Related
I was hoping to flash Paragon tonight, but it said to flash to stock first and I had a few questions.
Why do some ROMs have you flash to stock while others you can just flash through ROM Manager?
Is the Stock backup I made through ROM Manager sufficient as a subsitute for an Odin flash?
If not, are there any Mac alternatives out there?
I'm trying to get a good understanding of what I'm tooling around with so I don't brick my phone.
Thanks for the answers
I wish I could answer all your questions, I'm guessing it's because the recovery uses a zip file and it does not update everything that odin would. Anyways, if you need any help flashing to stock I know that the FAQ page of the cognition rom found here has directions.
cognition.theidiotshideout.net/mw/index.php?title=ODIN#One-Click_JF6
It is not needed but many think it is best. Depending on the rom you are on you have a cocktail of lag fixes and kernels. Flashing stock gives a clear slate.
You can disable lag fix, delete davlik cache, clear cache. You should be fine but you may run into issues. May.
What are you running?
It's some sort of ancient lore past down from priests of captivate forum antiquity.
As for 'cocktails of lag fixes and kernels,' there is no reason your cwm install can't format those partitions, particularly in light of the fact that it has built-in support for ext4. I don't know why people think the stock flash functions are particularly better at dealing with it.
Do yourself a favor, make sure you have a working download mode combo, purge your mind of the flash to stock FUD and obliviously commence to flashing one froyo ROM right over another. You'll be glad you did.
So if I'm hearing you correctly, it's more of a this will make sure you have no issues and are starting from a clean slate. It's not 100% neccessary to flash to stock before flashing a new rom?
Meanwhile, I was furiously trying to get Odin to work on an old laptop I scrounged up to no avail. Sometimes my need to tinker creates so many problems.
Thanks, guys!
wmbenham said:
So if I'm hearing you correctly, it's more of a this will make sure you have no issues and are starting from a clean slate. It's not 100% neccessary to flash to stock before flashing a new rom?
Meanwhile, I was furiously trying to get Odin to work on an old laptop I scrounged up to no avail. Sometimes my need to tinker creates so many problems.
Thanks, guys!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is like a default disclaimer to flash stock. If you flash the rom and have an issue, one if the first things they will ask is did you flash stock. As mentioned almost all lag fixes use some form of ext 4 filing and most clockwork recoveries can now handle ext 4.
So in summation you do not need to, if you flash and get stuck in a boot loop you need to. I would make sure you can get odin up and running, and recognizing your phone in either case just so you know you can use it if needed
Absolutely no need at all to flash to stock
Would you install Vista in order to install Win7?
As long as you format everything in CWM before you flash a new ROM, then everything is a clean slate. It'll wipe your stock install, so why install stock first?
This and the 're-calibrating' your battery are the two biggest FUDs about Android.
Hi all
Is Nandroid backing up all the apps I've got at that moment? Or it just saves system files?
Like a complete and exact "photo" or are there things that I should do on my own if I mean to recover exactly as it was...
I assume that no wipe is necessary...
Thanks!
What's the truth about Nandroid backup?!
i guess there's no need to open a new topic, because i got kinda the same question
before you guys start to redirect me to the "search" function, i want to assure you that i have been using it, but i have found myself in a very strange situation, one question, two different answers... and because i'm new to the whole root stuff, i want to learn everything correctly before starting to make modifications to my phone
The question is: Nandroid backup, does it also back up the kernel or not?
I mean, if i root and install a custom rom that also comes with a custom kernel, will i be able to use my previous Nandroid backup to restore my phone to the old rom & kernel?
Searching the forums, i have found 2 totally different answers!
Answer 1: Nandroid does not backup the kernel: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=806340
Answer 2: Nandroid does backup the kernel: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=844352
So, please make me and all of us root noobs understand once and for all, does it backup the kernel or not?, will we be able to restore from a custom rom+kernel in case we need to?
and does it backup apps?
OK...As I understand it....
What does Nandroid Backup?
The ROM Itself..Obviously.
All your system settings, emails, SMSes, etc
All the Apps you have installed, so no need for TB
The Kernel you have installed (though there is controversy about this, and to be honest, I have never restored a nandroid backup when I had a different kernel already installed...however it really doesn't matter since kernels are easy to flash)
What does Nandroid NOT backup - This is VERY IMPORTANT
The modem (not a big deal)
The File System setting (A BIG DEAL)
This I think is where the confusion arises concerning the kernel being included in the nandroid backup. For many people the kernel is all about the lagfix. If you have installed a lagfix on your phone via the kernel, say changing the file system to Ext4, and then flash a Nandroid backup that includes a stock kernel or other kernel that does NOT support Ext4, you are in for a world of hurt...and in this case hurt means endless bootloops.
The way you avoid this is, if you need to flash a Nandroid with a kernel that does not support your lagfix...go into recovery, disable whatever lagfix, tell it when it asks that you wish to REBOOT INTO RECOVERY after the change....then flash the nandroid you wish.
This is why it is very important to keep regular nandroid backups, and to wait and see if a ROM/Kernel are stable for you before applying lagfixes or other tweaks.
So, let me see if i got this right, Nandroid does backup up my current kernel along with my rom, but if i apply any changes (lagfix) to my kernel afterwards or change it with a custom one with lagfix, nandroid won't be able to restore it anymore...
so the whole problem here is that nandroid is not able to backup / restore The File System setting, this being the rfs / ext4 transition
If this is the case, it seems that the Nandroid type backup is not as powerful as i thought, you can't really change from one rom to another in just a few clicks, but then again i guess that all the customs roms already come with some type of lagfix and you can make a nandroid restore between them, the problem would be when you want to revert back to a stock kernel, then you'll have to disable the lagfixes or simply flash a stock kernel and then restore the stock nandroid backup
so, i got this right guys?
maranello69 said:
So, let me see if i got this right, Nandroid does backup up my current kernel along with my rom, but if i apply any changes (lagfix) to my kernel afterwards or change it with a custom one with lagfix, nandroid won't be able to restore it anymore...
so the whole problem here is that nandroid is not able to backup / restore The File System setting, this being the rfs / ext4 transition
If this is the case, it seems that the Nandroid type backup is not as powerful as i thought, you can't really change from one rom to another in just a few clicks, but then again i guess that all the customs roms already come with some type of lagfix and you can make a nandroid restore between them, the problem would be when you want to revert back to a stock kernel, then you'll have to disable the lagfixes or simply flash a stock kernel and then restore the stock nandroid backup
so, i got this right guys?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes as I understand it.
You see Nandroid can't convert your file system or change anything, all it can do is flash a disc image onto your phone. If that image can work with your file system, you are golden. If not, it is like flashing a Mac OS image onto a Windows machine....nothing will work right.
However the good news is that most custom kernels support Ext4...so really the only problem comes when you try to flash back to a stock image...or vice versa.
got it then, thanks for your answers
and, if i still got your attention, maybe one more question
i just downloaded a stock firmware from samfirmwares.com, and all i got is a .tar file, can i use it somehow to flash just the kernel from it or i have to flash the whole firmware?
if i flash the whole firmware, will it also change my PHONE and CSC?, because the .tar file must be put just in the PDA section in odin
maranello69 said:
got it then, thanks for your answers
and, if i still got your attention, maybe one more question
i just downloaded a stock firmware from samfirmwares.com, and all i got is a .tar file, can i use it somehow to flash just the kernel from it or i have to flash the whole firmware?
if i flash the whole firmware, will it also change my PHONE and CSC?, because the .tar file must be put just in the PDA section in odin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it will flash the PDA, csc, modem and kernel...the whole shooting match. The single file firmwares are designed like that to avoid mismatches and issues. Once you flash it, flash a kernel that supports cwm (I suggest speedmod or something by CHAINFIRE) via odin, then flash a new csc and modem if you wish from recovery.
Remember that installing a new csc will do a factory reset so do it before reinstalling apps.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App
great stuff man
finally i got enough info and i can start my root & flash procedure, guess i'll also learn a few other tricks along the way, this community is definetly the place to be if you want to learn how to "really use" your device
the whole info about the issues with the Nandroid type backup should be integrated in one of those massive info topics, so the root noobs like me know what they're dealing with
maranello69 said:
great stuff man
finally i got enough info and i can start my root & flash procedure, guess i'll also learn a few other tricks along the way, this community is definetly the place to be if you want to learn how to "really use" your device
the whole info about the issues with the Nandroid type backup should be integrated in one of those massive info topics, so the root noobs like me know what they're dealing with
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good luck
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App
Hey guys i actually used the search button (yay) and this is definitely the most informative one regarding the topic.
However i still have one more question: does it backup files and folders as well? Ie. my Nexus S storage is mainly used up by my videos and music (about 7-10GB) which are in their own folders and not tied to any apps in particular. Hence if it does include those i wouldn't have enough storage space to create a nandroid backup am i right?
Edit: thanks to the search button i didn't realise that i posted on a Galaxy S forum please forgive me, the question should still be relevant to the topic though
frenccw said:
Hey guys i actually used the search button (yay) and this is definitely the most informative one regarding the topic.
However i still have one more question: does it backup files and folders as well? Ie. my Nexus S storage is mainly used up by my videos and music (about 7-10GB) which are in their own folders and not tied to any apps in particular. Hence if it does include those i wouldn't have enough storage space to create a nandroid backup am i right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I understand it, it does save folders and files, so yes if you have large data folders on your internal SD it will make GIGANTIC nandroid backups. You may want to store such files one your external SD.
I know that there is a version of CWM that does not backup /data/media in Nandroid on the Galaxy Tab 10.1...perhaps there is something similar that I don't know about for Galaxy phones. Does anyone know?
Hi,
I recently downloaded and flashed the CF Root Kernel v2.9.
I'm running an Android 2.3.3 ROM (Lite'ning rom v4.2).
Now I have been hearing things about how the Lagfix on the CF Root kernel is potentially dangerous. Apparently it corrupts your system when you disable it and switch to another kernel.
I am wondering how true all of this info is and if there would be any danger in flashing to another Kernel/an update of the CF Root kernel.
Any help would be appreciated,
Hobo
PS: Had to post here as I need 10 or more posts to get access to the Development forums...
Me too...I already have 6 post ...now 7
About the lagfix..why you need it for Android 2.3.3??? I think this version already running on Ext4 or I am wrong???
HoboMedjai said:
Now I have been hearing things about how the Lagfix on the CF Root kernel is potentially dangerous. Apparently it corrupts your system when you disable it and switch to another kernel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. where did you hear that the CF Root kernel is dangerous? Links please
2. apart from the fact that the stock kernel from gingerbread has already ext4 support means all hacked kernels should have it too, and also apart from the fact that CF has a nice tool to convert back easily.
If you are already on a custom kernel and you wanna experiment more, you do know you can backup right?
hmm, am interested on what you mean with the breaking system? you mean fs? or it breaks something else?
PAGOT said:
1. where did you hear that the CF Root kernel is dangerous? Links please
2. apart from the fact that the stock kernel from gingerbread has already ext4 support means all hacked kernels should have it too, and also apart from the fact that CF has a nice tool to convert back easily.
If you are already on a custom kernel and you wanna experiment more, you do know you can backup right?
hmm, am interested on what you mean with the breaking system? you mean fs? or it breaks something else?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) I heard it on a forum for Dutch Android users, Androidworld. More specifically on the Lite'ning rom topic, I can't post a link (see edit) but since all posts are in Dutch I'm not sure it would be helpful for you.
2) Yes I know I can back up, I have everything backed up. Just a bit worried about my phone not working for pre-longed periods or having to go to a Samsung repair point.
3) From what I gather the problem is that when you convert to Ext4 (or convert back) it doesn't completely overwrite the /system/ which makes it so that if you decide to switch to another Kernel it becomes impossible to activate the lagfix and you might get the warning your system is corrupt.
Most of the posts link to an old topic of Supercurio and Voodoo about lagfix corruption (can't find the link right now...)
The problem seems to be solved after reflashing a new ROM with repartition.
/edit: "To prevent spam to the forums, ALL new users are not permitted to post outside links in their messages. After approximately eight posts, you will be able to post outside links. Thanks for understanding!"
So the link isn't a hyperlink.
Well I kinda wouldnt call it a lagfix now. I mean its a switch to another fs.
And I think you got the fixing part about reflashing right. So if you have a backup (also go with titanium on this one) . If you reflash you get your system back in a jiffy. I mean its like 30 mins reflash and initial setup right? And then 15 mins to get the backup online (just to scare you a little and to save my ass from being kicked, if something goes wrong somewhere along the line you have been warned that this can do something bad to your system in a 0.1 percent chance)
Anyway first thing you can do is to reflash to the version 3 of CF
Which kernel are you interested flashing to? (oh and one thing if your rom came preinstalled with busy box and you didnt unistall it and flashed CF on top of it, you can have some trouble)
I thought Lagfix pretty much ment that... Shows how much I know about all of the terms
I was probably going to go back to the Hacked Supercurio kernel.
I am not sure if the ROM came pre-installed with busybox but I assume it was since it was auto-rooted.
Didn't really want to go flashing as I'm always scared of bricking but here I go!
Thanks for the help
HoboMedjai said:
Didn't really want to go flashing as I'm always scared of bricking but here I go!
Thanks for the help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait a bit there What are you going to flash. The 3 version of CF or Supercurio? (And am kinda helping you to ge the posts now )
PAGOT said:
Wait a bit there What are you going to flash. The 3 version of CF or Supercurio? (And am kinda helping you to ge the posts now )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was planning on flashing back to a 2.2.1 ROM with repartition, then flashing back to the original ROM which comes with Supercurio's Voodoo kernel.
(and thanks )
Btw with that term lagfix you were right. All call it that . Just for example nexus S has ext4 as a stock fs. So thats why I said in the future it could be just called converting the fs. Also the rfs isnt so lag plagued in the late 2.2.1 and for sure not in 2.3.3 versions. Thats why no lagfix.
One thing though when you say original rom wiht supercurio kernel what you mean with that?
Oh and have you tried JVK?
For some reason the ext conversion did a lot for me.
Mostly in start up speed after sim-card unlocking.
With the original rom I refer to the un-updated custom ROM I was running when I flashed the CF-kernel.
Haven't tried the unmodified JVK but the ROM is based on JVK
this happens time to time to me. see. I forget what the thread was about. not the first time I posted something in a thread that wasnt related to something completely else
Anyway what were we speaking about?
Ah supercurio, you like voodoo I guess. thats why that. anyway I am running on CF3 on stock JVK with the ext4 fix and i am happy with that.
Doesn't the CWM v3.something have a lot of trouble flashing zip packages?
Because a lot of people haven't updated their update packages?
Not trouble, problem is you need CWM3 update zips. And there arent many out there. And they have to be compatible with the rom you are running too. And CWM3 + JVK is relatively new.
I think I'll remain with Supercurio for the time being then
Atleast until CWM3.0 becomes readily availlable.
Thanks again!
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.
Hello
I own a French Galaxy S for more than a year, it's an unlocked unbranded one bought in Pixmania
Model number is I9000 and PCode is GT-I9000HKYXEF
Installed firmware is 2.3.3 updated officially by Kies one year ago
PDA: I9000XWJVH
PHONE: I9000XXJVO
CSC: I9000XEFJV2
It seems to be the latest version released for my phone in France (CSC XEF)
I have been checking samkiesupdates twitter page often but there hasn't been any update coming out which updates my phone to 2.3.4, 2.3.5 or 2.3.6 while other updates based in CSC OXA and DBT have already received the update (Seems OXA is the Open Europe version)
With this 2.3.3 version I'm having a few problems, such as a faulty GPS and a lack of free RAM. The gps problem doesn't seem to be a hardware problem (like the one with the GPS antenna in a few models) and I checked signals with GPS Test and it seems to be catching more or less the same number of satellites around the same signal level as other phones that have a working GPS.
So I would like to know a few things about rooting and flashing ROMs. I have thought of updating my phone to the 2.3.6 CSC OXA version
When flashing a phone, are protected phone contents affected like the /efs and folders that can only be accessed when rooting the phone?
What does rooting do exactly?, I know this is something like on UNIX systems where you need a super user account such as root to access system folders, but I only find threads about how to root the phone, but not what does it do exactly and what does it modify. However it seems, from what I read, that it is possible to return to stock (could Samsung Service Centers detect this modification?)
According to what I read, in case I flashed my phone with a custom ROM I would have to root my phone, why is this exactly needed? Why do stock ROMS seem to not need root at all?
Custom roms seem to already have different bootloaders. Is it possible to revert everything back to stock (including ROM and bootloader) just like if the phone was untouched in a way Samsung Service Centers could detect?
In case I flashed OXA 2.3.6, will Kies download new updates released for that version even if the PCode is XEF?
The PIT files, I know these are like partition size limits. Is there any advantage of using one or another?
I think this is enough for now. I have been having trouble finding information about these and it seems that all Samsung Galaxy S phones, even if they are the same model, won't receive the same updates for different countries/carriers. I bought an unbranded phone, and I should receive the same updates as other countries like UK do
You could use this guide for rooting your phone:
http://www.theandroidsoul.com/fuguroot-galaxy-s-how-to/
Hello
Thank you, however, there are lots of rooting guides out there and that's not my question exactly. My question is how doesit work internally and what does it do to the phone. Just to clearly know what I am doing to my phone at all.
albertocastillo2001 said:
Hello
Thank you, however, there are lots of rooting guides out there and that's not my question exactly. My question is how doesit work internally and what does it do to the phone. Just to clearly know what I am doing to my phone at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll answer your whole load of questions tonight when I'm back from work.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using xda app-developers app
AlwaysDroid said:
I'll answer your whole load of questions tonight when I'm back from work.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you.
why donn't you upgrade it to 2.3.6
for root use cf root kernel or semaphore kernel
I cant post in this thread for some reason. Ill try later
albertocastillo2001 said:
I am going to split this post in two cause there is alot...
I have been checking samkiesupdates twitter page often but there hasn't been any update coming out which updates my phone to 2.3.4, 2.3.5 or 2.3.6 while other updates based in CSC OXA and DBT have already received the update (Seems OXA is the Open Europe version)
- Being upgraded to 2.3.6 or whatever isnt really that great. A few changes were made, but really not much. Like some sgs devices have 2.3.4, mine came with 2.3.3 and you really cant tell the difference. here is a complete list of the changes if you want.
With this 2.3.3 version I'm having a few problems, such as a faulty GPS and a lack of free RAM. The gps problem doesn't seem to be a hardware problem (like the one with the GPS antenna in a few models) and I checked signals with GPS Test and it seems to be catching more or less the same number of satellites around the same signal level as other phones that have a working GPS.
-There is nothing that you can do about your ram issue other than get a new rom or kernel that handles ram better and uses less of it. As for GPS, i know nothing about that sorry.
So I would like to know a few things about rooting and flashing ROMs. I have thought of updating my phone to the 2.3.6 CSC OXA version
When flashing a phone, are protected phone contents affected like the /efs and folders that can only be accessed when rooting the phone?
- Folders like your /efs /data and /cache should never be touched. Only the system and kernel files are replaced. It is possible for /efs to go corrupted during a flash, HIGHLY unlikely using Odin though. But once your rooted, do a backup of the folder and keep it in many places.
What does rooting do exactly?, I know this is something like on UNIX systems where you need a super user account such as root to access system folders, but I only find threads about how to root the phone, but not what does it do exactly and what does it modify. However it seems, from what I read, that it is possible to return to stock (could Samsung Service Centers detect this modification?)
-I am to lazy to type how it works so go here. I learned off of that website. As for the other part, You can return to stock and never have samsung notice because we dont have a flash counter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There you go. /Part 1
---------- Post added at 04:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:01 PM ----------
albertocastillo2001 said:
According to what I read, in case I flashed my phone with a custom ROM I would have to root my phone, why is this exactly needed? Why do stock ROMS seem to not need root at all?
-Technically all roms use root. The difference here is that what you are referring to is the user having root acess. And of course Samsung doesnt really want uneducated people messing with the phones software, so it is locked away from the user. But the system still has to use it. But you do not have to have a custom rom rooted, but fact is that almost all are. For example I tried out a new jellybean port early on and it had no root access. The only thing in this case is that you must flash anything via odin instead of CWM.
Custom roms seem to already have different bootloaders. Is it possible to revert everything back to stock (including ROM and bootloader) just like if the phone was untouched in a way Samsung Service Centers could detect?
- I dont know where you heard this, but the bootloaders so not change on flashing a custom rom. Anyway, when you flash back to stock with odin, EVERYTHING goes. It will be 100% stock, not a single trace of you being rooted, having kernel and recoverys installed etc. Totally new.
In case I flashed OXA 2.3.6, will Kies download new updates released for that version even if the PCode is XEF?
- What sorry? I dont understand
The PIT files, I know these are like partition size limits. Is there any advantage of using one or another?
- Indeed, they tell odin how to partition your device. There is no advantage to either or. Read here.
I think this is enough for now. I have been having trouble finding information about these and it seems that all Samsung Galaxy S phones, even if they are the same model, won't receive the same updates for different countries/carriers. I bought an unbranded phone, and I should receive the same updates as other countries like UK do
- Indeed each country seems to recieve a different version for some reason.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Part two. Hope that helped!
Hello
Thank you very much.
I'm at work but I will read it again when I get home. It really helped, the rooting technical guide was pretty clear, and the PIT file information as well.
About the other questions:
With this 2.3.3 version I'm having a few problems, such as a faulty GPS and a lack of free RAM. The gps problem doesn't seem to be a hardware problem (like the one with the GPS antenna in a few models) and I checked signals with GPS Test and it seems to be catching more or less the same number of satellites around the same signal level as other phones that have a working GPS.
-There is nothing that you can do about your ram issue other than get a new rom or kernel that handles ram better and uses less of it. As for GPS, i know nothing about that sorry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's ok, the GPS is driving me nuts
So I would like to know a few things about rooting and flashing ROMs. I have thought of updating my phone to the 2.3.6 CSC OXA version
When flashing a phone, are protected phone contents affected like the /efs and folders that can only be accessed when rooting the phone?
- Folders like your /efs /data and /cache should never be touched. Only the system and kernel files are replaced. It is possible for /efs to go corrupted during a flash, HIGHLY unlikely using Odin though. But once your rooted, do a backup of the folder and keep it in many places.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's pretty interesting, I've seen options as Clear EFS in Odin that seem to be pretty dangerous at all since the EFS seems to contain specific phone data such as the IMEI
I understand these are partitions and not just folders. I remember getting into the recovery on my Galaxy S and formatting the cache partition. Does this cause any trouble at all?
/data partitions holds all the settings in the phone (according to the rooting guide formatting this partition causes a factory reset)
I will keep looking info on the forums for this to understand the details of these folders more in detail.
In case I flashed OXA 2.3.6, will Kies download new updates released for that version even if the PCode is XEF?
- What sorry? I dont understand
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well. I am not sure how Kies works but I remember reading that it only tries to apply updates if the PCode matches with the CSC of the ROM
In my case my PCode is GT-I9000HKYXEF and my ROM's CSC is XEF
If I flash the Open Europe 2.3.6 ROM, my CSC will be OXA, and in future updates Kies might report that it cannot update my device as I've read on some forums because my PCode doesn't match the ROM's CSC anymore.
All could be fixed by reinstalling the 2.3.3 XEF ROM image as well tho.
Few more questions
PIT repartitioning, does this only affects /dbdata and /system. Correct? No risk of messing up with /efs (as it seems to be the most critical partition in the device, is it?)
I am taking a look at Cyanogen's MOD 7.2 for Galaxy S
On their install instructions they ask you to download a kernel and clockwork mod recovery and then Heimdall
Where is the kernel stored after installing it? /system?
If so, just reflashing a new ROM (or the stock ROM again would get back to the official kernel, correct?
What's the [Dump] option in Odin? Haven't seen that anywhere
I have to read some more info about the bootloaders first before being able to ask more.
Thanks
albertocastillo2001 said:
That's pretty interesting, I've seen options as Clear EFS in Odin that seem to be pretty dangerous at all since the EFS seems to contain specific phone data such as the IMEI
-I very much so agree, i dont know why you would want to use that. But Odin is the official samsung flash tool, so i bet that samsung uses it in their repair centers for something.
I understand these are partitions and not just folders. I remember getting into the recovery on my Galaxy S and formatting the cache partition. Does this cause any trouble at all?
-Yes they are separate partitions
- This is not bad at all. Usually before i do nandroids in will do a /cache clear to make it smaller. I think it might actually be beneficial to clear it once and a while anyway. Sometimes i just clear it. Your phone will boot fine. Keep in mind that clearing cache does not clear the dalvik cache, as this is kept on /data and has to be cleared from the advanced menu. Also a word of caution, i wouldnt clear the dalvik while your phone is on, everything will force close. So just do it from recovery
/data partitions holds all the settings in the phone (according to the rooting guide formatting this partition causes a factory reset)
I will keep looking info on the forums for this to understand the details of these folders more in detail.
-What more details so you want? and yes whenever you perform a factory reset, the dalvik cache, /cache and /data partitions are cleared. But just wiping /data will be the same, but the cached reminants will still be there, which isnt an issue, its just wasted, thats all.
Well. I am not sure how Kies works but I remember reading that it only tries to apply updates if the PCode matches with the CSC of the ROM
In my case my PCode is GT-I9000HKYXEF and my ROM's CSC is XEF
If I flash the Open Europe 2.3.6 ROM, my CSC will be OXA, and in future updates Kies might report that it cannot update my device as I've read on some forums because my PCode doesn't match the ROM's CSC anymore.
All could be fixed by reinstalling the 2.3.3 XEF ROM image as well tho.
-Ah i get it, and yes you are correct. Even though there will never be another update for your device.
PIT repartitioning, does this only affects /dbdata and /system. Correct? No risk of messing up with /efs (as it seems to be the most critical partition in the device, is it?)
-Yes, i believe that the 10mb is transfered between the two. But when you install cyanogenmod 9, it gets rid of /dbdata. There should NEVER EVER EVER be a risk of messing with /efs. It is a rare occasion for it to go corrupt. Possible though, so do your backups.
- As for being the most important partition, it is hard to say. Your phone will boot with no /efs, it will just lag like hell, have no service or imei. Kinda hard to explain that one to the repair center since nothing touches that partition, ever.
I am taking a look at Cyanogen's MOD 7.2 for Galaxy S
On their install instructions they ask you to download a kernel and clockwork mod recovery and then Heimdall
Where is the kernel stored after installing it? /system?
If so, just reflashing a new ROM (or the stock ROM again would get back to the official kernel, correct?
-I believe that the kernel parts are mainly stores in /sys, although there are pieces in other places as well. (ex: /data/local/devil for devil kernel settings)
-Also, unlike my old galaxy gio, the recovery is packaged with the kernel on galaxy s. So changing the kernel replaces the recovery as well. You cant do it individually.
-Yes, all aftermarket and stock roms come packaged with a kernel. For example, i use devil kernel with my cm9. But when i flash a new version of cm9, it replaces the kernel and i have to flash devil kernel again.
What's the [Dump] option in Odin? Haven't seen that anywhere
-DONT take my word on this, i am not 100 sure. But i think dump, performs a dump of all the partitions to your computer. Not sure, so i dont advise trying it without research.
I have to read some more info about the bootloaders first before being able to ask more.
-Okay, let me know!
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
.......
Hello
Thanks again
I guess ROMs like CM9 (this seems to be the one I am interested on) don't mess with PBL like boot.bin or the secondary bootloaders right? Or do they? (Only ClockWork Mod modifies the SBL to install it's own recovery I guess?)
Are all the needed folders on the stock ROMs as well? Like boot.bin, the secondary bootloaders and all the folders such as /dbdata /cache /data /dev /etc /lib /mnt and all these folders that are typical to see on UNIX and Linux installs?
As seen in here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=Samsung_Galaxy_S_Series#Partitions it seems they contain the PBL, SBL and folders like /mnt. So I guess they have everything on them ready to go
It's just to know which folders to backup in case it's needed.
Does ticking repartition with a PIT file in Heimdall or Odin repartition the whole device in a way where important files/folders get deleted (/efs for example) or does it just repartition /dbdata and /system without touching anything else on the device?
Does installing ROMs from Odin or Heimdall format the partitions before installing them? Seems CyanogenMod 9 has a script to turn partitions from RFS format to EXT4
What if I wanted to get back to stock, would Odin format them in RFS format as well?
I guess these are all the questions I need to ask to cover all doubts.
Thanks!
albertocastillo2001 said:
I guess ROMs like CM9 (this seems to be the one I am interested on) don't mess with PBL like boot.bin or the secondary bootloaders right? Or do they? (Only ClockWork Mod modifies the SBL to install it's own recovery I guess?)
-Nothing unless otherwise stated messes with the bootloaders on most devices. But our bootloaders are unlocked, meaning the partitions arent signed and the bootloader doesnt check for sigantures, so it doesnt care if we have a custom recovery. When we use the three button combo, all it does is trigger the bootloader to boot into the recovery partition. But since they arent locked (bootloaders) and partitions arent signed the bootloader doesnt care whats there. Itll boot whatever is there. So no mods needed for custom recovery.
********NOTHING MESSES WITH BOOTLOADERS UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED ***********
Are all the needed folders on the stock ROMs as well? Like boot.bin, the secondary bootloaders and all the folders such as /dbdata /cache /data /dev /etc /lib /mnt and all these folders that are typical to see on UNIX and Linux installs?
- Yes everything you need to go **********100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000% back to stock ************ is in there, even bootloaders. The primary bootloader isnt, cause nothing will ever touch it.
As seen in here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=Samsung_Galaxy_S_Series#Partitions it seems they contain the PBL, SBL and folders like /mnt. So I guess they have everything on them ready to go
It's just to know which folders to backup in case it's needed.
-The only thing you should backup is /efs
Does ticking repartition with a PIT file in Heimdall or Odin repartition the whole device in a way where important files/folders get deleted (/efs for example) or does it just repartition /dbdata and /system without touching anything else on the device?
-Odin only will repartition /data /cache /dbdata and /system back. Removing things like /datadata in the process.
****************NOTHING EVER EVER EVER MESSES WITH YOUR EFS> EVER****************************
Except unlock attempts
Does installing ROMs from Odin or Heimdall format the partitions before installing them? Seems CyanogenMod 9 has a script to turn partitions from RFS format to EXT4
What if I wanted to get back to stock, would Odin format them in RFS format as well?
-This is a question i wish someone had answered for me when i was new here. Odin wont format the /data and /cache and dbdata(i think?) when flashing back to stock, so if you try to boot, you will bootloop. Only the stock recovery can format to rfs and knows how to handle it, so you must do a factory reset to format the rest of the partitions back to RFS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hope that helps you out
Hello
Thanks again for your infinite knowledge
I think that's all. Anything else you suggest or something I should read? WIki is pretty good, but I think it's far from complete and more could be added
Samsung stopped genuinely supporting this phone quite a while ago. The burden of updating the device has fallen onto the development community. Given that the I9000 is one of the most popular Android phones, LOTS of development has taken place since then.
The kernel on this device is part of the boot image, on its own partition. Recovery is coupled to that partition.
Rooting a device adds a new binary (su) to the system partition. This file is given permission to run as user 0 (root) and acts as a proxy for other processes to perform privileged actions (deleting system files, mounting partitions, accessing all data, etc).
Most custom ROMs come pre rooted since rooting is quite popular. Titanium Backup is the exemplar for what an application can use root privilege for.
Installing a custom ROM does not require the stock ROM to be rooted, it requires a custom kernel (with a cwm or twrp based recovery).
Most high quality custom ROMs (read CyanogenMod) have scripts to protect the efs partition while flashing.
As long as you can get into download mode on your phone you can always get back to stock firmware. The service centre won't know the difference.
The bootloaders are provided by Samsung, these are not replaced by custom ROMs.
Personally I run a modified build of CM10 and use a radio from the Nexus S (KJ1). I'm very happy with the overall battery life of my phone, signal quality is good in Australia (can't say with certainty for any other part of the world) and performance is quite snappy.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
albertocastillo2001 said:
Hello
Thanks again for your infinite knowledge
I think that's all. Anything else you suggest or something I should read? WIki is pretty good, but I think it's far from complete and more could be added
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Jus read things that come up in the questions/answers forum. Learn from other peoples mistakes
Sent from my GT-I9000 using xda app-developers app
Thanks all of you
One more question
What is baseband exactly? Is it related to modem/phone firmware?
I see it's never changed or replaced by installing custom ROMs
albertocastillo2001 said:
Thanks all of you
One more question
What is baseband exactly? Is it related to modem/phone firmware?
I see it's never changed or replaced by installing custom ROMs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Baseband/modem (samething,)is the little piece of software that talks to the cellphone towers. And because each area uses a different frequency, there are many different ones.
Also good to note that it is not ATS all related to GPS or WiFi.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using xda app-developers app