Develop Bugs

help a newbie with a new phone

hi guys i just got my frist android phone since leaving apple and i was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction for a How to guide/things to do/not to do/roms ect ect
it seems from what i've read soft bricking the phone can be as easy as the wrong rom and i can't seem to find the rom i need for the phone.
is it the build number i have to worry about or the baseband number i have to keep an eye on. so much more confusing than JB an iphone i must say.
RemiX

remix754 said:
hi guys i just got my frist android phone since leaving apple and i was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction for a How to guide/things to do/not to do/roms ect ect
it seems from what i've read soft bricking the phone can be as easy as the wrong rom and i can't seem to find the rom i need for the phone.
is it the build number i have to worry about or the baseband number i have to keep an eye on. so much more confusing than JB an iphone i must say.
RemiX
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Note 2 is my third android but the first i've rooted. The note 2 toolkit (available on here somewhere) made the rooting process very straightforward. Plenty of instructions around for flashing a new rom & backing up beforehand to make recovery simple etc.

Go to original android section and search for chainfire's auto root. It's best for beginners and takes 30 seconds to do.

thanks for the reply guys. will have to try this chainfire root and try to learn more about this

[Q] Rooting and ROM

Hello, this is the first time posting on this forum and relatively new on the android platform after jumping ship from blackberry. So, i have afew questions i hope you guys can help me with.
1. I heard/read alot regarding rooting to bring out the full potential of an android(s4) phone. What is the full advantage of rooting my phone? How does granting administrative access affect my phone performance?
2. I often see the jargon of bloatware on this forum, what does it exactly mean?
3. What is the function of ROM?
Sorry if these qns are repeated, please direct me to the answer if it is already present in the forum. thanks

1. Ans
2. Ans
3. Ans
---------------------------------
Still confused between Samsung Galaxy S4 and 10 acres of land in London

Rooting your phone gives you access to do anything you want ie (Apps 2 sd) that the phone dosent permit you to do.
A ROM is just a different feel, and its a faster alternative in upgrading your android ios. (S4 has touchwiz, can change it to Htc Sense)
Bloatware is a bunch of unnecessary apps that Carriers know youll never use but have it just cause. Its annoying and it takes up space. Rooting allows you to delete these apps, cause if its not you wont be able to remove it.
I hope this helped, ask again if you have any more questions.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app

I was wondering if there is a sort of rooting guide for dummies out there. I want to root my phone to get rid of some of the bloatware that I will never use, and also to delete the annoying start up and shut down sounds. Other than that, I'm happy with Touchwiz so far, but I suppose adding custom themes would be fun.
I rooted my last phone (Samsung Vibrant) over 2yrs ago and don't remember how I did it. I know I installed a custom ROM, but don't remember how to do that either. I remember following a really good guide with pictures and step by step instructions though. It's early days yet with the S4, but I really hope someone will do the same kind of guide because it's very helpful for those of us who like to customize but don't have the time or knowledge to seriously get into it. When I look at some of the threads on rooting it just seems like a foreign language to me!
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app

mahgnillig said:
I was wondering if there is a sort of rooting guide for dummies out there. I want to root my phone to get rid of some of the bloatware that I will never use, and also to delete the annoying start up and shut down sounds. Other than that, I'm happy with Touchwiz so far, but I suppose adding custom themes would be fun.
I rooted my last phone (Samsung Vibrant) over 2yrs ago and don't remember how I did it. I know I installed a custom ROM, but don't remember how to do that either. I remember following a really good guide with pictures and step by step instructions though. It's early days yet with the S4, but I really hope someone will do the same kind of guide because it's very helpful for those of us who like to customize but don't have the time or knowledge to seriously get into it.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try the motochopper method - the guide is pretty simple and self explanatory however if you're on latest kernel then rooting is a no go as of now
---------------------------------
Still confused between Samsung Galaxy S4 and 10 acres of land in London

nikufellow said:
Try the motochopper method - the guide is pretty simple and self explanatory however if you're on latest kernel then rooting is a no go as of now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks I looked at that and it seems straightforward, but I'm concerned about what to do after the actual root. Things like how to back the phone up in case I mess it up, how to delete things, how to add things. Also I find a lot of the terminology confusing... not quite sure what all the acronyms stand for either, like ODIN or CWM, or what each thing does exactly. This is the kind of thread which would be totally useful: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=849028 (this one is for the Vibrant though, so I think a lot of it would be different on a different device?)
As far as the kernel... as far as I know nothing has been updated. I got the phone on the first day it came out so I'm assuming it doesn't have the latest kernel. How would you find out? Not even sure what the kernel is or what it does :\ I would like to find out though!

^^^then you might be on an earlier kernel version anyway trying to root by motochopper method won't brick your device even if it doesn't go successful so no worries.
ODIN is the same software that service centres use to revive your bricked device - as a matter of fact with Samsung drivers, a usb cable and stock rom downloaded from online sources like sammobile, you can revert almost any instances of soft brick. Simply saying ODIN will flash back factory/stock rom anfd make your device as it was when you bought it. And yeah flashing via ODIN and all are more or less same procedure for all Samsung devices
Cwm is a custom recovery. If you don't know what recovery means it might be worth googling for better understanding the concept as even my knowledge is limited and my explanations might fall short of your expectations
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" Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the TRUE emperor"

with regards to rooting my s4 which is running on 4.2.2 jellybean, does motochopper actually brick my phone? In addition, can i root my phone to remove the bloatwares and afterwhich, unroot my phone again, with all the bloatwares already permanently removed? Is it possible to download the full list of softwares of the s4 online such that if i accidentally remove an important software, i will be able to restore it. As I am someone who is not into very much customization and over-clocking, i believe i dont need my phone rooted for custom ROM right? I can use stock ROM when my phone is unrooted and clear of bloatware?

Mami-dalous said:
with regards to rooting my s4 which is running on 4.2.2 jellybean, does motochopper actually brick my phone? In addition, can i root my phone to remove the bloatwares and afterwhich, unroot my phone again, with all the bloatwares already permanently removed? Is it possible to download the full list of softwares of the s4 online such that if i accidentally remove an important software, i will be able to restore it. As I am someone who is not into very much customization and over-clocking, i believe i dont need my phone rooted for custom ROM right? I can use stock ROM when my phone is unrooted and clear of bloatware?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Steps
#1. Locate GS4 box, place phone inside box.
#2. Return to store and get iPhone.
Serious tho. Best thing you can do is READ. SEARCH and READ. SEARCH and READ.
If you are unsure about something, READ again. Most questions have already been asked and answered.
If you find yourself lost......SEARCH and READ. Believe me this is this most useful advice you will ever get here.
Stuff is so easy now compared to when android 1st started. I remember rooting my G1 on a terminal prompt and installing recovery with wicked long commands. Now everything is automated and the hardest (NOT) part is reading the step by step instructions provided on almost every mod and tweak.
Welcome and goodluck !

[Q] Rooting Questions

Hi, I have looked around for a while, but have not received direct answers to these questions, any help would be appreciated. I am not new to rooting since I have rooted and flashed my previous phone (HTC Wildfire S), but these questions were unanswered to me, irregardless of where I looked.
-First, I know that when you gain root access you may toy around with your phone, but by rooting your device do you damage it? I am concerned about this because when I had a Wildfire S I rooted it and within a week it had MAJOR bugs, without flashing or moving any setting.
-Second, how do you perform a nandroid backup? I know that this is kind of a safety net to your device if it ever gets soft-bricked, but how do you do it? I have not had a clear explanation on how to do it.
-Third, I know that CyanogenMod is one of the most stable custom ROMS that there is out there, but does it offer Pure Android?
-Fourth, if any of you know any good (and stable) custom ROMS for the T-Mobile Galaxy S3, could you send them to me please?
-Fifth, I know that with some ROMS you lose certain features (such as video playback in some ROMS, yeah I know sounds terrible) but if I flash a ROM that does support this, do I gain the feature back or do I lose the feature forever?

Going through the same process
amezcuaesteban said:
Hi, I have looked around for a while, but have not received direct answers to these questions, any help would be appreciated. I am not new to rooting since I have rooted and flashed my previous phone (HTC Wildfire S), but these questions were unanswered to me, irregardless of where I looked.
-First, I know that when you gain root access you may toy around with your phone, but by rooting your device do you damage it? I am concerned about this because when I had a Wildfire S I rooted it and within a week it had MAJOR bugs, without flashing or moving any setting.
-Second, how do you perform a nandroid backup? I know that this is kind of a safety net to your device if it ever gets soft-bricked, but how do you do it? I have not had a clear explanation on how to do it.
-Third, I know that CyanogenMod is one of the most stable custom ROMS that there is out there, but does it offer Pure Android?
-Fourth, if any of you know any good (and stable) custom ROMS for the T-Mobile Galaxy S3, could you send them to me please?
-Fifth, I know that with some ROMS you lose certain features (such as video playback in some ROMS, yeah I know sounds terrible) but if I flash a ROM that does support this, do I gain the feature back or do I lose the feature forever?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm going through this same process now, and am new also--I rooted an old mytouch 3g slide and flashed CM7 on it. Afterwards it was bit buggy, but it was a bit buggy before too, hardware issues I think.
I think rooting in and of itself shouldn't mess up your phone, but if you don't do it correctly it could surely screw things up.
Do you have the T999 or T999L? which version will matter in terms of ROM flashing details (for example, I have the T999L, which is the LTE version)
Let me know of the progress you have on these questions!

I'm going through this same process now, and am new also--I rooted an old mytouch 3g slide and flashed CM7 on it. Afterwards it was bit buggy, but it was a bit buggy before too, hardware issues I think.
I think rooting in and of itself shouldn't mess up your phone, but if you don't do it correctly it could surely screw things up.
Do you have the T999 or T999L? which version will matter in terms of ROM flashing details (for example, I have the T999L, which is the LTE version)
Let me know of the progress you have on these questions!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I unfortunately have the T999. I know that mine won't be able to get LTE which is sad, but is this something that I MUST look into before flashing a ROM? Like are the t999 and T999L that different, I mean it is ONE chip.

amezcuaesteban said:
I unfortunately have the T999. I know that mine won't be able to get LTE which is sad, but is this something that I MUST look into before flashing a ROM? Like are the t999 and T999L that different, I mean it is ONE chip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's something to be aware of. I believe most of the T-mobile gs3 ROMS are built with the T999 in mind though, so you shouldn't really worry too much.
DocHOliday77's thread [INFO] [FAQ] Galaxy S3 w/ LTE - SGH-T999L & SGH-T999N points to some discrepancies between the T999 and T999L though
If you find my answers useful, push my thanks button! I need 10 to get full xda credentials

amezcuaesteban said:
Hi, I have looked around for a while, but have not received direct answers to these questions, any help would be appreciated. I am not new to rooting since I have rooted and flashed my previous phone (HTC Wildfire S), but these questions were unanswered to me, irregardless of where I looked.
-First, I know that when you gain root access you may toy around with your phone, but by rooting your device do you damage it? I am concerned about this because when I had a Wildfire S I rooted it and within a week it had MAJOR bugs, without flashing or moving any setting.
Rooting does nothing but give you SuperUser access to your phone. That is literally all it does. Now what you do with it can cause major headaches.
-Second, how do you perform a nandroid backup? I know that this is kind of a safety net to your device if it ever gets soft-bricked, but how do you do it? I have not had a clear explanation on how to do it.
Install a custom recovery such as TWRP or Clockwork (CWR), then boot into recovery via key combo (Power+VolDown+Home, see blue light at top left and release the keys). From there you will see how Back Up/Restore options.
-Third, I know that CyanogenMod is one of the most stable custom ROMS that there is out there, but does it offer Pure Android?
Many ROMs out there. Just need to read the OPs for what you want.
-Fourth, if any of you know any good (and stable) custom ROMS for the T-Mobile Galaxy S3, could you send them to me please?
Not allowed and don't ask this type of question. All it ever turns into is an EPeen contest and will surely get the thread closed down.
-Fifth, I know that with some ROMS you lose certain features (such as video playback in some ROMS, yeah I know sounds terrible) but if I flash a ROM that does support this, do I gain the feature back or do I lose the feature forever?
This is exactly what a Nandroid backup is for. Something that you don't like or something borks, then just boot into recovery and restore your last working ROM backup. Kind of the point. Not sure I have ever heard of a ROM losing video playback as all are pretty much optimized nowadays.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See my edits in Red.
el_garicimo said:
I'm going through this same process now, and am new also--I rooted an old mytouch 3g slide and flashed CM7 on it. Afterwards it was bit buggy, but it was a bit buggy before too, hardware issues I think.
I think rooting in and of itself shouldn't mess up your phone, but if you don't do it correctly it could surely screw things up.
Do you have the T999 or T999L? which version will matter in terms of ROM flashing details (for example, I have the T999L, which is the LTE version)
Let me know of the progress you have on these questions!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See my part above about Rooting. You are correct in that it doesn't affect anything whatsoever. It is what you do with it.
I am pretty sure that most are based off T999 code and in order to have the LTE, you have to flash the LTE modem. Might want to ask Doc about that as he has/had the T999L.
Also, CM7 was a long time ago and things have massively progress since then.
amezcuaesteban said:
I unfortunately have the T999. I know that mine won't be able to get LTE which is sad, but is this something that I MUST look into before flashing a ROM? Like are the t999 and T999L that different, I mean it is ONE chip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See my reply above.
el_garicimo said:
It's something to be aware of. I believe most of the T-mobile gs3 ROMS are built with the T999 in mind though, so you shouldn't really worry too much.
DocHOliday77's thread [INFO] [FAQ] Galaxy S3 w/ LTE - SGH-T999L & SGH-T999N points to some discrepancies between the T999 and T999L though
If you find my answers useful, push my thanks button! I need 10 to get full xda credentials
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is false. You don't need 10 Thanks to get your credentials. You need 10 posts in order to lose the Captcha and be able to post in the Development threads. Please do not post a question in the Dev thread or even worse a "Thanks". This link should explain it all for you.

Android Upgrade / Root?

Hello,
I've got a Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 that I bought during the few months when it was the top of the line small tablet from Samsung (before the S series came out). Since it seems clear that Samsung has abandoned it and it won't get an Android update, I want to see what it'll take to upgrade to at least Lollipop. I'm pretty tech savy, but I've never tried to do anything like this with Android and I'm not at all sure where to start.
I've started to read the thread on rooting, but I quickly got a bit lost as I don't understand the terminology.
My goal would be to simply get to stock Lollipop or Marshmallow and have a stable, functional tablet that I don't have to tweak or mess with much. I'd also like to be able to go back if it proves too buggy. Is that feasible, or is rooting plus upgrading pretty much something that will require constant maintenance and tweaking? If it is possible, can someone point me to a how to for complete newbies?

Rooting will not help you upgrade your tablet to Lollipop or Marshmallow as they aren't available for your device. You might want to google "what is rooting" and find out what it does before proceeding.
The only thing you could do to get L or MM is install a custom ROM such as this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/gal...5-1-x-cyanogenmod-13-0-nightlies-tab-t3256093

CafeKampuchia said:
Rooting will not help you upgrade your tablet to Lollipop or Marshmallow as they aren't available for your device. You might want to google "what is rooting" and find out what it does before proceeding.
The only thing you could do to get L or MM is install a custom ROM such as this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/gal...5-1-x-cyanogenmod-13-0-nightlies-tab-t3256093
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What makes you thin that his device is not have any Third Party ROMs (i.e CyanogenMod)? FYI this is the Tab Pro Fourm, and his Device should damned well be able to get to Lollipop or Marshmallow. e.g. CM12.1, or CM13.
As for rooting which you have to do at the start. Will most likely send him back to SamFirmware's where he'll need to likely first downgrade his Firmware to one that has a rootable exploit. i.e. a 'BOC1' ROM for the T325. (Which is the version I have). Through Odin (Samsung's Android Firmware Windows PC flashing Software). Then run something like the CFRoot App to get root.
NOTE: THIS WILL THROW YOUR KNOX FLAG!
This means that you'll never be able to use Knox services on that Device ever again. It will also throw the Warranty Flag as well Alerting Samsung that the Firmware was tampered with. For the moment (As I gather there is no known way to reset either of these Flags.) Not that this should stop you from installing either CM12.1 Lollipop (Seems to have lost support to) CM13 Marshmallow which is currently on a nightly release.
So the better question to ask is which T32x does Op even have? The T320 (Wi-Fi) The most common, and cheapest version has the greatest support. Where as the T325 (LTE), and T321 (3G) versions seem to be leaving behind. though even these are currently well into Marshmallow, and like with most ROMs there are some small bugs. But, on the whole My Device is more or less working as it should be.

Ichijoe said:
What makes you thin that his device is not have any Third Party ROMs (i.e CyanogenMod)? FYI this is the Tab Pro Fourm, and his Device should damned well be able to get to Lollipop or Marshmallow. e.g. CM12.1, or CM13.
As for rooting which you have to do at the start. Will most likely send him back to SamFirmware's where he'll need to likely first downgrade his Firmware to one that has a rootable exploit. i.e. a 'BOC1' ROM for the T325. (Which is the version I have). Through Odin (Samsung's Android Firmware Windows PC flashing Software). Then run something like the CFRoot App to get root.
NOTE: THIS WILL THROW YOUR KNOX FLAG!
This means that you'll never be able to use Knox services on that Device ever again. It will also throw the Warranty Flag as well Alerting Samsung that the Firmware was tampered with. For the moment (As I gather there is no known way to reset either of these Flags.) Not that this should stop you from installing either CM12.1 Lollipop (Seems to have lost support to) CM13 Marshmallow which is currently on a nightly release.
So the better question to ask is which T32x does Op even have? The T320 (Wi-Fi) The most common, and cheapest version has the greatest support. Where as the T325 (LTE), and T321 (3G) versions seem to be leaving behind. though even these are currently well into Marshmallow, and like with most ROMs there are some small bugs. But, on the whole My Device is more or less working as it should be.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) I read the OP. He said, "stock Lollipop or Marshmallow."
2) You don't have to root TouchWiz to install a custom ROM. All you have to do is install TWRP, but it doesn't matter because of #1 above.

Well yes if he wanted Stock then he'd be outta luck. But that is not how I read it. I read it that he has accepted the fact that Samsung have left us in the lurch concerning any future updates.
That's how I read it, so the question follows in how to install a Custom ROM. Granted it should be possible to install TWRP v. 3.0.1-0, though Odin, and then the Device appropriate ROM. It should go without saying that the T320, and T325 are not the same Device, even if they are both collectively known as Galaxy Tab Pro's 8.4. As such it would be upnto the owner to know which version he might need.

Ichijoe said:
Well yes if he wanted Stock then he'd be outta luck. But that is not how I read it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem, is folks really need to stop using the word "stock" as it really doesn't mean jack. Or at the least, means so many different things to different people, as to be basically meaningless. I would take stock to mean, what belongs on the device per the manufacturer, so that would be Kitkat TouchWiz in this case. To others (and probably what the OP is getting at) is a "pure" unskinned Google experience like Nexus. But seeing as Nexus is limited to such a small number of devices, I don't personally feel you can consider that "stock". CM is AOSP based, and at one time considered by many to be close to a pure AOSP experience. But those days are long gone, and there are so many proprietary CM features and apps now, you can't even begin to consider this "stock" by any means.
---------- Post added at 03:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:22 PM ----------
_salguod said:
My goal would be to simply get to stock Lollipop or Marshmallow and have a stable, functional tablet that I don't have to tweak or mess with much. I'd also like to be able to go back if it proves too buggy. Is that feasible, or is rooting plus upgrading pretty much something that will require constant maintenance and tweaking?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you are asking for is CM12 or CM13 (LP or MM) or one of the CM based ROMs. Those are really your only choice when it comes to anything past KK on this device. The CM ROMs are are very stable at this point. You might run into an obscure bug, but to be honest, its less laggy and overall a much better experience than the official Samsung TouchWiz ROM. And if you want to be free of Samsung bloat, CM definitely does that as well.
Tweak or maintain? You don't have to do anything after flashing the ROM, if you don't want to. You can decide to update to newer nightly CM builds from time to time, but that is completely optional. And to be honest, even CM13 is so stable at this point, that the nightly updates don't really change much of anything.
Go back? That's a breeze. Just do a backup in TWRP custom recovery before flashing a ROM, and you can restore to that backup (basically a snapshot of your existing configuration).
_salguod said:
If it is possible, can someone point me to a how to for complete newbies?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, just searching and reading are your best friend. You'll learn a lot more that way, than folk spoon-feeding you the info. The process isn't really all that hard. There may be a lot of esoteric lingo, but you can easily Google or use the XDA site search to find out what those terms mean. And once you've gone through the process, you'll likely be happy for the learning experience.
XDA is a wealth of information, for those willing to take the time to learn and search. All the answers you want are here in one form or other. Difficult to wade through at first, I'll agree with that. But all of us here had to go through the same thing at one time or other.
Its really hard to help someone when they say is "I'm a newb, tell me how to do this". Make a lot more sense for you to just dive in, then come back here with some specific questions, which we will gladly answer.

it would help to know what version OS you're running and the build #.
I rooted my tablet late last year (bought it in May 2015). Wasn't hard to do after some reading. Knox is still good too...1 yr warranty will be over soon.

Thanks all, I appreciate it. I've been doing some more digging to try to learn what everything means so I might know what I'm talking about. I started with the Lifehacker rooting guide (I can't post links yet, add this to lifehacker dot com: /5789397/the-always-up-to-date-guide-to-rooting-any-android-phone) and their how to flash a ROM guide (/how-to-flash-a-rom-to-your-android-phone-30885281) as well. Let me know if those aren't good places to start. I've also read through the CyanogenMod how to for the 8.4, which seems pretty thorough.
I definitely appreciate the push to search and learn, but it can feel like drinking from a firehose. Most "how to" posts are written assuming the reader knows the terminology and every post I read means Googling a half a dozen terms to understand it. For example, I have no idea what the Knox flag is or why I'd care if it got triggered. I don't care about the warranty flag, I'm past the 1 year mark so it doesn't really matter, right?
When I said "stock" I was referring to stock out of the box Android, not stock Samsung. Stock Samsung means staying with KitKat which I'd rather not do. My phone is a Motorola Droid Turbo, which I think is pretty close to stock Android Lollipop, so that I'm familiar with that.
However, I think I'm seeing that going stock Android isn't necessarily possible, or rather, other ROMs are easier to come by. Cyanogenmod seems to be the most popular and sounds very stable, I'll likely try that.
So, I don't need to root in order to flash a new ROM. What's unclear is do I need to do anything special to make sure I can go back to the out of the box Samsung KK that I have now in case I really screw it up or just don't like it and want to go back? Will the process of installing Cyanogenmod wipe my device (apps, files, accounts, data, etc.?
Any other surprises that a guy who has never done this might want to know before going in?
Thanks again for your patience and help.

I forgot to mention, I've got the wifi model, T-320. It's running 4.4.2, build number KOT49H.T320UEU1AOC1.

Well you have a number of choices for your T320 (WiFi), Sadly nonmof those stock. Since Samsung has never seen fit to ever giving us one. For me the Samsung (e.g. Vender ROMs), were always the 'Stock' ROMs. 'Pure' ROMs (al-la Nexus), are clearly Custom ROMs.
The best, and quickest way to learn how to update from Stock to Custom would be to hit up YouTube for a few short Vids on the subject.

_salguod said:
I've been doing some more digging to try to learn what everything means so I might know what I'm talking about. I started with the Lifehacker rooting guide (I can't post links yet, add this to lifehacker dot com: /5789397/the-always-up-to-date-guide-to-rooting-any-android-phone) and their how to flash a ROM guide (/how-to-flash-a-rom-to-your-android-phone-30885281) as well. Let me know if those aren't good places to start. I've also read through the CyanogenMod how to for the 8.4, which seems pretty thorough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those aren't bad general guides, to just introduce you to the basic concepts and terms. Just keep in mind that every different Android device has its nuances, which vary by manufacturer and over time (from one device to another - even from the same manufacturer). So you'll be referring back to Tab Pro 8.4 specific guides eventually.
_salguod said:
I have no idea what the Knox flag is or why I'd care if it got triggered. I don't care about the warranty flag, I'm past the 1 year mark so it doesn't really matter, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Basically, if you don't know what the Knox flag is, then it probably doesn't matter.
The longer story, Knox is a enterprise mobile solution made by Samsung. If you company doesn't use Knox (and you don't use your device for work), you don't need it. The huge majority of folks will never need Knox or want it.
You're right, that if the warranty is expired, the warranty flag doesn't matter. And honestly, I rooted my device while it still had a valid warranty. I'd rather have a device that I can use how I wish, and install what software I want (especially if Samsung isn't going to support it with updates) and warranty is a secondary concern, at most.
_salguod said:
What's unclear is do I need to do anything special to make sure I can go back to the out of the box Samsung KK that I have now in case I really screw it up or just don't like it and want to go back?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once you install TWRP custom recovery, you can make a backup of the current Samsung TouchWiz KK ROM; and revert to that if needed or desired.
But honestly, you won't want to go back. CM runs faster and smoother, with no Samsung bloat. You won't want to go back to the crappy TouchWiz ROM, that is 2 generations (Android versions) obsolete.
But it is a good idea to have a backup, in case flashing CM doesn't go right the first time, and the device won't boot.
_salguod said:
Will the process of installing Cyanogenmod wipe my device (apps, files, accounts, data, etc.?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will absolute want to wipe user data when installing CM. Not doing so will likely cause major bugs and/or failure to boot. This is the general rule whenever flashing a new ROM. Although for similar ROMs (such as minor CM updates) you can try to keep user data. This is called a "dirty flash".
You can backup a lot of your data before flashing CM:
Apps: After root, you can use the app Titanium Backup (highly recommended) to backup apps and app data
Accounts: Titanium can backup a lot of this stuff, as well. Depends on what you are talking about, specifically.
Files: just move them to SD card or your computer. Or use a cloud solution (there are many)
You should always be backing up your data, anyway, if its important to you.

_salguod said:
I forgot to mention, I've got the wifi model, T-320. It's running 4.4.2, build number KOT49H.T320UEU1AOC1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same firmware as what I had prior to rooting it.
The cyanogen articles give a good rundown on how to install it. The only thing that I'm not sure about is whether getting the sdcard to be formatted/recognized is still an issue or not.
When last I checked back in Feb. it seemed like that was still unresolved. I have a 64gb card and getting it to be read by CM13 was absolutely critical. So any move to CM13 was postponed.
Running Kitkat is fine for me...after rooting it, I uninstalled/froze a lot of software incl. a lot of Samsung crap that was eating the battery. The battery is my only complaint with the tablet.

AndroidPrince1 said:
The cyanogen articles give a good rundown on how to install it. The only thing that I'm not sure about is whether getting the sdcard to be formatted/recognized is still an issue or not.
When last I checked back in Feb. it seemed like that was still unresolved. I have a 64gb card and getting it to be read by CM13 was absolutely critical. So any move to CM13 was postponed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The SD card issue on CM13 was solved in early March. It was holding me back as well (stayed on CM12.1) , until I saw it was solved. Now I've been using CM13 for over a month. My 64GB card works great with CM13.
AndroidPrince1 said:
Running Kitkat is fine for me...after rooting it, I uninstalled/froze a lot of software incl. a lot of Samsung crap that was eating the battery. The battery is my only complaint with the tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you flash CM, you'll see its a lot smoother and snappier, especially on the home screens, app drawer, etc.

Thanks all, I plan on biting the bullet some time soon. Too much other stuff on my plate (like car repairs, etc.) so it'll have to wait for a bit. I'll check back in when I do. I'm looking forward to it.

redpoint73 said:
The SD card issue on CM13 was solved in early March. It was holding me back as well (stayed on CM12.1) , until I saw it was solved. Now I've been using CM13 for over a month. My 64GB card works great with CM13.
If you flash CM, you'll see its a lot smoother and snappier, especially on the home screens, app drawer, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know on the sdcard thing...looks like I'll have to read up again on how to do.
Thanks for the note.

_salguod said:
What's unclear is do I need to do anything special to make sure I can go back to the out of the box Samsung KK that I have now in case I really screw it up or just don't like it and want to go back?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BTW, you can always restore your device to 100% stock (Samsung) by downloading the firmware from sammobile.com/firmwares and flashing it using Odin. If you get into trouble, this will help get you back out.
But since flashing CM13 nightlies is relatively easy, I don't think you'll have any serious trouble, just the normal learning curve.
I've had my SM-T320 on Cyanogenmod since the day after I bought it in 2014 and never looked back :good:

CafeKampuchia said:
BTW, you can always restore your device to 100% stock (Samsung) by downloading the firmware from sammobile.com/firmwares and flashing it using Odin. If you get into trouble, this will help get you back out.
But since flashing CM13 nightlies is relatively easy, I don't think you'll have any serious trouble, just the normal learning curve.
I've had my SM-T320 on Cyanogenmod since the day after I bought it in 2014 and never looked back :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see any US firmwares on the sammobile.com site. Am I looking in the wrong place?

_salguod said:
I don't see any US firmwares on the sammobile.com site. Am I looking in the wrong place?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cellular South is the US firmware for some reason.

I'm trying to load the latest CM 13.0 nightly this morning and running into issues.
I'm following the install instructions on the CM website and the loading of a custom recovery is failing at step 7. I get the start of the blue bar on my tablet, but I get this error in the command prompt:
Downloading device's PIT file...
ERROR: Failed to send request to end PIT file transfer!
ERROR: Failed to download PIT file!
Ending session...
ERROR: Failed to send end session packet!
Releasing device interface...​
I've tried twice with the the factory cable and a third time with an alternate cable same result.
How do I fix that?

I should mention that I'm working on a Windows 10 computer.

Rooting and upgrading SM-G3502T

Greetings, people of the XDA forums! I am Brazilian Slaughter, some anonymous brazilian from northern Brazil.
I am the owner of a Samsung Galaxy Core Plus (SM-G3502T) smartphone, android jellybean.
Lately, my smartphone has been getting in my nerves with its slowness. A few months ago, I have decided to root it. Someone somewhere in the internet has suggested me to root and install Cyanogen, because the default samsung interface is slow crap and putting Cyanogen would make it faster.
I went researching these days, and found that Cyanogen is dead, LineageOS is in its place. But, searching and asking, i found out that LineageOS has no official support for my phone. A guy in reddit did tell me there was a unnoficial build for my phone and I should ask here.
So, here I am. I got my files backuped already. I plan on rooting it and installing a new ROM. But...
1. Which is the best root program? I've heard of Kingroot, but people told me its shady chinese ****, so I should go with SuperSu, Xposed or another program (something with magic whose name I forget).
2. Which is the best rom to install? Is there a unnoficial build of LineageOS for my device? Is it worth it? Should I install something else? If so, what?
(is this the right section? I hope it is)
Thank you for the help!

You can't put anything custom (no Custom Recovery and no Custom ROM) on the SM-G3502T, because it has a locked bootloader (I wrote something here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/help/samsung-galaxy-core-plus-trend-3-t3524989 )
That means in 1) that you can't flash SuperSU, Xposed or Magisk (you probably meant that) and 2) is completely impossible
You may be able to root it (can't say how, I don't have this phone, I heard that vRoot, Kingoroot or Framaroot should work though, there is a script too which replaces it with SuperSU).
If you can't root the phone (or fail somewhere and it is bricked), get the stock firmware from http://www.sammobile.com/ and install it through ODIN (If you need I can send you a few links on how to do that)
EDIT: Added link

Thank you, Tim Schumi! This post was very informative!
I better not risk rooting it for now, learn more. I think I know someone who might get it done. I might get a new cellphone soon - or better saying, mom might get a new cellphone soon, and I will get hers'. Once I have a backup I can risk it freely.
This is a good phone, but it has some annoying useless **** it totally does not need, you know?

Brazilian Slaughter said:
Thank you, Tim Schumi! This post was very informative!
I better not risk rooting it for now, learn more. I think I know someone who might get it done. I might get a new cellphone soon - or better saying, mom might get a new cellphone soon, and I will get hers'. Once I have a backup I can risk it freely.
This is a good phone, but it has some annoying useless **** it totally does not need, you know?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can always flash back your Stock ROM via Odin (unless you really manage to overwrite something like the bootloader). But yeah, you better wait until you have another phone so you can try stuff with this one.