the cooker that he or she not only knows what they are doing, but are honest as well. Also, some Motorola custom ROMs will have a small update.zip stored inside this folder to be run on first boot of the device.
Finally we are left with the boot.img file. This is the kernel and ramdisk image we discussed earlier. Your phone copies this over to be decompressed and run when the device boots.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2. How do I install a ROM?
In this section we’re discussing how to install a custom 3rd party ROM. ROMs from the manufacturer usually have a utility that runs on your PC to flash and load the new image.
A. Got Root???
Yes ?:good:!!!
Custom ROM’s simply will not load on devices that aren’t rooted. In theory, it may be possible to sign a 3rd party ROM with the keys that the stock recovery image will flash, but for the most part you need to have flashed a custom recovery image before you can change your device’s ROM. Instructions and tutorials on how to root your device are all over the internet. Some are good, some are bad. The hacking forum is a great place to go and learn more about rooting and how to successfully get it done on your device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
B. Recovery
Most Android devices have had a custom recovery image written for them. This will overwrite the stock recovery image, allowing you to flash 3rd party ROMs as well as giving extra functionality. Help with finding and flashing the custom recovery image for your device can also be found in the hacking forum. The installation of a custom recovery image also allows for a very important function. Backup and restore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
.C. Nandroid
Nandroid is a set of bash scripts and code written by that copies the state of your system and stores it in a folder on your SD card. You can then use the restore function of Nandroid to restore to this point at any time. This is a priceless feature and reason enough to root your phone. It’s included by default in most custom recovery images, and the code is freely available to use if you’re inclined to write your own recovery image.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In most situations, using Nandroid to back everything up is easy:
1. Verify you have a memory card with enough free space (~300MB to backup, ~500MB to restore).
2. Reboot your device into recovery. It’s slightly different for each device, once again hacking forum FTW!
3. Navigate through the menu and select the Nandroid Backup function.
4. Apply your choice and wait for the device to tell you it’s finished.
It’s always good practice to copy the entire nandroid folder from your SD card to a safe place. You can then copy it back to the SD card if the card is ever damaged, lost or erased.
D. Copy and Flash
You’re rooted, have downloaded a custom ROM, have your system backed up and are now ready to flash your device. This is not nearly as scary as it sounds.
1. Mount your SD card to your PC, and copy the .zip file to the root folder of the card. Don’t unzip the file, and don’t look for a folder called root. The root folder in this case means the base folder, what you will see when you mount your card to a PC or the device.
2. Reboot your phone into recovery.
3. Navigate through the recovery menu and select the flash update option. Depending on your recovery image, the file may need to be named update.zip, or you may be able to select any zip file on your card as long as it’s the correct format. The cooker knows this as well and if the ROM needs to be named update.zip it will be.
4. Apply your choice and wait for your device to tell you it’s finished.
5. Reboot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It’s worth noting that many times a new ROM will require that you wipe and factory reset your devices data. While inconvenient, it’s often necessary to get rid of the old data as it may be incompatible. As long as you’re using the cloud for calendar and contacts, they will be re- downloaded and stored back on your device automatically.
Dirty flash and Clean flash
A dirty flash is only wiping cache and davlik then flashing your ROM....
a Clean flash is at LEAST factory reset/data wipe + wiping davlik(factory wipe takes care of /cache also)... Maybe doing a format /system also.
***Odin***
Odin is the ROM Flashing Tool for SAMSUNG smartphones. ROM files flashable with Odin come with .tar extension.
Most of the ROMs you are going to flash with Odin are the official stock Samsung ROMs (or leaked stock ROMs). Custom ROMs are rerely flashable by Odin because they come with .zip extension that Odin does not recognize (it recognizes .tar files).
Custom kernels, however, are sometimes provided in .tar format by their developers (e.g. CF-Root kernels), so that they can be flashed by Odin. When your phone is new and running official firmware you most often cannot flash a custom ROM to it because a Samsung phone often requires a custom recovery and root rights that are included in a custom kernel to be able to flash custom ROMs. That's why Odin often comes in handy in rooting and flashing a custom firmware to your phone because you (often) can flash a custom kernel with it that already includes root and custom recovery and enables you to flash custom firmware (custom ROMs). I use the word "often" very frequently in the previous sentence because every Samsung smartphone is different and requires various procedures for rooting it and flashing custom ROMs (see the section about using Odin below).
If it comes to stock ROMs, the best source of stock (official) Samsung ROM files is located at this excellent website: SamMobile.com/firmwares (link). It requires registration (it's free) and I encourage you to set up an account there because you will most likely use this site several times during your stay at XDA. You will most likely come across 1 .tar or 3 .tar file ROMs there, flashable by Odin. Refer to the Odin flashing guide below for more info.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
****Heimdall****
What is Heimdall?
Heimdall is a cross-platform open-source tool suite used to flash ROMs onto Samsung Galaxy S devices.
How does it work?
Heimdall uses the same protocol as Odin to interact with a device in download mode. USB communication in Heimdall is handled by the popular open-source USB library, libusb-1.0.
Why “Heimdall”?
The flashing software Odin is named after the king of gods in Norse mythology. Loke, the software component on the Galaxy S that provides functionality to flash, may also to be named after an important character in Norse mythology, often translated as Loki. As such I have named my flashing software Heimdall, after the Norse god, and guardian of the Bifrost Bridge.
What platforms does Heimdall run on?
Linux, OS X and Windows (XP, Vista, 7 etc.)
Why use Heimdall when we can use Odin?
Odin is generally unreliable and only runs on Windows systems. Furthermore, Odin is leaked Samsung software that is not freely available or well understood by the community.
Is Heimdall safe?
No matter what method you chose, flashing firmware onto your phone has a lot of potential for disaster. We have tested Heimdall with a variety of phones flashing several different firmware versions resulting in a 100% success rate. As such we believe that Heimdall is generally reliable. However keep in mind, just like any flashing software, Heimdall has the potential to brick your phone if not used correctly.
How do Galaxy S phones get bricked when flashing?
Besides the inherent risks like power outs, accidental removal of the USB cable etc. The Galaxy S appears to be running extremely unreliable USB control software.
A failure to flash does not automatically equate to a bricked phone. However if you're extremely unlucky and the flash fails whilst transferring the primary boot-loader, secondary boot-loader or params.lfs (all quite small) than you've got yourself a paper weight that you're hoping Samsung will replace.
Please be extremely careful mixing files from different firmware releases. Don't do so unless you're certain it will work!
What Galaxy S variants has Heimdall been tested with?
We’ve tested Heimdall with a Galaxy S GT-I9000 (8 GB) from the United Kingdom and Galaxy S GT-I9000 (16 GB) from Australia. We don’t personally have access to any other devices to test with, however users have confirmed Heimdall functions correctly with the AT&T Captivate, Bell Vibrant, Telstra GT-I9000T, Epic 4G and the Galaxy Tab.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^

CWM Errors and Solutions
ERRORS encountered in CWM Recovery
.
What is CWM Recovery ?
ClockworkMod Recovery is a custom recovery for many Android devices. It is considered to be the most popular recovery for Android due to its easily-ported nature, and integration with ClockworkMod ROM Manager by Koush(Koushik Dutta). The easiest way to recognize it is by the printed name when it first starts, and the background logo of a gear and hat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ERROR STATUS 6
This is usually caused by CR/LF EOL(Windows style End Of Line) in updater-script. Change it to LF EOL(Unix Style EOL) using Linux command: dos2unix updater-script, then re-signing the ZIP, will usually fix this error.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ERROR STATUS 7
This is usually caused by a corrupt download, or bad file signature. Re-downloading (or re-signing) the ZIP will usually fix this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We have been consistently seen and heard people facing error “Status 7″ error while trying to flash or install
custom ROMs or firmware packages on their Android smart phones or tablets with ClockworkMod Recovery. Many
of the users are nowadays facing this problem with CWM Recovery while flashing .zip files of modded or custom
Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) or Jelly Bean (JB) ROMs on their devices. So, you have also downloaded a custom ROM,
placed its .zip file in your phone’s or tablet’s SD card, booted into ClockworkMod Recovery, selected – “install zip
from sdcard” and then chosen the .zip file of the ROM to get it installed on your device. But instead of getting
flashed successfully, if you are facing the issue mentioned below, then just keep reading this article to find out
what’s wrong and fix up the problem :
Finding update package…
Opening update package…
Installing update…
Error in /sdcard/custom-jelly-bean-rom.zip (Status 7)
Installation aborted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
or the following error right after CWM recovery shows –
Installing update…
assert failed: getprop(“ro.product.device”) == “I9103″ || getprop(“ro.build.product”) == “I9103″ || getprop
(“ro.product.board”) == “I9103″
Error in /sdcard/android-4-1-1-ics-rom-latest.zip (status 7)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, if you are facing any of these errors while trying to install the desired custom ROM package on your Android
phone or tab, then you may try a various things or steps which may turn out to be the workaround of this
problem. Here are a few tips to get this “Status 7” error fixed in ClockworkMod Recovery and flash the ROM
successfully on your device :
(1) First of all, make sure your device’s bootloader is unlocked. If it is already unlocked but you are still
not able to flash the ROM, then just extract the .zip file of the ROM into a new folder, find the boot.img file from
that directory and flash it up on your phone or tablet via fastboot on your PC.
(2) Make sure that you are having the appropriate Radio or Baseband version installed on your device which is
supported by the custom ROM you are trying to flash. Most of the ROMs requires the latest version of Baseband, so
just update or upgrade your device to the latest Baseband version and then try to install the ROM once again.
(3) Update your device to the supported / latest build of official firmware before trying to install the ROM. You can
do it from – Settings > About Phone / Device > Software Update.
(4) Make sure you are having the supported or required kernel installed on your phone or tab. If it’s not, then flash
a new kernel right away and try to install your custom ROM once again.
(5) Is the ROM which you are trying to flash really works ? Find out whether it is working for other users or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Error Status 0
Well sometimes while flashing some ROMs especially the cooked ones we get Error status 0 in the CWM Recovery
this error is an indicator of Wrong Update Binary.This is usually caused by an incompatible update-binary in edify ZIPs. Replacing it with a compatible one, then re-signing the ZIP, will usually fix this error.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Partitions
Now it's time for the partitions :good:
Let’s start with a list of standard internal memory partitions on Android phones and tablets. These are:
/boot
/system
/recovery
/data
/cache
/misc
In addition, there are the SD card partitions.
/sdcard
/sd-ext
Note that only /sdcard is found in all Android devices and the rest are present only in select devices. Let’s now take a look at the purpose and contents of each of these partitions.
/boot
This is the partition that enables the phone to boot, as the name suggests. It includes the kernel and the ramdisk. Without this partition, the device will simply not be able to boot. Wiping this partition from recovery should only be done if absolutely required and once done, the device must NOT be rebooted before installing a new one, which can be done by installing a ROM that includes a /boot partition.
/system
This partition basically contains the entire operating system, other than the kernel and the ramdisk. This includes the Android user interface as well as all the system applications that come pre-installed on the device. Wiping this partition will remove Android from the device without rendering it unbootable, and you will still be able to put the phone into recovery or bootloader mode to install a new ROM.
/recovery
The recovery partition can be considered as an alternative boot partition that lets you boot the device into a recovery console for performing advanced recovery and maintenance operations on it. To learn more about this partition and its contents, see the ‘About Android Recovery’ section of our guide to ClockworkMod recovery.
/data
Also called userdata, the data partition contains the user’s data – this is where your contacts, messages, settings and apps that you have installed go. Wiping this partition essentially performs a factory reset on your device, restoring it to the way it was when you first booted it, or the way it was after the last official or custom ROM installation. When you perform a wipe data/factory reset from recovery, it is this partition that you are wiping.
/cache
This is the partition where Android stores frequently accessed data and app components. Wiping the cache doesn’t effect your personal data but simply gets rid of the existing data there, which gets automatically rebuilt as you continue using the device.
/misc
This partition contains miscellaneous system settings in form of on/off switches. These settings may include CID (Carrier or Region ID), USB configuration and certain hardware settings etc. This is an important partition and if it is corrupt or missing, several of the device’s features will will not function normally.
/sdcard
This is not a partition on the internal memory of the device but rather the SD card. In terms of usage, this is your storage space to use as you see fit, to store your media, documents, ROMs etc. on it. Wiping it is perfectly safe as long as you backup all the data you require from it, to your computer first. Though several user-installed apps save their data and settings on the SD card and wiping this partition will make you lose all that data.
On devices with both an internal and an external SD card – devices like the Samsung Galaxy S and several tablets – the /sdcard partition is always used to refer to the internal SD card. For the external SD card – if present – an alternative partition is used, which differs from device to device. In case of Samsung Galaxy S series devices, it is /sdcard/sd while in many other devices, it is /sdcard2. Unlike /sdcard, no system or app data whatsoever is stored automatically on this external SD card and everything present on it has been added there by the user. You can safely wipe it after backing up any data from it that you need to save.
/sd-ext
This is not a standard Android partition, but has become popular in the custom ROM scene. It is basically an additional partition on your SD card that acts as the /data partition when used with certain ROMs that have special features called APP2SD+ or data2ext enabled. It is especially useful on devices with little internal memory allotted to the /data partition. Thus, users who want to install more programs than the internal memory allows can make this partition and use it with a custom ROM that supports this feature, to get additional storage for installing their apps. Wiping this partition is essentially the same as wiping the /data partition – you lose your contacts, SMS, market apps and settings.
With this, we conclude our tour of Android partitions. Now whenever you install a ROM or mod that requires you to wipe certain partitions before the installation, you should be in a better position to know what you’re losing and what not and thus, you’ll know what to backup and what not.

You should at least post the source of such a large copy paste post.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

Source? How do you post a source for an article which is compiled from 10+ sites? Plus my own addition?
Started from the bottom

Good job man, this saves me the time to do all this researches.
Keep it up
Best regards
Sifou
Using a Samsung N7100

sos_sifou said:
Good job man, this saves me the time to do all this researches.
Keep it up
Best regards
Sifou
Using a Samsung N7100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DO tell me if you have some suggestions for the thread.
"Thanks button is just to avoid "THANKS" posts in threads. Nothing more than that. Don't ask in signature or post for it and defeat the purpose why it was introduced"

I think that this is a pretty good summary of the basics. I even converted it to epub and stocked it on my e-reader for reference
You can get to the details if you want? Adding some info about flashing softwares like odin and the Linux based one (i don't remember it name)
The different recoveries available and their advantages vs désavantages
How to protect yourself from malicious applications, starting from knowing what are permissions...
Keep it up mate
Best regards
Sifou
Using a Samsung N7100

sos_sifou said:
I think that this is a pretty good summary of the basics. I even converted it to epub and stocked it on my e-reader for reference
You can get to the details if you want? Adding some info about flashing softwares like odin and the Linux based one (i don't remember it name)
The different recoveries available and their advantages vs désavantages
How to protect yourself from malicious applications, starting from knowing what are permissions...
Keep it up mate
Best regards
Sifou
Using a Samsung N7100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Heimdall?
"Thanks button is just to avoid "THANKS" posts in threads. Nothing more than that. Don't ask in signature or post for it and defeat the purpose why it was introduced"

Tha TechnoCrat said:
Source? How do you post a source for an article which is compiled from 10+ sites? Plus my own addition?
Started from the bottom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess you have a point, it's just the scientist in me with source-referral-ocd.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

adytum said:
I guess you have a point, it's just the scientist in me with source-referral-ocd.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DO tell me if you have any problems or if you want something to be added.
"Thanks button is just to avoid "THANKS" posts in threads. Nothing more than that. Don't ask in signature or post for it and defeat the purpose why it was introduced"

Thread updated with Odin and Heimdall information.
"Thanks button is just to avoid "THANKS" posts in threads. Nothing more than that. Don't ask in signature or post for it and defeat the purpose why it was introduced"

Tha TechnoCrat said:
Source? How do you post a source for an article which is compiled from 10+ sites? Plus my own addition?
Started from the bottom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By listing ALL the different sources? And obviously crediting yourself with bits you've added.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium

You should make the title of the thread more presentable though.

Simone said:
You should make the title of the thread more presentable though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would like some suggestions.
"Thanks button is just to avoid "THANKS" posts in threads. Nothing more than that. Don't ask in signature or post for it and defeat the purpose why it was introduced"

Tha TechnoCrat said:
Would like some suggestions.
"Thanks button is just to avoid "THANKS" posts in threads. Nothing more than that. Don't ask in signature or post for it and defeat the purpose why it was introduced"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should think of your own. That would be the best
Make it more professional looking, though.
Everything else is good.

Guys I have got my Note 2 finally. Will compile some guides for it too.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app

You bought a note 2? Congrats mate !
Best regards
Sifou
Using a Samsung N7100

sos_sifou said:
You bought a note 2? Congrats mate !
Best regards
Sifou
Using a Samsung N7100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks buddy. Get ready for more guides
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app