Database Develop

[Q] Odin one-click softbricks my phone

I'm having a bit of trouble with Odin one-click. Last night I decided to upgrade from Perception 10.4 (Froyo based) to Perception 2b3 (Gingerbread based). I plugged it in, put it into download mode, and activated Odin. It ran just fine, but at the end, my phone rebooted into a boot loop. I ended up putting together a jig to get it back into download mode, and tried again. Same thing happened. I eventually ended up using a Froyo Odin to qwerty least get it working again. Does anyone have any ideas as to why Gingerbread Odin soft bricks my phone, and what I should do to fix it? Let me know if you need any more details. Thanks in advance.

I know this would do better in the odin thread, but I don't have enough posts to post there, mending the fact that I've been lurking around for close to a year

Guess I'll just keep posting here until a) someone responds or b) I have enough posts to ask in the proper thread

I'd ready like to be able to get my cappy running Gingerbread tonight. Anyone have any ideas?

What one click are you taking about? Is it this one?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=731989
If it is, this will take you to stock eclair. Not sure what ur talking about with one click froyo. There is a one click GB from Design Gears in the development section. It flashes the newest release of GB stock. If you can get into dl mode you can flash either of the one click odins, but read about both before you do. Bootloaders are involved, and if you don't know about them they can be trouble. Read in development section.
This is a link to one click for GB stock. CONTAINS BOOTLOADERS.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1127249
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Sorry, for some reason can't get that second link to work properly. Doing this from my phone. Just type in the url. If you decide to flash this GB oneclick, you'll be on the kf1 "official" release. Check dev section and you can flash beta cognition if you want. People are having great results with this rom, including myself. Good luck.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

I recommend flashing the KF1 odin one-click. I just flashed that one, and it worked like a champ. Its in the Continuum v6 thread at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1136128. If you read the instructions it will work flawlessly. The only odin problems I've ran into have been user induced.

Okay, I'll try out that KF1. All I really need it for is to get the bootloaders so I can install other 2.3 roms. Will this work for that?
The Froyo Odin I was tackling about was just an older version, I think.
Edit: Why is it so much more difficult to go from 2.2 to 2.3 than it was going from 2.1 to 2.2? Upgrading to 2.2, I just had to use CWM to flash the new rom onto the phone.

Okay, I was trying to follow the instructions in the Continuum thread, and it looks like I am supposed to go back to Eclair before flashing Continuum. I was using this one-click Odin, and it was causing my phone to softbrick. No idea why. Will I be able to use that KF1 Odin to get to Gingerbread, then flash other GB based roms?
And by the trouble caused by bootloaders, you just mean how it will hardbrick if it loses connection in the middle of flashing, right? Or is there more. I've been switching out roms on phones for a while now, but it hasn't been this complex before...

If you mix bootloaders, you will hard brick ur phone. 2.1/2.2 roms have the same bootloaders. GB boots are different. That's why there is more involved to flash GB roms. Basically all the GB roms are I9000 based roms. The kf1 is an i897 based stock rom. If you flash kf1 stock rom, you will lose cwm. You can try cog beta 2 rom if you would like. After following steps to flash GB bootloaders with link mentioned above, check dev section. There are currently 2 kf1 custom roms. I use the cog beta 2, and it works great. people have mentioned that they have flashed i9000 roms over kf1, but I personally haven't, cuz so far cog beta is working great and the call quality is outstanding compared to any of the i9000 roms. Read read read read, before taking any steps. You don't want to ruin it phone! If you want to flash i9000 based GB, read this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1045734
Btw, what build is ur phone? (4 digit number under battery). Some builds, especially 1010 have trouble with oneclick.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

So it sounds like what I need to do is use that KF1 Odin, then I can flash other roms over that? How can I tell which custom roms are KF1? Is Perception KF1 based? What would you recommend I read to make sure I'm doing it right? Are there specific threads that are especially helpful for this? Thanks for all of the help, I'd really like to learn how to do this.

It'll say in the title. Liked I said, currently there are only two kf1 based roms. Cog beta and another one that I can't remember the name of. If it says something in the title besides kf1/or i897, it's for i9000. Ex/ jvh, jvo, jvp are all i9000 based.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

What do I need to do if I want to use a non-KF1 based GB rom? I've been very happy with Perception, and I'd like to keep using it.

If you want to flash GB stock that is based off of I9000 read and follow this, step by step:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1045734
After you do this you can flash GB roms via cwm.
If you want to flash GB with kf1, you can, and people have been running I9000 based custom roms on the same bootloaders. JUST MAKE SURE YOU CHECK ANY ROM YOU'RE FLASHING TO SEE IF IT INCLUDES BOOTLOADERS. I personally haven't run any I9000 roms after flashing kf1, but I believe if you want to do this, (NOT POSITIVE ABOUT THIS, SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO RESEARCH THIS FIRST) you would have to flash an appropriate I9000 kernel using odin (not oneclick, but the full version). Put the kernel in the PDA slot, uncheck repartition, and auto reboot and flash. That way you will get cwm 2 or3 back which will enable you to flash the rom you want. (Remember, with stock KF1 you lose cwm). After kernel flashes, boot ONLY into recovery, and flash rom that you put on your SD card before doing any of this, and flash via cwm. AGAIN, NOT POSITIVE THIS IS WHAT YOU DO, SO RESEARCH.

That makes a lot more sense than the instructions I was trying to follow. I'll try that in a bit.

It worked! Thanks for all of your help

What did you end up doing? GB I9000 stock, or kf1 then flash I9000 custom rom over it?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

I used the I9000 GB stock rom from that link you posted, then flashed a custom rom over it. I ended up using Perception 2 beta.

Glad it worked for you.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

[Q] General Bootloader and Kernel Questions

Hello all,
I have a few general questions that I would really like some help with:
1.) I understand some bootloaders are not compatible with some ROMs. How do you know which bootloader you are running? How do you change your bootloader, must you use ODIN?
2.) How does the kernel come into all this, are some kernels not compatible with certain ROMs and bootloaders? When you flash a new ROM, does it sometimes come with a new kernel?
The main reason I am curious about this, is because I wish to flash the new Cyanogenmod 7.1 and want to be sure I am successful and do not brick my captivate. I am currently running Serendipity VII Build 2 and want to be as safe as possible when flashing Cyanogenmod 7.1.
Would the safest way be to flash to stock first using the following Odin one click method: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=731989
Then from there, follow the instructions normally?
All help is greatly appreciated.

There are basically 2 types of bootloaders, Eclair/froyo and Gingerbread bootloaders. GB bootloaders are compatible with preatty much everything (not counting cm7 or MIUI).
Kernels are specific with a type of rom, example Boogs KH3 kernel worked with any rom that was based on KH3 (2.3.4). Some are tweaked specifically for a rom.
On CM7 and MIUI from what I can make out you can run it on either eclair/froyo bootloaders or GB bootloaders but some kernels are specific for bootloaders.

If you are on Serendipity then I am sure you used ODIN to flash i9000 boatloader (BL).
As the above person said there are eclair/froyo BL and GB BL....in GB BL we have captivate BLs and i9000 BLs. earlier GB roms used i9000 BL...then Samsung leaked captivate specific roms...so we have captivate BLs now..
All the one click Odins are used to flash captivate specific BL...
To go to CM7, many people flash it over GB bootloader and have no problem....but the safest way is to odin back to eclair/froyo stock...then go from there.....

viny2cool said:
If you are on Serendipity then I am sure you used ODIN to flash i9000 boatloader (BL).
As the above person said there are eclair/froyo BL and GB BL....in GB BL we have captivate BLs and i9000 BLs. earlier GB roms used i9000 BL...then Samsung leaked captivate specific roms...so we have captivate BLs now..
All the one click Odins are used to flash captivate specific BL...
To go to CM7, many people flash it over GB bootloader and have no problem....but the safest way is to odin back to eclair/froyo stock...then go from there.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the help guys, I really appreciate it.
I will be flashing back to stock using the following method:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=731989
Then I will simply flash CM&.1 on top of that.
I will report back to let everyone know how it goes.

did your phone come with froyo on it/what is the build number of your phone? its a 4 digit number on a sticker under the battery, for example mine is 1010, meaning oct. 2010. many phones built later than this, and/or came from the factory tend to bootloop from jf6 (the firmware containedin that one click) and have also been known to lose button combos for recovery/download mode which would need both if you were bootlooping and for cm7.
if you have a later build phone it would be better to flash a leaked gingerbread firmware with bootloaders included and then flash a custom kernel with cwm included so that you can then flash cm7 from there.

studacris said:
did your phone come with froyo on it/what is the build number of your phone? its a 4 digit number on a sticker under the battery, for example mine is 1010, meaning oct. 2010. many phones built later than this, and/or came from the factory tend to bootloop from jf6 (the firmware containedin that one click) and have also been known to lose button combos for recovery/download mode which would need both if you were bootlooping and for cm7.
if you have a later build phone it would be better to flash a leaked gingerbread firmware with bootloaders included and then flash a custom kernel with cwm included so that you can then flash cm7 from there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I purchased my phone at the end of August in 2010. The only 4 digit number I can see reads " 0168", it is the largest number located behind where the battery is held. And yes, I have lost my three button combo for recovery/download mode. It stopped working, and I bet it was because I used that one click method you mentioned.
Do you recommend I flash this one:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1129821
It says Cyanogen Mod users stay away, why is that?
or one from the official list, and if so, which one:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1300843
Also, I am a bit unclear. After I flash one of the stock ROMs with the bootloaders, how can I then flash a kernel with CWM. Can I do it through ODIN?
And just out of curiosity, why can you not use these stock ROMs for everyday use? It seems we always flash other ROMs on top of these?
I know I asked a lot, I would appreciate the help!

rcllcr said:
I purchased my phone at the end of August in 2010. The only 4 digit number I can see reads " 0168", it is the largest number located behind where the battery is held. And yes, I have lost my three button combo for recovery/download mode. It stopped working, and I bet it was because I used that one click method you mentioned.
Do you recommend I flash this one:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1129821
It says Cyanogen Mod users stay away, why is that?
or one from the official list, and if so, which one:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1300843
Also, I am a bit unclear. After I flash one of the stock ROMs with the bootloaders, how can I then flash a kernel with CWM. Can I do it through ODIN?
And just out of curiosity, why can you not use these stock ROMs for everyday use? It seems we always flash other ROMs on top of these?
I know I asked a lot, I would appreciate the help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use the bootloaders in the first link. At the time of that thread's opening, cm7 didn't support GB bootloaders. But, if your not sure how your phone will work with a1 click, I would recommend using the ones linked in my sig.
As for how to flash those roms, there are directions in the first post of their respective for flashing.
You can use a stock ROM everyday, most just prefer not to.

mrhaley30705 said:
You can use the bootloaders in the first link. At the time of that thread's opening, cm7 didn't support GB bootloaders. But, if your not sure how your phone will work with a1 click, I would recommend using the ones linked in my sig.
As for how to flash those roms, there are directions in the first post of their respective for flashing.
You can use a stock ROM everyday, most just prefer not to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which kernel would you recommend I flash before I flash CM7.1?

rcllcr said:
Which kernel would you recommend I flash before I flash CM7.1?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No one said you cannot use stock leaked rom as dialy driver, i actually used KH3 for some times and it was very good.
You should flash the kernel according to the rom you have flashed. For example, For KH3, there is a Boog's KH3 kernel with CWM. For all leaked stock rom, there is one click Odins and compatible kernels with CWM injected.
To go to CM7.1, u shud be on stock (Eclair/Froyo or GB) and should have CWM....

rcllcr said:
....Also, I am a bit unclear. After I flash one of the stock ROMs with the bootloaders, how can I then flash a kernel with CWM. Can I do it through ODIN?....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I need help too please. I have a Cappy that was originally on eclair 2.1 rooted. froyo 2.2 Kies mini update and rooted but didn't like it's battery use and slow action. I reflashed an Odin 1 click stock 2.1 back, rooted and then did a Gingerbread 2.3.5 I897UCKJ3_withBL_ Odin 1 click flash and am liking that quite a bit more. The only trouble I am having is rooting 2.3.5. I want to do the fugu kernal swap method with Odin3 zimage-root.tar then flash boog_KJ3_kernel3.tar. I can get into DL mode and hit the start button ok.
Here is the question I have. Where in Odin3 v1.83 do you load the kernal path? PIT,BOOTLOADER, PDA, PHONE or CSC. I can't seem to find a comprehensive Odin3 tutorial on my own and I don't want to flash the kernels to the wrong place. I don't think the first 3 options are right based on their names or info I have found. Can't use CWM till I get rooted so Odin or possibly Hiemdall are my only choices. I have Odin3.
HELP and TYIA
Bud

Kernels go in pda

When flashing a single file, unless its a modem or csc file, it will usually go into the pda slot. Modems go into the phone slot. Csc file is a no brainer. I've never saw anything that uses the bootloader slot on a captivate. Pit slot must have a pit file AND repartition must be checked. If you are flashing a kernel to get cwm just to flash a custom ROM, kernel goes into pda slot. If you want to user Odin to flash a modem, it goes into the phone slot. All files flashed in Odin must be a tar or tar.md5 file. Don't change the name of a tar.md5, it can cause a md5 check sum error.
There you go, cliff notes for Odin.
Edit
If I missed something or messed up something, please correct me.

Found Odin3 Answers. Yeah!!!
Studacris,
Thanks for that. Didn't see it before I found the below.
Sorry for the Noob impatience but there is a lot of info that won't show in a search right away. Anyway there is a cool little short video by 4-2ndtwin here on xda with a link here. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=17788928&postcount=6 The system won't let me post outside links yet.
viny2cool
Hope this helps you.
Bud

I Flashed and unbricked and reflashed and restored so many roms now, i have no idea what bootloader I am on. Is there any way for me to tell either through ADB or on the phone directly?

Pechkin000 said:
I Flashed and unbricked and reflashed and restored so many roms now, i have no idea what bootloader I am on. Is there any way for me to tell either through ADB or on the phone directly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When ur phone boots up and u see the i9000 bootsplash, then u have i9000 Gingerbread bootloaders (we didn't have eclair/froyo i9000 Bls). Also, button combo to get into recovery or download mode is different with the i9000 gb bootloaders.
And if u try and flash an i897 gingerbread rom (and don't see the i9000) but u have a "pixelated" screen, then u have i897 eclair/froyo bootloaders. If ur flash to a gingerbread rom is successful and u see the i897 (att world phone) bootsplash, then u have i897 Gingerbread bootloaders.
Sent by XDA Premium App

Gingerbread it is then, THANKS 4-2ndtwin

[Q] Softbrick Returning to Stock, newer build number

Hey guys,
So I recently just got my USB Jig to get my phone out of softbrick (after realizing newer build models cannot use Odin One-click..)
I have a 1107 build, so what can I do to revert it back to stock? Odin won't work for me, and I just want to ultimately flash a custom ROM on it. Should I flash GB bootloaders first or what?
Thank you.

you can use anything except one click for Jf6 by design gears...u can flash GB bootloader...no problems...

Which stock are attempting to return to?

Anything really. I was on ECLAIR before. (On a Rogers phone)
I just want to get out of the soft brick (cellphone--!--computer) to flash MIUI or CM7.
I bricked it by trying to flash the AT&T bootloaders.

Then look through development and pick a stock package. Flash that, then try to apply whatever custom ROM you want. But, if you want GB bootloaders, flash those before flashing MIUI/cm7.

Is there anything I can use to flash stock packages without using Odin? I have a new build number and Oneclick will only brick it again.

How do you feel about Heimdall?

Thank you for your quick responses, I really appreciate it.
I will use this guide to try Heimdall: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1113195
Would you have a suggestion on what particular stock ROM I should revert back to? I don't really care for any particular bootloaders at this point in time.

icedd said:
Thank you for your quick responses, I really appreciate it.
I will use this guide to try Heimdall: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1113195
Would you have a suggestion on what particular stock ROM I should revert back to? I don't really care for any particular bootloaders at this point in time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
depends what kind of custom rom u want to flash later...
If u want to flash CM7/MIUI, then flash to any stock eclair/froyo or Att GB bootloader...
if u want to flash ATT GB roms, then pick any stock GB bootloader from the sticky thread in development section..I personally used Adam outler's one click heimdell stock to KH3
if u want to flash i9000 based GB roms, then flash i9000 GB bootloaders....

Can I use this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1266172 to revert back to stock FROYO?
Actually I should try using Heimdall's One-Click Unbrick first..
edit: Heimdall's One-Click does not recognize my phone in Download mode (after plugging in Jig and then plugging it into computer) or in soft-brick screen.
Will proceed to use Heimdall's One-Click Total Stock
edit: seems like Heimdall's One-Click Total Stock doesn't work either. Computer cannot recognize phone. Help please?
edit: Did Total Stock again on a Windows computer, successful flashing!

Heimdall uses different drivers did you install those?
Sent from my I897 using XDA App

Yup it is all good now. I am now on FROYO now. Going to proceed to try and flash CM7 on it for the first time. Thanks guys!

Update without flash back to stock?

Hi, i'm new to all of this flashing stuff. I'm running CM7 on my captivate and i was just wondering if GB for it came out for it, would i have to flash back to stock before i can update or can i just update out of CM7? While i was trying to flash this CM7 i had problems and had to keep on flashing back to the stock rom(2.1) and when i ever i tried to do a upgrade on kies the phone wouldn't sync because it would just keep crashing.

CM7 is GB. The only ROM you could flash would be MIUI without going back to stock.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Like said you can only flash MIUI. Everything else needs to flash back to a stock because you need to repartition your phone. Gingerbread has not been released officially for I897 but it has for I896. Though none official there are a ton of Gingerbread leaks on the dev section.

prbassplayer said:
Like said you can only flash MIUI. Everything else needs to flash back to a stock because you need to repartition your phone. Gingerbread has not been released officially for I897 but it has for I896. Though none official there are a ton of Gingerbread leaks on the dev section.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But when i flash back to stock(2.1) it won't let me sync with samsung kies. on the phone it just keeps opening and closing USB MTP or something

Why do you want to sync on 2.1? If you are going to flash a GB rom.

prbassplayer said:
Why do you want to sync on 2.1? If you are going to flash a GB rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm already flashed on CM7. But I'm just wondering when the official At&t GB update comes out for the Captivate, i wanna know how i would update to it. Wanna just try it out. And whenever i did the one click restore and go back to 2.1 it would never let me sync with kies.

RLeWorm said:
I'm already flashed on CM7. But I'm just wondering when the official At&t GB update comes out for the Captivate, i wanna know how i would update to it. Wanna just try it out. And whenever i did the one click restore and go back to 2.1 it would never let me sync with kies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might be able to update straight from CM7 and do just fine. However, I would advise and I think others would too, to flash back to stock using odin one click. Have all of your stuff backed up externally, run a master clear, and then attempt the update. This is a surefire way to have nothing go wrong as you are coming from factory software.
Reboot your PC and try Kies again. And I think its Kies Mini that does the update not the full Kies program. But its not a special process. They walk you through it and if you can flash a custom rom you will have no problem with the kies mini process.

att gingerbread isnt officially out and YEAH right they would ever give a date....
also dont use keis for anything keis sucks!. use xda site. read xda site. read new user guide (below). read STICKES (explained in guide).
flash back to 2.1 ( or any stock with .pit file or "one-click odin" stock flash)
odin flash (NOT one click) gingerbread bootloaders (find in dev section of captivate)
odin flash (NOT one click) a kernel with cwm built in
cwm flash ANY captivate rom from dev section
---------- Post added at 08:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:39 PM ----------
capocaccia said:
You might be able to update straight from CM7 and do just fine. However, I would advise and I think others would too, to flash back to stock using odin one click. Have all of your stuff backed up externally, run a master clear, and then attempt the update. This is a surefire way to have nothing go wrong as you are coming from factory software.
Reboot your PC and try Kies again. And I think its Kies Mini that does the update not the full Kies program. But its not a special process. They walk you through it and if you can flash a custom rom you will have no problem with the kies mini process.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cm7 uses a different partitioning table. STOCK IS A MUST to go backagain KIES IS ****
there are odin one- clicks for 2.1 2.2 and kf1 2.3.3 leak
DONT USE KEIS NO REASON TO IT SUCKS BALLS

This guy seems a little new to the scene so I wasnt going to throw him into the Odin stuff just yet. Its good to know about and while kies isnt the best it is the factory software and is easy for new people to use.

Doesn't matter if he is new. He decided to use CM7 and/or MIUI you NEED to repartition your phone. Kies is just a different UI ODIN with alot of extra checks that are useless. If he wants to move back to I897 roms or to I9000 ports he has no choice on the matter. But like everything else always a good idea t have a Jig just in case and try to use packages that DO NOT include bootloaders when ever possible (not sure if you need to flash bootloaders if you partition)

TRusselo said:
att gingerbread isnt officially out and YEAH right they would ever give a date....
also dont use keis for anything keis sucks!. use xda site. read xda site. read new user guide (below). read STICKES (explained in guide).
flash back to 2.1 ( or any stock with .pit file or "one-click odin" stock flash)
odin flash (NOT one click) gingerbread bootloaders (find in dev section of captivate)
odin flash (NOT one click) a kernel with cwm built in
cwm flash ANY captivate rom from dev section
---------- Post added at 08:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:39 PM ----------
cm7 uses a different partitioning table. STOCK IS A MUST to go backagain KIES IS ****
there are odin one- clicks for 2.1 2.2 and kf1 2.3.3 leak
DONT USE KEIS NO REASON TO IT SUCKS BALLS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 Kies is beyond **** !!
I can imagine how many people get stuck with that complete "no use" piece of sftware. It is so useless, it just unnecessarily occupies internet space !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

prbassplayer said:
Doesn't matter if he is new. He decided to use CM7 and/or MIUI you NEED to repartition your phone. Kies is just a different UI ODIN with alot of extra checks that are useless. If he wants to move back to I897 roms or to I9000 ports he has no choice on the matter. But like everything else always a good idea t have a Jig just in case and try to use packages that DO NOT include bootloaders when ever possible (not sure if you need to flash bootloaders if you partition)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should not need to flash bootloaders if the only thing you are doing is going from CM7 to stock based GB ROM. And I believe GB bootloaders are backwards compatible to 2.2.

OP, since you are on CM7, you WILL need to flash back to stock in order to get back to Samsung ROMs, as the phone must be repartitioned.
astroZ0MB1E said:
You should not need to flash bootloaders if the only thing you are doing is going from CM7 to stock based GB ROM. And I believe GB bootloaders are backwards compatible to 2.2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OP didn't indicate whether he has installed i9k GB at any point; to be 100% correct:
If OP flashed CM7 straight from Eclair/Froyo, he will need to flash GB bootloaders for a Galaxy S device.
IF OP has previously flashed i9k or i897 leaked GB, then he does not need to flash new bootloaders ever again.

[Q]Kies Mini 2.3 upgrade bootoaders

Hi, quick question. Can anyone confirm if the official 2.3.5 update through Kies Mini includes flashing gingerbread bootloaders? Until recently I've only run KB1 roms, but I now have CM7.1.
Briefly, I used Odin3 1-click to go to UCJF6, did a master clear, then used Kies Mini to go from 2.1 to 2.2 then 2.3 as per instructions. After that I went right to CM7.1 with no issues other than the expected bootloop after flashing the speedmod kernel which was resolved by flashing the rom.
BTW, I'm finding CM7.1 as solid and stable as I would ever need. (The main reason I stuck with KB1 releases for so long.) Many thanks to all the developers, maintainers, etc. for keeping the captivate alive.

Yeah to even run a STOCK GB rom you are required GB BL's... It won't boot without it...
And Why do you flash the speedmod on 2.1?! that was changed a long time ago...

Thanks for the reply. I went back to 2.1 because I hadn't come across Odin3 for 2.2. I was actually on 2.3 when I flashed the speedmod (according to what I read it is now safe to go this route.)

Ohh yahh, but you can One click to JF6, then flash the BL only ODIN, then it will reboot to recovery, apply update.zip, and flash from there!

OK, thanks. I'll remember that for future reference. Just wanted to confirm where I was at because apparently there is no straightforward way even through adb of checking your current bootloaders.