Related
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
" PWNED " :-D
As you know, Archos bootloaders check digital signatures of init and recovery kernels, so you need to install SDE to use custom kernels, and it somehow "watermarks" the device.
Good news everyone! I've disassembled both bootloaders, found the code which checks signature, and replaced it (first instructions of verify_hash function) with "return 0" which is "mov r0, #0; bx lr" in ARM assembly. It's much the same hack as on Archos 5, thanks EiNSTeiN from archos.g3nius.org for reverse engineering previous generation.
Archos gen8 boots using OMAP boot ROM from internal eMMC card. Primary bootloader ("boot0") is in 0x20000 bytes after the first sector of internal flash (i.e. at 0x200) and secondary bootloader is written into rawfs, /mnt/rawfs/avboot. boot0 contains image size and loading address in first 8 bytes.
So, here is the patch:
1) boot0: replace 8 bytes at 0x7520 from the beginning of mmcblk0 from 7F402DE9003091E5 to 0000A0E31EFF2FE1.
2) avboot: replace 8 bytes at 0x14424 in avboot from 7F402DE9003091E5 to 0000A0E31EFF2FE1 (same patch). 0x14424 from avboot beginning is usually 0x14824 from the beginning of mmcblk0p1 (avboot comes first in rawfs, just after 2 blocks of header).
Of course you need root to do it. I've done it on my Archos 101, then changed 1 byte in recovery image - it boots into recovery without problem (before the hack it didn't boot into this 1-byte changed recovery).
And of course do it with caution and at your own risk DO NOT replace the bytes if you find other original data at these offsets! Bad boot0 or avboot means bricked Archos. There must be some sort of test point (something connected to OMAP SYS_BOOT5 pin) to boot from USB, or a boot UART interface, so debricking the device must be possible, but it would require some effort to find it, find a proper bootloader and use it.
If someone wants to see IDA database, I'll send my.
P.S: I do not have enough messages to post inside Development subforum, so I'm posting here.
Great work! With this base, can yout get something like CW to run?
I'm so waiting for him to come back and say April fools.
I'm gonna screw him up if this was an april fool
First, if this is an April fools, I will find you and hurt you.
Second, what does all that mean anyway? Does that mean Cyanogen on Gen8 is near? Does it have anything to do with roms?
vitalif said:
P.S: I do not have enough messages to post inside Development subforum, so I'm posting here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you should increase that number of post by explaining how you did this.
)))) No it isn't an April fool, my device now really has a modified recovery. Ridiculously modified (1 byte changed), but that's the proof!
Check the patch by yourself )) all you need to write to mmcblk0 is a standard linux dd tool... which is included into standard Archos busybox...
wdl1908 said:
Maybe you should increase that number of post by explaining how you did this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In fact, it was not hard, and if I knew ARM assembly language before, it would be even easier... All I had to do is to find bootloader on the flash (boot0 is obviously in its beginning, and avboot is on /mnt/rawfs), copy it to computer, download IDA, feed bootloader to it and find functions similar to ones described on archos.g3nius.org (BigInteger_ModulusEnter, RSADecipher, etc). It also could be simpler, as BigInteger_ModulusEnter is mentioned inside an ASCII string inside data section... But I've found them by text search also there is a magic "ZMfX" in first 4 bytes of avboot and some other magic inside init and recovery... One also could use them to find interesting points in bootloader.
At first I've started disassembling with the wrong base address, but bootloader has code which copies itself to the correct one in the very beginning, so I've changed it and started over. In fact, it has size and address in first 8 bytes, so this also could be simpler...
So the hack is done, what needs to be done by now - utilize it and create some custom ROM or simply flash urukdroid without SDE...
chulri said:
Great work! With this base, can you get something like CW to run?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CW == ClockWorkMod recovery? I don't have any experience with CWM porting yet, but in theory yes, the hack gives us the ability to run custom recovery images.
Don't know alot about the bootloader, but what advantage does this have?
SWFlyerUK said:
Don't know alot about the bootloader, but what advantage does this have?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hm. I'll explain... Bootloader is the program which starts up the device, similar to bootloader on your PC signature check in bootloader prevents us installing modified Linux kernel, initial ramdisk and recovery images. So, for example, we can't have netfilter in kernel without installing SDE, we can't have ClockWorkMod recovery on Archos at all, and we can't, for example, change MMC card splitting into 512M mmcblk0 for system + remaining for "internal SD" with data.
With signature check removed, all this is possible.
The underlying idea of all this signature checking is probably protecting f**king DRM... I HATE IT !!!!!! And hate companies promoting it =) When you install SDE on previous generation archos (5it), it removes drm keys from device memory (this is the "watermarking" mentioned on Archos site). It makes device unable to play the content buyed for it anymore... Not a big deal, but unpleasant. I don't know if this is the same on gen8.
In detail: Archos 101 has OMAP3630 processor. The "0-stage" (very-very first stage) bootloader, i.e. program which gains control after processor power-up, is hard-coded into one-time programmable area on the processor itself and is named "OMAP boot ROM" (similar to PC BIOS). The boot ROM can continue device booting process from different devices including SD/MMC card, NAND flash, UART (serial port) or USB interfaces. The boot sequence is determined from physical pin connection configuration. Our Archos boots from internal eMMC card.
So, OMAP boot ROM loads primary Archos bootloader, without checking any signatures or checksums, and simply transmits control to it. Primary bootloader sets up some processor configuration and then reads secondary bootloader (avboot) from flash. Then, it checks its MD5-RSA digital signature using Archos public key. If signature is incorrect, it hangs the device (goes to infinite loop). So if we modify avboot without removing signature check from boot0, device would be bricked. If signature is correct, control is transmitted to avboot. Avboot determines what system we want to start by pressing different keys, loads it, checks signature if system is init (normal system) or recovery, sets up configuration for Linux kernel and transmit control to Linux.
Interesting facts:
* According to the code, boot0 can use rawfs or FAT filesystems for boot partition.
* During boot process, various messages are printed to serial console. avboot even has some code for receiving commands over serial connections.
* OMAP processor boot sequence can be configured via special memory area which remains unchanged after soft reset, and this configuration will override one determined by physical pin configuration. This does not give us much profit, but is also interesting...
Thanks for the explanation, so is it worth doing for a noticable difference in performance etc?
SWFlyerUK said:
Thanks for the explanation, so is it worth doing for a noticable difference in performance etc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whats being done will have no affect on performance of the device. It will however, allow a lot of work that can contribute to better performance on the device. That is assuming that we can put on a modified clockworkmod recovery on these devices without bricking them.
He says the only way to do this is with root but in order to have root with r/w access at this point is SDE....right? Don't get me wrong custom recovery with the ability to make backups would be awesome but it seems SDE will still be necessary unless a new rooting option comes along.
*on a side note about root has anyone tried using psneuter to gain temp root through ADB? I really am not super knowledgeable about this stuff but this was used on the thunderbolt to aid in getting full root and s-off.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
JBO1018 said:
He says the only way to do this is with root but in order to have root with r/w access at this point is SDE....right? Don't get me wrong custom recovery with the ability to make backups would be awesome but it seems SDE will still be necessary unless a new rooting option comes along.
*on a side note about root has anyone tried using psneuter to gain temp root through ADB? I really am not super knowledgeable about this stuff but this was used on the thunderbolt to aid in getting full root and s-off.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Archangel will give you temp root without using SDE.
He said root with r/w access. Archangel won't do that, the file system is still protected.
pbarrett said:
He said root with r/w access. Archangel won't do that, the file system is still protected.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope r/w access is not needed the only changes to be made are on /dev/mmcblk0p1 which is mounted on /mnt/rawfs the read-only is on the root file system so they are seperate. Archangel will do just fine for this.
wdl1908 said:
Nope r/w access is not needed the only changes to be made are on /dev/mmcblk0p1 which is mounted on /mnt/rawfs the read-only is on the root file system so they are seperate. Archangel will do just fine for this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be correct, there is no write protection on internal MMC at all, there is readonly rootfs which is mounted from a squashfs archive (squashfs is compressed readonly filesystem commonly used on Linux Live CDs), so you can't modify _files_ on it while it is mounted. But, nothing stops you from updating it as a whole.
Urukdroid
Someone should give a shout out ro $auron, creator of the Urukdroid project about this, he might find it useful.
So, if your hack is confirmed, that would give us the possibility to port CW recovery and Cyanogen to Gen8 devices... am I right ?
shrewdlove said:
Someone should give a shout out ro $auron, creator of the Urukdroid project about this, he might find it useful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think he has already seen this thread but you can ask him
lechuckthepirate said:
So, if your hack is confirmed, that would give us the possibility to port CW recovery and Cyanogen to Gen8 devices... am I right ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you are^^ but the thing is you have to port cyanogen to our gen8^^ and this must be done by a or more devs
i heard the biggest problem is that our touchscreen is connected by an usb controller inside the archos thats why the honeycomb port by luisivan is not recognize our touchscreen ( but when the source code is released, finally, we will get a hc port )
Lennb said:
i heard the biggest problem is that our touchscreen is connected by an usb controller inside the archos thats why the honeycomb port by luisivan is not recognize our touchscreen ( but when the source code is released, finally, we will get a hc port )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this isn't a problem for cyanogen (v7 = Android 2.3.3) because we have the source.
Just figured I'd share.
First. All I wanted was an xterm on webtop + ssh client. I don't care about much else, that was my only goal. I already have a webtop dock ($80, well worth it, IMNSHO).
First I had to jailbreak. You can use virtually any method...I did the "moto-fastboot" with preinstall.img. I'm pretty sure all the downloads do mostly the same thing.
Once you have root...you need to install the superuser dohickie (just as the doco's profess). I renamed su to mysu, though 'cause some applications make the determination on if you are "rooted" based solely on the setuid existence of su.
Once there, you can install jaunty armel versions of lxterminal and openssh-client (a simple google search will give you a location for those deb downloads which you can install using dpkg. 4.5.91 (at least mine) does not have lxterminal. There are a lot of errors, but they work fine. I tried apt-get..yadda, but the sources.list includes resources in the 10. range. Don't know WTF that's about.
You need to have an android terminal app installed. In that, you need to change %admin to NOPASSSWD using the method described: http dev.toreishi.net/2011/03/hacking-the-atrix-step-3/
Then create the %gconf.xml as described at the end of the article.
The middle part is where I got screwed initially (broke my webtop entirely, and had to start over from factory reset). It has you going to specific line numbers which are version specific (a version that I didn't have). The things to note is that you want to change the policy for awn. First, make a backup copy of domain_policy.conf. In 4.5.91 is line is 1331. And use VI for christ sake: vi +1331 /etc/tomoyo/domain_policy.conf
The lines look like:
<kernel> /osh/usr/bin/awn
use_profile 3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Change the use_profile to 2
Then at the top of the file change the use_profile for lxterminal to 2.
(you made a backup, right)?
:wq!
Then reboot.
Happy xterm'ing.
This was a little messy to follow, but I got the gist from reading your notes and the notes from dev.toreishi.net/2011/03/hacking-the-atrix-step-3
I got a uk glow worm on the 27th (2 days before release ) and one of the first things that I tried to do was to root with glownooter. Bad idea! I thought that I had bricked my device. I had to use a lot of trickery to recover from a loading screen lock-up and once I did the first thing that I did was backup my nook (Which i should have done before).
UPDATE!
Please try my new ROOT install pack HERE:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=34216660#post34216660
This can be used to root and install the most requested things of this thread in just one zip.
Here is a quick guide to most things you will need to do to get started. I will update this guide as I discover and build new modifications.
To Backup and Restore
Follow this guide. Please do this BEFORE any other tinkering!
http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/20...-and-restore-nook-glow-and-nook-simple-touch/
Its important to check your backup before proceeding! Please listen to roustabout and dont skip this step... He knows what he's talking about
roustabout said:
I'd like to suggest an addition to the backup method that many folks are using - always test your restore, but dont test it (the first time) on your device.
Your backup file should be about 2 gig.
find a 2 gig or larger flash drive or sdcard and restore your backup image to that drive.
when you're done, there should be 8 partitions, as there were on your Nook to begin with.
If you can't get that working - you're not ready to root yet. Until you're sure you can restore, don't start making changes, please.
People turn up all the time having screwed themselves over by restoring a partial backup and not knowing it, or having restored only one partition from a complete backup and having blown out the partition table.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks roustabout
To Root!
Make sure you use the CWM file suitable for your SD Card. I used "2gb_clockwork-rc2" because my card was 2gb+.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1360994 (Thanks mali100)
Use WinImage with admin rights to restore CWM virtual hdd image to your SD.
Download tinynoot-1-of-2 and tinynoot-2-of-2
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1650593 (Thanks to eded333 and roustabout)
Put on CWM boot SD.
Install them in CWM back to back (I didn't bother with the restart in the middle as it should not make a difference considering the file content). After a restart you should have root access and an android launcher on your 1.2.0 Nook (among other files). If nook fails to boot one of the tinynoot files may have corrupted. Recover, Re-download and Retry!
To Add Apps
Using ADB to install apps is easy. Extract this to your C drive:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/13673492/ADB + Fastboot + Drivers.zip
Navigate to the folder in a cmd prompt.
Drop your APK into the same folder and on your nook open the "adbwireless" app and enable ADB
That app will tell you what your nooks IP address is.
Then you can:
Code:
adb connect ip.address.of.nook:portnumber
adb install app_of_your_choice.apk
Setup ADB over USB
OK I have taken the liberty of building a quick driver mod to support your nook through USB. It works for me. First you need to have the android SDK if you don't already (sure you do but just in case ).
http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html
Make sure you tick to install the android USB driver when the SDK is installed.
Browse to extras\google\usb_driver in your SDK folder (wherever you put it) and replace android_winusb.inf with my file:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/13673492/android_winusb.inf
Next go to C:\Users\your_user_account\.android and replace adb_usb.ini with my file:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/13673492/adb_usb.ini
In device manager, point google ADB driver to this and hopefully that should get you set up!
To test type
Code:
adb devices
Its working if you get something like this:
Code:
* daemon not running. starting it now on port ____ *
* daemon started successfully *
List of devices attached
[YOUR NOOK] device
And then try
Code:
adb install app_of_your_choice.apk
UPDATE
Install Multitouch Kernel With Overclocking
Install the CWM zip using your clockworkmod SD card
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1906507
:good: Thanks to johnjtaylor for discovering that this kernel works works.
Hopefully this more comprehensive guide will get others with this software to start playing around.
If this helps, be polite and say thankyou
Have you setup ADB yet? If you can connect with ADB and get a shell, you can execute a 'df' at the shell prompt to see how much free space is available in each partition. On my NST (no glowlight) apps seem to be installed in /data/app so see how much free space is there. On the NST, this appears to be the same partition that books purchased from B&N are placed in, so if you have a lot of books from B&N, you may have to archive some to install apps. Of course all this is going on the assumption that the NST Glow is similar to the NST in this regard.
David0226 said:
Have you setup ADB yet? If you can connect with ADB and get a shell, you can execute a 'df' at the shell prompt to see how much free space is available in each partition. On my NST (no glowlight) apps seem to be installed in /data/app so see how much free space is there. On the NST, this appears to be the same partition that books purchased from B&N are placed in, so if you have a lot of books from B&N, you may have to archive some to install apps. Of course all this is going on the assumption that the NST Glow is similar to the NST in this regard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for replying. I'm actually working setting up ADB now. As for books I only just got my nook so all of my titles are epub format on an sd card so i wouldn't think it would be that. As soon as I get ADB set up I will post back my results incase it helps anyone else with this new software version.
Can you look in the documentation that comes with the reader for any reference to 'third party software' or 'GPL software'. They should list where to download / apply for the source code somewhere. Once we can see the source code we can compare it against the existing versions and identify any significant issues.
I set up ADB.
Plenty of space in all partitions including /data for the apps that I want. Managed to install through "adb install some_app_i_want.apk" so problem resides with the amazon app store. Not really an issue for me because I have a specific set of apps that I want and don't need to browse the app store.
I will try to work out what's wrong for others.
staylo said:
Can you look in the documentation that comes with the reader for any reference to 'third party software' or 'GPL software'. They should list where to download / apply for the source code somewhere. Once we can see the source code we can compare it against the existing versions and identify any significant issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I'm looking for it now
No reference to GPL. Only references to third party software are to tell me that my warranty is no longer valid (no surprise there!)
Is there any other place I can find this info thats not the documentation?
loney01843 said:
No reference to GPL. Only references to third party software are to tell me that my warranty is no longer valid (no surprise there!)
Is there any other place I can find this info thats not the documentation?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nothing obvious from the uk.nook.com website. On the US site the 'support' section links to terms of service which contain the links to the open source code (see http://www.barnesandnoble.com/container/nook_lnav.asp?pid=43307 and search for NOOK 1.1.5 OSS Release ), but I can't see an equivalent on the UK site. It's an oversight, but such things happen with a new product launch.
You can email them at [email protected] . The relevant paragraph from the US site is:
1. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, certain components of the Software are licensed subject to the General Public License Version 2.0, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit A (the "GPL License"). You may not use these components except in compliance with the GPL License. In addition, you may have additional rights with respect to such components under the GPL License, including, without limitation, the right to obtain the source code for such components from us. You may obtain a copy of such source code by contacting us through the contact information provided on the Web Site. We will provide such source code in accordance with the GPL License.
I don't legally have the right to request the source code myself, because I don't own a UK NOOK yet. (Yeah, thinly veiled excuse for laziness!)
staylo said:
Nothing obvious from the uk.nook.com website. On the US site the 'support' section links to terms of service which contain the links to the open source code (see http://www.barnesandnoble.com/container/nook_lnav.asp?pid=43307 and search for NOOK 1.1.5 OSS Release ), but I can't see an equivalent on the UK site. It's an oversight, but such things happen with a new product launch.
You can email them at [email protected] . The relevant paragraph from the US site is:
1. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, certain components of the Software are licensed subject to the General Public License Version 2.0, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit A (the "GPL License"). You may not use these components except in compliance with the GPL License. In addition, you may have additional rights with respect to such components under the GPL License, including, without limitation, the right to obtain the source code for such components from us. You may obtain a copy of such source code by contacting us through the contact information provided on the Web Site. We will provide such source code in accordance with the GPL License.
I don't legally have the right to request the source code myself, because I don't own a UK NOOK yet. (Yeah, thinly veiled excuse for laziness!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're obviously not that lazy. Thanks for looking and gathering all of the extra info I need. I'll send B&N an e-mail and see what they say. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't want to hand it out considering you can use it for an easy root setup and install the amazon and kobo stores which could financially damage their advance into new territories! What are we to do! Can't even subscribe to a newspaper or magazine through the nook store yet!
I'll let you know when / if I get a response
There is a setting in nook touch tools that you need to "arm," to allow software from unknown sources to be installed before the Amazon appstore can install software on a tinynooted device.
The setting is a tickbox, "Allow non-Market apps"
Untick it if it is ticked by default, then re-tick it to get apps to install.
roustabout said:
There is a setting in nook touch tools that you need to "arm," to allow software from unknown sources to be installed before the Amazon appstore can install software on a tinynooted device.
The setting is a tickbox, "Allow non-Market apps"
Untick it if it is ticked by default, then re-tick it to get apps to install.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply but I actually tried that. No joy. However perhaps it is this that is not working and not amazon app store. Im just installing through ADB instead. I wonder if I can enable unknown sources through ADB. Something to look at I guess!
UK tinynoot attempt failing
loney01843 said:
Thanks for the reply but I actually tried that. No joy. However perhaps it is this that is not working and not amazon app store. Im just installing through ADB instead. I wonder if I can enable unknown sources through ADB. Something to look at I guess!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried using the tinynoot process from roustabout's thread here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1650593 and am stuck on the final reboot with a "Your NOOK is starting up..." message. Could you let me know if you used a different tinynoot method/set of files?
smerrett said:
I tried using the tinynoot process from roustabout's thread here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1650593 and am stuck on the final reboot with a "Your NOOK is starting up..." message. Could you let me know if you used a different tinynoot method/set of files?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep thats what I used. You on 1.2.0 and did you back up?
I didn't backup first and to get out of the starting message I used this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1289233&highlight=restore
Then I made a backup using this:
http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/20...-and-restore-nook-glow-and-nook-simple-touch/
I hope this helps!
loney01843 said:
Yep thats what I used. You on 1.2.0 and did you back up?
I didn't backup first and to get out of the starting message I used this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1289233&highlight=restore
Then I made a backup using this:
http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/20...-and-restore-nook-glow-and-nook-simple-touch/
I hope this helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tip on screen freeze but the link to the images on that post don't work for me. I am on 1.2 and made a backup before attempting any rooting - have managed to reinstate my original nook so quite pleased with myself.
Is there any point in rooting until someone can find a way of getting apps onto the 1.2 NSTG?
smerrett said:
Thanks for the tip on screen freeze but the link to the images on that post don't work for me. I am on 1.2 and made a backup before attempting any rooting - have managed to reinstate my original nook so quite pleased with myself.
Is there any point in rooting until someone can find a way of getting apps onto the 1.2 NSTG?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great that you got a backup. If you want custom apps you can either wait for a different root kit or push ahead (since you have a safety net).
As I said, it worked for me.
If you don't mind searching for the .apk files you want you can use this:
Code:
adb connect ip.address.of.nook:portnumber
adb install app_of_your_choice.apk
This has worked fine for me so far. Just don't try for custom kernels yet as they seem to give me troubles.
I will work more on this tomorrow including adjusting framework for gapps.
loney01843 said:
Great that you got a backup. If you want custom apps you can either wait for a different root kit or push ahead (since you have a safety net).
As I said, it worked for me.
If you don't mind searching for the .apk files you want you can use this:
Code:
adb connect ip.address.of.nook:portnumber
adb install app_of_your_choice.apk
This has worked fine for me so far. Just don't try for custom kernels yet as they seem to give me troubles.
I will work more on this tomorrow including adjusting framework for gapps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks also for the code but as this is my first foray into rooting I think I'll hang around and watch for a bit! Perhaps if I start learning some more I may feel confident enough to try it.
Do you have copies of the files needed for the factory reset - the links are still not working for me.
Thanks again and sorry for bothering you. Hope tomorrow is productive for you.
smerrett said:
Thanks also for the code but as this is my first foray into rooting I think I'll hang around and watch for a bit! Perhaps if I start learning some more I may feel confident enough to try it.
Do you have copies of the files needed for the factory reset - the links are still not working for me.
Thanks again and sorry for bothering you. Hope tomorrow is productive for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/13673492/n2T-Recovery_0.2.img
This is the file needed to force factory reset. However a quality backup like you have is far more important.
For anyone who wants to give this a go, here is a quick guide for root access and app installs using windows tools until I can make something more complete:
Make sure you use the CWM file suitable for your SD Card. I used "2gb_clockwork-rc2" because my card was 2gb+.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1360994
(Thanks mali100)
Use WinImage with admin rights to restore CWM virtual hdd image to your SD.
Download tinynoot-1-of-2 and tinynoot-2-of-2
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1650593
(Thanks to eded333 and roustabout)
Put on CWM boot SD.
Install them in CWM back to back (I didn't bother with the restart in the middle as it should not make a difference considering the file content). After a restart you should have root access and an android launcher on your 1.2.0 Nook (among other files). If nook fails to boot one of the tinynoot files may have corrupted. Recover, Re-download and Retry!
Using ADB to install apps is easy. Extract this to your C drive:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/13673492/ADB + Fastboot + Drivers.zip
Navigate to the folder in a cmd prompt.
Drop your APK into the same folder and on your nook open the "adbwireless" app and enable ADB
That app will tell you what your nooks IP address is.
Then you can:
Code:
adb connect ip.address.of.nook:portnumber
adb install app_of_your_choice.apk
Hopefully this more comprehensive guide will get others with this software to start playing around.
Click thanks if this guides helpful.
loney01843 said:
If nook fails to boot one of the tinynoot files may have corrupted. Recover, Re-download and Retry!
Navigate to the folder in a cmd prompt.
Drop your APK into the same folder and on your nook open the "adbwireless" app and enable ADB
That app will tell you what your nooks IP address is.
Then you can:
Code:
adb connect ip.address.of.nook:portnumber
adb install app_of_your_choice.apk
Hopefully this more comprehensive guide will get others with this software to start playing around.
Click thanks if this guides helpful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great - thanks to your more detailed instructions, I have persevered and the second attempt at installing the tinynoot zips worked. Your post gave me the confidence to try installing apks for the first time and for anyone else who is unfamiliar with the processes used, I found these two pages useful for:
navigating within a command prompt (how naive): pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=1723&page=3
Pasting text into a command prompt (ditto): megaleecher.net/Copy_Paste_Text_Dos_Window
Sorry, as a newb I'm not trusted to post outside links yet. It took a couple of attempts of pasting and pressing enter to work out how to install using the adb code but it's not as hard as I expected.
I have tried installing the 1 Mobile Market which works but it is unable to install apps itself (not enough space).
Also, I have just installed NoRefreshToggle and can't seem to get it to work. Any thoughts - is 1.2 to blame? Really want this to work as Business Calendar Free is just a series of blinks at the moment!
Great! I'm glad you pushed onward and have root.
I am going through possibilities of other ways to install apps and mods.
No refresh is something that I would like as well but I think that the framework may need editing for 1.2.0. For fast mode a new kernel will need to be made or existing one modified.
Be aware that installing kernels not designed for this firmware can give you some serious problems.
Once I can setup app markets, I will work on these other modifications.
Stay tuned :good:
Take a look at the overclock kernel - it's got a lot of the norefresh features baked in, and gives you a nice ability to control both clock and kernel tuning (via the governor control.)
You're right, you can flash the two zips back to back with no ill effect, I was mistaken about what the second zip was doing.
I mistyped when I typed "nook touch tools," I meant nook color tools.
I'm very interested that the amazon store is not working in 1.2. I will see if the software's available for my device, so I can try to see what's happened.
As of now, the us bn site does not mention an os 1.2 for the glowlight.
Parts of a ROM
i. The kernel.
Android (like many other Smartphone operating systems) runs on the Linux kernel. The Linux kernel was created in the early 1990’s by a gentleman named Linus Torvalds in Helsinki, Finland. It’s incredibly stable, incredibly friendly, and incredibly difficult for the layman to understand and modify. Thankfully it’s also very popular so it has been ported on to a multitude of hardware, including our Android devices.
Think of the kernel as an interface layer between the hardware and software on your device. The kernel decides when things happen, such as the LED indicator gets lit or when the soft button's LED gets lit. An application sends a request to the operating system to blink the LED. The operating system then sends the request to the kernel, which makes the light flash for the amount of time requested by the OS.
What sounds like a round-about way to get things done is also what makes the system so scalable and robust. Application developers only have to code in a way the operating system understands and the kernel makes it work on the hardware. This also keeps the application running in it’s own user-space and separate from the kernel. That means when you run the latest uber-cool app that wasn’t designed for your particular OS version, or is still very beta and it crashes, the kernel gives you the option to Force Close the application and the kernel can run untouched.
In a standard Android ROM (we will leave developer images and the like for another discussion) the kernel is bundled along with a set of instructions that tell the device how to load the kernel and the OS during boot. This is the boot.img that you see inside a zipped ROM that your not able to easily open. The device knows to extract this image to internal memory (the ramdisk) and follow a series of scripts (init scripts) to load the kernel and then the other portions of the OS. That’s what’s happening while you’re watching the boot animation. Interestingly enough this is done the same way for a PC, your smartphone, an Android tablet, or even a smart Linux powered toaster. If you’re feeling exceptionally geeky, plug your Android phone into the USB port on your PC and let the PC boot from the USB device. No, it doesn’t actually load, but you can watch the animation while it tries to match up the hardware support with what’s inside your PC. As I said, Linux is amazingly scalable and as a result so is Android.
What is a kernel? If you spend any time reading Android forums, blogs, how-to posts or online discussion you'll soon hear people talking about the kernel. A kernel isn't something unique to Android -- iOS and MacOS have one, Windows has one, BlackBerry's QNX has one, in fact all high level operating systems have one. The one we're interested in is Linux, as it's the one Android uses. Let's try to break down what it is and what it does.
Android devices use the Linux kernel, but it's not the exact same kernel other Linux-based operating systems use. There's a lot of Android specific code built in, and Google's Android kernel maintainers have their work cut out for them. OEMs have to contribute as well, because they need to develop hardware drivers for the parts they're using for the kernel version they're using. This is why it takes a while for independent Android developers and hackers to port new versions to older devices and get everything working. Drivers written to work with the Gingerbread kernel on a phone won't necessarily work with the Ice Cream Sandwich kernel. And that's important, because one of the kernel's main functions is to control the hardware. It's a whole lot of source code, with more options while building it than you can imagine, but in the end it's just the intermediary between the hardware and the software.
When software needs the hardware to do anything, it sends a request to the kernel. And when we say anything, we mean anything. From the brightness of the screen, to the volume level, to initiating a call through the radio, even what's drawn on the display is ultimately controlled by the kernel. For example -- when you tap the search button on your phone, you tell the software to open the search application. What happens is that you touched a certain point on the digitizer, which tells the software that you've touched the screen at those coordinates. The software knows that when that particular spot is touched, the search dialog is supposed to open. The kernel is what tells the digitizer to look (or listen, events are "listened" for) for touches, helps figure out where you touched, and tells the system you touched it. In turn, when the system receives a touch event at a specific point from the kernel (through the driver) it knows what to draw on your screen. Both the hardware and the software communicate both ways with the kernel, and that's how your phone knows when to do something. Input from one side is sent as output to the other, whether it's you playing Angry Birds, or connecting to your car's Bluetooth.
It sounds complicated, and it is. But it's also pretty standard computer logic -- there's an action of some sort generated for every event. Without the kernel to accept and send information, developers would have to write code for every single event for every single piece of hardware in your device. With the kernel, all they have to do is communicate with it through the Android system API's, and hardware developers only have to make the device hardware communicate with the kernel. The good thing is that you don't need to know exactly how or why the kernel does what it does, just understanding that it's the go-between from software to hardware gives you a pretty good grasp of what's happening under the glass. Sort of gives a whole new outlook towards those fellows who stay up all night to work on kernels for your phone, doesn't it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ii. The operating system.
Once the kernel is loaded, the init scripts tell the Operating System to load. Android is the user interface for a custom built Java virtual machine called Dalvik. Dalvik was written by Dan Bornstein, who named it after the fishing village of Dalvik in Iceland, where his family originated from. The debate of which Java VM is superior is best left for another discussion, so I’ll simply say that DalvikVM is a register-based machine versus true JavaVMs which are stack based.
The Dalvik machine creates executable files (.dex files) which can be interpreted by the OS and run by the end user. These .dex files are OS version dependant. That simply means that applications and core functions built to work with one version of Android may or may not work well with other versions. Google provides the tools through it’s Software Development Kit (SDK) for applications to communicate with the OS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iii. Core functions.
No smartphone would be complete without a set of functions that allow the device to be used as intended. Things like the phone and dialer interface, the calendar, the messaging system are core functions of the Operating System. In Android, these are run on top of the kernel as separate applications. The merits (or lack of) of providing these needed functions as separate applications is once again best left for another discussion, but this is what allows developers like HTC or Motorola to replace the standard functions with alternatives that provide a different look and feel from stock. HTC’s onscreen keyboard or Motorola’s MotoBlur contact list are great examples of this. The “little guy” isn’t left out of the mix either. Handcent SMS or Chomp SMS can integrate into the OS very well, as most of us already know.
An additional set of Core Functions are provided by Google. Popularly called GoogleBits, things like Gmail, sync, Gtalk and the Android Market are applications written by Google that give an extra set of useful functions to the OS. You’ll find these on all smartphones, as well as many other Android devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iv. Optional applications.
These are applications provided by the manufacturer to give the device even more usability. Things like the Amazon MP3 store, PDF readers, Corporate Calendar etc. allow you to do even more with your device. Remember - Droid Does
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
B. How is a ROM packaged?
In most cases a ROM will come packaged in a .zip file. The recovery image’s kernel (yes, it has one too!) has the ability to unzip and copy the contents into the correct place. Inside this zip file is a folder (META-INF\com\google\android\) that contains a script prepared by the ROM “cooker” (another of those techie terms - it means the person(s) who developed the ROM) that tells the system what to format, what to copy and where, and any file operations that need to be done. Each device does things a bit differently, but this script is where it all gets done. More on this folder later.
You’ll also see a /system folder. This is the meat of the ROM. It has the necessary OS files, the Core functions, and any optional applications the cooker decided to include. The folder is structured the same way it is on your device - /system/app, /system/framework, etc. The whole tree is usually copied over and the existing /system folder is overwritten. The cooker uses the script to tell the kernel to erase the existing system folder, copy the new folder over, and set the file permissions.
Sometimes you will also see a data folder. This usually is space set up for optional applications, including optional system tools like busybox or SuperUser white list. These applications could be placed in the /system folder, but placing them in the data folder makes it easier for the end user (you and I) to remove or update them as needed.
You’ll also notice a META-INF folder. This contains the update script we talked about earlier, as well as secure keys that need to be provided so the device knows the update can be trusted. A special note needs made here. Trusted means that the update is trusted to be in the correct form to load the device. It in no way means the ROM is safe from malicious code. Anyone is able to use a set of test keys and create a ROM that will flash and run your device - even those people with bad intentions. Flashing and running a custom 3rd party ROM is putting faith in the cooker that he or she not only knows what they are doing, but are honest as well. Also, some Motorola custom ROMs will have a small update.zip stored inside this folder to be run on first boot of the device.
Finally we are left with the boot.img file. This is the kernel and ramdisk image we discussed earlier. Your phone copies this over to be decompressed and run when the device boots.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2. How do I install a ROM?
In this section we’re discussing how to install a custom 3rd party ROM. ROMs from the manufacturer usually have a utility that runs on your PC to flash and load the new image.
A. Got Root???
What is Root?
Android rooting is the process of allowing users of smartphones, tablets, and other devices running the Android mobile operating system to attain privileged control (known as "root access") within Android's subsystem.
Rooting is often performed with the goal of overcoming limitations that carriers and hardware manufacturers put on some devices, resulting in the ability to alter or replace system applications and settings, run specialized apps that require administrator-level permissions, or perform other operations that are otherwise inaccessible to a normal Android user. On Android, rooting can also facilitate the complete removal and replacement of the device's operating system, usually with a more recent release of its current operating system.
As Android derives from the Linux kernel, rooting an Android device is similar to accessing administrative permissions on Linux or any other Unix-like operating system such as FreeBSD or OS X.
The process of rooting varies widely by device, but usually includes exploiting a security bug(s) in the firmware (i.e. in Android) of the device, and then copying the su binary to a location in the current process's PATH (e.g. /system/xbin/su) and granting it executable permissions with the chmod command. A supervisor application like SuperUser or SuperSU can regulate and log elevated permission requests from other applications. Many guides, tutorials, and automatic processes exist for popular Android devices facilitating a fast and easy rooting process.
For example, shortly after the HTC Dream was released, it was quickly discovered that anything typed using the keyboard was being interpreted as a command in a privileged (root) shell. Although Google quickly released a patch to fix this, a signed image of the old firmware leaked, which gave users the ability to downgrade and use the original exploit to gain root access. Once an exploit is discovered, a custom recovery image that skips the digital signature check of a firmware update package can be flashed. In turn, using the custom recovery, a modified firmware update can be installed that typically includes the utilities (for example the Superuser app) needed to run apps as root.
The Google-branded Android phones, the Nexus One, Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 4, as well as their tablet counterparts, the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10, can be boot-loader unlocked by simply connecting the device to a computer while in boot-loader mode and running the Fastboot program with the command "fastboot oem unlock".[9] After accepting a warning, the boot-loader is unlocked, so a new system image can be written directly to flash without the need for an exploit.
Recently, Motorola, LG Electronics and HTC added security features to their devices at the hardware level in an attempt to prevent users from rooting retail Android devices.[citation needed] For instance, the Motorola Droid X has a security boot-loader that puts the phone in "recovery mode" if a user loads unsigned firmware onto the device, and the Samsung Galaxy S II displays a yellow triangle indicator if the device firmware has been modified.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes ?:good:!!!
Custom ROM’s simply will not load on devices that aren’t rooted. In theory, it may be possible to sign a 3rd party ROM with the keys that the stock recovery image will flash, but for the most part you need to have flashed a custom recovery image before you can change your device’s ROM. Instructions and tutorials on how to root your device are all over the internet. Some are good, some are bad. The hacking forum is a great place to go and learn more about rooting and how to successfully get it done on your device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
B. Recovery
Most Android devices have had a custom recovery image written for them. This will overwrite the stock recovery image, allowing you to flash 3rd party ROMs as well as giving extra functionality. Help with finding and flashing the custom recovery image for your device can also be found in the hacking forum. The installation of a custom recovery image also allows for a very important function. Backup and restore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
.C. Nandroid
Nandroid is a set of bash scripts and code written by that copies the state of your system and stores it in a folder on your SD card. You can then use the restore function of Nandroid to restore to this point at any time. This is a priceless feature and reason enough to root your phone. It’s included by default in most custom recovery images, and the code is freely available to use if you’re inclined to write your own recovery image.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In most situations, using Nandroid to back everything up is easy:
1. Verify you have a memory card with enough free space (~300MB to backup, ~500MB to restore).
2. Reboot your device into recovery. It’s slightly different for each device, once again hacking forum FTW!
3. Navigate through the menu and select the Nandroid Backup function.
4. Apply your choice and wait for the device to tell you it’s finished.
It’s always good practice to copy the entire nandroid folder from your SD card to a safe place. You can then copy it back to the SD card if the card is ever damaged, lost or erased.
D. Copy and Flash
You’re rooted, have downloaded a custom ROM, have your system backed up and are now ready to flash your device. This is not nearly as scary as it sounds.
1. Mount your SD card to your PC, and copy the .zip file to the root folder of the card. Don’t unzip the file, and don’t look for a folder called root. The root folder in this case means the base folder, what you will see when you mount your card to a PC or the device.
2. Reboot your phone into recovery.
3. Navigate through the recovery menu and select the flash update option. Depending on your recovery image, the file may need to be named update.zip, or you may be able to select any zip file on your card as long as it’s the correct format. The cooker knows this as well and if the ROM needs to be named update.zip it will be.
4. Apply your choice and wait for your device to tell you it’s finished.
5. Reboot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It’s worth noting that many times a new ROM will require that you wipe and factory reset your devices data. While inconvenient, it’s often necessary to get rid of the old data as it may be incompatible. As long as you’re using the cloud for calendar and contacts, they will be re- downloaded and stored back on your device automatically.
Dirty flash and Clean flash
A dirty flash is only wiping cache and davlik then flashing your ROM....
a Clean flash is at LEAST factory reset/data wipe + wiping davlik(factory wipe takes care of /cache also)... Maybe doing a format /system also.
ERRORS encountered in CWM Recovery
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What is CWM Recovery ?
ClockworkMod Recovery is a custom recovery for many Android devices. It is considered to be the most popular recovery for Android due to its easily-ported nature, and integration with ClockworkMod ROM Manager by Koush(Koushik Dutta). The easiest way to recognize it is by the printed name when it first starts, and the background logo of a gear and hat.
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ERROR STATUS 6
This is usually caused by CR/LF EOL(Windows style End Of Line) in updater-script. Change it to LF EOL(Unix Style EOL) using Linux command: dos2unix updater-script, then re-signing the ZIP, will usually fix this error.
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ERROR STATUS 7
This is usually caused by a corrupt download, or bad file signature. Re-downloading (or re-signing) the ZIP will usually fix this.
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We have been consistently seen and heard people facing error “Status 7″ error while trying to flash or install
custom ROMs or firmware packages on their Android smart phones or tablets with ClockworkMod Recovery. Many
of the users are nowadays facing this problem with CWM Recovery while flashing .zip files of modded or custom
Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) or Jelly Bean (JB) ROMs on their devices. So, you have also downloaded a custom ROM,
placed its .zip file in your phone’s or tablet’s SD card, booted into ClockworkMod Recovery, selected – “install zip
from sdcard” and then chosen the .zip file of the ROM to get it installed on your device. But instead of getting
flashed successfully, if you are facing the issue mentioned below, then just keep reading this article to find out
what’s wrong and fix up the problem :
Finding update package…
Opening update package…
Installing update…
Error in /sdcard/custom-jelly-bean-rom.zip (Status 7)
Installation aborted
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or the following error right after CWM recovery shows –
Installing update…
assert failed: getprop(“ro.product.device”) == “I9103″ || getprop(“ro.build.product”) == “I9103″ || getprop
(“ro.product.board”) == “I9103″
Error in /sdcard/android-4-1-1-ics-rom-latest.zip (status 7)
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So, if you are facing any of these errors while trying to install the desired custom ROM package on your Android
phone or tab, then you may try a various things or steps which may turn out to be the workaround of this
problem. Here are a few tips to get this “Status 7” error fixed in ClockworkMod Recovery and flash the ROM
successfully on your device :
(1) First of all, make sure your device’s bootloader is unlocked. If it is already unlocked but you are still
not able to flash the ROM, then just extract the .zip file of the ROM into a new folder, find the boot.img file from
that directory and flash it up on your phone or tablet via fastboot on your PC.
(2) Make sure that you are having the appropriate Radio or Baseband version installed on your device which is
supported by the custom ROM you are trying to flash. Most of the ROMs requires the latest version of Baseband, so
just update or upgrade your device to the latest Baseband version and then try to install the ROM once again.
(3) Update your device to the supported / latest build of official firmware before trying to install the ROM. You can
do it from – Settings > About Phone / Device > Software Update.
(4) Make sure you are having the supported or required kernel installed on your phone or tab. If it’s not, then flash
a new kernel right away and try to install your custom ROM once again.
(5) Is the ROM which you are trying to flash really works ? Find out whether it is working for other users or not.
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Error Status 0
Well sometimes while flashing some ROMs especially the cooked ones we get Error status 0 in the CWM Recovery
this error is an indicator of Wrong Update Binary.This is usually caused by an incompatible update-binary in edify ZIPs. Replacing it with a compatible one, then re-signing the ZIP, will usually fix this error.
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Now it's time for the partitions :good:
Let’s start with a list of standard internal memory partitions on Android phones and tablets. These are:
/boot
/system
/recovery
/data
/cache
/misc
In addition, there are the SD card partitions.
/sdcard
/sd-ext
Note that only /sdcard is found in all Android devices and the rest are present only in select devices. Let’s now take a look at the purpose and contents of each of these partitions.
/boot
This is the partition that enables the phone to boot, as the name suggests. It includes the kernel and the ramdisk. Without this partition, the device will simply not be able to boot. Wiping this partition from recovery should only be done if absolutely required and once done, the device must NOT be rebooted before installing a new one, which can be done by installing a ROM that includes a /boot partition.
/system
This partition basically contains the entire operating system, other than the kernel and the ramdisk. This includes the Android user interface as well as all the system applications that come pre-installed on the device. Wiping this partition will remove Android from the device without rendering it unbootable, and you will still be able to put the phone into recovery or bootloader mode to install a new ROM.
/recovery
The recovery partition can be considered as an alternative boot partition that lets you boot the device into a recovery console for performing advanced recovery and maintenance operations on it. To learn more about this partition and its contents, see the ‘About Android Recovery’ section of our guide to ClockworkMod recovery.
/data
Also called userdata, the data partition contains the user’s data – this is where your contacts, messages, settings and apps that you have installed go. Wiping this partition essentially performs a factory reset on your device, restoring it to the way it was when you first booted it, or the way it was after the last official or custom ROM installation. When you perform a wipe data/factory reset from recovery, it is this partition that you are wiping.
/cache
This is the partition where Android stores frequently accessed data and app components. Wiping the cache doesn’t effect your personal data but simply gets rid of the existing data there, which gets automatically rebuilt as you continue using the device.
/misc
This partition contains miscellaneous system settings in form of on/off switches. These settings may include CID (Carrier or Region ID), USB configuration and certain hardware settings etc. This is an important partition and if it is corrupt or missing, several of the device’s features will will not function normally.
/sdcard
This is not a partition on the internal memory of the device but rather the SD card. In terms of usage, this is your storage space to use as you see fit, to store your media, documents, ROMs etc. on it. Wiping it is perfectly safe as long as you backup all the data you require from it, to your computer first. Though several user-installed apps save their data and settings on the SD card and wiping this partition will make you lose all that data.
On devices with both an internal and an external SD card – devices like the Samsung Galaxy S and several tablets – the /sdcard partition is always used to refer to the internal SD card. For the external SD card – if present – an alternative partition is used, which differs from device to device. In case of Samsung Galaxy S series devices, it is /sdcard/sd while in many other devices, it is /sdcard2. Unlike /sdcard, no system or app data whatsoever is stored automatically on this external SD card and everything present on it has been added there by the user. You can safely wipe it after backing up any data from it that you need to save.
/sd-ext
This is not a standard Android partition, but has become popular in the custom ROM scene. It is basically an additional partition on your SD card that acts as the /data partition when used with certain ROMs that have special features called APP2SD+ or data2ext enabled. It is especially useful on devices with little internal memory allotted to the /data partition. Thus, users who want to install more programs than the internal memory allows can make this partition and use it with a custom ROM that supports this feature, to get additional storage for installing their apps. Wiping this partition is essentially the same as wiping the /data partition – you lose your contacts, SMS, market apps and settings.
With this, we conclude our tour of Android partitions. Now whenever you install a ROM or mod that requires you to wipe certain partitions before the installation, you should be in a better position to know what you’re losing and what not and thus, you’ll know what to backup and what not.
ADB-Android Debugging Bridge
Android Debug Bridge (adb) is a versatile command line tool that lets you communicate with an emulator instance or connected Android-powered device. It is a client-server program that includes three components:
A client, which runs on your development machine. You can invoke a client from a shell by issuing an adb command. Other Android tools such as the ADT plugin and DDMS also create adb clients.
A server, which runs as a background process on your development machine. The server manages communication between the client and the adb daemon running on an emulator or device.
A daemon, which runs as a background process on each emulator or device instance.
You can find the adb tool in <sdk>/platform-tools/.
When you start an adb client, the client first checks whether there is an adb server process already running. If there isn't, it starts the server process. When the server starts, it binds to local TCP port 5037 and listens for commands sent from adb clients—all adb clients use port 5037 to communicate with the adb server.
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The server then sets up connections to all running emulator/device instances. It locates emulator/device instances by scanning odd-numbered ports in the range 5555 to 5585, the range used by emulators/devices. Where the server finds an adb daemon, it sets up a connection to that port. Note that each emulator/device instance acquires a pair of sequential ports — an even-numbered port for console connections and an odd-numbered port for adb connections. For example:
Emulator 1, console: 5554
Emulator 1, adb: 5555
Emulator 2, console: 5556
Emulator 2, adb: 5557
and so on...
As shown, the emulator instance connected to adb on port 5555 is the same as the instance whose console listens on port 5554.
Once the server has set up connections to all emulator instances, you can use adb commands to access those instances. Because the server manages connections to emulator/device instances and handles commands from multiple adb clients, you can control any emulator/device instance from any client (or from a script).
Note: When you connect a device running Android 4.2.2 or higher to your computer, the system shows a dialog asking whether to accept an RSA key that allows debugging through this computer. This security mechanism protects user devices because it ensures that USB debugging and other adb commands cannot be executed unless you're able to unlock the device and acknowledge the dialog. This requires that you have adb version 1.0.31 (available with SDK Platform-tools r16.0.1 and higher) in order to debug on a device running Android 4.2.2 or higher.
Syntax
You can issue adb commands from a command line on your development machine or from a script. The usage is:
adb [-d|-e|-s <serialNumber>] <command>
If there's only one emulator running or only one device connected, the adb command is sent to that device by default. If multiple emulators are running and/or multiple devices are attached, you need to use the -d, -e, or -s option to specify the target device to which the command should be directed.
LOGCAT
The Android logging system provides a mechanism for collecting and viewing system debug output. Logs from various applications and portions of the system are collected in a series of circular buffers, which then can be viewed and filtered by the logcat command. You can use logcat from an ADB shell to view the log messages.
-b <buffer> Loads an alternate log buffer for viewing, such as event or radio. The main buffer is used by default. See Viewing Alternative Log Buffers.
-c Clears (flushes) the entire log and exits.
-d Dumps the log to the screen and exits.
-f <filename> Writes log message output to <filename>. The default is stdout.
-g Prints the size of the specified log buffer and exits.
-n <count> Sets the maximum number of rotated logs to <count>. The default value is 4. Requires the -r option.
-r <kbytes> Rotates the log file every <kbytes> of output. The default value is 16. Requires the -f option.
-s Sets the default filter spec to silent.
-v <format> Sets the output format for log messages. The default is brief format. For a list of supported formats, see Controlling Log Output Format.
awesome thread to learn everything in a quick while
Again.? :good:
But highlight the Status error with big & bold font.
Disturbed™ said:
Again.? :good:
But highlight the Status error with big & bold font.
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I think he's trying to take over XDA
But just to keep this on topic, great thread for those who are learning and aren't sure what certain things are for.
I guess I'll have to make another thread in this forum just so other RCs don't take all the ideas
SGS2 FAQ | HTC One FAQ
KidCarter93 said:
I think he's trying to take over XDA
But just to keep this on topic, great thread for those who are learning and aren't sure what certain things are for.
I guess I'll have to make another thread in this forum just so other RCs don't take all the ideas
SGS2 FAQ | HTC One FAQ
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Lolzzz.. Yes buddy. He is something else.
Collecting Informations & useful stuff for all users. May be in near future, he will take over XDA.
It's all your love guys. Sometimes even my guides correct my mistakes!
Started from the bottom
Guys if you like this thread please press the tip us button so that more and more people who are willing to learn about android phone and how they work can get help.
I will be grateful to you all.
Started from the bottom
Very nice write up TechnoCrat :good::good::good:
TEAM MiK
MikROMs Since 3/13/11
Long way to go mate!
Congo! This thread got featured on XDA Portal
http://www.xda-developers.com/android/android-101-how-it-all-fits-together/
Thank you very much. I needed this definition thread. I kinda understand but it'd nice to hear official language that's understandable.
Sent from that FBI van parked down the street.
Thanks for the CWM errors write up and another bookmark.
Tha TechnoCrat said:
i. The kernel.
If you’re feeling exceptionally geeky, plug your Android phone into the USB port on your PC and let the PC boot from the USB device. No, it doesn’t actually load, but you can watch the animation while it tries to match up the hardware support with what’s inside your PC
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What. The. Hell. Are you talking about?
If you mean booting the device's kernel on the PC, unless the device uses an x86 processor, it flat out will not boot, let alone mount the device's system, to display the bootanimation.zip
/snarkieness
Sorry, I had to let that out.
Also, init is called/started after the kernel has started, and generally after it has setup most of the hardware.
so I’ll simply say that DalvikVM is a register-based machine versus true JavaVMs which are stack based.
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I don't even truly understand that, so could add a little more detail, or remove it?
I'm speaking mostly from my implied knowledge, gained from tinkering with android/linux for a few years.
ADB and Logcat added
Hey, Thanks for the article. Can you talk about root? There is some mis-leading information and I really want to learn about it. Thanks again.
ak700 said:
Hey, Thanks for the article. Can you talk about root? There is some mis-leading information and I really want to learn about it. Thanks again.
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Okay buddy
Editone! !!
"Thanks button is just to avoid "THANKS" posts in threads. Nothing more than that. Don't ask in signature or post for it and defeat the purpose why it was introduced"
Bump to update newbies
"Thanks button is just to avoid "THANKS" posts in threads. Nothing more than that. Don't ask in signature or post for it and defeat the purpose why it was introduced"