Database Users

[Q] Custom rom installation variants.

Hello!
I have been searching the forums here about custom roms, and so far, I saw two methods of how to install them.
Method1. update.zip
Method2. Backup/Restore or just advanced restore.
(both in xRecovery)
What's the difference?
If the developer of the rom stated do Method1, can we still do Method2?
Will it affect anything?
Thanks.

You cannot do the other method, it´s not possible, because they are completely different .
Method 2"restore" is like you make a backup trougth xrecovery and restore it. You can do a complete restore (recommended) or only system (your data will be not deleted, but in most cases you will have some problems)
Method 1 update.zip is a kind of script.

Fetz Braun said:
You cannot do the other method, it´s not possible, because they are completely different .
Method 2"restore" is like you make a backup trougth xrecovery and restore it. You can do a complete restore (recommended) or only system (your data will be not deleted, but in most cases you will have some problems)
Method 1 update.zip is a kind of script.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that!
So you mean, Method1 is like, if you want to upgrade your rom?
Will doing Method1 erase all data?

It depends on a script. There is a file called update-script in every update and custom zip, you can view it in notepad++. If it contains FORMAT command it will wipe any partition that is named after the command. Most ROMs update zips only wipe system, which is a necessity, since you need to put new system in. Some ROMs, like doixanh's one, also wipe cache to get rid of old ROM's stuff. If there is a format data instruction, all your data and apps are gone.

[Q] Read only storage

hi
i installed ubuntu touch using dual boot. it has a bug that moves the sdcard content to a nested 0 folder. for example :
before ubuntu touch data was located at : /data/media/0 or /sdcard/
after installing it goes to : /data/media/0/0 or /sdcard/0/
i've installed it twice though so my files are at /data/media/0/0/0/ or /sdcard/0/0/ :|
android still considers /data/media/0 as its sdcard root though. every thing located at /data/media/0 has become read only and i'm getting the 'No external storage' when i launch the gallery app . i've already tried clearing the cache but it didn't work.
any ideas ?

backup your files and format data(stock recovery,or using android itself or using fastboot format userdata)

i know how to do that but i was hoping for a less 'factory reset' method :} but it doesn't look like i have much of a choice

MTN_HD2 said:
i know how to do that but i was hoping for a less 'factory reset' method :} but it doesn't look like i have much of a choice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe the permissions are wrong(or the owner)?

i did #chmod 775 and #chown media_rw:media_rw on all the folders in /data/media/0 and the 0 folder itself. it got better (i can rename,delete) but still can't access gallery and camera even after reboot.
ah screw it . i'm just gonna do the factory reset ... i figure its gonna take less time than messing with everything trying to fix it

[Q] Understanding Directories, and Backing Up

I want to make a backup of my Android I9505 by copying all the files to my laptop.
I don't understand the directories
Using ES3 I see
/ Device (Which I guess is root.)
0
extSdCard
I assume that exdSdCard is (as it almost says) the external SD Card.
So what are "/" and
"0"
I guess I should back up all directories. What do you think?

webmanoffesto said:
I want to make a backup of my Android I9505 by copying all the files to my laptop.
I don't understand the directories
Using ES3 I see
/ Device (Which I guess is root.)
0
extSdCard
I assume that exdSdCard is (as it almost says) the external SD Card.
So what are "/" and
"0"
I guess I should back up all directories. What do you think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
0 is your internalSD ( /storage/ emulated/0/ )
/ is root directory
If you just copy folder like that , yes you will make a copy of the folders and the data inside of them but it will not work to restore your system , for that you will need something like a Nandroid copy or use Titanium Backup to be re install after you restore your rom

webmanoffesto said:
I want to make a backup of my Android I9505 by copying all the files to my laptop.
I don't understand the directories
Using ES3 I see
/ Device (Which I guess is root.)
0
extSdCard
I assume that exdSdCard is (as it almost says) the external SD Card.
So what are "/" and
"0"
I guess I should back up all directories. What do you think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are WAY overthinking this.
Install custom recovery. Use it to make a Nandroid backup.
That's a single zip file that you can later use to restore everything in exactly the same state as it was the day you made the backup. (Takes all of 5 minutes.)
Then if you want to store that backup zip file on your PC you can easily copy it to the computer and store it there for as long as you need.
Your way of doing this will take a lot longer to copy the files and won't ultimately work to restore the system.

Skipjacks said:
You are WAY overthinking this.
Install custom recovery. Use it to make a Nandroid backup.
That's a single zip file that you can later use to restore everything in exactly the same state as it was the day you made the backup. (Takes all of 5 minutes.)
Then if you want to store that backup zip file on your PC you can easily copy it to the computer and store it there for as long as you need.
Your way of doing this will take a lot longer to copy the files and won't ultimately work to restore the system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using ROM Manager, I boot to Recovery mode. I only see
- Reboot system now
- apply update from ADB
- Apply update from external storage
- wife data/factory reset
- wipe cache partition
- apply update from cache
No Backup option.

webmanoffesto said:
Using ROM Manager, I boot to Recovery mode. I only see
- Reboot system now
- apply update from ADB
- Apply update from external storage
- wife data/factory reset
- wipe cache partition
- apply update from cache
No Backup option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi ,
Then i guess you are 100% stock , no root , no Custom recovery?
if so then you need an app that does not need root to back up your app , Titanium is good but you need at least to be root.

MAX 404 said:
Hi ,
Then i guess you are 100% stock , no root , no Custom recovery?
if so then you need an app that does not need root to back up your app , Titanium is good but you need at least to be root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have Root and I use Titanium Backup.

webmanoffesto said:
I have Root and I use Titanium Backup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you are root but you do not wish to install a Custom recovery or custom rom , right?
If so use titanium to make a back up of your apps , contacts , settings , email , sms ..etc etc
If you want to make a nandroid you need to install a Custom Recovery

Just install a custom recovery.
It won't affect the operation of the ROM at all if you're completely happy with the stock rom.
Root and Recovery are mutually exclusive things. One has nothing to do with the other. Each exists independently of the other.

Skipjacks said:
Just install a custom recovery.
It won't affect the operation of the ROM at all if you're completely happy with the stock rom.
Root and Recovery are mutually exclusive things. One has nothing to do with the other. Each exists independently of the other.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1

[Q] Need advice / education on my Nexus 10

I'm sure this has been covered, but I can't seem to find it.
Using TWRP & Root Explorer (successfully rooted), I find the following under "storage": Emulated, sdcard0, and usbdisk.
USB disk is empty, however, sdcard0 has the same data as in my "sdcard" folder, and to make it more confusing, under "emulated", I have both "0" and "legacy", again, with the same copy of data.
All of this seems to be a copy of what is already on "sdcard"
This is insane, as I'm loosing all my storage space to this, and I honestly do not know how to go about correcting it.
I've backed up everything to my PC, with a new Titanium Backup & backup prior to this.
Downloaded the following:
* openrecovery-twrp-2.8.1.0-manta.img
* twrp-unofficial-2.8.0.9-f2fs.img
* Latest KTManta & Khaon Kernal
* Rastakat_rascarlo_manta_ota_2014-08-21
* Latest from Paranoid Android, 4.6Beta6 (2014-11-03)
I'm assuming that a new factory wipe "should clear that out", with flashing twrp prior to (assuming f2fs again, please correct if wrong), with then OS of choice, and latest 4.4 supported GApps)
What to do from there? I install TB as one of my first apps with new install, will this happen again?
Pre "Thanks" for the help / assistance. It really is appreciated.

you do not have multiple copies of your files. What you have are multiple links to the same files for compatibility with all APKs. think of it as spokes on a wheel with each spoke pointing to the same hub. this is how Linux file system works, same in Unix and same in Apple. Google for linux file system soft links.

OK, that makes more sense. Then I need to figure out where all of my storage went.
However, a factory wipe would resolve this prior to installation of OS correct?

Yes, factory reset should find all of your available memory and clear it.

Soft-Bricked phone (SM-9005, OS: 4.4.2), problem with /system

So Hello everyone, i got interesting problem...
I bricked my phone
Phone: SM-9005
OS: Android 4.4.2
Firmware: N9005XXUGNG1
Recovery: TWRP 3.0 installed.
Root software installed which may be interesting "Xposed Additions, Lucky Patcher, SuperSu, Greenify"
Step by step.
// maybe helpful - cache / dalvik cache wiped and after reboot i started playing stuff
I used Root Browser (com.jrummy.root.browserfree) to copy 2 directories from my /downloads to /system.
There were /lib & /bin which contained unique libs and one executable so this would not affect system if everything went ok, but i didn't
After i started coping, root explorer asked me that "File already exist, overwrite or make a copy"? i pressed overwrite, in same second all apps in android started to generate "unexpected error", i tried to reboot and got boot into recovery
after i watched /system i found that what i tried to copy actually copied not to /system/lib & /system/app but to /system/system/lib & /system/system/app.
So i think there was some folder or file called system in /system directory which was overwritten. Or any kind of problem with dir / file permissions.
Any ideas of how to fix this / what was in /system/system / where to get bootlog to find after what "kernel panic" takes place or any other help?
Thanks.
// maybe somebody with same model version, same os version can upload zip file of own /system folder without /apps, /priv-apps and build.prop so i can compare whats lost compared to my data?

Fixed myself, root browser set wrong permissions to /system while was coping files... set back to 755 and it works