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Hello the Wonderful and Fantastic Members of the XDA Community,
I'm in the process of researching on how to unlock bootloader, install magix and ultimately root the phone, and I hope that someone can point me to the right guides to accomplish these steps. I have been trying to figure it out but would feel much better if someone can point me to the right guide as opposed to me blindly guessing which guide I should follow. This is what I know so far:
1. I believe that in order to use Magix, I need to have a "Custom Recovery" which requires I unlock phone's "bootloader". But before I can do that, I need to have a stock system, which DrakenFX had gracious posted but I'm not too sure how to find. Can someone point me to the right forum to obtain the stock system image from DrakenFX and the guide to unlocking the bootloader for this phone? What are some precautions I should take prior to attempting to unlock the bootloader? And what do I need to do with the stock system if everything goes south with my attempt? I'm currently on A2017UV1.0.0B27 (after the latest update). Will the stock system work with that?
2. I believe that after I unlock the bootloader, I have to install the Custom Recovery, which I think I should use TWRP - is it compatible with magix? After I install TWRP, I need to use TWRP to "flash" magix onto my phone? How can I install TWRP and use it to flash magix? What are some of the precautions I need to take before my attempt to complete step 2?
3. I think after I installed the customer recovery and flash magix, rooting "should" be easier for me, but please point me to the appropriate guide to accomplish that.
Extra Question: I read in one of the forums that after I unlock the bootloader, I will no longer able to receive On The Air updates, how can I continue to receive these updates after bootloader is unlocked and what happens when ZTE roll out Android N for the Axon 7? Will I be able to update to that version?
Here are all the facts about my phone:
Model: ZTE A2017U
Android Version: 6.0.1
Kernel Version: 3.18.20
Build Number: A2017UV1.0.0B27
Thank you all so very much for your patience, understanding, and kind help, I'm forever grateful!
First flash TWRP by following this guide: http://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/development/wip-axon-7-root-bootloader-unlokced-t3441204
Then unlock your bootloader by following this guide: http://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/how-to/guide-how-to-unlock-bootloader-stay-t3461165
I've never used Magisk before (I just stick with SuperSU), so I'll leave that part to someone else.
As for the extra question:
If you used ZTE's official bootloader unlock method (which required you to submit a form with your IMEI), you'll no longer get OTAs, but if you do it all unofficially (like these guides), you'll still get OTAs. HOWEVER, the OTAs will not install if you make changes to the device besides bootloader unlock. If you have a custom recovery it won't apply. If you have systemless root (which modifies the boot image) it won't apply. If you use Magisk (which modifies the boot image) it won't apply. If you make changes to /system it won't apply. So basically, besides having an unlocked bootloader, you have to be full and complete stock to install OTAs.
However, after an OTA comes out, I suspect that someone will make a TWRP-flashable version.
@xtermmin Thank you so much for your reply, I greatly appreciate it!
Quick question, Is there a way to install TWRP without having to root first? The reason I ask was according to Magix, it must be flashed prior to the system being rooted.
@xtermmin Thank you so much for your reply, I greatly appreciate it!
Quick question, Is there a way to install TWRP without having to root first? The reason I ask was according to Magix, it must be flashed prior to the system being rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't need to root to flash TWRP.
I was wondering if someone could give me a direct answer because i cant seem to find one sifting through the forums.
I originally rooted with root master back when i got the phone. it is still on mje/4.3 stock build. things look a little more complicated then i remember, since my phone hasn't seen an update in over 3 years. I originally froze the verizon ota updates with tibackup, along with all the other bloatware.
My main questions are:
1. I would like to get a 6.0 Rom that looks like the note 7 did, can i do it all with odin and just flash a bunch of files?
2. Do I need a custom recovery like twrp or cwm?
3. I've read about an activation lock but can't find it in my menus, did it not exist yet on 4.3?
If anyone can point me in the right direction I would appreciate it, I really dont wanna brick my phone.
I'm still on MJE firmware, but using an older CM13 (temasek) ROM. So it's marshmallow but no Touchwiz or other Samsung add-ons.
Here are the MJE-specific issues:
1) You can't boot N* or O* stock kernels because of differences in the way that DTB (device tree blobs) are packed into the boot image. I've played with re-packing the boot images, but the kernels seem to run off into the weeds after a few tens of seconds.
2) TowelRoot works on MI9 through NC2(leak) but I think not thereafter - if you wanted to avoid a bootloader firmware upgrade but re-flash via Odin the MJE firmware for "starting from scratch" purposes, you have a means to re-root that does not require a PC.
3) If you retain the MJE bootloader, use the TWRP (hltevzw) -4.3 recovery; the -4.4 recovery will not boot, presumably due to issues similar to (1) above.
4) Not specific to MJE - but important - is the fact that if you want to boot either a custom kernel or custom recovery, you need to unlock your bootloader first. You can unlock your bootloader from any rooted ROM, but be aware that flashing stock firmware with Odin thereafter will re-lock the bootloader.
If you were to "start from scratch" but upgrade to more recent stock software before rooting, be aware that there is no publicly available root for NC4 or NK1; you would need to install stock OB6 or OF1, and follow that by using those "yemen" rooting tools. (Are they safe to use? I don't know frankly)
I am assuming that the N* and O* series bootloaders are backwards compatible with regard to device tree booting issues (see #1 above), because the temasek CM13 roms (having a custom kernel) boot on both OF1- and (my) MJE- bootloader phone. I guess that means it uses a "4.3" DTB packing in the boot image.
You are probably going to want to use TiBu to make important backups, and also copy everything off the phone that is important to you. You should assume that if anything goes wrong, an Odin re-install and factory reset are in the device's future.
Having said all this, I'm not sure there is such a thing as a ROM which "looks like Note7" - this is an old phone with almost no ROM developers left. There might have been more, but the bootloader unlock was achieved 2+ years after the phone's release, and most of the active developers moved on to new phones before that happened.
good luck
Can I put LineageOS on my Galaxy S5 using SafeStrap? If not, would Odin do the trick instead?
What, if anything, do I need to do to maintain root?
Do I need to unlock the bootloader before flashing the ROM?
Do the steps in the above link work on unlocking the verizon bootloader or will I make a brick?
If there's a link to getting LineageOS onto my Verizon S5 while keeping root please point me in the right direction. Thank you.
androidman807 said:
Can I put LineageOS on my Galaxy S5 using SafeStrap? If not, would Odin do the trick instead?
What, if anything, do I need to do to maintain root?
Do I need to unlock the bootloader before flashing the ROM?
Do the steps in the above link work on unlocking the verizon bootloader or will I make a brick?
If there's a link to getting LineageOS onto my Verizon S5 while keeping root please point me in the right direction. Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you first need to root then unlock bootloader then install twrp then flash Lineage and Gapps and your all set , all information regarding how to root and unlock bootloader are in the vzw section , do make a full back up of your sdcard(micro sd card) to your computer because unlocking the bootloader will wipe/format your memory card(keep that in mind)
also i suggest you update your modem and bootloader , just in case you would like to test the ported rom which most of them run on a higher bootloader and with a old bootloader you will face issues with wifi and nav buttons specially with the vzw variant (i also have a vzw) , update it to i think the highest so far by @jrkruze is qf2 , for example the skiesrom (a s8 port) runs on a qf5 bootloader but updating vzw bootloader to qf2 fixes the wifi and nav button bugs.
Good Luck and also do properly read the instructions word for word.
I'm so grateful for your response. You've been down this road and know the traps. I believe my original post has the right thread on unlocking the bootloader for vzw, and I appreciate the warning about it erasing the micro-sd card.
Two follow-up questions:
Where can I find the update for the modem?
Also to avoid the wifi and nav problems, do I want the QF2 or QF5? And where do I find those? Here it says to use latest bootloader (QA1) with QF2 modem. Does that make sense? If so I just need to know where to find those.
Thank you again so very much.
KazuDante said:
you first need to root then unlock bootloader then install twrp then flash Lineage and Gapps and your all set , all information regarding how to root and unlock bootloader are in the vzw section , do make a full back up of your sdcard(micro sd card) to your computer because unlocking the bootloader will wipe/format your memory card(keep that in mind)
also i suggest you update your modem and bootloader , just in case you would like to test the ported rom which most of them run on a higher bootloader and with a old bootloader you will face issues with wifi and nav buttons specially with the vzw variant (i also have a vzw) , update it to i think the highest so far by @jrkruze is qf2 , for example the skiesrom (a s8 port) runs on a qf5 bootloader but updating vzw bootloader to qf2 fixes the wifi and nav button bugs.
Good Luck and also do properly read the instructions word for word.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
androidman807 said:
I'm so grateful for your response. You've been down this road and know the traps. I believe my original post has the right thread on unlocking the bootloader for vzw, and I appreciate the warning about it erasing the micro-sd card.
Two follow-up questions:
Where can I find the update for the modem?
Also to avoid the wifi and nav problems, do I want the QF2 or QF5? And where do I find those? Here it says to use latest bootloader (QA1) with QF2 modem. Does that make sense? If so I just need to know where to find those.
Thank you again so very much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Latest bootloader (after you unlocked your current bootloader) : https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=73734257&postcount=3143
latest modem : https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=61802396&postcount=1 ( use the ones in the odin section , you will need to be bootloader unlocked and have odin+latest samsung drivers installed)
latest twrp : https://dl.twrp.me/klte/ ( the ones that ends with .tar are for flashing using odin , since you dont have twrp yet but flashing twtp comes last after rooting and unlocking bootloader and updating bootloader then update the modem then odin flash twrp then have lineageos and nougat gapps on memory card. reboot while holding vol up and home button to reboot into twrp to install lineageos system then gopengapps , afterwards you can install magisk to have root access on lineageOS as well .
p.s after you unlock bootloader and the system reboots normally return to download mode then use odin to flash twrp , i just noticed(remembered that latest bootloader update uses twrp and not safestrap recovery.
to unlock current bootloader : https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=71202995&postcount=3
Thank you so much. So if I understand right it's:
1) UNLOCK bootloader
2) UPDATE bootloader (latest is QF2)
3) update modem (latest tar was QI2)
4) flash TWRP from Odin (you linked to klte version; qualcomm but I have vzw)
5) install LineageOS and gapps from TWRP
6) install magisk from TWRP to get root
Is that correct?
Correct bootloader and modem versions?
OK to use klte for Verizon?
Magisk is for root, done last, and not superSu?
If all those are Yes, then I guess the prep work is done and now I just have to bite the bullet, do a safestrap and titanium backup and dive in.
Thanks again - I really do appreciate it.
KazuDante said:
The Latest bootloader (after you unlocked your current bootloader) : https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=73734257&postcount=3143
latest modem : https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=61802396&postcount=1 ( use the ones in the odin section , you will need to be bootloader unlocked and have odin+latest samsung drivers installed)
latest twrp : https://dl.twrp.me/klte/ ( the ones that ends with .tar are for flashing using odin , since you dont have twrp yet but flashing twtp comes last after rooting and unlocking bootloader and updating bootloader then update the modem then odin flash twrp then have lineageos and nougat gapps on memory card. reboot while holding vol up and home button to reboot into twrp to install lineageos system then gopengapps , afterwards you can install magisk to have root access on lineageOS as well .
p.s after you unlock bootloader and the system reboots normally return to download mode then use odin to flash twrp , i just noticed(remembered that latest bootloader update uses twrp and not safestrap recovery.
to unlock current bootloader : https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=71202995&postcount=3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
androidman807 said:
Thank you so much. So if I understand right it's:
1) UNLOCK bootloader
2) UPDATE bootloader (latest is QF2)
3) update modem (latest tar was QI2)
4) flash TWRP from Odin (you linked to klte version; qualcomm but I have vzw)
5) install LineageOS and gapps from TWRP
6) install magisk from TWRP to get root
Is that correct?
Correct bootloader and modem versions?
OK to use klte for Verizon?
Magisk is for root, done last, and not superSu?
If all those are Yes, then I guess the prep work is done and now I just have to bite the bullet, do a safestrap and titanium backup and dive in.
Thanks again - I really do appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes thats correct , also there is no vzw variant of lineage since vzw is merged under klte , so every rom you download the one you have to choose is klte unless the dev make a build for each variant but not likely to happen anymore.
A very basic assumption may have been overlooked, but it seems the CID on my lollipop PB1 is 11 Toshiba eMMC. Method 2 of unlocking stopped at step 4 with an error in the terminal screen indicating this is only for Samsung eMMCs. Is it possible to unlock an 11, and if so, where would I find those steps?
KazuDante said:
yes thats correct , also there is no vzw variant of lineage since vzw is merged under klte , so every rom you download the one you have to choose is klte unless the dev make a build for each variant but not likely to happen anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
androidman807 said:
A very basic assumption may have been overlooked, but it seems the CID on my lollipop PB1 is 11 Toshiba eMMC. Method 2 of unlocking stopped at step 4 with an error in the terminal screen indicating this is only for Samsung eMMCs. Is it possible to unlock an 11, and if so, where would I find those steps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sadly cid 11 cannot be unlocked , best option is to only change current S5 with another S5 and hope its a CID 15 , or sadly get another phone but check xda forum to see if it has any latest custom roms and bootloader can be unlocked.
But for CID 11 theres no unlocks for those , only thing is safestrap roms that allows you to run ports like PhoenixRom and other stock but modded roms but using safestrap
Thanks you so much again. How can I tell which ROMs are stock I can use in safestrap (like Phoenixrom) and which are custom I can't use (like LineageOS)?
And if I have a safestrap backup to my sd card of my stock lollipop and don't like phoenix (which seems to be MM) can I restore from safestrap back to my stock LL?
KazuDante said:
sadly cid 11 cannot be unlocked , best option is to only change current S5 with another S5 and hope its a CID 15 , or sadly get another phone but check xda forum to see if it has any latest custom roms and bootloader can be unlocked.
But for CID 11 theres no unlocks for those , only thing is safestrap roms that allows you to run ports like PhoenixRom and other stock but modded roms but using safestrap
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
androidman807 said:
Thanks you so much again. How can I tell which ROMs are stock I can use in safestrap (like Phoenixrom) and which are custom I can't use (like LineageOS)?
And if I have a safestrap backup to my sd card of my stock lollipop and don't like phoenix (which seems to be MM) can I restore from safestrap back to my stock LL?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that im not sure about that so i cant give you any pointers since i have not done anything with safestrap besides the process to unlock the bootloader.
Thanks anyway. It seems it should work, since safestrap won't disappear. Maybe I should post a new thread. Thank you again for all your time.
KazuDante said:
that im not sure about that so i cant give you any pointers since i have not done anything with safestrap besides the process to unlock the bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am also essentially looking to install LineageOS on my Galaxy S5, but before proceeding, I just wanted to make sure that what I'm looking to do is correct. Currently I am running an old version of PhoenixROM with an old unlocked bootloader. I know that I will need to update the bootloader in order to prevent issues, such as wifi not working.
Should all I need to do is follow JKruse's instructions here, flashing LineageOS as the last and final step? I'm hoping that it is this easy, but I do have my doubts and that is why I am asking on here for advice.
Thank you to all in advance!
First of all, I want to tell you that I'm not very familiar with rooting but have just a bit experience flashing custom roms, so please go easy on me.
I have done some research and found a couple things that I couldn't find answers for:
1) First one is that apparently you need your bootloader unlocked/ OEM unlocking enabled in developer options, however since I upgraded to Oreo in last August, that option disappeared. I've tried two methods for making it appear that I've found online (keeping phone up for 7 days straight and reverting time back) but none worked. I've read somewhere that if you downgrade to Nougat, enable it then re update to Oreo your bootloader will remain unlocked. So, can someone confirm this? Can you downgrade with a locked bootloader? And if so, can someone guide me through it? (Additional question: will the downgrade reset user data?)
2) After unlocking bootloader you need to flash TWRP but I have so many questions on that. First: I couldn't find a TWRP for oreo. Does it work regardless of os version? Second: I found a guide from XDA that is written long ago, and it says "make a full backup of your system, including EFS before flashing". How do you backup without flashing it tho? All guides are about using either a custom recovery or rooted app.
3) Do you really need TWRP? I mean, can't you flash Magisk via Odin/ADB directly, perhaps without unlocking bootloader? What happens if I use install command from ADB?
4) So does tripping knox fuse achieve anything other than killing the nonexistent system updates and samsung guarantee? I want to make sure Samsung health is going to operate.
Hi there,
I have a rooted Verizon S5 Developer Edition (CID 15, if it matters) running Android 4.4.4 (NK2, bootloader NCG). I am trying to get this phone up-to-date, with root, on at least the newest VZW stock Android release for now, and probably LineageOS in the future.
I’ve been spending hours searching through the forums trying to understand what is the deal with the bootloader requirements for these newer Android versions, and I’m stumped. In this QL1 thread it’s said that the bootloader doesn’t ever need to be changed to install a newer OS version, and LineageOS doesn’t mention anything about needing to do bootloader updates in its installation instructions. However, the ROMs from jrkruse with full installation instructions, like their QA1 ROM, clearly state that the bootloader “MUST BE ON PD1+”.
Can someone please clarify this apparent contradiction for me, so I know the correct way to proceed? I’ve tried reading through the hundreds of pages of comments on those threads as well as the bootloader unlocking thread, and there’s so much noise that I’ve been unable to find the answer, if it already exists.
Also, I know this is kind of an academic point, but if it’s true that the bootloader does need updating, is there a way to get an updated bootloader without changing the phone’s CID, since it is already an unlocked Dev Edition phone? (Search results are absolutely overwhelmed with people talking about “make your S5 a Dev Edition S5” so I have been unable to find any information about the actual Dev Edition phones.) The SamsungCID code seems to append a hard-coded blob of data onto the end of any bootloader; is this really all that needs to be done? The extra data at the end of my original NCG bootloader is 668 bytes, not 256 bytes, so it’s not obvious to me if it really is enough to just copy it straight over.
Thank you!
1CDT said:
Hi there, I have a rooted Verizon S5 Developer Edition (CID 15, if it matters) running Android 4.4.4 (NK2, bootloader NCG)..........
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since you've got a G900V device, with a CID15, you are able to unlock the bootloader. The following threads OP provides the instructions for unlocking the bootloader.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3561529
From there you will be able to install TWRP Recovery and thus install a Custom Firmware like LineageOS.
Regarding the updates, the G900V is the only GS5 variant that doesn't require the Bootloader to be updated. Regarding the Firmware Baseband Modem Updates, the following thread provides them all that you can flash via Odin.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3926673
Good Luck!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unless asked to do so, PLEASE don't PM me regarding support. Sent using The ClaRetoX2 Forum App on my Sanyo Juno device.
Hi Ibuprophen,
Thank you for your help!
Ibuprophen said:
Since you've got a G900V device, with a CID15, you are able to unlock the bootloader. The following threads OP provides the instructions for unlocking the bootloader. […]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone already has a TWRP recovery installed, and is a Dev Edition phone so the bootloader is factory unlocked. As such, my understanding is that those unlocking instructions don’t apply unless I need a newer bootloader. Is this correct?
Ibuprophen said:
Regarding the updates, the G900V is the only GS5 variant that doesn't require the Bootloader to be updated. […]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It’s interesting to hear that the G900V is the only variant which doesn’t require the bootloader to be updated along with the system and baseband software, since the other threads I linked with the bootloader requirement are also G900V-specific. Do you know it’s not the case because you’ve personally used an Android 6+ ROM with a pre-PD1 bootloader? I know I could just flash the new ROM to Try It And See, but I’m hoping to avoid wasting time and energy on something that other experienced people know won’t work.
Thanks again!
1CDT said:
Hi Ibuprophen, Thank you for your help! The phone already has a TWRP recovery installed, and is a Dev Edition phone so the bootloader is factory unlocked..........
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I only stated that the Bootloader doesn't have to be updated for the G900V device.
The Baseband Modem Firmware does require updates (as their released).
Though, it's not harmful to this device to flash the Bootloader, it won't do anything different and you'll actually end up locking the bootloader again and have to go through the process of unlocking it.
The Verizon variant just passes on the same Bootloader image from one Firmware to the next one. This is just a Verizon thing and they don't make sense for allot of what they do.
If you want to update the Bootloader, that's, of course, up to you...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unless asked to do so, PLEASE don't PM me regarding support. Sent using The ClaRetoX2 Forum App on my Sanyo Juno device.
So I will keep working on this, but I can’t currently verify that the bootloader doesn’t need to be updated on SM-G900V, based on the work I did today. So far I can only verify that LineageOS will boot and work with an NCG bootloader, except for some bug where it destroys data in the EFS partition which I suppose is not actually bootloader-related
First, after backing everything up in TWRP, I started with the baseband modem and firmware updates to QL1. The steps for this were:
1. Boot into download mode (vol dn + home + power)
2. Run heimdall flash --RECOVERY recovery.img --BOOT boot.img --no-reboot using the files from the stock QL1 image (any of them will do)
3. Hold power button to turn off phone
4. Pull battery
5. Boot into download mode
6. Verify that “Current Binary” is ”Samsung Official”
7. Run heimdall flash --MODEM modem.bin --APNHLOS NON-HLOS.bin --RPM rpm.mbn --SBL1 sbl1.mbn --DBI sdi.mbn --TZ tz.mbn using the files from the stock QL1 image (or from the baseband firmware thread, they are the same)
8. Hold power button to turn off phone
9. Pull battery
10. Boot phone back into download mode
11. Run heimdall flash --RECOVERY twrp.img to reinstall TWRP
12. Hold power button to turn off phone
13. Boot into recovery (vol up + home + power) to verify the flash and to ensure it doesn’t get erased
14. Reboot to system
This caused every application to crash on boot in the already-installed NK2 system ROM. I don’t know if I did something wrong, or if they are just incompatible; I did wipe cache and dalvik cache from TWRP, but that didn’t make things work. (I had the same problem when I had to roll back everything later; more on that in a bit.)
Since everything suddenly was broken, I assumed that the baseband update must have been successful (I later verified in LineageOS that it was indeed successful), so I followed the LineageOS instructions to sideload LineageOS and Open GApps from TWRP. This was successful and the OS installed and booted to the setup wizard.
The first problem I encountered at this point was that the mobile network wasn’t connecting during the setup wizard. I skipped this step of the wizard and continued on to configuring the OS settings. Eventually the mobile network connected while I was doing that.
When I started installing apps, I noticed that it took a very long time to receive SMS from the network. Upon investigation I discovered that LineageOS was using legacy CDMA for voice and SMS. I did research and discovered that LineageOS does not, and apparently never will, support VoLTE on klte. Since this is a non-starter for me (Verizon will be LTE-only by the end of next year, so I have no idea how LineageOS klte will exist at that point) I opted to wipe and load stock QL1.
While preparing to load stock QL1, I restarted the phone accidentally, and noticed that I’d permanently lost mobile network connectivity. I tried restoring my EFS backup from TWRP; this didn’t seem to fix the problem. I was going to install stock QL1 system anyway due to the VoLTE problem so I didn’t think about it any more.
At this point I followed these steps to flash stock QL1:
1. Boot to download mode
2. Run heimdall --BOOT boot.img --SYSTEM system.img --no-reboot using files from the stock QL1 image
3. Turn off phone
4. Reboot to recovery
5. Wipe data, cache, dalvik cache
6. Reboot to system
After 15 minutes at the Verizon logo while the dalvik cache was built, the setup wizard started and mobile network connection was working and I was able to complete initial setup for stock QL1. However, the system was not OK:
1. Wifi would not enable
2. The back and menu buttons did not work
3. When the phone locked, after a while, the notification LED turned red and the phone wouldn’t respond to any button presses (I had to pull the battery; this happened multiple times)
At this point I needed a working phone, so I found an NK2 stock image (this was difficult because all the links on xda-developers are dead and sammobile wants money for these old versions, so someone might want to reupload these!) and ran these steps to roll back:
1. The same steps above for installing the baseband modem and firmware, except using NK2 images and firmware
2. Boot to recovery
3. Wipe data, cache, dalvik cache
4. Restore NK2 TWRP backups of System, Boot, Data, EFS
5. Reboot to system
Instead of being fully restored, every app was crashing on boot again, like when I had updated the QL1 firmware and rebooted into the old NK2 system. I was finally able to get my full backup restored successfully by following these extra steps:
1. Boot to TWRP
2. Wipe Data
3. Reboot to system, until the setup wizard starts
4. Turn off the phone without running the wizard
5. Boot to TWRP
6. Restore Data
7. Reboot to system, everything is OK now
The hard buttons and wifi problem are noted by @jrkruse on the unlocking the bootloader thread. I had to get my phone back in a working state for tomorrow so I didn’t try the instructions to reflash the PD1 boot+recovery+firmware. I’m not actually sure if it’s correct today to reflash PD1 firmware instead of QL1 firmware; clarity here would be helpful. If anyone also sees a clear mistake in the steps I outlined above, I would be grateful to know that.
If I can’t get stock QL1 to not be broken, and it’s due to the bootloader requirement, then I guess I am stuck unless I start messing with the bootloader (given the “We still are unsure if changing the CID causes app store, verification, activation, provision, or other issues, everything you do is at your own risk!” warning, this means me trying to transplant my dev signature onto the EMMC 15 bootloaders even though my signature is a different size). I’m pretty terrified of doing that since there’s conflicting information about whether it’s possible to flash an old bootloader once you’ve upgraded past certain versions, and I haven’t learned yet how bricked the phone becomes if a bad bootloader is flashed. I know it’s not possible to flash old bootloaders on a retail device; is that true on Dev Edition devices too?
Thanks again for your help! I wish I had more positive news.
1CDT said:
Hi there,
I have a rooted Verizon S5 Developer Edition (CID 15, if it matters) running Android 4.4.4 (NK2, bootloader NCG). I am trying to get this phone up-to-date, with root, on at least the newest VZW stock Android release for now, and probably LineageOS in the future.
I’ve been spending hours searching through the forums trying to understand what is the deal with the bootloader requirements for these newer Android versions, and I’m stumped. In this QL1 thread it’s said that the bootloader doesn’t ever need to be changed to install a newer OS version, and LineageOS doesn’t mention anything about needing to do bootloader updates in its installation instructions. However, the ROMs from jrkruse with full installation instructions, like their QA1 ROM, clearly state that the bootloader “MUST BE ON PD1+”.
Can someone please clarify this apparent contradiction for me, so I know the correct way to proceed? I’ve tried reading through the hundreds of pages of comments on those threads as well as the bootloader unlocking thread, and there’s so much noise that I’ve been unable to find the answer, if it already exists.
Also, I know this is kind of an academic point, but if it’s true that the bootloader does need updating, is there a way to get an updated bootloader without changing the phone’s CID, since it is already an unlocked Dev Edition phone? (Search results are absolutely overwhelmed with people talking about “make your S5 a Dev Edition S5” so I have been unable to find any information about the actual Dev Edition phones.) The SamsungCID code seems to append a hard-coded blob of data onto the end of any bootloader; is this really all that needs to be done? The extra data at the end of my original NCG bootloader is 668 bytes, not 256 bytes, so it’s not obvious to me if it really is enough to just copy it straight over.
Thank you!
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Hi, I'm the guy who did the bootloader unlock. It's kind of a complicated situation, upgrading bootloaders after having an unlocked retail bootloader. The issue is that once you have a dev device (CID + matching RSA signature, the extra 256 bytes), the bootloader write-protects the eMMC where aboot lives. Normally, if we wanted to upgrade the bootloader and maintain our unlocked bootloader, we'd grab the new bootloader, append our dev blob/signature, and just flash to the aboot partition.
The only way to get the newest bootloader is to flash the latest stock ROM (which locks your bootloader), and then unlock it again by rooting and appending the dev blob. I'm not sure if the latest ROMs can be rooted or not since I don't play with my S5 very often. You don't have to change the CID ever again. If you have a real dev device (you purchased it from Samsung as unlocked, not using our exploit), you will want to back up your device signature by just making a copy of the aboot partition. If this is the case for you, you can feel free to send me your aboot partition, and I'll carve out the signature that you need.
It's more so a limitation of the bootloader trying to prevent people from accidentally re-locking the bootloader. When Samsung signs the real dev device bootloaders, the dev blob/sig is apart of the code being signed, which means we can flash that in Odin while retaining your unlocked bootloader. We don't want to use an ancient bootloader, so this isn't useful. You can PM me if you want and I can walk you through the process, but it's pretty complicated so I feel better not posting the whole process and having people possibly brick their devices.
TL;DR
Just send me a PM and I'll walk you through everything. Don't flash or change anything if you have Developer Edition device that you purchased directly from Samsung. We want to preserve your device-unique "key".