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First of all, I rooted my droid first day I got it, been experimenting with roms since then, and been loving it. Some very talented people out there. =)
My question is, what exactly are the advantages of say, radio 6.35, over 3.22 for a normal user?
Or using one spl over another, besides the fact that there's a bunch of diferent roms for each version?
Also would like to ask if there's a windows/linux tool to change the splash screen and the boot animations, and in what format are those.
Can you at least post your bootloader screen info?
The boot animation is located inside the system partition of the ROM, you wont have too much trouble finding it.
To change the splash screen, you first need an engineering SPL, after that you can flash it with the following command: fastboot flash splash1 yoursplash.sth
You can find programs which convert your images into splash screen-ready images in the g1 section.
[TOOL] [Linux / OSX] Splash Screen creator / flasher
There are tools for windows as well.
Let's move this to General because it has nothing to do with the development or modification of rom and such.
seems that someone has obtained to have s-off on desire ! have a look at this . maybe the n1 would be the next (i hope).
It's not needed on the N1, S-OFF for the Desire is the same as the N1 with an unlocked bootloader.
yeah, but with an s-off hboot we could relock the bootloader.
100% completely irrelevant on the N1.
Also, you can't re-lock the boot loader, it is permanent, per the warning you were given when you did it.
What if I want to reflash the unlocked splash screen with the locked one for cosmetic reasons (to hide the lock)? It is a little bit relevant.
G0belet said:
What if I want to reflash the unlocked splash screen with the locked one for cosmetic reasons (to hide the lock)? It is a little bit relevant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is something I had thought about doing, I must admit.
I didn't try it, but looked for it for completely another reasons (changing the splash screen). Looks like you can't flash "splash1" partition on Nexus, it fails. If you want - you can download splash1.img from any resolution-compatible device (EVO, for example), and try to flash.
Even with S-OFF:
Code:
C:\Users\Rusty\Desktop>fastboot flash splash1 evosplash1.rgb565
< waiting for device >
sending 'splash1' (750 KB)... OKAY [ 0.166s]
writing 'splash1'... FAILED (remote: not allowed)
finished. total time: 0.237s
That answers that then.
I never tried to downgrade my HBOOT but if I'm not mistaken, there's a way to flash mtd1 if my memory serves, and before upgrading you see the HTC logo instead of the Nexus One logo. Again I never had to downgrade my HBOOT but I think there might be a way to see how that img file works, and see if we can change the splash. That's a wild guess at this point.
EDIT: I mean mtd0. Can't we dump it to see what's in it?
The new G2 permroot procedure seems to involve running some sort of kernel module which then allows you to reflash HBOOT with an engineering bootloader and get S-OFF. If you subsequently restore to stock using PC10IMG.zip, the stock bootloader relocks to S-ON.
Would this not be theoretically possible with the N1? There are Nexus One units out there with an engineering bootloader that can go to S-OFF without a permanent watermark. If the ENG HBOOT can be flashed from inside the OS, it could be a way to get S-OFF reversibly.
The ENG HBOOT on the Nexus One is larger than the SHIP one, so apparently it's a no go.
G0belet said:
I never tried to downgrade my HBOOT but if I'm not mistaken, there's a way to flash mtd1 if my memory serves, and before upgrading you see the HTC logo instead of the Nexus One logo. Again I never had to downgrade my HBOOT but I think there might be a way to see how that img file works, and see if we can change the splash. That's a wild guess at this point.
EDIT: I mean mtd0. Can't we dump it to see what's in it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have HBOOT images (FRG83 and KO-KR FRF91 came with HBOOT 0.35 update, for example), so you don't need to try to dump them. Nobody invested time in hacking them, I believe, because it's not a priority work.
You can customize the partition sizes through command line, but it doesn't override things for fastboot itself - making it impossible to update HBOOT with Eng HBOOT, which is larger and doesn't fit on the HBOOT partition.
I'm not sure MTD0 flashed to MISC partition does anything to HBOOT itself. If it does - it might be possible to flash Desire S-OFF HBOOT on Nexus and deal with the differently partitioned ROM (or revert back to Nexus partitioning with command line override method). Anyway, it won't really bring Nexus back to stock, so it misses the point for all those that want to have their bootloader relocked. Even with substituted splash1 to match locked Nexus, going into bootloader will show a version Nexus doesn't have. Flashing back Nexus HBOOT will return the "unlocked" sign, since it wouldn't be locked.
And it looks like Desire HBOOT is still within the smaller partition size and doesn't enlarge it to fit Nexus Eng SPL.
Jack_R1 said:
I'm not sure MTD0 flashed to MISC partition does anything to HBOOT itself. If it does - it might be possible to flash Desire S-OFF HBOOT on Nexus and deal with the differently partitioned ROM (or revert back to Nexus partitioning with command line override method). Anyway, it won't really bring Nexus back to stock, so it misses the point for all those that want to have their bootloader relocked. Even with substituted splash1 to match locked Nexus, going into bootloader will show a version Nexus doesn't have. Flashing back Nexus HBOOT will return the "unlocked" sign, since it wouldn't be locked.
And it looks like Desire HBOOT is still within the smaller partition size and doesn't enlarge it to fit Nexus Eng SPL.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I checked, turns out mtd0 contains UART settings and the phone's CID... I can't see anything about logos and such.
Still, I think we could have a modified HBOOT with extended commands, making flashing splash0 and splash1 doable. And if we flash HBOOT back to the stock one through flash_image, it won't flash the splash screens again, so the splash change will stick. If you flash the one without a lock (splash0 I imagine) over splash1, and go back to stock HBOOT, won't it just stick?
This is just thinking here. Still, we need some kind of ENG HBOOT, or at least backport some functions of the ENG HBOOT to the SHIP one to allow splash screen flashing.
Also, the goal here is not necessarily to go back to stock and relock the bootloader in any way. It's mostly because the lock bugs me, and if there was a way to hide it, I'd gladly do it. I don't care about my bootloader not being the same anymore, or my phone not being stock I just like the clean look of the Nexus logo without the lock.
There is only one splash partition, there is no splash0 on those phones, AFAIK.
The thing is very simple: playing with HBOOT isn't safe - which means, if you flash a wrong one, your phone is done. Devs don't bother working on it, and rightfully so - when they have tasks of much higher priority, like G2's eMMC, they don't bother working on something that works already. I'm not going to be the one that tries flashing Desire HBOOT without certain knowledge, what will it do to Nexus - I don't live in Nexus-supported country. If you have a spare Nexus and are willing to exercise its warranty - flash Desire Eng HBOOT and see if it works.
I thought spcustom was basically splash1 with the lock, but turns out it's the screen that shows when you "fastboot oem unlock".
This is the bottom 768000 bytes of spcustom.img I found in a PASSIMG (most of you know that screen already though):
Maybe HBOOT actually adds the lock at the bottom of the screen. Or HBOOT composites the bottom part of spcustom and splash1. Can't say, I'm no engineer.
I actually know it's dangerous to do all this, and once again it's just a thinktank. I'm just trying to locate anything that could help more knowledgeable people to start working on this.
cmstlist said:
The new G2 permroot procedure seems to involve running some sort of kernel module which then allows you to reflash HBOOT with an engineering bootloader and get S-OFF. If you subsequently restore to stock using PC10IMG.zip, the stock bootloader relocks to S-ON.
Would this not be theoretically possible with the N1? There are Nexus One units out there with an engineering bootloader that can go to S-OFF without a permanent watermark. If the ENG HBOOT can be flashed from inside the OS, it could be a way to get S-OFF reversibly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What it does is toggles power to the mmc and then force it to reinitialize as if suspended to disable the write-protect of the emmc. The N1 doesn't use emmc though so I think the protection of the hboot is done in some other way.
Rusty! said:
The ENG HBOOT on the Nexus One is larger than the SHIP one, so apparently it's a no go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I've heard, the hboot partition on the retail N1s is actually the same size as the eng hboot. Open the eng hboot in a hex-editor and you'll see there is quite a lot of padding at the end and various other places. It might fit.
i read in general or q/a that someone did a warranty on there n1 and got it back a lock bootloader again, they had it unlocked. this was some ways back.. but there is a way to relock it, as there is some cases with ppl that have a unlock boot still get warranty and get it back with a lock boot...
Jack_R1 said:
There is only one splash partition, there is no splash0 on those phones, AFAIK.
The thing is very simple: playing with HBOOT isn't safe - which means, if you flash a wrong one, your phone is done. Devs don't bother working on it, and rightfully so - when they have tasks of much higher priority, like G2's eMMC, they don't bother working on something that works already. I'm not going to be the one that tries flashing Desire HBOOT without certain knowledge, what will it do to Nexus - I don't live in Nexus-supported country. If you have a spare Nexus and are willing to exercise its warranty - flash Desire Eng HBOOT and see if it works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it isn't safe to muck around with HBOOT.
I bricked my desire by flashing a corrupt HBOOT patch, but it was my fault for not checking the md5.
And I would do it again. (But a checked file ;-))
Ok lets start the Q&A
First:
1) What is engineering HBOOT?
2) What benefits it brings to the mytouch 4g?
3) what is Danger SPL or something like that?
4) what benefits it brings if any?
I already search the forum but to be honest xda is by far the hardest place to find stuff even thou the answers are probably here.
People talk about it but what the hell is engineering HBOOT I did a google search and theres lots of threads saying i have this HBOOT or that one but none of those define its use or purpose.
cruzantis said:
Ok lets start the Q&A
First:
1) What is engineering HBOOT?
2) What benefits it brings to the mytouch 4g?
3) what is Danger SPL or something like that?
4) what benefits it brings if any?
I already search the forum but to be honest xda is by far the hardest place to find stuff even thou the answers are probably here.
People talk about it but what the hell is engineering HBOOT I did a google search and theres lots of threads saying i have this HBOOT or that one but none of those define its use or purpose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The HBoot (engineering Screen) would be similar to the BIOS on a Windows based Computer. It is what physically loads the OS up for us to use.
As far as benefits? you can flash specific sections that compile a ROM, and or Change the Splash Image, what you see when the phone turns on.
and you do not need to worry about the Danger SPL on this phone.
SPL is the secondary program loader... it gets loaded by the IPL and then it loads the OS.
IPL : Initial Program Loader
initial hardware bootup. just like a BIOS
-borrowed from a different forum.
neidlinger said:
The HBoot (engineering Screen) would be similar to the BIOS on a Windows based Computer. It is what physically loads the OS up for us to use.
As far as benefits? you can flash specific sections that compile a ROM, and or Change the Splash Image, what you see when the phone turns on.
and you do not need to worry about the Danger SPL on this phone.
SPL is the secondary program loader... it gets loaded by the IPL and then it loads the OS.
IPL : Initial Program Loader
initial hardware bootup. just like a BIOS
-borrowed from a different forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks neidlinger for your answer now my new question would be like what if I choose not to change the HBOOT once i root the phone? besides changing the splash image is there any true benefit like saving your phone from a brick perhaps? something really useful more than eye candy?
cruzantis said:
Thanks neidlinger for your answer now my new question would be like what if I choose not to change the HBOOT once i root the phone? besides changing the splash image is there any true benefit like saving your phone from a brick perhaps? something really useful more than eye candy?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'll get mixed answers on that one. Personally as long as you have a working recovery image, and make sure to do things correctly bricking a phone is pretty hard to do. As far as the Engineering HBoot v. the stock one with the engineering screen you can flash different parts of the ROM.
Just wondering why this is so special? I flashed just for the hell of it but now I'm kinda curious why the devs and a few others recommend it.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
If you do run into an issue like a soft brick, it is easier to fix your phone as it allows you to use fastboot on your computer. I'm no pro, but I am pretty sure that is the correct answer, I'm sure someone else will chime in.
if thats the case, thats pretty nice. may explain why i couldnt flash a splash screen through fastboot before i flashed the engineering bootloader.
mustk1ll20 said:
if thats the case, thats pretty nice. may explain why i couldnt flash a splash screen through fastboot before i flashed the engineering bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reason alot of us recommend it is pretty simple. HTC Locks the bootloader so we cannot flash specific images to our phone. OR Specific sections of a ROM build. If you can flash the Engineering screen it will allow you to flash stuff from the HBoot. SO if you find your self in pickle and the phone will not mount specific sections you can always revert to HBoot to flash it. The reason you cannot flash the splash image is the same reason, it's locked and will not allow you to do it, it's one of the few things they locked down.
neidlinger said:
The reason alot of us recommend it is pretty simple. HTC Locks the bootloader so we cannot flash specific images to our phone. OR Specific sections of a ROM build. If you can flash the Engineering screen it will allow you to flash stuff from the HBoot. SO if you find your self in pickle and the phone will not mount specific sections you can always revert to HBoot to flash it. The reason you cannot flash the splash image is the same reason, it's locked and will not allow you to do it, it's one of the few things they locked down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This.
Theres an epidemic of people getting softbricks lately, that we can't get fixed because of not having the eng bootloader installed.
neidlinger said:
The reason alot of us recommend it is pretty simple. HTC Locks the bootloader so we cannot flash specific images to our phone. OR Specific sections of a ROM build. If you can flash the Engineering screen it will allow you to flash stuff from the HBoot. SO if you find your self in pickle and the phone will not mount specific sections you can always revert to HBoot to flash it. The reason you cannot flash the splash image is the same reason, it's locked and will not allow you to do it, it's one of the few things they locked down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
option94 said:
This.
Theres an epidemic of people getting softbricks lately, that we can't get fixed because of not having the eng bootloader installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
looks like i made the right choice to flash this then. thanks for the info guys. gonna try changing my splash screen now make this thing even more mine. lol
also if i did soft brick it i would use ADB while the phones at the hboot screen correct? i had it on the hboot screen while it was plugged in to my computer and noticed a install driver thing pop on, but couldnt install because i didnt have the driver. said somethikng like android 1?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ohhhhhh sooo late.....I'm surprised that they even bothered with our phone!
http://www.xda-developers.com/andro...cha-aria-droid-incredible-status-t-mobile-g2/
http://www.htcdev.com/bootloader/
It's nice of them though!
It's still a big deal. Even though AlphaRevX/Revolutionary have been pretty reliable, there's always a risk of bricking the device when using them. It also shows they were serious about their commitment to no longer lock bootloaders and increases the chances of me buying an HTC phone in the future.
Oh I would totally buy another HTC phone...very well built phones! And I did say that it was nice of them....I am glad that they are following through with their word. I just am pretty surprised that they actually bothered with the Aria....
does this affect S-OFF / S-On NAND-lock etc?
I believe the phone will still be S-ON that's why revolutionary.io is still the best bet
Has anyone tried this yet?
Sent from my Liberty using XDA App
I tried this out on my spare Aria. After unlocking it, the phone still says "S-ON" on the HBOOT screen -- HOWEVER -- I was able to install CWM using this method, and after installing a rooted ROM, I was able to write to the system partition while booted. In other words, even though it still says S-ON, it appears to actually be S-OFF.
I think that with HTCdev bootloader unlock you can't flash radios or hboots.
You can write to the system partition, root, change rom, flash recovery but it's not S-OFF.
drumist said:
It's still a big deal. Even though AlphaRevX/Revolutionary have been pretty reliable, there's always a risk of bricking the device when using them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bull****. There is as much risk using HTC's unlock scheme as there is using Revolutionary.
Further, HTC's unlock scheme is gimped - not flashing custom roms completely in CWM, you need to use fastboot to flash the boot image. The radio partition is locked, and it's definitely not S-OFF.
Revolutionary is the far better way to go, no matter how you look at it.
attn1 said:
Further, HTC's unlock scheme is gimped - not flashing custom roms completely in CWM, you need to use fastboot to flash the boot image.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure about that? I have two Arias, one with S-OFF via AlphaRevX and another that I upgraded to HBOOT 1.03 and unlocked using HTC's tool. Using your build of CWM 5.0.2.3 on both. I installed CM7 on both phones and I don't notice any problems with the phone that was unlocked with HTC's tool.
I did a nandroid backup on both phones, and the boot.img from both backups have an identical MD5 hash. Seems like CWM is able to flash the boot image just fine. Am I missing something?
You cannot fash splash screen with HTCDev method. It is not truely S-Off.
Sent from my HTC ThunderBolt using XDA Premium App
oneders65 said:
You cannot fash splash screen with HTCDev method. It is not truely S-Off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My phone shows a CM7 splash screen.
Now I'm wondering, does it matter that I had S-OFF on this phone at one point in time (via AlphaRevX) before returning it to HBOOT 1.02 w/ S-ON using this method? I'm wondering if the reason these things are still writable on my device is because the process of "reverting" to HBOOT 1.02 didn't actually remove S-OFF from my device (even though it says S-ON on the HBOOT screen).
---------- Post added at 06:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:33 AM ----------
If I re-lock the phone (fastboot oem lock), then I definitely lose the ability to write to the system partition while booted, so I don't think that was it. I'm definitely confused.
drumist said:
Are you sure about that? I have two Arias, one with S-OFF via AlphaRevX and another that I upgraded to HBOOT 1.03 and unlocked using HTC's tool. Using your build of CWM 5.0.2.3 on both. I installed CM7 on both phones and I don't notice any problems with the phone that was unlocked with HTC's tool.
I did a nandroid backup on both phones, and the boot.img from both backups have an identical MD5 hash. Seems like CWM is able to flash the boot image just fine. Am I missing something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you already have CM7 on it? Wipe data and flash a sense ROM and see what happens.
attn1 said:
Did you already have CM7 on it? Wipe data and flash a sense ROM and see what happens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had run the AT&T 2.2.2 RUU on the device before I upgraded to the 1.03 HBOOT, so it had the boot image from the 2.2.2 RUU on it before I did the HTC unlock.
CM7, CM6, and Liberated 2.2.2 all work fine. Boots, shows appropriate splash screen, and as far as I can tell there aren't any issues although I haven't really used it much beyond just booting it up and testing a few things.
drumist said:
I had run the AT&T 2.2.2 RUU on the device before I upgraded to the 1.03 HBOOT, so it had the boot image from the 2.2.2 RUU on it before I did the HTC unlock.
CM7, CM6, and Liberated 2.2.2 all work fine. Boots, shows appropriate splash screen, and as far as I can tell there aren't any issues although I haven't really used it much beyond just booting it up and testing a few things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Splash screen, not boot animation.
Displays before the rom or recovery boots.
Default splash screen is white with green HTC letters...
I'm gonna switch my phone over to this and see if I lose any functionality...
Edit: Well, can't flash splash screens.. but I can change stuff in system and it stays with a reboot, even though it says S-ON..
drumist said:
I had run the AT&T 2.2.2 RUU on the device before I upgraded to the 1.03 HBOOT, so it had the boot image from the 2.2.2 RUU on it before I did the HTC unlock.
CM7, CM6, and Liberated 2.2.2 all work fine. Boots, shows appropriate splash screen, and as far as I can tell there aren't any issues although I haven't really used it much beyond just booting it up and testing a few things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you mean boot animation and not splash screen. The splash screen is the white screen with HTC that displays before the CM7 boot animation begins.
Your Hboot says S-ON or S-OFF?
attn1 said:
I think you mean boot animation and not splash screen. The splash screen is the white screen with HTC that displays before the CM7 boot animation begins.
Your Hboot says S-ON or S-OFF?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, yes. I have not tried to replace the splash screen.
The HBOOT says S-ON but has the text "unlocked" at the top line (after using the HTCdev unlock).
drumist said:
Sorry, yes. I have not tried to replace the splash screen.
The HBOOT says S-ON but has the text "unlocked" at the top line (after using the HTCdev unlock).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I just had to test it. You're correct. On Aria, the unlocked bootloader, while not complete S-OFF, allows full rom flashing from recovery. Awesome. This is all most users would need. It doesn't work as well on Inspire.
I still think the revolutionary way is more complete and *easier*.