How to create CWM Zip - Samsung Epic 4G Touch

I'd like to start learning how to create .zip CWM compatible files so I can start creating some scripts I'd like to test out. Are there any resources on how to do this from scratch, I don't want to use a tool that does most of the work for you, as I wont learn anything about the workings of CWM. I have unzipped a couple of the zip files I have, and I get the relationship between the manifest and update scripts, however I'm unsure on the update binary script, and the signatures for the files in the manifest file. Is there a tool that generates the update binary and these hash codes( if they are hash codes ) in the manifest?
EDIT: Would also like to know where I can find a list of 'acceptable' commands that can be run from an update script in the zip, or are these just any exec bin in your android path?

Related

[How to] Rom cooking

Original post:
Hello,
I am new to android but not to linux. I used to tweak my winmo phone rom.
I have backed up my device with nandroid. I just need some explanations:
- why isn't the radio extracted?
- how can I "extract" does .img files to modify and then rebuild them?
I found some informations of what the .img files contain here: ROM Partitions it should be the same for Hero
I have found some informations on how to push updates to the rom by looking at modaco updates. It seems quite simple to delete/copy files on the hero rom using an update-sript file. I am however curious about the RSA cert and if some files need to be signed.
Any information welcomed.
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How to
Extract NAND image files
To extract .img files, I have found unyaffs from http://code.google.com/p/unyaffs/ I have compiled it under ubuntu 64 (attached). Unyaffs works on system.img but on no other .img file
To extract boot.img use attached extract-kernel.pl and extract-ramdisk.pl
# extract-kernel.pl boot.img
# extract-ramdisk.pl boot.img
Should work for recovery.img but haven't tried as custom recovery images on the forum are great.
Rebuild system.img
Seems you just need "to loopback mount an image on your linux box and format it with YAFFS".
But it is useless as because Hero's SPL does not allow flashing system.img directly. You should use an update.zip package for that. (read below)
Rebuild boot.img
After extracting your boot.img using attached extract-*.pl and tweaking it, in same folder run:
# mkbootfs boot.img-ramdisk | gzip > ramdisk-boot
# mkbootimg --kernel boot.img-kernel --ramdisk ramdisk-boot --cmdline "no_console_suspend=1 console=null" -o newBoot.img --base 0x19200000
Creating an update.zip package
Creating an update.zip package is quite easy in fact. For example, to add a (valid) test.apk package to your rom:
- create an empty folder <workdir>
- create folder structure for test.apk (<workdir>/system/app) and copy the test.apk
- create folder structure for update-script (<workdir>/META-INF/com/google/android)
- edit <workdir>/META-INF/com/google/android/update-script
- put in it:
Code:
show_progress 0.1 0
copy_dir PACKAGE:system SYSTEM:
set_perm_recursive 0 0 0755 0644 SYSTEM:app
show_progress 0.1 10
- compress the <workdir> content to zip (not the <workdir> folder itself)
Now you are going to sign the zip file. Download attached testsign.zip and copy it in your <SDK>/tools folder. Extract it here. It should create a sign subfolder with a testsign.jar file in it.
Then, from <workdir> folder, do:
java -classpath <SDK>/tools/sign/testsign.jar" testsign file.zip file-signed.zip
Ok, now your zip file is ready to be deployed using cyanogen recovery image.
To find more command to use in update-script, look at other's.
Modify .apk package
Seems it is easy to uncompress an .apk package (zip) an to modify files in it and then compress it. But after all: you must sign it like update.zip packages.
ODEX files
- What are those Odex files? Answer.
- How to get rid of them?
Odex files depend on framework they are made for. To deodex an odex file use that how to
Then you may create a classes.dex file by executing the smali program on the "out" folder. You then rename it to classes.dex and add it to the .apk.
- How to create them?
Use dexopt-wrapper on device.
Porting an other device's rom
Well, that part is easy
- extract the system.img
- extract boot.img
- replace boot.img-kernel with the one from your stock Hero rom one.
- rebuild boot.img
- build update.zip package (look someone's hero custom rom to see how to do it)
- sign and flash
It should run place and make calls but probably won't have Wifi, BT, trackball support. If you make those work: tell me, but I think we should wait to be able to compile a 2.6.29 kernel to have those.
Tools
Androsign script (linux)
I wrote that androsign script to quick sign zip files. Just put it in your <SDK>/tools folder, then chmod +x. If you have put the tools folder in your PATH, you can call it directly like this:
androsign /dev/folder1/folder2/update.zip (or any zip/apk file)
It will output an update-signed.zip (or app-signed.apk etc) in the same folder than original file was in.
Notes
Note1: thanks
Thanks to every guy that helped me found all that.
Note1: sharing
I searched for hours, so I am more than happy to share it to save someone's time. I am just disappointed than some people here do not have that spirit: I could have use those hours for development instead of research...
Note3: corrections
So, if you found anything incorrect, would like to supply more informations or want to correct my bad english: just PM me.
To find
- how to dump radio from device
- how to build a custom hero kernel (waiting for HTC sources)
To come
How to prepare your own kitchen and useful scripts (linux)
gecka said:
I am new to android but not to linux.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here. I do lots of tweeking on my linux machine, so i know quite a lot of linux. If there would be anyone to answer those questions by gecka, I might start tweeking the rom (maybe someday cook one up)
Best regards
Hello,
First post edited, but still some ignorances... Please share if you know anything.
Best regards
unpack and pack boot.img and recovery.img
First you need utilities such as mkbootfs and mkbootimg. maybe you can find them online (i can upload them later compiled for linux x86-64) but i suggest you download android source (http://source.android.com) and do a generic make. In this way you have these and other utilities(tools to pack system.img too, but if you haven't an engineering bootloader you can't flash it directly) in /out/host/... (it's better if you add this in your PATH)
To unpack and pack boot and recovery, read here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=443994
or here:
http://android-dls.com/wiki/index.php?title=HOWTO:_Unpack,_Edit,_and_Re-Pack_Boot_Images
...or...
(I have attached extract-kernel and extract-ramdisk scripts from JF build environment) :
to unpack (boot.img or recovery.img, i'm writing the commands with boot.img):
Code:
extract-kernel boot.img
extract-ramdisk boot.img
at this point you have
boot.img-kernel
boot.img-ramdisk
to repack (boot.img or recovery.img):
For hero you need to specify the base address because it's different (0x19200000). For more information: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=541522.
Code:
mkbootfs boot.img-ramdisk | gzip > ramdisk-boot
mkbootimg --kernel boot.img-kernel --ramdisk ramdisk-boot --cmdline "no_console_suspend=1 console=null" -o newBoot.img --base 0x19200000
Useful resources for android modding are the dream forums (most of the concepts/hacks works for hero too):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=448
(informative thread here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=519523)
note: mkbootimg with --base support is in donut and master (or find the patch on gerrit and apply it to cupcake)
First of all, the reason you cant unyaffs anything other than system.img is because they aren't YAFFS images. boot/recovery is kernel+initrd like in any normal linux bootimage scenario (see more below).
Tofind
- how to dump radio from device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't gotten into that myself yet, but I know modaco posted an update.zip with radio image included on this very forum. Look for it.
- how to extract NAND images other than system.img
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=443994
- rebuild NAND images such as system.img
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This isn't hard, just loopback mount an image on your linux box and format it with YAFFS.
Building a custom kernel and recovery binary
HTC hasn't yet released the changes they have made to the hero/dream/magic kernels, 32A board, so you can't just compile a kernel from the AOSP. I haven't tried it yet but this patch might work on hero too:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=548061
EDIT: HTC Sources for dream and magic at http://developer.htc.com
For building a custom recovery, it's better if you use cyanogen's recovery code, found in his git : github.com/cyanogen, because it already has menus for nandroid and other tools, but you can use the recovery code from AOSP too (cyanogen's one is a patched version with a lot more features, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=523558). To make a custom recovery you need to change the recovery binary (because the press event of the hero trackball has a different keycode, 191), the kernel and the init scripts. Actually i don't remember what else I've changed to make cm's recovery working with hero (the recovery that we are actually using here), I'm at work now, but i'll check later and post more details, or you can just unpack the recovery and see the changes .
First post updated.
Nandroid only backs up the partitions in the main storage nand, but radio and spl are flashed to the radio's own nand flash. Whether it's possible to dump it or not I don't know, but honestly, I don't see why you'd want to. Radio images are available through RUU's and I don't think editing would be an easy task
jubeh said:
Nandroid only backs up the partitions in the main storage nand, but radio and spl are flashed to the radio's own nand flash. Whether it's possible to dump it or not I don't know, but honestly, I don't see why you'd want to. Radio images are available through RUU's and I don't think editing would be an easy task
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sometimes, new radio images appear on new phones. That is why I am looking on a way to extract it.
very useful thread.
Very nice tutorial, thank you!
could you please specify a bit more on how to clone from android's git and then build the mkbootimg and mkbootfs (just make, right)? I tried and I keep getting a "fatal:server dumped connection" error
Are we able to modify an official ROM (also for hero). Which shows up in RUU as INFOsignature checking... failed. Am I able to change the kernel and make it work?
jubeh said:
could you please specify a bit more on how to clone from android's git and then build the mkbootimg and mkbootfs (just make, right)? I tried and I keep getting a "fatal:server dumped connection" error
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What command do you use?
In fact i won't be able to explain you better than that page: http://source.android.com/download
Following that how to, you'll be able to sync an android branch You can learn more about git, branches and more here (Repo and Git resources)
The sync is long (2.9Go). Then, to build mkbootimg and mkbootfs, you should do a generic build of android going to source folder and issuing the 'make' command.
All that will be part of my upcoming "How to prepare your own kitchen and useful scripts".
awsy44 said:
Are we able to modify an official ROM (also for hero). Which shows up in RUU as INFOsignature checking... failed. Am I able to change the kernel and make it work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, to grep the system from a windows RUU exe file you should launch it and then look in your user temporary folder for a rom.zip file in a {uid} subfolder. It contains the system and boot img files.
You then need to make an update.zip package from them. Have a look to someone's hero custom rom and to it's update-script to see how it is achieved. My 'How to' gives you all you need to understand update.zip packages and to extract system.img.
If you are porting a Hero rom, no need to change the kernel.
Regards
Well, to grep the system from a windows RUU exe file you should launch it and then look in your user temporary folder for a rom.zip file in a {uid} subfolder. It contains the system and boot img files.
You then need to make an update.zip package from them. Have a look to someone's hero custom rom and to it's update-script to see how it is achieved. My 'How to' gives you all you need to understand update.zip packages and to extract system.img.
If you are porting a Hero rom, no need to change the kernel.
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks so much for this amazing information, however how do i stop getting hit with the infosignature failed error? is that the kernel or the hboot? it says 12 signature verify error.
Oh, I do have the source and I am running my own donut build on my dream with some of my spice, but the problem I was having was cloning that exact project (mkbootimg) from android.git.kernel.org using git, but when I read what you said, I remembered that when you make the build, it also compiles several tools and i overlooked checking the out folder for it, kind of dumb on my part since I had already pulled the fastboot tool from that build and added it to my own bin, i guess mkbootimg and mkbootfs should be there too, right?
i tried running androsign and got this error
Code:
[email protected]:~/android/dev/sdk/tools$ ./androsign META-INF.zip
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: testsign
Failed!
[email protected]:~/android/dev/sdk/tools$
if i use a ROM of one device on an other different device, I think I must build a kernel on my own, is that correct?
but what config should I use? a config from my current running ROM? then I think I must make it suitable for new ROM, what options should I care about?
for example, if I want to run a AOSP 2.01 ROM ( system.img) on a Magic 32A device with SPL 1.76, and now I am running a SenseUI ROM which kernel is 2.6.27, I think I should build a 2.6.29 kernel from the git tree, and ensure it will work with camera/bt/wifi/trackball of my device properly first .
how can I make this step successful?
other hand, the dynamic lib files(.so) with the system.img can be incorrect. so, I may need to build them too for pairing with the kernel I built in previous step. I think applications will work properly because they only care about if the interfaces of kernel and lib is correct. for that, also there some config job (like build.prop, etc) to do, is there a list of all of these jobs? and what values can I refer to? the original ROM (Magic 32A SPL 1.76 working ROM here) ?
am I right? what should i do and what are in those steps? are there some doucments I can read from?
Thanks for the good summary. Just one question, where did testsign.jar come from? I'd like to get the source. Thanks!
JackZero said:
Thanks for the good summary. Just one question, where did testsign.jar come from? I'd like to get the source. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read this !
http://www.androiddevelopment.org/tag/apk/
;-)

[Q] Create flashable .zip?

Hi im working on creating some boot animations. Ive got the files ready, but i cant figure out how to put them into a flashable .zip.
I flashed this file thunderbolt boot animation and it worked so i figured if i just replaced my animation and audio it would work but i get an error saying "e:update script not found" or something along those lines.
Id like to know if there is an easy way to create a "template" were i just copy my animation into a folder and zip it, or if there is a program that will package it for me including the script/etc.
Any input or guide on how to make these boot animations flashable .zip's would be great, thanks.
Eat it iPhone said:
Hi im working on creating some boot animations. Ive got the files ready, but i cant figure out how to put them into a flashable .zip.
I flashed this file thunderbolt boot animation and it worked so i figured if i just replaced my animation and audio it would work but i get an error saying "e:update script not found" or something along those lines.
Id like to know if there is an easy way to create a "template" were i just copy my animation into a folder and zip it, or if there is a program that will package it for me including the script/etc.
Any input or guide on how to make these boot animations flashable .zip's would be great, thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats weird it didn't work. Should. Maybe it wasn't re-packaged correctly.
Try the one attached.
CCallahan said:
Thats weird it didn't work. Should. Maybe it wasn't re-packaged correctly.
Try the one attached.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks ill try it out, just dont have the time right now.
If you cant figure it out i'll give you a guide tomorrow when i'm off my iPad .
did you rezip it correctly?
I ran into this trouble, I forget what it is, but you have to zip the files a certain way or they will not work. I don't remember the settings anymore, but just creating a regular zip file won't work.
There is a good guide to making your own update script on xda somewhere. Just search the entire site. If i'm just flashing something simple like a theme or boot animation sometimes I just use someone else's flashable zip and replace the necessary files. I can't remember off the top of my head, but iirc there are two folders you want to keep from someone else's zip. Meta-inf which is basically the signature files and something else which contains the script. If you dissect someone's zip it should be obvious what the other folder you want to keep is. You will find the update script in one of the sub folders, and if you want you can open it with a text editor and get an idea of how the script works.
If you need more info I can help you more when I get to my computer.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
dkdude36 said:
If you cant figure it out i'll give you a guide tomorrow when i'm off my iPad .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Id appreciate a guide either way, id rather learn to do it myself than use someone else's. No rush as i cant really approach this til the weekend.
Eat it iPhone said:
Id appreciate a guide either way, id rather learn to do it myself than use someone else's. No rush as i cant really approach this til the weekend.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok, here it goes.
first, figure out where you want to push your file. i'd reccomend pushing manually in recovery to make sure the file itself works. then, using a tool like 7zip (pc) or betterzip (mac) create a file structure that matches the one on the phone. for example, if you wanted a boot animation to be put in system/customize/resource, make a folder system, customize in that, resource in that, and the bootanimation.zip inside that. now you have the main part. next, make a folder in the root of the zip called META-INF (caps counts) inside that, com, inside that, google, and inside that, android. thats /META-INF/com/google/android/. inside android, you need to place in an update-script. i'd reccomend taking one from another zip and just editing it becasue i still have not figured out a way to make that type of file (unix exec) from scratch. open it up in a .txt editor like notepad++ (pc) or coda (mac) and write your script. here is the baisic script for copying the directory system on the zip to system on the phone (like flashing a boot animation).
copy_dir PACKAGE:system SYSTEM:
CAPS COUNT AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AN ENTER AT THE END. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE AN ENTER AT THE END (TO MAKE IT TWO LINES INSTEAD OF ONE, LIKE ISSUEING A COMMAND) THEN IT WILL NOT WORK AT ALL ( E:SYNTAX ERROR IN UPDATE-SCRIPT IS THE ERROR YOU WILL GET)
so put this file into the folder android, and zip it. make sure it is in store only, compatibility mode, if you have such options. then, use an auto signer (or just say zip is not signed and make sure to put sig verification off) to sign the zip. flash, and watch your work magically appear.
the update-script i showed is written in amend. i have no idea how to write in edify bcuz it is much more complicated with the binary and stuff. so dont flash with cwm 3.0+.
good luck. ask if you have any questions.
hello will this methed work on like adding some personal apps you want to be on your rom?

Can anyone explain the update-binary file to me

i'm learning how to make flashable zips and in the tutorial i'm reading he says that the one he linked is for that specific device. I understand the script provides access to update commands and functions or something. So if it is specific to each phone, does that mean i can pull the file out of any flashable that works on my phone and use it? if so, how do you make flashables that are universal?
i sense i'm missing some important information about this file, the tutorial is quite breif because he just links the file and says this is the update-binary file for this phone. I google update-binary explained and a few other things and couldn't seem to find anyone who could explain much about the file. my assumption is that the updater-script file calls on functions found in the binary file or something.
edit sorry forgot to mark this as a question

Noob ROM cook needs help in the Kitchen

I've been trying to create my own ROM in the Android Kitchen, but I haven't had much luck yet. I took the system.img and insecure-boot.img from this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2416038, and have been trying to modify it (debloat, a few system tweaks).
When I go into TWRP, I wipe the caches, data, and system, then try to flash my ROM. This is the output in the console on the phone:
Updating partition details
Installing /sdcard/path-to-ROM
Checking for Md5 file
Skipping Md5 check
And then the phone reboots.
I'm thinking it has something to do with the updater-script that the Kitchen generates, because I see no evidence of it trying to even flash my ROM. I'm not real familiar with they syntax of the script yet, but it all looks ok to me (commands, partitions, etc.).
Here's the updater-script the Kitchen generated if it helps: http://pastebin.com/7xxHJp1c
Thank you for any advice you can provide!
Any insight into what I'm doing wrong? I've been working on this on and off all weekend and still haven't figured it out.
I figured out one part of the problem: My updater-script and update-binary weren't world executable. As soon as I made them world executable, I made a little more progress.
Now when I try to flash the update.zip, the installer halts and says failed. I pulled the recovery.log, but I don't see any helpful information in it. I've attached the recovery.log if anyone would like to take a look.

Flashing is not working (at all)

Been busy for a week now to create my own custom rom. I got the advise to build the ROM i want by edited the ROM i have now on the phone by edited it all on the phone. Then i did the "dd" command to extract the rom to a system.img file. Created a META-INF folder with a updater-script where the locations are defined like how the structure is on my phone. Zipped the META-INF folder incl. the system.img to get it ready to flash.
But when i try to flash that it keeps saying ERROR: 6 in WTRP.
Because flashing any other custom rom is workng, i am doing something wrong here, but i really don't know it anymore because i have run all out of options.
Anyone a tip which i could do?

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