Related
Okay Im trying to go into this amazing world of roms and kernals and boots and flashboots I started this trip just because I hear you can OVER CLOCK CPU
I just started when I got my droid 3 on the 14th, so far Ive gotten the hang of
ROOT with pete one click
root manager to check things out or rename *.apk to *.bak
titanium backup, to make back ups? and freeze (same as above?)
script manager to run a remove bloat (same as above??)
do these 3 really do things all that different?
now im getting deeping into the rabbits hole.
bootstrap, I made my first NANDroid which is a NAND or back up I think, for the droid... how clever
Rom manager to manage roms i guess, i think this was the one that wouldnt be ready until the boot loader was unlocked right?
If the boot loader is locked then what is
fast/flashboot for??? same as boot strap or different?
CYANOGEN or CM7??? no idea what this is... a ROM???
last but not least do any of these have to do with changing the KERNAL so I can finally overclock on setcpu???
nandroid which is a complete backup of the internal flash memory.
rom manager is use to manage roms, duh, this will be useful once we get the ability to flash roms through CWM
ROMs may or may not come with a kernel, we can't flash kernels because they require an unlocked bootloader because they are loaded by the bootloader as part of the initial booting
fastboot is part of the phones bootloader (i assume or is on a similar level), it allows basic interaction with the phones hardware and software
cyanogen or CM7 is a custom rom, often with a kernel included but doesn't need a custom one per-say
im new here too and this is what i have gathered so far correct me if im wrong.
kayelemenohpee said:
CYANOGEN or CM7??? no idea what this is... a ROM???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.cyanogenmod.com/
You started off with a bad first device for android development since it's locked down. However, I'm amazed at the progress being made already. We will not be able to flash custom kernals, because we are locked out of the bootloader. We will be able to over clock in the long run though, just give it time.
Rom Manager is used to browse, select and flash custom roms using an easy to use app. The problem is that we can't boot to recovery directly, we have to go though the reboot and BP Tools method so all you can really use Rom Manager for is to download roms to your phone which you can then manually flash. It will be empty right now because we have no roms.
Titanium Backup's primary purpose is to back up apps with DATA. So all your game saves, settings, things like that can be easily restored after you flash to a new ROM.
Fastboot files are used to recover different partitions on your phone should you brick it.
The term 'bootstrap' is bothering me a bit. Can somebody clarify it?
As I understood it bootstrap was a method of loading a custom recovery, but not the same method as the 2nd init that we are using here. I was under the impression that bootstraps were a bit lower, requiring an unlocked bootloader.
In any case the program that allows you to create backups and flash custom roms is called a 'Recovery' or 'Custom Recovery'. The one you have on the phone right now is ClockWorkMod.
calash said:
The term 'bootstrap' is bothering me a bit. Can somebody clarify it?
As I understood it bootstrap was a method of loading a custom recovery, but not the same method as the 2nd init that we are using here. I was under the impression that bootstraps were a bit lower, requiring an unlocked bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was written for DX/D2 but I imagine it's the same basic process.
The Internets said:
Bootstrapper works by doing the following.
When you hit the "Bootstrap Recovery" button the app renames logwrapper to logwrapper.bin, adds a file called Hijack and symlinks a new logwrapper file to Hijack. (For you windows people, a symlink is like a shortcut...)
At boot, init.rc calls for logwrapper, which now calls Hijack (by way of symbolic link) which is how we can load into Clockwork recovery.
When Hijack runs, it checks for a file called /data/.recovery_mode if it finds that file, it unmounts /system and boots into Clockwork recovery, if it doesn't find that file, it creates it and calls logwrapper.bin (the factory logwrapper file) and boots normally.
When the OS is completely booted, Droid 2 Bootstrapper (the app) is loaded and deletes the file /data/.recovery_mode. Since the boot was successful, it assumes you don't want to boot into recovery next time.
If on the other hand, the OS doesn't boot normally, and Droid 2 Boostrapper never loads and therefore never removes /data/.recovery_mode, it should let you into Clockwork on your next boot.
Now, when you open the Bootstrap app and hit the "reboot recovery" button, it manually adds the /data/.recovery_mode file and then begins the reboot process. Upon reboot, Hijack finds the file /data/.recovery_mode, and boots into Clockwork.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me, when I use Clockworkmod Recovery, whether it's preinstalled into a rom, or from the bootstrap, it always boots up while my ROM is fine. Whenever I'm stuck in a bootloop or stuck on the splash screen though, it NEVER works. BP-Tools does nothing for me. My only option at this point is to reinstall the OTA and root it all over again to return to my previous rom. How can I fix Clockworkmod?
This is an unfortunate side effect of the manner in which the D3 alternate recovery method (CWM Recovery) is implemented. On phones with unlocked boot loaders, the stock recovery is replaced by CWM recovery, but on this and other locked phones it is hijacking but not replacing the stock recovery. In more simple terms, if you crash your phones software the hijacked recovery (CWM) is crashed along with it. Before making any changes to a functional setup, you should always make a backup so that even if you crash the phone, you can SBF, reroot, reinstall CWM and then restore to exactly where you were before the change that crashed you.
There is, of course, an easier alternative to this. Thanks to Hashcode, there is another CWM based recovery for the D3 called Safestrap, you may have heard of it already. It essentially acts more like a virtual machine in that it does not overwrite the existing phone software, but allows you to ROM a secondary system where if at any time you crash that system, your original software is still intact. I HIGHLY recommend that you try it out, especially if you have had to frequently completely restore your phone.
I apologize if this has been covered already, but the search feature finds more noise than signal and I just don't see it.
I have safestrap on my xt860 with cm9 on the safe side of things, and I have a messed up and broken "stock" on the unsafe side. I'm pretty happy with cm9 in general, however there are still some known limitations, so I'm thinking of putting something else on the non safe side. Obviously I'd rather not break cm9 in the process.
Is doing this as simple as switching back to non safe and flashing the zip for what I want to try? Or is it more complicated than that?
You got to put back bootstrap. I think though that safe mode backs up to your internal storage so you should be good.
Sent from my XT862 using XDA
I believe that, when you have switched into non-safe mode, safestrap will not allow you to select the "install zip from sdcard" menu option. I am running safestrap 1.08d tweaked and just tried to do it. It says ".zip install is only available while safe System is enabled."
I don't think rick has gotten non safe flashing functional on any version.
To the op, make a backup of just safe rom, then switch to you non safe, uninstall safestrap recovery, install bootstrap, flash, uninstall bootstrap(you can't do the recovery part, but safestrap install script should clean that out), then reinstall safestrap recovery, and when you switch back to safe you can restore your backup
That's how I do it anyways
Sent from my XT860 using xda premium
Endoroid said:
To the op, make a backup of just safe rom, then switch to you non safe, uninstall safestrap recovery, install bootstrap, flash, uninstall bootstrap(you can't do the recovery part, but safestrap install script should clean that out), then reinstall safestrap recovery, and when you switch back to safe you can restore your backup
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what happened there... I backed up my safe rom, then switched to non-safe, uninstalled safestrap, booted in to "stock" installed bootstrap, rebooted recovery, installed my new rom (cm9) and bootlooped... (I had CM9 working beautifully in my safe for ages, wanted it in my non-safe so I could play with other roms in safe)
So much for that plan...
I guess plan B is to figure out how to unbrick an XT860 (I don't think there are any Bell SBFs up, so I guess I go with one from somewhere else...)
I believe a Bell XT860 SBF is here (got it from another thread):
http://sbf.droid-developers.org/umt...M-111109-release-keys-BellMobility-CA.xml.zip
LaZiODROID said:
I believe a Bell XT860 SBF is here (got it from another thread):
http://sbf.droid-developers.org/umt...M-111109-release-keys-BellMobility-CA.xml.zip
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, got the SBF loaded. Still have no idea why i couldn't get CM9 in to my non-safe. right now though I seem to have a bigger issue, for some reason my recovery can no longer mount my SD card (though the OS can) I've tried bootstrap, and safestrap, neither can read from my external SD... it's rather odd!
I found with safestrap 1.08f (ricks version) it wouldnt mount mine either.
I started from scratch and installed 1.08d and it works just fine.
As for flashing your non-safe .... i didnt know that was even possible.
Stick with your safe... its the .... safest. Lol
Sent from my XT860
thanks for the tip about 1.08f... maybe that's it, I'll investigate...
LaZiODROID said:
As for flashing your non-safe .... i didnt know that was even possible.
Stick with your safe... its the .... safest. Lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know sticking to safe is safer, but sometimes I don't want "safe" I want functional. seems a waste to me to have stock loaded on non-safe when I don't plan to ever, under any circumstances, use stock.
I like CM9, I'm quite happy with it as my every day rom. I'd like to put it in non-safe so that I can play with new ones in safe. unfortunately I'm not having much luck with that right now...
I'd like to do that as well (run something fun as my non-safe and try out others in my safe)... let me know if you get that going ;D
ve6rah said:
Not sure what happened there... I backed up my safe rom, then switched to non-safe, uninstalled safestrap, booted in to "stock" installed bootstrap, rebooted recovery, installed my new rom (cm9) and bootlooped... (I had CM9 working beautifully in my safe for ages, wanted it in my non-safe so I could play with other roms in safe)
So much for that plan...
I guess plan B is to figure out how to unbrick an XT860 (I don't think there are any Bell SBFs up, so I guess I go with one from somewhere else...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is indeed a sbf. Theyre called fastboot now. There's a thread for it
Sent from my XT860 using xda premium
LaZiODROID said:
I'd like to do that as well (run something fun as my non-safe and try out others in my safe)... let me know if you get that going ;D
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, others have reported success, but none of them seem to be using CM9 in the non-safe, so maybe it's something specific about that one rom?
I think I'll give it one more try today before giving up and going back to root/cm9 so that I don't end up without a phone for the next 2 weeks until I have time to play again!
seems to me that the trick is to find a bootstrap/recovery that is NOT safestrap, install it, install whatever you want, uninstall it, install safestrap, and go on with life as usual.
Unfortunately I can only find one non-safestrap recovery, and it doesn't seem to work too well. most are dead links now as everyone moved to safestrap.
Anyone have a link to a non-safestrap recovery I can try?
I have uploaded 2 bootstrap versions to DepositFiles. Sometimes when you root, a complete version of BusyBox isn't included, so:
1) Root
2) Install Busybox Installer from the market (it's free)
3) Run BusyBox Installer and install whatever highest version installs successfully. (I found that after using the Bell SBF, the highest version wouldnt install properly, so I just chose the next one in the list)
4) Install whatever bootstrap app, and click its button to do the recovery install.
Droid3 Bootstrap:
Link: http://depositfiles.com/files/5qcaay2e7
(This one's for the Droid3 - I believe that if you're using an XT860, the only way this will boot is if you have USB plugged in!)
Milestone3 Bootstrap
Link: http://depositfiles.com/files/o248gldkm
(For the XT860, this should just boot normally, without USB cable)
Well, the solution continues to elude me.
With Milestone3 Bootstrap I simply can't get cm9 to boot. it flashes ok, but then it just freezes on the motorola logo and won't go any further.
With Droid3 Bootstrap (and USB plugged in) I can boot in to cm9, but USB has to be plugged in EVERY time you boot up (not much of an option for an every day phone)
After getting cm9 working under Droid3 bootstrap though I decided to try to change to safeboot. Unfortunately that way it boots up to "android is upgrading... optimizing applications" followed by "starting applications" and it never gets past there.
I think part of the problem is that I have no way to uninstall the droid3 bootstrap before installing safestrap. anyone have any ideas how to do that properly?
So are you saying you had cm9 running, then installed safestrap, but after doing that, your CM9 wouldnt start up (freeze?). Do you get the safestrap splashscreen at least? I wonder if a wipe would fix up your CM9 (but is that even possible.. and would that wipe out the safestrap install... hmmmm)
LaZiODROID said:
So are you saying you had cm9 running, then installed safestrap, but after doing that, your CM9 wouldnt start up (freeze?). Do you get the safestrap splashscreen at least? I wonder if a wipe would fix up your CM9 (but is that even possible.. and would that wipe out the safestrap install... hmmmm)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes CM9 worked on Droid3 Bootstrap. but not once I installed safestrap (without tweaking anything in safestrap.)
it doesn't so much "freeze" as it decides to "optimize applications" and then just can't seem to get past there. (only solution is a battery pull at that point) I do get the safestrap flashscreen, and can get in to safestrap.
After wiping cache, dalvik cache, and data (factory reset) I reboot, go through the safestrap boot screen, and get to... nothing. blank screen, refuses to boot further.
So something obviously went wrong between when I had Droid3 Bootstrap loaded, and when I installed safestrap. I'm just not sure what other option I have at that stage to make things go more smoothly. theoretically if it works under the Droid3 bootstrap, then it should work as the non-safe for safestrap, but it just doesn't, and I have no idea why.
well, still didn't figure out CM9 in the non-safe... so I've gone a different route.
I now have mavrom in the non-safe, and I'm in the process of installing steeldroid in safe...
Nice. So there was nothing special you had to do after your fresh MavROM install to get safestrap going?
Sent from my XT860
No, went smoothly.
- SBF to stock
- root
- install milestone3 bootloader
- flash mavrom
- remove miletone3 bootloader
- install safestrap
- switch to safe
- install steeldroid
So I just got this phone, and I've been trying to get it up to ICS. I've gone through and was able to complete the ICS update the first time completely, installed Safestrap, etc. Now this is where the issues came in. I did a backup, and then I started restoring some apps from titanium, from an old phone. This is where I started getting constant force closes. Tried fix permissions, went through again, same issue. So I wiped the phone, and went to restore with safestrap - it failed. Now on bootup, it refuses to even boot into safestrap anymore. All I can get is either a blank screen, or motorola recovery menu. By the fact that I can get into the motorola recovery menu, I presume it's not fully bricked, but I know there can be issues with installing on top of Safestrap.
Long story short, my question: In this condition, will flashing the same file I did during the ICS leak installation through Moto Recovery allow the phone to boot? Or will that cause a brick like downgrading from ICS does?
So, just to be sure, you installed one of the ICS leaks correct? Then you installed safestrap 2.0?
Sent from my Droid 4
Yes, that's exactly what I did. Was able to boot up into Safestrap (2.0) and restore through Safestrap, but after wiping /data I got errors with restoring a backup, and after rebooting to attempt it again, Safestrap splash screen no longer appears for me. It has the initial splash, and where the Safestrap splash should be, it just stays blank screen.
Not sure what would have caused this. I don't think you'll be able to flash the zip again since it looks for a .219 system build. Might be worth a shot though. You could also try booting into recovery and doing a factory reset. If neither of those work, try following the instructions for upgrading from one leak build to another.
Sent from my Droid 4
Tried Factory reset already, and attempted just flashing the update anyways - got an error saying build.prop file was invalid/missing?
Now I'm going through the tool steps to swap between ICS builds. At least I'll hopefully get something working.
Though I did do a step I forgot to mention, if that explains why it happened. After the Safestrap restore failed, I tried to do a partial restore of /system and /data. /system restored fine, when I went to do /data it said it was restoring /system in the log - could that have been an issue? A possible mistake in safestrap that overwrote the wrong folder? Or just an issue with the menu?
Doing the ICS switch got it working for me. Now to attempt round 2 and see if I can get into CM9, and Safestrap works right.
More research, root cause : Forgot to install busy box when doing the initial root.
Glad you got it working!
Sent from my Droid 4
I was trying to upgrade safestrap from 3.73 to 3.75 so that I could install CM12. I did not remove 3.73 before installing 3.75, causing major boot problems. I was able to boot into Fastboot, and using the DROID 4 Utility XT894 Jellybean, I flashed the official jellybean firmware. Now my phone will get as far as the Droid Eye logo boot animation, but will not finish the boot. Are there any other utilities or methods that I can try to get the phone back up and running? I have access to another Droid 4, so if there's a way to copy the ROM from it to mine with adb, or some other method, I'd be open to that. Any help would be appreciated.
No idea about that utility. Without Safestrap or a working O/S, ADB is only available from stock recovery (I think), and stock recovery is almost completely useless on this phone.
If you still had access to SS, then you could restore a backup made on another phone, but in stock form the phone has no way to make/restore system backups.
At a guess, the DROID 4 Utility flashes one of the two newest XMLs depending on whether you want to keep data or not. If you chose 2, it could be that the boot process is getting hung up on something you have installed. Since you're using stock, did you try safe mode?
Failing that, or if you already chose a complete wipe in the Droid 4 Utility and got stuck anyway...for each of the several times I've managed to brick my phone, I've always used RSDLite and manually flashed the appropriate XML via Fastboot, have never had any problems.
RSDLite: http://rsdlite.com/rsd-lite-download/
Newest stock JB 4.1.2 XML (VRZ_XT894_9.8.2O-72_VZW-18-8_CFC.xml.zip): via Mega (probably fastest, in Firmwares), Motofirmware or AFH, links courtesy of @sd_shadow's big document of Droid 4 stuff
Note that the above XML will wipe data and internal storage (SD card is unaffected). If you need to keep those, use cdma_maserati_9.8.2O-72_VZW-18-2_1ff.xml.zip instead (also in the Mega Firmwares folder, or get other links from the above document), it should keep everything. Probably. I hope you made a backup before trying to upgrade SS : \
Connect your phone via USB, get into Fastboot
Start up RSDLite
Click the "..." next to the Filename box, select the XML zip
Click "Decompress And Start Flashing"
Give it a while to complete
Hopefully, bootable ROM. Note that RSDLite will probably get "stuck" on the last reboot, waiting for the phone; it's safe to close once the flash is completely complete (e.g. you're at the boot animation)
I'd imagine that the Droid 4 Utility does much the same as RSDLite, just in a somewhat more automated fashion, but it never hurts to try something slightly different.
RSD Lite is more complex than the utility, slightly different methods, if one failed try the other.
Stock recovery is really only good for factory reset and wiping cache, if you haven't already done so, wipe them now.
Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk
I was able to get it up and running with the Mfastboot method:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/102LcdnDXpSjOXWdR39Zl4wMikfWRw2KAj63PuoJyJz4/edit