Old newbie help! - Galaxy Note 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi all,
It's been a long, long while since I tinkered with roms, I think my last one was either a Samsung Galaxy Tab (the original one!) or an HTC Sensation.
So I've recently acquired a Note 4 n910F and can't stand all of the Samsung bloatware, and I'd like a newer version of android for compatibility with newer apps.
So remind me... What does 'stock' mean? Is this as Samsung intended, or as android intended? I'd just like a vanilla as possible android experience that works well.
Help please!

richuu said:
Hi all,
It's been a long, long while since I tinkered with roms, I think my last one was either a Samsung Galaxy Tab (the original one!) or an HTC Sensation.
So I've recently acquired a Note 4 n910F and can't stand all of the Samsung bloatware, and I'd like a newer version of android for compatibility with newer apps.
So remind me... What does 'stock' mean? Is this as Samsung intended, or as android intended? I'd just like a vanilla as possible android experience that works well.
Help please!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey! I don't know if you've already found your answers but I thought I would respond in case you haven't.
In almost every reference you see in this section of xda "stock" is referring to the TouchWiz OS that Samsung phones are shipped with.
True android stock is referred to as "vanilla" like you said.
I use a different model Note 4 than you have but from what I've read it's fairly easy to flash TWRP (custom recovery) on the F model via Odin and from there you can pick from whichever rom suits you. Just be sure you're in the Snapdragon section. There are many different models of the Note 4 and some of them have a different processor called Exynos. The roms are processor specific and you can only use the ones built for your type which is the Snapdragon processor.
One other thing I wound suggest, because of the different variants of the F model, is to take notice of your CSC code. Once you start flashing other roms it may be hard to track down the original code. Use this app to see what it is and that way you can flash the appropriate modem file (or if you need to reflash your stock firmware) instead of just using whichever modem file is provided in the OP of the rom you're flashing. There are many different variants of the F model with many different country codes, just remember that just because the firmware has a newer release date doesn't mean it's the correct version.
TWRP- Found here
Samsung USB drivers for Windows. Needed to connect your phone to your PC- Found here
Odin download- Found here
Development section for Snapdragon- Found here

Fantastic response, thank you. I think I'd like to do without TouchWiz... Pretty much all of my previous phones have been HTC, which either had the HTC skin over it, which was fairly unobtrusive, or barely anything at all. The current version of android and TW on the note 4 is messy.

Related

roms

gf is getting a galaxy tab from telstra, now i was wondering if these can be flashed to debrand them of the telstra software to make the software as it was from samsung or if its possible to root it and install newer android os such as 3.0 ?
which version of the tab do telstra use? the current is 10.1 right?
I have now flashed my Optus SGT several times with various ROMs, and I am sure that the Telstra Tabs can also be done successfully. However, unless you are already very comfortable with this process, I would recommend a lot of reading in this forum before trying anything like you want to do.
I have found this forum to be a mine of information on the topic, and there is a very good starting guide in the Galaxy Tab Android Developers Forum - [REF] ***Galaxy Tab Directory (Bible)*** 2/19/2011
Unfortunately I haven't yet figured out how to do the link, but you would certainly find it with a search on "Galaxy Tab Directory (Bible)"
Hope this helps.
PS - My current preference is for Overcome 1.2.3
cheers mate, im proficient in putting roms on my htc desire so i assume it would be a similar affair with this device, shall look into what you have mentioned and its great to here that roms do exist for this device.

[Q] S5 changing Kernel

Dear All
This is my first time to post and use XDA, so please guild me and give me a hand. thanks
I am using Galaxy S5 LTE-A ( Korea Version SM-G906S)
Snapdragon 805,
3GB ram
Kernel version (3.10.0-1916255
Baseband
G906SKSU1ANFF
i am now facing to a problem that because its a Korea version and i am locate in Hong Kong, there are many Hong Kong local Samsung's feature i can not use and also are different then what i had with my S4 which i found it hugely inconvenience, such as the Keyboard's input are not the original, the watch on function is not working in my area, some korean words which i dont understand keep on poping up.
so i wonger if its possible i can download the S5 (G900S) hong kong Kernal to install in my G906S? so all the problem will be solved,
if not then what can i do? please give me a hand. thank you
Edmund
edmundluk6 said:
so i wonger if its possible i can download the S5 (G900S) hong kong Kernal to install in my G906S? so all the problem will be solved
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well according to Samsung this phone doesn't exist. Samsung swore up and down that there would be no S5 prime released.
But anyway, your idea to use the kernel from the existing S5 is exceedingly unlikely to work. You can't just transplant a stock kernel from a different model. The kernel may be nearly identical, but you have to expect at least a few differences in system level drivers and addressing which is enough to cause serious problems. An expert could probably recompile and port the kernel over, but this phone was just released and I doubt that anyone has done anything like that yet.
There probably isn't Chinese or English firmware for this model, but you check on that just in case. Also see if there is Chinese or English support in the current firmware. Failing that, you may be able to install an English or Chinese custom ROM. Once one is released that is. There is probably enough interest in the premium hardware for someone to tackle that.
Realize that you bought a Korean market only device, at least for the moment and unless Samsung releases it to more markets or a programmer takes it on as a project.. you don't have a lot of options. Hazards of being an early adopter and /or not researching your options in advance.
Also, few people outside of Korea will have any firsthand knowledge of this phone yet, so we don't know a lot of details e.g. if the bootloader is locked or much else.
.
fffft said:
Well according to Samsung this phone doesn't exist. Samsung swore up and down that there would be no S5 prime released.
But anyway, your idea to use the kernel from the existing S5 is exceedingly unlikely to work. You can't just transplant a stock kernel from a different model. The kernel may be nearly identical, but you have to expect at least a few differences in system level drivers and addressing which is enough to cause serious problems. An expert could probably recompile and port the kernel over, but this phone was just released and I doubt that anyone has done anything like that yet.
There probably isn't Chinese or English firmware for this model, but you check on that just in case. Also see if there is Chinese or English support in the current firmware. Failing that, you may be able to install an English or Chinese custom ROM. Once one is released that is. There is probably enough interest in the premium hardware for someone to tackle that.
Realize that you bought a Korean market only device, at least for the moment and unless Samsung releases it to more markets or a programmer takes it on as a project.. you don't have a lot of options. Hazards of being an early adopter and /or not researching your options in advance.
Also, few people outside of Korea will have any firsthand knowledge of this phone yet, so we don't know a lot of details e.g. if the bootloader is locked or much else.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many thanks for your help, looks like i will have to live with it for now, i hope there will be future rom for my phone. thank you very much. your information is very helpful.
@edmundluk6
FYI, root, custom recovery and custom ROM development for your phone.
SM-G906S/K/L/ S805 Info Sharing thread (Root/CWM/Custom Rom)
.

Bootloader unlocked, can I use any rom?

So Ive had this Verizon Note 3 since day one. Finally unlocked my bootloader... What are the rules on what I can and can't do now. Can I install any Android rom? Can I only install note 3 roms from any carrier... Can I install only Verizon note 3 roms? Or is it a hybrid... I can install any rom if I replace the firmware and or modem.
I really want something on 7.1 but I'd rather take 6 and have something custom... Fast and responsive.
Thanks community.
You are in luck. :crying:
There's hardly anything to choose from; maybe 3 or 4 ROMs and about the same number of kernels.
AFAIK, there are no Nougat ROMs and only one Marshmallow ROM (AryaMod6.6).
Normally, when a dev ships a "ROM", there are two important pieces: the /system image (what some folks call "the ROM"), and the boot image. The boot image is what some folks erroneously call "the kernel"; but it is really a combination of kernel + ramdisk. The ramdisk has all the scripts in it that the "init" process reads to start up all the low-level daemons and services... as well as the Android UI as well.
The kernel is very tightly tied to the specific hardware in a given handset - both the processor/gpu and all the sensors/leds/peripherals.
So that's the reason you can't just flash any old ROM. In the least bad case, your device wouldn't boot; in the worst bad case the kernel would boot up far enough go off in the weeds and possibly damage some of your hardware.
You might be tempted to think "we'll, what if I find a boot image for the "hltevzw" SM-N900V device... can I flash that after I have flashed 'any old Android ROM'? Won't that take care of things?"
Well, not really. The system library binaries in /system are possibly compiled with instruction-set optimumization tweaks that are only supported by specific CPU and GPU hardware chips. Moreover, other peripheral chips such as GPS have unique "downloadable" vendor firmware in the system image... so again, there's the issue of hardware dependencies of the /system image.
Beyond that, there's carrier-specific "setup and activation" software that differs between ROMs, so even using ROMs that are from a different carrier's version of the exact same handset hardware might not work fully - specifically in the telephony function areas. Everything else might work fine though. For instance if you wanted to use the device as a WiFi-only unit for kid's games etc.
Note BTW that the "International" Note 3 GSM phones are not the same hardware - they use an Exynos processor.
good luck in your quest
Thanks
That was very helpful... Looks like Araya is my best bet. I'll leave jasmine rom to try it.
I was hoping that I could get another note 3 rom on this forum and flash the CDMA modem for networking... But doesn't seem like that's an option.
If I'm still stuck to Verizon Note 3 rom... What is the purpose or benefit of unlocking the bootloader... Was that really just to avoid Odin so I can flash my couple rom choices easier?
I appreciate your time!
cyberoptics said:
That was very helpful... Looks like Araya is my best bet. I'll leave jasmine rom to try it.
I was hoping that I could get another note 3 rom on this forum and flash the CDMA modem for networking... But doesn't seem like that's an option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I might have very slightly overstated the case for pessimism. There is a "consolidated" Verizon Note 3 Forum which is meant for devs to provide development tools and even ROMs that could potentially be used on devices from more than one carrier. But the world being organized the way it is, that means that you are more likely to find multi-carrier GSM ROMs over there than multi-carrier ROMS which support GSM and oh by the way CDMA and LTE as well.
If you want to fool around over there, I recommend that you proceed with great caution to make sure that the ROMs you choose specifically target Qualcomm MSM8974AB Note 3 handsets, and you should read the developer notes very carefully to see whether you need to flash an "hltevzw" kernel separately. If the dev does not mention "supports hltevzw" or "supports N900V" (for example here) you might be taking chances with your hardware.
I suppose it is possible that the radios are 100% "software defined" in the sense of which bands they can support. Maybe you can get what you want by simply flashing the desired carrier's "modem" firmware, but I have never done that so I can't say for certain whether that works or you are risking a brick (or hardware damage) by doing that. I simply don't know (e.g.) if the chips and antennas in a T-mo version of the Note 3 are identical or different from a Verizon Note 3's hardware
cyberoptics said:
If I'm still stuck to Verizon Note 3 rom... What is the purpose or benefit of unlocking the bootloader... Was that really just to avoid Odin so I can flash my couple rom choices easier?
I appreciate your time!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, for one - having a custom recovery allows you to make backups - even if you never change ROMs
People don't think of backups as being "sexy", but they allow you something which is really valuable: freedom to mess around and experiment with the knowledge that "if something goes wrong, I'll just restore the backup".
And with Odin, you only had the choice of Stock Roms. Now you have a few more.
cheers
Yes you can install Any rom for note3
Here is my experience with installing roms on note 3 after unlock bootloader
you should Flash twrp-2.8.7.0-hlte-4.4.img by ODIN for the hlte roms or twrp-2.8.7.0-hltevzw-4.4.img if you looking to flash verizon roms ,
im on Phronesis Rom N7 now and i tryed many roms
AryaMod N7 & S7 Edge
MagMa-NX from NXT TEAM
Resurrection Remix Nougat 7.1.1
CM 13 ROM 6.0.1 for Trader418
Purify CM13 6.0.1 ( the best CM13 till now )
and more ...
i have only one problem that i cant get LTE in mobile network always on H+
i tryed to add screenshot but i couldn't its my firist reply :laugh:
@ALPHA85
Pretty informative first post - thanks, and welcome aboard!
Are you on a Verizon SIM? If not, have you been flashing modems from other Note3 devices?
Just curious; I don't have much experience with radio issues or carrier activation issues. Trying to port a carrier-specific ROM elsewhere (esp starting from a VZW ROM) looks like a massive pile of interlocking software dependencies, though. My respect to anyone who can succeed at it.
Feel free to write a brief summary about what's broken in each - any of them have NFC working? I was on CM13 (trader418) for a long time and would have been happy to stay there were it not for all the GPS issues.
Thank you ,:angel:
i dont use Verizon SIM becouse im from egypt, i bought my verizon note 3 by wrong , when i bought it i saw N9005 under the battery and in the boot screen also inside the rom ,it was lollipop 5.0 ,but sinse i did factory rest i surprised it change to N900V even the imei changed , till now i cant understand how they flashed N9005 rom for N900V device with locked bootloader
i'm on OF1 bootloader unlocked and i flashed PL1 Modem i thought maybe it help me to get LTE but still the same H+
about NFC i really didn't try it at all , i always disable it by titanium pro
ALPHA85 said:
when i bought it i saw N9005 under the battery and in the boot screen also inside the rom ,it was lollipop 5.0 ,but sinse i did factory rest i surprised it change to N900V even the imei changed , till now i cant understand how they flashed N9005 rom for N900V device with locked bootloader
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you first got it, did it appear to have a Verizon ROM on it? (For instance, the Verizon splash screen?) Or some other carrier's logo?
Actually, that cleared something up for me. Well, except for the part about the IMEI changing
Apparently there were both LTE and GSM models of the "Note 3" that were sold in international markets. I understand the LTE version was originally sold in China, but the GSM model is more common?
The SM-N9005 is an LTE phone (I don't know about CDMA) with the Qualcomm MSM8974 processor
and the N9000 is the GSM model with an Exynos 5420 processor
So that probably explains the binary compatibility of the SM-N900V and the SM-N9005 - same processor, and both phones were designed for LTE service.
But your report should give @cyberoptics a little less pessimistic view of things; thank you for that.
But I wouldn't go so far as to say you can flash ANY Note 3 ROM. Even though both the Exynos and Qualcomm processors use ARM cores, they are fairly different - the Exynos has 8 cores, half of which are Cortex-A15, and the MSM8974 has only four cores which are Krait- something or other. I think they are not quite compatible. Note that in theory, ARM code that was compiled to earlier standards (e.g. thumb, armv5) would certainly work on both devices - but if they compiled ALL the code in ROM libraries that way they would be giving up a lot of performance on either device. So.... to the extent that they target processor specifics for either Cortex-A15 or Krait, they will be incompatible.
cheers.
bftb0 said:
You are in luck. :crying:
There's hardly anything to choose from; maybe 3 or 4 ROMs and about the same number of kernels.
AFAIK, there are no Nougat ROMs and only one Marshmallow ROM (AryaMod6.6).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bftb0 I just wanted to thank you once again for your consistently helpful, verbose posts about the N900V. I've been using CM13 thinking it was the best thing going, when, as nice as it was at the time, it doesn't hold water compared to AyraMod, which I switched to yesterday after reading this thread.
Now my GPS won't take me sailing past Easter Island when en route to a noon meeting downtown. Maybe Google Cardboard will even work, now that NFC appears to.
Thanks again, and please don't ever bore of being a great and helpful resource, we need you!

[SM-J5108] Convert my J5 SM-J5108 to a more usable version ? (510F ?)

Hello,
My title may not be very cler but I can't find any custom ROMs for my device the J5 SM-J5108CHM (J5 China Mobile version) I can find official firmware but I just hate the interface, I found a really good-looking ROM (VIperOS) but it was for another variant of the phone.
So my question is : can I convert this phone to some other variant with same specs ? Thanks in advance
I've got the same question but no one seems to go to this thread if anyone has an answer to this that would be very appreciated. the j5108 seems to have all the same specs as the other variants so it should work but I'm not taking any risks because this is my everyday phone.
also the china mobile os is complete rubbish use this one (im a new user so i cant post link but just search up updato (dot) com, go to search bar and search j5108, in teh filters bar up top choose hong kong and press update under the search bar)
First, install any lollipop update (if you skip straight to marshmallow you'll end up in a bootloop), and then install either OTA update (it keeps failing for people but its good if you don't want to use Odin again) or you can download the marshmallow os after you install lollipop (make sure to NOT do a factory reset etc you'll end up in a boot loop). Install MM os and boom GAPPS and everything else you'll need.
jeff the cheff's left nut said:
I've got the same question but no one seems to go to this thread if anyone has an answer to this that would be very appreciated. the j5108 seems to have all the same specs as the other variants so it should work but I'm not taking any risks because this is my everyday phone.
also the china mobile os is complete rubbish use this one (im a new user so i cant post link but just search up updato (dot) com, go to search bar and search j5108, in teh filters bar up top choose hong kong and press update under the search bar)
First, install any lollipop update (if you skip straight to marshmallow you'll end up in a bootloop), and then install either OTA update (it keeps failing for people but its good if you don't want to use Odin again) or you can download the marshmallow os after you install lollipop (make sure to NOT do a factory reset etc you'll end up in a boot loop). Install MM os and boom GAPPS and everything else you'll need.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't. Its a different phone. Maybe you think because it says J5 chinese version that its the same thing, just different model number. There are reasons why ot has a different model number, baseband, etc... Its like you have the Samsung Galaxy S2 with exynos and the American one with SD. They are both S2, but totaly different phones.
does xda have a word cap or did my other post not post because it was long or is the image verification a post-verification. anyway, i was saying that all the j5 2016 variants are exactly the same which in theory would allow any model's OS to work on any variant. S2 isn't a great comparison because different models have different hardware while j5 2016 has different models with identical hardware. Just search up j5108 specs and j510x specs and they'll all be the same ill post back in a few weeks when I get a new battery and test out different OS (rn I'm using the stock hong kong OS). I'll try OS for different PDAs and then ill try out different models. Btw all the spec sites say the variants are compatible with Australia so I shouldn't have a problem using different models OS in Australia (meaning 4G, wifi, phone numbers etc should be fine).
Also please explain in more depth why j5 2016 variants are so different to the point that they have different model numbers (i know that sounds passive aggressive and pretend it isn't I honestly want to know). I'm super sorry if I sound like an arrogant **** that wants everything his way but the way the j5 2016 models are made they all seem identical and logically (and in theory) the other variants OS should work on the j5108. if for some reason I cant see my first reply but others can I'm so sorry for this post.
jeff the cheff's left nut said:
does xda have a word cap or did my other post not post because it was long or is the image verification a post-verification. anyway, i was saying that all the j5 2016 variants are exactly the same which in theory would allow any model's OS to work on any variant. S2 isn't a great comparison because different models have different hardware while j5 2016 has different models with identical hardware. Just search up j5108 specs and j510x specs and they'll all be the same ill post back in a few weeks when I get a new battery and test out different OS (rn I'm using the stock hong kong OS). I'll try OS for different PDAs and then ill try out different models. Btw all the spec sites say the variants are compatible with Australia so I shouldn't have a problem using different models OS in Australia (meaning 4G, wifi, phone numbers etc should be fine).
Also please explain in more depth why j5 2016 variants are so different to the point that they have different model numbers (i know that sounds passive aggressive and pretend it isn't I honestly want to know). I'm super sorry if I sound like an arrogant **** that wants everything his way but the way the j5 2016 models are made they all seem identical and logically (and in theory) the other variants OS should work on the j5108. if for some reason I cant see my first reply but others can I'm so sorry for this post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Phones today can have the same harware, same SoC, same RAM, same everything, even the same RIL preferences, but they are different models. The whole stock software was made for a specific device model. The J510FN is different than the J510H, if there was no difference why would Samsung bother to make many versions? The whole operating system, every part of it: Kernel, Apps, Recovery, Hal, Bootloader are mannualy made for a specific model number. Because of that it is hard to make a ROM that supports all of the phones in one Samsung model family lineup. You see now that by pure logic the j508 is very different from the J510FN

Note 4 rooting questions

I am new to rooting phones and I have a couple of questions first can I use the s pen after rooting second what is the easiest way to root the phone and third what to I get for rooting the phone apart for newer software.
Pizzaking587 said:
I am new to rooting phones and I have a couple of questions first can I use the s pen after rooting second what is the easiest way to root the phone and third what to I get for rooting the phone apart for newer software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hola! Welcome to XDA.
First of all I would just like to give a friendly reminder to include your model number in your post. For instance, my Note 4 model variant is the SM-N910V. From what I've read the 910V is the trickiest to root other than the SM-N910A which never had a method of rooting as far as I know. So if you're using an AT&T phone aka SM-N910A then you're unfortunately out of luck. I think most other variants are relatively easy to root depending on your experience level.
Spen functionality depends on the kind of rom you're wanting to use. I mostly just use a modified 6.0.1 TouchWiz rom and the spen works as good as if I didn't have root. In case you're wondering, the note 4 officially received 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) and TouchWiz is what Samsung branded their software (until recently anyway). If you want to run anything newer than 6.0.1 your chances of a working spen decreases, but that also depends on your particular model. The note 4's with the exynos chip has a Nougat port that I believe has a working spen.
The last question, what can you do with a rooted device, all depends on what you use your phone for. It really would take a long time to list the possibilities. If you have something specific in mind I could try to point you in the right direction though.
My model is sm n910f (I think it is the international version but I am not sure) abd I mostly want newer software that supports the s pen
Edit: it is the unlocked European version
kevintm78 said:
Hola! Welcome to XDA.
First of all I would just like to give a friendly reminder to include your model number in your post. For instance, my Note 4 model variant is the SM-N910V. From what I've read the 910V is the trickiest to root other than the SM-N910A which never had a method of rooting as far as I know. So if you're using an AT&T phone aka SM-N910A then you're unfortunately out of luck. I think most other variants are relatively easy to root depending on your experience level.
Spen functionality depends on the kind of rom you're wanting to use. I mostly just use a modified 6.0.1 TouchWiz rom and the spen works as good as if I didn't have root. In case you're wondering, the note 4 officially received 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) and TouchWiz is what Samsung branded their software (until recently anyway). If you want to run anything newer than 6.0.1 your chances of a working spen decreases, but that also depends on your particular model. The note 4's with the exynos chip has a Nougat port that I believe has a working spen.
The last question, what can you do with a rooted device, all depends on what you use your phone for. It really would take a long time to list the possibilities. If you have something specific in mind I could try to point you in the right direction though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My model is sm n910f (I think it is the international version but I am not sure) abd I mostly want newer software that supports the s pen
Edit: it is the unlocked European version
kevintm78 said:
Hola! Welcome to XDA.
First of all I would just like to give a friendly reminder to include your model number in your post. For instance, my Note 4 model variant is the SM-N910V. From what I've read the 910V is the trickiest to root other than the SM-N910A which never had a method of rooting as far as I know. So if you're using an AT&T phone aka SM-N910A then you're unfortunately out of luck. I think most other variants are relatively easy to root depending on your experience level.
Spen functionality depends on the kind of rom you're wanting to use. I mostly just use a modified 6.0.1 TouchWiz rom and the spen works as good as if I didn't have root. In case you're wondering, the note 4 officially received 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) and TouchWiz is what Samsung branded their software (until recently anyway). If you want to run anything newer than 6.0.1 your chances of a working spen decreases, but that also depends on your particular model. The note 4's with the exynos chip has a Nougat port that I believe has a working spen.
The last question, what can you do with a rooted device, all depends on what you use your phone for. It really would take a long time to list the possibilities. If you have something specific in mind I could try to point you in the right direction though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
?^
Pizzaking587 said:
My model is sm n910f (I think it is the international version but I am not sure) abd I mostly want newer software that supports the s pen
Edit: it is the unlocked European version
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The international version is the SM-N910C
But regardless, the 910F has a huge amount of rom development, i would say you just need to dive into the note 4 snapdragon rom thread and get used to flashing your phone in odin, all the resources you need are right here!
Good luck and enjoy

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