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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
Note from the Author -
I am moving on to the N5 now and ditching my S3. I will continue to maintain this thread, however - please do PM me if you think that something needs to be changed or updated in this thread as I doubt I will be answering questions within the thread as much. Please don't PM support questions to me. Only PM updates that need to be made in the thread.
It's been a blast!
Regards
Dan
efs | backup your efs | backup your efs | backup your efs | backup your efs | backup your
Understanding the basics before rooting your S3 (GT-i9300/i9305)
This thread is intended to give you (as someone considering rooting your device) an overview of some of what I deem to be, really important information. Many people blindly follow guides and end up in trouble because they break their phones and don't really know what they were even doing at the time.
This may seem a bit overwhelming at first, there is a lot of text, but please do take the time to read it. It may save you further down the line.
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Before we get started...
Here are a couple of threads you should get familiar with before posting on XDA.
Forum Rules - use Search before posting
Post Questions or Support queries in Q&A, NOT General
What is root access?
"root" is (but not exclusively) a Linux term. As you may or may not know, Android is based on a Linux Kernel.
The term "root" refers to the root of the device. All devices with an operating system use a series of directories (or folders) nested within one another. If you think of windows, your documents folder would be C:\users\username\documents.. Well, "documents" is a directory. It is within another directory (username).
Imagine "documents" being the top of a tree (A folder tree). You climb down the tree to username, past there to "users" and down to the root, in this example "c:". You cannot go beyond this level, because nothing exists beyond the root. To save a file directly on C: (not within any folders) would be to save a file to the root of your c: drive.
In Linux (unlike Windows), these root locations are completely locked down. A user of normal priviledges cannot edit any file or create files in these locations. They can only do this in their "home" location, which is the equivelant of username on windows. To gain access to these locations, you would need to be an administrator of the machine. Linux calls this Super User (su), and this user is said to have "root access".
This applies to Android in the same way. To root your Android device, is to have superuser access to the root locations of your phone, that you normally could not have access to.
Is it Risky?
There is always a risk having access to locations on your phone that are supposed to be locked down. You can easily delete things that your phone needs to boot up, which could lead to you losing all your data or even breaking your phone. This is why it is good have an understanding of your device and root access BEFORE you root.
It is worth noting that although many say rooting shouldn't void your warranty (it does in many places) even where that is supposed to be true, in practice, it isn't really. Even in the EU, I've seen many warranty claims rejected due to root so do think of your phone as out of warranty when you root.
The advantages of rooting
Why root?
More control over how the CPU acts. This can increase performance or battery life
More control over power consumption (undervolting)
More control over how apps start up. Prevent apps from starting up when they don't need to
Baseband. Try different basebands with the possibility of reducing drain or imporving signal strength
De-bloat. Remove or freeze system apps that you don't use
Access to community driven bug fixes that Samsung haven't released
Custom ROMs. Add additional functionality and controls over and above the stock experience
Increase redundancy. The ability to backup apps and entire phone
Theme. Don't be stuck with Samsung driving aesthetics.
Innovations. Use community driven features that improve your day to day experience
Better RAM management. Change the values of "Out of memory". Decide yourself when android should kill unused apps. Increase mutlitasking capabilities
Custom kernels. With kernels you can bring support for better audio features, better graphics performance and support for stock unsupported files systems
Google Android. Use android as it was intended before Samsung got their hands on it.
The Disadvantages of rooting
Why not root?
For all intents and purposes, rooting voids warranty.
Dangerous. You can break your phone and need the warranty you probably just voided
You open the doors for more mistakes. These mistakes may cause you to panic and further damage your phone
Lack of understanding. Blindly following guides and not understanding what you're doing.
No more official updates. Updating is a more manual process
Basic layout of /root on the GT-i9300
I'm not going to go into too much detail here. I just need you to know the basics. The GT-i9300 has an embedded Multi Media Card. This is the internal memory that everything on your phone you need to run it, is insalled on. It is the "internal memory" of the device.
Like windows and linux, there is a root to this memory, which has a few basic partitions that you need to know.
/efs - This is REALLY important. This is where your IMEI is stored, which you need to connect to your provider's network. Unfortunately it is the easiest partition to corrupt and impossible to restore without a backup so ensure you have a recovery or application to backup your efs cause if it goes (likely) you'll be sending your S3 to Samsung for repair.
Please read THIS THREAD for more info on EFS and IMEI issues.
/system - This is where the ROM is installed. Within /system are many important folders that you normally cannot get to.
For example, you have /system/app where all the important ROM apps are located. Things like the phone app and the messaging app. /system/bin, where all the important binaries are located that allow android to execute commands that it needs to, so it can function as an OS and /system/framework, where the crucial policies that control how things the user and processes interact with - act.
/data - This is where apps you install are kept. This is also where your data is kept, eg your SMS and e-mails. It also stores settings. If you change the wallpaper, it is stored here. What ringtone you have chosen... etc. The important directories here are /data/app and /data/data. These are what get wiped when you choose to wipe data\factory reset
/data/media is an important directory in /data. This is what is known as your "internal storage" or your "internal sdcard". /sdcard maps to here.
When you have root access to android, you can browse these partitions with a root explorer / file manager with root functionality.
There are also some hidden partitions you cannot browse like this. These are the partitions that contain recovery, bootloader and kernel
What are those things?
Kernel - This is always supplied with a ROM. It is the beating heart of Android. The ROM cannot function without the kernel. Since all ROMs include a kernel, if you're using a custom Kernel then flash a ROM, you will need to reflash the kernel again.
Please note, unlike the Galaxy S2 (and like almost every other modern android device) the kernel and recovery are independent. There is no link between recovery and kernel. Kernels are boot.img files.
Bootloader - this is what handles what you boot into. When you see the black Galaxy s III text, thats the bootloader. Its job is to handle the boot. It is responsible for booting into android, or if you manipulate the buttons in a certain way, it will boot into recovery or download mode. PLEASE NOTE, i9300/5 Bootloader is NOT LOCKED. DO NOT TRY TO UNLOCK IT. Only some US variants have a locked bootloader...
When you see this screen, you're looking at the bootloader:
Download mode is part of the bootloader itself. Again, it is a mini OS. It is designed for flashing stock (official) ROMs onto the phone (Which you can do using Odin). It is also used by Samsung to detect the status of your phone (if you have modified it or not).
If you have (or had before rooting) an official ROM above 4.1.1, Your bootloader flash counter in download mode will change to "1" at every boot, if you have a custom kernel or recovery - even if you reset it with Triangle Away. See the return for warranty link later in this post to get around this.
To access download mode, turn off your phone. Home volume down + home then press power. You will get to the screen below:
Press volume up to continue into Download mode:
Recovery - a secondary, min operating system designed to offer a few "drastic" options to recover when you cannot boot into android. For example, factory reset. Recovery isn't part of android. It is a seperate operting system. You can either boot into android or boot into reocvery.
To access recovery (custom or stock), turn of you phone. Hold volume up + home then press power.
The intial use of Stock recovery was to allow a user whose phone does not boot, to wipe their device to "recover" it to a booting state. It could also flash official updates from the sdcard. Custom recoveries do so much more, such as allowing you to flash custom rom.zip or kernel.zips from sdcard or backing up your device with a nandroid recovery.
Here is an example of a custom recovery (Philx Touch 5):
Please note, unlike the Galaxy S2 (and like almost every other modern android device) the kernel and recovery are independent. There is no link between recovery and kernel.
Some other stuff you may have heard about
Baseband / Modem / Radio - This is the software that manages your connection to wireless networks, be that voice or data. Unlike unrooted users, you can download and flash any number of i9300 (Versions for other models WILL BRICK YOUR PHONE) or i9305 radios pulled from official ROMs. I wouldn't waste too much time on them. Usually what your official ROM comes with in your country / for your carrier, is the most optimised for you. Try a few by all means but don't waste time testing every last one.
Be aware that Samsung official ROMs come with a baseband. Often this means Samsung based custom ROMs may also do so. Some ROMs which install using the Aroma installer (A kind of set-up wizard) may give the option to not flash the baseband. AOSP ROMs almost never come with a baseband. When you flash a ROM withotu a baseband, the previous baseband remains. You can by all means, mix and match ROMs and basebands. You are not tied to the baseband with the same build number as the ROM. For example, if you are on XXEMB1 ROM, you definitely do NOT have to stay on the XXEMB1 baseband.
RIL - RIL is Radio Interface layer. It's what sits between the radio (above) and the android telephony services. Each Radio is supposed to have a specific RIL. Every ROM comes with RIL as it's a requirement to function. Again, although the best pair is a matched RIL and Radio version, if you do change your Radio, it's not the end of the world. You may notice a little difference flashing the right one, but it's not something to get bogged down with. Personally, I very rarely try a new Radio. I almost never change my RIL.
It's worth mentioning that the above is only really valid for Touchwiz ROMs. AOSP ROMs use OpenRIL and are not compatible with Samsung RILs. Do not use apps like GetRIL or flash Modem+RIL packages on AOSP ROMs. You would have to reflash the ROM if you do this because using a Samsung RIL on your AOSP ROM will likely break your signal.
Also note, Nandroid backups generally don't backup the Radio. Some recoveries may give you a separate option to do so however. The RIL (as part of the ROM itself) is backed up in a Nandroid.
ROM - ROM really stands for "Read Only Memory" which refers to memory that cannot be overwritten. When we talk about an Android ROM, we are really talking about the Android OS which is installed ON the Read Only Memory, of course since rooting, the /system partition where the ROM is installed is no longer read only. It is read / write. Flashing a ROM will over write the entire /system partition with whatever is in the ROM.zip or ROM.tar. Any mods, scripts, themes or apps will be replaced. You can only have one ROM at a time, unless you use one of those funky dual boot kernels.
More advanced layout of the GT-i9300
Here we have a lovely MS paint diagram of the eMMC layout of the GT-i9300/5. Some of this you don't need to know, some of it you do.
1 BOTA0 - mmcblk0p1 - 4 MB
2 BOTA1 - mmcblk0p2 - 4 MB
3 EFS - mmcblk0p3 - 19.7M
4 PARAM - mmcblk0p4 - 8 MB
5 BOOT - mmcblk0p5 - 8 MB
6 RECOVERY - mmcblk0p6 - 8 MB
7 RADIO - mmcblk0p7 - 33 MB
8 CACHE - mmcblk0p8 - 1 GB
9 SYSTEM - mmcblk0p9 - 1.48 GB
10 HIDDEN - mmcblk0p10 - 587 MB
11 OTA - mmcblk0p11 - 8 MB
12 USERDATA - mmcblk0p12 - 11.4 GB
The above sizes are approximate and the diagram is not to scale.
Rooting the phone
When you go through the process of rooting the phone, you have to alter the ROM. Although the risks of this are very minimal, we couldn't technically say it was risk free. The process of rooting puts a binary (called "su") in /system/bin (remember we talked about that earlier?). This binary is what allows the user (you) to run things at an elevated privilidge (super user). That in itself would be quite risky, so rooting also gives you one of the superuser apps (there are 2 - SuperSU and SuperUser, both very good). These apps install to /system/app and act as a gateway. Essentially, these apps prompt you when another application wants "root access" so you can allow it or deny it. It's a form of protection against malicious intent.
Root is often enough for most people who simply want to run a few root apps, but many people will need to replace their stock recovery with a custom recovery. This is because you cannot flash custom roms from the stock recovery. Some methods of rooting give you root AND recovery. Some just give you root, but you can flash a recovery yourself using Odin and download mode. Technically you do not need root to flash a recovery and then flash a custom ROM as the rom will include /system/bin/su and /system/app/SuperSU anyway.
Odin is a useful Windows tool. You'll be using this to return your phone back to stock too by flashing a stock "firmware"
Please read Samsung Galaxy S3 General Sticky Roll-Up Thread ***Stickies found here!** to find all the rooting and flashing guides you need for the GT-i9300
If I were asked my opinion on how to root, I would recommend one of the 2 scenarios.
1) You want root only. No custom ROMs, kernels etc. Just root, just to use root apps.
CF Auto Root Via Odin
Why? Tried and tested method, simple to use. No need to choose what exploit you want to use as it's tailored for your device.
What does it do? It gives you a stock recovery (so can't flash things) and roots the Android OS
The Steps:
1) Download the Latest Odin
2) Download CF-Auto-Root for your model
3) Follow These steps to root
2) You want to flash custom ROMs / Kernels
If you want root on your existing Android ROM, you can do 1) first. Then flash a recovery of your choice (CWM, Philz, TWRP) via Odin
However, if you immediately plan on flashing a ROM, there's no need to root your existing ROM. Simply skip straight to installing a recovery. Backup then flash what you like.
The Steps:
1) Download the Latest Odin
2) Download recovery of your choice CWM, Philz, TWRP
3) Follow The steps to Flash Philz recovery (But for the recovery of your choice)
These steps can also be followed to update recovery to newer versions
Official Updates
Once you have rooted your phone, the phone is classed as "modified" and no longer qualifies for Official Samsung OTA updates.
It is possible to receive official updates (whilst rooted) via Kies, however this will remove root (just like flashing a full stock rom) and if you have any custom themes, kernels or /system modifications, this could really cause some problems to the ROM so it is best to avoid. Of course if you have flashed a custom ROM (even TouchWiz based ones) Official updates are a big, fat No-No.
If you do run custom ROMs, it's best to use their OTA method if they have one, or download from the threads on XDA and flash via recovery.
Flashing - Good practice
Recovery - Custom recoveries are very handy tools. Unlike the stock recovery, they have lots of options. Not only do they allow you to flash custom ROMs, but you can backup your current ROM too. This is called a Nandroid backup. Its a snapshot in time. It backs up your entire device, from the ROM to the Kernel and all your data too. If you restore a nandroid backup, your device will be extactly the same as it was when you took the backup. This means if you took a backup 2 weeks ago and restored it today, you could have lost 2 weeks worth of SMS.. but it is very handy. As soon as you have a custom recovery, a Nandroid backup should be the FIRST thing you do. You should take one before you flash any Mod, kernel, ROM or theme. It really is important, incase you manage to break your device.,
The RIGHT files - Always be careful that you know what you're flashing is for your device and you know what it is. Flashing files (ROMs, kernels etc) for other devices could BRICK your phone. Bricking means that it is beyond normal levels of repair, often meaning it needs the internal memory (which equates to the motherboard) being replaced. very expensive.
NEVER remove power - When flashing something, be it from your computer or from recovery (or mobile Odin), do NOT remove the power. It can corrupt not only what you're flashing but also what you're flashing to. If you corrupt any of your eMMC partitions, you could have Bricked the device.
Read, read and read - Read the development threads before you flash anything. Ensure you understand what you are flashing. Ensure you know the specific procedure layed out by the developer and you follow it closely. Do not ad lib. If you are unsure, ask.
DON'T PANIC - Think you've bricked your device? Dont panic. Stay calm. Dont google "unbrick S3" and flash lots of files you dont understand. There are many types of S3 "brick" (they're not bricks if you can easily recover) and many varients of the S3. Flashign these files could further break your phone and actually brick a not already bricked phone. Nothing for any other variant than the GT-i9300 should be flashed on it. The same goes for the i9305. Never flash for another model number.
Search and Ask - Unsure of something, read the stickies Samsung Galaxy S3 General Sticky Roll-Up Thread ***Stickies found here!** and do a search. Can't find your answer? Ask. It is easier for us to help you understand something before you do it than to fix something after you've broken it.
Provide details - ALWAYS tell us exactly what happened if you are requesting help. Always describe in detail what is happening.
"Flashed my phone now it doesn't work" is useless information.
"I rooted my phone 3 months ago and flashed a custom ROM. I decided today to flash ROM X from recovery Y. I booted into recovery and flashed from my internal SD card. I rebooted the phone and it is not starting up. It is looping at the boot animation" is GOOD information. We need to know What, when, how. We need to know if you followed a guide and which one (links where possible)
Backups
Backups are really important. This is how you can mitigate the risk of losing all your important data. Without these you could have to start again from scratch or worse, need to send your device for repair.
Your entire phone - Nandroid - Recovery
[*]efs - Recovery - EFS backup aapplications
[*]Your apps and data - Titanium backup
[*]SMS - SMS backup+
[*]Photos - Dropbox
[*]sdcards - FolderSync
The reason we backup is multifaceted.
A Nandroid will backup your entire phone. This is usually taken immediately before you flash a mod or a new ROM. Nandroid restores /system and /data. Usually when you flash a mod (kernel, theme, some system app or libs etc) and it causes a bootloop, a simple restore of Nandroid will return your phone as it was and booting again. In fact, you can use an advanced restore in recovery and choose ONLY to restore /system if appropriate
Titanium backup would often be done on a schedule. Every 2nd night or something, maybe once a week if you're daring. These are important for a number of reasons but the most important is if you are flashing a new ROM.
Remember earlier, we talked about all your data and apps being in /data/data and /data/app? Well, Titanium backs that up. When you flash a ROM, you have to perform a full wipe / factory reset before it will boot up properly. This is because you have settings stored in data/data for apps in /system/app that may have changed or no longer exist, or settings different to the settings in the new ROM. These are incompatibilities and these incompatibilities often will prevent a new ROM booting. Of course, a factory reset doesn't fully restore it to it's factory condition. It cannot restore the bootloader, rom, baseband etc because you overwrote these by flashing a new one.
We wipe, we install titanium and we restore all the data/apps and the /data/data related to /data/apps, but none of the data/data related to /system/apps (because that would restore the incompatibilities)
Here is how I restore using titanium backup after a wipe and flash....
Remember if your backup is on external sd, you need to point titanium to the location using preferences > backup folder location...
Go to backup / restore tab and press "click to edit filters" and deselect "system" and press the done tick icon to apply. Then from the previous backup / restore screen, go into the batch screen (another tick icon top right).
From this batch screen, select "restore missing apps with data" by pressing "run". Manually go through every app (yes, even if you have 300 apps) ensuring there's nothing samsung or rom specific there, unticking anything that is...
This should ensure a clean, user only app and settings. You will then need to manually set your system settings (ring tones, email etc)
Warranty
So, as we have discussed, warranty should be considered void once rooted. Technically in the EU, the OEM must prove root damaged your phone to reject warranty, however this is almost never the case.
When the S3 was released, it came with android 4.0.4 (ICS). The bootloader with ICS was normal. If you used Triangle Away once rooted, it would reset your binary counter forever. You may have kept status: Modified until you factory reset but that is not so much a problem.
When the S3 was upgraded to 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, a new bootloader was introduced. You could still reset with Triangle away, however on the next boot, if you had a custom recovery or kernel, the binary counter went back up to 1 again, which can present a problem.
Please see the following scenarios.
1) You just want root. No custom Kernels, no custom ROMs, no custom recoveries.
This is fine. If you root with CF-Auto Root it gives you a stock recovery. Once you reset the flash counter with triangle away, you should be fine.
2) You want root and recovery on a 4.1.1+ S3.
If you have a custom recovery or kernel, you can set triangle away to reset at every boot. The problem is if your phone breaks in such a way that you can never boot into android, but download and recovery mode still work, you're screwed, It goes back up to 1 on boot, fails to boot then you can only reset it with triangle away, which you can't use because it needs you to boot into Android. You see the risk?
3) You want root and recovery on a 4.1.1+ S3.
The alternative to the above is to flash This 4.0.4 bootloader via cwm. It can be reset by Triangle Away, and stays reset forever. Well why aren't we all using this? Because it is NOT SDS safe. This means if you ahev the unsafe internal memory, if you use download mode to flash anything, you risk bricking your device. Read [Important] Sudden Death Fix - Are you covered? for more information.
So it's a choice between:
I risk that under certain conditions, I may not be able to reset the binary counter for a warranty return
or
I have my binary counter at 0 always, but I cannot use download mode.
Please note, you need to run a TouchWiz ROM to use triangle away
Popular misconceptions
USB Debugging is always required for flashing.
Incorrect. USB debugging is an Android setting. It is only applicable within android. This setting does not work in recovery or download mode, so obviously anything done in those modes does not require USB debugging.
When rooting, all your data is lost.
Incorrect. Rooting adds a binary and application to your phone. It does not wipe it.
I need to root to fix my battery by wiping battery stats.
Incorrect. No one needs to wipe battery stats. Please read the wiping battery stats thread linked below:
Battery stats
What's good for you is good for me!
Incorrect. Everyone's usage is different. Everyone's set-up is different. Everyone's environment is different. There is no "Best" ROM. There is no "Best kernel for..." There is no "Most battery efficient baseband". All these things may acti differently for you than they will for me. What I like isn't what you like. Please do not create any "Best" threads.
If I ask the question "Blah blah blah for custom ROMS?", everyone will know what I am talking about
Incorrect. "Custom ROM" and "AOSP ROM" are NOT synonymous. People imagine when they ask about "Custom ROMS" that we know they really mean "AOSP ROMS". We don't. There are TouchwIz based custom ROMs too. We assume nothing.
B]I need yo be on a certain ROM to flash certain other ROMs[/b]
Incorrect. You're overwriting the ROM so why would ot matter what ROM you're overwriting?!
Important threads and resources
A list of important threads and resources...Please read ALL of these threads before rooting.
Mskip's unified toolbox(Root, drivers etc)
Index of Roms, recoveries and kernels
Guide for flashing roms, backups etc
Returning to stock for warranty
Odin flashing guide
Sammobile.com - stock firmwares
Be prepared ahead of time to fix a Brick
rootSU recommends
A few recommendations from me...
RootExplorer
Titanium Backup
Philz Recovery (CWM advanced)
Odin
Heimdall (Linux / Mac odin equivelant
That's it for now. I know this is a lot of information, but I believe this info to be the very least you should know before deciding to go ahead with rooting your S3. Please read it and read it again. Anything doesn't make sense, please ask in this thread and I will gladly help.
If any other seasoned rooters / flashers think there is something salient missing, please post her too. happy to add to it.
Glossary of terms
adb - Android Debug Bridge. This is a Windows or Linux command line tool that can be used to push files to a device, pull them, create directories. Very handy with a custom Kernel if you can't boot and need to get data from the device. This can be downloaded as part of the Android SDK or mskip's unified toolbox mentioned earlier.
AOSP - Android Open Source Project. This is google's code base. This is Android in it's pureset form. Anyone can download this code and build a ROM. It will take some work to build for a specific device however. Even Samsung start with this code at some point.
AOKP - Unofficial development team building ROMs based on AOSP accross a range of devices. AOKP stands for Android Open Kang Project. A play of the AOSP it is based on. Kang means to find / use (or even steal, although not in this case) source code.
baseband - The software responsible for controlling the radio hardware. Essential for network connectivity. Also referred to as "modem" or "radio"
bash - bash is a shell script language. Natively used in unix and linux, it can also be used within terminal emulators on android and scripts. Most mods that are scripts, use bash.
binary - a binary file is the opposite of a text file. It may contain data to be read by the OS rather than a human. It usually contains instructions on how a particular function should be handled.
binary counter - also referred to as flash counter. This is in part of the bootloader, viewed in download mode. The Binary counter increases as you flash non-stock (custom) recoveries and roms and kernels not "signed" by Samsung. The app, triangle away can help a little
boot.img - the kernel is contained within an .img file named boot.img. Not to be confised with sboot.img (bootloader)
bootloader - Bootloaders exist on almost any multi-OS bootable system. Windows has one, linux has one and android has one. It is how the device "decides" which OS to boot into. the user can manipulate hardware buttons during boot to alter which OS the bootloader boots into. It boots into Android by default but it can also boot into recovery or download mode. The bootloader is within an .img called sboot.img
brick - brick refers to a device that has been "bricked". A bricked device is beyond repair. In other words, your phone may as well be a brick, because it cant be a phone any more. A bricked device must be sent to the manufacturer / carrier / service centre for repair. You cannot repair a brick yourself. If you have something that can be repaired, it is not a true brick.
There are 2 types of brick referred to..
Soft brick, where the phone bootloops. These can sometimes be repaired, so for that reason it is not a true brick and I prefer to never use the term "Soft Brick".
Hard Brick. This is what I call a true brick. The phone cannot be repaired by a user. This of course does not extend to replacing parts. Sure, a brick can be replaced by replacing parts. It can't be fixed with external hardware or software however.
busybox - A set of tools to be added to android. Many root apps require busybox to run. It can be installed using an installer from the market. Similarly, most custom ROMs will contain busybox by default
clockwork mod - clockwork mod is a custom recovery
cfq - this is a scheduler (see scheduler). There is some info that can be read here: http://www.alliance-rom.com/community/wiki/i-o-schedulers/
checksum - see md5 checksum
cm - abbreviation for cyanogen mod. See Cyanogen
CPU - central processing unit. This is the brains of the operation. the CPU is what translates all the instructions and processes them. This is the main "power" behind any device. The better the CPU, the faster these instructions can be processed
custom ROM - A Custom ROM can be based on Touchwiz (Samsung stock), or it can be built from AOSP code. It really just means "unofficial" and will usually contain tweaks, fixes and imporvements for your device. A Custom ROM is a complete android replacement.
cwm - abbreviation for (see) Clockwork Mod.
cyanogen - a team of developers spanning multiple devices. Probably the most famous of development teams releasing heavily modified AOSP based ROMs. If there's any AOSP ROM thread for any Android device forum, there will be credits to cyanogen in there.
dalvik-cache - Dalvik-cache is a way of optimising applications. Its a way of ensuring all the dependencies an app requires are "at hand" to speed up use. It is rebuilt at start up when wiped. A de-odexed system will have more dalvik-cache than an odexed one.
de-odex - The act of removing odex from a stock ROM. On Stock ROMs, instead of using a dalvik-cache for system apps, we use .odex files instead. Generally custom ROMs prefer de-odexed configurations as it's easier to wipe and maintain when you make changes to your system.
deadline - this is a scheduler (see scheduler). There is some info that can be read here: http://www.alliance-rom.com/community/wiki/i-o-schedulers/
download mode - Samsung's own mode accessible via the bootloader. Hold Vul down, Home and power (from off) to boot here. Also referred to as "Odin Mode". This replaces the "fastboot mode" that most other devices have.
efs - Important partition / directory on the root of your phone. Ensures the IMEI number is present in the software. Back this up, because if it breaks, it's gone for ever. You need Samsung to repair.
eMMC - Embedded MultiMedia Card. This is like an SD card, but it's embedded in a device. the eMMC is a NAND flash memory chip which acts as internal memory (storage) on the S3.
exFAT - exFAT is a Microsoft proprietary (closed source) file system, used for media (sdcards, USB flash memory, HDD's etc). ExFAT is not natively supported in Linux and AOSP ROMs
ext - ext2, ext3 and ext4 are file systems created specifically for Linux. Our internal memory is ext (or "extended" as it is known). This can sometimes be used to refer to an ext partition, an old school method of partitioning your sdcard to link the internal ext partitions to to increase app space on low memory devices. Ext file systems cannot be read on Windows machines without special applications / drivers installed.
extSdCard - This is referring to the removable Micro SD card. Samsung ROMs mount the rremovable sd card in Android as /extSdCard. Recoveries such as CWM will mount it as external_sd. Both of these terms are valid, but it depends if the phone is booted to Android or Recovery. In AOSP ROMs, the removable SD card is often mounted as /sdcard1
FAT32 - another file system which is quite old now but still a good one. This is the only file system that is compatible with all devices unconditionally. The downfall is a maximum file size limit of 4 GB. Windows disk management GUI can only format up to 32 GB. Windows command lien tool "diskpart" can format up to the max volume size of 2 TB, as can many 3rd party tools such as easeus.
flash - Flash means a few things. It can refer to the fact that our internal memory is NAND Flash (Solid state) memory. It can also be the act of "flashing", or "to flash", meaning to install to flash memory. This doesn't really refer to installing an .apk. Rather, it refers to bigger, OS, System or device wide altering modifications (Kernels, recoveries, ROMs etc). Always back up before flashing.
Custom ROMS are usually flashed from your SDcard via recovery, as are kernels and basebands however, kernels and basebands usually can come in .tar format which means odin/mobile odin can flash them too from your computer/sdcard respectively. Rule of thumb, .zip from sdcard via recovery. .tar from sdcard via mobile odin or from computer using odin
flash counter - See binary counter
framework - The android frameworks are a standard structure within android that the OS is built around. It determines things like policy (how the OS should manage an event). It controls everything from notification behaviours to the theme. Anything visual within Android with exception to the notification area is controlled by framework-res-apk. AOSP and most manufactured ROMs only have 1 frsamework-res, however Samsugn Touchwiz ROMs alsu have a twframework-res.apk for Samsung only visuals.
gapps - Google Apps (gapps). AOSP ROMs like Cyanogen, have been asked by google to not include the google apps packages, which are proprietary to google (meaning not open source). This means that when you download these roms, you need to flash a gapps package separately. They are usually available as link in the ROM thread
governor - governors are included with kernels. I will not go into too much detail but essentially, the governor is a set of instructions which tell the kernel how to manage the CPU. It can control when the CPU ramps up or down, or how long it stays at a certain frequency. Most custom kernels come with a selection of governors to choose from using things like Set CPU. The governor settings for each can also be fine tuned or tweaked to y7our liking.
hotplug - this is a governor (see governor). Governors are explained in great detail here: http://www.alliance-rom.com/community/wiki/governors-explained/ - not all these governors are valid for our device, but it's a good technical read.
jig - a small usb device that plugs into the USB port of the S3. Designed to provoke "bricked" S3's to boot to download mode in an attempt to help recovery the device.
kernel - The kernel, it is said - is the "beating heart" of Android (or any OS for that matter). It sit's between the application layer (Android, applications etc) and the Hardware (CPU, Memory) and handles all transactions between the physical and the virtual. It passes information and instructions inbetween and translates. Very important stuff!
lulzactive - this is a governor (see governor). Governors are explained in great detail here: http://www.alliance-rom.com/community/wiki/governors-explained/ - not all these governors are valid for our device, but it's a good technical read.
md5 checksum - md5 checksum is a way to verify that a zip (or file) is not corrupt. A developer or uploader may provide a hexidecimal string called an md5 checksum. This checksum is a test done on the files that gives it a unique string based on it's contents. If you download the file and check the checksum and it does not match, it means the contents of the file have altered, usually meaning it is corrupt and shouldn't be flashed.
An md5 checksum is easy to check on android. My preferred method is using an android terminal emulator. Lets imaging I have a file on my external sd card called "rom.zip"...
In terminal emulator, type "md5 /mnt/extSdCard/rom.zip" and the terminal will give you an md5 string, If this matches the uploader's string, you're good to go.
If you're downloading something on Windows and then transferring it to your phone, it's a good idea to check md5 on both.
Linux is pretty much the same except the command is "md5sum"
For windows: http://www.winmd5.com/
modem - see baseband
NAND - NAND is a type of Flash memory. If anyone say's "NAND" to you, they are talking about the internal memory (Storage) of your device.
nandroid - nandroid refers to a backup taken or restored via custom recoveries. This is a universal term, although nowadays most recoveries simply say "backup" or "restore", but it is a nandroid backup they will be taking or restoring, which got it's name from the NAND flash memory that Android devices use internally. Nandroids are often only compatible with the variant of recovery you have. For example, a backup taken with CWM may not be compatible with TWRP, unless they introduce a compatibility setting in the future, which Philz recovery has done.
noop - this is a scheduler (see scheduler). There is some info that can be read here: http://www.alliance-rom.com/community/wiki/i-o-schedulers/
oem - Original Equipment Manufacturer. The OEM ROM for us is teh one the Manufacturer (Samsung) shipped with the phone.
overclock - overclocking is to set the CPU clock speed (frequency) higher than intended by the manufacturer. For example, the S3 has a 1.4 GHz (1400 MHz) maximum clock speed. With the use of a custom kernel and an application such as Set CPU, you can set this higher, to 1.6GHz or maybe even higher.
The risk is that the higher clock speed uses more voltage and voltage = heat. A higher clock with higher heat can permanently damage the CPU. Overclocking is usually paired with undervolting for these reasons. Another risk is instability. Each individual CPU has different tolerances due to imperfections in the manufacturing process. My CPU may be stable at 1.6 GHz, yet yours may be stable at a higher or lower clock. The side effects you will see here will be random reboots when the phone is under load.
pegasusq - this is a governor (see governor). Governors are explained in great detail here: http://www.alliance-rom.com/community/wiki/governors-explained/ - not all these governors are valid for our device, but it's a good technical read.
radio - see baseband
RAM - Random Access Memory. Great explanation here: http://www.androidcentral.com/ram-what-it-how-its-used-and-why-you-shouldnt-care
scheduler - built into kernels, there are schedulers to determine how CPU load is spread across different tasks. There are also read / write schedulers that spread out read and write operation priorities across the internal memory. Like Governors, there are different types of scheduler available.
sio - this is a scheduler (see scheduler). There is some info that can be read here: http://www.alliance-rom.com/community/wiki/i-o-schedulers/
stock - Imagine your phone is on a shelf in a shop. The phone is "stock" of that shop. If anything is referred to as "stock", this means standard for the device / as it was when shipped / as per factory set up. It is the opposite of custom. Some people refer to AOSP ROMs as "Stock Android". This may be the case for some phones, like the Nexus devices, but generally this is incorrect. Stock is whatever the phone came with as standard.
triangle away - an application designed to reset the binary counter. Warning, newer bootloaders (4.1.1+) now re-increment the binary counter at boot, so some trickery is required to get the counter to remain 0. This can be troublesome if you need to return for warranty.
undervolt - to undervolt is to lower the voltage used, either by the CPU or the GPU. Kernels assign a static voltage to each clock speed. For example, 200 MHz = 900 mV, 300MHz = 925 mV. Undervolting is the process of lowering this voltage staticaly for each clock speed, which potentially will save battery, although many people think it wont have much affect. Beware, undervolting too much can cause instability. When a clock frequency hasn't got enough power to sustain, the device will likely reboot or power off.
vanilla - meaning plain. Often used to refer to the "pure" android. AOSP without OEM skins, UI's and Launchers etc. The people who incorrectly use "Stock" to describe AOSP, really mean vanilla.
zzmove - this is a governor (see governor). Governors are explained in great detail here: http://www.alliance-rom.com/community/wiki/governors-explained/ - not all these governors are valid for our device, but it's a good technical read.
Every phone specific section needs something like this.
Very well done!:beer:
abaaaabbbb63 said:
Every phone specific section that can be rooted needs something like this.
Very well done!:beer:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now you need the difficult part, people to actually read it.
Nice work @rootSU
Needs to be stickied and a humongous "READ ME" sticker attached! :thumbup::thumbup:
Edit........Reported©®™ so it gets stickied!
Its getting noobs to actually bother to read is the problem .
jje
True but i'll start with the "read my sig" method. At least if it's here, thats a small part of the battle. Anyone anything to add to post 1? Slappy? jje?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Add backup EFS first ??
jje
Some of the stickies in the roll up thread are badly out of date, you also might want to link to Mike Skip's toolbox, which reduces the chances of bricking considerably.
rootSU said:
True but i'll start with the "read my sig" method. At least if it's here, thats a small part of the battle. Anyone anything to add to post 1? Slappy? jje?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seeing as this may well attract lots of attention, possibly add a reminder about reading the rules and link? I know it's not relevant particularly, but any chance to ram the message home is good :thumbup:
rootSU said:
True but i'll start with the "read my sig" method. At least if it's here, thats a small part of the battle. Anyone anything to add to post 1? Slappy? jje?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Instead of [REF] you should write [BOOBS]. That would attract attention.
Added:
Link to forum rules and "post in Q&A" threads
Important links and resources
efs (in partitions)
backups
I'm sure there's still loads missing, I just can't think of much so all suggestions welcome.
Added "The advantages of rooting". Miss anything?
EDIT > added disadvantages too.
OP, I have moved your thread to the q&a section and stuck it. It is a great FAQ type thread and will serve a good purpose being stuck where people go to ask these types of questions. :good:
Towle
XDA Moderator
Towle said:
OP, I have moved your thread to the q&a section and stuck it. It is a great FAQ type thread and will serve a good purpose being stuck where people go to ask these types of questions. :good:
Towle
XDA Moderator
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks @Towle
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
I've updated the following to sections to read as below:
Bootloader - this is what handles what you boot into. When you see the black Galaxy s III text, thats the bootloader. Its job is to handle the boot. It is responsible for booting into android, or if you manipulate the buttons in a certain way, it will boot into recovery or download mode. PLEASE NOTE, i9300 Bootloader is NOT LOCKED. DO NOT TRY TO UNLOCK IT.
Download mode is part of the bootloader itself. Again, it is a mini OS. It is designed for flashing stock (official) ROMs onto the phone. It is also used by Samsung to detect the status of your phone (if you have modified it or not).
If you have an official ROM above 4.1.1, Your bootloader flash counter in download mode will change to "1" at every boot, if you have a custom kernel or recovery - even if you reset it with Triangle Away. See the return for warranty link later in this post to get around this.
oops
first i thought it was typo but after i check out dictionary i just learn a new and rare word ... teh ....:fingers-crossed:
qtwrk said:
oops
first i thought it was typo but after i check out dictionary i just learn a new and rare word ... teh ....:fingers-crossed:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not new, not rare:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teh
I don't take any credit I Googled everything. I do take credit of modifying some stuff in word.
Little in-depth information about Android. Must Read. Thank You Pirateghost.
Pirateghost said:
Android itself is OPEN. you can go and build your very own version of 4.0 ICS right now from source code. there are very few phones you can STABLY and RELIABLY run it on though.
The NEXUS line of phones exists for a reason. they are untouched by carriers (verizon teabagged the Galaxy Nexus a little), and do not have some stupid overlay on them. they are developer devices in that it is the first phone to get android updates straight from google (no manufacturer interference required).
every other phone is tainted with a manufacturer's UI. Touchwiz on Samsung phones (galaxy nexus is a samsung but they provided the hardware not the software), Sense on HTC, 'non-blur' on Motorola, whatever Sony calls theirs...lol, LG, etc
on top of that tainted Android interface is a carrier branding or lockdown (doesnt apply to the entire world, but im only referring to US here)
so google releases new version of Android
manufacturers build phone, and customize android to fit their model (this is where android almost stops being OPEN)
carriers get a hold of the manufacturers build of android and tweak and modify it themselves (more than likely they just tell the manufacturers what they want), as you know they love to include bloat and lock it down from the user
you receive your android phone after it has gone through all those steps....long process huh? we dont get updates to newer versions as quickly because of that long process...and they would rather us buy new phones instead of improving perfectly good hardware.
Android is open in the sense that manufacturers can use it however they wish, within reason. it is not necessarily meant to be 'open' to the average end user, and manufacturers dont want you messing with the phone they built. its the reason XDA is what it is today, albeit with roots deep in WinMo hacking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Root for At&t Note 3!
Root for MI9 or Earlier follow link below!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2474422
Root for MJ5!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2559715
How to Unroot AT&T Galaxy Note 3! - Complete Stock!
Recover From a Hard Brick (SM-900A Only)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2476353
UnRoot for MJ5!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2559715
How to Unroot AT&T Galaxy Note 3 MI9!
http://www.androidrootz.com/2013/10/how-to-unrootunbrick-at-galaxy-note-3.html
Install Safe Strap!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2572978
One more just incase!
You mean mj5 not mj7. Thanks
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
appdroid said:
One more just incase!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a Mod that limits someone's sign line to once per page.
The threads would look sooooo much better without having to scroll thru so many of your GIANT sig lines.
Just something to think about, (for the sake of the rest of us). Really clogs the site seeing that over, and over, and over, and over - :angel:
appdroid said:
Root for At&t Note 3!
Root for MJ7!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2559715
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is that the easiest method to root mj5?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using xda app-developers app
drakeymcmb said:
You mean mj5 not mj7. Thanks
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fixed! Thank You!
incisivekeith said:
Is that the easiest method to root mj5?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well u have option of using Kingo but Neither I nor XDA trust them so here you only have this method.
ASOP should be AOSP no?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk
Thanks for all of this info. very helpful
I recently got into tinkering with my Sprint Galaxy S4 and spent quite some time going through the whole process to get to Cyanogenmod, then back to stock, the reasons which I hope to share with you throughout this tutorial. I went to multiple sources from all over the web to answer all the questions I had, so I'm hoping to gather everything in one place so you can too learn the intricacies of playing with the OS on your phone.
This will be a work in progress for a bit, as I plan on going back to stock and working through the process again to capture everything I had to learn in order to get my phone to where I wanted it.
Hopefully once complete, this guide will help you do that same thing.
Thanks.
PS; I am placing the phrase "<link>" where I will eventually will insert the actual links, but until I leave new status, Google searches will have to do.
OverviewIn general, installing Cyanogenmod (or any other ROM, specific quirks notwithstanding) should consist of the following steps;
Pre-installation setup
Gathering Tools
Installing a custom recovery
Backing up your device
Flashing your custom ROM
Step-by-Step Walkhrough
Pre-installation setup
When installing a custom ROM, or conducting any sort of flashing/recovery/rooting etc, you may mess up your phone somehow. Sometimes this will void your warranty, leave you with a brick, or somehow otherwise go belly up. Before you start doing anything to your phone, you should make sure you understand what you're doing, read through all of the steps, and familiarize yourself with the process. Sometimes you may need to gather additional information, software, tools, etc. Google is your best friend! When you encounter a block, stop what you're doing and investigate what happened, and see what the consensus is on the subject of that error, so you can tread carefully. In the end, this will make you a better tinkerer in general. Also, if you mess your phone up, I'm not responsible for your environment conditions, actions, or mistakes.
With all of that being said, if you're going to blaze forward anyways, welcome to the path of making things do what you want them to do, regardless of what someone said you could or couldn't do with said things! Before you get started, you're probably going to want to gather basic info first;
What do I want out of my custom ROM?
There are many types of ROMs out there; Cyanogenmod is one of the most popular, but millions of people have created or assembled their own favorite OS' for Android devices. This particular ROM offers you more control over your phone. You can install custom apps, use established apps, execute root/admin tasks on your phone, and much more. Custom icons? Custom boot screen? Remove all of the carrier/manufacturer bloatware? All of these and much more are at your disposal.
Where can I find the model for my phone? What Android build do I have?
Before choosing to undertake a particular endeavor, make sure you know what phone you're actually working with. Using the wrong software or tool can brick your phone, or increase the time it takes to finish dramatically since you're going to have to go and find all of the fix information. In some cases, a phone may come with a certain version of Android, or a certain firmware. You should consider what may happen if you upgrade it, maybe you'll find you can't go back!
Do I want to use this phone with service?
This was irritating for me when I first was flashing my phone; I found out that when I called Sprint to switch the phone over from my HTC One, they said they couldn't port the new modded phone onto their network. This required me having to search down the original firmware, which is a hassle in and of itself. I'm sure there are ways to get your phone onto a network that I don't have any knowledge of, but why not save yourself the trouble and make sure you take care of things before starting.
Windows or Linux?
What operating system you are most comfortable with may vary, and your intentions with regards to flashing a custom ROM also will vary; do you just want to get something installed? Do you like to learn? Traditionally most folks will say that if you want the most control over the process, use Linux. It's open-source and gives you the most freedom to do as you wish, and in addition, untold numbers of tools exist for the platform that you have access to for free. Not that there's anything wrong with Windows, but if you want to flash a ROM, chances are you're interested in technology as a whole. Throughout this tutorial, I will do my best to provide options for both OS' where possible. In my case, I'm not interested in this process on a Mac environment, but you'll find most of the concepts here can be mirrored on the Mac OS, you'll just have to search for specifics on your own.
How comfortable am I with things like command lines?
Understanding how to use the command line, as opposed to graphical programs, will enable you to undertake the flashing process with much more control than otherwise allowed. Learning the command line is outside the scope of what I'm trying to teach you, but you can find information all around the web. Search for a cheatsheet for the Windows Command Line, or maybe if you're interested in learning about Linux, you can find information all over the web. With Linux, there can be a bit more variance on command lines as different flavors of Linux use different command lines.One such flavor of Linux is Ubuntu, which comes bundled with bash, a rather common and popular command line shell.
Again, where possible, I will try to provide options between the command line and GUI choices, but I will off the bat recommend that you familiarize yourself somewhat with the command line. You'll be a better person for it.
Gathering tools and info
Before you get started, it's a good idea to ensure that you have everything you're going to need at your disposal before getting started. I will do my best to document whatever I think is necessary to know on each tool/item you need;
Workspace
Sort of a no brainer, I would suggest creating a folder that you can store everything in the flash process, ideally one where you possess admin/root privileges. I will conduct this tutorial as if you were working from a folder titled 'Cyanogenmod.'
Phone Information
For the purposes of this tutorial, I am using the Sprint Samsung Galaxy S4 in black, which has the model number SPH-L720 (I don't think color influences model at all). At the moment, the phone is known as JFLTESPR at http://cyanogenmod.org/ specifically, though much of the process is the same across int'l/US carriers, so the phone also falls under the JFLTE family.
You'll want to have a few other pieces of info on hand as well. Most of these can be found either on the phone physically, or in the "About device" section in the Settings menu.
To get your model number, you can either remove the plastic rear panel, then the battery to find the model number written on the sticker underneath. Otherwise, you can go to Settings > About device > scroll to Model number.
In the same menu as above, you can also get the Android version, Baseband version, and the Build number. All of these help determine what features are available to you, what Android OS you have if you want to know about specific differences between numbers, what radio type you may have, and so on. Having these handy will let you look things up with a higher degree of accuracy.
Check Your Knowledge, or Are You Listening?
Did you make sure and go find the above information? If you care about your phone's warranty or you know, your freedom to mess with your SPH-L720 as you see fit, you should care enough to make sure you have this info!
Why does it matter? See your Baseband version and or Build number? Check those last 3 letters on there, they represent the firmware version you have installed on your phone. Certain firmwares have certain characteristics, but there are two in particular that you, as someone following this tutorial should care about; Whether or not the firmware comes with the Knox bootloader, and if you want the ability to downgrade/upgrade as you see fit. I also believe that the firmware can affect your hardware in sometimes undesirable ways. If you've recently flashed and your Wifi or radio (interface into the carrier's ecosystem for voice, messaging, and data) isn't working, research about the firmware is usually the first place to start looking.
The Knox bootloader contains a flag that is tripped if you install a custom recovery/bootloader, which doesn't affect any operation on your phone, however this flag, as of this writing, is not un-trippable. That's right, this is how Samsung will know if you've gone all rogue on the device. With this tripped, they can deny you warranty service, force you to pay for repair, and any other number of irritating things. Not knowing what firmware you can cost you dearly.
As to being able to change firmware freely, you can change between the Android 4.2.2 firmwares as you like, but if you move to 4.3, you cannot go back to 4.2.2, and 4.3 includes the Knox bootloader (though you can still move between 4.3 firmwares). Same for the firmware based on 4.4.2; if you move to this firmware, you cannot go back. In addition, as far as I know at the time of writing this, there's only one firmware in the 4.4.2 family.
For reference, here's a list of the firmwares;
MDC - This was the first firmware for the phone and was based on Android 4.2.2, and was pre-Knox bootloader
MDL- Based on Android 4.2.2, and was pre-Knox bootloader
MF9 - Based on Android 4.2.2, and was pre-Knox bootloader
MJA - Based on Android 4.3 and includes the Knox bootloader
MK2 - Based on Android 4.3 and includes the Knox bootloader
NAE - Based on Android 4.4.2 and includes the Knox bootloader
Besides influencing the above characteristics (and whatever other features are available per version), the firmware type also influences what software you might need in some cases. For instance, flashing back to stock requires you to use a firmware with the same 'class' of version, aka 4.2.2, 4.3, or 4.4.2. If you accidentally use the wrong version, you may regret it. Of course, if you're off warranty, or just don't care, you can go about this as you see fit. Just don't come to me if you fail to go learn what you need to know before flashing your phone. With all that being said, you can still install ROMs based on other versions of Android, just not a full flash.
I'm not sure of the correct XDA way to thank someone, but cruise350 provided me with this information directly, so if this helps, kudos goes to him.
Cyanogenmod ROM/OS
You can find everything you need to know (including the direct tutorials) for Cyanogenmod on their site <link>.
From the main page, you can get to the SPH-L720 by going to http://http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/ > Devices > Hit 'show all devices' > enter 'JFLTE' in the search query to get to the landing page for our phone. From that page you can read more about Cyanogen and what you can do with it and our phone together. For now, we can just download the ROM.
Go to the download page at http://download.cyanogenmod.org/, where you'll find a list of devices and their various ROM builds. Since developers around the world are working on Cyanogenmod at any given time, there are many different builds/versions of the ROM. If this is your first time with Cyanogen, you will want to stick with the 'Stable' build. This is considered the latest 'finished' build, or represents the latest release the developers consider complete. The other builds represent ROMs which are nearing completion and moving to Stable (Release Candidate), a build at a particular point in time (Snapshot), builds which were created at a certain point in the development history of Cyanogen (Milestone), the absolute latest and greatest build as it's uploaded (Nightly), or just plain random (Experimental). Some of these builds are more fully featured than others, and others may be missing features, may be buggy, or somehow undesirable to us at this moment. As I said, for now, stick with Stable.
Remember how I mentioned that the SPH-L720 is called JFLTESPR by Cyanogen specifically? That's the download we're searching for. Click Stable under the Type menu, and scroll down to JFLTESPR. At the time I'm writing this, there are 3 versions of Cyanogen available to us; 10.1.3, 10.2.0, and 10.2.1. As a beginner, the differences between versions may be minimal, or minimally noticeable. I'd suggest getting the latest build for now, then futzing around with versioning later in your tinkering career.
In addition to Cyanogenmod, if you look on the installation page at http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Install_CM_for_jflte, under the heading 'Installing CyanogenMod from recovery' (we will get there), they mention the 3rd party app 'GApps,' which provides an interface into the Google ecosystem, so you'll have access to stuff like Gmail, Calendar, and the freakin keyboard! If you find your keyboard constantly failing, remember to go back and make sure you have the correct GApps version based on your Cyanogenmod version. The Cyanogen wiki provides a handy-dandy chart at http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Google_Apps to help you choose what GApps version you need.
Custom Recovery Mod
Cyanogenmod's wiki also provides you with info on what a recovery mod is at http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/All_About_Recovery_Images.
Basically, when you receive a stock phone, the recovery/boot mode is limited in scope. As they say, it's mainly for installing manufacturer updates, and not much else of use to us. With a custom recovery, you gain access to many more features and things you can do outside the manufacturer's original intent. In the scope of this tutorial, we are using our custom recovery mod to first back up our phone's data, and second, actually install Cyanogenmod.
Just like the fact that there exists a large number of custom ROMs, so does there exist custom recovery mods. I'm choosing to use ClockWork Recovery Mod (CWRM) because it looks pretty and gets the job done. The specifics of a particular recovery are left up to the curiosity of the reader.
You can download CWRM at http://clockworkmod.com/rommanager; just scroll down to the Sprint GS4 and pick the version that is shown. Again, other versions may exist, but for the intrepid reader who's made it this far, stick with the latest, greatest, and easiest.
USB Cable
"Hurr durr no **** I need a USB cable" you say, but you wouldn't believe how irritating it is to attempt to diagnose a faulty cord issue. Sure, maybe you're the type of person who actually tries the easiest fixes first, this isn't revelatory, but if you're like me, I feel sorry both you and I.
Ensure you have a nice clean, un-kinked and untangled USB to Mini-USB cable on hand, preferably the cable that came with your phone. This will have the best chance of working properly. In addition to a cable, keep in mind that if you're using a USB hub, you may encounter errors. I've not used a powered USB hub in this process, but again, trying to diagnose the USB hub as the point of failure is annoying too. Save yourself the irritation.
Heimdall
Heimdall is a powerful open source program that lets you interface with the file structure of your phone and flash custom firmware, Heimdall was created by Benjamin Dobell of Glass Echidna and was designed specifically for Samsung devices. You can find a list of the phones they test on at the Heimdall page at http://glassechidna.com.au/heimdall/.
Some of you may have heard of Odin, another program used to flash firmware onto Samsung devices. Odin was an internal tool developed by the manufacturer that made it's way into the wild somehow, and can achieve the same effect as Heimdall (more or less), however there are a few reasons I suggest using Heimdall if you have a choice;
Heimdall is open source
You can freely access the code for Heimdall and make changes if you ever needed to, but the fact that the code is transparent and for all to use means an easier time flashing for you. The fact you can use Heimdall on Windows, Linux, and the Mac OS' is just a whole bunch of whipped cream on the flash-cake.
Odin is an internal Samsung tool
This means you don't have a way to go ask the maker of the tool for help, or explanations on how to use it. Samsung will offer customer support for this tool equal to the amount of existence that flash-cake has; none. There is documentation from all the smart people out there who have dug into Odin if you do want to use Odin. Also, it's Windows-only. You might not care about this fact, but if you're a tinkerer, Linux would be nice no?
Support!
In my flashing journey, I've had to troubleshoot a few things as far as Heimdall goes, and many times on some pages, I've seen Benjamin reply to people with information that he and only he can provide as the maker of Heimdall. I don't know him personally or really at all, but at least we can go ask him for support if necessary.
In order to use Heimdall, you just need to unzip the contents of the download into the Cyanogenmod folder, in our case, create a folder titled 'Heimdall' inside of Cyanogenmod.
Android SDK
The Android Software Development Kit (SDK) is the software Google provides for developers to create things in the Android ecosystem. The kit contains the code editor Eclipse, a plethora of support tools and tricks to create the best apps/ROMs/whatever you can think of, as well as interface with your phone in manners beyond ordinary users. There is a lot of stuff in the SDK, but we are specifically interested in the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) tool, which allows you to send data back and forth from your phone.
You can find the SDK at https://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html, but keep in mind you will most likely need admin/root privileges in order to use the SDK (and Heimdall). From that page, you can choose the Android Developer Tools (ADT) bundle, which comes with Eclipse, or you can choose to download an SDK kit without the IDE. For the scope of this tutorial, you only require the SDK. Once downloaded, you can unzip the SDK into the Cyanogenmod folder (the first thing to come out the SDK zip is a folder titled sdk, plus the SDK manager).
Open up the SDK Manager program (if you're on Windows, if running SDKManager.exe briefly shows a command prompt window, then disappears, you can go to sdk > tools > android.bat. This will open the SDKManager for you). The SDK will provide you with a list of packages you can download for various parts of Android development, but the ones we care about are the Android SDK Tools and the Android SDK Platform-tools. Check the box by each one, then hit install packages. The SDK Manager will prompt you for some license agreementing, then install the software for you. I believe that the manager installs the software in the sdk folder that the manager also resides in, so keep this in mind.
Installing a custom recovery
Backing up your device
Flashing your custom ROM
Reserve 1
For more info.
Reserve 2
Just in case.
If you happen to be reading this for the content, can you answer this; should I include the basics such as installation processes and whatnot? Or just skim the basics?
[SIZE=+3]Frequently Asked Questions[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+2]Nvidia Shield Tablet
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]This a short list of frequently asked questions in this device forum and the answers often given as a response. It should serve as a starting point for gathering knowledge and finding solutions to many common problems. Please only post in this thread with feedback on how to improve this document. Do not post "Thank you" type responses. If you have additional questions or require more help, try to find an existing thread or create your own. Do not use this as a general help thread.
[/SIZE][SIZE=+1]Q1: Which versions are available from Nvidia Shield Tablet
[/SIZE]Wi-Fi and 16GB: wx_na_wf
LTE US and 32GB: wx_na_do
All Bands and 32GB: wx_un_do
sb_na_wf - 2015 Shield Tablet K1 - Might want to list that as one of the models. WiFi 16 GB, no Stylus
wx_un_mo - Although never really released and as far as I am aware, only one OTA ROM exists for the LTE Voice+Data. I even tried flashing it once or twice without ever getting working phone functionality. [SIZE=+1]Q2: Is there a list for all ROMs, Kernels, Apps and Guides?[/SIZE][INDEX] Nvidia Shield Tablet - ROMs, Kernels, MODs, Recoveries, Themes [28 Feb 2016][SIZE=+1]Q3: What does "flashing" my phone mean?
[/SIZE]Flashing a Tablet or phone means to override current ROM and Kernel.[SIZE=+1]Q4: Bootloader.. What is this?[/SIZE]For an easy explanation of what a bootloader is, look HERE.[SIZE=+1]Q5: How do I flash a factory image?
[/SIZE]You can have a look into this thread, to lean how to flash a Marshmallow Factory-Image:
[UNOFFICIAL][Guide] Update Original Shield Tablet to Android M (6.0)[SIZE=+1]Q6: How do I root my device?[/SIZE]Rooting of Nvidia Shield Tablet is very easy:
How to Root Nvidia Tablet on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)[SIZE=+1]Q7: Can I install an OTA if I'm rooted/unencrypted?
[/SIZE]No, if you rooted your Nvidia Shield or unlocked the bootloader, you are not able to flash updates via OTA, because system has been modified.[SIZE=+1]Q8: How to kill the kill-switch?
[/SIZE]You can have a look into this beatiful guide by @bocdacutu:
Kill the kill switch - "ST - yy"[SIZE=+1]Q9: How can I install CyanogenMod or XPOSED Framework?
[/SIZE][Complete Guide] SHIELD Tablet K1 Root, Custom Rom and Xposed Framework[SIZE=+1]Q10: I'm trying to search for something specific but I'm having trouble. How do I use XDA Search?[/SIZE]XDA Forum Moderator @The_Merovingian has done a nice guide, how to use the search-feature: HERE [SIZE=+1]Q11: What are fastboot and ADB and should I learn how to use them?
[/SIZE]With Fastboot and ADB you can flash the fone. The basic commands are very easy and fast to lean. There are some good guides here on XDA. The most android smartphones and tablets can be only flashed via Fastboot. Only Samsung wants you to use Odin. [SIZE=+1]Q12: What is a factory image?
[/SIZE]The factory images are directly provided by NVIDIA. You can return to the original state of you tablet with these FactoryImages. Look to Question 5 to lean, how to flash it.[SIZE=+1]Q13: What is a toolkit and should I use one?[/SIZE]With a toolkit, you can easily flash your Nvidia Shield. It includes most of ADB and Fastboot Commands, that are used to flash the device.
[TOOL] WinDroid Toolkit | Unlock | Root | Flash | Install | Shield TabletSome other helpful words:
ADB - "Android Debug Bridge" a system that can be accessed using a computer where you can manage the device from. You need the Android SDK to use it.
AOSP - "Android open source project" a project by Google Inc. to give android to developers and manufactures for free.
APK - "Android Package" an Android application
Bloatware - Software or 'apps' that you don't need, but come preinstalled to a device's /system partition, meaning that you cannot remove them unless the device has been rooted. Usually, these are apps are sponsored by a company and included by a carrier for profit
CDMA/GSM - A type of network communication between phones and carriers. GSM phones normally are included with SIM Cards that authorize them onto the network. CDMA have this authorization built in and do not need a sim card.
Custom recovery - A modified version of stock recoveries that allow you to do more things in the recovery mode.
Cyanogenmod (CM) - A free open-source project based on the AOSP. It is a modded version of the Android firmware
Dalvik-Cache - Holds all of the pre-compiled .dex files created from installed apps. These files are static and do not change unless the app is updated.
Deodexed - Where ODEX files are moved into the actual applications modded) version of the Android firmware.
Developer - A man or woman who has created (developed) software.
Firmware - a piece of software to make hardware function correctly. This can refer to Radio Firmware, but is normally used as another name for ROM.
Governor - A system embedded into the kernel to automatically change the current working CPU frequency depending on the workload. It would only go up to what it is overclocked (or underclocked) to, this is called the maximum frequency. It would not drop below the minimum frequency.
KANG - The process of creating a code based of someone else's code.
Kernel - An important part of all operating systems that handles the CPU and other vital components. A modded kernel may be used for overclocking.
Logcat - A logging system built into the ADB
Mod - A modification to a part of the phones software. It is also POSSIBLE to mod the phones hardware but is not recommended.
OTA - "Over the air" a term used to indicate software that was sent to phones directly through the internet to their phones.
Open-source - (not to be confussed with free) A peice of software that is free to edit, use, distribute and share with no charge.
Overclock - To exceed the default maximum CPU speed. This could make a phone more powerful but may cause damage. Although no damaged has been reported so far it could still drain battery life.
Radio Firmware - A type of software that allows correct communication with the radio and the operating system. A newer firmware would normally improve battery life and call quality. The radio firmware only applies to the CDMA/GSM radio.
Radio - (not to be confused with Radio Firmware) A piece of hardware that allows communication. There are 3 main radios in your phone. Bluetooth, WiFi and GSM/CDMA.
ROM -
1. A modified version of the Android operating system operating system.
2. Read Only Memory, a place where information is stored and can not be destroyed, modified or written to.
Stock - An unchanged version of something. Example: I just flashed stock sense.
Underclock - To change your phones maximum frequency to LOWER than the default to attempt to extend the phones lifespan and battery.
WIP - "Work In Progress"
Zipalligned - An archive alignment tool that provides important optimization to Android application (.apk) files. The purpose is to ensure that all uncompressed data starts with a particular alignment relative to the start of the file. Specifically, it causes all uncompressed data within the .apk, such as images or raw files, to be aligned on 4-byte boundaries. This allows all portions to be accessed directly with mmap() even if they contain binary data with alignment restrictions. The benefit is a reduction in the amount of RAM consumed when running the application.
INTL - International
Odex - Files that are 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.
Recovery Mode - A special environment that you can boot into for troubleshooting and upgrading purposes
Thanks to @benjamingwynn for the glossary of terms
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Additional Answers and commentary:
Q1:
sb_na_wf? - 2015 Shield Tablet K1 - Might want to list that as one of the models. WiFi 16 GB, no Stylus
wx_un_mo? - Although never really released and as far as I am aware, only one OTA ROM exists for the LTE Voice+Data. I even tried flashing it once or twice without ever getting working phone functionality.
@zarish
THANKS. Added.