Database Users

Need a smaller boot.img

Hi All
Thank you for the great work however in order to enjoy the ROMS I will need to have a smaller boot.img in order to flash the roms.
The image must be 2.35 MB at most, A good example is the Enomther ROM that is flashable.
However the CM6 roms are not (except KANG O RAMA).
Since I dont think that someone is going to do it for me, can you at least explain how can I do that?
There are at least 10 more people that check this forum regulary looking for a solution.
Thank you.

CM6 boot image is just 2.25MB!!!

OHH yea.... checked it out on his site yesterday, then how come rodriguez's image is bigger?

He's most probably using another kernel for CM6, just like MicroMod uses another kernel for TheOfficial.

OK. How can I use those features with a smaller kernel? Is there a way?

1) Ask the kernel / ROM creator to "pack" it to fit in 2.5MB of space.
2) Compile your own kernel and make your own boot.img.
3) Try to mix your desired ROM (for example, Micromod's) with the kernel that fits your limited boot space (for example, Enomther's original). Or you could try to use rodriguez's ROM with CM kernel. To do that mix, replace the boot.img and the WiFi driver - bcm4329.ko - in their locations in the original ROM zip and resign the zip, then flash it.

Why the need for a smaller boot.img?
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

HTCinToronto said:
Why the need for a smaller boot.img?
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many N1s do not allow kernels later than 2.4MB (or something like that)... the kernel does not flash because of bad MTD blocks...

Jack_R1 said:
1) Ask the kernel / ROM creator to "pack" it to fit in 2.5MB of space.
2) Compile your own kernel and make your own boot.img.
3) Try to mix your desired ROM (for example, Micromod's) with the kernel that fits your limited boot space (for example, Enomther's original). Or you could try to use rodriguez's ROM with CM kernel. To do that mix, replace the boot.img and the WiFi driver - bcm4329.ko - in their locations in the original ROM zip and resign the zip, then flash it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK. Thanks.
Can you send me a link with the instructions on how to change and resign roms?
[sorry for being a noob]

Unfortunately, I don't have any instructions available anywhere, but you can use some Google searching.
The boot.img resides in the root of the ZIP, the bcm4329.ko is in /system/lib/modules/.
Changing the files in the ROM is easy - ROM is just a ZIP file, you take a ROM you want to change, open it in WinZip / WinRar / your favorite freeware archiver, find the files you want to replace (the ones I've mentioned above), download the original ROM which is the base (Enomther for MicroMod, CM6 for Rodriguez), extract those files from there, drag&drop them into the ROM you're modifying, that's it.
Then you search Google for "android sign zip apk", and you get a couple of guides that show you how to sign ZIPs.
Then you load the ROM and hope it works.

does not sound complicated
thanks.... I will try that.

Yes, what you need is:
boot.img and everything in /system/lib/modules
It's important that you replace everything in /system/lib/modules with the correct content for the specific boot.img you're using and delete everything else.
My boot.img which is based on Wildmonks BFS 950 kernel supports apps2ext and 720p and should be sufficient for any CM6 rom. It's worth noting that the current one in Kang-o-rama 1.0 Final is not as stable as I would like and I'll be updating it soon.
Since this seems a bit challenging for some rom devs an alternative approach could be:
Create update.zip for small boot image (I can help with this)
Rom dev creates rom update.zip without a kernel (may not boot properly)
Install rom without kernel
Install small kernel update.zip
Or everyone could use Kang-o-rama...

[Q]Remove kernel installation from roms

Is there a way to remove kernel installation from a rom? Id like to try installing some fascinate GB roms over our Froyo kernel but most of the Fascinate GB roms include a kernel installation which I would like to avoid (for obvious reasons).
Basically what I want is a ROM only install no kernel.
Or better yet does anyone have our 2.2.2 kernel (just the kernel) in a flashable odin package?
Im only experimenting so no flaming..
Thanks

Yup, there is for either option too xP
Which option do you choose?
Sent from my SCH-I400 using xda premium

If you have the 2.2.2 kernel in an odin package I'll take that.. But for the sake of education I'll take both if you have the time to explain..
+1 for you
Thanks!

Alright, here is the 2.2.2 kernel only Odin Package Can you check now as a test to make sure it works? haha I didn't test it myself
http://www.mediafire.com/?qgkh35439o79sjl
and alright, here is how you can remove flashing the kernel in those packages...
First, open up the package in 7zip...
Delete the Kernel_Update folder, or something named closely to such, on the root of the zip
Then go to META-INF\com\google\android, and copy the updater-script to your desktop
open it up with Notepad++ or another advanced text editor (*Important!) and delete all the lines that look connected with the kernel...
The most important lines are "package_extract_dir("kernel_update"" and "run_program("/tmp/kernel_update/bmlwrite"" lines

K ill give it a try and let you know.
Sent from my SCH-I400 using XDA App
*Edit* Kernel works just fine.
I deleted the "updates" folder which contained a zImage file, redbend.ua, and modem.bin file. However in the META folder there were no instances of the word 'kernel' found. Just references to run the installer for the formentioned 'updates' folder which I deleted.
Should I just delete the 'zImage' file which I'm assuming is the kernel and leave the script to install the redbend.ua and modem.bin files?

Much Appreciated! :highfive:
trailblazer101 said:
Alright, here is the 2.2.2 kernel only Odin Package Can you check now as a test to make sure it works? haha I didn't test it myself
http://www.mediafire.com/?qgkh35439o79sjl
and alright, here is how you can remove flashing the kernel in those packages...
First, open up the package in 7zip...
Delete the Kernel_Update folder, or something named closely to such, on the root of the zip
Then go to META-INF\com\google\android, and copy the updater-script to your desktop
open it up with Notepad++ or another advanced text editor (*Important!) and delete all the lines that look connected with the kernel...
The most important lines are "package_extract_dir("kernel_update"" and "run_program("/tmp/kernel_update/bmlwrite"" lines
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

[Q] Implementing features from other sources

I have the PAC source downloaded and now I want to figure out how to add other features from either github or wherever to it. There's some things from the xposed framework that I'd like to implement in the ROM but I'm not sure how to go about doing it. I'm new to android programming, just been porting PAC to my phones that don't have support. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Help injecting features or settings
I use file manager pro from cheeta mobile to open the rom.zip then copy and paste the system/file context/meta inf /and any other files in the zipped folder to the ExtSdcard1 root directory, then open the copied files which will be opened for modifications, then add the mods directly to the appropriate locations ( use this method(very slow) or use an apk decompiler to make your changes to apps. There are instructions for that on xda forums. But since the update to lollipop we have seen the new compression format change to system.new.dat file compression so if you want to modify lollipop roms you have to find (Optimized) version or use the dat file decompiler to translate the system.dat.new file or others in that format to readable/writable or understandable format. Let us know if this gets you on track or if you have solved this issue, thanks.

[Q] Understanding Meta-Inf folder

So i pulled stock system folder and deodexed, zipaligned and signed.
Wanted to try flash it by twrp. So i copied one of custom roms meta inf folder but i get sysmapfile error.
Created certificates with signapk but there is no update-binary and update-script file. So i searched and learnt sth about update-script but what is exactly update-binary do? How can i edit for my rom or create one? can i use one of them with all devices rom?
Btw editing update-script didnt solve my sysmapfile error. Can someone guide me about meta-inf folder? All other articles just tells using another roms meta inf but it simply didnt work for me.

The update-binary file is different from one ROM to the next. For example, a CyanogenMod binary will be different from one in a custom ROM based off stock. In general, look at http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Doc:_About_Edify for an explanation of what the binary is. You will need to pull a binary from a custom ROM based off stock, preferably from the same version of Android.

How to add init.d on stock rom - kernel?

hi i want to ask how i can add init.d on stock rom - kernel i am on xxuhob8 and in stock kernel i found a small soft to unpack repack the kernel.
i just did the run.bat a menu to use it quickly.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ssk4th4biry0hkr/bootimg-pack-unpack.rar?dl=0
also in the file is my kernel backed up with twrp and renamed from boot.emmc.win to boot.img if anyone can make it is welcome.
also found uni init.d http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1933849&page=51
and a mess how to .... http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2287540 and http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1610741
can some one help?
thanks in advance