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Hey Guys at first sorry for my english i'm not good in it. And I'm a Android newbie I just gained a bit exerience with my Touch Diamond but it's broken now..okay but that's not the probleme....
If got a question:
After about 2 days of searching for an android 2.0 or 2.1 ROM I was a little bit confused of the diffrent news everybody was talking about. I'm root on my Hero. That was the first an last thing I made with my device.
1. Everybody is gonna talk about MoDaCo 3.0 but when I was trying to download his ROM my browser never got a request. Is the site down, where that ROM is hosted ?? Could someone give me a working link with this ROM ??
2. Is there a ROM with Android 2.0 or 2.1 outside or even not ??? And if yes are they working well ???
Would be nice if someone can help me =) thanks a lot.
Please answer soon if you know something about that =)
Greetz BassdoxXx
you can get modaco's roms at his website, www.modaco.com.
in the android development section there are some 2.0/1 roms, none of them works flawless, see for yourself if it fits your needs.
Thanks a lot for your fast answer. =)
The problem that i couldn't open the modaco page was my isp -.- i downloaded it at school
BassdoxXx said:
Thanks a lot for your fast answer. =)
The problem that i couldn't open the modaco page was my isp -.- i downloaded it at school
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What? Does ISP's block that site? Lol, would never happened in Norway
there is a few 2.0+ roms out there for the hero.
most seem to be very usable now.
best sense ui would be lox/behnaam community release on 1.6.
http://htcpedia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1448
there are two aosp roms worth looking at.
lox aosp ( im using that on a daily basis)
http://htcpedia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1416
jnwhiteh aosp
http://htcpedia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1528
Hello all,
I am having very specific request when it comes to choosing a proper rom for install on to my hero.
I am blind. Stock roms are only running Android 1.5. More robust accessibility features are available starting with Android 1.6 and improving even more with Android 2.0.
So for sure I am forced to upgrade my hand set.
There are various roms, some of their authors have even disable google specific features so I know I can't install such a rom.
All the accessibility efforts are being lead by the google developers.
Most likely these accessibility tools won't be usefull to most of you but please can anyone recommend me a rom where market is working and where the following applications can be installed and used?
- eyesfree suite of applications,
- talkback - the google screen reader for android,
- tts service.
All possible help is already appreciated.
sorry for the double posting. I've accidentally posted twice and I am unable to remove the post.
Hope anybody can help me please.
pvdeejay said:
Hello all,
I am having very specific request when it comes to choosing a proper rom for install on to my hero.
I am blind. Stock roms are only running Android 1.5. More robust accessibility features are available starting with Android 1.6 and improving even more with Android 2.0.
So for sure I am forced to upgrade my hand set.
There are various roms, some of their authors have even disable google specific features so I know I can't install such a rom.
All the accessibility efforts are being lead by the google developers.
Most likely these accessibility tools won't be usefull to most of you but please can anyone recommend me a rom where market is working and where the following applications can be installed and used?
- eyesfree suite of applications,
- talkback - the google screen reader for android,
- tts service.
All possible help is already appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i am on mcr3.0, i looked in the market, i can find 8 apps for eyesfree, tts is one of these. i didn't try to install one of these, but usually it works. the search for talkback returned nothing.
not that i want to be rude, but wouldn't you be better off with another phone if you are blind? i can not imagine a touchscreen only phone would be suitable for someone who is not able to see... especially because there are great devices out there that have a full qwerty keyboard, and come with android 2.0 out of the box... imho this would be a better solution.
again, the last thing i want to be is rude, but maybe this was your mistake: you posted in the htc hero section of this forum, the hero is a touch screen only device, including a virtual keyboard on the screen. it has only six buttons and a trackball, and two rocker buttons for the volume. just to make clear we are talking about the same device
if you are still up for the hero you could try the 2.1 rom from here: http://htcpedia.com/forum/showthread.php?p=30418&posted=1#post30418
best you try for yourself, it has some drawbacks, but maybe in areas you don't need (afaik syncing with exchange does not work for example, which wouldn't be a problem for me...). otherwise it might be worth to wait another week or two, we all are waiting unpatiently for the official eclair release from htc
keep asking if you need to know more, but maybe open a new thread, since your problems are very specific, and might drown between all the newbies question about "how to root my phone".
Hello,
Thanks for your reply and a great attitude.
Yes it may sound strange I have really got HTC Hero here. I know I'll be having problems with virtual keyboard but also I am afraid accessibility features of Android phones are not really such mastered one can use it daily. For example reading emails and content from the web browser is not yet possible. I just want to try how things work and I would also like to touch the virtual keyboard. If I can memorize computer keyboard and use it daily, typewriter keyboard, nokia mobile phone keyboard, then perhaps I might be able to make some use of this too.
I am sory but here are some more questions:
I haven't yet verified with some sighted friends but... is it possible my hero is running even older version of android like Android 1.5? I've based the assumption that it's most likelly running 1.5 because majority of the devices I was reading on the net are running it.
You've been triyng to locate eyes-free applications on the market but you were unable to find talkback. Are you sure you are running newer version of Android than 1.5?
Talkback is supposed to be installed with Android 1.6 andd 2.0 by default and you should be able to find it in the accessibility menu of your phone. I am not sure how well this applies to the custom roms.
Talkback requires google's accessibility api which is reported to be available on Android 1.6 upwards.
To tell you the full story first I've asked on the eyes-free google group whether some accessibility experts from there can help me but no one knowledgeable enough has replied to my query, so I'm trying my luck here then.
Oh I am really excited since I've got really well formed informative reply.
Thanks again
Edit:
Also, I've seen somewhere in the forums here this leaked HTC rom does not support the market. Has this been rectified already? You know if market does not work then most likelly I won't be able to install these applications I am tallking about.
Also you are mentioning possibility to wait a few weeks until HTC guys role out the official update for Hero. Wouldn't that break chances I will be able to root my device later?
Edit2:
Ooops, I should read better next time. Market works on this rom. The problem is paid apps can't be installed which is hopefully not a big issue for me since most of the accessibility enabled applications are free.
Which of the downloads from Hero 21 do I need?
63.18.55.06JU_6.35.09.26) or No Wipe Download. I will need a wipe I am sure but since this link says nowipe I am ehmmm. confused.
pvdeejay,
Unfortunately there is not an 'official' update for Android 1.6, 2.0 or 2.1 as of yet. There are rumours of one coming out soon, but nothing cast-iron yet.
You are correct in that the Hero runs 1.5. It does say it under Settings | About Phone (bottom item on list)| Firmware Version (bottom on list again), although without a working screen reader, there is probably little use in knowing how to find that.
If you did want to upgrade, I'm sure plenty of people could help find a ROM that would suit. The only issue with that is that you would need a rooted phone with a custom recovery image installed. Unfortunately, a lot of the procedures would not be easy for you, as the software that you might need to use to go through the procedure is probably not designed that well for accessibility tools. I don't know what kind of software you are using, but some of the instructions for making goldcards are quite complex, and involve editing some numbers in a 'table' which could be quite difficult for you, I would imagine.
I'm sure a friend would be able to help you out with making a goldcard/rooting if you did want to install a custom ROM (you'll probably be waiting a while otherwise ). They could even root their phone while doing yours (just share the goldcard between the devices).
Nonetheless, there is probably a ROM out there with little removed from it. I'll have a look just now, but you would need to have your phone rooted to do anything just now.
When it comes to rooting and installing custom recovery image. Do you thing the following instructions might work for me?
These instructions don't require a gold card:
- How to Root HTC Hero and Install Amon Ra Recovery Image
- How to install a custom rom on a HTC Hero
Hello,
Here are some numbers I've asked my friend to read from system -> about screen. The phone interface is in czech so I am unable to get some names translated to english, but I believe some of the geeks will understand these identifiers and might be able to help me what is best:
Code:
firmware: 1,5
63.118.55.O6U|6.35.04.25
2.6.27-a5504199
Build number: 1.76.405.6 146733 CL# 47214 release-keys
Software version: 1.0.0.A6288
pvdeejay,
to sum it up:
the hero definitly runs on android 1.5. there are no roms for older android versions, and a few homebrewn for newer versions, as we said already.
i searched for talkbalk on my 1.5 rom, so it is obvious that i couldn't find it...
about rooting of newer roms: it is just a matter of time, sooner or later there will be always methods of rooting a rom. what i meant by waiting is: wait until the official update is out, then wait a few more hours until the first rooted and customized rom is out
@pvdeejay,
I would have to agree with kendong2 that waiting for the official ROM is probably the best idea for you at the moment. There are no guarantees that an unofficial ROM would help, and it would be another user interface to try and learn.
@kendon,
I noticed he has the original, easily rooted version of the hero. IIRC, that is what I had on my G2 (and had the security unlocked bootloader out the box). If that's the case, would pvdeejay be able to 'fastboot boot' a full system img file for the purposes of testing it out to see if it meets the requirements.
The reason I ask is that I've only ever fastbooted my AmonRA recovery (I didn't flash it, because I never felt any need to). I'm guessing you could fastboot a full img, but I'm not sure about the practical issues of where it would be stored in memory...
Sorry guys originally I believed I am slowly getting into the matter and am begining to understand how flashing / rooting / upgrading home brew firmwares works on these phones.
After these 2 posts I feel like a total noob again.
Now again some very concrete questions:
What about these 2 guides I've posted links to?
Can I somehow got [Recovery] [13-Dec-2009] RA-hero-v1.5.2 installed so I will be able to do nandroid backup and then possibly flash some new roms?
Can I really brick my phone by trying to install amon ra?
Originally I thought the process works as follows:
1) get the custom recovery image installed (that's the amon ra in this case),
2) do a nandroid backup which will dump everything usefull on to the memory card,
3) backup and reformat the card,
4) download a rom, rename it to update.zip, put it onto the root folder of the cart, reboot the hero in recovery mode, do the wipe of the data partition, and run update,
5) reboot again and believe it's good.
Also some very significant bit is the thing you are all calling the radio. I am afraid I've not identified this bit thus it's missing in this summary.
Which files will I need to download if I decide to try Android 2.1 community edition 1.8? Are these files I've copied links to a few posts earlier both needed?
Can you please check this list, identify the things I am missing, and make suggestions and corrections why this may not work on my device based off of those number I tried to put down here?
Even if I won't be able to do this right now I'd be happy to get corrections as I can learn something new.
Of course I won't be doing all this on my own. I will ask my bro to read all the stuff to me and we'll do it according to your advices.
To give some bits about me and my computer skills, I believe I am a Windows power user, Basically I do also understand unix, I know what's bash how the files are arranged in a file system, can use command-line tools, telnet, ssh. I am working as a network administrator here so some background is there really.
Hi pvdeejay,
Answers to your questions here.
You can actually use fastboot to 'temporarily' load up the AmonRA recovery image into memory and run it from there. I do that on my phone, for the simple reason that I can't be bothered ) ) to flash the recovery. Once you get AmonRA running, the first thing you should do is make a Nandroid backup. It will be saved to your SD card, so then get the nandroid directory of your card and save it to your PC (just in case!)
So, here's how you'd go about this.
(Make sure you have the android sdk installed, and that adb and fastboot commands are working). USB cable should be plugged in throughout.
Before you begin, put the ROM you want (ie. Android 2.1 community edition 1.8) into the root of the microSD card (a .zip file).
Code:
adb devices
Should list your phone's serial number
Now turn off the phone, and turn it on with the back key held down (the one at the very bottom right of the device).
You should enter fastboot mode. Now type
Code:
fastboot devices
and you should see the serial number again.
Now type
Code:
fastboot boot AmonRA.img
where AmonRA.img is a file in your present working directory that is the filename of the latest custom recovery image. This does NOT flash your phone, it merely runs the image (pretty much as close as you get to risk free, other than sitting there with a tinfoil hat on )
See screenshot of the recovery image here:
http://www.sizzledcore.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/RA-hero-recovery-image-500x375.jpg
Make the Nandroid backup by choosing 'Nandroid Vx.x Backup' and waiting a while.
If your ROM needs a wipe first (most new ones do), select Wipe data/factory reset. You will lose all your user data on the device (but you've got a nandroid backup just in case)
You're now good to go. So choose "Apply sdcard:choose zip"
Now select the custom ROM zip file you downloaded. It doesn't even need to be called update.zip! Choose it from the list and push trackball.
Wait for the update.zip to go in. Do NOT turn off the device or pull the battery. First boot can take a very long time (upto 30 minutes). Just keep it plugged in via USB and wait...
As for radios, see http://android.modaco.com/content/h...-24-11-hero-roms-radios-in-update-zip-format/ and look at the section titled radios. The latest one is in bold. It is a .zip file as well, that you use these exact same instructions for to install (don't do the wipe or anything like that. Just install the .zip file)
anon2122 said:
@kendon,
I noticed he has the original, easily rooted version of the hero. IIRC, that is what I had on my G2 (and had the security unlocked bootloader out the box). If that's the case, would pvdeejay be able to 'fastboot boot' a full system img file for the purposes of testing it out to see if it meets the requirements.
The reason I ask is that I've only ever fastbooted my AmonRA recovery (I didn't flash it, because I never felt any need to). I'm guessing you could fastboot a full img, but I'm not sure about the practical issues of where it would be stored in memory...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is correct so far, i did the same, except i installed the recovery. i play a lot with my phone, the installed recovery image with the nandroid backup is the best i have ever seen for a phone...
@pvdeejay
you always write so much...
i try to answer everything:
the two guides you posted are good for your situation. i never tried flashrec, but from what i read it is safe to use. i installed my recovery image through fastboot, the guide is here: http://android.modaco.com/content/h...ng-the-patched-recovery-image-on-your-device/
i have no idea how this works out for you, but my honest suggestion would be that you have someone seeing assisting you, you CAN brick your phone, though it is not likely if you follow the instructions precisely. the process is not very time consuming at all, so you don't need to bother anyone for days of their time.
edit: and now i read your post to the end and saw that your brother will be helping you, so you are on the right track
once you have the recovery installed you can make nandroid backups, and i would suggest that you do this first thing after installing the recovery, better make a backup too much than one too less...
the 5 steps you described are correct, except there is no need to rename the zipfile anymore, you can select any .zip from your sdcard.
the radio part is the number that begins with 63.18.55.06, then comes two letters and then more numbers. as by now the version can be identified by the letters, with JU being the up-to-date one. in general you can say the newer the better, but you have to try for yourself. start with the newest one, if you have problems go back.
thanks this seems to be pretty doable plus I will easily be able to restore the current data backed using nandroid backup.
Which android SDK do I need the latest one?
The commands I need to type are supposed to be typed on the PC or on the phone? I assume on the PC but I just would like to ensure.
Hero21 1.8 community edition has a recommended radio listed in the first post. Is it necessary to install that one as well? What should I install first the actual rom or the radio? Do I need installing radio at all? Should i do the same with radio i.e. renaming it to update.zip and using amonra to install it?
Also will I be able to use this method even if I install another rom (running amonra without actually flashing it)?
Edit:
sorry guys did not realize renaming to update.zip is no longer needed.
Edit2:
is there an easy way on how to access sd card from windows? I can't just remove the card from phone and insert it into my laptop because I don't have the proper adapter. Previously my boss was using the hero and perhaps it would be nice to backup the sd card first.
Edit3:
uhmmm, installing android sdk is perhaps not as simple as it sounds.
I have just seen this article.
I am on a limited gprs internet connection, can you please suggest sdk features I won't need to save some download bandwith?
- you need only the adb binary (thats adb.exe for windows) from the sdk, the rest is not needed for this.
- install the radio from the 2.1community-rom-thread, it is the newest. install the radio first. DO NOT PULL THE BATTERY until the phone has rebooted completely. if you pull the battery during radio upgrade your phone will be dead. it takes a few minutes, do not panic!
- you can copy the contents of the sdcard via the usb-cable, plug it into your pc and pull down the notification bar...
Do I need to run SDK Setup.exe when I have downloaded android sdk for windows?
Or can I simply run that binary from the command-line without the installation?
Do I need any USB drivers so my phone can be recognized?
Well hello everyone.
I am an application development student from Belgium.
I am proficient in Java, VB.NET, some c/c++ and also PHP/JS/HTML/CSS
Anyways, my recent interest has been going out to creating custom roms for the galaxy S!
The problem now is though, I was able to find some guides and such, but most were incomplete, and for HTC(and other) devices.
I have no idea what is different between making a ROM for galaxy S or a ROM for an HTC device.
If anyone would like to link me to some good resources that can help me on my way, or would like to collaborate (and in the meanwhile teach me a bit) I would be more than happy! (I am open for collaboration as I am pretty proficient in Java and I'm always happy to code and learn more about coding!)
I think the question is really want you want to do!
Custom ROMs for Android are as simple as using recovery console to replace files on the system with your own versions.
ie. Replace the framework.apk which contains all theme images with your own modified one, which you can use to skin the device. Same for replacing other system apps.
Unfortunately, most of these apps are closed source, so modifying them is difficult. The stock android system has open source versions of most of them though, and you can modify those and build them, and then replace the ones on the device. I'm not entirely sure how to build them up though, but it probably isn't too hard.
Then there are custom kernels, which let you actually change the underlying linux system underneath android - Samsung has an open source version of the kernel available that you can compile, and then flash to your phone using Odin or other tools. Compiling the kernel is pretty tricky though.
Well i'm really talking about stuff like SamSet, MoDaCo, Doc's ROM and others.
I'm not saying I want to create a pro ROM in a day or anything, but i'd really love to learn more to get better (always looking for more stuff to put on the resume, I guess?!)
Thanks a lot,
Kenny
Bump for some help
(sorry for the double post but i'm really eager to learn)
I don't have time to give a detailed response right now. However you will want to read up on yaffs (file system) and odexing/deodexing ROMs.
Thank you I will definately do that,
I am following a guide now to start out creating custom ROMs for android, however it was written for Motorola Droid and I have no idea what you have to do different for a samsung galaxy s.
I am a good coder, even though I say so myself, with a lot of experience. I also have a lot of linux experience, you name it
Only the problem is the old, and much known "where do I get started?"
So if anyone can point me out in the right direction on that, tell me how/where you started out, I would appreciate it greatly!
Thanks!
Very sorry to bump again
I set up my environment in ubuntu today to get started (just gotta fix a few errors, didn't know android wouldn't compile on java 1.6, only on 1.5)
Anyways, still need some help here! thanks!
Again I am awefully sorry for the bump here but i'd really like some help.
Note that i'm not a newbie at coding whatsoever and i'm not unfamiliar with some hardcore java, c/c++ and other languages, I'm just having trouble getting started when it comes to modding an existing android release (there are tutorials on HTC and other devices but some methods do not apply to the galaxy S)
If you're trying to create a ROM from scratch then unfortunately you're out of luck at the moment. No one has really managed to do so yet. By "from scratch" I mean the Android Open Source Project (i.e. official Android git repository).
What you can do is grab an existing firmware. Extract the contents, de-odex the apks, modify them or add new apks, optionally you can also compile a custom SGS kernel using Samsung's kernel source. Then you can re-odex the ROM, pack it back up and distribute it.
There's no real "starting place" as such and you won't yet find any tutorials about how to create SGS ROMs. Just give it a go and see where you get.
Yes, I do mean creating a ROM from stock samsung firmware, of course.
So my next logical question would be now:
How do I go over extracting contents from the existing samsung firmware, de-odexing and so on?
Any links/guides/tips are greatly appreciated, as long as they are applicable to this cell phone and not totally crap, thanks!
Samsung uses rfs, I think you should know. There is a thread somewhere in this forum regarding extracting .rfs file. Understood you need Debian though.
For some readup, go search for a famous guy named JesusFreke. Tons of materials...
Hope that from here onwards, this can lead you on, and to find out more. Google is your friend too...
I'm afraid my biggest problems already occur in setting up the environment, so it's really the very beginning that gets me stuck, i'm sure coding would be a bikeride compared to setting up the environment for me (i'm no hero in linux,not at all, i'm afraid)
How the hell do I get from point A (being downloading the full source) to point B (starting to create a custom ROM?)
thanks
of course if anyone has the time, and wants to, you can PM me your msn or something, if anyone is up to it
Raykoid666 said:
I'm afraid my biggest problems already occur in setting up the environment, so it's really the very beginning that gets me stuck, i'm sure coding would be a bikeride compared to setting up the environment for me (i'm no hero in linux,not at all, i'm afraid)
How the hell do I get from point A (being downloading the full source) to point B (starting to create a custom ROM?)
thanks
of course if anyone has the time, and wants to, you can PM me your msn or something, if anyone is up to it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed completely! Getting a full cross-compilation to Samsung's Android going is seriously difficult! There have been some promises for tutorials and guides for setting things up though, but none have appeared yet. Probably because it's hard!
Well thank you for agreeing with me on that.
I am really hoping for anyone that can help me out here, either on here or in private, and give some detailed instructions on how to get started.
Hell there is enough information on creating roms alread, deodexing, adding/removing apps etc etc etc... The real problem lies in setting everything up properly.
I think I have gotten to the point where I'm compiling the android source (without samsung specific files)
note i'm saying "i think i am compiling" because i'm hoping it won't error out on me again after an hour of compiling!
But once that is done... I have no idea where to go next, where to get the samsung specific files, or what to do with them whatsoever once i have them
thanks!
Android generic source won't actually help you much. Samsung has made a huge number of changes to it, and while it is all open source, backporting their changes to get your stock source running on the phone is a major undertaking. I believe cyanogenmod was actually working on this, but it seems without much success so far.
What the other rom makers you see are doing is taking a snapshot of a running rom, copying over all of the APKs and the files on a running device, and then tweaking those. ie. Opening up framework-res.apk and changing the image files inside.
The update.zip roms that are what most people are doing are really just using the Android recovery to replace files on the phone with their own versions. Since the underlying system is linux, and everything is a file, this actually works pretty well.
The kernel development effort is completely separate from the rest of the system though, and Samsung has provided the entire source tree that just has to be compiled. I'm a bit stumped myself on all the details of setting it up, but I have seen some threads on this forum about it, and it didn't seem too bad to set up. Apparently you shouldn't use the codesourcery toolchain though, or something. Not too clued up on it, sorry. Hopefully someone with the details can chime in, or give us a link to the old post on it (I'm failing to find it using the search function! )
Alright sounds good!
So these recovery files you are talking about (the contents of /system) how do i retrieve those from a base ROM such as JM7 or the likes after a clean flash?)
Raykoid666 said:
Alright sounds good!
So these recovery files you are talking about (the contents of /system) how do i retrieve those from a base ROM such as JM7 or the likes after a clean flash?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root your phone, zip them up onto the sdcard, and then copy them off.
There are probably better methods, but this works fine.
Also, with credits to Unhelpful, he has told me that the correct toolchain to be using is 'uClibc or eglibc toolchain with ct-ng'. I have no idea what to do with that yet, but it's a start.
RyanZA said:
Root your phone, zip them up onto the sdcard, and then copy them off.
There are probably better methods, but this works fine.
Also, with credits to Unhelpful, he has told me that the correct toolchain to be using is 'uClibc or eglibc toolchain with ct-ng'. I have no idea what to do with that yet, but it's a start.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't even need to root your phone to pull /system Ryan
adb pull /system <random folder>
is all you need ^^
Alright thank you, I managed to get all the /system files using abd pull /system
now next thing up would be de-odexing right, before I go editing stuff?
Now before I go de-odexing. Can anyone tell me what exactly de-odexing is and why I need it?
and what do I need to do to create an update.zip again?
thanks a lot all!
Tayutama said:
You don't even need to root your phone to pull /system Ryan
adb pull /system <random folder>
is all you need ^^
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha cool, didn't know you could pull whole folders!
Raykoid666 said:
Alright thank you, I managed to get all the /system files using abd pull /system
now next thing up would be de-odexing right, before I go editing stuff?
Now before I go de-odexing. Can anyone tell me what exactly de-odexing is and why I need it?
and what do I need to do to create an update.zip again?
thanks a lot all!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The apk files in Android are odexed - that means they have a special index applied for dalvik that speeds them up somehow! I don't know how, I haven't checked how it actually works.
The important point is though:
odexed is faster, but you can't edit it because of signatures or something technical
deodexed means you can change it however you want
More useful info can be found from google - lots of it!
update.zip is easy - it's a zip file in a special format that can be understood by Android's recovery console. The easiest way to do it is to grab an existing update.zip and modify it as needed. Tayutama has millions of em around, so use his!
Then you need to sign it once you're finished with it so that the SGS will accept it. Samsung made a boo-boo and didn't disable the test keys for the 2.1 SGS firmwares. That makes it easy!
http://www.londatiga.net/it/how-to-sign-apk-zip-files/
Just use the test keys to sign it, and then copy it to /sdcard/update.zip and reboot into recovery and it'll work.
Ok so I picked up my Droid X about a month ago and haven't been able to put this thing down, I never thought about rooting it because it did everything I needed/wanted it to do, then one day I log into my car forum and all the OT guys are posting cool print screen's of their phones. I was intrigued, so I rooted my phone and have been trying to figure out a few things but I'm not really up on the terminology and/or logic behind doing certain things. I would greatly appreciate any help in regards to explaining the following:
1) Rooting - Takes off restrictions on the phone so that developer apps can be installed... Is there more to this or is that pretty much it?
2) Flashing - I see this term often but I'm not sure what it is exactly, I tried installing a theme once and the directions said to flash something somewhere and looked at it the same way my dog looks at me while I'm working out at home.. lol
3) ROM - !?
4) apk's - What are they, what do they do, and how do you install them!?
5) Installing themes - I'm thinking has to do with all of the above...
6) Locating and moving downloaded content...
7) How do all of these things tie together? I'm completely clueless as to what does what on the phone and would like to become as knowledgeable as I was when the iPhone first came out and I figured out how to jailbreak/unlock it...
As a reward for your time and effort I leave you Final Fantasy VII fan's with a cool wallpaper I found at work today.. Thanks for any/all input and again, your time is most appreciated!!
Initial GT3 said:
Ok so I picked up my Droid X about a month ago and haven't been able to put this thing down, I never thought about rooting it because it did everything I needed/wanted it to do, then one day I log into my car forum and all the OT guys are posting cool print screen's of their phones. I was intrigued, so I rooted my phone and have been trying to figure out a few things but I'm not really up on the terminology and/or logic behind doing certain things. I would greatly appreciate any help in regards to explaining the following:
1) Rooting - Takes off restrictions on the phone so that developer apps can be installed... Is there more to this or is that pretty much it?
2) Flashing - I see this term often but I'm not sure what it is exactly, I tried installing a theme once and the directions said to flash something somewhere and looked at it the same way my dog looks at me while I'm working out at home.. lol
3) ROM - !?
4) apk's - What are they, what do they do, and how do you install them!?
5) Installing themes - I'm thinking has to do with all of the above...
6) Locating and moving downloaded content...
7) How do all of these things tie together? I'm completely clueless as to what does what on the phone and would like to become as knowledgeable as I was when the iPhone first came out and I figured out how to jailbreak/unlock it...
As a reward for your time and effort I leave you Final Fantasy VII fan's with a cool wallpaper I found at work today.. Thanks for any/all input and again, your time is most appreciated!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First off- that is a lot to bite off as an opener. lol. I have to get in a minute- plus I am a newb as well but here a couple of things...
1) You sound pretty on track. Root gives you access to more options with your phone. It also voids your warranty.
2) Flashing. A term used loosely. Normally it is used in conjunction with "flashing a rom". It simply means to install something (basically).
3) Rom. It is the image (not in the photo-graphical sense) that is embedded/burned on your phones hard drive with all the information of your operating system. For instance: you are on the stock 2.2 ota "rom". But you could "flash" the new "AOSP rom" that was just released. That means you would be removing the factory image that came on your phone and replacing it with a modified image. Theme's and .apk's -those are not "burned" into the phone. If you do a factory reset- those will be wiped. The rom image stays put. If you flash from 2.2 ota to AOSP and then did a factory reset- you would not return to the original state your phone came from Motorola bc that image is completely removed and replaced by the new image you flash. Instead you would return to a clean AOSP.
4) .apk's - .apk is simply the name of the file extension used for android applications. I came from Windows Mobile and they were called .cabs. So any app can be referred to as an .apk. You can download an apk from XDA, place it on your sdcard, tap the file, and i think you will be prompted with "do you want to install" (some where along those lines). There is a setting in the "Settings" that allows you to install 3rd party (non-market) .apk's.
5)Installing themes. This refers to modifying the images (and this time I do mean in the graphic sense) of certain .apk's and other whatchamajiggies. You can install a simple theme that just changes your lockscreen, or you can install a huge theme that changes almost every part of every image so the entire phone looks similar. Here is the tricky part about using themes- your phone has to be deodexed.
deodexed. When you get your phone all of the system files come with a few different parts to them. One of those parts is an odexed file. Apparently the theme building types do not like working with these files so they run this process called de-odexing in which all of the system files are somehow manipulated in a way where they no longer need their odex file. So you end up "de-odexed". There is a program called "xultimate 2.2" that enables regular folk like you and me to deodex our phones. I tried running it yesterday and it errored out on me. So I used another method that worked fine. There are some threads on here about deodexing- if you want themes you will have to do it.
6) locating and moving downloaded content. When you have root you can get Root Explorer from the market. I am sure there are other good file exploreres- but I can't speak to them- I use Root Explorer. As far as locating downloaded content- whenever I download something from my phone, it always (normally) goes to /sdcard/downloads. If it is not there, I guess you just do a search for it. If you want to move it- long press the item, copy, move.
And you will need to google "ADB" (android device bridge). Many of these activities will require the use of ADB. You plug in your phone through USB (make sure phone settings are set to "USB debugging") and... well there is just way to much on this one. Google this one and you will find a lot of stuff- or search it here on XDA
have a great weekend. got to go.
I recently got into tinkering with my Sprint Galaxy S4 and spent quite some time going through the whole process to get to Cyanogenmod, then back to stock, the reasons which I hope to share with you throughout this tutorial. I went to multiple sources from all over the web to answer all the questions I had, so I'm hoping to gather everything in one place so you can too learn the intricacies of playing with the OS on your phone.
This will be a work in progress for a bit, as I plan on going back to stock and working through the process again to capture everything I had to learn in order to get my phone to where I wanted it.
Hopefully once complete, this guide will help you do that same thing.
Thanks.
PS; I am placing the phrase "<link>" where I will eventually will insert the actual links, but until I leave new status, Google searches will have to do.
OverviewIn general, installing Cyanogenmod (or any other ROM, specific quirks notwithstanding) should consist of the following steps;
Pre-installation setup
Gathering Tools
Installing a custom recovery
Backing up your device
Flashing your custom ROM
Step-by-Step Walkhrough
Pre-installation setup
When installing a custom ROM, or conducting any sort of flashing/recovery/rooting etc, you may mess up your phone somehow. Sometimes this will void your warranty, leave you with a brick, or somehow otherwise go belly up. Before you start doing anything to your phone, you should make sure you understand what you're doing, read through all of the steps, and familiarize yourself with the process. Sometimes you may need to gather additional information, software, tools, etc. Google is your best friend! When you encounter a block, stop what you're doing and investigate what happened, and see what the consensus is on the subject of that error, so you can tread carefully. In the end, this will make you a better tinkerer in general. Also, if you mess your phone up, I'm not responsible for your environment conditions, actions, or mistakes.
With all of that being said, if you're going to blaze forward anyways, welcome to the path of making things do what you want them to do, regardless of what someone said you could or couldn't do with said things! Before you get started, you're probably going to want to gather basic info first;
What do I want out of my custom ROM?
There are many types of ROMs out there; Cyanogenmod is one of the most popular, but millions of people have created or assembled their own favorite OS' for Android devices. This particular ROM offers you more control over your phone. You can install custom apps, use established apps, execute root/admin tasks on your phone, and much more. Custom icons? Custom boot screen? Remove all of the carrier/manufacturer bloatware? All of these and much more are at your disposal.
Where can I find the model for my phone? What Android build do I have?
Before choosing to undertake a particular endeavor, make sure you know what phone you're actually working with. Using the wrong software or tool can brick your phone, or increase the time it takes to finish dramatically since you're going to have to go and find all of the fix information. In some cases, a phone may come with a certain version of Android, or a certain firmware. You should consider what may happen if you upgrade it, maybe you'll find you can't go back!
Do I want to use this phone with service?
This was irritating for me when I first was flashing my phone; I found out that when I called Sprint to switch the phone over from my HTC One, they said they couldn't port the new modded phone onto their network. This required me having to search down the original firmware, which is a hassle in and of itself. I'm sure there are ways to get your phone onto a network that I don't have any knowledge of, but why not save yourself the trouble and make sure you take care of things before starting.
Windows or Linux?
What operating system you are most comfortable with may vary, and your intentions with regards to flashing a custom ROM also will vary; do you just want to get something installed? Do you like to learn? Traditionally most folks will say that if you want the most control over the process, use Linux. It's open-source and gives you the most freedom to do as you wish, and in addition, untold numbers of tools exist for the platform that you have access to for free. Not that there's anything wrong with Windows, but if you want to flash a ROM, chances are you're interested in technology as a whole. Throughout this tutorial, I will do my best to provide options for both OS' where possible. In my case, I'm not interested in this process on a Mac environment, but you'll find most of the concepts here can be mirrored on the Mac OS, you'll just have to search for specifics on your own.
How comfortable am I with things like command lines?
Understanding how to use the command line, as opposed to graphical programs, will enable you to undertake the flashing process with much more control than otherwise allowed. Learning the command line is outside the scope of what I'm trying to teach you, but you can find information all around the web. Search for a cheatsheet for the Windows Command Line, or maybe if you're interested in learning about Linux, you can find information all over the web. With Linux, there can be a bit more variance on command lines as different flavors of Linux use different command lines.One such flavor of Linux is Ubuntu, which comes bundled with bash, a rather common and popular command line shell.
Again, where possible, I will try to provide options between the command line and GUI choices, but I will off the bat recommend that you familiarize yourself somewhat with the command line. You'll be a better person for it.
Gathering tools and info
Before you get started, it's a good idea to ensure that you have everything you're going to need at your disposal before getting started. I will do my best to document whatever I think is necessary to know on each tool/item you need;
Workspace
Sort of a no brainer, I would suggest creating a folder that you can store everything in the flash process, ideally one where you possess admin/root privileges. I will conduct this tutorial as if you were working from a folder titled 'Cyanogenmod.'
Phone Information
For the purposes of this tutorial, I am using the Sprint Samsung Galaxy S4 in black, which has the model number SPH-L720 (I don't think color influences model at all). At the moment, the phone is known as JFLTESPR at http://cyanogenmod.org/ specifically, though much of the process is the same across int'l/US carriers, so the phone also falls under the JFLTE family.
You'll want to have a few other pieces of info on hand as well. Most of these can be found either on the phone physically, or in the "About device" section in the Settings menu.
To get your model number, you can either remove the plastic rear panel, then the battery to find the model number written on the sticker underneath. Otherwise, you can go to Settings > About device > scroll to Model number.
In the same menu as above, you can also get the Android version, Baseband version, and the Build number. All of these help determine what features are available to you, what Android OS you have if you want to know about specific differences between numbers, what radio type you may have, and so on. Having these handy will let you look things up with a higher degree of accuracy.
Check Your Knowledge, or Are You Listening?
Did you make sure and go find the above information? If you care about your phone's warranty or you know, your freedom to mess with your SPH-L720 as you see fit, you should care enough to make sure you have this info!
Why does it matter? See your Baseband version and or Build number? Check those last 3 letters on there, they represent the firmware version you have installed on your phone. Certain firmwares have certain characteristics, but there are two in particular that you, as someone following this tutorial should care about; Whether or not the firmware comes with the Knox bootloader, and if you want the ability to downgrade/upgrade as you see fit. I also believe that the firmware can affect your hardware in sometimes undesirable ways. If you've recently flashed and your Wifi or radio (interface into the carrier's ecosystem for voice, messaging, and data) isn't working, research about the firmware is usually the first place to start looking.
The Knox bootloader contains a flag that is tripped if you install a custom recovery/bootloader, which doesn't affect any operation on your phone, however this flag, as of this writing, is not un-trippable. That's right, this is how Samsung will know if you've gone all rogue on the device. With this tripped, they can deny you warranty service, force you to pay for repair, and any other number of irritating things. Not knowing what firmware you can cost you dearly.
As to being able to change firmware freely, you can change between the Android 4.2.2 firmwares as you like, but if you move to 4.3, you cannot go back to 4.2.2, and 4.3 includes the Knox bootloader (though you can still move between 4.3 firmwares). Same for the firmware based on 4.4.2; if you move to this firmware, you cannot go back. In addition, as far as I know at the time of writing this, there's only one firmware in the 4.4.2 family.
For reference, here's a list of the firmwares;
MDC - This was the first firmware for the phone and was based on Android 4.2.2, and was pre-Knox bootloader
MDL- Based on Android 4.2.2, and was pre-Knox bootloader
MF9 - Based on Android 4.2.2, and was pre-Knox bootloader
MJA - Based on Android 4.3 and includes the Knox bootloader
MK2 - Based on Android 4.3 and includes the Knox bootloader
NAE - Based on Android 4.4.2 and includes the Knox bootloader
Besides influencing the above characteristics (and whatever other features are available per version), the firmware type also influences what software you might need in some cases. For instance, flashing back to stock requires you to use a firmware with the same 'class' of version, aka 4.2.2, 4.3, or 4.4.2. If you accidentally use the wrong version, you may regret it. Of course, if you're off warranty, or just don't care, you can go about this as you see fit. Just don't come to me if you fail to go learn what you need to know before flashing your phone. With all that being said, you can still install ROMs based on other versions of Android, just not a full flash.
I'm not sure of the correct XDA way to thank someone, but cruise350 provided me with this information directly, so if this helps, kudos goes to him.
Cyanogenmod ROM/OS
You can find everything you need to know (including the direct tutorials) for Cyanogenmod on their site <link>.
From the main page, you can get to the SPH-L720 by going to http://http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/ > Devices > Hit 'show all devices' > enter 'JFLTE' in the search query to get to the landing page for our phone. From that page you can read more about Cyanogen and what you can do with it and our phone together. For now, we can just download the ROM.
Go to the download page at http://download.cyanogenmod.org/, where you'll find a list of devices and their various ROM builds. Since developers around the world are working on Cyanogenmod at any given time, there are many different builds/versions of the ROM. If this is your first time with Cyanogen, you will want to stick with the 'Stable' build. This is considered the latest 'finished' build, or represents the latest release the developers consider complete. The other builds represent ROMs which are nearing completion and moving to Stable (Release Candidate), a build at a particular point in time (Snapshot), builds which were created at a certain point in the development history of Cyanogen (Milestone), the absolute latest and greatest build as it's uploaded (Nightly), or just plain random (Experimental). Some of these builds are more fully featured than others, and others may be missing features, may be buggy, or somehow undesirable to us at this moment. As I said, for now, stick with Stable.
Remember how I mentioned that the SPH-L720 is called JFLTESPR by Cyanogen specifically? That's the download we're searching for. Click Stable under the Type menu, and scroll down to JFLTESPR. At the time I'm writing this, there are 3 versions of Cyanogen available to us; 10.1.3, 10.2.0, and 10.2.1. As a beginner, the differences between versions may be minimal, or minimally noticeable. I'd suggest getting the latest build for now, then futzing around with versioning later in your tinkering career.
In addition to Cyanogenmod, if you look on the installation page at http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Install_CM_for_jflte, under the heading 'Installing CyanogenMod from recovery' (we will get there), they mention the 3rd party app 'GApps,' which provides an interface into the Google ecosystem, so you'll have access to stuff like Gmail, Calendar, and the freakin keyboard! If you find your keyboard constantly failing, remember to go back and make sure you have the correct GApps version based on your Cyanogenmod version. The Cyanogen wiki provides a handy-dandy chart at http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Google_Apps to help you choose what GApps version you need.
Custom Recovery Mod
Cyanogenmod's wiki also provides you with info on what a recovery mod is at http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/All_About_Recovery_Images.
Basically, when you receive a stock phone, the recovery/boot mode is limited in scope. As they say, it's mainly for installing manufacturer updates, and not much else of use to us. With a custom recovery, you gain access to many more features and things you can do outside the manufacturer's original intent. In the scope of this tutorial, we are using our custom recovery mod to first back up our phone's data, and second, actually install Cyanogenmod.
Just like the fact that there exists a large number of custom ROMs, so does there exist custom recovery mods. I'm choosing to use ClockWork Recovery Mod (CWRM) because it looks pretty and gets the job done. The specifics of a particular recovery are left up to the curiosity of the reader.
You can download CWRM at http://clockworkmod.com/rommanager; just scroll down to the Sprint GS4 and pick the version that is shown. Again, other versions may exist, but for the intrepid reader who's made it this far, stick with the latest, greatest, and easiest.
USB Cable
"Hurr durr no **** I need a USB cable" you say, but you wouldn't believe how irritating it is to attempt to diagnose a faulty cord issue. Sure, maybe you're the type of person who actually tries the easiest fixes first, this isn't revelatory, but if you're like me, I feel sorry both you and I.
Ensure you have a nice clean, un-kinked and untangled USB to Mini-USB cable on hand, preferably the cable that came with your phone. This will have the best chance of working properly. In addition to a cable, keep in mind that if you're using a USB hub, you may encounter errors. I've not used a powered USB hub in this process, but again, trying to diagnose the USB hub as the point of failure is annoying too. Save yourself the irritation.
Heimdall
Heimdall is a powerful open source program that lets you interface with the file structure of your phone and flash custom firmware, Heimdall was created by Benjamin Dobell of Glass Echidna and was designed specifically for Samsung devices. You can find a list of the phones they test on at the Heimdall page at http://glassechidna.com.au/heimdall/.
Some of you may have heard of Odin, another program used to flash firmware onto Samsung devices. Odin was an internal tool developed by the manufacturer that made it's way into the wild somehow, and can achieve the same effect as Heimdall (more or less), however there are a few reasons I suggest using Heimdall if you have a choice;
Heimdall is open source
You can freely access the code for Heimdall and make changes if you ever needed to, but the fact that the code is transparent and for all to use means an easier time flashing for you. The fact you can use Heimdall on Windows, Linux, and the Mac OS' is just a whole bunch of whipped cream on the flash-cake.
Odin is an internal Samsung tool
This means you don't have a way to go ask the maker of the tool for help, or explanations on how to use it. Samsung will offer customer support for this tool equal to the amount of existence that flash-cake has; none. There is documentation from all the smart people out there who have dug into Odin if you do want to use Odin. Also, it's Windows-only. You might not care about this fact, but if you're a tinkerer, Linux would be nice no?
Support!
In my flashing journey, I've had to troubleshoot a few things as far as Heimdall goes, and many times on some pages, I've seen Benjamin reply to people with information that he and only he can provide as the maker of Heimdall. I don't know him personally or really at all, but at least we can go ask him for support if necessary.
In order to use Heimdall, you just need to unzip the contents of the download into the Cyanogenmod folder, in our case, create a folder titled 'Heimdall' inside of Cyanogenmod.
Android SDK
The Android Software Development Kit (SDK) is the software Google provides for developers to create things in the Android ecosystem. The kit contains the code editor Eclipse, a plethora of support tools and tricks to create the best apps/ROMs/whatever you can think of, as well as interface with your phone in manners beyond ordinary users. There is a lot of stuff in the SDK, but we are specifically interested in the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) tool, which allows you to send data back and forth from your phone.
You can find the SDK at https://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html, but keep in mind you will most likely need admin/root privileges in order to use the SDK (and Heimdall). From that page, you can choose the Android Developer Tools (ADT) bundle, which comes with Eclipse, or you can choose to download an SDK kit without the IDE. For the scope of this tutorial, you only require the SDK. Once downloaded, you can unzip the SDK into the Cyanogenmod folder (the first thing to come out the SDK zip is a folder titled sdk, plus the SDK manager).
Open up the SDK Manager program (if you're on Windows, if running SDKManager.exe briefly shows a command prompt window, then disappears, you can go to sdk > tools > android.bat. This will open the SDKManager for you). The SDK will provide you with a list of packages you can download for various parts of Android development, but the ones we care about are the Android SDK Tools and the Android SDK Platform-tools. Check the box by each one, then hit install packages. The SDK Manager will prompt you for some license agreementing, then install the software for you. I believe that the manager installs the software in the sdk folder that the manager also resides in, so keep this in mind.
Installing a custom recovery
Backing up your device
Flashing your custom ROM
Reserve 1
For more info.
Reserve 2
Just in case.
If you happen to be reading this for the content, can you answer this; should I include the basics such as installation processes and whatnot? Or just skim the basics?
Hello. I have a MXQPRO which has a rockchip in it, a RK3228A. I have lifted the mobo and heatsink to check but cannot see an image attachment on here Is anyone please able to help me root this box. It's currently running out the box fimware, 7.1 android. It's a bare minimal box with 1GB ram and 8GB storage. I'm wondering if I can do anything fancy with it. I'd like it rooted, TWRP possibly and another faster, possibly better ROM on it. I see https://www.atvxperience.com but don't know if it's something it can run. The computer I'm using is running Windows 10. Thank you x
It comes prerooted . Just install any root apk and you will see root works ..just install supersu from Playstore but if you do that Netflix apk will stop working ...there is no custom firmware so pointless to flash twrp
Hello KevMetal the device says root undetected when opening SuperSU. I tried Magisk manager too but that was showing the zip as not being installed even after I tried to manually patch the latest 17.3 on the site. Can I do anything with this box? It is bare minimum resources but its still not bad and could be even better with a better ROM possibly. I have booted into recovery via the pinhole reset button at boot but nothing goes through I only saw joy at the clear cache option. The atv link I posted above says the latest build supports rockchips can I get on that ROM ? Thanks x
Gourcuff14 said:
Hello KevMetal the device says root undetected when opening SuperSU. I tried Magisk manager too but that was showing the zip as not being installed even after I tried to manually patch the latest 17.3 on the site. Can I do anything with this box? It is bare minimum resources but its still not bad and could be even better with a better ROM possibly. I have booted into recovery via the pinhole reset button at boot but nothing goes through I only saw joy at the clear cache option. The atv link I posted above says the latest build supports rockchips can I get on that ROM ? Thanks x
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
install mix explorer file manager ..open it and open "root' section ..you will see a pop screen with strange Chinese lettering ( THAT IS SU PROMPT) figure out which side is "yes' and any other apk like sd maid ( to boost & manage device) ..in mixplorer you can modify "system" like deleting bloat etc ...
magisk is impossible because boot.img is rooted from factory ..so patched ...so no magisk ...i was able to flash an old twrp for Rockchip3229 via flashfire but it's pointless cos it breaks Netflix and we have no custom rom
there is NO the cool Amlogic based roms in atv link will run on our crappy Rockchip based boxes ...I have the 2GB + 8GB Rockchip RK3229 ...So I guess a little bettrr than yours ...
Hello KevMetal. I installed MiXplorer 6.29.20. I did not receive a prompt message when clicking on root it just showed me the section with many files within. Can I install root required apps? I haven't tried SD maid yet.
twrp is such an easy tool. Thank you for the explanation. I did try obtain files via seller or sellers but not many can help. One did send over links for RK3229.
1,firmware flash tools and drivers on Windows .
link:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1bU_K2I1AIPoJO6kqBPENLAC8wXTxWDEk
2, firmware of mxqpro rk3229 1+8
link:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ACOUGb1XlNTgRtOAaxEDdAIfME6fPoxC
The box is running 7.1 out the box like I said above. Is that any better? Or is it same stock image. I'm confused I would have liked to try different ROMs atv looks good.
Is there anything I could do to this box? By the way thank you for your help I didn't think I would get much of a response having searched google and got pretty much nothing x
Gourcuff14 said:
Hello KevMetal. I installed MiXplorer 6.29.20. I did not receive a prompt message when clicking on root it just showed me the section with many files within. Can I install root required apps? I haven't tried SD maid yet.
twrp is such an easy tool. Thank you for the explanation. I did try obtain files via seller or sellers but not many can help. One did send over links for RK3229.
1,firmware flash tools and drivers on Windows .
link:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1bU_K2I1AIPoJO6kqBPENLAC8wXTxWDEk
2, firmware of mxqpro rk3229 1+8
link:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ACOUGb1XlNTgRtOAaxEDdAIfME6fPoxC
The box is running 7.1 out the box like I said above. Is that any better? Or is it same stock image. I'm confused I would have liked to try different ROMs atv looks good.
Is there anything I could do to this box? By the way thank you for your help I didn't think I would get much of a response having searched google and got pretty much nothing x
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
np problem . but i explained to you . the soc ( system on chip ) is the processor . we have the cheapest, less common , 0 developer chip ..ROckchip ( budget Chinese)
of course the ATV looks great but it is a custom but made for an Amlogic chip ...being able to port that to our device would be like saying you are waiting someone to put ios from apple on your Huawei ...just not gonna happen
if mixplorer is opening root and you can see files there and select or copy or paste there YOU HAVE ROOT ..ROOT=access to root filesystem
i will check the firmware but if it is links from manufacturer it is probably just stock in case you need to restore ....so the same but i will look
*i just looked __its the same as stock__it is just in case you need to factory restore your box cos it won't boot so its pointless
just install any apks you want by copy pasting them direct into /system/priv-app folder and delete the ones you don't need to boost your system ..sd maid is great for cleaning you cache and optimising system but you can forget getting something on the level of atv but at least you can delete the Chinese apks or sysyem apks bloat using mixplorer
just focus your attention on getting kodi running well and just leave twrp cos it won't be useful to you .......i mean what do you wanna do with it ? why is it so useful for a tv box ...i will sesrch for the twrp recovery.img i flashed but remember after flashing it and updating "root" supersu your netflix apk won't work anymore so is it really worth it ? for what just to backup up to sd ? personally i would just focus on making box boot direct to kodi ...remove all bloat .with mix root exploree..load kodi to max with plugins and that's the best you gonna get
you are one of 10 guys with this box and nobody will develop custom roms for it . sorry bro
---------- Post added at 11:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:49 PM ----------
https://forum.freaktab.com/forum/tv-player-support/rk3288-devices
look here for recovery or to boot linux from sd card ...but again what will you gain ?
https://forum.freaktab.com/forum/tv-player-support/rk3288-devices/17987-new-3288-ez-root-tool
but you better make DAMN sure you have Rockchip3228 & not 3229 .....
https://forum.freaktab.com/forum/tv-player-support/rockchip-based-tv-players/rk3229-devices
http://4pda.ru/forum/index.php?showtopic=723460&st=100
I wanted root, or twrp root installed because of the basic magisk manager app but that was purely because magisk is soon easy to use. I'm not a pro with this so the app you suggested mixplorer is still getting around my head. I probably bar the easy functionality of magisk would have rooted viper4android on.
I did open the box and remove the heatsink of the processor to check for sure and it did say RK3228A. I took a picture but I don't see an upload attachment tab only a link attachment!
I used the box for streaming. Its not bad at all, low resource but it does stream well. Live tele streaming isn't bad but it is hit and miss because of crap software, I don't think its well supported as oppose to playing off a downloadable file. I don't use kodi. Only apps which are lightweight.
I wanted to try different roms for the fun of it really if at all possible. Thanks for the stock image verification its the first port of call when playing around so thanks again in case I mess things up or want to go back
Regarding freaktabs links. Are they all flashed through computer or can I use the built-in system recovery? Will they work. Sorry. I should register there too but like I said above I didn't find much with a google search when attempting to find files etc. for RK3228A so pretty dumbfounded on how to do anything with the box. Any help is much appreciated. I don't know how to do this if I'm honest the connection to PC is playing up not detecting the box at all with or without the power in the box. Any help would be greatly welcomed if I'm honest mate I know its a low resource box but I'm sure something decent could get on it from another chip may be. There isn't a RK3228A section on freaktab.
Regarding atv again. It may be for another rockchip but it says on the site the new release of firmware supports rockchips. Can you find it. And if you download the package it does have a 1gb/8gb version. Maybe for another boz I don't know but maybe for this one.
Gourcuff14 said:
I wanted root, or twrp root installed because of the basic magisk manager app but that was purely because magisk is soon easy to use. I'm not a pro with this so the app you suggested mixplorer is still getting around my head. I probably bar the easy functionality of magisk would have rooted viper4android on.
I did open the box and remove the heatsink of the processor to check for sure and it did say RK3228A. I took a picture but I don't see an upload attachment tab only a link attachment!
I used the box for streaming. Its not bad at all, low resource but it does stream well. Live tele streaming isn't bad but it is hit and miss because of crap software, I don't think its well supported as oppose to playing off a downloadable file. I don't use kodi. Only apps which are lightweight.
I wanted to try different roms for the fun of it really if at all possible. Thanks for the stock image verification its the first port of call when playing around so thanks again in case I mess things up or want to go back
Regarding freaktabs links. Are they all flashed through computer or can I use the built-in system recovery? Will they work. Sorry. I should register there too but like I said above I didn't find much with a google search when attempting to find files etc. for RK3228A so pretty dumbfounded on how to do anything with the box. Any help is much appreciated. I don't know how to do this if I'm honest the connection to PC is playing up not detecting the box at all with or without the power in the box. Any help would be greatly welcomed if I'm honest mate I know its a low resource box but I'm sure something decent could get on it from another chip may be. There isn't a RK3228A section on freaktab.
Regarding atv again. It may be for another rockchip but it says on the site the new release of firmware supports rockchips. Can you find it. And if you download the package it does have a 1gb/8gb version. Maybe for another boz I don't know but maybe for this one.
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mmm well i haven't and didn't see anything on atv saying rockchip support ..
you can flash using batchtool in the link you already have or twrp ....what you don't seem to understand is that there is nothing for you to flash ...there are no custom roms for your device .,.you can try "porting" a rom which is to say taking a rom from another box with the same chip as yours and then patch fstab and swapping out ramdisk etc
search "porting" in xda to learn it .if you have atv rom with rockchip support share it with me ...
for now in freaktab they have a section for your chip ..go search for people with your box and try to port roms . i can't help you more
search in xda "porting" to learn how to port rom to your box ......
for basic understanding of root and root access to system folder i explained it well . if you need to know more sesrch xda university to learn information starting from basic beginning.
good luck bro
* one last thing * you have a problem
* your stock rom for restore is RK3229
__you say you have 3228A 100% certain ....
see the problem here ?:silly:
Hello. Thank you for your response it is much appreciated like I said thank you again. It says rockchip support on atv on the main page under the heading [ WE HAVE GONE BEYOND EXPECTATIONS…200K+ installs! ] at the top near the bottom of the paragraph.
I understood you when you said the box itself this exact model holds no support but I was wonder whether you could use another ROM. I will search port thank you.
I didn't see a RK3228 section on freaktab. I will have to post in another section or an open subforum.
Regarding stock firmware sent over. They say, a seller I mean who sent it said it will go on. I'm not sure how true that is being the same for a different chip. They messaged "3228A /3229 is the same . just different name for customers .3228A is for biger" lol
Gourcuff14 said:
Hello. Thank you for your response it is much appreciated like I said thank you again. It says rockchip support on atv on the main page under the heading [ WE HAVE GONE BEYOND EXPECTATIONS…200K+ installs! ] at the top near the bottom of the paragraph.
I understood you when you said the box itself this exact model holds no support but I was wonder whether you could use another ROM. I will search port thank you.
I didn't see a RK3228 section on freaktab. I will have to post in another section or an open subforum.
Regarding stock firmware sent over. They say, a seller I mean who sent it said it will go on. I'm not sure how true that is being the same for a different chip. They messaged "3228A /3229 is the same . just different name for customers .3228A is for biger" lol
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Jajaja, well i don't know in regards to 3228A and 3229 being the same ...if i were the manufacturer I wouldn't bother confusing people with two names
Obviously if the two are the same then obviously roms from both would work .
There is however a BIG section for RK3228 in Freaktab with more stuff than the RK3229 section cos it's older ...if they are the same that would be great news cos you could use stuff from both
We SOT luck regarding finding ready to go 123flash nice custom rom for our type of tv box .....
Could you please post a link to the Rockchip support bit on ATV page .. it's worth it to PM Ricky and asking him if there is ACTUAL working support for RK3228A&RK3229 but the only models I saw listed were Amlogic models in the "good" "popular" but more pricey boxes all starting with 9xx etc....
Hello again Sorry I couldn't see attachment support on my phone. I've now logged onto xda on a PC and I see upload ability. See below for pictures although it's being a bit for me, the attachments sorry if you cannot see them please let me know.
I cannot see the RK3228 section under Rockchips on freaktab. See the first attachment below to see screenshot taken of the rockchip section on freaktab.
And the second attachment is one taken from https://www.atvxperience.com/ homescreen which says rockchip support.
threads I have posted on both sites are here
https://forum.freaktab.com/forum/tv...players/rk3229-devices/751994-mxq-pro-rk3228a
https://forum.atvxperience.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=308
there is also a picture of the mxqpro mobo taken by myself on both links.
Gourcuff14 said:
Hello again Sorry I couldn't see attachment support on my phone. I've now logged onto xda on a PC and I see upload ability. See below for pictures although it's being a bit for me, the attachments sorry if you cannot see them please let me know.
I cannot see the RK3228 section under Rockchips on freaktab. See the first attachment below to see screenshot taken of the rockchip section on freaktab.
And the second attachment is one taken from https://www.atvxperience.com/ homescreen which says rockchip support.
threads I have posted on both sites are here
https://forum.freaktab.com/forum/tv...players/rk3229-devices/751994-mxq-pro-rk3228a
https://forum.atvxperience.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=308
there is also a picture of the mxqpro mobo taken by myself on both links.
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Okay cool will check it out .
Hello KevMetal. Can I use MiXplorer to root an ad blocker? I have tried blockada, stopad, adaway but they don't block in-app ads. Also can you recommend an equalizer? I'm not sure what else I can tune up tbh. Thank you x
Gourcuff14 said:
Hello KevMetal. Can I use MiXplorer to root an ad blocker? I have tried blockada, stopad, adaway but they don't block in-app ads. Also can you recommend an equalizer? I'm not sure what else I can tune up tbh. Thank you x
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I don't know why root isn't working for you ...install supersu ( from playstore)..when it asks to update binary just ignore it ... then open any app that neeeds root and see if a su prompt appears ..
You can use mixplorer to copy any apk into system to make it a system apk or to delete any apk too since you can enter /root/system/ folder even if su prompt doesn't work
adaway won't work
I found the twrp custom recovery and even a custom rom but it's only
Hello KevMetal. I installed SuperSU. When I open the app it says Root undetected then closes. I tried to open it several times but closes again I'm not sure what's going on there. App version 2.82.
Making of a system app. For example viper4android? I tried a normal install but it doesn't install drivers at first boot just stuck on trying to install drivers.
Is there any such in-app ad blocker?
What's the ROM like any good? Would the custom twrp kill anything if I was to install something like viper4android?
Thanks for your help x
Gourcuff14 said:
Hello KevMetal. I installed SuperSU. When I open the app it says Root undetected then closes. I tried to open it several times but closes again I'm not sure what's going on there. App version 2.82.
Making of a system app. For example viper4android? I tried a normal install but it doesn't install drivers at first boot just stuck on trying to install drivers.
Is there any such in-app ad blocker?
What's the ROM like any good? Would the custom twrp kill anything if I was to install something like viper4android?
Thanks for your help x
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Uuuf ...i would recommend trying twrp recovery at your own risk ...you might brick ...if you don't you don't need any custom rom ....just flash supersu .zip and adaway zip then you are good to good ... you can try an adblocker that uses a vpn to block ads ...sound mods like viper might break stuff ...you might get force closes or reboots if the install is a fail but if you are brave enough to risk bricking and flashing twrp you might as well try other package...i didn't try the custom rom but theoretically it comes optimized ..as in all chinese apps renoved ..esfilexpkorer..root & so on ..i think they also improved playback to get better video ..but i have only read about ..like i said from the start the only thing i did was twrp ...install supersu and sdmaid for optimization ..but root broke the Netflix apk and root didn't get me any closer to finding something that lets me use amazon video ..so finally I just restored to get Netflix apk working ( NONE ) of any of the netflix apks I downloaded worked ...only the original that came with the box and it stopped working with root ...so no more questions ..press thanks and flash something and you tell me what happened. :highfive:
Hello KevMetal.
OK I don't want to do anything crap. The box looks to be locked. I'm curious to see what could load up but at the same time cannot be bothered to be honest with the lack of support I should have known better reading of chip support before buying but having said that it is still a nice little box. I have removed a fair bit off the machine stock preinstalled crap and it is running OK.
I am reluctant to ask but having gone through all this chat could I at the very least have a look at the files you mention please? I probably won't do anything because I'm annoyed it isn't well supported but still just to have a look please, thank you x
The optimized ROM was what was appealing to be honest with you. May be on a different box now. I shall read, or at least look to see which is popular. Thank you again x
Hello. Can a lock be put on these MXQPRO. I tried settings, screen lock but it doesn't appear, the lockscreen doesn't appear after being set with a pin.
I haven't bothered loading a ROM. I'm just going to try optimize it as much as possible. Shame.
Gourcuff14 said:
Hello. I have a MXQPRO which has a rockchip in it, a RK3228A. I have lifted the mobo and heatsink to check but cannot see an image attachment on here Is anyone please able to help me root this box. It's currently running out the box fimware, 7.1 android. It's a bare minimal box with 1GB ram and 8GB storage. I'm wondering if I can do anything fancy with it. I'd like it rooted, TWRP possibly and another faster, possibly better ROM on it. I see https://www.atvxperience.com but don't know if it's something it can run. The computer I'm using is running Windows 10. Thank you x
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Hiya mate I think you have a rk3229 chips as they only used 3 chips on this board the AMLogic S905, S905x and RK3229.
https://chinagadgetsreviews.com/?s=Mxq+pro.
your board r329q v3.0 is a mxq 4k rk3229 chip
Hello pcmender2005. The chip itself says RK3228A. Its compatibility is unknown to me. There are pictures of the board here sorry if they are not clear enough I think one of them was uploaded at full image size..
https://forum.freaktab.com/forum/tv...players/rk3229-devices/751994-mxq-pro-rk3228a
https://forum.atvxperience.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=308
Is there anything I can do with it. Thank you for your response. I find optimized apps for example are smooth running so it was pure optimization was what I was after and in most cases modded ROMs offer that. ATV says of rockchip support but I don't know whether it supports mine and how I could get it on. Again thank you for the response x