Don't Panic -- Please Read First, includes troubleshooting guide - Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE

This Guide has been written to aid users both old and new as a generalization of how the entire process of phone customization works. It is useful and relevant knowledge that will aid in the process of unlock, root, flash, and recovery. This is not a tutorial on unlocking your HBOOT, nor is it a tutorial of how to root your phone. It is a list of things you should know before, during, and after you complete the process. Below is everything I could think of to help guide you as you attempt to obliterate unlock your phone. There are risks involved and you may end up with an unusable device, this is not to be taken lightly. However I have included a basic troubleshooting guide as well. Should you run into trouble, it lists some of the most common issues. If all goes well then congratulations on unlocking your device.
ROOT This is a term used for everything here. Basically there are areas of your phone that are locked out. Root gives you admin or superuser privledges that can be used to modify things like build.prop or app data that you could not normally access. Typically during to root process an app is installed on your phone that governs which apps are given exclusive superuser privileges to modify your system. Superuser by CHAINSDD and SuperSu by CHAINFIRE are the only two apps I'm aware of.
S-OFF Security off, Basically the Holy Grail of Android customization. This disables the security allowing you to directly modify the NAND memory of your device. This in turn allows you to apply patches, device drivers and other niceties not normally available. This is why developers work tirelessly to enable S-OFF (Be sure to thank them for their amazing work).
HBOOT - This is your boot loader and is very similar to the BIOS on a PC, it basically performs POST (power on self test). It is responsible for flashing official software releases, enabling FASTBOOT and is basically the bouncer outside a club. This is what initially stops you from flashing unsigned code to your phone. OEMs have begun offering tools to unlock your boot loader and enabling the use of fast boot. Examples include HTC DEV Unlock, Samsung Odin, and Motorola's Unlock My Device.
Note: Depending on the security of your HBOOT you may or may not have access to the boot partition. Best example would HTC's HBOOT software. Unlocked it only offers access to FASTBOOT which in turn allows for recovery and flashing of ROMs. It does block flashing radios and other firmware
What does upgrading your HBOOT do? It adds support for new hardware (future phones) or fix bugs (break any chance you have of S-OFF, it may also bed your significant other but I have yet to confirm)
Should I upgrade my HBOOT? If a new firmware is released they may contain bug fixes, new radios, or newer versions of Android. If you want S-OFF and have yet to obtain it, no. Developers may find an exploit that can be used to obtain S-OFF. If you are stuck with S-ON and are waiting for S-OFF, again the answer is no. Developers may find an exploit to obtain S-OFF. If you don't care about obtaining S-OFF and you want to update your firmware, flash new radios, or simply want the bug fixes then this is the only option you have while S-ON if you are running stock. The only real benefit comes from what you can not flash with S-ON, basically radios or update for various drivers.
What does downgrading my HBOOT do? It falls back to the previous version of HBOOT, in some cases developers have released tools to downgrade to a previous HBOOT allowing users to then exploit the older boot loader and achieve S-OFF. Some people with S-OFF will upgrade but there is no real benefit, it often causes more problems with ROMs. They then attempt to return to previous HBOOT (very real potential for bricking your phone)
How do I upgrade my HBOOT? By installing an OTA or by using official ROM Upgrade Utility (RUU) To my knowledge there is no other method for upgrading HBOOT
Why do I need to downgrade HBOOT? As of right now, you don't. Do not trifle in what you do not understand.
Does rooting my phone require a certain HBOOT? Root is not dependent on HBOOT
Help, I upgraded my HBOOT and lost root! HBOOT has nothing to do with removing root, the RUU replaced your ROM with one that doesn't have superuser privileges.
RUU ROM Upgrade Utility, this is used to update your phone or revert it to a OEM factory state. The most common use of RUU in the community is to restore the original recovery and or re-enable S-ON
RECOVERY A very small type of operating system that resides on a part of your phone that is separate from Android. It is used by OEMs to install official OTA updates. Developers have created custom recoveries such as CWM, Amon Ra, and TWRP that allow a user to flash unsigned ROMs to the phone allowing for a greater degree of customization not offered by the stock operating system.
Nandroid Also referred to as a system back up. This is a copy if your phone's current system state. It creates duplicate images of your kernel and system including system settings, apps and app data, userdata, and or any mods. First and foremost, this is the most important thing to do after you flash recovery and before you flash a ROM. Should anything go wrong during the course of flashing a new ROM package (ROM/Kernel) and or should you wish to return to a stock state, restoring a Nandroid is the easiest and most effective way. Always be sure to back up your current system state prior to flashing a new ROM and or Kernel.
Note: Using Flash Image GUI will replace kernel from within OS. Be sure to create Nandroid before using this app to flash a new kernel.
ROM A package consisting of a boot image (kernel) and a system image (AOS or Android Operating System, I will now refrain from calling it AOS in fear that Apple may ruthlessly try to sue me for infringing on such a broad generalization to an operating system). ROM broadly refers to all of the phone's software. A custom ROM is any ROM that is modified from stock OEM or AOSP (for good measure, Android Open Source Project)
AOSP vs STOCK
AOSP Pure untainted Android OS maintained by users who want a clean open source mobile OS that is available for everyone. This is the base for ROMs like CM10 or Kanged. This is also the starting point for all OEMs
STOCK A build of Android that has been customized by an OEM. At first manufacturers used the opportunity to build custom skinned versions of Android. They supplied custom apps which they packaged into the ROM separate from the apps available in the market as a means to include exclusive features. This started a fierce competition between manufacturers who began making radical changes to the lowest levels of Android, including the kernel and framework. This led to slow, unreliable devices (frustrating for many developers who only have one real world device) that may have great hardware but poor software. In order to satisfy carriers OEMs may remove features or add many unwanted features. The most prominent issue stemming from this practice has been the Carrier IQ debacle. Roms like Venom and Mean use stock as their base.
Note: The most recent changes done by HTC and other OEMs are so extensive that they now offer their own SDK (Software Development Kit) for app developers to be able to write applications that are compatible with their framework
Kernel It is the layer between software and hardware. It allows the hardware and software to communicate with each other. The kernels must match the ROM Base and Version. Sense with Sense, AOSP with AOSP, ICS with ICS, Jelly Bean with Jelly Bean
CPU Governors A CPU Governor controls the frequency of the processor in response to the workload placed on it. If your phone supports multiple forms of governing, You will have the option to choose how it affects the performance and battery power consumed.
On Demand Pretty much the standard governor. The way it work is by ramping up the frequency to max in order to ensure responsiveness and then sampling the work load and scaling down the frequency to match. This is done by setting maximum frequency when the CPU is busy and gradually scales down as CPU reaches idle.
Interactive Governor Similar to On Demand, Interactive will dynamically scale the clock frequency as the workload demands. This is where the similarities end however. Rather then ramping clock speed to max when CPU is busy, interactive determines how to scale the CPU as it comes out of the idle state. When the CPU leaves idle, the governor sets a timer (pre-set by the developer). If the CPU use is intensive between leaving idle and timer expiring, governor will assume the system is under clocked and ramp to max frequency. It is better suited to handling intermediate clock speeds. Think of this as a faster, smarter On Demand
Performance I got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell! This sets the min frequency to the max. Your phone will burn, your battery will spring a leak, and you will see insane benchmark scores. This is obviously not a day to day solution.
Power Save Is anyone home? This will set you max frequency to your min. What a bore.
User Space This allows the user to set the frequencies. Better suited to the more advanced users
Input/Output Schedulers Determines "who goes first" by assigning which operations go to the storage volumes.
NOOP Scheduler This scheduler works on a sort of "first come, first serve" basis and will implement request merging. Its best for solid state drives and good on DB systems. It uses the least amount of CPU cycles per request. The one flaw I can see straight away is "less cycles = less performance"
Deadline Scheduler Used to minimize latency, it reserves five queues and schedules all I/O operations accordingly. This is an aggressive scheduler that runs at near real time speed. It is great for reducing latency and like NOOP, works best on solid state drives, db systems, and reduces latency in any I/O request. When system becomes taxed, this scheduler becomes very unpredictable.
Completely Fair Queue Scheduler This scheduler is scalable per I/O Queue, it distributes I/O bandwidth to all I/O requests fairly and equally. It helps maintain balanced performance through out and is great for multiple processors. The problem is when too many requests are competing for bandwidth, performance degrades.
Simple Input Output Scheduler This is as plain as it gets. No priority queues, no reordering or sorting requests, and the most basic merging. Minimum latency and low overhead, this is a simple and reliable scheduler.
BFQ Scheduler I would rather not risk getting into trouble with this acronym, lets just say the B is for brain and the F is a no-no word. I have not really used this scheduler but it's supposed to be good for USB data transfer, high definition video recording, video streaming, and is a fairly reliable scheduler. In my personal use I didn't get very good results.
MD5 It is basically a finger print for files, the developers use this to help regular users verify the integrity of the file. Most recoveries already support MD5SUM to prevent users from flashing corrupt files. Always verify the MD5 of any Kernel or ROM before flashing it to your phone
How to verify MD5 Hash
In Windows Like most useful utilities in Windows this is not supported, you can download a small utility that will load the file and display the Checksum Hash needed to verify.
In OSX Open a terminal and navigate to the folder your ROM is in and type md5 filename.ext
In Linux Again open terminal, navigate to folder and type md5sum filename.ext
In Android Open a terminal emulator, navigate to folder and use the same command used in Linux. Not surprising as Android is Linux but really neat! There are also apps for checking MD5 Hash Sum
Crossplatform Download managers and manager extensions for browsers like Firefox and Chrome may come with Checksum built in
Recovery As stated, most if not all recoveries will verify checksum hash. It is still good practice to verify by other means to avoid a bad flash
ROM Downloaders I don't really trust these or any large download on Android, sue me. Downloader apps should have a means to verify hash
NAND or N(OT) + AND Named after its basic operating principle, it is a form of non-volatile flash memory. Devices such as USB drives, cameras, mp3 players, and cellphones use NAND to store necessary firmware/software needed to operate. On Android phones the NAND memory is what holds all the information that powers your device. It is divided into separate partitions that are used to store firmware, the kernel and the system along with any other information such as contacts and cached data.
The Partitions are as follows
BOOT This Partition holds the HBOOT and Kernel and as the name suggests, is responsible for the allowing the phone to start. This is the most important Partition in your NAND memory.
SYSTEM This Partition is what holds our beloved Operating System. It contains the entire Android Operating System and the apps that come preinstalled on our phones.
RECOVERY Recovery can be thought of as our alternative boot partition. It holds the advanced recovery console that we need for flashing our phones.
DATA Also refered to as user data. This partition holds our contacts, messages, apps, and settings.
CACHE This is for the temporary storage of frequently used app components and frequently used data.
MISC This contains various bits of information like CID (Carrier or region identification), hardware configurations and various hardware/system settings.
SD_EXT Not to be confused with the Ext-SD shortcut on some phones (a way to access the external SD) This is not a standard Partition, it is an additional partition stored or your SD card that acts as another data partition. This allows you to install apps on your SD card and store data relative to the apps installed.
ADB Android Debug Bridge, it is used for development purposes but it has its usefulness
adb push This allows you to copy a file or directory to a phone
adb pull This allows the opposite, copy a file or directory from the phone
adb sync Copy host - phone if there are any changes present
adb logcat View phone log
adb install [ -l ] [ -r ] < file name > Push package file to phone and install it (-l means forward lock the app, -r means reinstall the app keeping its data)
adb uninstall [ -k ] Removes app package from phone (-k means keep data and cache directories)
adb reboot [bootloader] Reboots phone into the bootloader
adb reboot [recovery] Reboots the phone into the recovery
FASTBOOT A command line interface that can be used to directly flash the file system in Android, it is quite possibly the most reliable method to use if you know what you are doing. HBOOT must be unlocked (OEM or S-OFF) to have access to FASTBOOT
fastboot devices List all connected devices/phones
fastboot update Flash/re-flash a phone from update.zip
fastboot flashall Flash boot, recovery, and system
fastboot flash Flash a specific partition (partitions are boot, recovery, system, cache, and userdata)
fastboot erase Erase specified partition
fastboot reboot Reboot phone normally
fastboot reboot-bootloader Reboot into bootloader
fastboot -w Erase cache and userdata
fastboot oem lock Relock the boot loader
Flash Image GUI Created by member joeykrim, it is an Android app used for flashing recoveries and kernels from with in Android ROM. This is an easy to use tool for OEM Unlocked (S-ON) users to replace/update the kernel and or recovery before rebooting into recovery to switch ROMs. I have not used this myself so I can not determine how safe it is. Always verify MD5SUM
HTC Dumlock Created by TeamWin as a means to flash phones with OEM Unlock (S-ON) on HTC devices with HBOOT that do not allow for boot partition to be flashed. It is built in to TWRP, TeamWin also offer a Universal Dumlock solution compatible with other recoveries. It is probably the safest method for new users despite its seemingly complex nature. It is installed from recovery and run from within Android similar to Flash Image GUI but does not flash kernels. It makes a back up of your boot and recovery and then it takes the back up recovery and writes it to boot from within OS, your phone will then reboot (some phones must reboot manually, do not boot to recovery). From here on the recovery is running from within boot, you must then restore boot and then you will be allowed to flash a ROM like you would if the phone was S-OFF. Be aware that this is not the most ideal method as it writes to your boot partition 3 times (recovery, then restore boot, then kernel). Still this is the most flexible method for new users.
Uniflash Created by member MihailPro, this utility is a veritable swiss army knife of Android customization. It is basically several tools rolled into one. It supports and automates adb, fastboot, image editing/creation, manipulation of file system, back up and restoration of NAND partitions.
Features:
Flash
flash core (My guess is this is the flashall command; boot, system, recovery)
flash recovery
flash splash
flash radio
flash official and custom firmware (updates, patches and zip files)
Modify
edit Build.Prop
remove bloat
install or remove custom applications
copy to and from the device (internal, external memory) with the option to delete files
wipe user data, cache and perform factory reset
Image Creation
Basically back up and recovery
Note: This application is not compatible with HTC Sync, in order to use it please uninstall sync. Those of us with HBOOT 1.15+ still can not modify certain aspects of the memory but this application should at least make it easier to fastboot flash kernels, recovery and or ROM
PRI Product Release Instruction, the protocol used for the transmission of voice and data across Sprint's cellular networks. It may be updated from time to time to improve battery life and/or performance. It will also be updated when any drastic changes are made to the network. This directly affects the performance of your phone's voice and data
PRL Priority/Preferred Roaming List, It is a database used primarily by CDMA networks. It provides a list of network identifiers(service providers), wireless bands, and sub bands used to select the best service for roaming (example of bands/sub bands: PCS wireless band is 1850mhz to 1990mhz, divided into 6 blocks I believe. Sprint uses 1900, Block G if I'm not mistaken). Rather then giving you the best and most reliable option, the carriers choose which service providers to use (they have roaming agreements which help keep company costs down).
NV Non volatile memory, it contains info for MEID/ESN/EVDO and other credentials.
Radios These are basically drivers for the radios on your phone (basically firmware) They pertain to CDMA/EVDO, WIMAX, LTE, BLUETOOTH, WIFI and even NFC. They may be updated with patches or bug fixes to improve battery life and or performance.
Note: The only means of flashing new firmware on S-On unlocked devices is by using official HTC software
Basic Troubleshooting
**Please take the time to read all the relevant info I have posted prior to reading the troubleshooting section. I promise it will help you to better understand your phone and that is the entire purpose of this guide**​
Note: To those of you with CWM Recovery, it is recommended that you use TeamWin Recovery as it is better suited for our phones.
Brick This is a very serious problem, your device is catatonic and will not respond to the usual methods of power on/off or sim-pull. In some cases the phone comes back when the battery dies and is recharged, this isn't very often. There are un-bricking tools written by OEMs when they screw up (Samsung / Motorola) and there are tools written by developers working on S-OFF. They notice a very real danger and will supply the tool just in case (this is not possible in all cases). Bricking can and will be permanent in many situations
Boot loop There a different kinds of boot loop situations (also referred to as soft brick, please do not cry brick in the forums if it is a boot loop) the most common are a mismatch of kernel and ROM.
Help, my phone is stuck in a boot loop or my phone is stuck on HTC! Not a problem at all. Hold down the power button and continue to hold it, the capacitive buttons will begin flashing and phone will reboot. After the screen turns off let go of power for one second and the press and hold power and volume down to boot into the boot loader. This is known as a simulated battery pull. HTC built this in as a fail safe to reboot your phone, and it gives us a chance to jump into the boot loader should anything go wrong. Once you have successfully made it to the boot loader read through these forms of boot loop to understand what went wrong.
Known forms of boot loop
Generic Boot loop You have a working recovery and now you have installed your first ROM. There's just one problem every ROM you try boot loops but if you restore your back up and it runs fine. This is common when you haven't taken the time to wipe your phone before you flash. You can use a wipe script to clean your phone or you can systematically wipe Dalvik, Cache, Factory Restore, and then wipe System. Now you can flash your custom ROM (HBOOT 1.15+ requires you to flash the kernel separately)
Help my phone won't boot past the splash screen similar to a generic boot loop, the most common fix is to wipe the phone before flashing your ROM. Wipe your dalvik and cache, the factory reset and wipe system. You can now flash your new ROM
Kernel Issue You have flashed a kernel that may be corrupt, originate from a different base, or is just not supported by the ROM (not really the case these days, most developers are willing to share tweaks and custom code) The result is a phone that boots to a black screen and will hang or reboot.
Note: HBOOT 1.15+ requires you to flash the kernel separately, all relevant info to do so is in this guide.
ROM Issue The kernel boots and luckily the ROM takes to the kernel but something in the kernel does not agree with your ROM. The result is a phone that will boot to android and promptly reboot.
Missing ROM Due to a misunderstanding, you have already wiped all ROM data from phone (cache, dalvik, and system) and fastboot flashed the kernel. Now phone hangs on HTC boot screen and will not load Android. Only the kernel has been flashed, the screen hangs because there is no OS to load. Fear not, return to recovery and flash the ROM package that your boot.image originated from. Now select reboot to system and wait for your phone to restart. The kernel will boot, your OS will load, and all will be right with the world.
Update.zip or update pmg.zip This is a doozy, the rewrite didn't take and you no longer have a working kernel or system image, phone will keep booting to boot loader. If you updated using fastboot this will be less frustrating then if it was placed on the root of your phone/SD card. If fastboot method was used just jump into recovery and flash a working ROM package or restore a back up. If updating from boot loader, remove the SD card and delete update. The boot loader will continue to automatically read update and flash it until you do so.
Bad kernel and or system image and recovery Phone will boot to boot loader, will not boot to OS and selecting recovery will boot to boot loader. All is not lost, simply fastboot recovery and or boot image (for those on HBOOT 1.15 and higher) and then flash ROM from recovery. This happens but it is very unlikely it will happen to you.
MISC
Help I just flashed the latest *insert ROM here* and my apps wont open (force close) This isn't the end all solution, but in many cases you just boot into recovery and select fix permissions. If you still have apps force closing and you know its not from the market, you may have to boot recovery and wipe the system and data, you will then need to re-flash the ROM
Help I flashed a new ROM/update/script and now I can't access my internal/external SD card Its OK, the SD card has been corrupted but you can reformat it with recovery itself or by using recovery to mount the card and formatting it by PC
Help the internal card isn't recognized by recovery or PC! (This is rare so make sure before attempting this fix) You're card is beyond a simple reformat, the physical address linking the card and or entire card is corrupt. Don't panic, you have to start clean. Back up the info on you external or remove it, make sure you have a ROM available on your PC. Go into recovery and repartition your phone, this will wipe all memory. You then load up a working ROM (a bad back up may be responsible or just reintroduce the problem), after you have flashed the ROM (HBOOT 1.15+ must fastboot kernel, unless S-OFF) go ahead and boot into android and restore your apps.
Help I repartitioned my phone and now I'm having trouble with my apps Not a problem, go into recovery and fix permissions.
My power button is broken! While I really don't recommend continued flashing of your phone without a power button, you can use built in menu options to reboot to recovery or adb reboot to recovery and or adb boot to fastboot.
Note: In the event that recovery is somehow damaged, phone may boot to boot loader depending on the state of your system. To the best of my knowledge, there is no way out if power button is damaged
Help my power button is broken and I'm stuck in the bootloader without Rom or Recovery Without the power button you can not choose recovery from the menu, so even if you flash TWRP you are stuck in bootloader. Flash recovery normally so that you have it after the problem is fixed. (Type fastboot flash recovery twrp.img) Now flash recovery again, only this time you will flash to boot. (fastboot flash boot twrp.img) This is a workaround to get into TWRP. Now we reboot the phone and flash the rom. (Type fastboot reboot) Wipe the phone as you normally would. (Dalvik, Cache, Factory reset, System) Install a Rom that has a kernel installer and reboot.
I can't seem to get my GPS to lock onto my location You can try using an app called GPS Tools, it will clear any data and reset GPS
How do I check to make sure my ROM/Kernel isn't damaged? Open zip file prior to flash or verify MD5 Checksum Hash
How do I check MD5? Read my section on MD5 verification
How do I flash ROMs? You can use Regawmod but I recommend you use HTC DEV Unlock. The basic process for this is simple. Register to HTC Developer website, go to unlock device and select other. Follow the simple instructions to enable adb and request token(Its a unique identifier for each phone). The website will then ask for token and send an email with further instructions. Once you have unlocked the boot loader you will now have access to fastboot. You have 2 methods of flashing recovery, you may fastboot flash the recovery image or use the update zip provided by TeamWin (Make sure the zip or image is compatible with your phone and verify MD5 sum to ensure no corrupt files are flashed). Once recovery has been flashed, its best to boot into recovery and make a back up of your phone's current state. Now before attempting to flash any ROMs, boot back into stock Android and download Goo manager from the market. Once installed, open app and from the menu select install open recovery script. This will ensure you have the latest recovery incase the one you just flashed is out of date. It will also enable you to use yet another alternative method to reliably flash your phone. As always, please read all relevant information before you attempt to unlock or flash your device. There are guides to help you posted on the forums. Good Luck!
Note: HTC Device Drivers must be installed prior to using HTC Dev Unlock, it should be covered in the HTC's unlock instructions.
Help the RUU failed and my phone is stuck in boot loader Try running it again or failing that, flash twrp in fastboot, then flash a kernel from which ever rom package you wish to flash and flash rom in twrp. If you really want to update it would probably be better for you to flash a stock rom with a stock recovery and perform an OTA update. If you relocked your boot loader, just flash the unlock_code.bin which you can get by unlocking through HTC DEV
Help my Android has super ceded Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics You gave it root, what did you expect to happen. It's the ghost in the machine man, Sky Net has to happen eventually.
So a brooding teenager with a hatred for machines really is our only hope for survival? God no, an emo teenager is never the solution
I think this is it for the most part, everything here should help most users troubleshoot their phones by themselves.

Thank you thank you thank you
Oh yea FIRST lol
Sent from the depths of hell
---------- Post added at 01:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:07 AM ----------
Btw nice write up suggestion if i may would be add link to my flashung thread that also has rx's link to his thread about everything just a suggestion
Sent from the depths of hell

didnt I shoot you, damn those incredible recoveries they save just about anything if you know how to use them. Also, I believe that post has inevitably given me some form of carpal-tunnel. That or I'm just tired of typing typing typing. ALSO, I thought about linking the guides but that would make it more of a tutorial style and I clearly state it is not a tutorial, all the relevant information is on XDA or linked by other members

om4 said:
didnt I shoot you, damn those incredible recoveries they save just about anything if you know how to use them. Also, I believe that post has inevitably given me some form of carpal-tunnel. That or I'm just tired of typing typing typing. ALSO, I thought about linking the guides but that would make it more of a tutorial style and I clearly state it is not a tutorial, all the relevant information is on XDA or linked by other members
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Click to collapse
Very true well sorry bout carpel tunnel and all that lol very informative tho if used that is
Sent from the depths of hell

These people better use it lol, I some what ignored the gf to write this and I suspect she will be forgoing all extra-curricular activities in retaliation

I've been a bit confused on this: If I have S-OFF already, flashing a new RUU isn't going to be a problem; right? All I would have to do is re-install a rooted ROM to be back to where I am now (using CMX)?

if you want the new radios you can flash a zip that has the new radios without changing your hboot

om4 said:
And for the love of God clear your Wallet settings before you do anything. Menu > Settings > Reset Google Wallet. This can not be done anywhere else, you have been warned
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Actually, I think it has been proven that you don't have to clear Wallet settings. I can't remember where I read it, but the problems when the phone first came out were problems with the app itself. I have flashed around 5-6 times with a full wipe without clearing the settings and Wallet works fine. I use it every day.

sofla2 said:
Actually, I think it has been proven that you don't have to clear Wallet settings. I can't remember where I read it, but the problems when the phone first came out were problems with the app itself. I have flashed around 5-6 times with a full wipe without clearing the settings and Wallet works fine. I use it every day.
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well 1.22.651.3 did reset some of the phones that had bricked the secure element but not all of them, there are users who havent taken the new updates either so better safe then sorry. I added it as an after thought just to be safe but if its no longer a concern I can remove it

om4 said:
well 1.22.651.3 did reset some of the phones that had bricked the secure element but not all of them, there are users who havent taken the new updates either so better safe then sorry. I added it as an after thought just to be safe but if its no longer a concern I can remove it
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No, probably best to leave it to let people know there was a problem, especially if for some reason they are still on the original software.

sofla2 said:
No, probably best to leave it to let people know there was a problem, especially if for some reason they are still on the original software.
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Out of curiosity I looked at the change log for Wallet, all data is stored in the cloud now. So if I'm understanding this correctly, the secure element problem appears to have been bypassed

om4 said:
Out of curiosity I looked at the change log for Wallet, all data is stored in the cloud now. So if I'm understanding this correctly, the secure element problem appears to have been bypassed
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That is a possibility

Arrghh!!?!?!! A developer called MihailPro just released a tool aptly named Uniflash that now makes a good chunk of this irrelevant. Oh well, it makes things easier for everyone here. I guess I could always add troubleshooting scenarios, unless a dev thinks of a way to automate that as well lol

om4 said:
Arrghh!!?!?!! A developer called MihailPro just released a tool aptly named Uniflash that now makes a good chunk of this irrelevant. Oh well, it makes things easier for everyone here. I guess I could always add troubleshooting scenarios, unless a dev thinks of a way to automate that as well lol
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Click to collapse
I will have to search for that. Also, Joeykrim's Flash Image GUI works great! I have used it on a few of my compatible devices. It takes 5-10 seconds to flash an img
Sent from my EVO using Xparent SkyBlue Tapatalk 2

om4 said:
Arrghh!!?!?!! A developer called MihailPro just released a tool aptly named Uniflash that now makes a good chunk of this irrelevant.
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Click to collapse
This still deserves a sticky.
Here is the link for more info on Uniflash, for those interested: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1859261

Added basic information on Uniflash, i was trying to add it earlier but my internet hates me
side note: those who took the time to read and learn about the info I posted will most likely be able to name the adb/fastboot commands this program automates...not very useful but it shows how easy these tools become when you understand the underlying process

Pretty good write up, but the key is whether people actually read it

Rxpert said:
Pretty good write up, but the key is whether people actually read it
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thats always the case and a major problem with american education lol
Wileout suggested I post links to the tools and guides on how to root. I sincerely thought about it but theres a major issue with that, if I post links for tutorials or links for the tools I listed the reader is more likely to skip reading and go straight to the tool. Then we end up with more people asking for help

Posting links to other threads also puts the burdon on you for keeping the information up to date. I'd suggest leaving out anything that changes rapidly

Rxpert said:
Posting links to other threads also puts the burdon on you for keeping the information up to date. I'd suggest leaving out anything that changes rapidly
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pfft...thats half the guide now and I wrote that thing at 2am this morning

Related

[Q] One Click Bootloop + Trackball Issue

Okay, so I've seen these issues dealt with separately, but never in conjunction. Unfortunately, I am having both in conjunction.
Starting with a fresh Droid Eris, I used a one-click root to allow superuser permissions.
From there, I flashed CM7. Along with many other users, I ran into the issue where I had no data or voice signal.
I'll let you know here, that I've wiped EVERY time I did anything. This is NOT a wipe issue.
I flashed the newest radio... No luck. So, I went through clockwork's recovery and reverted back to the original 2.1 ROM. Still no luck on the signal issue. At this point, I decided to reflash CM7 and try to deal with the issue through ADB.
This is where things went wrong. The load for CM7 corrupted (I'm assuming) and gave me a nice case of Bootloop. Thinking everything was fine, (Assuming I'd do a battery pull and just go back to 2.1) I booted into the original Android recovery and NOW the damn track ball will no longer make selections. It will scroll, but not select.
Here's my question: Seeing as I can not boot fully to allow usb debugging, and I can not recover through Android (Thank you, trackball), is there ANY way to reflash the original RUU through ADB?
Thus far, I can't get passed the obvious "This device is not ready," prompt.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
FYI, adb is available when the custom recovery is booted.
what that means is that with the recovery booted you can:
1) drop a smallish (say, less than 100 MB) ROM file into /cache (e.g. "adb push")
2) create an Android command file (/cache/recovery/command) with a single line that points at the ROM file as an update
3) do a "adb shell reboot recovery"
This will cause the subsequent boot to the recovery to automatically install the ROM file you dropped in cache.
Voila. No trackball needed.
The syntax for the command file (/cache/recovery/command) will be a single line:
--update_package=CACHE:your_ROM_file_name_goes_here.zip
See this post for an expanded explanation.
cheers
[ Edit ]
Note that the above is a thumbnail sketch which requires you to fill in the blanks. For instance, wiping /data and /cache and flashing packages after the main ROM. Cumbersome, but you only need to do it once. Once you have a rooted ROM installed, you should flash a trackball-free version of the recovery so you don't need this method for every ROM you install. Instructions for that (using "flash_image" via adb) can be found elsewhere.
Scott,
Whoa! You got a lot going on there...
Okay, I don't have all of the answers here for you, but I know enough to ask a few questions that we'll need a clarification on.
1. Can you tell us your HBOOT version and whether its S-ON or S-OFF?
2. You mentioned that you've used ClockworkMod (not good , but maybe not terrible)...you also have mentioned using/having Amon_RA custom recovery. Which custom recovery do you have currently installed and can you boot into said recovery?
3. By the way, I think the voice/data signal thing is fixable--it sounds familiar to me, but I don't know the answer right off-hand and this is not your primary issue at the moment.
4. You should be able to run the RUU to restore 2.1 back to your phone. It doesn't require a working custom recovery running and/or adb. Although you might simply be asking if you can flash a ROM through adb, then the answer is yes, you can. Although you will need custom recovery running to make sure its adb server is running and that, of course, require USB connectivity (alluding to your "This device is not ready." message).
5. Usually, installing HTC Sync will install the USB drivers necessary for you to use adb. If that doesn't work for you, PM me with your email address and I'll send you about 10MBs worth of USB drivers I've collected over the last year that might help you with this issue.
6. Lastly, there is a version of Amon_RA's custom recovery available that does not require the use of the trackball. You're not really in a position to flash/install that at this point unless you have the S-OFF engineering bootloader.
I'll hold-off with additional info pending your responses to the above.
Cheers!
edit: trumped by the Master himself, LOL! [I knew you'd be along sometime soon, bftb0 ]
scary alien said:
Scott,
Whoa! You got a lot going on there...
Okay, I don't have all of the answers here for you, but I know enough to ask a few questions that we'll need a clarification on.
1. Can you tell us your HBOOT version and whether its S-ON or S-OFF?
2. You mentioned that you've used ClockworkMod (not good , but maybe not terrible)...you also have mentioned using/having Amon_RA custom recovery. Which custom recovery do you have currently installed and can you boot into said recovery?
3. By the way, I think the voice/data signal thing is fixable--it sounds familiar to me, but I don't know the answer right off-hand and this is not your primary issue at the moment.
4. You should be able to run the RUU to restore 2.1 back to your phone. It doesn't require a working custom recovery running and/or adb. Although you might simply be asking if you can flash a ROM through adb, then the answer is yes, you can. Although you will need custom recovery running to make sure its adb server is running and that, of course, require USB connectivity (alluding to your "This device is not ready." message).
5. Usually, installing HTC Sync will install the USB drivers necessary for you to use adb. If that doesn't work for you, PM me with your email address and I'll send you about 10MBs worth of USB drivers I've collected over the last year that might help you with this issue.
6. Lastly, there is a version of Amon_RA's custom recovery available that does not require the use of the trackball. You're not really in a position to flash/install that at this point unless you have the S-OFF engineering bootloader.
I'll hold-off with additional info pending your responses to the above.
Cheers!
edit: trumped by the Master himself, LOL! [I knew you'd be along sometime soon, bftb0 ]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup bftb0 is a beast at these things, lol

[Q] What's the difference between SPL Hboot and Recovery?

What's the exact difference between SPL Hboot and Recovery?
Please explain it precisely.
There's a link in my sig to a glossary of Android terms, you'll find both of those listed there with a good description. But seriously though, you could've just Googled it...
Why so many of you assume that people don't make a search before they make a question?
I did Google it and I haven't found a good answer. And I haven't found a good answer in your glossary either. Pleased?
The glossary says that Hboot is a piece of firmware - great.
I've been asking for precise explanation.
If you would google it you would probably find the information that Hboot is the same as SPL not as Bootloader:
http://forum.android.com.pl/f92/hboot-co-to-takiego-11383/
That is why I'm making the quiestion:
1. What is what.
2. What does what.
3. And what is more primary.
HBOOT is 2nd stage bootloader. (GRUB, NTLDR)
Recovery is a boot image that used to fix and manage the system. (Recovery boot, Safe mode)
Thank you omongo.
I feel the difference between NTLDR and Safe Mode.
And what is the difference between Hboot and SPL?
Maxymo123 said:
If you would google it you would probably find the information that Hboot is the same as SPL not as Bootloader:
http://forum.android.com.pl/f92/hboot-co-to-takiego-11383/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure if it's Google Translate's fault or not, but the description Arturrro gave in that thread is horrible, using terms such as SPL (secondary program loader) dates back to the WM days. Android doesn't use the same system as WM, so things are pretty different.
Maxymo123 said:
That is why I'm making the quiestion:
1. What is what.
2. What does what.
3. And what is more primary.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If anyone spots something I've made a mistake with, let me know.. But otherwise, this is the conclusion I've come to after about 5 months' worth of research. And all of it retrieved by nothing more than reading XDA, searching Google and trial-and-error on my Desire.
HBoot
What it is: This is the hardware initiation or boot stage, much like the BIOS on a PC. Other than a placeholder for specific settings, all the HBoot does is handle the initial hardware initialization for your device.
What it does: With S-off (or 'Full Root' as it's also referred to) controls specific settings related to your device: these include the system partition size, cache partition size, data partition size, and more. They are not stored in an editable way, hense the reason for flashing a modified HBoot to get custom system partition sizes.
FastBoot
What it is: This is a more software orientated system, you'll notice when loading into FastBoot, support for the navigation controls on your phone are enabled? That's because it's already started loading your device drivers into memory at this point. Think of it as a GUI to the terminal style interface to the system settings on your device.
What it does: Because certain navigation and communication drivers are loaded at this point, USB connections are available in this state, which allows the use of both the ADB (used to push/pull files from phone) and FastBoot (used only as an initiator for FastBoot on the phone itself) processes to be run from a computer to update areas of your device.
For the record, the 'Recovery' menu as Omongo says, is not really a 'safe mode'. The recovery menu only shows up after rooting the device, it's a true root-level management tool that allows you to make system changes in a less technical manor.
For example:
Flashing a custom ROM via FastBoot involves terminal commands to push the update to the phone's memory card ('adb push update.img') then to flash it and update the correct areas ('fastboot flash system update.img').
Flashing a custom ROM via Recovery involves selecting the menu options update by a selected zip file, this would then use the same methods as FastBoot to flash, but you don't need to manually type any commands.
Thank you ZaLiTH very much.
That clears many things up.
Would you mind answering my other question?
I can't get a good explanation of what exactly Gfree and Rage are:
Here.
Maxymo123 said:
Would you mind answering my other question?
I can't get a good explanation of what exactly Gfree and Rage are:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, I'm not sure.. I've never used either of those apps. Best bet is probably to see if they have dedicated threads on XDA, or wherever it is you originally found out them.
Tahnks.
Obviously I was asking after searching in google.

A crash course on the Rezound and modding

There seems to be a lot of confusion about what things are or how they work together so I'm gonna try and build a post to explain some things. If i get any of this wrong, feel free to call me out and I'll correct it. I can generally be relied upon to make mistakes.
First let's start with the various things that you're gonna be hearing about or messing with on your phone.
Hboot or bootloader
This is pretty much the lowest level thing you're gonna mess with. This is what makes the phone boot up, and where you can flash all sorts of things like new hboots, kernels, and whole roms depending on how they are packaged. You can get here by either powering off your phone then powering on with volume down + power, or by selecting "reboot to bootloader" in most custom roms. If you've entered your hboot from a powered off state, you'll start in hboot, also known as the bootloader. The bootloader is where you will load ph98img.zip files, factory reset, boot to recovery, or enter fastboot. Fastboot is the section of the bootloader that will allow you to run fastboot commands from your PC/mac/whatever to load things like boot images, recovery images, return your phone to an s-on state, etc. It's a very powerful interface. From here you have menu options which will allow you to reboot, power off, or return to the bootloader.
If you've entered hboot from the adb reboot bootloader command or your custom rom, you will start in fastboot, and can enter the bootloader from here.
When entering the bootloader using either method, the first thing the phone will do is look for a PH98IMG.zip file. If it finds one, it will want to install it. You'll have the option of installing it, or rebooting. That's it. This is why you want to get rid of the ph98img.zip files from the root of your sd card once you've used them - if you pooch your rom, you're not getting into recovery or fastboot until you remove that file. If you can't boot your phone, you better hope you have another SD card or a micro sd card reader kicking around somewhere. You can boot into fastboot by powering off the phone, then powering it on by holding power and volume down keys at the same time.
A word of warning - this is one of the few places you can actually "brick" your phone. Don't mess around with installing hboots unless you are absolutely certain that you a) have a need and b) have an md5 checksum of the file and have verified that checksum on your own gear. Generally speaking, the only time you need to flash the hboot is when you are upgrading in some way, for example when going from GB to ICS.
Quick note - when people refer to the "SD card patch" they are referring to a patch that allows you to use the GB firmware with ICS roms. This is largely unneeded at this time, since the main purpose was for folks who wanted to run ICS roms without upgrading their hboot - there's no going backward with hboot unless you have s-off.
Radio files
this is how your phone works with the radio. you can brick your phone here, too, so always check md5 before installing, and ask yourself if you really need to be installing it. new radio versions are generally given the credit for things like increased signal strength, faster 3g/4g, better power consumption, etc. these are often paired with a kernel, as well.
Recovery
This is a software layer that you can flash to your phone that allows you to boot the phone into a utility state where you can install roms, flash things like patches or modifications, backup your rom/kernel, etc. When people refer to a nandroid backup, they are referring to a backup made here. It's a snapshot of your phone that lets you mess with things and restore back to that point in time should you screw something up. You pretty much can't brick your phone at this level - it's all just files and filesystems. You can also mount your SD card to reader mode for connection to a computer, do a factory reset of data, and a few other fun things like root your rom here. You should only root your rom if it is a stock rom that has not been rooted yet. Rooting a rooted rom will usually unroot your root so you don't have root.
There are a couple of different recoveries. The rezound community seems to use primarily amon-ra, which is what i use, but there is also clockwork recovery as well. Recovery is usually installed by booting your phone into fastboot and running the "fastboot flash recovery <recovery file>" command. Recovery can also be installed via the flash_image binary found in the RomManager package (ex: flash_image recovery amonra.img). This eliminates the need for fastboot altogether. Just need a terminal, root, and the flash_image binary.
Kernel
This is basically the primary component of an OS. The kernel is where a lot of the functionality of the phone are made or broken. the setting that prevents use of setcpu to change the way the CPU is governed is here. The thing that prevents bluetooth from working right on sense 4 roms? Kernel. Everyone is waiting eagerly for the ICS kernel source to be released so custom kernels can be made that resolve these issues and more. You can flash a kernel via recovery if you've done s-off to your phone, or via a ph98img.zip file in the bootloader. With s-off, kernels can also be backed up in recovery. The kernel is often given much of the credit or blame for the performance of your phone, overheating, etc.
Roms
Your phone's OS, sometimes incorrectly referred to as firmware. It's not - the firmware is the stuff we've already covered that can brick your phone. Think of your phone more as a tiny computer, with the rom being the distribution that you're using. This is pretty apt since it's basically linux, and just like linux, the actual OS is just files and partitions. Because the radio interface layer requires sense, the bulk of our roms are all based on sense roms, and all the functional ones are. Developers modify them to add features, remove bloat or sense components, or take sense roms from other phones and adapt them for our own. You install a rom through recovery.
Never claim to have "bricked" your phone when installing a rom. You can't, and doing so only points out that you don't really know how your phone works. This is embarrassing and best avoided when possible so jerks like me do not tell you what a n00b you are, and to go read threads like this one. Since you're here, we can assume that you've bothered to research things before asking stupid questions, so bravo! In all seriousness, you can no more brick your phone by messing up the rom than you'd brick your PC by screwing up your windows install. You can always start again from the beginning and reinstall. You might lose apps and settings, but this is the nature of the beast. Always nandroid before messing about, and you'll be fine. Nandroid is covered further later on.
RUUs
Strictly speaking, the things that we refer to as RUUs aren't. Everyone calls them that anyway, and I don't see it going away anytime soon. Technically, however, an RUU is HTC's Rom Updater Utility, and it's an executable that gets run on your PC, not something you load to SD card and flash in your bootloader. That said, RUU has come to mean factory signed software/firmware packages that are released by the manufacturer or leaked. They come in the form of a ph98img.zip file that can install pretty much anything - hboot, radio, kernel, rom, etc. What is installed varies from package to package.
Installing an ruu can only be accomplished on a phone that is currently not in an htc dev unlocked state, or a phone that has s-off. when installing one of these that includes an hboot, you'll need to reinstall recovery as well - installing a new hboot via RUU will always require this as the custom recovery is overwritten with the stock recovery.
If your phone has not yet had the s-off procedure done and you intend to do so, make sure the RUU you are about to install does not break the s-off exploit. Doing so will lock you into that RUU until the dev updates the exploit to work with the new hboot (if included in the RUU) or another RUU is released.
HTCdev
This is the method HTC gives us to unlock our phones. it allows us to install recoveries and roms, but not a lot else. you cannot downgrade your hboot or radio files with this, for example. you can install kernels via ph98img.zip file, but not through recovery. basically, it's HTC's way of letting us mess with our phones but without (hopefully) giving us enough control to brick them. this is considered better than nothing, but much less than ideal since you still don't have total control over what your phone does and how. doing this does essentially void your warranty, though to date there have been no confirmed reports of this affecting a return via either warranty or insurance.
With your phone in a stock state, you can apply only factory signed RUUs. Roms and kernels are closed to you, and you can move only forward with your radio and hboot, never backward.
With your phone in an HTCdev unlocked state, you can apply unsigned RUUs that contain a boot, system, and recovery image - all components must be present.
To get your phone into this state, visit HTCdev.com.
S-Off
This sets your security flag on the phone to off.Stock, your phone comes with this flag set to on. Our s-off method does it at the radio layer, and at this time is thought to be irreversible by update. It isn't, though - it's just unlikely because there are legitimate s-off phones out there. Still, it's always a good idea to wait to see if that shiny new RUU is gonna make your phone boring again before you install it. To be safe, wait for an RUU that has the hboot removed and just applies kernel, radio, and system files. You can turn it back on with fastboot should you wish, however. Htcdev unlocking, a bit of wire or a paperclip, and a decent set of timing is required for this. In my opinion it is best to do this once you are sure your phone does not have problems that require a warranty return, but it should be done before upgrading to new, untested OTAs/RUUs. There's always the chance that HTC will block the exploit that gives us this, at which point you're stuck until the devs figure out another way or someone comes up with some crazy method like the evo 3d guys. Many are nervous about this process, and for good reason. While the devs have done everything they can to make this bulletproof, it is best to enter into this mod with as much knowledge as possible, just like any other mod. It's also best to be relaxed, have an internet connection other than your phone, and not have anywhere you have to be right away in case things go like you don't expect. Should things go wrong, don't freak out. Ask questions. Many "bricked" phones have been restored with simple application of knowledge.
Things s-off does: Allows you to flash kernels from recovery, allows you to flash any hboot and radio you want. Lets you install any "ruu" you want with any combination of boot image, system, and recovery, rather than the entire package. Makes rom installation easier on devs due to kernel installation in recovery.
Many have scoffed at s-off, claiming it does nothing that unlocking doesn't do already. This isn't really the case, as we've all seen how important the ability to downgrade firmware and radios can be. Personally, I think of a phone with s-on in much the same way I think of eating steak through a trash bag. If you have the option not to, what the hell are you doing?
Things s-off does not do: magically turn your phone into an open platform to which devs will instantly flock to give you the aosp roms you believe yourself entitled to. What will do that? Glad you asked.
RIL - radio interface layer
Basically, the RIL is a driver for the radio - it lets the radio interface with the software running on the phone. This is a new problem that effects 4g phones. It sucks. Basically, your manufacturers (also verizon, but you can assume they don't want you to do anything other than pay them.) don't want you touching their precious radio chipset with your grubby little paws. We don't have source code, and they're not talking. Of course we already have software on our phone that has the RIL stuff we need, right? Yes... sort of. For any sense roms we want to use. This is why we don't have aosp. For aosp, one of three things needs to happen:
1) Manufacturers grow a soul and give us source in the form of a leak or they go mad and just release it. This is pretty much as likely as Verizon deciding that they are doing away with early termination fees.
2) Someone reverse engineers our RIL and makes their own RIL software. This is as likely as my wife developing new roms for her Incredible 2. The one she blames for her school's ****ty email server and wants to trade in for an iphone.
3) Someone develops an interim layer that translates aosp to sense and back again. This was done on the thunderbolt, but it was wonky. Certain individuals are confident that this will be easier done on ICS and are working on it. Some AOSP action would be pretty damn awesome, but don't expect it, demand it, or hold your breath for it. It's hard, and is going to require a very intense combination of skill, knowledge, and tenacity.
Now i know what you're thinking - the Nexus is a CDMA 4g phone and they can do whatever the hell they want. Do they have an open RIL? The answer is no. They have an aosp (Android Open Source Project) RIL though, which amounts to basically the same thing. If it is any consolation they can't have sense roms as a result. Those poor bastards, right? This is why many are torn between the Nexus and the Rezound. The Nexus is open and a dev's paradise - CM9, AOKP, MIUI, ****ty roms that some kid slapped a godawful theme on - it's all there. The Rezound has better radios, better screen, and better build quality (subjective) but no aosp. If you're reading this you've already chosen or had the choice made for you by verizon's $50 sale.
Fast Boot
But Derek, you say, you already talked about fastboot in the bootloader section. We get it. Nay nay. This is fast boot. Note the space. Basically, HTC roms include a tech that puts the phone into a hibernation state rather than powering off. You'll find it in the power menu. When this box is checked, your phone will go from powered off to your home screen in a very short period of time - 15 seconds on my phone, vs the normal 45 second boot time. If you pull the battery, you will have a normal boot time. Personally, I could take or leave this feature. I almost never shut my phone off, and when I do, I want it to actually shut off because i'm shutting it down because I need a cold boot. It's up to you how useful this feature is to you.
Perflock, CPU Frequency, and Governers
Many people have had poor experiences running the ICS leaks due to the CPU maxing out. The stock HTC kernel uses perflock, which constantly resets the frequency and scaling of your CPU. This means that the use of programs like setcpu or system tuner to change the min/max frequencies or governer of your CPU will cause it to essentially run in a state where it is either using the max frequency, or the minimum, without scaling up and down according to need. Some CPU monitoring apps will cause a similar reaction. The best way to avoid all this unpleasantness and get the best battery life out of your phone is to simply leave it be and let it do it's thing, because quite frankly you can't stop it anyway. If you absolutely must see what your CPU is doing, I have had good results with CPU Monitor by Coconuts. I still don't recommend keeping this active full time as I suspect it still impacts performance and battery life, but many do without any obvious adverse results. As a side note, the HTC kernel uses the On Demand governer, which steps up the CPU frequency quickly when needed and scales it back down slowly. Clearly, HTC's focus was on performance rather than battery life, here. Once kernel source for ICS is released, devs can build custom kernels which do not include perflock, and add other nice features as well like full power usb charging. Once this occurs, we will be free to use setcpu to scale our CPUs up or down to our hearts content and use whatever governer we like. Until then the best advice is simply to leave it alone.
I will be updating this and adding to it constantly. I'm not an expert, just an average user who is trying to put some useful info in the same place. Please shoot me a PM with suggestions/things I got wrong and I will update this post and credit you.
Contributors who have helped make this more accurate
scotty1223, esheesle
Section for General Education Type Things
Titanium Backup
Quite possibly the most useful software you will use on your rooted android device. Well worth buying. This software will allow you to backup pretty much everything on your phone to your sd-card, dropbox, box account, etc. It even lets you pull data from nandroid backups. This is the best way I know of to backup your apps and restore them when switching to a new rom. Not only do you not need to go digging through the my apps section of the play store to reinstall every damn app, you can restore with the data from the time of the backup. That means config for a lot of apps, game saves, etc. Note that most SMS apps and launchers will require you to use the backup included in their software, as Ti Backup doesn't grab these things. Forgot to backup your apps and data but made a nandroid backup? No problem. It can read your nandroid backup and pull those things right out of it.
It can also screw up your rom install to the point where you might as well factory reset, if you use it wrong. Basically, you never ever want to use it for anything other than apps you've installed from the app store and their data. Restoring system apps, unless you know what you're doing, is a bad idea. Restoring system data, no matter how tempting, is an even worse idea. It's very likely to screw you up. There are circumstances in which it may not do so, but if you are reading this and this is new info, you don't know them. Stay away. Most devs will outright tell you not to use it with their rom since people will inevitably ignore the warnings and do it anyway. It makes switching roms an absolute breeze though - I can switch roms and have my software setup exactly how it was before in less time than it takes to download a rom from Android Police. Granted, that's a good hour, but you get what I'm saying. It's a huge time saver. Backup your user apps and data, but touch system apps or data at your own peril.
What to do if you think you're bricked
Step 1: Chill out and slow down. Seriously. Unless your phone isn't doing anything at all when powered up, it's probably recoverable. Double check your MD5 sums before pushing things like hboots and radios, and you should be OK. If you've screwed up the s-off process, make a post describing exactly what you've done and how, then wait for responses. Do not demand them. You can also join #juopunutbear on freenode, where the devs hang out. They're not always right there, but I've seen them help dozens of people out of some sticky places, and they'll help you if they can. They really know their stuff.
For general Rezound problems, you can join #rezound on andirc.net. There's usually some knowledgable guys hanging out there, willing to help. Remember, the very best thing you can do is take the time to gather enough knowledge to be confident that the steps you are going to take to fix the phone are the right ones, and why. Flipping out about your "bricked" phone and throwing anything you can at it is much more likely to make things worse, and annoy the people trying to help you. For example, if you are s-on and in a state where you need to reinstall a stock RUU package, you only have as many chances to get it right as there are newer RUUs than what is on your phone already. If you don't know enough about things to know what is wrong and why, you're not terribly likely to know the best way to fix it. Keep calm and carry on.
What will installing this ______ do to my phone? What do I need to do to install them?
Now that we have s-off and all these new ICS leaks, we've all gotten a bit flash happy. This has led many to ask what they can install, how, and what needs to be done. I'll try and address as much of this as I can by talking about the different states your phone might be in.
Totally stock - You have only one choice. You can install the full RUU, or not. That means you're getting whatever radio, hboot, kernel, and rom come with that RUU. Once you've installed that RUU, you can't install anything but a newer RUU after that. Remember that with RUUs, you need to reboot twice - there are two installation steps in hboot that require a reboot in between. Note that some RUUs will wipe your SD card. Nice of them, isn't it?
HTCDev unlocked - You can install kernels via hboot, a custom recovery via fastboot or hboot if packaged, and custom roms. If you want to install new radio files or an hboot, then you'll want to make a nandroid backup in recovery, relock your phone, and install the RUU via hboot. You cannot install the RUU without relocking first. You can then unlock your phone via HTCdev again, flash recovery, and restore from your nandroid backup. Like a totally stock phone, you can only go forward with hboot and radios, never backward. You have more options than the stock guys, but are still limited. But you also can't brick your phone. Again, some RUUs will wipe your SD card.
S-off - You can do anything you want. Flash any radio or hboot you want. Flash any kernel you like. If a new RUU comes out and you want to try it, just install it. You'll need to reinstall recovery, but that's it. Want to use the new leak's radio and kernel but not the rom itself? Flash 'em. But for the love of god, check the MD5 checksum before you flash. Apps like root explorer will let you see the MD5 of a file right from your phone's SD card. Flashing a bad radio or hboot can brick your phone. With great power comes great responsibility. Flashing hboot, kernels, and radio files do not require you to factory reset your device, nor will they do so. It is advisable to clear your cache and dalvik cache in recovery after installing a new kernel, but that will not affect the data on your device.
So let's say you've got s-off, and you're running a rom you like, but you want that new radio, hboot, and kernel. First, don't touch the hboot unless you have a reason to. That's a risk that you don't need to take most of the time. To flash the radio, find someone who has extracted the radio and repackaged it into a PH98IMG.zip that contains just the radio. Copy it to your SD card, check the MD5, and flash via hboot. To install the kernel, either grab it from someone who has packaged it, or pull the boot.img from the RUU zip. Check your md5, boot your phone to fastboot, and run:
fastboot flash boot <path to boot.img file>
You need fastboot on your PC, of course. Also, bear in mind that with a new kernel on an older rom, you may need to apply patches to make everything work properly, like wifi. Devs will generally release these patches and post them. Simply copy them to your SD card and install in recovery.
Where are all these files?
The Dev section. Go in there, and poke around. It doesn't take long after a leak is released to see that leak taken apart, rooted, deodexed, stripped of its kernel and radio files, etc. Read what people are saying, and asking. Generally, the first post will be updated to have everything you need, but the thread may have what you're looking for as well. What you don't want to do is ask where things are when the same question has been asked several times over already, often three pages back. Sometimes things can be hard to find, but it's good to make the effort. The community will be better for it.
What's a rooted rom? Deodexed? Busybox? Zipalign?
Rooted is fairly self explanatory. It's the process of packaging a superuser app with a rom that will allow you to operate your phone with root access. You'll need this for the good stuff like removing bloat, installing most wireless tethering apps, ad blockers, titanium backup, etc. Verizon wishes you wouldn't do this, so you know it's awesome.
Deodexing basically removes an optimization, called odexing, that basically takes bits of an apk and puts them elsewhere for optimization purposes. Deodexing packages everything back into the apk so you can use different apks without fear of conflicting code, etc. This is what makes a lot of mods possible.
Busybox provides several stripped down versions of unix tools in a single package. A lot of things like titanium backup depend on this. Generally when someone roots a rom they also busybox it.
A zipaligned rom is a rom that has had its application packages optimized for quick access by aligning them on 4 byte boundaries. This allows android to access resources without having to explicitly read them. You don't necessarily need to understand this one - just think of it as being optimized.
Contributions are appreciated and will be credited in the main post. In the interest of keeping this thread clean without a million different versions of the OP, please edit your post down to a basic "suggestions added" or something similar once I've noted your additions. That way things stay readable and don't confuse the readers. Ideally, a PM would be best, leaving the comments free for questions and the like. My goal is to jam as much knowledge in this thread as I can, and I'll continue working on it as I see new questions that commonly pop up.
tspderek said:
I literally meant the phrase "suggestions sent." i would prefer PMs or cleaned up posts after suggestions are included in the original post for cleanliness' sake and to keep down redundant info.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so,in other words,youd like your posts,followed by no posts,or "thanks" posts,with no real discussion.
my only issue with that,is simply any of us are capable of sending suggestions that are not correct,or that are correct but an opinion. are you filtering somehow what you add? or just adding everything everyone sends?
its your thread,ill accept your request,but i personally would like to see everyones personal contributions and how you incorporate them.
readers should be smart enuff to seperate the first 3 information posts from the rest of the discussions. my 2 cents
I literally meant the phrase "suggestions sent." i would prefer PMs or cleaned up posts after suggestions are included in the original post for cleanliness' sake and to keep down redundant info.
..
Khayos said:
Suggestion: Sticky! (then delete me)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it's been sticky since about an hour after it was written last night...
Thank you for writing this. It should be a requirement to read this before someone can post again.
Thanks for this! I was just thinking that this is getting REALLY confusing...I appreciate the Primer!
tspderek said:
There seems to be a lot of confusion about what things are or how they work together so I'm gonna try and build a post to explain some things. ...
<snip>
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had been contemplating a post to ask questions that this addresses; for myself, it is very timely as well as very helpful.
I've seen terms in the forum used interchangeably that really are not, and this helps clarify that. Consistent use of terminology could go a long way to help with the abundance of questions and misunderstandings that exist.
Again, many thanks.
Nice post. Thanks!
I was waiting for the OTA to go official before even thinking about s-off but now you got me thinkin' about it.
If the OTA is good but I just want it de-oxed and de-bloated should I bother with S-Off?
My Dinc was so easy with UnRevoked, wish this one was as easy as that!
my personal feeling is that i like my phone to have s-off, so i can use the radio that works best for me and have full control of my phone. if i've already voided the warranty with htcdev, then why not? it's not a difficult process if you research and prepare everything ahead of time. know the steps, have your tools ready, and you'll be fine. took me one try on my phone.
it's really up to you, though. it's your phone. there is a risk of bricking that isn't there with htcdev. it's low unless you make poor decisions or skip steps, but it does exist - that's what s-off does. it opens the door for you to help or hurt yourself.
Very Useful
This is very well written. I wish I had this when I started my journey with Android. This is my first post btw. Iv been doing this for about 6 months now and hate that i cant post in Developement section. But i appreciate the time it took to make this. Very nice!
Edit.. Second post. Fogot about the first one
Sweet, will be following this closely! Thanks for posting!
Thanks for posting this it helped clear a lot of things up for me. This is my first smartphone and so I'm still learning about this stuff. I think some people forget that not everyone understands all of the jargon. I'm learning more and more about what I can do everyday and this has certainly helped.
Installing RUU
tspderek said:
Installing an ruu can only be accomplished on a phone that is currently not in an htc dev unlocked state, or a phone that has s-off. when installing one of these that includes an hboot, you'll need to reinstall recovery as well - installing a new hboot via RUU will always require this as the custom recovery is overwritten with the stock recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tspderek said:
With your phone in a stock state, you can apply only factory signed RUUs. Roms and kernels are closed to you, and you can move only forward with your radio and hboot, never backward.
With your phone in an HTCdev unlocked state, you can apply unsigned RUUs that contain a boot, system, and recovery image - all components must be present.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm confused. I am S-ON (scared of brick), bootloader unlocked, and running CleanROM Pro 4.3. I want to update to the newest firmware and then the newest version of CleanROM. Do I have to re-lock my bootloader in order to install ICS firmware? I'm looking at the 3.14.605.5 Ice Cream Sandwich ZIP RUU (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1365654). How do I go about installing that?
Any help would be appreciated, thanks!
pumpkinsoftruth said:
I'm confused. I am S-ON (scared of brick), bootloader unlocked, and running CleanROM Pro 4.3. I want to update to the newest firmware and then the newest version of CleanROM. Do I have to re-lock my bootloader in order to install ICS firmware? I'm looking at the 3.14.605.5 Ice Cream Sandwich ZIP RUU (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1365654). How do I go about installing that?
Any help would be appreciated, thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, you need to lock it back up then apply the ruu.
or, take the path of awesome, and s-off that bad boy. what i'd actually do is install the latest leak RUU, s-off from that platform, then install amon-ra and whatever rom you want. that way your bootloader will already be upgraded, and your radio files. as new leaks come out you'll be able to apply radio files and kernels independently.
tspderek said:
yes, you need to lock it back up then apply the ruu.
or, take the path of awesome, and s-off that bad boy. what i'd actually do is install the latest leak RUU, s-off from that platform, then install amon-ra and whatever rom you want. that way your bootloader will already be upgraded, and your radio files. as new leaks come out you'll be able to apply radio files and kernels independently.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, so...
1. Re-lock Bootloader
2. Install latest RUU
3. Unlock Bootloader and Root
4. S-OFF
5. Install Amon-RA
6. Install ROM
Sounds simple enough. Thanks.
Ok so I've taken your advice and removed setcpu and installed the one recommended in the post however is there any way to also monitor battery temp that won't interfere with things the same way setcpu does?
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA
pumpkinsoftruth said:
Ok, so...
1. Re-lock Bootloader
2. Install latest RUU
3. Unlock Bootloader and Root
4. S-OFF
5. Install Amon-RA
6. Install ROM
Sounds simple enough. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Step 4.5, install the patched hboot they offer you!

[GUIDE] VZW Note III Edition[Return to Stock or recover from a Soft Brick and More]

Here is a guide I put together for the VZW Galaxy Note III
I TAKE NO CREDIT FOR THE LINKS POSTED IN THIS GUIDE!!!
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Section 1: How to return to Stock Android 4.X or recover from a Soft Brick
Section 2A: How to flash a Custom Recovery, Root, and More for the (Dev. Edition N3 ONLY)
2B: How to Root and flash a Custom Recovery for the Retail Locked N3
Section 3: Android Directory
Section 4: Android Glossary
-------------------
Section 1: How to return to Stock Android and recover from a Soft Brick.
Take Note If your Retail Locked N3 took the OTA update, you can not revert back to older firmware. Verizon now has Samsung blacklist the older firmwares bootloader after each update. If you try and flash older firmware the device will softbrick or fail at Aboot in Odin.
Step 1: Download and install Odin 3.09 to a Windows based PC - http://www.mediafire.com/download/c4jk4e4i553jscs/Odin3_v3.09.exe
Step 2: Download a stock Odin image and Pit file to the PC. If Odin does not recognize the file then extract it with a program such as 7zip.
RETAIL Locked N3 Restore Files
Official VRUEOB6 5.0- http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/download/45906/N900VVRUEOB6_N900VVZWEOB6_VZW/
Official VRUDNK1 4.4.4-http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/download/41501/N900VVRUDNK1_N900VVZWDNK1_VZW/
Official VRUCNC4 4.4.2- http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/3/?download=29319
-Mirror- http://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=23501681358549642
Official VRUBMJE 4.3- http://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=23269279319196106
Developer Edition N3 Restore Files
DE_VRUBMJE 4.3-http://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=23269279319196402
-------------
HLTE_32gb.PitFile- https://www.mediafire.com/?i3vfwql159a4bfo(works for both DE and Retail devices)
Step 3: Power device off, hold the volume down/home/power keys until you see a yellow triangle, then press the volume up key to access "odin or download mode".
Step 4: Open Odin and connect the oem usb cable from pc to device. The driver should automatically install( it did for me on windows 7 64bit). There should also be a "comport number" in upper left hand corner of Odin indicating communication between the pc & device.
*If the drivers do not automatically install, then manually install the drivers in link and proceed to the next step. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2038555
Step 5: Click on the Pit function of Odin and select Pit file you downloaded in Step:2.
Step 6: Click on the AP/PDA(depends on Odin version) function of Odin. Select the stock 4.3 image you downloaded in step 2, then select start. This operation should take less than 8 minutes before Odin will say pass/reset.
Step 7: Your device should boot back up into factory stock Android! However, these stock Odin files do not wipe data and as a result the device may bootloop or stick at the samsung sash screen depending on the devices state before flashing the above files.
To get the device to boot: power the device off, press and hold the volume up/home/power buttons until the samsung logo appears. The device will boot into recovery and from there you will need to wipe data/factory reset, then reboot.
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Section 2A: How to Flash a Custom Recovery, Root, and More For The (Dev. Edition N3 ONLY)
Do not worry about Knox, the DE device has no warranty anyway
Step 1: Download and Install Odin 3.09 and drivers from section 1 if you have not already.
Step 2: Download the Official CWM recovery.tar to the desktop of your PC
http://goo.im/devs/philz_touch/CWM_Advanced_Edition/hltevzw/philz_touch_6.08.9-hltevzw.tar.md5
Step 3: Download the SuperSU.zip to the root of your Internal SD.
http://download.chainfire.eu/351/SuperSU/
Step 4: Power your device off, connect the OE usb cable from device to PC, Press and hold the volume down/home/ power buttons until you see a yellow triangle, then press volume up to access "odin/download mode". Take note there should be a Com port number in the upper left hand corner of Odin indicating communication with device.
Step 5: Click on the AP slot in Odin and find the recovery.image.tar you downloaded in step 2. Also make sure to Uncheck Auto Reboot!!
Step 6: Hit Start, Odin should take less then 15 seconds before indicating completion.
Step 7: Unplug device, Pull and Re-insert battery, Press and Hold the Volume UP/Home/Power buttons until you see the Samsung logo or indication that the device is Recovery Booting.
Step 8: Congrats you should now be booted into TWRP recovery!! Continue following directions below for ROOT!
Step 9: Create a Nandroid back up by tapping back up, chose partitions to back up(system, data, boot are standard), then swipe to back up. Return to the main menu by pressing the return arrow 2 times.
Step 10: Select Wipe, Advanced Wipe, Check both Cache and Dalvik cache, then swipe to perform action. Tap the return arrow 2 times to return to the main TWRP page.
Step 11: Select Install and find the root.zip you downloaded in step 3, then select it. Swipe to Confirm Flash.
Step 12: Navigate back to the home page and reboot. Once the device is booted up, open app drawer and confirm the SuperSU app is installed.
For Installing Kernels, Mods, Roms, or any .zip from Recovery
-Boot into Recovery via three finger method(hold vol. up/home/power)and follow steps 8-11, just replace the file in step 11 with the one you are trying to flash.
-The only extra step for flashing a Rom is to Wipe DATA in step 10.
-If something goes south and your device will not boot after flashing in recovery, this is where creating that Nandroid back up will save you. Simply power the device off, Three finger into Recovery, Select Restore, Then Select the back up you created and swipe to restore.
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Section 2B: How to Root and Flash Safe Strap Recovery for the Retail Locked N3
Step:1 First you need Root. https://towelroot.com/
- Click the Red symbol and download Towel Root.apk.
-Navigate to system setting/security/unknown sources and check the box.
-Install and run the TR.apk
Step 2: Once you have verified you have Root and updated SuperSU, head over to this thread and Download the SafeStrap.apk to the root of the devices internal sd(mount/sd).http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2517610
Step 3: Open the app drawer and find the File Manager app(If you do not have this app download it from the playstore), use the app to find the SafeStrap.apk you downloaded in step 2.
Step 4: Click on the SafeStrap.apk and click Install.
Step 5: Navigate to the app drawer and open the SafeStrap app, agree to the disclaimer, then select install recovery.
Step 6: Reboot and you should see a new Splash screen upon boot.
Step 7: Congrats you now have Safestrap recovery and are ready to flash mods & roms.
Be Sure to Thank and/or donate to HashCode for his efforts!!
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Section 3: Android Directory
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[Firmware][Collection]Modems,Kernels,Stock Tars-http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2524572
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[How To][Disable Stock Apps Safely]- http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2478589
[How To][Add Toggles to Notification Panel]- http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2482867
[How To][Tethering Without Root]- http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2480705
[How To][Videos]Root-Unlock-More- http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2484201
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[MOD][ROOT][All Root Methods]- http://www.note2forum.com/forum/galaxy-note-3-development/4355-root-methods-all-one-place.html
[MOD]Native Multiwindow-http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2507975
------------------
Section 4: Android Glossary
Download Mode- This is a setting in which you will put your phone when using Odin. There are other ways, but most noobs will reach download mode by powering down, removing the battery, and holding volume down while plugging the factory usb cord into the computer and phone. Odin can only communicate properly with your phone if the phone is in download mode.
F. Reset Time- This is a check box in Odin. It's not clear that anyone knows the exact details of what it actually does, nor is it clear what will happen if you leave it unchecked vs checked. It seems to reset some arbitrary counter in your phone. As a general rule, you can either follow the instructions of whatever guide you're using or just leave the checkbox how you found it.
Fast Charge- This is a feature on some ICS ROMs that can be turned on or off. When enabled, it allows your phone to draw as much charge as possible regardless of the charging source. Without fast charge, your phone will place artificial speed limits on charging when plugged, for example, into the USB slot on your computer. Fast charge bypasses these limits, letting your phone believe it is always plugged into a wall charger. It is worth noting that your phone will not be recognized by your computer as a USB device when fast charge is enabled. It will only charge.
FC - Force Close- This is when an app stops working unexpectedly. This can happen to both rooted and unrooted phones. It doesn't cause any damage to the phone. In most cases, the app can just be opened right back up. It seems to depend on a lot of factors, including the quality of the app itself. ROMs and kernels that experience very few FCs are said to be "stable."
Flash- This is a term used to describe the installation of software onto your phone. It refers to fundamental changes in your phone's operating system. It is different from just installing an app from the Marketplace (Google Play). Commonly, people will flash ROMs, kernels, patches, and radios. There are basically two ways to flash new software onto your phone:1. Odin2. CWM Recovery (or a comparable recovery program)
Freeze -There are two meanings in general use. One might use this term to refer to his or her phone becoming unresponsive. More commonly, though, it refers to a special ability of a program called Titanium Backup. This program can be downloaded from the Android Marketplace (Google Play), but it requires a rooted phone to work. When Titanium Backup is used to freeze an app or process, that app or process is essentially gone from the phone. It won't show up in the app drawer, and it won't be running in the background. The difference between freezing and uninstalling, though, is that anything frozen can be quickly "thawed," also with Titanium Backup. With the touch of a button, the missing app or process is right back where it used to be. This is a convenient way for newly rooted users to test the waters of debloating.
Gapps - Google Apps- When flashing custom ROMs, the apps on the phone are usually deleted. As an alternative to going to the Marketplace (Google Play) and re-installing all the favorites (Google Maps, Google Talk, Google Voice, etc.), many devs have packaged these into a tidy zip file that can be flashed via CWM. Why don't they just put the Google Apps in the ROM, you ask? Custom ROMs and Google Apps get software updates at different rates, so keeping the two separate allows users to always have the most up-to-date version of each. On MTD ROMs such as CM7 or anything ICS, you generally must flash the gapps package to get the Android Marketplace (Google Play).
Governor- This refers to the type of logic your phone uses to control how fast its processor ramps up when needed or slows down when not. The choice of governor can influence overall performance and battery life. The governor can be selected using an OC/UV program such as Voltage Control or NS Tools. No one governor is right for everyone. The fun is in experimenting. Here are some examples and brief descriptions:
performance:Keeps the processor always ramped up to to maximum; useful for benchmarking.
ondemand:*Rapidly ramps up the processor when needed; gradually slows it down when not neededconservative:*Similar to ondemand, but ramps up more slowlyuserspace:*The user can define the parameters (for advanced users only).
lazy:*This was developed specifically for Android by xda dev Ezekeel. He states it is an enhanced version of ondemand, tuned to our phones' capabilities. Don't be fooled by the name. He tested it with numerous processor-intensive applications.
interactive:Uses a logic to try to predict how quickly it needs to ramp up processor speed, attempting to balance battery life and performance
interactiveX: A tweak on interactive (by dev imoseyon), which locks the processor at the minimum speed when the screen is off
smartass & smartassV2:Modified interactive governors by dev erasmux, they use logic to determine how quickly to ramp up or slow down; designed to optimize battery life without sacrificing performance.
powersave:This keeps the processor always set at the minimum frequency. The name may be a bit misleading, as certain processes will just take longer, using up more battery.
Heimdall- This program is similar to Odin. It was created by an Australian software company called Glass Echidna. It can be used to flash files onto your phone. Some users prefer this program over Odin. Heimdall can be used with Mac computers, whereas Odin can not. Many high level users regularly use both Heimdall and Odin.
init.d- This is a type of script used by developers when they modify Android code. You hear the term a lot because modifications using this type of script have far-reaching effects in the overall performance of the phone. High level users (who aren't quite devs) can even insert bits and pieces of init.d scripts to make minor tweaks to their phones.
Inverted- By default, most Google apps consist of a white screen with dark lettering. Inverting changes this to a dark screen with light letters. There are several advantages to this. Beyond the aesthetic advantages, it tends to be easier on the eyes in low light situations and reduce battery consumption. Inversion is done by talented individuals called themers.
I/O Scheduler- This refers to the type of logic your phone uses to order and process read and write requests to your phone's hard drive. There are several types, which are listed below, but there is no magic bullet. The joy is in finding the one that works for you in terms of performance and battery life. It is worth noting, though, that certain schedulers were designed to be used with mechanical rotating hard drives, taking the drive's rotational position into account. This does not apply to our phones, which use solid state drive technology. A scheduler can be selected by using an OC/UV control program such as Voltage Control or NS Tools. Specific descriptions are beyond the scope of this glossary, but simple Internet searches can expand on any of schedulers listed.*Examples: noop, deadline, cfq, bfq, sio, vr, bfs* In the absence of a dev's recommendation, if you don't feel like reading up on the subject, you can leave the scheduler at the default or choose noop or sio.
JB - Jelly Bean- Android 4.xGoogle likes to name its Android releases after sweet foods. This is the latest version of Android to hit the streets, and devs are flocking to it , making all JB development new and exciting.
Jig- This is a tiny Frankensteinian device made of a small chip, a transistor, and the tip of the little micro-USB connector that you plug into your phone to charge it or attach it to your computer. When your phone will not go into download mode through normal means, putting a jig into the phone when the battery is in will make your phone go into download mode. You can make one yourself or buy one online for less than $10.
Kang- Generally used as a verb, this means to take bits and pieces of someone else's coding and to then integrate it into your own. Granted, noobs won't be doing this, but devs do it all the time. For the most part, this is considered a welcome practice among friendly devs, provided it is done correctly and politely. Kanging often serves to better the community as a whole. The key for devs is to give credit to the other devs from whom they have kanged.
Kernel- This is one of the two main components (ROM being the other) of the software running on an Android phone. It is the piece of software that connects the hardware (screen, softkeys, vibration, speakers, etc.) to the other software components. An unrooted phone comes with a stock kernel. It is stable but somewhat slow. Practically speaking, installing (flashing) a custom kernel will make your phone feel much faster and smoother as it moves through screens and opens apps. Generally speaking, installing a new kernel will not change the basic appearance of your phone or erase any of your phone's information. Custom kernels can also unlock several abilities of rooted phones. Examples include:-wireless tethering (ignoring that pesky $30/month charge from Verizon)-control over how and when the softkeys at the bottom of the screen light up-overclocking/undervolting-voodoo lagfix (This only applies to phones with BML-based ROMs. MTD ROMs don't need lagfix.)-custom boot animationsLean Kernel*- Created by imoseyon, He intentionally leaves out a lot of the "bells and whistles" to keep the experience simple, smooth, and fast. Imoseyon works with several phones, so it is imperative that you have the correct version of Lean Kernel, the one appropriate for your phone.
Linaro- This is a team of software engineers developing open source software for numerous platforms, particularly as it relates to getting maximum bang for the buck from systems with memory and hardware limitations. For our purposes, many Linaro modifications are making their way into our custom ROMs, promising increased speed and responsiveness.*Logcat*- This is a log of all of the processing activity your phone did over a certain period of time. This is useful for bug reporting, as devs can examine logcats and attempt to determine the source of the error(s). Many threads in the development forum request logcats to go alongside any bug reports. A logcat can be generated through adb, and there are also some apps that will do it for you. Random complaints aren't terribly useful for devs, but logcats generally are. This classic cartoon illustrates how many devs feel about disorderly complaints about their work, even though most are far too polite to say anything.
Milestone- Devs are always trying to incorporate the latest and greatest features into their ROMs. The add-ons are incorporated as parts of new releases, or "builds." This is what makes development exciting, but it also leads to bugs. Milestone builds occur when the devs sit back, roll up their sleeves, and work the bugs out of all the awesome features they've crammed into their work. The milestones are considered the relatively safe and stable builds. When installed correctly, they rarely experience major bugs.
MIUI- This term is a transliteration of a Chinese name for a special customization of Android actually developed in China. MIUI ROMs can be installed on the Fascinate. They change the look and feel of the Android system, moving it closer to something resembling iOS, the iPhone's operating system. A lot of custom development has been done with the software code from the MIUI system. Many devs will integrate bits and pieces of MIUI into their own ROMs.
Nandroid- This is a backup of your entire phone as it stands at that moment in time (ROM, kernel, text messages, your Angry Birds progress, etc.). It is stored on your sd card, which is somewhat immune to your tinkering. A Nandroid backup is a good failsafe for the times when you might want to try out that new experimental kernel your favorite dev has been working on. The files can also be saved on a home computer/flash drive/etc. for safe keeping. Nandroid backups are created using a recovery program like Clockworkmod Recovery. CWM can also use old Nandroids to restore a phone to its previous condition.
Nightly - Nightlies- Some rooted users like the idea of having the most stable, tested, and reliable ROMs available. Others prefer the excitement of being on the cutting edge. Nightlies are the untested regular releases of whatever a certain dev happens to be working on at the time. They package them up, post them online, and let the discussions ensue. These are not for the faint of heart. They are for people who are comfortable addressing freezes, boot loops, and force closes.
Noob- If you have to ask what this means, this is what you are. It's a derivation of "newbie" or "newb," someone who's new to the activity at hand. In many ways, the noob is defined by his actions rather than by the amount of time he's spent rooting phones or posting on xda. Here are a few standard behaviors that will immediately brand someone as a noobosting new threads to ask questions that have been answered dozens of times. (Hint: It's best to search before posting)-Posting ROM complaints (without logcat), beginner questions, and other non-development topics in the development forums (It has been theorized that this will ultimately be the end of xda)-Diving in and flashing away without reading and then posting about your problems (Everyone needs to read the Guide.)
NSTools- This is an app that requires superuser permissions. It can be used to control a variety of the phone's features that are unlocked when running a custom kernel. It can enable fast charge, BLN, overclocking, and undervolting. It often comes pre-installed with ICS ROMs.*OC - Overclocking*- Computer processors operate at a variety of speeds. When a manufacturer sells a product (like a phone) to the general public, they strictly limit the speed at which the built in processor can operate, even though the processor may be capable of more. This is to promote stability and reliability. Rooted users can overclock their phone's processor, raising the maximum speed at which it can operate. This can be done through various apps, including Voltage Control and NS Tools. Some ROMs even have the controls built into their settings. There are limits, though. Running a processor at too high a speed can cause overheating and/or glitches.
Odin- This is a program of seemingly mysterious origins that allows your home computer to communicate with your phone. You download it to your home computer. Good communication with your phone requires the installation of Samsung drivers on your computer as well as the use of the USB cable that came with your phone. Among other things, Odin can be used to root your phone, install CWM Recovery, install custom ROMs and kernels, and return your phone to stock after you've screwed it up.**NEVER touch the "Phone" button on Odin. It should be labeled "Destroy your Phone"
OP - Original Post- This refers to the first post in any given thread, the one that started the thread in a discussion forum. A common noob mistake is to hop into a thread on page 27, read for 30 seconds, and then chime in with a question. He is often directed to the OP, which contains the answer to his question.*
OTA - Over the Air- These are the official firmware upgrades that Verizon has released over the life of this phone. They were either pushed out to our phones in the middle of the night or offered up for us to download at our convenience. Generally speaking, rooted users do not receive OTA updates. Also generally speaking, this doesn't really matter. The updates can be found on xda, and it is unlikely that the Fascinate will ever receive another OTA update.
Patch- This generally refers to a zip file that can be flashed using CWM. The file usually contains updates or small modifications to an existing ROM or kernel. A great example is the patch that reprograms the phone dialer's voicemail button to open Google Voice instead of the standard voicemail or Visual Voice Mail.
PDA Button- This is the button you will want to use when using the Odin program. You should always avoid the "Phone" button.
Pit file- This is a type of file used with Odin when returning your phone to stock. There is a "Pit" button on Odin you can push to enter the pit file you wish to use. An example of a pit file that you will probably use is Atlas_v2.2.pit. To return to stock, you would use a pit file along with a stock ROM, putting both into Odin at the same time. Droidstyle's guide provides detailed instructions.
Project Butter- This is a Google initiative, launched with Jelly Bean, aimed at reducing phone lag, both real and perceived. It involves research into human visual perception, the pairing of GPU and CPU, graphics buffering, and so on. It's purpose is to make your Android phone run "like buttah."
Radio - a.k.a. Modem- This generally refers to the software that manages the phone's connection to the outside world, not the physical device itself. Verizon would release new versions of this software from time to time in their OTA updates.
Recovery- Your phone comes with a recovery program. You have to choose to boot it up as an alternative to booting up your phone's normal touchscreen interface. An ordinary phone user would probably never even see this program. It's not pretty. It's just functional. It is basically a list of commands and technical terms that you can navigate using the phone's softkeys, volume up & down buttons, and the power button (to select). Essential to rooting are the special recovery programs such as CWM Recovery. A special recovery program, will replace the stock recovery program for a rooted user.
Re-Partition- This is one of the check boxes in Odin. This box should be checked only when returning your phone to stock. Of Odin's various check boxes, this is the only one for which widespread agreement of its use exists.
ROM- This is one of the two main components (kernel being the other) of the software running on an android phone. It generally determines the overall appearance of your phone, including which apps are installed by default. The ROM that comes installed on your phone right out of the box is known as the stock ROM. Created by devs, there are numerous custom ROMs available. The process of flashing a custom ROM to your phone will, generally speaking, erase everything on your phone. When you buy your phone from Verizon, Verizon still controls it. You are simply a user who is allowed to perform various Verizon-approved activities on it.
Root- Gaining root access to your phone grants you the control that Verizon had previously held. Rooting quite literally makes you the "Superuser," opening numerous possibilities for improvement, customization, and ruin. Root access is essential to having a fast, fully customized phone.
Root Explorer- This is an app downloadable from the Android Marketplace (Google Play). As it requires Superuser permissions, it is only functional for rooted users. Its abilities far exceed those of standard file management apps. For example, Root Explorer can copy .apk files directly into the system/apps folder in Android. It's a great way to get that obscure Samsung widget reinstalled on your phone after your favorite developer's ROM washed it away and called it bloat.
Samsung Drivers- This is a small piece of downloadable software that will need to be installed on your home computer before it will be able to communicate with your phone (via Odin or adb).
Skin- This is a program that a phone manufacturer creates with the goal of making its phones more user friendly. It is basically an interface that sits on top of the pure Android guts underneath, hence the term "skin." The skin that comes with Samsung phones is called TouchWiz. This is why our phones don't look quite the same as our friends' HTC or Motorola phones, even though they are all using Android. Some people love TouchWiz. Some people hate it. Some custom ROMs are designed to be used with TouchWiz. Others are designed to be rid of it.
SOD - Sleep of Death- This is when your phone goes into standby mode but then goes into a catatonic state somewhere between being asleep and completely powered down. Users report various degrees of SOD. Some ROMs and kernels have been associated with it, as have certain apps, certain radios, and certain SD cards. Experimenting with fringe OC/UV and didle settings are often responsible these days. Generally, a battery pull (or better, Volume Up + Power) will revive the phone. Once a phone experiences a SOD, it seems likely that it will happen again, so a fix will need to be instituted. A modification of OC/UV settings or a return to stock and clean installation of your ROM, kernel, and apps are recommended.
Superuser- A rooted phone will have a new icon in the list of apps called Superuser. This is what distinguishes a rooted phone from a non-rooted phone. There are numerous apps available on the web and Android Marketplace (Google Play) that require "Superuser permission" to do what they do. Common examples of these apps include NS Tools, Titanium Backup, Root Explorer, Voodoo Sound, NS Tools, and Voltage Control. When a rooted user first runs one of these special apps, the app will ask for Superuser permission. Since you are now the Superuser, you get to press the button that says allow or one that says deny.
S Voice- Korean Siri, courtesy of Samsung.
Swype Beta- One of the early perks of rooting, the latest version of Swype is not available to unrooted users because the Fascinate comes with a special pre-installed (and perhaps outdated) version of Swype. Upgrading gives a slicker version of Swype with a more advanced word selection logic. You must follow a few steps to do it correctly:1. Change the input method to the Android keyboard (settings->language & keyboard).2. Uninstall Swype using Titanium Backup.3. Go to the Swype website, give them your email address, and then follow their lead.
.tar- This is the file extension for the files that get flashed via Odin. The file to install CWM, for example, is a .tar file. Another example is the file that returns your phone back to stock.
Titanium Backup- This is an app available on the Android Marketplace (Google Play). It is for rooted users only, and it requires Superuser permissions to operate normally. Its two main functions are:1. Creating backups of your phone (or parts of it) in case you screw it up2. Freezing or uninstalling apps and other stuff you don't want (i.e. debloating)
Thanks button- Once you have created an established account at xda and made a post or two, you will begin to see a button with a little thumbs up sign next to the word "Thanks." This can be found on the lower right corner of someone's post. Pushing this button lets the person who posted know that their work is appreciated. It is considered polite to thank anyone who has helped you, whether or not it was in direct response to your own question. It is always polite to thank the devs whose software you are using. Xda tallies these thanks and gives experienced users a quantifiable measure of their contributions to the community. You will see a thanks meter under other users' names. Helpful people and prolific devs can have hundreds or thousands of thanks.
Troll- This describes a person who attempts to transform a civil forum discussion into a battle of harsh words. They generally lure people into a massive argument by posting inflammatory remarks that are just slightly off topic. They then sit back and laugh to themselves as the argument develops into the nerd equivalent of a bar fight. To feed a troll and make him stronger, just respond to him. To weaken him, report his posts to moderators.
TW - TouchWiz- see "Skin"*
TWRP - TeamWin Recovery Project- This is an alternative to the traditional recovery program. Rather than using the volume rocker, softkeys, and power button to interact with it, a touchscreen interface is used. While it offers some interesting potential, it is still under development in terms of compatibility with the Fascinate and our popular ROM/kernel setups.
UV - Undervolting- This is a means of attempting to reduce battery consumption when using custom kernels. Rooted users can accomplish this through one of several apps, with Voltage Control and NS Tools being common examples. The point of whether UV reduces battery consumption is highly contentious, but there does seem to be a theoretical basis for its validity, as well as a preponderance of anecdotal evidence.
Voltage Control- This is an app available on the Android Marketplace (Google Play). It requires root access (i.e. Superuser permissions). When used with compatible kernels, it allows you to overclock and undervolt your phone.
Voodoo- Project Voodoo is a collaborative software development effort started by dev supercurio back when Galaxy S phones first hit the market. Its goal was to optimize the Galaxy S, bringing it up to its full potential. Voodoo innovations have been used by countless rooted users. Voodoo features can only be used on compatible custom kernels. The project consists of three main branches:1.
Voodoo Color - optimizes screen images/video *Not really available in most modern Fascinate setups, but people still talk about how they miss it.2.
Voodoo Sound - optimizes sound quality for audiophiles *The Voodoo Sound app is available from the Marketplace (Google Play) to control settings.
Wipe x3- This term refers to the act of wiping the slate clean on your phone. It removes all apps you have installed and any data associated with those apps. It will not erase Android, your ROM, your kernel, or anything on your sd card (your photos and videos are on your sd card by default). The Wipe x3 is often done before making major changes to your phone's system. The process is accomplished through a recovery program such as CWM. Here are the 3 commands (hence the "x3"):1. wipe data/factory reset2. wipe cache partition3. wipe dalvik cache*Note, performing a wipe data/factory reset will reportedly wipe the cache partition and the dalvik cache, so steps 2 & 3 may be redundant.
zip- For our purposes, this refers to the file type for files that can be flashed with CWM or other recovery programs.
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Thanks droidstyle. ?
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk now Free
The button is now AP on odin, but ya it does work as I have went from root to stock and back a couple times so far
Sent from my SM-N900V
Thank you droidstyle. Coming from the Bionic that used RSD Lite and never owning a Samsung before, I was unsure of the process using Odin. You made it very simple for a newb like me to understand.
thunderbread said:
Thanks droidstyle. ?
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk now Free
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your welcome
sfld said:
The button is now AP on odin, but ya it does work as I have went from root to stock and back a couple times so far
Sent from my SM-N900V
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The older versions of Odin should still work which is why I put AP/PDA in the instructions.
R-1 Rider said:
Thank you droidstyle. Coming from the Bionic that used RSD Lite and never owning a Samsung before, I was unsure of the process using Odin. You made it very simple for a newb like me to understand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This exactly why I posted these instructions, glad it helped you. Take note more will be added to this guide as things get rolling for the N3. It most likely will be a All in One guide with Root, Rom, Recovery,and Return to Stock instructions at some point.
droidstyle said:
Please note I do not have the N3 yet, but returning to stock has been very similar on all three of my previous samsung devices. So if you notice something slightly different just let me know and I will change it.
For instance: when you three finger combo to access download mode does a yellow triangle appear?
These are the type of little differences you might notice from the instructions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you getting the developer edition?
droidrev71 said:
Are you getting the developer edition?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep.
Thanks droidstyle it worked
Mods, please sticky this or move it to Original Section,
:good::good:
Knox?
Does this trip the Knox flag? Might want to update the OP either way.:good:6
Thank you for this!
Sent from my SM-N900V using xda app-developers app
RainingPanic said:
Does this trip the Knox flag? Might want to update the OP either way.:good:6
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not trying to be rude, but how would flashing back to stock trip the Knox flag?
bajasur said:
Thank you for this!
Sent from my SM-N900V using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you are welcome good sir!! I appreciate your contributions as well!!
droidstyle said:
How would flashing back to stock trip the Knox flag?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
would flashing back to stock reset tripped KNOX flags?
tgamer said:
would flashing back to stock reset tripped KNOX flags?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish I knew, but I have a feeling No. It would be the same principal as using Chainfire's Triangle away to erase the flash counter on prior devices. Flashing back to stock does not erase it on its own, so I wouldn't expect it to in this case either. This is why I am buying a Dev Edition, Tired of worrying about that stuff.
droidstyle said:
Not trying to be rude, but how would flashing back to stock trip the Knox flag?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure... that's why I asked the question. Why does Chain fire's Autoroot trip the Knox flag but Designgear's method does not? I haven't flashed back to stock using these files, but surely someone has and could answer the question. It probably doesn't, but I was just thinking it might be useful if it was stated in the OP to help reassure inexperienced members like me. :good:
RainingPanic said:
Not sure... that's why I asked the question. Why does Chain fire's Autoroot trip the Knox flag but Designgear's method does not? I haven't flashed back to stock using these files, but surely someone has and could answer the question. It probably doesn't, but I was just thinking it might be useful if it was stated in the OP to help reassure inexperienced members like me. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you get a chance read the entire OP of the Root La Vega thread...its all explained there. In short no flashing back to stock does not trip the knox flag.
If I recall correctly, resetting Knox flag after you've already tripped it is useless. I read somewhere that Knox actually communicates with a Samsung/Verizon server that takes your Knox status. Aka once you've tripped it, they already have your void status. (That is, once you've booted and gave it a chance to communicate with servers)
But we don't care about warranties since we gave that up rooting our phones now do we.....
And I'm with droidstyle, flashing completely stock images should never trip anything bad. Unless you did something severely wrong.
Sent from my Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk 4
@droidstyle Thanks for this!
sfld said:
The button is now AP on odin, but ya it does work as I have went from root to stock and back a couple times so far
Sent from my SM-N900V
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't trip the 0x1?

Shield TV 7.2 developer update, downgrade and other things

Important notice! : iLLNiSS made me aware of a serious risk!
If you play with the firmwares manually and not with the flash all bat then DO NOT flash the blobs!
These are the actual bootloader files and stuffing up here will cause a hard brick!
I have to stress this out as it is serious thanks to not having working APX drivers a flshing programs for the Shield!
For starters, I uploaded a copy of the 7.2 developer firmware here:
7.2 developer ZIP on Dropbox
It is the full 1.1Gb update and not the 422mb block based one.
I have done some extensive tests since the first block based update wrecked my rooted Shield.
Some of it will end up in this post as info for everyone.
But lets start with what seems to be the problem for a lot of users right now who run a rooted Shield : Fixing the problem
A downgrade is officially not supported by Nvidia but my tests showed it works just fine if you only go back to the 7.1.
So far my tests showed differen sources for a Shield no longer working after the OTA.
1. The device had an unlocked bootloader and you got the 422mb block update.
This would have stuffed your bootloader and the Shield won't go past 1/4 on the progress bar for the update.
You are in luck as just flashing the 7.1 bootloader will fix it.
After that just dismiss the update and change the settings to manual updates.https://forum.xda-developers.com/editpost.php?do=editpost&p=78466377
2. Your device was already fully rooted and you got the full update that resulted in your Shield doing all sorts of thing but nothing properly anymore.
As long as your apps are still there and the Shield is still somhow usable you are lucky again.
A downgrade to 7.1 will fix it, I will explain the steps required further down.
3. You made bid mods, used Magisk or other rooting tools and now your Shield complains that your system is corrupt.
Bad luck if your bootloader is locked as you loose it all.
Lucky if the bootloader is unlocked as you might be able to keep most if not all during the downgrade.
General words of warning:
Even if your bootloader was unlocked from day one I can not garantee that the downgrade will keep all settings, apps, databases and so on.
For me it works fine as I kept all vital databases on external storage.
The procedures are all based on the developer firmware, on the stock firmware some things can still be done but then again you should not have more than software problems.
On the stock firmware the bootloader is locked by default and you can use some things required to owngrade due to the restrictions of a stock system.
General downgrade procedure for the developer firmware to get back to 7.1 :
If the update did get stuck on the progess bar early on and a reboot won't fix it so you can dismiss the update you just follow the steps.
If you can reboot into the 7.1 then just dismiss the update.
Trust issues or curruption warnings at boot but an otherwise working shield on 7.1 require to flash the 7.1 bootloader again.
In some cases it is possible to skip the corruption warning with a connected controller.
A reboot once you got to the homescreen will determine how bad it is.
Reboot goes fine: You are good.
Reboot keeps nagging with warnings other than the unlocked bootloader: Downgrade.
The downgrade is only required if you have problems or the Shield already runs on the 7.2!
In almost all other cases just flashing the 7.1 bootloader is sufficient.
Fixing a stuffed Shield by sideloading the 7.1 firmware while keping all apps and things:
Enable USB debugging and allow the connections for the computer if you still have access to the settings.
Otherwise you need to flash the 7.1 fresh and might loose vital things that need to install again.
Reboot into the stock recovery, if you use TWRP flashed on the Shield already then please flash the recovery from the 7.1 firmware first.
Hook up the controller and pressing A or B should get you into the normal recover screen past the dead droid.
ADB sideload XXX - where the xxx stands for the filename you have for the developer ZIP.
After the rebbot you should be back on your 7.1 homescreen and can dismiss the 7.2 update.
Also change the update settings while at it
Fixing a fully stuffed Shield and then downgrading to the 7.1 firmware:
If all went down south then you tried a few things and realised there is no way to get your data back and even less to prevent the 7.2 update.
Installing the 7.1 from scratch forces the setup wizard and before you can get anywhere you need to update to 7.2
So much easier to use the linked 7.2 update from above until Nvidia provides it on their download servers.
A vital thing to do is to keep the bootloader locked!!
Same for NOT having TWRP installed on the Shield!
If in doubt flash the 7.1 boot and recovery partitions first then go back into the stock recovery and wipe the cache.
Coming from a stock developer firmware with just an unlocked bootloader you are good to go.
Sideload the 7.2 update.
Unplug when the reboot starts and go into fastboot to lock the bootloader: Fastboot oem lock.
This is a vital step as the new kernel otherwise could ruin the completion of the install.
Ignore the double hassles and go through the wizard so you can enter the settings again to enable the developer mode and USB debugging.
Unlock the bootloader so you can do it all again Last time I promise!
Once you have both the bootloader unlocked AND the Shield in a usable condition past the setup wizard:
Reboot into the recovery to sideload the 7.1 firmware.
After the next reboot you are back on the 7.1 homescreen drirectly and can dismiss the update.
Possible tricks that can help you to prevent the installation of the 7.2 update if you come from a fresh 7.1 install instead:
Don't allow the reboot and instead use ADB to reboot into the recovery.
Wipe the cache - this will remove the scripts required to start the update after the reboot.
The next reboot should bring you back to the homescreen where you can stop the new download of the update and change the update settings.
TWRP, full root and new security measures in 7.2:
The 4.9 kernel used also makes use of a Fstab configuration that no longer includes the system partition.
This and other restrictions currently make the normal use of Magisk impossible.
With no system partition available to Magisk the changes in the boot process come to a stop and the Shield gets stuck during boot.
The added restrictions also make it very, very hard to manually add SU and busybox.
At least without getting the currupt system popup on every boot and finding out that a lot of things still don't work properly.
A final 7.2 firmware is said to be available on the download servers today.
If this final is no different from the current OTA then it will not be of any use for users requiring a fully rooted devices.
With the stock recovery still using the old kernel all attempts to use recovery functions to alter the system for rooting fail as well.
Can't blame the company as all this is part of Google revamp og security and closing backdoors and loopholes for possible attackers.
Personally I think it is Googles way of keeping control over devices they don't actually own.
Anyways I did make some little progress:
Plans for the near future:
Security is good but I like to know what my Android devices are doing and especially what Google likes to collect if I can not find ways to stop it.
So I will not try to use any backdoors or secrurity vulnerablilites in the new kernel to allow a full root on my Shield.
I will go the route I know best: Manual labour
The bootloader is already fixed to allow what we are used to from previous developer firmwares.
As SU and busybox can not be manually entered at this stage I will try to include them directly in the stock 7.1 firmware while renaming the OTA updater to have it a bit easier.
Assuming that works as expected I will do the same on the 7.2 firmware and compare the corresponding scripts and so on.
If the standard SU still works on an "unlocked" 7.2 I should be able to adjust the Magisk ZIP accordingly to implement it into the bootloader.
Only need to figure out if Magisk then has enough rights to work and the system is still happy to accept the changes.
I noly have the 16Gb 2017 model to work with but since the bootloader seems to be same for all Shield models I think if it works then it should do so for all models.
In the meantime I hope the infos here will help some pople to get their shield back without the need to sent it in.
Update 25/12/18: I got TWRP working on 7.2
This is only true for the 2017 model though as I have only this for testing.
Currently creating a backup to the internal storage.
If the restore works then I will upload the new TWRP - for the said model only!
Give me a day or two to fix it for the other models too.
There is progress on the rooting front as well.
Created new scripts for my kitchen to be able to handle the new file_context thing.
A fully pre-rooted and totally unsecure (in terms of ABD, DM-verity and such) is already cooked, just did not dare yet to try it out as I have a real life job too.
As for the pre-rooted firmware:
Things have changed quite a bit with the new kernel in terms of "just adding SU or Magisk".
Magisk might see an update for this problem soon, SU however seems to tally fail on two levels.
So far I was unable to do a full install of the modded firmware.
Flashed all at once and the boot just hangs.
Bootloader, reboot, then the rest seems to work.
At least for the basic install of the system.
If I add SU and busybox the system still ends up with a corrup notice during boot and then it fails.
Tune in over the next few days for progress updates at the end of the thread.
Major developments will be added right here.
Just a matter of finding the last restrictions.
Once that is done Magisk should be possible as well.
Ok, TWRP boot fine, does a backup but fails to restore the system to a bootable state.
Will now check if at least installing a zip works.
Well, it did not, so TWRP has to wait a few more days
I edited post 3 with instructions on how to "unbrick" and go back to 7.1.
Update 27/12/18: A friend of mine found some intersting stuff.
A 7.2 firmware offering a pure Android without any TV stuff but also a full root possible.
I hope he will share his finding here soon or allow me post it all in his name.
For now lets just say: It really works if done the rght way!
Full write rights, installing Magisk modules and all.
All thanks to an undocumented flaw in the device security structures, so even without any hidden backdoors or such LOL
Update: Whiteak was so kind to provide a working root solution in post 36, please check it.
I can confirm it is working as promised.
So the credits for this one go to Whiteak and the credits for the idea and use of the DTB file to Zulu99 - great idea!
To prevent any problems I advise to perform a factory wipe after the install and before the first boot.
Switch to the stock recovery to do this then boot as normal an enjoy.
A complete firmware with the required mods is sitting on my PC just waiting for idiot behing the keyboard to figure out how to pack it properly for flashing.
Once that problem is sorted and also TWRP working again things will get a lot easier.
Annoying update:
I was not able to confirm my web findings on the 7.2 firmwares bootloader but it seems other devices running the same type of kernel and bootloader and a bit lost now.
AVB is fully implemented on the latest level.
(Again I am working on confirming or denying these findings!)
This means any alteration to vital parts of the system will fail with a corruption warning or worse.
Custom recovery access is limited if not fully restricted.
But even if it works you still need a firmware to flash that either is able to disable all this crap, hoping the bootloader alone will allow it, or
to hope Nvidia will provide a future bootloader update with these restrictions removed.
We can not downgrade the bootloader and even if there is some old one out there that would actually be flashable the risk is high to end with a brick anyway.
The DTB, at least in my tests gives us the required system wide write access but I have no information about the AVM verfified boot other than that Zulu99's firmware works.
But if it was compiled with the NVidia developer suite then it will be signed accordingly so the bootloader accepts it.
Could not find any info on how his firmware was actually created.
It gives me the hope though that once I have a fully working TWRP again that my modded 7.2 will work as expected and with no restrictions anymore.
Thanks for the info.
Edit: Will use this post to list options to recover the Shield is all seems lost.
As a result of far too much rom cooking and mods I needed a 100% working way to recover the Shield in case things turn very ugly.
So lets sum up what I define as very ugly when playing with firmwares:
1. Firmware installed but the Shield just hangs on the logo.
2. Firmware installed and now the system is corrupt and even it is boots it takes forever to get around the nag screens.
3. Firmware downgrade attempted but now the Shield won't even boot anymore.
4. Anything that would qualify for a soft brick.
My worst case when I only got a flashing white screen after trying to restore a TWRP backup under 7.2.
There any many way that work for a variety of boot problems but it takes too long to list all cases I encountered with a list of fixes that work or a comment that only the below way works.
So just to be clear here: This is not for any recovery purpose other than fixing what can't be fixed through a factory reset or fresh flashing of the firmware!
1. Get the Shield into Fastboot mode: Connect wired controller and male to male USB cable.
2. Power the Shield up while holding A and B on the controller.
Keep holding until you see the fastboot menu on the screen.
3. Install the 7.1 recovery firmware for your Shield type after unpacking it.
With Fastboot connection working type: flash-all.bat and hit enter.
4. Keep an eye on the progess!
5. Once the Shield is finnished and reboots, hold the A and B buttons on the controller again to enter fastboot mode!
Do not let the Shield boot up other than into the fastboot mode!
6. Lock the bootloader! Fastboot oem lock
Confirm with the controller, then go down and select the recovery kernel.
7. Once the dead droid is on the screen press B on the controller to enter the real recovery.
If B does not work try A
8. Select the factory reset option to wipe all!
9. Once the wipe is done you can boot into 7.1 as normal again.
10. With a bit of chance you might even get directly to the homescreen if the previous setup was completed.
If you need the full seup wizard again and are forced to update to 7.2 then at least the update will work fine this time around.
In case you desire to go back to the 7.1:
If you just finnished the above only to end with the 7.2 then set it up and flash the 7.1 - you won't get the setup wizard again and can skip the update.
If you are on a working 7.2 that was update the OTA way but want to go back:
1. Install the 7.1 firmware.
2. Lock the bootloader.
3. Boot and then skip the update to 7.2.
Any idea what to do if the Shield sticks at the NVidia logo when you select Recovery from Fastboot? I reflashed boot and got the same result.
psycho_asylum said:
Any idea what to do if the Shield sticks at the NVidia logo when you select Recovery from Fastboot? I reflashed boot and got the same result.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It won't work from fastboot.
Fastboot operates on a different level and calling the recovery from there lets it end up in nowhere with no access to the system.
You need to boot into recovery through ADB as (for the new model) without a power button and usable hardware buttons we can't get into it otherwise.
Having said that, the fastboot way should still work with an unmodified bootloader.
When the dead droid is on the screen the recovery should be available after pressing the A button on the wired up controller.
But during my tests on 7.2 it did not always work, so you might have to try a few times and also try the B button.
Downunder35m said:
It won't work from fastboot.
Fastboot operates on a different level and calling the recovery from there lets it end up in nowhere with no access to the system.
You need to boot into recovery through ADB as (for the new model) without a power button and usable hardware buttons we can't get into it otherwise.
Having said that, the fastboot way should still work with an unmodified bootloader.
When the dead droid is on the screen the recovery should be available after pressing the A button on the wired up controller.
But during my tests on 7.2 it did not always work, so you might have to try a few times and also try the B button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not been able to get to the dead droid screen.
Downunder35m said:
For starters, I uploaded a copy of the 7.2 developer firmware here:
7.2 developer ZIP on Dropbox
It is the full 1.1Gb update and not the 422mb block based one.
(snip)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for posting this, but please note that this firmware is only for the 2017 16GB model and cannot be used with a 2015 or Pro model.
I just got a 7.2.1 update that forced me to update. Wouldn't give me an option to skip it... As soon as I turned on my Shield, it said something about the 7.2.1 update and then rebooted and installed.
I was holding off on updating too so I didn't lose root. Now I'm unrooted and am unable to get Magisk working again until I can get my hands on a 7.2.1 bootloader... Bleh.
Weird, I am not getting the 7.2.1 at all here.
And since yesterday the OTA only tries the block based but not the full image.
AthieN said:
I just got a 7.2.1 update that forced me to update. Wouldn't give me an option to skip it... As soon as I turned on my Shield, it said something about the 7.2.1 update and then rebooted and installed.
I was holding off on updating too so I didn't lose root. Now I'm unrooted and am unable to get Magisk working again until I can get my hands on a 7.2.1 bootloader... Bleh.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was able to downgrade using the 7.2 image after setting up the device on 7.2.1 OTA just make sure you disable automatic updates
Thanks downunder this kind of in-depth info is always appriciated man........i like to learn these kind of things, having bits here and bits there gives a better picture of the whole, while also giving us upto date current info.
Thanks for taking the time to write this :good:
---------- Post added at 07:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:27 AM ----------
Edit
Hi downunder, could you confirm i have this correctly
With no access to fastboot thus no twrp or root, are you implying, assuming your able to inject root into stock firmware, that, i'd be able to flash this stock+root rom in STOCK recovery, which i do have access to?
Edit: im under the impression that stock firmware zips are checked by stock recoveries, so modifying a stock firmware zip tends to fail this check and thus wont install/flash.......which makes me think im misunderstanding here......or just hoping im not
If so, im interested
Edit
i just read your second post which near enought answers my curiousity, so that'll teach me to read beyond the first post before asking answered questions ........even if the post excites me............ahhh, who am i kidding, ill probabably do it again........the equivelancy of a mental post boner........not controllable
Sorry for the disgusting analogy
SyberHexen said:
I was able to downgrade using the 7.2 image after setting up the device on 7.2.1 OTA just make sure you disable automatic updates
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did I understand it correctly? You successfully downgraded from 7.2.1 to 7.2?
ErAzOr2k said:
Did I understand it correctly? You successfully downgraded from 7.2.1 to 7.2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes,
Just ran flash all from the bootloader. For the newly released 7.2 developer_rooted factory image.
As long as we don't jump to Android 9 we should always be able to downgrade through a full factory firmware.
Once Android 9 comes this might not work anymore due to the massive changes involved for the boot and system checks.
@banderos101: Unless you really did something bad you should always be able to enter the fastboot mode to flash a full firmware.
If I have some time after xmas I will have another look on the options of signing the zip properly or simply to fake it.
Biggest problem will be to generate the corret SHA checksums ince all is installed so I can use the same checksums in the check files.
The bootloader needs them to identify the system and vendor as genuine.
The system needs them to confirm all is actually unmodified as otherwise all fails to boot at some stage.
Modding a proper userdebug firmware is not really that hard, but converting a release version that also is a true and secure user release...
Lets just say that it won't be an easy task.
As it looks like the kernel is a keeper I might have to figure something out unless TopJohnWu won't enjoy a break after his exams and works on a way to get Magisk working with out kernel.
At least I figured out why the recovery trick isn't working for me.
The system partition is not mounted for the sideload mode.
To apply an update the stuff is written directly onto the partition, so no file level access left to play with and break things
In comparison you could say the shield is now like a modern car with keyless operation only.
You know you can start it with ease, if you only could the remote that you left in the drivers seat when you locked the door
SyberHexen said:
Yes,
Just ran flash all from the bootloader. For the newly released 7.2 developer_rooted factory image.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just wondering what is achieved by going back to 7.2?
What do you mean "going back"?
Right now the 7.2 is the official and latest firmware.
I was unable to get my hands in the 7.2.1 but guess it might have been a testversion for certain models only.
I wasted a few hours trying to fix the system image.
First stage was only to get the basic "features" back, like full ADB support, enabling the support to use SU and busybox....
Just what is required to actually allow these nice apps we like to gain root to work.
This backfired badly as right after the start the bootloader complained about the system being corrup and no override to get past this worked.
So of course I then removed the known restrictions from the bootloader...
As you guessed it the damn thing then did not even boot at all, just jumped right into the (locked) recovery mode.
A half decent comparision with my last manual root on a tv box that was a success showed I still did the right things...
If anyone wondered why we needed a new bootloader for the support of smart helpers an some codes stuff:
We didn't as all this could have been done with the 7.1 bootloader as well.
Since my root attempts so far all ended either in disaster or in a root access that failed shortly after/corrupted the system, I took a look of the general kernel changes that were published for other devices.
Before I could find anything meaningful I realised the 4.9 kernel is actually a requirement for Android Pie!
With that info sorted I started digging inti the new "security" features Pie can offer.
I will try to keep it simple and to the stuff that actually concerns us for rooting purposes:
The new boot process with Pie is aimed at being secure from the hardware level up and all the way into the system partion once the boot is completed.
So the hardware checks if the bootloader is actually usable - we had that for a long time, nothing new.
Once the bootloader starts and reaches the point of actually getting somewhere, all partitions required will be checks by either a hash check or a trusted certificate gererated at boot time that is compared to the previous certificate.
Only if that is fine the bootloader will call upon the system and vendor partitions.
The handover of control from bootloader to the system is made far more secure as well.
SELinux is called early on to ensure that only trusted apps and tasks can work but also to all a new control level.
System related apps no longer run as root or with special permissions.
Instead every single app and service runs as its own user!
And under SELinux conditions this means nothing can access anything that it is not entitled to unless included as a user for the other app.
And with that sorted the vendor stuff is called to ensure all hardware and vendor related stuff is still genuine - this include the required certs but also the recovery and bootloader hash codes and certs.
So if something is fishy either SELinux will stop us or the vendor stuff will just overwrite it all.
Once we finally reach the system stage the recovery is checked if called from within the system, if fully implemented it could mean that using an official update on a modded firmware will delete all data as the encryption from the old system is declared invalid.
Sadly it does not stop there because even with full rigths (faked or otherwise) to access the system partition with write access we still can not just change things.
If something belongs to a user (a secure app) than a change will corrupt the system.
To overcome all this without using vulnerabilities that so far no one has found, a compatible userdebug release has to be created from the official user firmware.
DM-Verity needs to be disabled as well as all partition encryption stuff.
The bootloader needs to be adjusted to reflect these changes and the required turst certificates generated and included in both system and boot images.
The only problem here is that the kernel won't allow these changes unless it itself is a userdebug kernel.
After that it is only the little efford to go through about 60 different scripts to remove or redirect the calls for all boot and system security related things.
If then by some chance all this actually boots up and goes all the way into a usable homescreen the entire stuff needs to be secured again.
This time so that the final system has a correct cert and checksum that matches those we need to include in the bootloader.
Anyone knows how to gain full access to the trusted keystore on the 4.9 kernel? LOL
For the moment I don't really care about all the stuff above.
I would be happy to figue out what to make out of these new fstab configurations without the vital partitions listed.
The real aprtitions used have not changed but it is impossible include them in the fastab, doing so causes the bootloader to fail.
Presumably because the kernel realised we try to get around the verification process.
This and some other minor things are also the reason TWRP fails so badly, same for the stock recovery by the way.
Since TWRP is toy a lot us like:
TWRP and 7.2....
Without a system partion in the bootloader fastab TWRP can not mount it.
Same for all other things TWRP needs to mount as it simply does not have the right to access these areas.
To make things worse, we need system access to even start TWRP through fastboot.
So, now matter if we flash or start it through fastboot: The bootloader and system will realise our recovery does not match the checksum.
What does al this now mean in terms a lot more people are able to understand?
Let me try...
Imagine the 7.2 in a running version would be just some encrypted file with a lot of folders in it.
And like PGP or other encryptions software we know there is a private and a public key.
With the public key you can see a lot and use most the encrypted file - but only to a level that is required, nothing above your low level clearance.
For every attempt to write into this file or to make changes we need the private key.
If you follow so far then lets just say the recovery (stock) and Fastboot can be, to some extent, used for this access.
But since every folder in the encrypted file also uses private and public keys it is like tracing a tree.
Although it is getting too long, let me give you the example of just adding SU to the sytem partition:
Adding SU into the system image is no big deal.
Singing this image to get a usable key and including this key into the keystore is.
Assume we would just be able to do it....
SU needs to be called quite early in the boot process.
It then elevates the access level for certain things and also intercepts all root related requests from apps and services.
Except of course those that already had these rights by default.
Problem here is that adding the scripts we need plus changing some others means violating the tree of trust on the device and we get locked out.
Finding a spot to add the required rights for SU might be still possible.
On the other hand it will be impossible to give SU any rights or access to "trusted user" owned parts, files, folders, partitions....
The entire concept of SU just fails.
I will have to check how much of the new features are active in the 7.2 kernel that hinder us.
If I find enough it might be possible it enough to call for a Magisk update.
But I guess it is of little use for just one set of devices, so maybe once more devices on the 4.9 kernel fail to work with Magisk it will be easier to spot a usable pattern.
In case someone else if already working ona mdified system: Please let me know how you made it boot after the changes
Shield Tv 16 2017 - OTA update 7.2.1 Ready for updating
Im on 7.1. I have been waiting for 7.2 developer image, which is now out and just noticed 7.2.1 is available OTA. I'm really confused what to do. I want to keep root without bricking my Shield. Should I Stay with what I have as it is running well.
I am not even sure if it is safe trying to update to dev 7.2 image (or if I would want to) by hooking to computer and using ADB Fastboot tools.
Is there any good reason to update to 7.2 or 7.21? and if so how would I go about doing it? Which program is good for flashing developer images or OTA updates. I used to use flash-fire, which seems to be obsolete now and have heard TWRP is incompatible rooting with SU with OREO updates????
Should I play it safe and stay with what I have rather than experiment and end up with a brick? (wouldn't be the first time)
Anyone know if 7.21 is some-kind of bug fix?
Alot of questions but hope someone has some answers.
Thanks for any info.
"You know you can start it with ease, if you only could the remote that you left in the drivers seat when you locked the door "
My fastboot issue
Yeah, i think i busted the microusb somehow with a faulty usb hub, whenever i plug the usb to my raspberrypi/windows box(for adb/fastboot) now, it turns off all usb ports on the pi aswell as the windows box, even when the shield is unplugged, some sort of earth problem maybe
......all i have is adb over network, adb reboot bootloader simply reboots back to system, adb reboot recovery works though.
ive read that fastboot over tcp(ethernet) had been introduced a couple of android versions ago, but i dont think its been implemented in our shields
infact heres a link
https://www.androidpolice.com/2016/...-capabilities-wireless-flashing-isnt-far-off/
Looks like it needs to be specifically added onto a build
As far as you making a stock root build, if you can, that would awesome, more then awesome, but if it becomes more work then you thought dont worry about it, its not like their making it easy
Also, sounds like 4.9/future android is gonna be a nightmare for root......... having the ability to root so that the option is there to see whats going on in the background of these devices, these devices posessing cameras/microphones/old+latest sensors/personal files/personal info, which reside on our personal beings or in our homes........is just one reason why i dont want to see root go away
So what is the purpose of the developer image of 7.2?
Rather, I know the stated purpose of the developer image, but if it is locked in the way described it sounds like the benefit is negated for typical developers.
(e.g. sometimes I debug an application without permissions in order to benchmark or debug a problem).
For casual users of the shield, using ad blockers and whatnot, is there any benefit to derive from installing the developer rom over stock? Does "adb root" still work?
What is left as the difference. It doesn't sound like they produced a userdebug build of the OS.
Thanks
The 2 new updates are horrible. I have gone back to 7.1. They have crippled my shield. I'll wait for a new update.

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