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Got my phone (AT&T Captivate, firmware 2.1-update1 version JH7, kernel 2.6.29, build eclair.UCJH7) on december 28 from a AT&T store (it even came with a pic taken december 20 ) and I've already been able to boot into download mode (power off, hold volume keys then plug usb) and into that menu used to install packages (power off, hold volume keys then power on). Guess my hardware and firmware are ok, so I may be able to recover my phone by myself in case things go south.
I've been doing my homework lately (been reading stickys, tutorials and faqs for 10 days) but I'm still confused about some procedures. I'm not going to list everything I've read here, but I would like someone to correct me if I've learnt wrong. I don't really need the easiest methods, I want to understand the options available and to choose the best ones (aka the hardest path).
First of all, it seems I need to root my phone in order to be able to create backups, carrier-unlock it and flash custom roms. But it doesn't make much sense to me, since rooting it seem to be enough to prevent it from receiving FOTA updates - and I want to make the most comprehensive backup possible, in such a way I could restore my phone to 'factory condition' if needed.
Second, I realize there are many ways, programs and guides to root the phone - the most famous ones, One-Click root/unroot and z4root, seem to be listed in the wiki (http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=Samsung_Galaxy_S/SGH-I897), but there is also CLShortFuse's One-Click Root and Allow Non-Market Apps, which sounds interesting but I don't know if it is undo-able. So there are different ways to root the phone, but there is little to none information on what's the difference between these methods, which is 'better' and what difference does it make if I root it permanently or by some reversible method. Does it affect performance? How each of them work? I have no clue.
The mess gets even greater when it comes to creating backups. People mention different programs to make these backups (clockwork recovery, titanium backup) but I don't understand if they back up different parts of the phone. Some even seem to change the bootloader of the phone - shouldn't it be backed up prior to any modification? Do I flash these backups using Odin? Which programs should I use to have a full backup? Is there anything left I should back up manually?
I'll quit talking for now because I've already written a lot and I still have many questions; if I write all of them at once, no one will ever have the patience to read them.
Erk, a long post deserves a long answer
So first off, il tell you about recovering your phone. Since you just got it, you can go back to the store and play dumb to get a new one in case anything goes wrong. You can also use the 3 button combos to get into download mode and use odins back to stock to get back to your original 2.1 eclair firmware . To do that you would need to get into download mode. Now there are a couple ways to do this, and i can only explain two since ive actually used two. (Well 3 actually, but il get to the third after these 2)
The first method is using the 3 button combo which you should already know. The second method is using adb commands such as (adb shell, adb reboot download, adb reboot recovery, adb devices). The third way is building a jig. Thats basically connecting 301k 1/4 watt worth of resistors together and placing them on pin 4 and 5 on your micro usb slot. You can read more about that on the tutorial on how to build a jig for your phone.
To restore to your factory setting, odin's one click back to stock thing should do the job. It simple installs the stock 2.1 eclair all over again (without the root).
To root your phone, any method from the wiki should work. None of them are really "better" :S, they all do the same job and give you super user permissions. None of them root your permanently since you can always go back to stock using Odin's... It does not really affect performance, not to any extent i have noticed :S, and unfortunately, i dont really know how it works.
As for creating backups, Titanium Backup is the best solution. Whether you have the few extra bucks to spend for the premium one or simply want to use the free one, its one of the best tools out there. I personally use it and its one of the best. It backs up all the data (except for my text messages). It creates a folder on your internal memory which you can just copy to your desktop. When the time comes that you need to restore your backup, just copy the folder back into your internal memory, load up titanium backup. Restore it and voila .
I think ive answered everything, if ive missed anything, let me know
Edit : Forgot to mention this . If your truly interested in customization. Custom roms are the best there is a howto in the themes and apps section on how to install it. It comes pre-rooted (if that is the word to use :S) and theyre much better than the stock firmware. Im currently using serendipity v3.0 (flashed it yesterday)
supaphreek, guess I'll have to thank you twice: once for reading my enormous post, and again for you supacompleteanswer.
I'm being paranoid with recovery because I actually bought the phone in the US then came back to my country (Brazil), so I'm a few thousand miles away from the simple lets-return-this-thing solution.
From everything I've read, I believe the most instructive were the wiki at http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=Samsung_Galaxy_S/SGH-I897 , the FAQ at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=858765 , the PDF guide from user nbs11 at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=761819 and the wiki at http://www.capfaq.com/w/FAQ. These contain most of the info a newbie user would ever need and I'd definitely recommend them to any newbie user who happen to be reading this. And for everyone afraid of bricking, it's a tremendous relief to know pretty much any mess you do can be reverted using download mode and Odin, so the first thing to test is if you can get into download mode using one of the ways described by our buddy supaphreek.
On the rooting matter, I found no discussion at all about which is better, so they should be pretty similar (though I have no idea which is the oldest version, I'd assume the recent ones might be a little improved). There is some discussion on what's the better lagfix and many of the cooked ROMs already come with some lagfix installed, but this is another story...
Once I get my phone rooted, it seems to be trivial to carrier-unlock it. There's even an app on android market for this, so I won't even need sideloading. Since all this procedure does is just give me a number, there's hardly any difference among all the unlocking procedures out there.
For the backup, I'll still do it using both titanium and clockwork, as suggested by nbs11 on the pdf I've linked on this post. Better safe than sorry, right?
And yes, I'm truly interested in customization and I'll go deep down that path, I'm just packing up my head with some knowledge to avoid being desperate if things eventually go fubar.
As a last question, is there somewhere I can get 1-click Odin with my exact firmware version? (2.1-update1, I897UCJH7, Kernel 2.6.29 [email protected] #2, build eclair.ucjh7) And how important is it to get the exact same firmware?
As I've done my research, I found 1-click odin with JF6 here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=731989
I've also found the 'standalone' I897UCJH7 on this topic (where this guy even flashed succesfully his phone using old JH2 firmware without problems, so finding the exact firmware version might not be the greatest issue): http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=10056254&postcount=36 but this process is a bit more complicated and uses regular Odin and clockwork recovery. Nonetheless, from what I've understood, I can still use any old version of odin to flash JF6 then use my own clockwork backup, right?
Hmm, unfortunately, im not sure if there is a specific Odin for that firmware :S. However what you can do is use one that reverts you to any stock version, and then flash the version you want through clockwork mod
I'll do that. Thanks again!
Also if you one click to stock, you can OTA update to the most recent firnware. I suggest titanium premium if you are going to flash a lot of custom roms, it is a lot faster to restore and also syncs with dropbox
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Be careful trying to flash with odin. Some newer builds get instabrick flashing back to jf6 and must go with jh2 or newer.
So, you may want to invest a few bucks in a jig setup before blindly using odin.
Thanks for the tip, sixstringsg.
Newter55, as my phone is brand new I believe I may have one of these insta-brickable devices. If I happen to try flashing it with a recent rom, does it get recoverably bricked (fixed by flashing an older rom), or I'm left with a $500 paperweight?
You just need to use the correct firmware version of odin if you manage to get in trouble. Many people flash rom over rom, including myself, but it is highly likely that at some point you will need odin if you are flashing roms so it is best to ensure that you have that set up first. Look for the odin thread by c3popl (sp?) in development forum and you should find what you need. Read through that and look for others with your base firmware. Or look through q&a at the "help I bricked" threads . On my phone and posting links is a pita or I would make it easy for you.
If your phone came with JH7, follow this guide:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=10056254&postcount=36
If you use one of the Odin one-clicks and brick your phone, you'll need a USB jig to recover.
You guys are awesome. Thank you newter55 and GGXtreme for this info! I hope I'll never need it, but I'll buy a cable and make a jig.
The news: I've rooted my phone using One Click Root / Unroot by TGA_Gunnman (for the record: it worked with my JH7 Captivate bought in 28 dec). Once I booted windows, installed dotnet framework 4 and the samsung drivers (easy too, but a pita), rooting was easy and failproof. However, someone using linux might find it easier to just download 1-click root, find the root.zip file in there, rename it as update.zip, put the zip in the internal sdcard, boot the phone holding the volume buttons and then 'install packages'. This way there will be no need to fight Wine nor install anything nor look for a windows computer with admin privileges.
Also unlocked my phone using SGS Unlock Tool, available in the Android Market. The unrooted option won't work, but once rooted it worked like a champ. Next step: I'll do the backups, and then... start messing up my new toy!
Hello,
I read most of the guide but couldn't find certain answers there nor by search, but apologies if I missed them elsewhere.
1) I'm happy with my SGS, I always used stock ROMs and am now on 2.2.1. I'd like to get root access and leave the rest as it is, however.
Is there any way to get root access with the stock 2.2.1 ROM without switching to a completely different ROM (as said, I like the stock ROM and don't feel like changing the layout, features and all that come with a new ROM)?
I saw that superoneclick thread but apparently it didn't work for everyone and questions are usually not answered there if people run into trouble so I didn't dare that yet.
2) Still a bit confused about the 2 modes. Do I need recovery mode to work? Or will download mode do to flash (if I have to) and rescue/fix my phone if something goes wrong?
My 3 combo button never worked so I bought a JIG dongle on ebay which gets my phone into download mode at least, but I still have no recovery mode yet that's why I'm asking.
Thanks!
There's an app called Quick Boot which will allow you to get into recovery mode but you need to have phone rooted.
Note though that Froyo uses 3e and I've tried to use update zips, wont take without going down to 2e recovery.
Landorin said:
Hello,
I read most of the guide but couldn't find certain answers there nor by search, but apologies if I missed them elsewhere.
1) I'm happy with my SGS, I always used stock ROMs and am now on 2.2.1. I'd like to get root access and leave the rest as it is, however.
Is there any way to get root access with the stock 2.2.1 ROM without switching to a completely different ROM (as said, I like the stock ROM and don't feel like changing the layout, features and all that come with a new ROM)?
I saw that superoneclick thread but apparently it didn't work for everyone and questions are usually not answered there if people run into trouble so I didn't dare that yet.
2) Still a bit confused about the 2 modes. Do I need recovery mode to work? Or will download mode do to flash (if I have to) and rescue/fix my phone if something goes wrong?
My 3 combo button never worked so I bought a JIG dongle on ebay which gets my phone into download mode at least, but I still have no recovery mode yet that's why I'm asking.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Warning etc I take no resposibility if you break something etc
First of all fix your 3 button for recovery, there should be some guides around here.
1. Try that superoneclick you posted the link to. If it wont work it wont work... But it will.
2. Recovery you need only if you want to tinker with the rom a little more and to do nice stuffs like backup. Or for a recovery
Oh and I am on stock rom + custom kernel + another modem and happy with it.
First I was rooted and the rest was as it is and I rooted with the super one click root . Dont forget USB debugging on. Once you root though I think wont be long till you start customizing a little . Good start is a nice good custom kernel
If you want to stick with stock you could try these stock roms which come pre-rooted, zip-aligned and deodexed (making them smoother and allowing the application of themes).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=948790
To fix the three button combo have a read of this thread. The OP of this one is really helpful if you're not sure what to do. I had to do this and it was the most nerve racking thing i've done to my phone as if this screws up you'll be sending it for repair.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=821698
Thanks a lot to all of you for your answers!
Had my first successful flash today (3 button combo mode) and will now take a more in depth look at rooting etc.
So far, I feel more comfortable to try a rooted stock kernel maybe instead of superoneclick.
However, if I had to unroot for any reason, how can I do that if I flashed the kernel?
The way I understood about ROMs and Kernels is that ROMs already contain kernels. So flashing a stock ROM would get me back to a stock kernel and the phone would be unrooted again?
you can also just flash a kernel and root such as cfroot or speedmod..
Jamalsid said:
If you want to stick with stock you could try these stock roms which come pre-rooted, zip-aligned and deodexed (making them smoother and allowing the application of themes).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=948790
To fix the three button combo have a read of this thread. The OP of this one is really helpful if you're not sure what to do. I had to do this and it was the most nerve racking thing i've done to my phone as if this screws up you'll be sending it for repair.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=821698
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To un-root you can just flash a stock ROM (look in the general section to find them).
If you like stock ROMS then like the person above stated you can just flash a pure stock ROM then flash a new kernel (i.e. speedmod, voodoo etc.).
Good to hear the 3-button flash worked for you, now it is very difficult to brick your phone as you should always have the 3-button download mode which enables flashing with Odin.
Just be careful when picking a stock ROM, especially if its new, to check if it includes a new bootloader!!
Thanks all again!
and good on you for being sensible enough to get a jig.....best fiver I spent in ages. Every time I flashed back to an early stock it trashed my bootloader.
no worries about flashing now
Landorin said:
Hello,
I read most of the guide but couldn't find certain answers there nor by search, but apologies if I missed them elsewhere.
1) I'm happy with my SGS, I always used stock ROMs and am now on 2.2.1. I'd like to get root access and leave the rest as it is, however.
Is there any way to get root access with the stock 2.2.1 ROM without switching to a completely different ROM (as said, I like the stock ROM and don't feel like changing the layout, features and all that come with a new ROM)?
I saw that superoneclick thread but apparently it didn't work for everyone and questions are usually not answered there if people run into trouble so I didn't dare that yet.
2) Still a bit confused about the 2 modes. Do I need recovery mode to work? Or will download mode do to flash (if I have to) and rescue/fix my phone if something goes wrong?
My 3 combo button never worked so I bought a JIG dongle on ebay which gets my phone into download mode at least, but I still have no recovery mode yet that's why I'm asking.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mate if you just want a simple to apply root access I would just use Z4root... its not used so much anymore but it works well and can be installed by just installing the app(can't be obtained from android market, internet only)..
Link: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=833953
otherwise you can just use Odin to flash CF-Root ( I do this all the time on stock firmware and works perfectly every time).
Link: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=788108
mossy1963 said:
and good on you for being sensible enough to get a jig.....best fiver I spent in ages. Every time I flashed back to an early stock it trashed my bootloader.
no worries about flashing now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly my thought.
Bluephantom3 said:
Mate if you just want a simple to apply root access I would just use Z4root.
[...]
otherwise you can just use Odin to flash CF-Root ( I do this all the time on stock firmware and works perfectly every time).
Link: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=788108
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used z4root on 2.2 but afaik z4root no longer works with 2.2.1.
I did flash the CF Kernel now and quite happy with it so far.
By the way, is it a bad idea trying to flash with Odin if the phone is connected via a USB hub instead of connecting it to the direct usb port? Each flashing failed on the 1st attempt (worked on the 2nd), no matter what I flashed so far. Some searching here indicates a hub is not recommended.
If that's the case, why is that not mentioned in all those read-me-first guides (or maybe I missed it somewhere)? Not every first-flash user will have a JIG at hand.
You're right you should have the USB cable plugged into a USB port on the motherboard (not a port in your pc case or a hub) for the least chance of flash failure.
Not sure why though tbh, I think it may have something to do with the Samsung USB drivers that get installed with Kies being a bit flaky.
Hi Everyone,
I bought ROM Manager Premium v4.5.0.1, in order to do a Nandroid backup on my I896 running stock I896UXJL1.
I ran "Flash ClockworkMod Recovery", and it said my Current Recovery 2.5.1.2 was the same as the Latest Recovery. So far so good.
Then I ran "Backup Current ROM." Instead of doing a backup, it rebooted my phone into Recovery "3e" every time. I tried it many times and got the same result.
This is so confusing. For whatever reason the app decides to boot my phone into recovery instead of doing the backup, I would expect it to at least go into CWM Recovery instead of the stock 3e.
Questions:
1. Has any of you gotten rebooted when you try to do a Nandroid backup?
2. Has any of you gotten rebooted into stock recovery even when CWM is installed?
Thanks.
KK
In general ROM manager is trash for SGS. Don't bother with them. I would say find a kernel with CWM cooked in it but JL1 is a rogers only and I don't know any for that.
prbassplayer said:
In general ROM manager is trash for SGS. Don't bother with them. I would say find a kernel with CWM cooked in it but JL1 is a rogers only and I don't know any for that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
froyo wasnt so damn kenel picky. any froyo kernel will work.
Doesn't work with any ROM
I've tried ROM manager after flashing KH3 and KJ3, and the "Reboot into Recovery" still doesn't work. I get the triangle-exclaimation-droid screen with nothing else, and it stays that way until I use the 3-button reboot.
Since the app can't even perform one of the more basic functions, I am afraid to let it do anything else. I wish I hadn't paid for the premium version.
ROM manager doesn't work on Gingerbread..... Rom manager isn't very good for Samsung phones
KarateKick said:
I've tried ROM manager after flashing KH3 and KJ3, and the "Reboot into Recovery" still doesn't work. I get the triangle-exclaimation-droid screen with nothing else, and it stays that way until I use the 3-button reboot.
Since the app can't even perform one of the more basic functions, I am afraid to let it do anything else. I wish I hadn't paid for the premium version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stop what you are doing and read. ROM Manager sucks basically. Very few people on here actually use it. If you keep just throwing things at your phone though without knowing what you are doing you are going to end up with a shiny, expensive, paperweight. Then you get to spend upwards of 50$ getting that fixed. So please, for me, the forum, and your phone just read. Or at very least ask a directed, detailed question. As in: my phone is here, im trying to get to there, this is what im doing and this is where and how its failing.
Flashing using an app
I actually did weeks of reading before flashing my phone for the first time. I got scared by potential problems such as USB interruptions.
This is where I am at: I've been using mostly Odin to flash. I have successfully flashed KH3 and then KJ3 (with KF1 bootloaders and Boog's kernel); however, I am still nervous each time I do anything.
This is where I hope (or used to hope) to get to: I keep looking for a way to minimize the probability of human errors and technical hiccups. (It's a habit I've picked up while working as a software manager.)
I went for ROM Manager because the same developer wrote CWM. I do appreciate you guys sharing your opinion of the app's effectiveness with the SGS. I only wish I had been warned sooner (ideally by the app's developer).
Find ODIN packages that don't inlcude bootloaders. That will only minimize your risk to soft bricks wich can be recovered with a jig that are easy to make and only cost ~ $10 if you choose to buy them. I personally use KH3 as my "stock" setting when I need to flash to stock. I use Cezar's KH3 .tar that doesn't include them but there are atleast 1 1 click around.
CWM for Captivate Gingerbread UCKJ2
Sorry in advance for the noob question. I have read many posts but can't find my answer. I've installed the leaked gingerbread rom from Samsung called uckj2. I was trying to change the modem by flashing a zip file using clockworkmod recovery. I've heard the way to do it is by using a kernel that already has cockworkmod already baked in. Which kernel should I use?
Thanks in advance
KJ2 have 3 kernels that should work. Corn kernek, Samurai and Boog's kernel.
I'm hoping someone here can help in explaining this because this is something I've NEVER seen or heard of before and in theory, shouldnt be possible but i'm seeing it with my own eyes!
I'm (about to) purchase a slightly used Samsung Galaxy S CAPTIVATE model (SGH-i897) at least that is what the "boot up screen" shows.. I KNOW this is the Captivate.. i've seen the physical differences between it and the Vibrant.. they are basically the same phones hardware wise but do have a different physical appearance on the outside.. the Vibrant's model is GT-i9000..
now when I go to the "About screen"...the model shows the GT-i9000! How is this possible? I'm baffled because I know that i'm actually looking at a CAPTIVATE and the boot up screen shows the correct model number..but the android os (which shows the gingerbread 2.3.5 model in the about screen) is showing the model number as the VIBRANT.. gt-i9000, on the same phone!
I want this phone and was about to buy it but i'm thinking this could seriously cause problems when i go to root and mod it as the conflicting model numbers could create problems with the proper files and processes i'll need to follow when doing the root/mods...
Has anyone heard of this or can explain this because I am STUMPED!
THanks
ok, it appears like a custom Kernel was used cause this conflict. Make sense?
I looked at the About screen again and the KERNEL VERSION looks like something that is NOT the stock kernel. It states:
2.6.35.7-I9000XXJVT-CL617736
[email protected] #DarkCore_4.1_JVT_C
this has to be a custom Kernel right?
This phone must have been rooted and mod'd at some point (the seller didn't know and thought his cousin only unlocked the phone).
I assume a custom kernel that likely is typically for the Vibrant GT-i9000 was flahed with or without a custom rom to this phone and that is why there is the conflicting model numbers... this make sense?
Normally that wouldn't be good idea to use another kernel or rom for a slightly different model of phone but i guess it worked..
I would now like to confirm that this is the case and if so, that it is obviously ok..cuz the phone is working fine.
Should I now wipe the phone back to stock rom/kernel? Can I? if I want to do more mod'ing on the phone anyways.. different kernels and likely update os to ICS 4.0
Thanks for any help on this and hopefully this all makes sense now and explains what i'm seeing
Many of the custom builds for the Captivate are based on I-9000 framework. DarkCore is one of the custom kernels. This phone has been flashed. If you prefer a stock Captivate firmware, there are ODIN One-Click programs in the Development section that will put you back to an "Out-of-the-Box" state. Then do some reading if you plan on shopping around for different roms, as there are several different sets of bootloaders among them and a bootloader mishap is a surefire way to brick this phone.
Happy Flashing and good luck! Welcome to the Captivate!
The vibrant model number is T-959 or some ****..I9000 is the international galaxy s. The original.
It is really easy to switch what is displayed in about phone...it's all in the builds.prop located in /system
You can open that up with a plain text editor and change any instance of Gt-I9000 to sgh-I897 and Viola...
But as mentioned above, flashing to stock with Odin/heimdall will get you back to stock.
Btw what does "build number" say in about phone? Cause that is the name of the ROM that was flashed to it.
Build number says: Mosaic 8
So that is the custom rom that was flashed to the phone I take it?
Ultimately I dont want to go back to the stock rom/kernel but want to definitely flash to OTHER custom roms/kernels. With that being said will I have to go back to stock on either rom or kernel FIRST before doing another change?
I'd like a kernel that will allow me to play with some overclocking and the rom(s) can be one of many.. preferrably I want to put ICS 4.0 on this
Can anyone give me the links to the best info/tutorials to flash the kernel/rom's to do so on this phone?
As said, the actual phone is an unlocked and rooted AT&T Samsung Galaxy S Captivate SGH-i897 but has been already flashed with custom rom kernel as follows:
Model Number
GT-i9000
Firmware Version
2.3.5
Baseband Version
I9000UGJK4
Kernel Version
2.6.35.7-I9000XXJVT-CL617736
[email protected] #DarkCore_4.1_JVT_C
Build Number
Mosaic 8
Thanks
M8 is a great custom rom. You shouldn't need to flash to stock before flashing a new rom. Just follow the steps in the first post of each rom you want to flash. A good ROM to try next would be Mosaic 9
yeah...i hear great things about mosaic!
Thanks..i figured it was a good rom..i play around with it for a while.. it also came with the custom kernel from DarkCore..
I'm fairly new mod'ing rooted phones and all that so I'm curious if I can install a different custom kernel on this Mosaic 8 Rom and if so, what's best way? I want to use one of the many on this site that allow for oc'ing...is it ok to replace the Darkcore Kernel that came with this rom to any other or not?
THanks
hey buddy, i happen to be the lead developer for mosaic.
you are more than welcome to change the kernel, the best way to do that would be in cwm recovery...which can be accessed by holding down on the power button and choosing recovery. or by powering off and holding vol up and power til you see the first splash (that should actually say I9000) then let go that will boot into recovery.
if you see an at&t screen at all the its vol up AND down AND power.
as said above i have updated mosaic, and the latest version includes a kernel that is overclockable already, this one to be exact the .tars in post 1 are for use with odin. post 2 are zips to be flashed in recovery. ater the kernel is flashed it will install an app called semaphore, in there are a bunch of options including oc up to 1300Mhz
that being said...FIRST I would play around with it some more and get used to it WHILE DOING SOME RESEARCH AND READING...i mean you just got the phone...get to know it take her out on the town before you get her all nekkid and vulnerable
THANK YOU SO MUCH for this reply! I was just trying to get into recovery mode and I noticed this phone was allowing me.. this is due to the rom/kernel on it..but you're post with the info WORKED! I was about to start doing a bunch of stuff to try and fix.. THANKS
This whole double splash screen is very new to me with it showing the phone as TWO different models..
I see you have the new Mosaic 9 out..and that's the one you're takling about i take it? and it comes with another new custom kernel that will allow for oc'ing too? sounds good..and 1300 is more then enought.. I'm happy with 1.2 if I can.. dont need to get crazy and try for 1.6 like some..
Just follow the steps on the main page for that rom and all should be good? What will be the easiest way for me to flash to your new rom/kernel? Can I do it from a rom manager or use sd card or internal mem? Any help on this is greatly appreciated! Thanks again for posting a response to my concerns!
btw can i just update this Mosaic 8 rom to that new custom kernel you're talking about or do i have to update to the new Mosaic 9 rom first?
You can flash that on 8.
Don't ever use ROM manager, it doesn't work right on the galaxy line.
And whenever sdcard is mentioned, that is the internal sd, cwm does not flash from an external sdcard.
To flash mosaic 9 over 8 just put ROM on sdcard, boot into recovery, wipe data/factory reset, then go to install zip from sdcard, choose zip, and find the ROM you just downloaded.
Flash the kernel the same way, just don't do the wipe first.
The ROM flash will wipe all your apps, the kernel will not, use titanium backup to backup your apps, then restore them after the flash. Again only needed if you're flashing the ROM and you can flash the kernel on the ROM you have now,
but a backup is a good idea before any flash if something were to go arwy.
As for the 2 boot screens (and the different button combos for recovery, btw download mode is vol down and power), is because the phone has I9000 bootloaders, which is the first splash you see, the second splash is the kernel, both darkcore and semaphore use the same splash the one that says sgh-I897. some kernels use a custom image there instead.
But again, i urge you STRONGLY, PLEASE read, and understand completely what it is that you want to do, and more importantly how to fix a situation that doesn't go as planned, BEFORE you start flashing stuff. Please.
Thanks again bud this is all so helpful. I already downloaded your mosaic 9 zip. Quick question..do i have to format my sd card a certain way first for the update to work? on past.flashes on different phone certain.partioning had to be done on the sd card in order for the update to work.successfully.
Thanks n looking forward to this mosaic 9.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Nope, you're good. Anything that was needed, which was flashing gingerbread bootloaders, has already been done by the previous owner.
Thanks again bud. That last question was pointless cuz i read back again and u mentioned that the sd card stated is always internal and not external..so obviously i wouldnt need to format n partition etc. Thats a bit newer for me well on this new phone anyways. Used to using ext card in past.
As of now ive only updated the kernel to the new one and not the whole new rom...yet. Will play around with it for a bit. The oc was very easy and working just fine.
Btw any plans to do this mosaic rom on ICS 4.0 at all? Or maybe there is one u could recommend? i really want to check it out as so many are "raving" about the new ics os and that it the best by far, etc. Whats your take?
One other question about the flashing from the internal sd now, hope this aint silly but if the zip rom file is saved to the internal mem and im doing the usual data wipe/factory reset wont everything get cleared.including the rom file itself and then not find it when i go to do the update?
and again thanks for all the info, still a bit of noob when it comes to the phones side of things but fyi im definitely a techie when it comes to the pc hardware, software and networking side. Take care
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Data wipe/factory reset only wipes the /data partition. Leaving all others including /sdcard intact.
Data factory reset clears (/data, /dbdata or /datadata depends on the ROM you are on, /cache, and /mnt/sd_card/android.secure
Definitely gonna wait a while before flashing any ICS4 roms as still too early and lots of bugs to workout. Im hoping u guys eventually come out with an ics rom cuz this mosaic 8 n 9 are damn good and high quality and read a lot of good things too.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
So the bootloaders, when are they input or changed? Is it a seperate update or do they typically come with a rom or kernel? So the ones i have now with the dual splash screens (gt-i9000 then sgh-i897), will i keep those if i wipe and flash a different rom or will a new set of different bootloaders come with most other custom roms? I still dont fully understand that yet and would prefer to mess with them as little as possible cuz i know how important they are and thats an easy way to mess up a phone.
Another quick question i have is about the Captivate phone itself...i know all the specific hardware specs and its states it has 512 ram outside of the 16gb storage/2gb internal rom but why can i only find spec screens that show my phone having 323mb of ram and of that most of it is used up all the time even after a fresh wipe and flash of the mosaic 8 rom ane nothing new installed? Does this have something to do with the rom itself or am i missing something? a little puzzled by this. Part reason i upgraded to this phone was to get better hardware and have more memory cuz i like to eventually install a ton of apps but im thinking i could quickly run into issues with the numbers im seeing. Any thoughts on this? Thanks
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Bootloaders ate only flashed with a pc flashing program such as Odin or heimdall.
The second image may change, that within the kernel itself, the first image will not.
As far as storage space goes, you have 16gb on the entire phone. 2gb of that is for user apps. About a Gb for the system, and about 13Gb on the sdcard.
you do have 512mb of ram, but some of that is always used by the system leaving the user with 323. And THAT being mostly used up is just they way Android handles memory. It keeps recently opened applications loaded in memory so that if you wanna access it again it will open much faster than having to reload it. It will also kill off apps as the memory load grows. Put simply: free ram is wasted ram.
I've read up several threads on this an I think what I want to do is a bit unique but I am not completely sure. I rooted my phone with Odin a week ago going from official gingerbread and used the stock Kernel. Root went off without a hitch but wasn't able to get into CWM recovery so I did some searching and just now flashed to the Corn Kernel 7.05. Works Perfect !
I want to now use mobile Odin to try out a few new roms as I can upgrade my phone now but want to give this a shot to breath some new life into my nearly 2 year old cappy. Flashing the kernel with mobile odin was s snap but I guess after reading the how and developers page I am lost on what types of ROM's I use with it. I'm new to all of this so judging stages of stability if not something I am sure about. I want some I wont have to compromise much with but will broaden my horizons some. I am so new cyanogen and maybe doc's ICS mod are the only ones I really know about but I don't know if those work with Odin or if I need to use CMW.
So final questions are these:
- Mod that will be stable and I can flash using only mobile odin or CMW (not using a PC) ?
- Does creating a backup of the ROM in CMW allow me to fix a bad ROM flash ?
- Is there an ICS build for cappy that will work for my situation ?
Thanks again ! ( I promise I used the search function and even the mobile odin thread but couldn't find what I was looking for)
1. Mod that will be stable and I can flash using only mobile odin or CMW (not using a PC) ?
2. Does creating a backup of the ROM in CMW allow me to fix a bad ROM flash ?
3. Is there an ICS build for cappy that will work for my situation ?
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Click to collapse
1. You can basically flash almost anything that isn't stock through CWM; you don't really need mobile odin too much. There are a lot of things considered "stable" that may not be stable for you. I considered alpha CM9 "stable," but others may disagree. It is up to you to find a ROM that suits you the best.
Keep in mind, you can only use Mobile Odin on Samsung-based BML ROMs.
2. To fix a "bad" ROM flash, you'd probably just flash the ROM again. But you can use the backup to restore your phone to its exact state at time of backup (with few exceptions).
3. What exactly is your situation? No matter what, I recommend CM9 nightlies but there certainly are other things out there to try that could work for you. Everything is CWM flashable, no Odin.
Just wondering, why can't you use a computer at all? You may need one in case you screw something up down the road.
korockinout13 said:
1. You can basically flash almost anything that isn't stock through CWM; you don't really need mobile odin too much. There are a lot of things considered "stable" that may not be stable for you. I considered alpha CM9 "stable," but others may disagree. It is up to you to find a ROM that suits you the best.
Keep in mind, you can only use Mobile Odin on Samsung-based BML ROMs.
2. To fix a "bad" ROM flash, you'd probably just flash the ROM again. But you can use the backup to restore your phone to its exact state at time of backup (with few exceptions).
3. What exactly is your situation? No matter what, I recommend CM9 nightlies but there certainly are other things out there to try that could work for you. Everything is CWM flashable, no Odin.
Just wondering, why can't you use a computer at all? You may need one in case you screw something up down the road.
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Click to collapse
1. Thank for clearing that up. I was using mobile odin at first because I wasn't able to boot into recovery with CWM but with the corn kernel that fixed everything and I've been getting myself more accustomed to working in there. Mobile odin seemed good for me to flash the new kernel easily and care free.
2. I was worried about a bad flash because I've read that using nandroid backups can be iffy (That's what CWM uses from what I have seen). Should I trust these backups ? I backed up everything in TiBu. I looked at the Wiki for cyanogen mod and it seems odd that the steps to flash the ROM's in CWM are very few so having few steps makes me think they have left something out or there is a step that is somehow understood I am missing)
3. I live in the boonies and my internet is even slower even though it's *cringe* 1.5 DSL haha. As far as my situation I mean something that would allow me to mess around with my phone some while knowing its stable because with 3 kids and having to have my phone I didn't want to be out of pocket for an extended period of time. I've been reading that ICS requires you to go back to stock to flash another ICS ROM but in my mind that doesn't seem too inconvenient.
I come from the desktop world and work well with hardware, not so much with software knowledge so trying to teach myself some new stuff since mobile seems to be here to stay. Making just a rudimentary app is a goal of mine even if no one cares so starting at the beginning trying to learn. Don't want to be one of those guys the noob video is made for who just begs for the way to root a phone and never contributes haha.
Thanks for your help !