Database Users

Question on .tar

Perhaps a dumb question, but my brain is hurting from all the learning here:
I have modified my phone as I want it, including rooted deodexed stock eb01, swapping .apks, running all the mods through cwm, removing apps,etc. (I guess I themed it the hard way).
Question: Can I create a .tar file from the device while it is running, basically a 'snapshot' of the system exactly as it is ? That way I can odin to current setup if I dork up my phone.
my apologies if this is a stupid question
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

THAT IS TOTALLY NOT A STUPID QUESTION...I actually believe its a great idea right now.

Well, the long answer is, you shell into the phone and make images of the various sectors of the phone, name them properly, and heimdall them. If you use odin, take an extra step to tar it together.
Here its a guide for doing that on a continuum:
http://androidforums.com/continuum-all-things-root/263953-how-make-custom-odin-images.html
Note it glosses over dividing out the kernel binaries and RAMdisk, mentioned in the more comprehensive guide for the Behold:
http://androidforums.com/behold-2-all-things-root/54424-creating-custom-roms- odin.html
I haven't seen anyone post a cute little listing of the actual partitions and cutoffs specific to the fascinate, but I haven't looked very hard either.
UPDATE #2: (it is L: bml7, not bm17 & not bmI7)
So theoretically it's really simple (from an adb shell):
dd if=/dev/block/bml7 of=/sdcard/zImage bs=4096
dd if=/dev/block/stl9 of=/sdcard/factoryfs.rfs bs=4096
dd if=/dev/block/stl10 of=/sdcard/dbdata.rfs bs=4096
dd if=/dev/block/stl11 of=/sdcard/cache.rfs bs=4096​(copy zImage and factoryfs.rfs to your local computer)
tar -H ustar -c zImage factoryfs.rfs dbdata.rfs cache.rfs > odinTAR.tar​These two commands append an md5 checksum to your package, and then rename the file. This finishes the process.
md5sum -t odinTAR.tar >> odinTAR.tar
mv odinTAR.tar odin_package.tar.md5​NOTE: I did not include the modem, but you can flash that separately. This tar includes your personal data, so consider this before distributing any file you make this way. I haven't tested these instructions myself in any way.
Short answer:
Backup (everything but kernel) with nandroid and use that to restore. So long as you have a happy recovery setup, that is the path of least effort.
Swyped w/ XDA App. A clean tie attracts the soup of the day.

thanks for the response; certainly more involved than just a " create .tar" option somewhere. (Though that would be cool to develop for CWM or something)
Looks like some more learning for me. Always appreciate the info.

The next time there is a worthwhile update from VZW, I'd like to put together a not-stock, stripped-down-as-possible (small file) odin tar that is just enough to be a launchpad for flashing ROMs on whatever the next official modem is. So I'm doing my reading ahead of time.
Actually this looks like a great "What is where" link:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=850359
To paraphrase the link I posted above:
These are found in /dev/block. BML stands for Block Management Layer. STL is Sector Translation Layer. RFS is Samsung's Robust File System.
bml7 zImage (kernel)
stl9 factoryfs.rfs (system)
modem:
bml12 modem.bin
personal data:
stl10 dbdata.rfs
stl11 cache.rfs
other:
stl6 param.lfs
bml2 pit.pit
bml3 efs.rfs
NEVER:
bml1 boot.bin
bml4 Sbl.bin
unknown:
bml8 recovery.bin
You may use dd (and apparertly cat) to copy these partitions to your SD card:
adb shell su -c "dd if=/dev/block/bml7 of=/sdcard/zImage bs=4096"
adb shell cat /dev/block/stl9 > /sdcard/factoryfs.rfs
You may reflash them individually with heimdall, or tar to flash as a group in Odin.

[LINUX][TO STOCK][HEIMDALL]Console Short Guide: Back to Stock With Heimdall

Use this guide at your own risk.
Here is a short guide to use Heimdall on a linux console (Non a Graphical Interface) to back your phone to stock.
I assume you have Heimdall already installed.
1. Download stock files to flash (see link below under STOCK Files)
2. Put the phone in downloading mode (press 1 + power button)
3. Plug the phone to the computer.
4. Check if the phone is detected using this command:
Code:
heimdall detect
If device is detected you'll see a console message like this:
Code:
Device Detected
If not see below under DETECT DEVICE.
5. Use this command to flash files. You must run this command from the folder where the stock files are:
Code:
heimdall flash --repartition --cache cache.rfs --factoryfs factoryfs.rfs --modem modem.bin --param param.lfs --recovery recovery.bin --kernel zImage --pit SPH-D700.pit --data datafs.rfs
If everithing is done without errors your phone will be rebooted and you'll see the stock rom working on it .
Thanks.
STOCK Files:
You can find some packages in this nubecoder post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1584346
You have to rename the files name in the console code above to match with the files in the package downloaded if necessary.
DEVICE DETECT
I use Archlinux and I didn't nothing to enable this, it works by default.
UBUNTU:
This text is copied from http://developer.android.com/guide/developing/device.html
If you're developing on Ubuntu Linux, you need to add a udev rules file that contains a USB configuration for each type of device you want to use for development. In the rules file, each device manufacturer is identified by a unique vendor ID, as specified by the ATTR{idVendor} property. To set up device detection on Ubuntu Linux:
Log in as root and create this file: /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules.
Use this format to add each vendor to the file:
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="04e8", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
NOTE: 04e8 is Samsung id Vendor.
After this open a linux console and use this command as root:
Code:
chmod a+r /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules
Thanks.

Hi dude,
I have my SGS2 soft bricked and I'm trying to recover it. I've already opened a post here.
Fed up with Odin errors I've decided to try Heimdall.
However, it fails when I try to flash a kernel and I think that my partitions system is damaged.
Find attached my heimdall print-pit result, System partition is missing.
Hope you can help me.
Regards,
Mario.

Usage for GT-P6200
In your example you use:
heimdall flash --repartition --cache cache.rfs --factoryfs factoryfs.rfs --modem modem.bin --param param.lfs --recovery recovery.bin --kernel zImage --pit SPH-D700.pit --data datafs.rfs
I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab Plus GT-P6200 which will not format /data thus I would like to use the --repartition option however my files provided are a little different being:
boot.bin
cache.img
factoryfs.img
hidden.img
modem.bin
param.lfs
recovery.img
Sbl.bin
zImage
How would I go about building the command string for this ?
As for the pit file I have this and will place it in the same folder

downloading a pit file from AT&T S5

As I try various approaches to get my S5 (AT&T) downgraded, I decided to see if Heimdall/Jodin could help. Heimdall-frontend and Jodin want to download a pit file from the phone. Neither of them succeed in doing this. Here's what I get when I try Heimdall:
Code:
$ sudo heimdall print-pit --no-reboot
Heimdall v1.4.1
Copyright (c) 2010-2014 Benjamin Dobell, Glass Echidna
http://www.glassechidna.com.au/
This software is provided free of charge. Copying and redistribution is
encouraged.
If you appreciate this software and you would like to support future
development please consider donating:
http://www.glassechidna.com.au/donate/
Initialising connection...
Detecting device...
Claiming interface...
Attempt failed. Detaching driver...
Claiming interface again...
Setting up interface...
Initialising protocol...
Protocol initialisation successful.
Beginning session...
Some devices may take up to 2 minutes to respond.
Please be patient!
Session begun.
Downloading device's PIT file...
ERROR: Failed to send request to end PIT file transfer!
ERROR: Failed to download PIT file!
Ending session...
ERROR: Failed to send end session packet!
Releasing device interface...
Re-attaching kernel driver...
By the way, I use Debian Linux. I've tried using Odin through VirtualBox running Win7, but it fails to detect the phone. I get a two-note sequence when I tell VirtualBox to attach the phone. I have the Samsung USB drivers installed. Win7 sees the phone, but Odin won't.

Backup S5 stockRom before TWRP & root? Possible? Which tool? How?

How to backup stockRom S5 before starting to follow any instructions to root + flash + LineageOS ...
What I want:
* backup my brand new stock ROM Galaxy S5 SM-G900F
* before I even start with TWRP, root, etc.
* with an apk, via USB on a PC ... any way that would work
* or if total backup does not exist, then at least the EFS partitions?
because:
* I might want to sell it later
* I might have to send it back
* flashing TWRP & LineageOS might fail
* I have lost mobileInternet on an LG-V20 already because something went strange when flashing
* I am careful
Is there any way to backup a Samsung S5 before I even start with following any instructions here?
Am I asking for something impossible?
Was I on the right way already (see below), but have done something wrong?
Is it perhaps only possible after rooting? If so, then which tool do you recommend then?
Thanks a lot!
What I have tried:
* xda developer galaxy-s5/general every thread title until page 5 https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s5/general/page5
* xda developer search for "S5 backup", "S5 EFS", and a few other searches. Sorry for being dumb, please help me search, thanks.
* Heimdall PIT, but "ERROR: Failed to send request to end PIT file transfer!"
* Odin PIT, but "Can't open the specified file. (Line: 1892)"
* Samsung Tool 5.0 com.sec.ricky310711.samsungtool.apk https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2696153 but the app-->Backup-EFS hangs at "Please Wait..." <-- probably because I could not install busybox because no root yet.
* manual EFS backup with dd https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2737448 but I get a "su: not found", obviously, because unrooted
Code:
Heimdall v1.4.0
...
Initialising connection...
Detecting device...
Claiming interface...
Setting up interface...
Initialising protocol...
Protocol initialisation successful.
Beginning session...
Some devices may take up to 2 minutes to respond.
Please be patient!
Session begun.
Downloading device's PIT file...
ERROR: Failed to send request to end PIT file transfer!
ERROR: Failed to download PIT file!
Ending session...
ERROR: Failed to send end session packet!
Releasing device interface...
Code:
<ID:0/003> Added!!
<ID:0/003> Odin engine v(ID:3.1301)..
<ID:0/003> File analysis..
<ID:0/003> Total Binary size: 0 M
<ID:0/003> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/003> Initialzation..
<ID:0/003> Set PIT file..
<ID:0/003> DO NOT TURN OFF TARGET!!
<ID:0/003> Can't open the specified file. (Line: 1892)
<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)

Anyone?

ankade said:
Anyone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Though, I don't have your specific variant, the typical "just in case" files (that I personally always begin with) to obtain are the following:
1) Stock Firmware File (I just go with the latest and sometimes the 1 previously released).
2) Latest Odin PC Software.
3) Latest Samsung USB Drivers for the PC.
4) PIT file (PIT = Partition Information Table).
Those are usually the bare essentials that I begin with.
Good Luck!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UNLESS asked to do so, PLEASE don't PM me regarding support. Sent using The ClaRetoX Forum App on my Enigma Machine {aenigma = Latin for "Riddle"}.

Great, thanks a lot. That is a helpful list.
Ibuprophen said:
2) Latest Odin PC Software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which is the latest you are using? The version "Odin3-v3.13.1" does NOT work, see above.
How exactly do I extract the current state of my (still unrooted) SM-G900F ?
Thanks.

I have now tried again manually:
Code:
heimdall download-pit --output s5.pit
Is that the right command?
It only worked after overwriting the MSM8960 driver with zadig.exe
Then it looks like this:
Code:
Heimdall v1.4.0
Copyright (c) 2010-2013, Benjamin Dobell, Glass Echidna
http://www.glassechidna.com.au/
This software is provided free of charge. Copying and redistribution is
encouraged.
If you appreciate this software and you would like to support future
development please consider donating:
http://www.glassechidna.com.au/donate/
Initialising connection...
Detecting device...
Claiming interface...
Setting up interface...
Initialising protocol...
Protocol initialisation successful.
Beginning session...
Some devices may take up to 2 minutes to respond.
Please be patient!
Session begun.
Downloading device's PIT file...
then after a while:
Code:
ERROR: Failed to send request to end PIT file transfer!
ERROR: Failed to download PIT file!
Ending session...
ERROR: Failed to send end session packet!
Releasing device interface...

heimdall 1.4.2
Hooray, big progress. It was a version problem, older versions of heimdall seem faulty. And grrrmpf: the "heimdall" website which comes up at the top on search engines ... provides an outdated 1.4.0 version. Which seems broken. But hooray, the 1.4.2 version of heimdall works:
this looks good, no?
Code:
cd heimdall_1.4.2_win64
heimdall print-pit --no-reboot
Code:
Heimdall v1.4.2
Copyright (c) 2010-2017 Benjamin Dobell, Glass Echidna
http://www.glassechidna.com.au/
This software is provided free of charge. Copying and redistribution is encouraged.
If you appreciate this software and you would like to support future development please consider donating: http://www.glassechidna.com.au/donate/
Initialising connection...
Detecting device...
Claiming interface...
Setting up interface...
Initialising protocol...
Protocol initialisation successful.
Beginning session...
Some devices may take up to 2 minutes to respond.
Please be patient!
Session begun.
Downloading device's PIT file...
PIT file download successful.
Code:
Entry Count: 30
Unknown 1: 1598902083
Unknown 2: 844251476
Unknown 3: 21325
Unknown 4: 14413
Unknown 5: 14137
Unknown 6: 52
Unknown 7: 0
Unknown 8: 0
now there are 30 such entries:
Code:
--- Entry #0 ---
Binary Type: 0 (AP)
Device Type: 2 (MMC)
Identifier: 1
Attributes: 5 (Read/Write)
Update Attributes: 1 (FOTA)
Partition Block Size/Offset: 8192
Partition Block Count: 30720
File Offset (Obsolete): 0
File Size (Obsolete): 0
Partition Name: APNHLOS
Flash Filename: NON-HLOS.bin
FOTA Filename:
I got the new heimdall 1.4.2 version from here:
https://github.com/Benjamin-Dobell/Heimdall/issues/295#issuecomment-364729538
and because he only provides the source, the binary from here
https://github.com/tothphu/heimdall_build/

this worked too:
Code:
heimdall download-pit --no-reboot --output S5-download-pit.pit
It resulted in a non-human-readable binary file of 8192 bytes.
But:
How to backup partitions?
with
Code:
heimdall --help
I can see that there I can flash ONTO the device with e.g.
Code:
heimdall flash --RECOVERY twrp-x.x.x-x-klte.img --no-reboot
but there does not seem to be a
Code:
heimdall read --RECOVERY --file recovery.img --no-reboot
?
how to READ a partition FROM the device?
?

Now I have tried it via USB debugging, with "minimal_adb_fastboot_1.4.3_portable.zip"
but
Code:
adb shell
ls -al /dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/efs
lrwxrwxrwx root root 2014-05-24 16:36 efs -> /dev/block/mmcblk0p12
dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p12 of=/storage/3164-3234/S5/efs.img
results in
Code:
dd: /dev/block/mmcblk0p12: Permission denied
and
Code:
su -
/system/bin/sh: su: not found
so it looks as if my first hope has to be declared dead ...
No system backup without root, right?
?
But what I don't understand ... How did people extract these here then: https://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/galaxy-s5/SM-G900F/ ???
I have found instructions how to get back to stock rom, but I would like to use my own original stockROM for that. But I don't know how to back it up. Please help. Thanks.

how to root?
The phone is this one:
Samsung S5
SM-G900F
Android version 6.0.1
Android security patch level: 1 January 2017
I have tried these root tools:
Kingroot (NewKingrootV5.3.7_C197_B451_xda_release_2018_06_19_20180620193529_242043.apk) --> "Generating adaptation strategy, please come back later"
Towelroot v1.0 (tr.apk) --> "This phone isn't currently supported"
I did not want to try CF-Auto-Root because it says "If you have a Samsung-KNOX-enabled device, this package will trip the KNOX warranty flag. This flag cannot be reset, and will prevent some applications from working."
Is there really no way to get root without first installing TWRP ?
?

Samsung Galaxy A5 update

Hi Everyone,
I need to update my firmware software of Samsung G. A5 at least Android 7.0 or something better like Lineage 16.
Samsung Galaxy A5,
Android Version 6.0.1,
Module SM-A500FU,
Baseband Version A500FUXXU1CPI2.
If I try under Ubuntu Linux, I get those results.
Code:
$ adb shell
[email protected]:/ $ getprop ro.bootloader
A500FUXXU1CSB1
Code:
adb reboot bootloader //this command works and It reboots. I could see in my cellphone display "Downloading... Do not turn off target"
$ fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
< waiting for any device >
Code:
$ fastboot reboot
< waiting for any device >
how can we be a root user?
Code:
[email protected]:/sdcard/Download/open_gapps-arm-7.1-micro $ ./installer.sh
/system/bin/sh: ./installer.sh: can't execute: Permission denied
Code:
$ heimdall flash --RECOVERY recovery.img --no-reboot // recovery.img comes from untar twrp_20190427_a5ultexx.tar file
Heimdall v1.4.1
Copyright (c) 2010-2014 Benjamin Dobell, Glass Echidna
. glassechidna . com . au/
This software is provided free of charge. Copying and redistribution is
encouraged.
If you appreciate this software and you would like to support future
development please consider donating:
glassechidna.com . a u/d onate/
Initialising connection...
Detecting device...
Claiming interface...
Setting up interface...
Initialising protocol...
Protocol initialisation successful.
Beginning session...
Some devices may take up to 2 minutes to respond.
Please be patient!
Session begun.
Downloading device's PIT file...
ERROR: Failed to send request to end PIT file transfer!
ERROR: Failed to download PIT file!
Ending session...
ERROR: Failed to send end session packet!
Releasing device interface...
I downloaded those files.
lineage-16.0-20190427-UNOFFICIAL-a5.zip
open_gapps-arm-7.1-micro.zip
open_gapps-arm-9.0-nano-20191123.zip
twrp_20190427_a5ultexx.tar

This is the Canadian update schedule.
We're nearing the end of March, so did the Pie update actually materialize for the Galaxy A5? Can anyone confirm/deny?

‎