Develop Bugs

[Q] New HOX Owner, Few Questions

I just received my HOX today from Expansys, EU version I believe.
I plan to root, ROM and everything else I can do.
So, I've got a few questions on where I should go from here.
Should I install the OTA? Or should I wait just in case there's some unlock/s-off method related to older versions that get fixed/patched with the newer OTA?
Should I unlock via HTCDev or wait for devs to figure out unlock/s-off? As an app developer, I generally keep old phones laying around so I likely won't be selling it, and as long as the actual hardware is still under warranty, I'm not too concerned.
Is there a way to do a full backup of the phone as is? If I were to say, install CM9, do I need the full backup or can I just re-install a stock image?
Anything I should look at/inspect before I get too crazy with the phone? Serial number, where it's manufactured, specific defects, etc...?

fescen9 said:
I just received my HOX today from Expansys, EU version I believe.
I plan to root, ROM and everything else I can do.
So, I've got a few questions on where I should go from here.
Should I install the OTA? Or should I wait just in case there's some unlock/s-off method related to older versions that get fixed/patched with the newer OTA?
Should I unlock via HTCDev or wait for devs to figure out unlock/s-off? As an app developer, I generally keep old phones laying around so I likely won't be selling it, and as long as the actual hardware is still under warranty, I'm not too concerned.
Is there a way to do a full backup of the phone as is? If I were to say, install CM9, do I need the full backup or can I just re-install a stock image?
Anything I should look at/inspect before I get too crazy with the phone? Serial number, where it's manufactured, specific defects, etc...?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you should definitely install any OTA that you get. if there is an s-off method discovered, it will be time and it probably won't matter what version you're running. i don't know how it works, but these updates have important fixes. if you only update to 1.28, then it might be a long wait for another OTA so you have to decide for yourself if you want to wait or unlock. you can't do a backup without unlocking and installing CWM afaik. as for inspection, just use it normally and see what it does. i just noticed on mine in the sunlight the screen looks like a grid when it's off. that's not a flaw but some people would probably freak out and exchange it. if your whites are bright white and you have no dead pixels, then your phone is good.

If you aren't more concerned about warranty, unlock through htcdev.com, as s-off may take too long, I didn't see any update on that. Once you unlock through htcdev.com you're good for everything.
I suggest you to avoid installing OTAs if you have plans to unlock your device, as the s-off devs are currently working on hboot 0.4x version. If you update the phone with OTAs the hboot will be updated to 0.9x, so you have to find a way to get downgrade your bootloader to get s-off.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium

Need help with otas

So I tried updating while rooted, and found that that couldnt be done.
So I unrooted, and now when I check for updates, it says everything is up to date.
I have had this thing since launch, so I know theres a few updates to download.
If anyone can help that would be awesome.
I also did clear cache

OTAs
Sawdizzle said:
So I tried updating while rooted, and found that that couldnt be done.
So I unrooted, and now when I check for updates, it says everything is up to date.
I have had this thing since launch, so I know theres a few updates to download.
If anyone can help that would be awesome.
I also did clear cache
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm rather new to Android and rooting, but I've been rooted on my SGS3 since the beginning of July, so I've experienced several OTA notifications. I know you cannot apply an OTA when rooted, generally, but that most Developers will actually update their custom ROMs when a new OTA is pushed. That has been my experience thus far, and how I've "kept" my phone up-to-date. In the change logs you can usually identify which OTA their ROM is based on, and make your decision from that information. Also, I believe most OTAs are carrier-based and not necessarily intended to update the OS or UI, so some of them may not be necessary. The important thing is the baseband (modem) version, as this can directly impact your reception and data speed. There is an excellent tool intended strictly for flashing a new modem, developed by clark44. The link is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1816530
I would suggest starting at the top of the list, running that modem for at least 2-3 days, then flashing the next one and repeating the process - until you find the one that works for your phone, in your area, based on the places you visit the most frequently.
I hope this helps.

Has Anyone Bricked the Device on 5.0.2 that manually flashed a factory image?

As the title states, has anyone's 2013 n7 bricked after the 5.0.2 update when flashing a factory image instead of the OTA? Mine bricked after taking the 5.0.1 OTA, but i now have it back from Asus after repair and am wanting to flash the factory image to 5.0.2. However, if anyone has experienced bricking as a result of this (or 5.0.1 or 5.0) being flashed and not just the OTA, which we know is bricking devices, then I will stick with 4.4.4 for now.
Thanks

You can not brick a Nexus 7 unless you somehow screw up the bootloader and can no longer enter the bootloader.

khaytsus said:
You can not brick a Nexus 7 unless you somehow screw up the bootloader and can no longer enter the bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well then some form of that must be happening due to or in very strange coincidence with the 5.0, 5.0.1, and 5.0.2 updates - just ask those of us whose tablets turned off only to turn on and be stuck at the google logo with so far zero solution for fixing it other than a hardware replacement. My tablet was at ASUS's repair factory for almost a month and had the motherboard replaced. This was after a "successful" OTA update to 5.0.1 that worked for a few days and then died. This has happened more than just infrequently to many members on here recently.
So what I would like to know is is anyone experienced the same "successful update" and then a few days later a dead tablet via factory image flashingof 5.0+. We already know that taking the OTA to 5.0+ might be a problem, and before I flash up to 5.0.2 I'd like to hear if anyone did a manual factory image flash and still had the die a few days later issue, despite not going via OTA.

Norcalz71 said:
Well then some form of that must be happening due to or in very strange coincidence with the 5.0, 5.0.1, and 5.0.2 updates - just ask those of us whose tablets turned off only to turn on and be stuck at the google logo with so far zero solution for fixing it other than a hardware replacement. My tablet was at ASUS's repair factory for almost a month and had the motherboard replaced. This was after a "successful" OTA update to 5.0.1 that worked for a few days and then died. This has happened more than just infrequently to many members on here recently.
So what I would like to know is is anyone experienced the same "successful update" and then a few days later a dead tablet via factory image flashingof 5.0+. We already know that taking the OTA to 5.0+ might be a problem, and before I flash up to 5.0.2 I'd like to hear if anyone did a manual factory image flash and still had the die a few days later issue, despite not going via OTA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't understand the obstinance regarding official LP flashing. OTA has been pulled from the shelf, lots have killed their devices with it, so it's obvious something seriously wrong is going on. I've been flashing CM and other custom roms derived from LP without problems. Why insist on incantations? This is not the first time Asus screws up with its firmwares! LP ain't nothing special that's worth it.

graphdarnell said:
I don't understand the obstinance regarding official LP flashing. OTA has been pulled from the shelf, lots have killed their devices with it, so it's obvious something seriously wrong is going on. I've been flashing CM and other custom roms derived from LP without problems. Why insist on incantations? This is not the first time Asus screws up with its firmwares! LP ain't nothing special that's worth it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you are saying LP Roms/factory images should be just fine, provided they don't go OTA? I'm sure most are, my concern is if anyone has experienced a failure hours/days after flashing to LP

Norcalz71 said:
So you are saying LP Roms/factory images should be just fine, provided they don't go OTA? I'm sure most are, my concern is if anyone has experienced a failure hours/days after flashing to LP
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Given previous experiences with Asus JB on another model, I'd avoid anything "official" like the plague, and wait till major bugs are swatted. Clearly, I'm not saying "LP Roms/factory images should be just fine." But I've been flashing custom roms based off LP, and nothing out of the ordinary has happened. They work fine. What I don't get is people would insist on flashing the crappy OTAs Asus has been putting out in the face of so much bricking.

Asus doesn't put out updates for the N7; Google does.

Telyx said:
Asus doesn't put out updates for the N7; Google does.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see the difference. Just because Google funded and marketed the device doesn't make it less Asus. An Asus is an Asus is an Asus, whether you buy it at Staples or in China. I seriously doubt the firmwares are 100% (or 10% for that matter) Google unless one can prove to the world otherwise.

I haven't bricked mine, and I manually updated using the 5.0.1 (and then 5.0.2) image on Google's site. However, I also have an unlocked boot loader (It was unlocked about an hour after we got it home, and hasn't been locked since) and modified /system partition. I have always manually updated the software images from fastboot.

You're saying Asus makes aosp? No. Google makes the software for nexus devices.
Asus assembled the hardware. Google makes the software (aside from proprietary drivers, of which Asus made only audio and "sensors").
Asus has very little to do with the n7 aside from the fact that they put it together.

jshamlet said:
I haven't bricked mine, and I manually updated using the 5.0.1 (and then 5.0.2) image on Google's site. However, I also have an unlocked boot loader (It was unlocked about an hour after we got it home, and hasn't been locked since) and modified /system partition. I have always manually updated the software images from fastboot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine will remain unlocked from now on. I took it from 4.4.2 back to 4.4.4 (since after repair it was back to original and wiped) via fastboot, and will probably wait awhile longer to update it via fastboot to 5.0.2. No more OTA for me though.

6.0.1 Update after replacing motherboard

My beloved N7 2013 fell victim to the eMMC-nuking 5.0 (unsure about exact version) OTA update last year. I put off replacing the motherboard, as I had already bought a new tablet. Lately, though, my N7 itch returned. I was able to successfully replace the motherboard, but the replacement I purchased was also Kingston...much to my chagrin.
Anyways, I updated the new motherboard to 4.4.4 via OTA, and forewent the next OTA (5.0 OTA update). Things are smooth, and my tablet has been resurrected.
My question, then, is two-fold. First, is the 6.0.1 stock update worth the hassle of running a clean install? And second, will I run into the same problem that killed my N7 the first time (update nukes eMMC)?
I tried to find a thread where this has been discussed, but I must not fully understand searching for things on this site. Thanks for your help!

Amazing how you'd consider throwing good money after bad. If you insist on everything stock, you assume the risk, random though it might be with MM. There are plenty of custom roms that mirror stock almost totally, why the insistence? What's so sacred about it?

hekat0n said:
My beloved N7 2013 fell victim to the eMMC-nuking 5.x OTA. I was able to successfully replace the motherboard. I updated to 4.4.4 via OTA, and forewent the next OTA (5.0 OTA update). Is the 6.0.1 stock update worth running a clean install? Will I run into the same problem that killed my N7 before? I tried to find a thread where this has been discussed, but I must not fully understand searching for things on this site. Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There was a known write loop error in one of the 5.x OTA updates that baked boards, but the Kingston boards are generally known to be unreliable among the three common boards for razor. Long story short, you have nothing to lose by updating to the latest OTA, 6.x adds nice features, runs well, and has the latest security updates and compatibility with the latest popular apps. Bricks on 6.x OTAs seem random, and are most likely related to instances of hardware failure on individual devices that developed over long periods of device use, than from a single software update causing or contributing to a hardware failure.
The users here have been contributing to a thread regarding this issue, it can be found here.
It's worth mentioning that instances of eMMc failure on devices running custom ROMs are far fewer in number than instances of bricks on stock devices.

Question Custom OTA sideload with November radio?

My P6P (on T-Mobile) was working fine for me on the November release.
I did not sideload the December release.
With the January release, I started to notice significant radio issues.
I am seeing the same issue with the February release and after taking a look, I see that the radio has NOT changed between January and February. (But is a different radio from the November update)
I would definitely like to try flashing the November radio, but my Pixel bootloader is locked and can't be unlocked since it is still carrier locked. (I am working on that.)
In the meantime, is it possible for someone to make a custom OTA sideload package with just the November radio in it for those with locked bootloaders?

The 12L radio is different. I flashed it yesterday (12L factory image) and Signal is back to normal, and switching from Wifi to LTE/5G is much better than it's ever been on my 6 Pro. but its only been 24hours, but worth a try/

Good to know, but if I don't want to go 12L... again, could someone create a custom OTA sideload package with just the radio from 12L?

If this is even possible, which I'm dubious of, you might want to think twice. With a locked bootloader, your recovery options are more limited, so if someone creates such a custom OTA zip (again, if that's even possible to work with an unlocked bootloader), and something goes seriously wrong, it might be either more difficult or impossible to recover.

I would think (and could be completely wrong), that in the event of an issue, I'd be able to flash the original full OTA sideload package to recover.

chp said:
I would think (and could be completely wrong), that in the event of an issue, I'd be able to flash the original full OTA sideload package to recover.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just wanted to add, I tried flashing a different radio in December after flashing that image before it got pulled, and my phone wouldn't boot (but my bootloader was unlocked so I was able to save it but I wouldn't try it). I suggest you unlock your bootloader and flash 12L on both slots. That's what I did yesterday. Just kind of kill 2 birds with one stone by wiping, reflashing, and using a new build/radio (3 birds I guess?)

Creating a custom OTA won't work. That will break the cert chain and the phone won't validate it and install it.

chp said:
I would think (and could be completely wrong), that in the event of an issue, I'd be able to flash the original full OTA sideload package to recover.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on how badly things went wrong. I would hope so, too, but would be a bigger gambler than someone who has the bootloader unlocked in the same situation. But of course, if you had an unlocked bootloader, you could flash only the radio.img without any customization needed. But as @TonikJDK indicates, the question is effectively moot, anyway.

TonikJDK said:
Creating a custom OTA won't work. That will break the cert chain and the phone won't validate it and install it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. I didn't realize that was in place (signing of the various components such as radio+recovery+bootloader+image), and that the checking was disabled as part of the bootloader being unlocked.

chp said:
and that the checking was disabled as part of the bootloader being unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I could be wrong, but to clarify, the phone still checks the OTA to make sure it's valid even with an unlocked bootloader.
No one * bothers creating a custom OTA to install their ROMs as it would be more trouble than it's worth to do it that way.
What the unlocked bootloader gets us is the ability to install things in other ways than the normal OTA process.
* Other than possibly more fully developed custom ROMs such as GrapheneOS and such might use the normal OTA method since you can re-lock the bootloader once you're on it - I have no first-hand experience with GrapheneOS other than reading their site and what other users have said about it.​

roirraW edor ehT said:
I could be wrong, but to clarify, the phone still checks the OTA to make sure it's valid even with an unlocked bootloader.
No one * bothers creating a custom OTA to install their ROMs as it would be more trouble than it's worth to do it that way.
What the unlocked bootloader gets us is the ability to install things in other ways than the normal OTA process.
* Other than possibly more fully developed custom ROMs such as GrapheneOS and such might use the normal OTA method since you can re-lock the bootloader once you're on it - I have no first-hand experience with GrapheneOS other than reading their site and what other users have said about it.​
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah yes, you're right. I was overthinking it. The sideload OTA does have a cert, so without the private key, we wouldn't be able to create a new cert to match the custom OTA contents.

I also use T-Mobile and was always using the November radio image whilst still updating everything else to the latest release. I was in the same boat as you with the November radio image working so much better than the others. Granted, right now I'm using the 12L beta radio image as it's (thankfully) much better than the others.
But yeah, with an unlocked bootloader you can flash whichever radio image that you want - even if it's from a different release than your current Android build. It won't cause problems if you know what you're doing and only takes a few minutes. Feel free to shoot me a message once your bootloader is unlocked if you need any help with this.

NippleSauce said:
I also use T-Mobile and was always using the November radio image whilst still updating everything else to the latest release. I was in the same boat as you with the November radio image working so much better than the others. Granted, right now I'm using the 12L beta radio image as it's (thankfully) much better than the others.
But yeah, with an unlocked bootloader you can flash whichever radio image that you want - even if it's from a different release than your current Android build. It won't cause problems if you know what you're doing and only takes a few minutes. Feel free to shoot me a message once your bootloader is unlocked if you need any help with this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I've been with Android and Pixel/Nexus for a long time, and other than needing to brush up, I'm still familiar with the ins-and-outs to flashing, etc.
My Pixel 6 Pro is carrier locked, and would have to be unlocked before I could unlock the bootloader. I was just hoping to make my Pixel 6 Pro usable again without having to try to get it unlocked.
Since my radio issues started with the January update, I was hoping the February update would fix things. At first it did seem better, but then the poor behavior returned. And when I realized that the radio was unchanged in February from January, that explained things.

chp said:
My Pixel 6 Pro is carrier locked, and would have to be unlocked before I could unlock the bootloader. I was just hoping to make my Pixel 6 Pro usable again without having to try to get it unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel ya. That's partially why I started buying my phones from the company that makes them (and also because my phone carrier stopped offering any interesting upgrades after being with them for a few years lol). But supposedly, a quick text chat with a T-Mo representative via the T-Mobile app can get your device carrier unlocked via the SIM card if you're polite with the whole thing and ask the right questions. I'm not sure if anything specific needs to be asked or stated, but you could always give that a shot. I just quickly skimmed through a post from someone who did that the other day but I didn't give it too much thought since my device is factory unlocked.
But I wish you the best of luck with your phone service!