Database Develop

[Q] Verizon DE Software Upgrade Q

If I have the Verizon DE Moto X, do I need to be stock (no root) and re-locked bootloader to get software updates? Or just one or the other? Neither?
Thanks,
Mike

Mike7143 said:
If I have the Verizon DE Moto X, do I need to be stock (no root) and re-locked bootloader to get software updates? Or just one or the other? Neither?
Thanks,
Mike
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need stock /system partition and stock recovery. It doesn't matter whether the bootloader is locked or unlocked.

Mike7143 said:
If I have the Verizon DE Moto X, do I need to be stock (no root) and re-locked bootloader to get software updates? Or just one or the other? Neither?
Thanks,
Mike
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To install? or to be notified and receive the update?
To receive the update you'll need to be running the "stock" Verizon firmware, rooted/unrooted and bootloader locked/unlocked doesn't matter.
For it to install successfully, to expand on what kbluhm posted...
Keep in mind that usually OTA updates will look for certain files to be present on your phone and verify their size and check sums (MD5 or the like) before the OTA update will install. If files are missing or changed, the ota update will fail. That is why "stock /system" is required.
And "stock recovery" is needed because when the phone reboots to install the update, it tries to boot to stock recovery and run the install script. The 3rd party recoveries don't seem to work, or have errors, when installing the OTA update zips.
If you've rooted with SlapMyMoto, RockMyMoto, or thel like, you may have other issues to deal with in order to take any OTA updates since those processes can touch other files/partitions on the phone which will cause problems with the OTA Updates.

So in order to install the update I need to re-flash the stock recovery over TWRP, correct? How do I go about doing this?

Ah okay, thanks guys. What a hassle. I'm unlocked and using TWRP, flashed a new boot logo, and am rooted. Probably just easiest to just SBF back to stock and re-do everything.
Thanks!

You could grab the factory image from Motorola and flash only system and recovery using fastboot. That is my plan. You can find the zip file on Motorola's site or there is a topic here on XDA.
Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk

guitarbedlam said:
So in order to install the update I need to re-flash the stock recovery over TWRP, correct? How do I go about doing this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mike7143 said:
Ah okay, thanks guys. What a hassle. I'm unlocked and using TWRP, flashed a new boot logo, and am rooted. Probably just easiest to just SBF back to stock and re-do everything.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are several threads about using Fastboot to flash recovery or parts of the rom rather than having to use RSDLite and flash the SBF of everything..
Example: see option 2 in -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2536735

KidJoe said:
There are several threads about using Fastboot to flash recovery or parts of the rom rather than having to use RSDLite and flash the SBF of everything..
Example: see option 2 in -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2536735
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thus, all I'd have to flash (I'm stock unlocked rooted) is the recovery and I'd be good to install the update. Then install the custom recovery and install the superuser zip. and BAM. But first I need the whole 4.4.2 update thing...

guitarbedlam said:
Thus, all I'd have to flash (I'm stock unlocked rooted) is the recovery and I'd be good to install the update. Then install the custom recovery and install the superuser zip. and BAM. But first I need the whole 4.4.2 update thing...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, we need the 4.4.2 update.
And as long as you didn't delete any stock apps/apk's, freeze them with Titanium Backup or something similar, or rename them manually (and forgot to rename them back)... then yes.. just flash stock recovery, take update, flash TWRP and use SuperSU to re-root.

KidJoe said:
Sure, we need the 4.4.2 update.
And as long as you didn't delete any stock apps/apk's, freeze them with Titanium Backup or something similar, or rename them manually (and forgot to rename them back)... then yes.. just flash stock recovery, take update, flash TWRP and use SuperSU to re-root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can freeze them all you want and leave them frozen. They are still there, untouched, waiting to be checked/verified against and patched/updated. Once you obtain root again and grant it to Titanium Backup it will be re-frozen.
You just can't delete, rename or swap out.....frozen apps are still right there as normal.

tcrews said:
You can freeze them all you want and leave them frozen. They are still there, untouched, waiting to be checked/verified against and patched/updated. Once you obtain root again and grant it to Titanium Backup it will be re-frozen.
You just can't delete, rename or swap out.....frozen apps are still right there as normal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. One of the issues reported with the Kit Kat update was the OTA failing due to apps frozen with Titanium Backup. I only "disable" via the stock app manager, so I haven't had a problem.

Most likely those with failures had modified/deleted/renamed something else that was causing the issues and blaming it on the frozen apps. I have updated every device I've had with frozen apps. Freezing, at least in Titanium Backup, tells the OS the app is not available. In recovery, the OS is not loaded and knows nothing about frozen apps. Titanium doesn't touch the actual files so they are still present to be patched by the OTA.
Sent from my Nexus 10

Just bought a Developer Edition and have some questions!!

I just bought a DE Moto X that's on 4.4.2. The bootloader is unlocked, phone is rooted with TWRP installed. My first question is what do i need to do to update to 4.4.4. If I'm understanding everything correctly I need to flash the stock recovery image..where do I get that??
Once I do that I will need to then reflash TWRP and root again, correct??

mpetruzz said:
I just bought a DE Moto X that's on 4.4.2. The bootloader is unlocked, phone is rooted with TWRP installed. My first question is what do i need to do to update to 4.4.4. If I'm understanding everything correctly I need to flash the stock recovery image..where do I get that??
Once I do that I will need to then reflash TWRP and root again, correct??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. Here is the 442 recovery. Extract the img & Flash it with the play app: recovery tools/ Rashr-flash tool.
Once on 444 you do not want to go back.
https://mega.co.nz/#!FQI0zKxR!lS5oSAZiu0Z3dm1OCgkqKE5LqGv9rIT0zAku8juIxPk
---------- Post added at 08:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:07 PM ----------
Good to hide root too with super SU.

mpetruzz said:
I just bought a DE Moto X that's on 4.4.2. The bootloader is unlocked, phone is rooted with TWRP installed. My first question is what do i need to do to update to 4.4.4. If I'm understanding everything correctly I need to flash the stock recovery image..where do I get that??
Once I do that I will need to then reflash TWRP and root again, correct??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First, which DEV Edition X do you have? GSM Or VZW? I'm going to Guess VZW, since you say you are on 4.4.2, and the latest for the GSM is 4.4.3.
If GSM, 4.4.4 OTA isn't out yet. So even if you flash back to stock, right now you wont get an update to 4.4.4, but you should get 4.4.3 which will be needed to take 4.4.4.
If Verizon, 4.4.4 OTA and FXZ is out, so you can go either way.
To take any OTA, you need to be aware of several things...
First, the most important, you can't flash an OTA from custom recovery like TWRP. You need STOCK recovery or you will bootloop. (so yes, you can fasboot flash stock recovery on your phone, immediately reboot to booloader and enter recovery to make sure its there). If you are already rooted you can use Rashr (and there is another tool that I can't remember the name of) to put stock recovery back on there.
Next, there is a pre-flash verification check the OTA performs. It makes sure you are on the correct ROM before it installs. It checks files and parts of your phone. It looks to make sure stuff is there, and matches the expected checksum or hash. If you haven't made any mods, and you have stock recovery back on there, you should be OK to take the OTA.. BUT if you've deleted, renamed, modified files or parts and they no longer match close enough to "stock" the OTA will fail to install.
XPosed gets in the way. It must be disabled (there is a zip for that), or uninstalled.
If you manually undo any modifications and take the OTA, you shouldn't have to re-root, and flashing TWRP back on is optional.
You could use mfastboot to re-flash System.img and Recovery.img from 4.4.2 onto your phone, that will usually be enough to allow you to pass the verification checks and take the OTA. But if you do this, you will have to flash TWRP and re-root after you get 4.4.4 on there.
Because many modifications could have been made, and the fact the 4.4.4 FXZ is out for Verizon, if you have a VZW Dev Edition, you can just use RSDLite (or mfasboot) to flash the Verizon 4.4.4 FXZ. Just make sure you remove the ERASE USERDATA line before flashing. This will get you directly to 4.4.4 without you having to manually, one by one, undo any mods you might have made that get in the way of the OTA Verification checks. If you do it this way, you WILL have to flash TWRP and re-root.

Thanks so much for the help!! I flashed the stock recovery image via flashify, accepted the ota and was all set. Then I flased twrp via flashify again and was back and all good!!
So glad I got the DE, this should hold me off til the x+1 drops.

[Q] Android L with custom recovery.

So, i have a motox (xt1058) with stock rom and twrp recovery. If i receive the lolipop via OTA, can i install it? or do i have to flash the original firmware?
Thanks in advance

You will have to flash stock recovery. Uninstall any xposed modules and unfreeze/restore any system apps.

PedroAlba said:
So, i have a motox (xt1058) with stock rom and twrp recovery. If i receive the lolipop via OTA, can i install it? or do i have to flash the original firmware?
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is asked every time an new OTA comes out, and we get many threads started covering it.
To date...
For the Motorola X 2013, the OTA's are incremental updates. You must be on a specific previous ROM, and "step up." To put it another way... to take the 4.4.2 OTA, your phone needs to be on 4.4. To take the 4.4 OTA, your phone needs to be on the 4.2.2 w/camera fix version. To take the 4.2.2 w/camera fix OTA, your phone needs to be on the initial shipping ROM version.
None of the OTA's will install if you have TWRP recovery on your phone. Instead you get stuck in a bootloop. (mfastboot erase cache will get you out of the bootloop). You need to have stock recovery on your phone. NOTE: I don't recall what happens when using Philz or CWM as recovery.
Each OTA so far has included a "Pre-Install Verification Check", a manifest of files and their checksum/hashes which the update compares against your phone. If expected files are missing, or the wrong hash, the OTA will fail to install. - So any removed or modified "bloat", system files, etc. need to be in place. Any apps like Xposed which change /system need to be disabled/removed. In some cases Freezing apps using Titanium Backup cause the OTA to fail, and the apps need to be unfrozen. However, some have not had to unfreeze. Using the phone's app manager to disable an app (Settings -> Apps -> open app listing -> DISABLE) does not have to be undone.
If you have version mismatch between GPT.BIN or Motoboot.img and the ROM on your phone, taking an OTA WILL brick the phone. - Grab the FULL SBF for the Stock Moto ROM which matches the bootloader version on your phone, or a newer SBF (i.e. if you have the bootloader version that corresponds to 4.4.2, grab the 4.4.2 SBF or 4.4.4 SBF), and flash it via mfastboot. You may need some extra steps to flash GPT.BIN and Motoboot.img.
If you've used hacks to root/disable write protection because you have a locked bootloader, you may lose root, and wont be able to re-root until a new exploit is found. Those hacks might also get in the way of the OTA's pre-install validation checks.
If you have unlocked your bootloader via mfastboot oem unlock UNIQUECODE or Sunshine, the bootloader will not re-lock.
There have been some posts (twitter and G+) about how Lollipop poses new security features which are a challenge to rooting, even with an unlocked bootloader. Since I don't know the technical ins and outs, all I can say is.. Even with an unlocked bootloader, I wont jump on Lollipop as soon as its available, until I know if I can still root my X.
(I have a little bit more detail posted here -> http://mark.cdmaforums.com/MotoX-OTA.html)

lowvolt1 said:
You will have to flash stock recovery. Uninstall any xposed modules and unfreeze/restore any system apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For what it's worth, you don't need to uninstall the modules. Just use the Xposed Disabler zip in your SD card, then install the framework again once you've flashed /system and taken the update.
When I did updated to 4.4.4 I disabled the modules in the Xposed UI (not sure if that was necessary or not), but did not actually uninstall any of the APKs for the modules. When I reinstalled Xposed after updating, all I just turned all my modules back on and rebooted.

Call me paranoid, but whenever there is an update, I always flash back to 100% stock and then do the OTA update. Then, I'll re-root using philz recovery and restore my desktop with a backup of Nova. I'm always worried that taking an OTA update with and previous tinkering will lead to a gummed up phone.
That is just me, though.

mtpease said:
Call me paranoid, but whenever there is an update, I always flash back to 100% stock and then do the OTA update. Then, I'll re-root using philz recovery and restore my desktop with a backup of Nova. I'm always worried that taking an OTA update with and previous tinkering will lead to a gummed up phone.
That is just me, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really a bad practice either way, if you clear stuff out now and again. If you try to take an OTA with a modified /system partition, it usually just fails during the hash checks and never installs/modifies anything.

You started your thread title with a [q].... Perhaps the Q&A section would be the section to ask your question? ?

Rooted XT1095, About to go 5.1

Hey all,
I've been receiving notifications for the OTA for a few days now, and I certainly would like to update my Moto X. That being said, OTA fails since I have a rooted device, go figure.
Anyways, my plan of action is to back uo everything, unroot using SuperSU, apply the update (still on stock recovery), and then re-root on the other side.
Has anyone gone about this route yet? Does this all sound like it should work? Also, it's been a while since I've modded my X, so any new rooting methods for 5.1 that people have tried and succeeded with?
Sent from my XT1095 using Tapatalk

Not only do you need to unroot, you have to undo any modifications you made with root. As long as you can do that the update will work.
If you can't get it back to unmodified, you will have to flash a stock system image.
As far as root, the process is the same for 4.4.4, 5.0, and 5.1. Just boot into twrp and let it root it for you, or flash supersu zip. Very easy.
Sent from my XT1095

As far as root, the process is the same for 4.4.4, 5.0, and 5.1. Just boot into twrp and let it root it for you, or flash supersu zip. Very easy.
Sent from my XT1095[/QUOTE]
I originally rooted 5.0. To get the OTA I had to unroot and reflash the stock recovery. After that the OTA applied fine.
The main reason I rooted was for Greenify. I'm now unrooted on 5.1 and my battery sucks. I want to think that Greenify actually works so I would like to root 5.1. As mentioned I have rooted before but am still very much a novice. You state "Just boot into twrp and let it root it for you". I think I have saw in the forums that if I boot into twrp it will actually leave the stock recovery? I really don't want to do anything except root so that I can install Greenify again. I want to make as easy as possible to take the next OTA. If booting into twrp will allow this, is there a link to a simple process? There is so much information out there and most of it is dated so it scares me that it might not work on 5.1. Thanks.

summit15 said:
As far as root, the process is the same for 4.4.4, 5.0, and 5.1. Just boot into twrp and let it root it for you, or flash supersu zip. Very easy.
Sent from my XT1095
I originally rooted 5.0. To get the OTA I had to unroot and reflash the stock recovery. After that the OTA applied fine.
The main reason I rooted was for Greenify. I'm now unrooted on 5.1 and my battery sucks. I want to think that Greenify actually works so I would like to root 5.1. As mentioned I have rooted before but am still very much a novice. You state "Just boot into twrp and let it root it for you". I think I have saw in the forums that if I boot into twrp it will actually leave the stock recovery? I really don't want to do anything except root so that I can install Greenify again. I want to make as easy as possible to take the next OTA. If booting into twrp will allow this, is there a link to a simple process? There is so much information out there and most of it is dated so it scares me that it might not work on 5.1. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, if you just boot it, the stock recovery stays on the phone. No need to flash TWRP. Download version 2.8.5.0! The newer versions don't boot, the new ones can only be flashed. With 2.8.5.0 type:
fastboot boot twrpfilenamehere.img
Then you will be in twrp and can root.
Sent from my XT1095

AGISCI said:
Not only do you need to unroot, you have to undo any modifications you made with root. As long as you can do that the update will work.
If you can't get it back to unmodified, you will have to flash a stock system image.
As far as root, the process is the same for 4.4.4, 5.0, and 5.1. Just boot into twrp and let it root it for you, or flash supersu zip. Very easy.
Sent from my XT1095
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry about the late reply, thanks! I still have my stock recovery, and have been pretty lazy about installing busy box or xposed or any other fun things. I'll probably muster up the courage this week. After all, I've killed and resurrected this thing once before
Sent from my XT1095 using Tapatalk

how update it ?

l,m received today security update on my moto x , is necessary delete xposed , twrp etc.. ??

whgp said:
l,m received today security update on my moto x , is necessary delete xposed , twrp etc.. ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I personally would not take any OTA while rooted. I would make a nandroid of your system, then flash back to the stock firmware and take the OTA. Then flash TWRP, wipe the cache/userdata, re-root and restore from the nandroid.
I would NEVER take any OTA unless I was completely stock. That means no root, no custom recovery.