Database Users

What are my options I am MDL and Rooted

AT&T S4 with 4.2.2 MDL. I rooted it way back when. I have CWM recovery installed. No AT&T Updates have happened because they always fail At the same time what are my options for getting 4.3 or for that matter when 4.4 comes out?
I have bloatware still. Use root for backups and a few other root required apps. I've run custom roms before when I was on my HTC Evo 3D. If I install a custom rom will I loose my current root / status?

If you want a stock rom minus bloat...
Here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2280556
For a stock international rom
Here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2313469
Or... Google Edition rom, no sammy features
Here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2349077
I would use these as starting points because they're modded slightly and if you want more, explore other roms.
Make sure you update your recovery to avoid any errors in flashing. You can also flash to the latest radio and revert if it doesn't work for you.
You won't lose root. You already have recovery, so you can always get it back.

There are 4.3 custom roms out there, there are people who want an S4 that came with MDL. I'd flash a custom 4.3 rom. We can even ugrade (flash) our modems to MF3, MJ5, MJ6 and flash back to MDL without ruining the phone like those who took the upgrades prior to root and got screwed by Samsung.
Do some research like above and for gods sake dont unroot your phone and take any OTA updates or you will regret it.
Just my advice.

[Q] knox normal behaviour?

I was in stock I9500UBUBMG1, then I used auto-root and after that I flashed cwm recovery via odin. Everything worked fine in despite of Custom Binary and custom system status in dowload mode. So tried miui rom, but after 2 months I decided to come back to stock I9500UBUBMG1.
curiously, all status are Official again.
Is that normal? since I just use stock 4.2.2 (old bootloader) or custom roms I can always return to official?
If I update via OTA will still official and show knox 0x0? (not that I would update).
If I install a 4.3 or 4.4 based rom I can return to MG1 with offical? or just if isn't TW based?
Thanks

I too have a question relevant to Knox behaviour: I am on Stock 4.2.2 MG1 firmware. I would like to Root and use Custom firmware. Any possible way not to trip Knox Counter? Anyway to save or backup my current modem / firmware, so that I can flash back to it if Knox is tripped?

mazbot said:
I was in stock I9500UBUBMG1, then I used auto-root and after that I flashed cwm recovery via odin. Everything worked fine in despite of Custom Binary and custom system status in dowload mode. So tried miui rom, but after 2 months I decided to come back to stock I9500UBUBMG1.
curiously, all status are Official again.
Is that normal? since I just use stock 4.2.2 (old bootloader) or custom roms I can always return to official?
If I update via OTA will still official and show knox 0x0? (not that I would update).
If I install a 4.3 or 4.4 based rom I can return to MG1 with offical? or just if isn't TW based?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you update your phone to a rom with knox bootloader, then you can't root and install custom recovery without tripping knox flag.. otherwise, on 4.2.2 you can root and return to stock rom(only 4.2.2) to get fully official status.. consider flashing latest roms modified to support old bootloaders.. so you can keep away all knox things... press thanks if it helps..

jk2rd said:
I too have a question relevant to Knox behaviour: I am on Stock 4.2.2 MG1 firmware. I would like to Root and use Custom firmware. Any possible way not to trip Knox Counter? Anyway to save or backup my current modem / firmware, so that I can flash back to it if Knox is tripped?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As we are in the old bootloader, we don't need to complain about knox, since we can flash stock MG1 back. You just need to pay attention because some custom firmware are imcompatible with old bootlader (or modem, idk) and if i'm not wrong, some custom roms can update your bootloader. There are some methods that will not turn your status to custom, but I think that auto-root and flash custom recovery is the best way to install a custom rom.

Thanks so much for that info!
I've Rooted using Ryebread76's method:
If you plan to flash custom firmware, as in a ROM, your going to trip KNOX. If you just want root, I used saferoot. It's for the VZW version, but it works just fine for the i337M.
Any suggestions on Custom Recovery / Firmware that will not change 4.2.2 MG1 bootloader?

jk2rd said:
Thanks so much for that info!
I've Rooted using Ryebread76's method:
If you plan to flash custom firmware, as in a ROM, your going to trip KNOX. If you just want root, I used saferoot. It's for the VZW version, but it works just fine for the i337M.
Any suggestions on Custom Recovery / Firmware that will not change 4.2.2 MG1 bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will not trip knox, since it is not activated in MG1.
Enviado de meu GT-I9500 usando Tapatalk

[Q] [I9505] Custom rom on KN0X tripped phone?

Hey all, I'd like to install this rom, but my phone (S4 international GT-i9505) is KN0X tripped on 4.3. I currently run 4.3 stock. Is it safe to install this rom, and is it possible to downgrade back to 4.3 stock after?

screen said:
Hey all, I'd like to install this rom, but my phone (S4 international GT-i9505) is KN0X tripped on 4.3. I currently run 4.3 stock. Is it safe to install this rom, and is it possible to downgrade back to 4.3 stock after?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup you can flash any custom rom via custom recovery and Yes you can still downgrade your phone into 4.3 stock rom but remember not to flash a Stock 4.4.2 Kitkat firmware because flashing 4.4.2 firmware can no longer downgrade to 4.3 stock rom. Flashing any custom rom/root will trigger your knox and If you wanna know more about knox , check this thread Have a nice day.

i337m 4.2.2 upgrade to 4.4.2 avoid Knox

Reading the forums, and i am more confused than when i started.
Anyhows i have a Rogers i337m at 4.2.2 rooted. Want to upgrade to 4.4.2 and avoid the Knox Trip. From what i understand 4.2.2 doesn't have knox. It came from 4.3 and above.
So whats the best approach to go about the upgrade that would allow me to come back to 4.2.2 so i can put it back to stock if required.

warhawk_la said:
Reading the forums, and i am more confused than when i started.
Anyhows i have a Rogers i337m at 4.2.2 rooted. Want to upgrade to 4.4.2 and avoid the Knox Trip. From what i understand 4.2.2 doesn't have knox. It came from 4.3 and above.
So whats the best approach to go about the upgrade that would allow me to come back to 4.2.2 so i can put it back to stock if required.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Install a custom recovery and install a 4.4.2 KK ROM - don't do the official update. The official update will update your bootloader allowing you to only SafeStrap and install TouchWiz ROMs.

djpharoah said:
Install a custom recovery and install a 4.4.2 KK ROM - don't do the official update. The official update will update your bootloader allowing you to only SafeStrap and install TouchWiz ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go with Mapple leaf from iB4STid. works good on I337M.

Can I install CWM on the GS4?

Hello, I've been out of the rooting scene for over a year now since I bought my Galaxy S4. When I first bought it, i had it rooted but could not install a custom rom because it was on MF3. So, once again I am trying to get back into rooting with the latest OTA update and a NC1 baseband. I've been looking around on how to root and install a custom rom but I've been gone so long that I'm just lost.
From threads I have read I can downgrade my phone to NB1 then to MK2 to root. However, I haven't really been able to find an answer to if I can install a custom rom to it, only upgrading back to the OTA and keeping root. I have been having massive overheating problems with the stock firmware and have a large burn mark on the back of my phone and would like to switch back to CWM which i had on an old phone.

Laemon said:
Hello, I've been out of the rooting scene for over a year now since I bought my Galaxy S4. When I first bought it, i had it rooted but could not install a custom rom because it was on MF3. So, once again I am trying to get back into rooting with the latest OTA update and a NC1 baseband. I've been looking around on how to root and install a custom rom but I've been gone so long that I'm just lost.
From threads I have read I can downgrade my phone to NB1 then to MK2 to root. However, I haven't really been able to find an answer to if I can install a custom rom to it, only upgrading back to the OTA and keeping root. I have been having massive overheating problems with the stock firmware and have a large burn mark on the back of my phone and would like to switch back to CWM which i had on an old phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No CWM. You can only use Safestrap, a variant of TWRP for locked bootloaders that doesn't flash kernels. Due to that restriction (if we tried to flash a custom kernel we'd get bootloader check fails) we can only run ROMs which the stock kernel supports, meaning other Touchwiz ROMs and the one GPE that's been posted in the General section. Part of the downgrade and root process is using Safestrap to update to 4.4.2 with a modified OTA, and so you just replace that step with flashing a ROM, the kernel modules, and then the ODIN files.