Database Develop

[GUIDE] All Tattoo questions and answers see here (from A to Z)!

Hi,
this thread is meant as a starting point for every kind of questions. I will write everything I know into this thread and update it (hopefully) frequently
Here are the topics handled for now (if you have any other questions you want to have answered you can PM me, so I can try to handle it if I know the solution and add this to my to do list in point 5!!! ):
1. How can I root my phone
1.1 General information/Basic adb-commands
1.2 Do I have to create a goldcard?
1.3 Tools you need
1.4 The automated way
1.5 The manual way (recommended by the author)
1.6 Problems and (hopefully good) solutions
1.7 References
2. Flashing images/ROMs
2.1 What is a recovery image
2.2 What is a boot image
2.3 How to flash/tools needed
2.3.1 Creating a Goldcard
2.4 Where can I get an overview of the existing ROMs?
2.5 Problems during flashing and solutions
2.6 References
3. Information about the Tattoo/Useful stuff
3.1 How to install busybox?
3.2 Can it perform multitouch?
3.3 How to increase battery life?
3.4 Using own ringtones for calls/sms
3.5 How to disable data transfer with a custom ROM?
3.6 How to make the Tattoo ring louder?
3.7 How to replace the home screen?
3.8 Disabling xxx-synchronisation with Google-servers
3.9 Backing up apk's and data to your PC
3.10 How to enable more languages on my mobile?
3.11 How to manually delete system apks? Alternatively with GUI?
4. Dev-Goodies
4.1 Modifying update.zips and resigning them
4.2 Modifying resources in apk-files and resigning them
4.3 Installing apks via adb for getting exact error codes if installation fails
4.4 Everything related to ROM cooking
5. Things I will do better in this thread due to user request
Please note: I won't be giving tutorials about Android-apps usage beside the one mentioned in my tutorial!
Let's start now:
1. How can I root my phone?
1.1 General information/Basic adb-commands
Rooting a phone enables you to do things, which normally aren't possible for the average user like:
- Removing apps which were preinstalled by the provider (like Orange, Vodafone, etc.). My Tattoo had Vodafone apps for buying music and other sh*t, which was installed on the system partition (to which a "normal" user has no rights to write to, including deleting).
The Tattoo was successfully rooted by a bunch of guys here, namely -bm-, mainfram3 and Coburn64 (maybe, I don't remember quite correctly ). Also the Tattoo was the first phone having a security mechanism hindering a user to mount the filesystems as read/write, which had to be overridden by remapping the read only memory region to a read/write one. This is done by the module Tattoo-hack.ko, also made by mainfram3. He also created the first boot.img, which enabled su directly from adb and loading Tattoo-hack directly from boot on.
A few words about adb:
ADB is a tool for communicating from the PC with the mobile phone. For this a service is running on the phone enabling the communication via Terminal Emulator. Here are the most useful adb-commands:
Code:
adb push localFileFromPC /path/on/mobilephone
-> pushes a file "localFileFromPC" to a specified location on the phone
adb pull /path/to/file pathFromPC
-> receives a file from the phone and stores it to "pathFromPC"
adb remount
-> This is only possible in custom ROMs, remounts the file system to r/w automatically
adb shell "command"
-> executes "command" and returns to the computer shell
adb shell
-> opens a shell session on the phone (from here on you have to be very careful! Also you can execute now normal linux commands like rm, mv, ls, chmod and so on, but not cp (this can done through busybox)). You will have to use this more often, so get used to it ;)
1.2 Do I have to create a goldcard?
I read this question quite often. For rooting, you don't need it, but for SIM-locked phones you can't flash custom unbranded ROMs (I think).
A guide to create a goldcard follow this link: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=5179788&postcount=1 (thanks to MiSSigNNo to this point)
1.3 Tools you need
A complete set of tools can be found here Feel free to mirror it:
http://rapidshare.com/files/403766494/Tattoo.rar.html
This package contains:
- adb binaries for Windows (sorry Linux users )
- su (Please note: use the su-binary attached in this post, not the one in the archive!!!!!)
- m7 exploit
- Amon_RA recovery.img
- mainfram3 boot.img
- flash_image binary
- tattoo-hack.ko
1.4 The automated way
This method was created by maverixx and can be found here. This basically consists of a package doing everything you need by itself. It roots the phone and flashes maverixx recovery.img, which (no offense) I don't like as much as I like Amon_RA's one!). Just click the batchfile and it does the rest (you have to connect your phone via USB to your PC though ).
If you want to use the automated way, but flashing Amon_RA's recovery, just replace the recovery.img from maverixx' package with the recovery.img provided in my archive file (see 1.3 for the link).
In my time here I noticed quite a few users experiencing problems either with a fully functional su or with the recovery image not flashing certain update.zip packages. It seems to be a matter of luck.
1.5 The manual way (recommended by the author)
I personally like what is done when and how, that's why I recommend the manual way. So let's get down to business Let's see if you know all the adb-commands I wrote here:
1. Let's say you have everything unpacked into C:\Tattoo
2. In your terminal (on your PC) type:
- adb shell "mkdir /data/local/bin" (if it returns an error it means that the directory already exists, just proceed)
- adb push m7 /data/local/bin/
- adb push su /data/local/bin/
- adb push flash_image /data/local/bin/
- adb push tattoo-hack.ko /data/local/bin/
- adb push recovery.img /sdcard
- adb push boot.img /sdcard
3. We have every needed file on the phone now. Type now (we are still in your terminal):
- adb shell
$ cd /data/local/bin
$ chmod 766 m7 (I don't retain this step as mandatory, so if this process fails, just proceed)
$ while ./m7 ; do : ; done
lots of text until you see something like "wrote shell code", press enter 2 or 3 times enter to see:
#
4. Then perform this:
- # export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/system/lib
- # export PATH=/system/bin
- # insmod ./tattoo-hack.ko
- # mount -o rw,remount /dev/block/mtdblock5 /data
- # mount -o rw,remount /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
- # cat ./su > /system/bin/su
- # chmod 4755 /system/bin/su
- # chmod 755 ./flash_image
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Questions?
1.6 Problems and (hopefully good) solutions
Q: How do I execute my command line tool?
A: On your Windows host, go to Start->Run...->type "cmd"
Q: Where is my adb? When I type it in my shell it says that it was not found!
A: The adb binary is found in the archive I supplied above or in the Google SDK. As my archive-file is quite smaller than the Google SDK you should take mine. Let's suppose your adb binary is unpacked in C:\Tattoo, then type:
Code:
Your\Current\Location> cd C:\Tattoo
C:\Tattoo> adb <command>
Q: adb says "error: device not found" when I try to launch the shell on the phone!
A: Connect the phone with the usb cable and make sure the sd card is not mounted as drive on your PC!!!
Q: When I want to copy something the phone returns that "cp" is not found! Also when I try to move a file, it says "cross-link device".
A: Well, copying from one partition to another is only possible either via busybox or via
Code:
cat file > /location/filename
Example:
cp /data/su /system/bin
is realized by typing
cat /data/su > /system/bin/su
Also make sure that system is r/w!!!
Q: flash_image returns write errors when flashing recovery/boot image!
A:
For boot: Try to redo the flash procedure
For recovery: Note that you can't flash the same recovery.img as the one already installed, so install another recovery.img first (like maverixx) and then Amon_RA's again. If it still doesn't work reboot, remount the partitions r/w, insmod tattoo-hack.ko and retry flashing.
Q: How can I unroot my device?
A: Just delete su from /system/xbin and restore the old boot.img. Alternatively see here for retrieving a stock ROM to flash it on your phone.
PM me with more questions and I'll post them with the possible solution.
1.7 References
- Zecanilis EXCELLENT Root-Recovery-Flash images thread
- maverixx' One-click root method+recovery thread
- Coburn64's Newbie guide for manual rooting (recommended reading!)
2. Flashing images/ROMs
2.1 What is a recovery image
A recovery image is not only useful to flash custom ROMs on your device. It also enables you to backup your entire phone contents to restore it completely in case of a brick, if anything should happen...especially SIM-locked mobiles should be backed up as soon as possible. Also many recovery image modders add several non-standard features like mounting the SD card while in recovery mode or enabling adb support, etc.
2.2 What is a boot image
The boot image not only contains the kernel which brings up your Tattoos, it only can be modified to load up modules enabling ext2/3 support, loading camera, remapping read only code to an r/w area (tattoo-hack.ko), etc. Without a working boot.img, don't even bother trying to boot the phone (maybe if you do a logcat it returns something useful to solve this problem )
2.3 How to flash/tools needed
Execute steps 1 to 4 in topic 1.5 first!
5. Now comes the hard part:
- # ./flash_image boot /sdcard/boot.img
- # ./flash_image recovery /sdcard/recovery.img
it can be that flash_image reports errors in the last step (recovery.img step), but another user said it would be still working to boot to recovery...but to be sure (if you got the error!!!) flash maverixx recovery.img and then again the one I supplied in my archive (Amon_RA)
Reboot once and when you connect with adb to your phone you should see the difference
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2.3.1 Creating a Goldcard
This is a post I took from MiSSigNNo, kudos to him:
Creating the Gold Card:
[...]
4. We need the android-sdk tools, we can find them here: http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html download them, and unzip in a folder maybe in C:\androidtools
5. Go the the Command line (Start->Execute->write cmd and OK), and there you should find where you unzip the android-sdk tools, example cd c:\androidtools\tools
6. Run this command "adb shell cat /sys/class/mmc_host/mmc1/mmc1:*/cid" if you had the microSD in the drive you will find a long number like:
532600bd227d9c0347329407514d5402
7. Go to this page to reverse it: http://hexrev.soaa.me/ and copy the code reversed:
In our example it will be: 00544d5107943247039c7d22bd002653
8. Go to this page to generate your GoldCard image: http://revskills.de/pages/goldcard.html
And put your reversed number and you email. You will receive an email with a file called "goldcard.img"
9. Now you need an Hex editor like HXD. Download it from: http://download.cnet.com/HxD-Hex-Edi...html?tag=mncol
10. Exactly the same as the instructions I pasted above:
11. Install and launch HxD Hex Editor program. (make sure you use "Run as Administrator" under Vista and win 7)
12. Go to Extra tab > Open Disk. Under Physical disk, select Removable Disk (Must be your SD card), uncheck “Open as Readonly), click OK. (BEWARE, MUST BE UNDER PHYSICAL DISK NOT LOGICAL DISK, THIS MISTAKE MADE ME BIG PROBLEMS)
13. Go to Extra again, Open Disk Image, open up goldcard.img which you’ve saved/unzipped earlier.
Now, you should have two tabs, one is your removable disk, the other is goldcard.img. Press OK when prompted for “Sector Size” 512 (Hard disks/Floppy disks), click OK.
14. Click on goldcard.img tab. Go to Edit tab > Select All, edit tab again > copy.
15. Click on the “removable disk” tab. Select offset (line) 00000000 till offset (line) 00000170 (including the 00000170 line), click on Edit tab and then Paste Write.
16. Click on File > Save. now you can exit the program. You now have a gold card.
[...]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2.4 Where can I get an overview of the existing ROMs?
Look it up here (Excellent work liderzre)
2.5 Problems during flashing and solutions
Q: HEEEEELLLPPP! flash_image says that it couldn't write to some memory addresses! What can I do?
A: Don't panic. First make sure to have loaded tattoo-hack.ko, remounted system and data to r/w and then try again with another recovery.img (either maverixx or Amon_RA). Flashing the same recovery.img again WON'T WORK!!!! That's why you have to take a little detour by first flashing another recovery image.
Q: How do I boot to recovery??
A: Type in your command line while the phone is plugged in:
Code:
adb shell "reboot recovery"
. If this doesn't work, turn off your phone, hold down the home-button and press the power-button. Then when the Tattoo logo can be seen, release the home button and the recovery screen should be seen
2.6 References
- Zecanilis EXCELLENT Root-Recovery-Flash images thread
- maverixx' One-click root method+recovery thread
3. Information about the Tattoo/Useful stuff
3.1 How to install busybox?
Load the busybox binary here (select the one with arm6 at the end). Put this binary onto your data or system partition (I suggest /system/xbin) and now there are two ways to install/enable it. See below
Method 1 (will extract EVERY FEATURE, but consumes A LOT of your disk space so be careful or switch to method 2)
Do this in your command line:
Code:
adb remount (make it r/w if not done already)
adb shell "mkdir /system/xbin" (create dir if it doesn't exist)
adb push busybox /system/xbin (please make sure to have busybox in the same directory as adb ;) )
adb shell
cd /system/xbin
./busybox --install
Method 2 (saves your precious disk space )
Do this in your command line
Code:
/system/xbin/busybox --install -s /system/xbin
3.2 Can it perform multitouch?
Nope, the Tattoo has a resistive touch screen, which is known to be NON-multitouch...newer generation or high-end phones usually have capacitative screens. My suggestion is not taking the Nexus One anymore, since their touch screen type supports only 2 fingers at once, while phones like the Samsung Galaxy S have a SUPER responsiveness and sensibility (and of course 10 fingers support).
3.3 How to increase battery life?
Okay, here are little tips how to increase battery life - mine holds 7 to 8 days and I surf, call ppl and sms almost every day:
1. Flash either fyodor 0.6.4.2 or Abyzou 2.1.9 - my favourite is fyodor ones (if I still would have a Tattoo, of course )
2. Download APNd roid from the market or here and disable your 3G Internet connection (for activating it, just start the program again!)
3. If you see that you have NO RECEPTION AT ALL in one place (at work for instance), turn off your phone as this will DRASTICALLY decrease battery life because the phone tries constantly to search for a network it can log on to.
4. Try to keep your phone in normal temperature areas (between 20 and 27 degrees celsius = 68 - 80.6 degrees fahrenheit)
5. Kill unneeded apps automatically (there are quite a few apps doing this)
3.4 Using own ringtones for calls/sms
Create a folder called "media" on the root of your SD card and a sub-folder called "audio" there you have to create one folder called "notifications" for SMS and "ringtones" for call sounds. Place every desired track into these folders and reboot your phone. You should see the entries now when choosing ringtones. Alternatively just load "Ringo Pro", a really powerful tool also able to display SMS pop-ups and much more.
3.5 How to disable data transfer with a custom ROM?
As already explained above, load APN droid from the market or here.
3.6 How to make the Tattoo ring louder?
There is a little app called "Louder Volume Hack" enabling your phone to ring much louder than normally. You can load it on any popular w*rez-site Unfortunately I cannot enter the link to the app here or PM it. Any questions requesting a link to this app will be deleted instantly, so don't bother trying and use Google. There are several buttons displayed, but for better visibility I suggest enabling the Widget and hacking the system there. Also please note that ROOT access is required!! Refer to section 1 to root your phone.
3.7 How to replace the home screen?
There are two ways to do it. Method 1 is the easier one, but runs the Google Launcher and the replacement laucher in parrallel, which implies more CPU usage and battery drain. Method 2 is the more brutal one, but enables you to run just one launcher.
Method 1:
Install the replacement home app and press the home button. A dialog should appear asking you which Home Launcher should be used.
Method 2:
Put your home replacement apk onto the root of your SD and make sure you have busybox installed and /system mounted as writeable. Rename the Home replacement apk to Launcher.apk and fire up adb shell:
Code:
mv /system/app/Launcher.apk /system/app/Launcher.apk.old && mv /system/app/Launcher.odex /system/app/Launcher.odex.old && cp /sdcard/Launcher.apk /system/app && chmod 755 /system/app/Launcher.apk
Should be a pretty generic approach
3.8 Disabling xxx-synchronisation with Google-servers
Go to settings, data synchonisation and disable the entries you don't want to have synch'ed with Google. Since it's long time ago since I did this (remember that I don't own a Tattoo anymore) the procedure can be slightly different from ROM to ROM.
3.9 Backing up apk's and data to your PC
By popular request, here a topic about how to backup apk's and their corresponding data manually (can be done separately, too if you want just one of the two). Doing it with the tar command HOPEFULLY preserves also all permissions!!! Check it:
Hit up adb shell and make sure have busybox:
Code:
for the apks
# tar -cvf /sdcard/dataAppsBackup.tar /data/app
for the data
# tar -cvf /sdcard/dataDataBAckup.tar /data/data
If you want to decompress these files again do:
Code:
# tar -xvf /sdcard/dataAppsBackup.tar -C /data
# tar -xvf /sdcard/dataDataBackup.tar -C /data
Note that these files won't be compressed! If you want to save some disk space on your SD then add the parameter 'z' (without the quotes) in the tar arguments (e.g. tar -cvfz for compressing and tar -xvfz for decompressing)
3.10 How to enable more languages on my mobile?
There is an app called MoreLocale in the market enabling you to select more languages. Download it, it's free
3.11 How to manually delete system apks? Alternatively with GUI?
For deleting manually you only need root-access. With GUI you need RootExplorer (buy it or do what you need to do to get this app-but with these features I would suggest to buy the app ).
Note: I do not take any responsibility if you delete the wrong apk and you lose any functionality of the phone. Do this only if you know what you're doing!
The manual way:
Connect the phone via USB, fire up adb shell and type:
Code:
insmod /LOCATION TO [URL="http://TATTOOHACK.KO/tattoo-hack.ko"]TATTOOHACK.KO/tattoo-hack.ko[/URL]
mount -o rw,remount /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
cd /system/app
rm NAMEOFAPK.apk
The GUI way:
Install RootExplorer, open it, navigate to /system/app and press the little "Mount R/W" button at the top of the screen and begin deleting
4. Dev-Goodies
4.1 Modifying update.zips and resigning them
See this thread and get enlightened
4.2 Modifying resources in apk-files and resigning them
Same procedure as above:
1. Extract the file with WinRAR/WinZIP, delete the contents of META-INF and start modifying what you have to modify
2. Pack everything again into a ZIP file and sign it with the signapk.jar file (can be found somewhere in the forum or here). The syntax of how to use this can be found in the last link (yes, it's only 10 KB ).
4.3 Installing apks via adb for getting exact error codes if installation fails
Prerequisites: Either know the exact path to the apk or put it into the same directory as your adb executable and hit up your command line:
Code:
adb install /path/to/apk/file.apk
OR
adb install file.apk (implies that apk is located in same dir as adb)
4.4 Everything related to ROM cooking
Check this link (thanks to Decad3nce) and this one (thanks to mxlaser).
5. Things I will do better in this thread due to user request
- Nothing
The end for now.

Note: If you think that my thread is good, then please rate it with 5 stars
Changelog:
Version 1.0
- Initial draft
Version 1.1
- Added complete topic 1 now
- Fixed layout and some typos
Version 2.0
- Added complete topic 2 and half of 3
Version 2.1
- First prototype with all topics finished (will rework parts which are not quite understandable)
Version 2.2
- Added new question to 1.6
Version 2.3
- Added section 4.4 -> Everything related to ROM Cooking DUDEEEESSSSS
Version 2.4
- Added 3.11 How to manually delete system apks? Alternatively with GUI?
Version 2.5
- attached working su file - thanks to lovenemesis for this
Version 2.6
- added some mirrors for the Tattoo.rar archive - thanks to emb0re for providing some space
Version 3
- added topic about creating gold cards (2.3.1)

hi
very good initiative stuck

Great work
Very intuitive guide for beginner.
Though as an experienced and new android application developer, it really took me a whole afternoon to understand every step of the whole process. I am sure this guide would save many others wonderful Saturday afternoon.

Nice Work
Great Work From You Sir. This Will Be Useful for Beginners I Think This Will Save Lot Of Our Time's. And Mods Too

Thanks for the feedback...I hope that I can fill many topics tomorrow
P.S.: Indeed this is meant for the many unexperienced users who desperately want to flash custom ROMs but don't know how to do it...this also spares a lot senseless thread-posts I hope...^^

Dude
SSj Man Can You Add Tutorial Abt How to get the Apk file which i download from market in my mobile. if that is possible

3. We have every needed file on the phone now. Type now (we are still in your terminal):
- adb shell
$ cd /data/local/bin
$ while ./m7 ; do : ; done
lots of text until you see something like "wrote shell code", press enter 2 or 3 times enter to see:
#
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me I need to add execute permission for m7 before expolit, with
Code:
chmod 766 m7
.

jagan_3400 said:
SSj Man Can You Add Tutorial Abt How to get the Apk file which i download from market in my mobile. if that is possible
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You mean getting the apk from your mobile on your PC for example?
lovenemesis said:
For me I need to add execute permission for m7 before expolit, with
Code:
chmod 766 m7
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hm, normally when you push the file via adb it will have user permissions, which includes execution...but I will add it to exclude any possible error...thanks for the info.

It might be worth to mention this in 3.1 Busybox installation:
Code:
adb push busybox /system/xbin/
I accidentallly use "adb push busybox /system/xbin" without the ending "/". Well, you know the rest part of the story...

Hmm, probably this one first, at least for the stock HTC ROM
Code:
adb shell "mkdir /system/xbin"
PS: Kind of weird for its name xbin, not the usual sbin on desktop linux. ;-)

TheSSJ said:
You mean getting the apk from your mobile on your PC for example?
Hm, normally when you push the file via adb it will have user permissions, which includes execution...but I will add it to exclude any possible error...thanks for the info.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe it's because I am using a Fedora box, which the default permission for files in $HOME does not include execution.

lovenemesis said:
Hmm, probably this one first, at least for the stock HTC ROM
Code:
adb shell "mkdir /system/xbin"
PS: Kind of weird for its name xbin, not the usual sbin on desktop linux. ;-)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right, I added it already in the guide, thanks for the feedback. Well, /system/xbin isn't a "normal" directory indeed, but it was created for extra executables which normally aren't shipped in stock ROMs (like busybox).

4. Then perform this:
- # export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/system/lib
- # export PATH=/system/bin
- # insmod ./tattoo-hack.ko
- # mount -o rw,remount /dev/block/mtdblock5 /data
- # mount -o rw,remount /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
- # cat ./su > /system/bin/su
- # chmod 4755 /system/bin/su
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suppose after this step the stock ROM is rooted. Right?
But in Android Terminal Emulator gives me $ still. "su" reports an link_image error, which basically said about missing libbinder.so library.
Is it normal or I need to push an libbinder.so to /system/lib as well?
BTW: "adb shell " gives me # straightly.
Regards,

Hmm, I pushed another "su" binary to overwrite the one in Tattoo.rar. And now it works fine in Android Terminal Emulator.
Here is the su binary I use:
View attachment su.zip

Oops, Titanium Backup still refuses to work despite of working "su" binary.
What else should I do?

market not working
hi
i dont know why but the Market does not work for me can u give any solutions for the same im just not able to log in it keeps saying error i also tried with google mail and gmail id but no luck any suggestion pls

few questons kindly answer
hi
i have afew questions can u kindly answer
1. is wipe a must before flashing a new rom
i have flashed the Modoco rom and it was mentioned that this was not needed but i have read in many threads asking to do the same before flashing
2.to bring back contacts after flashing new rom can i use
a. backup pro or titanium backup
b. can i just use the out look sync and get back my contacts from my PC
3. if i restore the stock rom and latter on want to try one of the cooked roms do i need to do the rooting again ie does flashing stock rom remove the rooting
Note : i have been a WM user new to AM is why im asking such questions in the WM i have one app pim backup which would get back all my contacts in 1 min and when flashing any WM it will automatically wipe all the data from the phone this does not seem to be the case with AM is why i have asked above Questions
thanks in advance

lovenemesis said:
Oops, Titanium Backup still refuses to work despite of working "su" binary.
What else should I do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Titanium Backup needs Busybox and su to work. If Titanium Backup tells you that it found BusyBox, then try to copy "su" to the following to locations:
/system/bin and /system/xbin
I think with the first it should work then.
haree said:
hi
i dont know why but the Market does not work for me can u give any solutions for the same im just not able to log in it keeps saying error i also tried with google mail and gmail id but no luck any suggestion pls
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you use MoDaCo ROM or did u switch now to another? Normally the phone asks for log-in credentials when going online. When you enter them correctly, the login window should disappear and you should be able to access market...I know this sounds stupid, but check if you entered you PW correctly!
haree said:
hi
i have afew questions can u kindly answer
1. is wipe a must before flashing a new rom
i have flashed the Modoco rom and it was mentioned that this was not needed but i have read in many threads asking to do the same before flashing
2.to bring back contacts after flashing new rom can i use
a. backup pro or titanium backup
b. can i just use the out look sync and get back my contacts from my PC
3. if i restore the stock rom and latter on want to try one of the cooked roms do i need to do the rooting again ie does flashing stock rom remove the rooting
Note : i have been a WM user new to AM is why im asking such questions in the WM i have one app pim backup which would get back all my contacts in 1 min and when flashing any WM it will automatically wipe all the data from the phone this does not seem to be the case with AM is why i have asked above Questions
thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. As I told you via PM already: If the ROM is based on the same source ROM (HTC stock in your case) then a wipe is NOT required, but if you switch android version (AOSP, Vanilla, FroYo, Eclair) then you HAVE TO wipe.
2.
a) I had only problems with Titanium backup concerning restoring contacts. I would suggest using MyBackup Pro
b) Well, if you can sync to outlook, then I suppose yes, but I really doubt that these features are implemented in custom ROMs...
3. Well, if you mean restoring the NAND-backup and then flashing another cooked ROM (which are all rooted by default ), then no - you don't need to re-root. Only if you would flash the original/official HTC ROM which comes shipped as exe-file, but I don't see the sense in flashing this one...use your NAND-backups

TheSSJ said:
Titanium Backup needs Busybox and su to work. If Titanium Backup tells you that it found BusyBox, then try to copy "su" to the following to locations:
/system/bin and /system/xbin
I think with the first it should work then.
hi
thanks buddy for patiently answering all my Q
i got it now but i dont know why this Bl***dy market does not work what every i try ie when the net is on and ur browsing u see the E on ur phone screen and then the 2 white arrows flash this it self does not happen when i try to log in to market
just dont know what is wrong
right now im using Modoco and happy with it seems to be real fast and everything is working on this ROM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

[A] How do I edit services.odex?

I'd like to make a few changes in the services.odex file, and I want to make sure I do it correctly the first time, so I'd like to run this by everyone for comments/corrections.
So far, these are the steps that I *think* are correct:
1. Pull /system/framework/* files onto my PC.
2. On the PC, baksmali the services.odex.
3. Makes the changes to whatever .smali file I wish.
4. Rebuild services.dex via smali (using the output dir created by baksmali).
5. Insert services.dex into services.jar (using, say, WinRAR).
6. Push the new services.jar onto /sdcard and then copy it over to /system/framework dir.
7. Reboot and pray it works.
Is this correct?
---
EDIT: See my reply below for the answer.

Should I post this question over in the "Captivate Android Development" forum? Anyone?

Small bump for this post, interested in the correct procedure for this too.

[A] Here are the steps
Yeah, it took me a week of digging to find this answer.
Disclaimer:
1. Proceed at your own risk and don't blame me if you brick your phone.
2. While I've done my best to document the steps I took, there's always a chance I've mistyped something.
3. If you're unsure at any point, STOP! Re-read everything so you fully understand what you're doing.
4. Editing .odex files can be extremely tricky! All it takes is a bad edit to royally screw up your phone.
This guide assumes:
* you have a Captivate and it's running stock Eclair. (Don't know about other phones or other OSes.)
* you have rooted your phone, and have busybox & Superuser Permissions installed.
* you have adb installed and working on a PC.
* you have baksmali and smali installed and working on a PC (along with Java).
* you have downloaded the utility "dexopt-wrapper". (Do a search - you'll find it.)
* you know what the BOOTCLASSPATH value is for your phone. (Hint: It's in /init.rc)
* you have made a complete backup of your phone! (Yes, if something goes wrong, it's much nicer to be able to restore files from a recent backup than to have to wipe the phone and start from scratch again.)
- I highly recommend you install ROM Manager w/ ClockworkMod. (And don't delete /sdcard/update.zip)
Notations:
When you see a line beginning with >, that's a command to be executed on the PC.
When you see a line beginning with #, that's a command to be executed on the phone.
Ready? Here we go:
put the dexopt-wrapper onto your phone.
> adb push dexopt-wrapper /sdcard
copy all of the /system/framework files onto your PC.
> adb pull /system/framework
let's pretend you want to change something in services.odex.
decompile the .odex file
> baksmali -x services.odex -o services.out
now edit whatever .smali file you want in the services.out folder.
rebuild the classes.dex file for services.odex.
> smali -o classes.dex services.out
now put classes.dex into services.jar (I used WinRAR, but other ZIP utilities should work.)
put the new .jar file onto your phone.
> adb push services.jar /sdcard
> adb shell
become super user
# su
put the dexopt-wrapper utility into the bin folder with the correct permissions. (you only need to do this once, obviously.)
# cd /system/bin
# busybox cp /sdcard/dexopt-wrapper .
# busybox chmod 755 dexopt-wrapper
# cd /sdcard
create a new .odex file from the new .jar file
# dexopt-wrapper services.jar new.odex [BOOTCLASSPATH]
yes, fill in the value of BOOTCLASSPATH, without the []
here's the "special sauce": copy over the "signature" from the current .odex file into the new .odex file. do NOT continue until this command succeeds!
hint: the file size of the new.odex file should not change!
# busybox dd if=/system/framework/services.odex of=new.odex bs=1 count=20 skip=52 seek=52 conv=notrunc
now replace the old .odex file with the new .odex file.
# cd /system/framework
# busybox cp /sdcard/new.odex services.odex
# busybox chmod 644 services.odex
and you're done.
# sync
# reboot
Now, if all goes well, your phone should reboot normally.
However, if something has not gone well, you'll hear the bootup sounds, but the screen will be "stuck" on the first white logo screen. That means the new .odex file was not accepted. What to do? Well, first, (and with all do respect) Don't Panic! Plug in the USB line and issue:
> adb reboot recovery
That should drop you into the recovery. "Apply Updates" and that will get you into ClockworkMod. Then you can restore the /system files from your full backup (the one you did RIGHT BEFORE doing any of this, right?) and be back up and running in just a few minutes. (Yeah, I had to do this many times. It's scary the first time, but you get use to it after a while.)
Good luck!

software_samurai said:
Yeah, it took me a week of digging to find this answer.
Disclaimer:
1. Proceed at your own risk and don't blame me if you brick your phone.
2. While I've done my best to document the steps I took, there's always a chance I've mistyped something.
3. If you're unsure at any point, STOP! Re-read everything so you fully understand what you're doing.
4. Editing .odex files can be extremely tricky! All it takes is a bad edit to royally screw up your phone.
This guide assumes:
* you have a Captivate and it's running stock Eclair. (Don't know about other phones or other OSes.)
* you have rooted your phone, and have busybox & Superuser Permissions installed.
* you have adb installed and working on a PC.
* you have baksmali and smali installed and working on a PC (along with Java).
* you have downloaded the utility "dexopt-wrapper". (Do a search - you'll find it.)
* you know what the BOOTCLASSPATH value is for your phone. (Hint: It's in /init.rc)
* you have made a complete backup of your phone! (Yes, if something goes wrong, it's much nicer to be able to restore files from a recent backup than to have to wipe the phone and start from scratch again.)
- I highly recommend you install ROM Manager w/ ClockworkMod. (And don't delete /sdcard/update.zip)
Notations:
When you see a line beginning with >, that's a command to be executed on the PC.
When you see a line beginning with #, that's a command to be executed on the phone.
Ready? Here we go:
put the dexopt-wrapper onto your phone.
> adb push dexopt-wrapper /sdcard
copy all of the /system/framework files onto your PC.
> adb pull /system/framework
let's pretend you want to change something in services.odex.
decompile the .odex file
> baksmali -x services.odex -o services.out
now edit whatever .smali file you want in the services.out folder.
rebuild the classes.dex file for services.odex.
> smali -o classes.dex services.out
now put classes.dex into services.jar (I used WinRAR, but other ZIP utilities should work.)
put the new .jar file onto your phone.
> adb push services.jar /sdcard
> adb shell
become super user
# su
put the dexopt-wrapper utility into the bin folder with the correct permissions. (you only need to do this once, obviously.)
# cd /system/bin
# busybox cp /sdcard/dexopt-wrapper .
# busybox chmod 755 dexopt-wrapper
# cd /sdcard
create a new .odex file from the new .jar file
# dexopt-wrapper services.jar new.odex [BOOTCLASSPATH]
yes, fill in the value of BOOTCLASSPATH, without the []
here's the "special sauce": copy over the "signature" from the current .odex file into the new .odex file. do NOT continue until this command succeeds!
hint: the file size of the new.odex file should not change!
# busybox dd if=/system/framework/services.odex of=new.odex bs=1 count=20 skip=52 seek=52 conv=notrunc
now replace the old .odex file with the new .odex file.
# cd /system/framework
# busybox cp /sdcard/new.odex services.odex
# busybox chmod 644 services.odex
and you're done.
# sync
# reboot
Now, if all goes well, your phone should reboot normally.
However, if something has not gone well, you'll hear the bootup sounds, but the screen will be "stuck" on the first white logo screen. That means the new .odex file was not accepted. What to do? Well, first, (and with all do respect) Don't Panic! Plug in the USB line and issue:
> adb reboot recovery
That should drop you into the recovery. "Apply Updates" and that will get you into ClockworkMod. Then you can restore the /system files from your full backup (the one you did RIGHT BEFORE doing any of this, right?) and be back up and running in just a few minutes. (Yeah, I had to do this many times. It's scary the first time, but you get use to it after a while.)
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, was really useful for me

awsome thx

super thanks for guide

Strange... all thanks but nothing to add?
I had to install the new Android SDK r16 because of buggy "adb" executable (my fault).
http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html
Newest version smali/baksmali v1.3.0 has been used.
Helpfull page:
http://code.google.com/p/smali/wiki/DeodexInstructions
Copied whole "/system/framework" to my current working folder (reason in command below).
Code:
baksmali -c /system/framework/core.jar:/system/framework/bouncycastle.jar:/system/framework/ext.jar:/system/framework/framework.jar:/system/framework/android.policy.jar:/system/framework/services.jar:/system/framework/core-junit.jar -a 10 -x Mms.odex -o Mms.out
Already had to put "BOOTCLASSPATH" in this command with "-c" option, else I would get an error stating. "Error occured while loading boot class path files.".
With new baksmali you have to put in the Android SDK api-level with option "-a" of the current Android OS you're working on. For Gingerbread numbers 10-13 work, but 14 (ICS) doesn't work anymore.
Api levels are stated right at the beginning on each "Android X.X Platform" links on the left side of Android SDK page (mentioned above).
For the most part this guide was perfect, but since a lot has been updated I felt this guide needed a minor update too!

to get quicker answers to non-captivate specific questions (without a week of searching) ask android software questions in the XDA > Android OS > fourms instead of the XDA>Captivate fourms.
the Captivate forums are not a frequent stop for experienced programmers and developers to find and answer these type of questions.

software_samurai said:
Yeah, it took me a week of digging to find this answer.
Disclaimer:
1. Proceed at your own risk and don't blame me if you brick your phone.
2. While I've done my best to document the steps I took, there's always a chance I've mistyped something.
3. If you're unsure at any point, STOP! Re-read everything so you fully understand what you're doing.
4. Editing .odex files can be extremely tricky! All it takes is a bad edit to royally screw up your phone.
This guide assumes:
* you have a Captivate and it's running stock Eclair. (Don't know about other phones or other OSes.)
* you have rooted your phone, and have busybox & Superuser Permissions installed.
* you have adb installed and working on a PC.
* you have baksmali and smali installed and working on a PC (along with Java).
* you have downloaded the utility "dexopt-wrapper". (Do a search - you'll find it.)
* you know what the BOOTCLASSPATH value is for your phone. (Hint: It's in /init.rc)
* you have made a complete backup of your phone! (Yes, if something goes wrong, it's much nicer to be able to restore files from a recent backup than to have to wipe the phone and start from scratch again.)
- I highly recommend you install ROM Manager w/ ClockworkMod. (And don't delete /sdcard/update.zip)
Notations:
When you see a line beginning with >, that's a command to be executed on the PC.
When you see a line beginning with #, that's a command to be executed on the phone.
Ready? Here we go:
put the dexopt-wrapper onto your phone.
> adb push dexopt-wrapper /sdcard
copy all of the /system/framework files onto your PC.
> adb pull /system/framework
let's pretend you want to change something in services.odex.
decompile the .odex file
> baksmali -x services.odex -o services.out
now edit whatever .smali file you want in the services.out folder.
rebuild the classes.dex file for services.odex.
> smali -o classes.dex services.out
now put classes.dex into services.jar (I used WinRAR, but other ZIP utilities should work.)
put the new .jar file onto your phone.
> adb push services.jar /sdcard
> adb shell
become super user
# su
put the dexopt-wrapper utility into the bin folder with the correct permissions. (you only need to do this once, obviously.)
# cd /system/bin
# busybox cp /sdcard/dexopt-wrapper .
# busybox chmod 755 dexopt-wrapper
# cd /sdcard
create a new .odex file from the new .jar file
# dexopt-wrapper services.jar new.odex [BOOTCLASSPATH]
yes, fill in the value of BOOTCLASSPATH, without the []
here's the "special sauce": copy over the "signature" from the current .odex file into the new .odex file. do NOT continue until this command succeeds!
hint: the file size of the new.odex file should not change!
# busybox dd if=/system/framework/services.odex of=new.odex bs=1 count=20 skip=52 seek=52 conv=notrunc
now replace the old .odex file with the new .odex file.
# cd /system/framework
# busybox cp /sdcard/new.odex services.odex
# busybox chmod 644 services.odex
and you're done.
# sync
# reboot
Now, if all goes well, your phone should reboot normally.
However, if something has not gone well, you'll hear the bootup sounds, but the screen will be "stuck" on the first white logo screen. That means the new .odex file was not accepted. What to do? Well, first, (and with all do respect) Don't Panic! Plug in the USB line and issue:
> adb reboot recovery
That should drop you into the recovery. "Apply Updates" and that will get you into ClockworkMod. Then you can restore the /system files from your full backup (the one you did RIGHT BEFORE doing any of this, right?) and be back up and running in just a few minutes. (Yeah, I had to do this many times. It's scary the first time, but you get use to it after a while.)
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
excuse me, where to find the "dexopt_wrapper"? i can't find it anywhere!

Search with Google. You'll find it that way.

Daniel D. said:
Search with Google. You'll find it that way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i found a dexopt in my /system/bin directory. 9.63k
is it the dexopt-wrapper i needed?
if it is, should i rename it to 'dexopter-wrapper' to use it?

software_samurai said:
Yeah, it took me a week of digging to find this answer.
Disclaimer:
1. Proceed at your own risk and don't blame me if you brick your phone.
2. While I've done my best to document the steps I took, there's always a chance I've mistyped something.
3. If you're unsure at any point, STOP! Re-read everything so you fully understand what you're doing.
4. Editing .odex files can be extremely tricky! All it takes is a bad edit to royally screw up your phone.
This guide assumes:
* you have a Captivate and it's running stock Eclair. (Don't know about other phones or other OSes.)
* you have rooted your phone, and have busybox & Superuser Permissions installed.
* you have adb installed and working on a PC.
* you have baksmali and smali installed and working on a PC (along with Java).
* you have downloaded the utility "dexopt-wrapper". (Do a search - you'll find it.)
* you know what the BOOTCLASSPATH value is for your phone. (Hint: It's in /init.rc)
* you have made a complete backup of your phone! (Yes, if something goes wrong, it's much nicer to be able to restore files from a recent backup than to have to wipe the phone and start from scratch again.)
- I highly recommend you install ROM Manager w/ ClockworkMod. (And don't delete /sdcard/update.zip)
Notations:
When you see a line beginning with >, that's a command to be executed on the PC.
When you see a line beginning with #, that's a command to be executed on the phone.
Ready? Here we go:
put the dexopt-wrapper onto your phone.
> adb push dexopt-wrapper /sdcard
copy all of the /system/framework files onto your PC.
> adb pull /system/framework
let's pretend you want to change something in services.odex.
decompile the .odex file
> baksmali -x services.odex -o services.out
now edit whatever .smali file you want in the services.out folder.
rebuild the classes.dex file for services.odex.
> smali -o classes.dex services.out
now put classes.dex into services.jar (I used WinRAR, but other ZIP utilities should work.)
put the new .jar file onto your phone.
> adb push services.jar /sdcard
> adb shell
become super user
# su
put the dexopt-wrapper utility into the bin folder with the correct permissions. (you only need to do this once, obviously.)
# cd /system/bin
# busybox cp /sdcard/dexopt-wrapper .
# busybox chmod 755 dexopt-wrapper
# cd /sdcard
create a new .odex file from the new .jar file
# dexopt-wrapper services.jar new.odex [BOOTCLASSPATH]
yes, fill in the value of BOOTCLASSPATH, without the []
here's the "special sauce": copy over the "signature" from the current .odex file into the new .odex file. do NOT continue until this command succeeds!
hint: the file size of the new.odex file should not change!
# busybox dd if=/system/framework/services.odex of=new.odex bs=1 count=20 skip=52 seek=52 conv=notrunc
now replace the old .odex file with the new .odex file.
# cd /system/framework
# busybox cp /sdcard/new.odex services.odex
# busybox chmod 644 services.odex
and you're done.
# sync
# reboot
Now, if all goes well, your phone should reboot normally.
However, if something has not gone well, you'll hear the bootup sounds, but the screen will be "stuck" on the first white logo screen. That means the new .odex file was not accepted. What to do? Well, first, (and with all do respect) Don't Panic! Plug in the USB line and issue:
> adb reboot recovery
That should drop you into the recovery. "Apply Updates" and that will get you into ClockworkMod. Then you can restore the /system files from your full backup (the one you did RIGHT BEFORE doing any of this, right?) and be back up and running in just a few minutes. (Yeah, I had to do this many times. It's scary the first time, but you get use to it after a while.)
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
very well written guide for begginers, all other guides i tried were so confusing. thanks

software_samurai said:
However, if something has not gone well, you'll hear the bootup sounds, but the screen will be "stuck" on the first white logo screen. That means the new .odex file was not accepted. What to do? Well, first, (and with all do respect) Don't Panic! Plug in the USB line and issue:
> adb reboot recovery
That should drop you into the recovery. "Apply Updates" and that will get you into ClockworkMod. Then you can restore the /system files from your full backup (the one you did RIGHT BEFORE doing any of this, right?) and be back up and running in just a few minutes. (Yeah, I had to do this many times. It's scary the first time, but you get use to it after a while.)
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you backup the original services.odex before you replace it with the modified one then if you get stuck in a bootloop you can just use adb shell commands to copy it back and then do adb reboot. This worked for me anyways. Faster then doing a full restore.
Of course you should still to a backup beforehand.

Getting Ad-Hoc Mode on a SG Tab

I finally got it working, **It sees them, but disconnects right after I try to connect, at least its a good start**
I followed http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=854913 however, his instructions were not clear. I did post my answer in that thread, but, who is going to check page 9. I will just re-cap it Here.
Download wpa_suppliment from the post mentioned above, or here http://www.gasjen.com/?p=888 (I used this one, but they could be the same) I posted the one from Gasjen
Make sure your tab is rooted
For Froyo, go here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=812367
Gingerbread go here (This is what I am using)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1115318
But I followed the directions and downloads Here
http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/how-to-root-samsung-galaxy-tab-on-android-2-3-3-gingerbread/
(Its also good I went there, since I didn't know there was a download mode when you press volume down and power. I had no idea why I couldn't till I realized this )
Download the ADB shell
from here http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html
1) Put the adb shell in the PATH
Right click my computer > Properties > Advanced System Settings > Advanced > Environment Variables > System Variables > Locate Path in the window. Mine is C:\Program Files\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools
2) Pull up cmd and type "ADB" (without quotes, nor this text too ), you should be able to see the help stuff if it worked correctly.
Turn on Tab
Make sure the tab is on
Make sure Wifi is off
Connect your tab to the computer
Upload wpa_supplicant to the Tab
In cmd, type this. ### is a comment
Code:
adb shell
su
mount -o rw,remount -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
chmod 777 /system/bin ###This code was not in the XDA explanation, but a different source
cp "/system/bin/wpa_supplicant" "/system/bin/wpa_supplicant2" ###Copy the file just encase you mess up
exit ###Exits out of su
exit ###Exits out of the ADB shell
adb push "D:\wpa_supplicant" "/system/bin" ###First param is the location of the wpa_supplicant file, second is where you put it, instead of D:\wpa_supplicant, change it to where you put it
adb shell
su
chmod 777 "/system/bin/wpa_supplicant" ###I didn't do this the first time, nor was it shown in the previous thread. This is why it didn't work for me, and most likely, if you followed the previous thread and didn't do this, this will probably help :)
mount -o ro,remount -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system ###Changes it to read only
exit ###Exits out of su
exit ###Exits out of ADB shell
Turn Wifi on, and you should be able to see adhoc networks with (adhoc) attached to them.
____________________
Now, the only problem is that when I connect, I disconnect right away. I am searching for a solution to this, I think it may be in the /etc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf file. I am going to take a look and I will get back when I find it out. Or if you know what to do, tell me I will update the post when I find a solution.
I hope this helps!
~404

In case I need a second post!

I used root explorer to replace wpa_supplicant in/systems/bin/ . I did not experience any problems connecting tab to my nokia phone that has joiku hotspot as adhoc.
I looked at the properties of the wpa file seems the same. I also did not do any changes to the file whatsoever.
Sent from my GT-P1000 using Tapatalk

For root explorer, do you have to pay for that?

Whereis404 said:
For root explorer, do you have to pay for that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes but it is very cheap....

After making custom Boot Animation, Black Screen [FIXED]

I WROTE THE FOLLOWING WHILE TRYING TO TROUBLESHOOT/DOCUMENT MY OWN STEPS BUT I HAVE FOUND A SOLUTION. I HAVE POSTED THIS IN CASE SOMEONE ELSE MAY FIND THE INFORMATION USEFUL.
Is that appropriate? Move/delete this if you see fit.
I have an AT&T Moto X running 4.2.2 rooted with PwnMyMoto. Since it is with ATT, it has a locked bootloader.
[PROBLEM]
After putting a custom bootanimation.zip in the /system/media directory, device boots/"works" but display is black.
[HOW IT HAPPENED]
Using ES File Explorer, I turned on the /system r/w, copied the bootanimation.zip from the (internal) sdcard, and then overwrote the original boot animation (I do have a backup).
However, after booting the phone now, there is only a black screen. It seems to be working, there's just nothing displayed.
[WHAT I CAN DO/HAVE DONE]
ADB debugging has already been enabled
ADB shell has already been granted superuser permissions (Using SuperSU, unsure if solution works if this hasn't been done?)
It vibrates sometimes as though I have an email, notification, or whatever
I can access storage with usb cable,
adb get-state returns device,
I CAN get into fastboot (screen displays normally here), however PwnMyMoto overwrites recovery,
when rebooting the phone, the motorola power down animation is displayed
I tried to put back the original with
adb push bootanimation.zip /system/media
but get 'permission denied' (you may be able to use method this on a different device/carrier/ROM)
adb shell getprop ro.boot.write_protect returns 0
in adb shell
mv /sdcard/download/bootanimation.zip /system/media/ returns failed - cross-device link (googled this, seems normal, but I'm unsure how else to copy it back)
su
mount -o remount,rw /system
doesn't return anything but I am unsure where to go from there.
cannot run adb as root, as the phone is not a dev model
[RELATED POSTS]
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2249659
[HOW I FIXED IT]
start adb
ensure that 'adb shell getprop ro.boot.write_protect' returns 0 (if not, reboot into recovery)
start phone in recovery mode with
adb reboot recovery
then
adb shell
su
mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
mount -o remount,rw /system (not sure which one of these ended up being 'correct' but it didn't hurt to do both)
cp /sdcard/download/bootanimation.zip /system/media/ (copy <src> <dest>, src is wherever the backup zip is located, if you are unsure of where the files are, use the 'ls' command to navigate the directories)
adb reboot
After doing this, the screen started displaying as normal.
Apologies for the lack of technicality, not much a dev myself. Just glad to have it working again.

help
oc83 said:
I WROTE THE FOLLOWING WHILE TRYING TO TROUBLESHOOT/DOCUMENT MY OWN STEPS BUT I HAVE FOUND A SOLUTION. I HAVE POSTED THIS IN CASE SOMEONE ELSE MAY FIND THE INFORMATION USEFUL.
Is that appropriate? Move/delete this if you see fit.
I have an AT&T Moto X running 4.2.2 rooted with PwnMyMoto. Since it is with ATT, it has a locked bootloader.
[PROBLEM]
After putting a custom bootanimation.zip in the /system/media directory, device boots/"works" but display is black.
[HOW IT HAPPENED]
Using ES File Explorer, I turned on the /system r/w, copied the bootanimation.zip from the (internal) sdcard, and then overwrote the original boot animation (I do have a backup).
However, after booting the phone now, there is only a black screen. It seems to be working, there's just nothing displayed.
[WHAT I CAN DO/HAVE DONE]
ADB debugging has already been enabled
ADB shell has already been granted superuser permissions (Using SuperSU, unsure if solution works if this hasn't been done?)
It vibrates sometimes as though I have an email, notification, or whatever
I can access storage with usb cable,
adb get-state returns device,
I CAN get into fastboot (screen displays normally here), however PwnMyMoto overwrites recovery,
when rebooting the phone, the motorola power down animation is displayed
I tried to put back the original with
adb push bootanimation.zip /system/media
but get 'permission denied' (you may be able to use method this on a different device/carrier/ROM)
adb shell getprop ro.boot.write_protect returns 0
in adb shell
mv /sdcard/download/bootanimation.zip /system/media/ returns failed - cross-device link (googled this, seems normal, but I'm unsure how else to copy it back)
su
mount -o remount,rw /system
doesn't return anything but I am unsure where to go from there.
cannot run adb as root, as the phone is not a dev model
[RELATED POSTS]
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2249659
[HOW I FIXED IT]
start adb
ensure that 'adb shell getprop ro.boot.write_protect' returns 0 (if not, reboot into recovery)
start phone in recovery mode with
adb reboot recovery
then
adb shell
su
mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
mount -o remount,rw /system (not sure which one of these ended up being 'correct' but it didn't hurt to do both)
cp /sdcard/download/bootanimation.zip /system/media/ (copy <src> <dest>, src is wherever the backup zip is located, if you are unsure of where the files are, use the 'ls' command to navigate the directories)
adb reboot
After doing this, the screen started displaying as normal.
Apologies for the lack of technicality, not much a dev myself. Just glad to have it working again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same problem and i want a simple way to fix. any help?

iamgothamshero said:
I had the same problem and i want a simple way to fix. any help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wrote down the steps I took to fix it at the end of the post. You'll have to restore the old boot animation file with ADB. Hopefully, ADB shell was already given root permissions on your phone, otherwise I'd be unsure of how to fix it.

reply to u
oc83 said:
I wrote down the steps I took to fix it at the end of the post. You'll have to restore the old boot animation file with ADB. Hopefully, ADB shell was already given root permissions on your phone, otherwise I'd be unsure of how to fix it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the how i fixed it section, idk how to do those things. i have sdk manager on pc. please i am freaked out. can u give me simple instructions. Thank you so much

iamgothamshero said:
In the how i fixed it section, idk how to do those things. i have sdk manager on pc. please i am freaked out. can u give me simple instructions. Thank you so much
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're unsure how to start ADB, I'd think that you've never used it before, and in that case I'd be entirely unsure if that method would work.
That said, you should find adb.exe in the sdk/platform-tools folder. If you shift+right-click this folder you can quickly open a command prompt there to start using the commands (each line in the instructions is a separate command). If you're unsure how exactly to use adb, I'm sure there are youtube videos or other forum posts documenting the basics (try searching for beginner's guide to adb on xda).

YES!!!
oc83 said:
If you're unsure how to start ADB, I'd think that you've never used it before, and in that case I'd be entirely unsure if that method would work.
That said, you should find adb.exe in the sdk/platform-tools folder. If you shift+right-click this folder you can quickly open a command prompt there to start using the commands (each line in the instructions is a separate command). If you're unsure how exactly to use adb, I'm sure there are youtube videos or other forum posts documenting the basics (try searching for beginner's guide to adb on xda).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just downloaded random bootanimation zip, followed ur process, and it worked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! omg so happy!!! thanks so much!!!!!!
---------- Post added at 11:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:23 PM ----------
oc83 said:
If you're unsure how to start ADB, I'd think that you've never used it before, and in that case I'd be entirely unsure if that method would work.
That said, you should find adb.exe in the sdk/platform-tools folder. If you shift+right-click this folder you can quickly open a command prompt there to start using the commands (each line in the instructions is a separate command). If you're unsure how exactly to use adb, I'm sure there are youtube videos or other forum posts documenting the basics (try searching for beginner's guide to adb on xda).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It worked the first time then next reboot it shows black screen but i know it hasnt booted cause no sounds. and when i turn tablet sideways it doesnt show half of a screen. (it did that last time the screen was black).

[HOW TO] Debrand boot animations without flashing new ROM

** Requires ROOT+Busybox and either Terminal or a capable File Manager
So you don't feel like flashing a new ROM and losing all your data, but your carrier's boot up and shutdown branding is getting on your nerves? Here is what you do, the basic idea is the same as putting on a new boot animation
I'll assume you're using a Terminal and bootsamsung.qmg for the rest of this, the other files follow the same method
Copy stock boot and shutdown animations onto your SD card, I'll call the path to this location %sd%. A copy of the stock files in the attached archive.
Open terminal and become root
Code:
su
You may need to remount your /system partition as writable, if you're connecting via ADB, adb.exe may crash here - that's fine, just re-connect the USB cable and you shouldn't need to repeat this step again
Code:
mount -o remount,rw [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]/system[/COLOR]
Copy bootsamsung.qmg from %sd% to /system/media/,
Code:
busybox cp -f "[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]%sd%[/COLOR][B][COLOR="Green"]bootsamsung.qmg[/COLOR][/B]" "[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]/system/media/[/COLOR][B][COLOR="Green"]bootsamsung.qmg[/COLOR][/B]"
Set the permissions of the file to 644,
Code:
chmod [COLOR="red"]644[/COLOR] "[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]/system/media/[/COLOR][B][COLOR="Green"]bootsamsung.qmg[/COLOR][/B]"
Get rid of the SD card copy if you don't want it anymore,
Code:
rm -f "[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]%sd%[/COLOR][B][COLOR="Green"]bootsamsung.qmg[/COLOR][/B]"
Clean up any overriding animations, I had this happen for my shutdown animation where my carrier had a shutdown directory in /system/media/video/ which contained another copy of shutdown.qmg, so check for the existence of these and remove them, e.g.
Code:
if [ -f [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]/system/media/video/[/COLOR][B][COLOR="Purple"]bootsamsung[/COLOR]/[COLOR="Green"]bootsamsung.qmg[/COLOR][/B] ]; then
rm -f [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]/system/media/video/[/COLOR][B][COLOR="Purple"]bootsamsung[/COLOR]/[COLOR="Green"]bootsamsung.qmg[/COLOR][/B]
fi
Reboot and see what happens!
Extra notes: Always keep backups of original files. If you can't get past the boot animation, restore the backups.

paulie-uk said:
** Requires ROOT+Busybox and either Terminal or a capable File Manager
So you don't feel like flashing a new ROM and losing all your data, but your carrier's boot up and shutdown branding is getting on your nerves? Here is what you do, the basic idea is the same as putting on a new boot animation
I'll assume you're using a Terminal and bootsamsung.qmg for the rest of this, the other files follow the same method
Copy stock boot and shutdown animations onto your SD card, I'll call the path to this location %sd%. A copy of the stock files in the attached archive.
Open terminal and become root
Code:
su
You may need to remount your /system partition as writable, if you're connecting via ADB, adb.exe may crash here - that's fine, just re-connect the USB cable and you shouldn't need to repeat this step again
Code:
mount -o remount,rw [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]/system[/COLOR]
Copy bootsamsung.qmg from %sd% to /system/media/,
Code:
busybox cp -f "[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]%sd%[/COLOR][B][COLOR="Green"]bootsamsung.qmg[/COLOR][/B]" "[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]/system/media/[/COLOR][B][COLOR="Green"]bootsamsung.qmg[/COLOR][/B]"
Set the permissions of the file to 644,
Code:
chmod [COLOR="red"]644[/COLOR] "[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]/system/media/[/COLOR][B][COLOR="Green"]bootsamsung.qmg[/COLOR][/B]"
Get rid of the SD card copy if you don't want it anymore,
Code:
rm -f "[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]%sd%[/COLOR][B][COLOR="Green"]bootsamsung.qmg[/COLOR][/B]"
Clean up any overriding animations, I had this happen for my shutdown animation where my carrier had a shutdown directory in /system/media/video/ which contained another copy of shutdown.qmg, so check for the existence of these and remove them, e.g.
Code:
if [ -f [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]/system/media/video/[/COLOR][B][COLOR="Purple"]bootsamsung[/COLOR]/[COLOR="Green"]bootsamsung.qmg[/COLOR][/B] ]; then
rm -f [COLOR="RoyalBlue"]/system/media/video/[/COLOR][B][COLOR="Purple"]bootsamsung[/COLOR]/[COLOR="Green"]bootsamsung.qmg[/COLOR][/B]
fi
Reboot and see what happens!
Extra notes: Always keep backups of original files. If you can't get past the boot animation, restore the backups.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello, I'm interested in debranding my verizon s5. I'd love to get rid of the Verizon screen at bootup. I read through your directions and it seems that you are suggesting overwriting the animation with the stock that you provided. All good. It is the use of the terminal that I am completely unfamiliar with. I tried using adb.exe in a command window inside of windows 7 and it didn't even like the first command 'su' My phone is rooted with a custom rom and busybox in developer mode. Could you help me out with what terminal to use and how to connect etc. to enter the commands? I have a decent filemanager installed but It doesn't let me write to system. Thanks for this post.

Eaglebiker said:
Hello, I'm interested in debranding my verizon s5. I'd love to get rid of the Verizon screen at bootup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My first comment must be to say I have a G900F, the international version of the phone and it's using a stock ROM with a few tweaks, e.g. root. A custom ROM will have changed the system partition already so this method shouldn't be applicable there - if it shows a carrier logo on a custom ROM then it's in another partition, not system
Eaglebiker said:
I read through your directions and it seems that you are suggesting overwriting the animation with the stock that you provided. All good. It is the use of the terminal that I am completely unfamiliar with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I gave terminal instructions so people could do it only using their phone but as you've noticed, it's not the only option
Eaglebiker said:
I tried using adb.exe in a command window inside of windows 7 and it didn't even like the first command 'su'
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are using adb, make sure that adb can gain root - the flag should be somewhere in your superuser's settings - then with your USB connected launch adb into shell mode from your computer. This makes adb act as a terminal
Code:
adb shell
If you see a $ then you are not root and will need to gain root, i.e. run su
If you see a # then you are root and don't need to do that
Eaglebiker said:
My phone is rooted with a custom rom and busybox in developer mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All good things!
Eaglebiker said:
Could you help me out with what terminal to use and how to connect etc. to enter the commands?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The terminal I use is can be found here (though I used v1.0.65). Most custom ROMs already include it so you may find it in your apps already. It's all on your phone so you'd type on your phone's keyboard as normal. You shouldn't have to use this if you want to use ADB.
Every time I wrote a %path% you will need to enter the real path for what you have on your device, e.g. %sd% may be /extSdCard/
Eaglebiker said:
I have a decent filemanager installed but It doesn't let me write to system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What doesn't let you do this? If it's "read only" then you may need to remount the /system partition (my step 3). File managers like the one you get with CM do let you do root things but it needs to be in root mode or prompt mode (see it's settings). To find /system in a file manager, the easiest way is to keep going up until you're at /, then you should be able to go down through [/B]/system[/B]
Eaglebiker said:
Thanks for this post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for letting me give some meaningful answers in post 3!

The Rom I'm using would be better described as a stock lollipop rom for the 900v with a few tweaks.
I now understand that you can have a terminal on the s5. I've installed the terminal and greatly prefer it. Using a terminal on the s5 hadn't even occurred to me and it sounds much easier then hooking to a computer needlessly. Awesome.
I manage to get su access #. in step 2.
in step 3 I type in the mount command and nothing seems to happen. no errors
in step 4 it tells me the folder or file doesn't exist. I'm certain it does. I can see it in my file manager. in the folder /extSdCard/bootsamsung.qmg and the destination folder is /system/media as well. I've tried it with and without quotes and no joy. Any clue what is going on?