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So, i'm sure there's many posts about this, but I thought I'd drop in my 2 cents. Basically, the purpose of this post is to try and help completely new users get acquainted with the world of Android "ROMing". I know there's beginners tutorials and wiki's and such, and I'm very grateful for all the time put into them by their writers, but the fact remains that they're written by experts, and as such, their expertise shines through and can sometimes confuse new users such as my self.
Up front: I'm an AT&T customer who's using a Rogers branded HTC Magic purchased from ImportGSM. I'm using Rogers cause Rogers has the same 3G bands as AT&T. I am coming from a Sony-Ericsson dumbphone. I use Gmail for my primary email and applied for a Google Voice account a while ago (got the account before getting the phone). I'm a practicing computer engineer so if I lapse into jargon, I apologize.
READ THE ENTIRE POST BEFORE PERFORMING THESE ACTIONS
OK, so you got an android phone (if you're on this forum, its most likely an HTC Magic/Dream/Hero) and you want to install new ROMs onto it (for whatever reason, just to do it, to get more functionality, to remove the carrier 'branding', whatever). You've done your research. You've read through the wikis (http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=HTC_Sapphire_Hacking) and you're still a little confused as to where to start, or you're worried you're gonna brick your phone.
First, relax, as long as you follow the instructions, there's little chance of bricking your phone.
Second, some vocab:
SPL: Secondary Program Loader. don't worry too much about this, you shouldn't have to mess with it. I like to think of it as your phones BIOS. There's an off chance that you'll have a "perfected" SPL (.0006 or .0010), which basically means that you have a phone that is hardened against hackers, but as long as you use the one touch root method described below, you won't even notice it. You won't be able to use the Adb/Fastboot/Android SDK method mentioned below, you'll just get a "no access" error when you try to terminal into your phone.
ROM: Catch all term for software to be loaded onto your android. Generally comes in two flavors, a Recovery ROM, and what I call an Operating System ROM. A Recovery ROM is what gives you root access. An Operating System ROM is the user experience (where Amon_Ra or Cyanogen or others mix and match features to make a better user experience). I know that Operating System ROM might be misleading, but its the closest computer analogy I could come up with.
Now, this process will completely refresh your phone, removing all of your contacts, apps, etc. So before you start, if you have stuff on your phone you want to save, best copy them somewhere off your phone now. There's free apps out there to do all of this.
Lets get started.
Now, the first thing you're gonna wanna do is get something called "root" access to your phone. This allows you to install those fancy homebrewed ROMs that people are talking about. To get root, you have to install a recovery ROM. Installing a recovery ROM is is roughly similar to flashing a new BIOS on your computer. Except in this case, its on your phone and it gives you unrestricted access to the phone (like the Root user in Linux). There's two ways of getting Root. The first way is to install the Android SDK onto your computer and image your android with one of the recovery ROMs via your computers command line. I won't get into details on this one because its not the method I chose, and instructions are all over the web on this one. NOTE that this method doesn't work with updated Rogers phones. They installed the 'Perfected' .0010 SPL effectively removing remote command line access thus making this method a non-starter. The other way is to use the "one click root" program, which is a program you install on your Android phone. To do this, go to the one click root website (http://www.ryebrye.com/blog/2009/08/16/android-rooting-in-1-click-in-progress/). Download the .apk file and drop it onto the SD card in the Android phone (you'll have to connect the phone to your computer via USB, and select "Mount SD card". then simply drag and drop the .apk onto the SD card in your computer's file browser). Then, on the android phone, open up your file browser (I suggest Astro or Linda, both free downloads from the market) and open the .apk using the default Android application launcher. It should be a dark screen with a text box and a few buttons. The textbox should have a URL in it pointing to a .img recovery image (This is the cyanogen one). You'll first want to make a backup of your current (factory) ROM by pressing the (i believe) botton button. It'll work for a few seconds. Then you're ready to flash the recovery ROM. You can either accept the default (the cyanogen, which works fine) or specify a different ROM (such as Amon_Ra's which has slightly more capabilities) by entering in a different path (URL or path to SD card if you have a recovery image stored on the SD card). Then hit the first button to begin the flash. Wait for it to finish. DO NOT DISTURB THE PHONE WHILE FLASHING.
Once its finished flashing, congrats, you've rooted your phone. Now power off the phone, and power it back on while while holding power and Home. Hold Power and Home the entire time till you see an 'old computer' style menu come up. Should have some options such as reboot, install update.zip, install other .zip, wipe data/factory reset, etc. you should be able to use the trackball to cycle through the selections. The botton should have something like <cyanogen/Amon_Ra> recovery vX.X.X. If you see this screen, then you've successfully rooted your phone. Congrats.
Now, before you do anything else, IMMEDIATELY perform a nandroid backup. This should be on of the options in the recovery ROM. What this is doing is creating a backup of your current phone configuration so if anything goes wrong with installing the hacked ROM, you can revert to the state the phone is in now.
Next, perform a data wipe. There should be a selection for "wipe data/factory reset" or something similar. Select that. Wait for it to finish wiping your data from the SD card.
Now to install other hacked ROMs, just download whatever ROM you want to install from the xda site. Check the bottom of this page for a listing of the main ones (http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=HTC_Sapphire_Hacking). It should download as a .zip. Copy the .zip file (DON'T UNZIP IT) onto the root of the SD Card (you can do this while in recovery mode by mounting the SD card or by physically removing the SD card from the phone and putting it into a card reader on your computer and copying the files). Once you have the ROM .zip on the SD card, with the SD card in the phone, select "install other .zip" or something similar and select the .zip file of the ROM you want to run. Should be some combination of the creators name (Amon_Ra or CM (for CyanogenMod)), what board the .zip is for (32A, 32B), what version the ROM is (4.1.1 or something). Then select "home" to confirm that you want to do this and wait for the periods to stop appearing. Once it stops, you should be able to select "reboot".
After it reboots (you should see different splash screens than when it was factory configured, except for the very first screen which on mine is "Rogers". Mine goes from Rogers to "Android" spelled out in blue text) you should have a fully functioning phone running a hacked ROM.
If it doesn't boot fully (which mine did a few times), try a different ROM or try wiping your data again. If all else fails, go into your recovery ROM (power and Home) and restore the Nandroid recovery image you made earlier.
Once it boots, it should have a tutorial on how to use Android.
When you get to the google login, I would suggest setting up your APN settings prior to doing that. At the google login screen, hit the menu button and select "APN Settings". Select add new APN (either an on screen choice or brought up by the menu button) and add in the APN details for your provider. You can find these easily by googling "<your provider> APN settings". Log into Google and you should up and running.
I just kinda threw this semi-tutorail together, so it may be a little confusing, but I tried to explain everything as best as I could. I know that i found all of the different ways to get root and the different ROMs and such to be very confusing. Just throwing out how I went about doing it.
Disclaimer: one click root works by exploiting a vulnerability in Android, which was closed by Google on Aug 11 or so. Therefore, if you have a factory Android build from that was released after Aug 11, one click root may not work for you, and you'll have to go the SDK route. I updated my Rogers phone in mid oct 2009, and my build was still prior to Aug 11, so don't just assume cause its after Aug 11 that it won't work on your phone.
thanks alot for the tutorial! you're a saint, i've been looking all over for something exactly like this!
i will test this out and let you know!
Edit:
I was successful! Huzzah! Thanks for the guide again!
What rom did you load onto your phone?
Also,
Could you give a brief tutorial on what exactly changing the radio and spl are?
TGA_Gunnman created a one click root that new users will want to use, said thread is a sticky in Captivate Development. If you still want to use the old method (and install ADB) please use this one.
I followed my own guide! This works perfectly if you read everything and follow the instructions.
Also: once you are rooted, be EXTREMELY careful! Half of the new threads are people who have screwed up their phones by deleting this or corrupting that. Please, for the sanity of all of the devs and Android veterans, make backups and just be all around careful. Almost all problems that anyone has had are repareable AND PREVENTABLE with a little reading and care. Just to clarify, rooting does not automatically enable sideloading. Please follow http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=738376 to enable sideloading.
Follow these steps exactly and there will be no risk of bricking your Captivate, the worst that may happen is the phone rejecting the update.zip.
HOWEVER:
I take no responsibility if ANYTHING at all happens to your device that you don't like. Don't come crying to me if your brand new phone breaks in any way. Your warranty is also void, but you could have figured that out for yourself.
Now that that's over with, lets get to the fun bit. If you are on Windows, you can follow this procedure, or for TGA_Gunnman's one click root program (only on Windows), you can go ahead and skip to the bottom.
1) You may need Samsung drivers if you are on a PC, which you can learn about here: ADB Drivers at the Unlockr
For 64 bit Windows, you'll need these drivers: http://zedomax.com/blog/2010/07/14/s...iver-download/
Don't proceed until your phone is fully installed on Windows with the drivers!
2) Download the attached zip (at the bottom of the post) and rename it to update or update.zip if you are on a Mac. (If you are on a Mac, DO NOT USE SAFARI to download the file, it automatically unzips any zip file. Use Google Chrome or firefox instead.) Scroll down the notification bar and click "mount" to allow your computer to read the internal memory. Put the file on the INTERNAL SD card of the Captivate, which won't be tough to figure out if you don't have an SD card in the phone.
3) EDIT--There is an easier way to get to recovery, but do this step anyway. Turn the phone off, then hold power, volume up and volume down. If you still want the android SDK (which will be very useful throughout your rooted experiences) follow the old procedure:
This step requires the Android SDK, and Android Debugging enabled. You can get the SDK here: Android SDK. Just download the zip, extract it to something like C:\Android. You won't need the Java dev pack or anything.
You can enable Android Debugging like this: From the homescreen, press Menu, then click Settings. Navigate to Applications>Development and check USB Debugging. Now, hook the phone to the computer. Next,
On a PC, click start>run>"cmd" (in the text box) or on a Mac, spotlight "Terminal". Linux users, you know what to do.
The command you will use is in the tools folder of wherever you extracted it to (IE: C:\android\tools), so be sure your working directory of command prompt is in that tools location!
Finally, type:
Code:
adb reboot recovery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
4) Once the phone is booted into recovery, use the volume keys on the phone to scroll to "Reinstall packages." Use power to select what you have highlighted.
5) Give yourself a pat on the back. You are now rooted. You should see a Superuser application now.
MD5 Sum: 1eb65923281c113e8751a7d8a6faff43
Can we please have more detailed instructions? I don't understand the part where it says "type in the terminal"
I am very new to android as this will be my first Android phone.
Also, after rooting will we be able to install 3rd party applications? Or do we have to do anything else to bypass ATT's restrictions?
adb terminal is software you need to install on your PC , will probably need samsung drivers also , guide is indeed not noob friendly. This will help you get needed bits including ADB
Probably None of us have captivate , so writing a guide is a bit troublesome
Ditto, a guide to the adb terminal please! I will acquire this phone, this Sunday.
Actually, you'd have to install a custom ROM for that. MoDaCo should be coming out with them pretty soon, and so will XDA. It won't be too long. BTW, once you have ADB installed on your computer, you can sideload apps all you want. The command is
Code:
adb install /directory/of/app/on/computer
point me to some functioning samsung drivers and I can do this!
If you cant get it to work on windows, try a ubuntu live cd. All you need to do is go to ubuntu and burn a disc and reboot.
Are there no Windows 64 bit drivers?
Edit- I found some that work. I think. Haven't tried it (yet).
http://zedomax.com/blog/2010/07/14/...ic-4g-and-fascinate-galaxy-s-driver-download/
Edit 2- Just did the root. Seems to have worked (no errors) but how do I know if it did? How do I delete say, ATT Maps?
Thanks for this. I am new to smartphones and plan on purchasing the Samsung Galaxy-S, but don't want to mess it up. I am new to editing the OS of any smartphone, but I think if I have a tutorial I will be fine
For Mac and Linux you put a ./ in front of the adb correct? (./adb install...)
NOSintake said:
For Mac and Linux you put a ./ in front of the adb correct? (./adb install...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you are in the directory above yes. the ./ just saves you from writing out the full path
lets say adb is in "/home/user/Downloads/sdk/tools"
you could type out "/home/user/Downloads/sdk/tools/adb command" regardless of where your terminal window was focused
or if you were currently in the directory "/home/user/Downloads/sdk/tools"
you could use the shortcut "./adb command"
OP I'd change your post based on my experiences... Here's a little more detail and I've rearranged it (you need the drivers before running these commands, for example).
blackjackboy said:
Please let me know if this rooting method works as I have no Captivate to test on. I'm not taking any credit for any of these files, LeshaK made the original file to root the European Galaxy S, Justadude modified it for the T-Mobile Vibrant and chaoscentral edited the file for use on the Captivate.
Follow these steps exactly and there will be no risk of bricking your Captivate, the worst that may happen is the phone rejecting the update.zip.
HOWEVER:
I take no responsibility if ANYTHING at all happens to your device that you don't like. Don't come crying to me if your brand new phone breaks in any way.
Now that that's over with, lets get to the fun bit.
1) You may need Samsung drivers if you are on a PC, which you can learn about here: ADB Drivers at the Unlockr
For 64 bit Windows, you'll need these drivers: http://zedomax.com/blog/2010/07/14/...ic-4g-and-fascinate-galaxy-s-driver-download/
Don't proceed until your phone is fully installed on Windows with the drivers!
2) Download the attached zip (at the bottom of the post) and rename it to update or update.zip if you are on a Mac. Scroll down the notification bar and click "mount" to allow your computer to read the internal memory. Put the file on the INTERNAL SD card of the Captivate, which won't be tough to figure out if you don't have an SD card in the phone.
3) This step requires the Android SDK, and Android Debugging enabled. You can get the SDK here: Android SDK. Just download the zip, extract it to something like C:\Android. You won't need the Java dev pack or anything.
You can enable Android Debugging like this: From the homescreen, press Menu, then click Settings. Navigate to Applications>Development and check USB Debugging. Now, hook the phone to the computer. Next,
On a PC, click start>run>"cmd" (in the text box) or on a Mac, spotlight "Terminal". Linux users, you know what to do.
The command you will use is in the tools folder of wherever you extracted it to (IE: C:\android\tools), so be sure your working directory of command prompt is in that tools location!
Finally, type:
Code:
adb reboot recovery
4) Once the phone is booted into recovery, use the volume keys on the phone to scroll to "Reinstall packages." Use power to select what you have highlighted.
5) Give yourself a pat on the back. You are now rooted. You should see a Superuser application now.
Thank you to LeshaK, Justadude, and chaoscentral. Once again, I didn't discover how to root, that credit goes to LeshaK, bringing it over to the USA was Justadude's doing, and chaoscentral edited the file for use on our Captivates.
MD5 Sum: 1eb65923281c113e8751a7d8a6faff43
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ubuntu 10.04 - adb
Any step by step instructions just to get adb running enough on 10.04 to root and side load software? I'm getting command not found when I try to run adb, even after downloading packages.
Hi,
Did this thread worked well to Root the Captivate or anyother suggested link? I'll appreciate any help.
Thanks
rerooting captivate
This worked perfectly on my Captivate. I now have the SuperUser Permission on my application screen. Now I can REALLY screw up my Captivate!!!
Thanks for the answer & More Queston
cellgeek said:
This worked perfectly on my Captivate. I now have the SuperUser Permission on my application screen. Now I can REALLY screw up my Captivate!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Thanks for your helpful answer. As I'm getting my Cativate tomorrow, can you please just answer yes or no to each of my questions as follow ?
After Rooting will I be able to:
1- download any 3rd party Android application?
2- install any "Samsung Galaxy S" ROM on my Captivate?
3- Recieve any "OTA" update as a "Galaxy S" phone?
Thanks again
Muhamadabdelaall said:
Hi,
Thanks for your helpful answer. As I'm getting my Cativate tomorrow, can you please just answer yes or no to each of my questions as follow ?
After Rooting will I be able to:
1- download any 3rd party Android application?
2- install any "Samsung Galaxy S" ROM on my Captivate?
3- Recieve any "OTA" update as a "Galaxy S" phone?
Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. No. You will have to use adb or the database modification method (which having root access makes possible). Both are described in detail elsewhere in this forum.
2. Rooting means simply getting superuser permissions. Loading a ROM has to do with the bootloader and recovery partition. Unmodded Galaxy S ROMs probably will not work on the Captivate, but be patient.
3. Not sure what you're asking. You will still get any Captivate OTA updates as if you hadn't rooted, but you won't get, for example, the rumored Korean FroYo Galaxy S update OTA when it drops. You'd have to wait for the Captivate OTA FroYo upgrade (or there may be a ROM or patch you can flash by then).
Rooting is basically just allowing programs to run as the superuser account. Many programs like Metamorph, some screenshot apps and some wifi tethering apps require more permission than Android normally gives an app.
Thanks Drachen
Drachen said:
1. No. You will have to use adb or the database modification method (which having root access makes possible). Both are described in detail elsewhere in this forum.
2. Rooting means simply getting superuser permissions. Loading a ROM has to do with the bootloader and recovery partition. Unmodded Galaxy S ROMs probably will not work on the Captivate, but be patient.
3. Not sure what you're asking. You will still get any Captivate OTA updates as if you hadn't rooted, but you won't get, for example, the rumored Korean FroYo Galaxy S update OTA when it drops. You'd have to wait for the Captivate OTA FroYo upgrade (or there may be a ROM or patch you can flash by then).
Rooting is basically just allowing programs to run as the superuser account. Many programs like Metamorph, some screenshot apps and some wifi tethering apps require more permission than Android normally gives an app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks alot for taking all this time & energy to reply to me! WOW, it seems like everytime I wanna step up one, I go back 10 steps. All I need is to use my Captivate for installing a Stock Rom of "Galaxy S" & be able to get rid of any "AT&T" restrictions for anything on this phone, what should I do please?
Thanks
Muhamadabdelaall said:
Thanks alot for taking all this time & energy to reply to me! WOW, it seems like everytime I wanna step up one, I go back 10 steps. All I need is to use my Captivate for installing a Stock Rom of "Galaxy S" & be able to get rid of any "AT&T" restrictions for anything on this phone, what should I do please?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The ATT stuff doesn't actually run so they aren't a big deal at this point. I also don't see Amazon MP3 background stuff like some Android devices have, so... There's really not a huge case for rooting yet.
That said, when Custom ROMs for this come out I'll still be getting one.
For those of you having a hard time installing ADB Shell, try this video. It worked for me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeWH6Bj1DYw&feature=related
As I am new to the MT4G and to android in itself I am having problems installing this app on my phone.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=861924
If I've come to understand the term "push" correctly I am to use "Root Explorer" to copy the .apk (which I dropped into my sd card via drag and drop on my desktop) into /systems/app and then install from there.
I've done this method with r/w on and after I hit install it says "application not installed"
If I understand "flashing" correctly I've booted into recovery and then went to "install zip from sd card" and then I chose the zip which I downloaded from the original thread.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=857095
This is ALL I did on the recovery screen.
Am I missing something in this method of flashing the zip?
Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.
I swear all I need is to learn it once (if explained thoroughly) and I'll be able to do it myself from that point on.
Once again, thanks.
it seems a lot of people are having the same problem in that thread... your best bet is to ask one of them if they fixed it for their own phones
side note: when people say push... some times your really have to push it you cant just copy it... you would plug in your phone> adb push file... theres a huge thread if you wanna learn more about adb...
It may or may not work on "sense" roms. I'm running it on CM and I pushed it through ADB. I suppose I may go back to stock rom and try it during the weekend. I wouldn't post/linked to it if it did not work for me (like people that link to Gingerbread keyboard)
nguyendqh said:
As I am new to the MT4G and to android in itself I am having problems installing this app on my phone.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=861924
If I've come to understand the term "push" correctly I am to use "Root Explorer" to copy the .apk (which I dropped into my sd card via drag and drop on my desktop) into /systems/app and then install from there.
I've done this method with r/w on and after I hit install it says "application not installed"
If I understand "flashing" correctly I've booted into recovery and then went to "install zip from sd card" and then I chose the zip which I downloaded from the original thread.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=857095
This is ALL I did on the recovery screen.
Am I missing something in this method of flashing the zip?
Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.
I swear all I need is to learn it once (if explained thoroughly) and I'll be able to do it myself from that point on.
Once again, thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
when you go into recovery, go to advanced (i think) and then click on mounts or something like that. then your going to click on mount/system. once you've done that, flask the .zip file and reboot, and you're good to go. its working perfectly on my mt4g. im going to remove it though because im not that thrilled with it, but it is an excellent player and with some future developement can become the best one out there, just not my cup of tea right now. btw, the recovery instrctions above is assuming you are using clockwork recovery, which you should be sonce its the only one available at the moment. any problems, let me know i'll walk you through it
fh47qu said:
when you go into recovery, go to advanced (i think) and then click on mounts or something like that. then your going to click on mount/system. once you've done that, flask the .zip file and reboot, and you're good to go. its working perfectly on my mt4g. im going to remove it though because im not that thrilled with it, but it is an excellent player and with some future developement can become the best one out there, just not my cup of tea right now. btw, the recovery instrctions above is assuming you are using clockwork recovery, which you should be sonce its the only one available at the moment. any problems, let me know i'll walk you through it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do I need to unmount when I'm done and THEN reboot?
*Awesome! Followed your instructions and it worked like a charm. Thanks!
If you just switched from iPhone or BB or this is ur first android. Read this thoroughly and see ur questions get eliminated by this guide. if you find this helpful than show your appreciation and hit that thnx button.
All Credit Goes to appdroid for this amazing post.
I don't take any credit I Googled everything. I do take credit of modifying some stuff in word. I won't have this Phone but I am just being helpful to the community.
Little in-depth information about Android. Must Read. Thank You Pirateghost.
ADB → Android Debug Bridge (adb) is a versatile command line tool that lets you communicate with an emulator instance or connected Android-powered device..
Android →Unveiled on 5 November 2007, Android is a mobile operating system running on the Linux kernel developed by Google.
AOSP → Android Open Source Project
Apps2SD → Move applications from the internal NAND memory on the device to a removable SD Card.
BLN → BackLight Notification
Bloatware → Software bloat is a process whereby successive versions of apps include an increasing proportion of unnecessary features that are not used by end users, or generally use more system resources than necessary, while offering little or no benefit to its users. Like all the crap that comes from At&t
Brick → When used in reference to consumer electronics, "brick" describes a device that cannot function in any capacity (such as a device with damaged firmware). This usage derives from the fact that some electronic devices (and their detachable power supplies) are vaguely brick-shaped, and so those which do not function are useful only as actual bricks. The term can also be used as a verb. For example, "I bricked my phone when I tried to modify its firmware."[
Hard Brick → When your phone does not turn on at all. When you can’t get in to CWR/CWM Or Stock recovery. You are basically screwed.
Soft Brick → When your phone bootloops. When you can get into CWR/CWM. When You can use jigtag to get into download mode.
Busybox → BusyBox provides several stripped-down Unix tools in a single executable. It runs in a variety of POSIX environments such as Linux, Android, FreeBSD and others, such as proprietary kernels, although many of the tools it provides are designed to work with interfaces provided by the Linux kernel. It was specifically created for embedded operating systems with very limited resources. Platforms counterparts, but they are pretty close and useful nonetheless.
CWR OR CWM ClockworkMod Recovery →A custom recovery for Android phones and tablets that allows you to perform several advanced recovery, restoration, installation and maintenance operations on your Android device that aren’t possible with the stock recovery.
DEODEX → Apk files have respective odexes that devs use to supposedly save space. Deodexing means you convert it back to a .dex file and put it back inside the apk. This allows you to easily replace file (not having to worry about odexes), but the main point was to deodex services.jar so that you can change all text to different colors (such as the clock color to white) and to deodex services.jar, you need to deodex everything.
Flashing → The process of applying a firmware image (or ROM) to a device. It generally entails a very specific order of steps. Failing to complete any one of these steps properly may result in bricking the device.
Firmware → is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and/or data structures that internally control various electronic devices. Programs stored in the ROM, EPROM, or flash memory that usually control various internal electronic devices (Hard Drives, Keyboards, Displays, etc). Firmware is typically 'fixed' software that is not updated in consumer devices, however it is often updated (or 'flashed') by advanced users to fix bugs or add features to the device. Flashing firmware designed for one device onto a different device, or not following a specific procedure while flashing will often render the device unusable.
Kernel → is the main component of most computer operating systems; it is a bridge between applications and the actual data processing done at the hardware level. The kernel's responsibilities include managing the system's resources (the communication between hardware and software components
Radio → The cellular radio on the device which needs control software called firmware to control it.
ROM → Read Only Memory. In the context of an Android device, ROM is the internal flash memory where the core operating system resides. It can also refer to a specific version firmware that can be applied to a device through a process usually referred to as flashing. An improperly flashed ROM can often brick the device, rendering it unusable.
Superuser→ A program, which gives unlimited access privileges to perform any or all operations on the operating system.
ODIN → Odin is the Samsung software used to update Samsung phones. It does not work with any other devices other than official Samsung phones.
OTA or FOTA → (F)OTA stands for (Firmware) Over The Air and is the process by which required updates and enhancements to your phone's basic operating system can be sent to you through the cellular network. The Galaxy S II software update will be sent via FOTA and is available through Samsung Kies mini.0
ODEX → In Android file system, applications come in packages with the extension .apk. These application packages, or APKs contain certain .odex files whose supposed function is to save space. These ‘odex’ files are actually collections of parts of an application that are optimized before booting. Doing so speeds up the boot process, as it preloads part of an application. On the other hand, it also makes hacking those applications difficult because a part of the coding has already been extracted to another location before execution.
SDK → Software Development Kit.
Logcat → A debugging tool built into Android devices that displays system logs as they occur. See Logcat.
NANDroid → A set of tools that will enable anyone who has root on their Android device to make FULL system backups, in case something goes wrong or you want to try out that new experimental ROM/theme. NANDroid will backup (and restore) /system, /data, /cache, and /boot partitions.
Recovery Mode → A special environment that you can boot into for troubleshooting and upgrading purposes.
Kang → The process of creating a code based of someone else's code or reapplying code that someone else created into your own code (e.g. git cherry-pick)
Rooting → is a process that allows users of mobile phones and other devices running the Android operating system to attain privileged control (known as "root access") within Android's Linux subsystem with the goal of overcoming limitations that carriers and manufacturers put on some devices.
HOW TO ROOT YOUR SAMSUNG GALAXY SIII I9300
Step 1. Download Odin3.07 from HERE
Step 2. Power off your Galaxy S3. Then hold down Volume Down, Center Home, and Power buttons together until you see the warning screen.
Step 3. Hit Volume Up button to enter Download mode and connect a microUSB cable from your Galaxy S3 to your computer.
Step 4. Next, download GalaxyS3RootNew.zip, unzip the files and run odin3.07.exe by double-clicking on the file.
Step 5. When ODIN program opens, you should find a highlighted yellow box with a random COM number. If you don’t see this, download and install Samsung USB drivers below:
SAMSUNG_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones.exe
Step 6. DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING ELSE, hit “PDA” button and select the file CF-Root-SGS3-v6.4.tar.
Step 7. Hit “Start” button. This will install ClockworkMod Recovery on your Galaxy S3 i9300. If you get stuck on this step, just try a different USB port.
Step 8. Once ODIN is done flashing, you will see “PASS!” in green highlighted box.
Step 9. Your Galaxy S3 will reboot once into CWM Recovery and automatically install root and Superuser app.
Step 10. Once your phone reboots, you will find an app called “SuperSU”, this is your superuser app.
Step 11. Download and install Titanium Backup app from Play Store to verify you have root, a Superuser request window should pop up.
That’s it! This should take you less than 5 minutes to do and does not affect your phone in any way but give you Superuser, root, and custom ClockworkMod Recovery.
I highly recommend you to boot into ClockworkMod Recovery and make your first backup ROM at this point, which will save everything including the stock ROM, your apps and settings.
Thanks to galaxys3root.com for sources
HOW TO DO A NANDROID BACKUP
Step 1. We will first reboot into ClockworkMod Recovery by holding down Volume Up, Center Home, and Power buttons together for about 10 seconds.
Step 2. Once in ClockworkMod Recovery on your rooted Galaxy S3, choose “backup and storage”.
Step 3. You will have an option to “backup” or “backup to internal storage”. The first option will backup to your microSD card while the latter to the internal storage.
Step 4. Your rooted Galaxy S3 should now be backing up. Backing up ROM takes 5-10 minutes so go ahead and get your cup of coffee and come back.
HOW TO RESTORE FROM A BACKUP
Step 1. To restore ROM, simply use the same “backup and restore” menu then choose “restore” or “restore from internal sdcard” depending on where you backed up your ROM.
That was easy right?
So, don’t delay and make a backup ROM if you just rooted your phone, you will thank me later and save yourself time and headache when things go wrong.
Thanks to galaxys3root.com for sources
HOW TO FLASH A ROM
Basic Steps
! Choose the ROM that you want and download its .zip file
!! Transfer the zip file to your phone’s sd card. Do not put it into any folder.
!!! Turn off your phone and reboot into recovery, usually by holding the down button and power button at the same time.
!!!! Do a Nandroid backup
!!!!! Do a full Data wipe, wipe the Cache and also wipe Dalvik
!!!!!! Flash the zip file that you put on your sd card
!!!!!!! Reboot phone
You can find all ROMS HERE
HOW TO FLASH A KERNEL WITH CMW
_Download the Kernel You want to flash and put it in sd card.
__Boot in to CWM!
___Wipe cache & Dalvik Cache
____Press install from Sd card!
_____Select the kernel that you dloaded!
______Flash it!
_______Reboot!
________Check in CPU SPY to see if you successfully flashed Kernel.
All Kernels Can Be Found In The Development Section
HOW TO GO BACK TO UNROOTED STOCK
Step 1 - Download an Official Stock Rom from - HERE
Step 2 - Extract the Firmware
Step 3 - Open up Odin
Step 4 - Turn OFF your device
Step 5 - Put your device into Download MODE (Home + Volume Down + Power)
Step 6 - Click PDA and select *.tar.md5
Step 7 - Then finally click START!
Great noob dictionary!
But why reserve so many posts?
I guess they're free right?
nfsmw_gr said:
Great noob dictionary!
But why reserve so many posts?
I guess they're free right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank You. I have only edited this Guide to adapt to this Phone.
And now you should be able to see why I reserved so many posts lol
Nick Fury said:
Thank You. I have only edited this Guide to adapt to this Phone.
And now you should be able to see why I reserved so many posts lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got it,now it makes sense...great work mate.
Nick Fury said:
!!!!! Wipe the phone 3 times by clearing cache/factory restore 3 times and wiping dalvik cache and system format
!!!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3 times is a little overkill don't ya think? In fact I remember seeing a ROM thread in the development section waaay back in the first few weeks of launch and a dev had in his set of instructions to wipe and factory reset 3 times before flash. A moderator made him change it because it was unnecessary to wipe that many times and stated that it would cause issues... what exactly, I can't remember but it sounded legit. Just my 2 cents
But.. great reference guide!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
Coreym said:
3 times is a little overkill don't ya think? In fact I remember seeing a ROM thread in the development section waaay back in the first few weeks of launch and a dev had in his set of instructions to wipe and factory reset 3 times before flash. A moderator made him change it because it was unnecessary to wipe that many times and stated that it would cause issues... what exactly, I can't remember but it sounded legit. Just my 2 cents
But.. great reference guide!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank You for the Feedback and the post has now been edited with the Correct information.
If anyone finds that any of the information above is incorrect or needs updating then please let me know and I will get the Guide updated.
Thank You for reading.
Nice one
Nick Fury said:
If anyone finds that any of the information above is incorrect or needs updating then please let me know and I will get the Guide updated.
Thank You for reading.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for setting up this guide.
"account currently disabled" ??
Great guide for newbies.
Cheers!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Thanks
Hi,
Great intro for noobs.
Keep up the good work.
another great thread nick
i'm in the process of researching both the language and process of rooting my s2. i've been reading articles and watching videos and will write out a "script" for me to follow before i root and flash a ROM. would it be OK to ask a few questions prior to this endeavor to clear up any uncertainties i might have? i know XDA has rigid rules as to where to discuss certain topics (which i completely respect and understand).
bk11222 said:
i'm in the process of researching both the language and process of rooting my s2. i've been reading articles and watching videos and will write out a "script" for me to follow before i root and flash a ROM. would it be OK to ask a few questions prior to this endeavor to clear up any uncertainties i might have? i know XDA has rigid rules as to where to discuss certain topics (which i completely respect and understand).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please feel free to to ask any questions. This would be the perfect spot as it is topic related.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
thanks!
great guide includes everything thanks :good:
R: [REF} All in One guide for NOOBS! With Videos Now!
Glad Thatcher tour thread seems to have more success than mine which id similar but with some others tutorials
You can see it here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2113656
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
R: [REF} All in One guide for NOOBS! With Videos Now!
Since my thread was closed ( i don't know if it was reported to admin by someone asking to close it) i could paste my tutorials here if you want
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
Hello, I have a stock XOOM WiFi (Wingray) and have been looking at installing a custom ROM. I am doing it for fun, knowledge, and to hopefully get a little better performance out of my XOOM.
I currently use my xoom for Web Browsing, XBMC, and Sling Player...
I have been searching the Web and this Forum for information on how i can do this, step by step but i am lost. I know that i have to do the following:
1.Unlock Boot loader (Lord AIO Tool, was unsuccessful which is why i started the thread to post useful links after i succeed.)
2.Modify the Recovery Partition.
3.BigPart
4.Install Custom ROM (Based on whatever Android Ver / Kernel)
I am running Mac OSX 10.8, have a windows VM, and access to a windows laptop if needed.
*EDIT*
Results: I used my Windows Laptop and started to have some success with the Lord AIO Tool. i dont see why the VM wouldn't work, but i had given up on the VM thinking it may have cause a problem.
Steps Needed:
1. Download Motorola Fastboot Drivers:
https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/88481
2. Download ADP Tool (or Install Android SDK and add appropriate locations to your System Path)
ADP Tool: (Awesome)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2588979
Android SDK:
http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html
3. Download Lord AIO Tools: (also, Awesome)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1468298
4. Download the ROM you need. I used OMNI 4.4.2 (Also needed Big Part, and this too is Awesome)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2593757
Big Part:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2506997
5. Download Super User Root zip file.
6. Format an microSD Card FAT32 and copy over the following files:
TeamWin Recover Partition
TeamWin Recovery Partition Big Part (only needed for ROMs that need larger partition.
Super User
OMNI ROM (or whatever ROM you want)
GApps (one of the Google Apps. I used the gapps-wingray-kk-20131223.zip)
7. Follow Instructions for Lord AIO Tool installation and then do the following:
Run the tool and unlock the boot loader (enter option 03, not 3, but 03)
When done you need to install The recovery partition, i used TeamWin RP. (This is option 09 in the Lord AIO Tool)
Then i rebooted into recovery mode and was in the TeamWin RP menu. From there i Flashed the BigPart, then ROM, then Gapps, and then the Super User to Root.
I think there is an option to Root from the Lord AIO Tool, but i dont think i used it at all.
I was trying stuff all day and when it's all said and done I think that's basically what i did, things didnt always work on the first try and i had some trouble mounting the microSD in the Recovery Partition.
I put this here to hopefully give people new to the game a run down of what to do. i did a lot of searching yesterday and was spinning my wheels. and some of the old threads i found were quite technical and had dead links. (not necessarily from XDA) It's not a Step by Step for the XOOM but will hopefully get people who are late to the game a good start.
tonycajjo said:
Hello, I have a stock XOOM WiFi (Wingray) and have been looking at installing a custom ROM. I am doing it for fun, knowledge, and to hopefully get a little better performance out of my XOOM.
I currently use my xoom for Web Browsing, XBMC, and Sling Player...
I have been searching the Web and this Forum for information on how i can do this, step by step but i am lost. I know that i have to do the following:
1.Unlock Boot loader (Lord AIO Tool, was unsuccessful which is why i started the thread to post useful links after i succeed.)
2.Modify the Recovery Partition.
3.BigPart
4.Install Custom ROM (Based on whatever Android Ver / Kernel)
I am running Mac OSX 10.8, have a windows VM, and access to a windows laptop if needed.
*EDIT*
Results: I used my Windows Laptop and started to have some success with the Lord AIO Tool. i dont see why the VM wouldn't work, but i had given up on the VM thinking it may have cause a problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use the Lord AIO Tool on desktop Windows 8.1 and when I ran the Set_Up.bat as Admin, it say file is missing. Not sure what i did wrong.
cat2115 said:
I use the Lord AIO Tool on desktop Windows 8.1 and when I ran the Set_Up.bat as Admin, it say file is missing. Not sure what i did wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i did not need to run as Admin, possibly cause the user was already admin. i had issues when i ran as admin... that's one thing i forgot to add above. (I ran it on Win7 32-Bit)
2. Download ADP Tool (or Install Android SDK and add appropriate locations to your System Path)
ADP Tool: (Awesome)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=2588979
Android SDK:
http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html
also, try moving LAIOT to C:\ if not already there.
after you install ADP tool you may have to reinstall LAIOT, delete the files and just start over using the setup.bat
Stuck on step seven
I will be very grateful of any help stuck on step seven it says too many parameters
floydme said:
I will be very grateful of any help stuck on step seven it says too many parameters
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what part of step 7? my step 7 is pretty broad.
tonycajjo said:
what part of step 7? my step 7 is pretty broad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After running setup bat on the second return key hit I I get too many parameters message
Perfect (step by step)
Followed this step by step, utilizing this process as well as the individual threads regarding each part (Big Part Partitioning, LORD AIO Tool-with file folder placed on "C" drive, etc.) and worked like a charm.
This thread should become sticky and placed at the very top for Xoom Rooting guide.
Stingray Xoom
kamikazebeats said:
Followed this step by step, utilizing this process as well as the individual threads regarding each part (Big Part Partitioning, LORD AIO Tool-with file folder placed on "C" drive, etc.) and worked like a charm.
This thread should become sticky and placed at the very top for Xoom Rooting guide.
Stingray Xoom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good stuff, glad it helped.
floydme said:
After running setup bat on the second return key hit I I get too many parameters message
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can you write explicitly what the error says, and when you hit "enter" the second time what are you exactly hitting enter to?
also include a bit of info on what OS you are using, where you have stuff installed, and so on.