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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.
I followed instructions to root it and its rooted, but have never been able to get Cyanogenmod to Install (I always get the same error everyone else does), and when I try to check out different ROMS, no one even posts many pics to show what the difference will be to use that ROM.
My phone looks the same as before and I'm just using ADW launcher to set it up the way I want it to look.
So how can I tell exactly what point of rooting my phone has reached? Do I actually have a different ROM, etc? I don't know much about this stuff and I'm not bricking my phone messing around with it until I know exactly where to start.
What custom recovery and bootloader are currently loaded on the phone?
kmodek said:
So how can I tell exactly what point of rooting my phone has reached? Do I actually have a different ROM, etc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi!
Go to your phone's System Settings --> About phone.
In there, you should be able to figure out which Android version is currently installed on your phone; if you have a custom ROM, most of the time ROMs developers will also add an additional line somewhere on that screen to tell exactly what revision of their ROM is installed. If not, you may be able to grab some more information by checking your build number or your kernel revision.
If you tap a few times on where it says Android Version, under Settings>More>About Device , it usually does a little animation of the rom version. Im trying to decide on a rom so mine is kit kat 4.2.2 at the moment and dislpays an Android logo in the Kit Kat logo style.
Since the bootloader version is not displayed on the About Phone page, you will need to determine that with another method. A simple way would be with the Samsung Info app from the PlayStore, the one posted by vndnguyen.
I personally use Terminal Emulator commands to determine phone info.
Code:
getprop ro.bootloader
getprop | grep version.baseband
I got the app from the Play store and it shows I'm on 4.4.2, but that the Knox has been tripped (I know it's rooted because I have an app that verifies root), but other than that, I can't tell any difference from how it was originally.
Guess I just thought rooting it would make it look a lot different and after reading through all of the forums, there seems to be 100 steps just to try out one new ROM and I don't even know what you do if you get it and decide you don't even like it. I just don't want to brick my phone.
kmodek said:
Guess I just thought rooting it would make it look a lot different and after reading through all of the forums, there seems to be 100 steps just to try out one new ROM and I don't even know what you do if you get it and decide you don't even like it. I just don't want to brick my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i was watching youtube videos of reviews of the different custom ROMs gave a good idea on the features and layout of each rom. I as well am having difficulty deciding on a ROM to flash as this is my first smart phone and am new to it. ive been reading and watching a bunch of tutorials but finding information on whats currently stable for our particular phone can be somewhat dated. i know moderators want to avoid a "best roms" thread but for those of us just starting out with a rooted phone it sure would be handy to have opinions on what ppl use for the SGH-I747 and why, so its easier to decide on one.
is it reccommended to upgrade or downgrade? in order to compare ROMs its watching a video for 15 min to see what features it had at the time the vid was made and reading the developer forums on each mod to see what bugs are present in the current release but its not all compiled anywhere. its that or randomly flash ROMs on there to test them out and risk making mistakes. its usually always better to have advice from those with expertise and perhaps avoid making commonly made mistakes. ive read a bunch of helpful and handy guides on here but doesnt seem any way to easily compare roms or get feedback on what users have decided on sticking with or anything additional specific to this phone that should be considered before flashing certain ROMs.
kmodek said:
I got the app from the Play store and it shows I'm on 4.4.2, but that the Knox has been tripped (I know it's rooted because I have an app that verifies root), but other than that, I can't tell any difference from how it was originally.
Guess I just thought rooting it would make it look a lot different and after reading through all of the forums, there seems to be 100 steps just to try out one new ROM and I don't even know what you do if you get it and decide you don't even like it. I just don't want to brick my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this thread may help to explain some badic things.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2343223
my advice , for what its worth ...
1) READ READ READ
2) make a backup of your current setup so you have it to fall back on.
3) NEVER downgrade your bootloader , flash any ROM/kernel not meant for your device (sure way to brick it).
theres always risk when flashing anything , but the risks can be minimized by understanding what your doing , or rather the process.
as far as flashing roms , its pretty simple once you understand it (as with most things. lol). reading thru a ROMs thread will give a general idea of any features , issues that the users have. the OP , first post ; will tell you alot about the ROM/features.
good luck and happy flashing.!
"all i can really do , is stay out of my own way and let the will of heaven be done"
kmodek said:
.... (I know it's rooted because I have an app that verifies root), but other than that, I can't tell any difference from how it was originally.
Guess I just thought rooting it would make it look a lot different and after reading through all of the forums, there seems to be 100 steps just to try out one new ROM and I don't even know what you do if you get it and decide you don't even like it. I just don't want to brick my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The act of rooting does not outwardly change the look and feel of a ROM in any way. It's what you do after rooting that makes the difference.
Some like the Stock Rom of a device and/or do not want to lose some of its unique features. These people will root but not flash a custom ROM.
I've had two android phones and one tablet. Initially I root a new device but leave it on the stock ROM. At that time I will use an app that requires root to freeze any of the pre-installed apps that I don't use (My definition of bloat.) I don't remove/delete them at the beginning. If freezing them breaks some other functionality I want that app still on the device so that I can unfreeze it and make everything work again. Both of my phones have been Samsungs, a SGS Captivate and a SGS3. After a while on rooted stock I have changed to custom ROMs on each. The Captivate went from stock to CyanogenMod to a CM derived ROM. The SGS3 went from stock to a re-themed, custom ROM based on stock but with much removed (carrier bloat) and some other functions added. I expect to soon change to a later version of the same ROM with even more removed. Others want to have a ROM with every bell and whistle possible to have present. It's all individual preference.
havok6669 said:
i was watching youtube videos of reviews of the different custom ROMs gave a good idea on the features and layout of each rom. I as well am having difficulty deciding on a ROM to flash as this is my first smart phone and am new to it. ive been reading and watching a bunch of tutorials but finding information on whats currently stable for our particular phone can be somewhat dated. i know moderators want to avoid a "best roms" thread but for those of us just starting out with a rooted phone it sure would be handy to have opinions on what ppl use for the SGH-I747 and why, so its easier to decide on one.
is it reccommended to upgrade or downgrade? in order to compare ROMs its watching a video for 15 min to see what features it had at the time the vid was made and reading the developer forums on each mod to see what bugs are present in the current release but its not all compiled anywhere. its that or randomly flash ROMs on there to test them out and risk making mistakes. its usually always better to have advice from those with expertise and perhaps avoid making commonly made mistakes. ive read a bunch of helpful and handy guides on here but doesnt seem any way to easily compare roms or get feedback on what users have decided on sticking with or anything additional specific to this phone that should be considered before flashing certain ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are so many variations on what is possible that a compilation thread to cover all situations would seem as huge as wikipedia. Your approach, reviewing videos and checking rom OPs, has merit but it also has limitations. Unfortunately some of the devs give you almost no information about the features and customizations of their ROMs. Others will simply state that they have made a change or two to some base, expecting you to be familiar with the base. Which means a lot of more reading/reviewing for a person new to customizing their phone.
To advise any one questioner on what can be installed on their phone a responder must first know what bootloader and modem is on the device, are you already rooted, do you have a custom recovery installed yet, are you willing to risk breaking your warranty; the list goes on. Then the hard part comes - they have to recommend something that is in the realm of what you are expecting, even if you do not know what you are expecting.
dawgdoc said:
To advise any one questioner on what can be installed on their phone a responder must first know what bootloader and modem is on the device, are you already rooted, do you have a custom recovery installed yet, are you willing to risk breaking your warranty; the list goes on. Then the hard part comes - they have to recommend something that is in the realm of what you are expecting, even if you do not know what you are expecting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well i made sure i learned a bunch before even attempting to ask a question so i got as much as possible prepared i'll try to provide the best information i can. my phone is rooted with superuser su2.0 i have cwm 6.0.1.2 installed, ive done a cwm nandroid backup which i copied to my pc as well as a backup of my efs folder and done a titanium backup as well. i have odin 3.07 on my pc and am currently running kitkat 4.4.2 on my sgh-i747m (sasktel version) currently trying to figure out how to determine the modem and bootloader versions . i followed the galaxys3root.com guide galaxys3root.com/galaxy-s3-root/how-to-root-galaxy-s3-on-android-4-34-4-2-new and the highonandroid youtube vid in order to root my phone and made sure i read re read and was very cautious to follow instructions to the letter also read some worst case scenario information first like how to cause a phone to become bricked and how to fix it should it happen etc so before ive done anything else ive made sure to back everything up and ask a few more questions befor ei take the final plunge :] as for what ROM would tickle my tailfeathers was liking how carbon looked but it seems it hasnt been maintained :[ something good on battery life that runs fast n stable and is has a bunch of customization features is what i was hoping for. the main reason i decided to root my phone was to learn more about it and customize my os away from the stock look and feel and unlock some of the potential it has that a stock rom would otherwise neglect. the more i learn the sooner i can help by giving back to the community :]
havok6669 said:
....
my phone is rooted with superuser su2.0 i have cwm 6.0.1.2 installed, ive done a cwm nandroid backup which i copied to my pc as well as a backup of my efs folder
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CWM 6.0.1.2 is a bit dated, their latest version is 6.0.4.7 and even it is a bit dated. You may find that to flash a current ROM you will need to update CWM. For some of the newer ROMs even 6.0.4.7 is not current enough. You will need to change to Philz Recovery, based on CWM, or TWRP. Bear in mind that if you change to TWRP you will not be able to use your CWM nandroid. I don't know if the same applies to Philz Recovery.
https://www.clockworkmod.com/rommanager
https://goo.im/devs/philz_touch/CWM_Advanced_Edition/d2lte/ (page is down at the moment)
http://teamw.in/devices/samsunggalaxys3canada.html (d2can TWRP, though I think you can use d2att, check before using d2att)
There is definitely a newer version of SuperSu (by Chainfire) available. It went through a lot of development to handle issues related to Knox that came out with Touchwiz 4.3. SuperSu is now up to 2.49 and I would recommend upgrading it no matter what ROM you should end up choosing. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1538053 There is a zip you can flash from you current CWM there.
It's not a bad idea to have several fallbacks for imei/nvdata. Give this tread a look: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1852255&highlight=synergy+nvbackup I used the reboot nvbackup from there and EFS Backup developed by wanam
... am currently running kitkat 4.4.2 on my sgh-i747m (sasktel version) currently trying to figure out how to determine the modem and bootloader versions .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sasktel has released 4 versions of Android 4.4.2, each with a different bootloader and modem. Any should be fine no matter what ROM you choose, even a Lollipop based ROM. But to check you can get Phone Info - Samsung by vndnguyen from the Playstore. Or you could use a pair of commands in Terminal Emulator
Code:
getprop ro.bootloader
getprop | grep version.baseband
... as for what ROM would tickle my tailfeathers was liking how carbon looked but it seems it hasnt been maintained :[ something good on battery life that runs fast n stable and is has a bunch of customization features is what i was hoping for. the main reason i decided to root my phone was to learn more about it and customize my os away from the stock look and feel and unlock some of the potential it has that a stock rom would otherwise neglect. the more i learn the sooner i can help by giving back to the community :]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could either go straight a Lollipop based ROM or start with a KitKat ROM. The KK ROM would probably be a bit more stable, although some of the nightly 5.1.1 LP ROMs are looking good according to many of the people installing the nightly versions. If you want something already customized with options for your choosing look to CM and its derivatives or one of the AOSP roms that are already tricked out. The other direction would be to install the most barebones AOSP ROM you could find and use XPosed with the GravityBox or Wanam module to tweak just about everything, but not both at the same time.
wow thanks that all helps a ton ill work on locating and updating all of that :]
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.
Just ordered my HTC 10, excited...and nervous as I've not had a new device (like long term) in... like over 1.5 years. :S I'm mainly hoping the microSD card slot likes my 128GB U1 x633 card so I can finally have enough space for all my vinyl rips, and then I hope the DAC is as good as they say.
So anyway, I've been reading all of this stuff about rooting and loosing the radio connection and something about the data encryption breaking everything O.O!!! Holy crap. I just wanna root it, find a good rom and dev to support and enjoy it. This is what I do on my current daily driver, my old OPO. I've been trying to look around, search, and read to make sure that I avoid all of these issues mentioned but so far I've not found a concrete explanation of why said issues happen. Not new to rooting/flashing at all, but HTC devices always seemed to of been touchy when it came to custom stuff, and I don't want to explode this thing. My main problem is that I've been away from HTC for.... well since early 2014.
My current knowledge of android stuffz tells me to:
1) Unlock Bootloader via ADB
2) Flash TWRP/Other Customer Recovery
3) Find sweet rom, flash and spend hours customizing
4) Flash xposed and go crazy with modules until the phone explodes and then scale it back to a realistic level
5) Enjoy Phone
6) Cake
HOWEVER... I remember HTC devices having a bit more complication due to things like... RUU and firmware.. I don't even remember what RUU means lol... But I remember when I had my M8 I was always fighting these dang firmware issues. While I ended up with a fantastic experience, I remember fighting for almost 2 months or so to get it to behave. Battery was out of control, phone was crashing, camera exploding. Oh man it sucked, but finally someone really cool was like... "Yo dude I had these issues, this is what you have to do with HTC stuff" , and after a full hour of flashing shiz I had the phone running smoothly and behaving correctly. Something about... you had to flash each level of the firmware and then reboot and...something. Like you couldn't just skip to the latest firmware? I don't remember exactly.
So anyway, the main question I have is. Could someone either
A.) Point me in the direction of a post or something to study to understand what to do and not do. I've searched but not really found anything solid. Something for folks who've been off the HTC scene for a while.
B.) If there isn't really a single post on this, perhaps if someone doesn't mind explaining this (even pm is fine) to me so I don't explord this expensive mofo and cry.
C.) Give me a hug, because I am nervous about having a new device O.O , it's been so long and I'm so used to Cm13 and xposed and all that jazz. I is be scared.
I would be grateful to any and all help/support.
Anyway, thanks in advanced guys and gals. :3
Locklear308 said:
Just ordered my HTC 10, excited...and nervous as I've not had a new device (like long term) in... like over 1.5 years. :S I'm mainly hoping the microSD card slot likes my 128GB U1 x633 card so I can finally have enough space for all my vinyl rips, and then I hope the DAC is as good as they say.
So anyway, I've been reading all of this stuff about rooting and loosing the radio connection and something about the data encryption breaking everything O.O!!! Holy crap. I just wanna root it, find a good rom and dev to support and enjoy it. This is what I do on my current daily driver, my old OPO. I've been trying to look around, search, and read to make sure that I avoid all of these issues mentioned but so far I've not found a concrete explanation of why said issues happen. Not new to rooting/flashing at all, but HTC devices always seemed to of been touchy when it came to custom stuff, and I don't want to explode this thing. My main problem is that I've been away from HTC for.... well since early 2014.
My current knowledge of android stuffz tells me to:
1) Unlock Bootloader via ADB
2) Flash TWRP/Other Customer Recovery
3) Find sweet rom, flash and spend hours customizing
4) Flash xposed and go crazy with modules until the phone explodes and then scale it back to a realistic level
5) Enjoy Phone
6) Cake
HOWEVER... I remember HTC devices having a bit more complication due to things like... RUU and firmware.. I don't even remember what RUU means lol... But I remember when I had my M8 I was always fighting these dang firmware issues. While I ended up with a fantastic experience, I remember fighting for almost 2 months or so to get it to behave. Battery was out of control, phone was crashing, camera exploding. Oh man it sucked, but finally someone really cool was like... "Yo dude I had these issues, this is what you have to do with HTC stuff" , and after a full hour of flashing shiz I had the phone running smoothly and behaving correctly. Something about... you had to flash each level of the firmware and then reboot and...something. Like you couldn't just skip to the latest firmware? I don't remember exactly.
So anyway, the main question I have is. Could someone either
A.) Point me in the direction of a post or something to study to understand what to do and not do. I've searched but not really found anything solid. Something for folks who've been off the HTC scene for a while.
B.) If there isn't really a single post on this, perhaps if someone doesn't mind explaining this (even pm is fine) to me so I don't explord this expensive mofo and cry.
C.) Give me a hug, because I am nervous about having a new device O.O , it's been so long and I'm so used to Cm13 and xposed and all that jazz. I is be scared.
I would be grateful to any and all help/support.
Anyway, thanks in advanced guys and gals. :3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was in the same boat haven't owed an HTC since the Fuze running Windows lol and have been a loyal Samsung user since the S1 so the whole adb fastboot thing was a little overwhelming. I followed the guide in the forum and had a few hiccups but overall went pretty smooth. Adb is definitely not as user friendly as Odin on a Sammy device but not to difficult. My only tips would be make sure you have all the latest drivers, twrp, and adb installed. It seems pretty hard to permanently brick a device these days from my experience so I wouldn't worry to much. As far as the radio not working, as long as you keep your device encrypted you won't lose your radio. I'm sure the devs will find a fix for this soon enough. Enjoy your new 10!
Edit: I'm using a lexar 128gb 633x U1 micro sd and all is well. Worked with adoptable storage also but felt a little sluggish so I went back to using it as external storage.
AndroiderM said:
I was in the same boat haven't owed an HTC since the Fuze running Windows lol and have been a loyal Samsung user since the S1 so the whole adb fastboot thing was a little overwhelming. I followed the guide in the forum and had a few hiccups but overall went pretty smooth. Adb is definitely not as user friendly as Odin on a Sammy device but not to difficult. My only tips would be make sure you have all the latest drivers, twrp, and adb installed. It seems pretty hard to permanently brick a device these days from my experience so I wouldn't worry to much. As far as the radio not working, as long as you keep your device encrypted you won't lose your radio. I'm sure the devs will find a fix for this soon enough. Enjoy your new 10!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I am comfortable in adb :3 so that's not a worry. So un-enecrypting it is just an option, and I should just avoid it for now? What is the advantage of un-encrypting it?
What guide did you use? Also, what about all this firmware and ruu stuff?
Sorry for so many questions... Lol this thing wasn't cheap and I am nervous , BTW what setup do you have? Root? ROM?
Thanks for replying :3
Locklear308 said:
Well I am comfortable in adb :3 so that's not a worry. So un-enecrypting it is just an option, and I should just avoid it for now? What is the advantage of un-encrypting it?
What guide did you use? Also, what about all this firmware and ruu stuff?
Sorry for so many questions... Lol this thing wasn't cheap and I am nervous , BTW what setup do you have? Root? ROM?
Thanks for replying :3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/htc-10/how-to/guide-root-optionally-s-off-radio-t3373025
From what I understand unencrypting breaks the radio. With it unencrypted you would get slightly better performance and boot times I think. I would definitely avoid it for now. I'm currently using twrp with Viper 10 rom. I've also used leedroid and still trying to find which one I prefer. I've only had my 10 for 3 days lol so I haven't found my sweet setup just yet. I left s-on for now as I don't really need it off.
No idea about the firmware and ruu stuff. I made a backup of stock rom before I started flashing. I'm pretty sure there is or will be a repo with factory firmware, radios, etc. I don't know what ruu stands for either lol.
---------- Post added at 06:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:51 AM ----------
Did you get carrier or unlocked version
AndroiderM said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/htc-10/how-to/guide-root-optionally-s-off-radio-t3373025
From what I understand unencrypting breaks the radio. With it unencrypted you would get slightly better performance and boot times I think. I would definitely avoid it for now. I'm currently using twrp with Viper 10 rom. I've also used leedroid and still trying to find which one I prefer. I've only had my 10 for 3 days lol so I haven't found my sweet setup just yet. I left s-on for now as I don't really need it off.
No idea about the firmware and ruu stuff. I made a backup of stock rom before I started flashing. I'm pretty sure there is or will be a repo with factory firmware, radios, etc. I don't know what ruu stands for either lol.
---------- Post added at 06:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:51 AM ----------
Did you get carrier or unlocked version
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unlocked, at least that's what the guy on Swappa marked it as. *fingers crossed*
Got it for 510. One scratch on the metal
Alright so I will back things up and avoid the radio breaking stuff. I will check that link, thanks man
Locklear308 said:
Unlocked, at least that's what the guy on Swappa marked it as. *fingers crossed*
Got it for 510. One scratch on the metal
Alright so I will back things up and avoid the radio breaking stuff. I will check that link, thanks man
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem, mine has two scratches on metal too lol but guy gave me $200 and unlocked htc 10 w uh oh protection and original receipt for my s7e at&t branded locked bootloader ?. Was a no brainer for me
Locklear308 said:
Just ordered my HTC 10, excited...and nervous as I've not had a new device (like long term) in... like over 1.5 years. :S I'm mainly hoping the microSD card slot likes my 128GB U1 x633 card so I can finally have enough space for all my vinyl rips, and then I hope the DAC is as good as they say.
So anyway, I've been reading all of this stuff about rooting and loosing the radio connection and something about the data encryption breaking everything O.O!!! Holy crap. I just wanna root it, find a good rom and dev to support and enjoy it. This is what I do on my current daily driver, my old OPO. I've been trying to look around, search, and read to make sure that I avoid all of these issues mentioned but so far I've not found a concrete explanation of why said issues happen. Not new to rooting/flashing at all, but HTC devices always seemed to of been touchy when it came to custom stuff, and I don't want to explode this thing. My main problem is that I've been away from HTC for.... well since early 2014.
My current knowledge of android stuffz tells me to:
1) Unlock Bootloader via ADB
2) Flash TWRP/Other Customer Recovery
3) Find sweet rom, flash and spend hours customizing
4) Flash xposed and go crazy with modules until the phone explodes and then scale it back to a realistic level
5) Enjoy Phone
6) Cake
HOWEVER... I remember HTC devices having a bit more complication due to things like... RUU and firmware.. I don't even remember what RUU means lol... But I remember when I had my M8 I was always fighting these dang firmware issues. While I ended up with a fantastic experience, I remember fighting for almost 2 months or so to get it to behave. Battery was out of control, phone was crashing, camera exploding. Oh man it sucked, but finally someone really cool was like... "Yo dude I had these issues, this is what you have to do with HTC stuff" , and after a full hour of flashing shiz I had the phone running smoothly and behaving correctly. Something about... you had to flash each level of the firmware and then reboot and...something. Like you couldn't just skip to the latest firmware? I don't remember exactly.
So anyway, the main question I have is. Could someone either
A.) Point me in the direction of a post or something to study to understand what to do and not do. I've searched but not really found anything solid. Something for folks who've been off the HTC scene for a while.
B.) If there isn't really a single post on this, perhaps if someone doesn't mind explaining this (even pm is fine) to me so I don't explord this expensive mofo and cry.
C.) Give me a hug, because I am nervous about having a new device O.O , it's been so long and I'm so used to Cm13 and xposed and all that jazz. I is be scared.
I would be grateful to any and all help/support.
Anyway, thanks in advanced guys and gals. :3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on my third htc10. Exploded last two after rooting haha. Really not hard mate. Just read the guides provided and ask any questions you need. Most ppl on XDA will be helpful, and some will reply like me lol.
BTW, simple answer, unlock phone via HTC Dev, then flash Viper. Done.
purple patch said:
I'm on my third htc10. Exploded last two after rooting haha. Really not hard mate. Just read the guides provided and ask any questions you need. Most ppl on XDA will be helpful, and some will reply like me lol.
BTW, simple answer, unlock phone via HTC Dev, then flash Viper. Done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright neato, so do I need to ensure I let it download any and all OTA's for the firmware before doing anything? Is s-off safe to get as well in regards to the issues I referred to in my OP above?
And his is this viper? Does it allow things like settings similar to cm and also allow for xposed?
Thanks for replying man, I feel more comfortable now as it sounds like there isn't anything crazy required to safely root this thing . Phew!!
Locklear308 said:
Alright neato, so do I need to ensure I let it download any and all OTA's for the firmware before doing anything? Is s-off safe to get as well in regards to the issues I referred to in my OP above?
And his is this viper? Does it allow things like settings similar to cm and also allow for xposed?
Thanks for replying man, I feel more comfortable now as it sounds like there isn't anything crazy required to safely root this thing . Phew!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got an M9 for my wife not that long ago and just had my 10 show up today and gonna root. Just do like the other dude said. Find a guide that says how to use HTC dev to unlock the bootloader. You can't just enter a command in adb like "unlock bootloader" and have it work. Go to the HTC dev website, make an account, pick your device and it walks you through the steps of unlocking the bootloader. That's really the only semi-difficult part IMO. Then proceed as normal. Download twrp, make a stock nand, download ROM, su binaries, kernel, etc. etc. go to recovery and flash. I'm sure there's a couple other steps in their but that's the basics.
As for Viper, it tends to come with so many mods built in, I'd personally be kind of reluctant to use xposed with it to to much modifying. It's a great ROM, but so is leedroid You can try each and see what you like, but if you want to more safely use xposed I'd personally go with leedroid.
DroidIt! said:
I got an M9 for my wife not that long ago and just had my 10 show up today and gonna root. Just do like the other dude said. Find a guide that says how to use HTC dev to unlock the bootloader. You can't just enter a command in adb like "unlock bootloader" and have it work. Go to the HTC dev website, make an account, pick your device and it walks you through the steps of unlocking the bootloader. That's really the only semi-difficult part IMO. Then proceed as normal. Download twrp, make a stock nand, download ROM, su binaries, kernel, etc. etc. go to recovery and flash. I'm sure there's a couple other steps in their but that's the basics.
As for Viper, it tends to come with so many mods built in, I'd personally be kind of reluctant to use xposed with it to to much modifying. It's a great ROM, but so is leedroid You can try each and see what you like, but if you want to more safely use xposed I'd personally go with leedroid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh right, I do remember about the whole HTC dev website thing. I was mainly just concerned with the firmware issues and stuff that I had before.
Is there any kind of limitations for reasons not to upgrade to the highest available firmware? Something like, maybe the highest one can't be rooted yet or something like that. I just want to make sure that I don't shoot myself in the foot haha.
Thank you all for your help
Locklear308 said:
Oh right, I do remember about the whole HTC dev website thing. I was mainly just concerned with the firmware issues and stuff that I had before.
Is there any kind of limitations for reasons not to upgrade to the highest available firmware? Something like, maybe the highest one can't be rooted yet or something like that. I just want to make sure that I don't shoot myself in the foot haha.
Thank you all for your help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, I'm not sure about firmware not being able to be rooted but the best way to go about it (what I did anyway) is to unlock the phone via htcdev.com, flash a custom recovery (Latest TWRP which has also worked around the encryption stuff?) and then back up everything other than the data partition. That way, no matter what you do, you always have something to revert back to. The reason for not backing up data is due to the encryption. From my understanding, restoring an encrypted data partition would break things. Once you have the phone unlocked and recovery sorted, you are free to flash viper etc. and root the phone using SuperSU. I'm sure you are aware unlocked devices are quite easy to root so whatever you flash will most likely be on latest firmware, already rooted.
As for installing OTAs etc., you need unmodified system and recovery which is where the backups kick in. Simply back up your data on an SD card (pictures etc. not the actual partition) and restore the system-image and recovery. This should reset the phone although I'm not sure if it'll wipe anything and allow you to do OTA updates. Alternatively, get the latest firmware for your device from htcdev (again, not sure if they have firmware on there) and use that instead.
If any of the information above is incorrect or missing steps, someone feel free to correct me.
HI,
I purchased a google pixel xl, the bootloader is currently locked I would like to unlock and root if possible. the phone is running android 7.1.2 build NKG47L. Ive searched youtube, and xda for means of rooting, etc but im not having any luck on finding what would help me.. so some help would be greatly appreciated
https://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-xl/how-to/index-google-pixel-xl-t3466185
Hopefully you don't have the Verizon version of the Pixel XL.. If you do unlocking the bootloader is impossible. If you don't then flashing and rooting the Pixel XL is possible but unusually difficult. The instructions seem to change from month to month and you need to use a specially modified version of Magisk because the official one doesn't work on the Pixel. If you go the SuperSu route they do have an official version for the Pixel. I've been flashing for years and it pretty much took me an entire day to successfully flash a custom recovery, a custom rom, a custom kernel, root with Magisk and get the phone to pass safety net. I've never owned a phone that was such a headache to flash on. Good luck.
jhs39 said:
Hopefully you don't have the Verizon version of the Pixel XL.. If you do unlocking the bootloader is impossible. If you don't then flashing and rooting the Pixel XL is possible but unusually difficult. The instructions seem to change from month to month and you need to use a specially modified version of Magisk because the official one doesn't work on the Pixel. If you go the SuperSu route they do have an official version for the Pixel. I've been flashing for years and it pretty much took me an entire day to successfully flash a custom recovery, a custom rom, a custom kernel, root with Magisk and get the phone to pass safety net. I've never owned a phone that was such a headache to flash on. Good luck.
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Because you are having a hard time doesn't mean everyone will. Literally every chance you get you have to post the exact same narrative about how hard this is. It's like you are trying to poison other people's experiences because you find this so difficult. Let OP form their own opinion because frankly there are tons of users having zero issues rooting romming and etc..
Good Lord.
pcriz said:
Because you are having a hard time doesn't mean everyone will. Literally every chance you get you have to post the exact same narrative about how hard this is. It's like you are trying to poison other people's experiences because you find this so difficult. Let OP form their own opinion because frankly there are tons of users having zero issues rooting romming and etc..
Good Lord.
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I think anyone who claims it's easy to flash on this phone is being unrealistic and dishonest. Most posts I read from flashers on XDA involving this phone are from people who had trouble flashing or were unsuccessful and are stuck somewhere and looking for a way to recover. Problems getting TWRP to work are very common. Problems with people who don't realize they can't use a non-modified version of Magisk are very common. It doesn't help that there isn't a good clear up to date flashing guide for the phone anywhere on XDA or that you have to go from thread to thread to find the files you need to flash or that the download shortcuts and discussion for the Pixel XL modified version of Magisk are actually buried in the Resurrection Remix thread where nobody would logically think to look for them.
I'm not the one who made it hard to flash on this phone--Google did, and people like you don't help matters. If you are such an expert on flashing on this phone do something more constructive than criticizing me for being honest--create a thread that includes clear and up to date instructions for how to flash on the Pixel XL and which includes shortcuts for all the files a person would typically need. And keep the instructions up to date when a Google security patch changes the flashing procedure or files needed.
You claim its easy to flash on this phone. If it's so easy for you then share your expertise with everybody else. If you are unwilling to do that you are just wasting everybody's time by being wildly dishonest about the difficulties people very frequently face when they try to flash on the Pixel XL.
I have been flashing on Android phones for years and I stand by what I said--I've never encountered a phone that was such a headache to flash on.
jhs39 said:
I think anyone who claims it's easy to flash on this phone is being unrealistic and dishonest. Most posts I read from flashers on XDA involving this phone are from people who had trouble flashing or were unsuccessful and are stuck somewhere and looking for a way to recover. Problems getting TWRP to work are very common. Problems with people who don't realize they can't use a non-modified version of Magisk are very common. It doesn't help that there isn't a good clear up to date flashing guide for the phone anywhere on XDA or that you have to go from thread to thread to find the files you need to flash or that the download shortcuts and discussion for the Pixel XL modified version of Magisk are actually buried in the Resurrection Remix thread where nobody would logically think to look for them.
I'm not the one who made it hard to flash on this phone--Google did, and people like you don't help matters. If you are such an expert on flashing on this phone do something more constructive than criticizing me for being honest--create a thread that includes clear and up to date instructions for how to flash on the Pixel XL and which includes shortcuts for all the files a person would typically need. And keep the instructions up to date when a Google security patch changes the flashing procedure or files needed.
You claim its easy to flash on this phone. If it's so easy for you then share your expertise with everybody else. If you are unwilling to do that you are just wasting everybody's time by being wildly dishonest about the difficulties people very frequently face when they try to flash on the Pixel XL.
I have been flashing on Android phones for years and I stand by what I said--I've never encountered a phone that was such a headache to flash on.
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Not claiming it's easy. Just saying it gets repetitive to see you in how many threads griping about how this is such an insurmountable task.
And of course you see people with issues. Why do I need to comment that I'm not having issues. Heck when someone does comment that they aren't having issues you refute that because you are having a hard time.
You say I should be more constructive, lol please please please read my post history and maybe you will see how many people I have made efforts to help. I've been helping people in the forum, I've been helping people on Reddit, I've been helping people on discord, irc, etc etc. I've turned down money for helping people. How many people have you helped? How have you paid forward any help you have gotten on the pixel? Hell I even told you why you couldn't flash twrp after you downgraded from the O beta. So please don't tell me about being constructive bro.
"Flashing on Android for years" means nil my friend. Maybe if you took the time to understand the device it wouldn't be so difficult.
Do you even know why you couldn't flash twrp? It's because the OTAs flash to the opposite slot so when you got the ota for Android N from O N flashed in the other slot.
TWRP patches both boot.imgs but now your inactive boot.img is incompatible with twrp so it hangs up.
Super simple fix, now that you know there are two slots. You figure out how to swap slots at the bootloader. Then you learn how to flash all and flash all in both slots
Then you get a light that goes off because you took the time to read how twrp works in it's thread and realize you don't even need to flash all. You could simply flash the boot img in both slots. Because if you know what twrp patches then you know exactly what files you need.
I've been flashing for years also but I'm humble enough to know I should read before crying to people that are doing it without issue.
As far as the magisk "issue", well if anyone took the time to go to the magisk thread they would see the device isn't officially supported. Who's fault is it you didn't do that?
What was stopping you from searching the magisk thread before you started? I mean obviously you ignored where it stated it's not supported.
You can lead a horse to water my man. Can't make him drink.
jhs39 said:
I think anyone who claims it's easy to flash on this phone is being unrealistic and dishonest. Most posts I read from flashers on XDA involving this phone are from people who had trouble flashing or were unsuccessful and are stuck somewhere and looking for a way to recover. Problems getting TWRP to work are very common. Problems with people who don't realize they can't use a non-modified version of Magisk are very common. It doesn't help that there isn't a good clear up to date flashing guide for the phone anywhere on XDA or that you have to go from thread to thread to find the files you need to flash or that the download shortcuts and discussion for the Pixel XL modified version of Magisk are actually buried in the Resurrection Remix thread where nobody would logically think to look for them.
I'm not the one who made it hard to flash on this phone--Google did, and people like you don't help matters. If you are such an expert on flashing on this phone do something more constructive than criticizing me for being honest--create a thread that includes clear and up to date instructions for how to flash on the Pixel XL and which includes shortcuts for all the files a person would typically need. And keep the instructions up to date when a Google security patch changes the flashing procedure or files needed.
You claim its easy to flash on this phone. If it's so easy for you then share your expertise with everybody else. If you are unwilling to do that you are just wasting everybody's time by being wildly dishonest about the difficulties people very frequently face when they try to flash on the Pixel XL.
I have been flashing on Android phones for years and I stand by what I said--I've never encountered a phone that was such a headache to flash on.
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It's "extremely easy" to flash on this phone. It's the hacking and deving thats hard. Give me a zip that works and a functioning Twrp, it will be like taking candy from a baby. Yeah, and Google's not helping any of us.
Well THAT escalated quickly...
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Thanks for the help. I have been able to get the phone rooted, etc but I can't get TWRP recovery to stick. But do I have to reflash TWRP recovery after I flash SU files for root?
yamaha_wins said:
Thanks for the help. I have been able to get the phone rooted, etc but I can't get TWRP recovery to stick. But do I have to reflash TWRP recovery after I flash SU files for root?
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I had to boot into my rom once, go back into fastboot TWRP and then flash the TWRP zip again in order to get it to stick.
@jhs39 and @pcriz, you're both correct in this matter and hopefully you all can just agree to disagree. I agree with you both, if you're a flasher like most of us and I too have been flashing for years. In fact about 90% of the phones I've owned have all been flashed and I average about two phones per year. That said I'm not expert and do find some things harder here and there but I'm techie enough to work through it with help from members of this forum. @pcriz I've used many of your instructions and assistants on this thread so thank you! I too believe flashing on the pixel has been very difficult mainly because the device changed the way things usually worked (slots etc.). I can't remember the last time it took me hours to flash a simple ROM. After I learned a little bit of what was going on with TWRP and the whole slot A/B configurations I was able to at least troubleshoot my own issues and get things working a little better. I would say anyone having issues need to take the time to really read and understand the device because they don't function the say as before. The instructions do change because Google changes things up. Manufactures don't want us flashing any more and with security being a top priority flashing is quickly being discouraged.
I've gotten to the point now where I just want to get my pixel which is no longer my daily driver (my S8 plus is) to stock but even that isn't working. I've tried numerous times to flash an image and it fails every single time. Why????? I have come to love a stock experience even though I still love the customization you get with a custom ROM. If I were to pick right now I'll just stick with stock; if I can ever get the phone to flash the stupid image so I can try Android O lol.