A couple questions regarding S9 Snapdragon rooting - Samsung Galaxy S9 Questions & Answers

A couple questions regarding S9 Snapdragon rooting - Samsung Galaxy S9 Questions & Answers

For starters, I am new to android. I have used an android for 5 years, but I have yet to tinker with it extensively. I have a lot of experience with Linux and command-line tools though, so my knowledge level is whatever transfers over from that.
I am getting a new phone, and I want to keep my s9 to do cybersecurity work on, particularly running kali nethunter (https://www.kali.org/docs/nethunter). As I am aware, for the version I will be running (lite), I just need TWRP (docs say root not required, but I thought installing custom recovery required root).
I read a bunch of threads on here, and it seems that it is indeed possible to root a snapdragon S9, is this still the case? If root really isn't required, how would I install a custom recovery? Would I run into any extreme issues?
Please excuse the ignorance, the information is kind of overwhelming to a newcomer.

Related

[Q] I am a really Overwhelmed Ex-iPhone user (ROOTING AT&T SIII)!

Hello XDA!
I recently traded my iPhone 4S about 2.5 weeks ago. I am in love with the Samsung Galaxy SIII. I love the sleek style and touchwiz is much more active and more "fun" than iOS. I love the google integration and all the cool features out of the box.
Since I'm new to android I'm really overwhelmed in the amount of information available to "modify or root."
I was a constant jailbreaker and had over 50-100 tweaks/jailbroken apps. I would like to get the same functionality on the SIII.
I wasn't afraid of jailbreaking and it was a one-button press jailbreak.
With android there are so many different versions and terminology to jailbreak and so many instructions and updates and in general just a lot of stuff.
About my new phone:
- Samsung Galaxy SIII
- AT&T
- 8GB miroSD card
- Model: SAMSUNG-SGH-1747
- Android Version: 4.0.4
- Baseband Version: 1747UCLH9
- Kernel version: (IS THIS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION?)
- I have installed a couple of root apps that I didn't know where root apps and so they don't work obviously.
- Ones I installed: Lucky Patcher, Titanium Backup
- It's not rooted yet I haven't modified it at all besides themes and settings
The reason why I'm posting:
- Can anyone please tell me EXACTLY which updated guides I need to follow for my specific device?
- How can I backup my device? I'd like to keep all the apps (and app data), contacts, everything if possible.
- I read as much as possible but I'm still not sure which guide to follow and which steps I need to take as some are dated and not recent. I'm scared I'll mess up my phone what are the chances of messing up my IMEI, bricking, bad stuff happening.
- Anything else I should know?
- What are some popular ROMS I can install on my phone that are supported (preferrably with JB)?
- Can I always go back to my original settings and apps like a restore but with a backup?
- Once I root what BLOATWARE can I UNINSTALL on my AT&T SIII? How do I do this as well?
Thank you for your patience, I am definitely going to stick with Android (stock iOS sucks balls and android is so much more aesthetically pleasing) I just want to make sure I'm doing everything right and that there is a proper way to do this.

Bronos said:
Hello XDA!
I recently traded my iPhone 4S about 2.5 weeks ago. I am in love with the Samsung Galaxy SIII. I love the sleek style and touchwiz is much more active and more "fun" than iOS. I love the google integration and all the cool features out of the box.
Since I'm new to android I'm really overwhelmed in the amount of information available to "modify or root."
I was a constant jailbreaker and had over 50-100 tweaks/jailbroken apps. I would like to get the same functionality on the SIII.
I wasn't afraid of jailbreaking and it was a one-button press jailbreak.
With android there are so many different versions and terminology to jailbreak and so many instructions and updates and in general just a lot of stuff.
About my new phone:
- Samsung Galaxy SIII
- AT&T
- 8GB miroSD card
- Model: SAMSUNG-SGH-1747
- Android Version: 4.0.4
- Baseband Version: 1747UCLH9
- Kernel version: (IS THIS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION?)
- I have installed a couple of root apps that I didn't know where root apps and so they don't work obviously.
- Ones I installed: Lucky Patcher, Titanium Backup
- It's not rooted yet I haven't modified it at all besides themes and settings
The reason why I'm posting:
- Can anyone please tell me EXACTLY which updated guides I need to follow for my specific device?
- How can I backup my device? I'd like to keep all the apps (and app data), contacts, everything if possible.
- I read as much as possible but I'm still not sure which guide to follow and which steps I need to take as some are dated and not recent. I'm scared I'll mess up my phone what are the chances of messing up my IMEI, bricking, bad stuff happening.
- Anything else I should know?
- What are some popular ROMS I can install on my phone that are supported (preferrably with JB)?
- Can I always go back to my original settings and apps like a restore but with a backup?
- Once I root what BLOATWARE can I UNINSTALL on my AT&T SIII? How do I do this as well?
Thank you for your patience, I am definitely going to stick with Android (stock iOS sucks balls and android is so much more aesthetically pleasing) I just want to make sure I'm doing everything right and that there is a proper way to do this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hey there welcome to XDA and more importantly to the world of android.
first off rooting can be relatively simple depending on the method you use. ive rooted mine twice using odin. i just followed the video here ON Galaxys3root . com all the things you need are in the description.
rooting your phone using this process will not wipe any data, contacts, pics, etc.
once you complete the root process and get rom manager installed it will allow you to make a back up of the current system with all your data like texts phone call logs etc.
the most popular roms are aokp based and cyanogen based roms. ( just look at threads with [ROM] before it ) roms are personal preference. if you flash a cyanogen based rom you will not have the features of touchwiz. stock based roms are always good too right not im just running stock i747uclh9 rooted.
going back to your original rom is simple all you do is boot to recovery (rom manager) and do a restore. before restoring you should wipe data, cache partition and dalvik cache. (dalvik is under the advanced menu.
removing bloatware just use no bloat free this will let you remove and also create a back up of all apps incase you have an issue.
for right now i personally just use ics based roms if you want to stick to stock since there has not been an att jb leak. however if you want jb i recommend cyanogen nighties basic jelly bean roms never had an issue personally.
if you have any more questions feel free to PM me.
IF THIS POST HELP YOU IN ANYWAY PLEASE CLICK THANKS

aboveusonlysky said:
hey there welcome to XDA and more importantly to the world of android.
first off rooting can be relatively simple depending on the method you use. ive rooted mine twice using odin. i just followed the video here ON Galaxys3root . com all the things you need are in the description.
rooting your phone using this process will not wipe any data, contacts, pics, etc.
once you complete the root process and get rom manager installed it will allow you to make a back up of the current system with all your data like texts phone call logs etc.
the most popular roms are aokp based and cyanogen based roms. ( just look at threads with [ROM] before it ) roms are personal preference. if you flash a cyanogen based rom you will not have the features of touchwiz. stock based roms are always good too right not im just running stock i747uclh9 rooted.
going back to your original rom is simple all you do is boot to recovery (rom manager) and do a restore. before restoring you should wipe data, cache partition and dalvik cache. (dalvik is under the advanced menu.
removing bloatware just use no bloat free this will let you remove and also create a back up of all apps incase you have an issue.
for right now i personally just use ics based roms if you want to stick to stock since there has not been an att jb leak. however if you want jb i recommend cyanogen nighties basic jelly bean roms never had an issue personally.
if you have any more questions feel free to PM me.
IF THIS POST HELP YOU IN ANYWAY PLEASE CLICK THANKS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
will this Jellybean ROM work:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1869300
Do you know if it has a lot of problems?
EDIT: Also does the root method at this website still work for my version which is UCLH9?
http://galaxys3root.com/galaxy-s3-r...gh-t999sgh-i747sph-l710-fail-proofnoob-proof/

Bronos said:
will this Jellybean ROM work:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1869300
Do you know if it has a lot of problems?
EDIT: Also does the root method at this website still work for my version which is UCLH9?
http://galaxys3root.com/galaxy-s3-r...gh-t999sgh-i747sph-l710-fail-proofnoob-proof/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello, welcome to the android side of the world! Glad you decided to switch over! first things first, in order to root all you need to do is flash a root able kernel via Odin. Tutorial for this method can be found here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1739426 Second, I would not recommend that rom as I just came from it and while it is very stable for a leak it is still quite buggy as it is built from a sprint leak. If you are that anxious to have a jellybean I recommend using aokp by task650 in the original development forum, however this will take away all of the touchwiz things that you said you liked so much. I am currently running kyanrom which I have used before and find myself returning to quite frequently because it is originally bone dry and he has whatever files you would like to add back you can add them through flashing zips. I am assuming you are wanting jellybean primarily for the Google now feature? If you will go here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1823194 it is a thread by me on how to replace s voice with Google now and as far as I can tell it seems to be working just as well as with jellybean!
Lastly, have a bunny!
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(""_"")
Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk 2

This is a little advice that has helped me and some friends of mine that have came from iPhone. Don't root and rom unless you absolutely have to or willing to pay the price to learn the ends and outs of it. Stock Android or in our case touchwized android can provide a complete satisfactory experience alone without rooting. But some tweaks and mods require root and if that can be bundled in a single rom then great. But if you have jail broken before or ever have to restore an iPhone firmware then rooting will be relatively easy, it's just learning how to self troubleshoot when something goes wrong.
Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk 2

Take a look at this post for rooting LH9:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=32218479
The method is mrRobinson's thread (the one mentioned in a previous post) requires downgrading to an older stock version (LG1) so you would need to upgrade again after doing that. Also, people have reported problems downgrading from LH9 to LG1 without doing a factory reset.
Edit: The method in the post I referenced is roughly the same as the one from the galaxysroot site the OP mentioned.

Make sure when you root your device, that the files are for your current build, android version, carrier and etc. If one thing is out of place you can possibly brick your phone. I'm still learning myself. The most important thing is make sure that you read everything 3 times. Make a check list. It helps.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
---------- Post added at 06:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:38 AM ----------
Bronos said:
will this Jellybean ROM work:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1869300
Do you know if it has a lot of problems?
EDIT: Also does the root method at this website still work for my version which is UCLH9?
http://galaxys3root.com/galaxy-s3-r...gh-t999sgh-i747sph-l710-fail-proofnoob-proof/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The best jellybean rom I think is ParanoidAndroid. It's CyanogenMod 10 based. CM10 is short hand.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium

Hey guys when i switched to CWM recovvery and selected backup to external sdcard it said 'android.secure' couldn't be found skip backup of applications.
So it did not backup my app data, what should I do?

Titanium Backup. Make friends with it. In my opinion a must have for any Android device. For backing up everything you'd need when trying out roms to freezing/deleting (be careful with the latter) 'bloatware' (carrier nonsense) it will be a necessity. And life saver.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

hompsar said:
Titanium Backup. Make friends with it. In my opinion a must have for any Android device. For backing up everything you'd need when trying out roms to freezing/deleting (be careful with the latter) 'bloatware' (carrier nonsense) it will be a necessity. And life saver.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't agree with this more. TB is an amazing piece of software and a real lifesaver. Also, since we have external sd cards, make sure to change the settings in TB so your backups are saved on it (if you save it to your internal storage your backup might get wiped during a session of flashing another ROM). If you purchase TB Pro, it includes an option to save your backup to Dropbox (it's well-worth the money and supports the developer too).
OP, I was a longtime iPhone user (I've still got the 4S in a drawer) and I always jailbroke too. Android can be confusing at first, because the terminology is different and just because it's a different operating system. But if you read (and read and read as someone suggested earlier), you'll get the hang of it. Once you do, you'll realize how much easier it is to root and play than it ever was with jailbreaking an iPhone. Another plus...you aren't in constant fear of losing your jailbreak (or root, in this case) because of an update. :good:

You think you know, but you have no idea...
First things first...
Did you understand what you were really doing when you were jailbreaking your iPhone?
What was going on in the background, how the jailbreak was working, what was involved in the jailbreak process or even what the different types of jailbreaks were e.g. userland vs. bootloader (hardware level) exploits [are you familiar with the term "exploit"].
If you think what I am talking about is confusing and if you weren't aware of these things, you might want to avoid rooting and/or flashing custom ROMs.
Android as a platform is much more open than iOS, so lots of features and functions don't require rooting or flashing custom ROMs.
Before I purchased my GS3, I was a die hard iPhone owner, year after year since the first iPhone (with the exception of the recently released 6th gen iPhone and a few diviations here and there to blackberry and old Android phones).
Before I even considered messing with my Galaxy, I read, read some more, and then a little bit more. Regardless of all the reading I did, I had a moderate level of understanding of what I was doing and how my actions were affecting my phone.
All the advice in the world won't save you from bricking your phone if you don't have a general understanding of what these tools are doing to your phone.
In the iOS jailbreak community, the developers behind the tools leverage Apple's fall-back restore features to nearly eliminate the possibility of bricking your phone. But that is also inherent to the platform since there aren't custom ROMs available to install to an iPhone (for many reasons).
To summarize,
It sounds like you need to learn a little more about the world you've been playing in previously before you start playing in the Android world.

mathewrice said:
First things first...
Did you understand what you were really doing when you were jailbreaking your iPhone?
What was going on in the background, how the jailbreak was working, what was involved in the jailbreak process or even what the different types of jailbreaks were e.g. userland vs. bootloader (hardware level) exploits [are you familiar with the term "exploit"].
If you think what I am talking about is confusing and if you weren't aware of these things, you might want to avoid rooting and/or flashing custom ROMs.
Android as a platform is much more open than iOS, so lots of features and functions don't require rooting or flashing custom ROMs.
Before I purchased my GS3, I was a die hard iPhone owner, year after year since the first iPhone (with the exception of the recently released 6th gen iPhone and a few diviations here and there to blackberry and old Android phones).
Before I even considered messing with my Galaxy, I read, read some more, and then a little bit more. Regardless of all the reading I did, I had a moderate level of understanding of what I was doing and how my actions were affecting my phone.
All the advice in the world won't save you from bricking your phone if you don't have a general understanding of what these tools are doing to your phone.
In the iOS jailbreak community, the developers behind the tools leverage Apple's fall-back restore features to nearly eliminate the possibility of bricking your phone. But that is also inherent to the platform since there aren't custom ROMs available to install to an iPhone (for many reasons).
To summarize,
It sounds like you need to learn a little more about the world you've been playing in previously before you start playing in the Android world.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey man thanks for the advice!
I figured it out eventually. I just had to read and actually try Rooting. I now know most of the terminology of android. It's pretty straightforward. Of course there are some errors. But seriously Android is absolutely unbelievable (especially 4.1.1 and JB) have features I could only dream of getting supported on the iPhone.
If I do get errors there is usually a fix or something I can look up on how to avoid it. If a day comes when I do brick I should be alright if I do brick AT&T should be able to replace it for me. I've been a loyal customer to them and my family included.

I highly recommend this guide to rooting. I used it just a few days ago and it worked perfectly.
I tried AOKP and CM10 but have actually settled on this stock ROM for now. I like being able to maintain the 'motion' features which aren't standard on the others. Google Wallet works well too which is a big plus for me. There should be an update in the next 24 hours to "Milestone 5".

That'd the same one I'm using.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium

Titanium Backup
Spend those dollars on this App its worth every penny. Read all the FAQs under the links others already gave you.

Has anyone done a stability/basic functionality comparison of ROMs ?

I have been hanging around XDA for past 1 week or so, and have spent numerous hours in understanding Android/rooting/ROMs etc. As a software engineer, i had the basic background, to catch up on Android platform, which is new to me. Having covered everything here from "Intro to XDA/beginners" to Phone specific details, here is some questions, as i tread carefully into Android tinkering.
I have held onto an aging Tmobile S4, trying to avoid buying a new phone. Still running stock m919uvsfqa1 baseband (OTA early 2017). This was ok, since I do not play games / stream video / run social media apps etc. After 4 years of running acceptably, this phone started misbehaving in 2017. No hardware or software changes other than the factory reset to wipe data/cache (in last few days). Restored all apps/data, using Samsung smartswitch (I will write a guide on this later, as a thank you & give back, to XDA community). Phone seems to be revived after this factor reset/restore. I have 3 questions :
If i am only interested in stability / integrity / functionality in phone, should i stick to stock kitkat 4.4.4 (OR) should i risk it and upgrade to Oreo based LineageOS 15.1 (which i found on xda as End-of-Life) ?? (OR) any other custom rom recommendations (like marshmallow SlimRom) ? In my limited knowledge in reading various threads on XDA, i find only these two roms mentioned for stability.
In any case, i am considering rooting with CF-Auto-root, to get SuperSU and remove bloat/ads...... Perhaps i can install antivirus apps, since i won't be running the latest security patches available in Oreo (if i run older versions of custom ROM). Would you advise this for a Software engineer, who is newbie to Android ? (OR) simply play it safe and stick to the bloatware/stock ? (Note: I have already gone through guides on "what apps to install after rooting".)
CF-auto-root will stick to stock recovery. Is there any benefit for me in installing TWRP ?

[Q] What's needed to build a custom rom for S9+?

Hi Im curious what's required to build a custom rom (pie or later) for the Qualcomm China varient? Are there any guides tailored or something towards these devices (basically less of generalized one)?
What I know i need:
A 64bit Linux box i have that: Debian 10 currently.
Custom rom source (I'll decide on it later probably will be Lineage)
Samsung S9 Source Code etc <== Not sure how to get it.
A way to Flash said custom rom once built (TWRP would be easiest since i have it already plus saves me trying to make a flash package for the Linux's varient of Odin)
End of what I know im sure that there's more i will need hence the reason for the thread lol.
Anyway Thanks to anyone for any help they can offer in advance.

darkensx said:
Hi Im curious what's required to build a custom rom (pie or later) for the Qualcomm China varient? Are there any guides tailored or something towards these devices (basically less of generalized one)?
What I know i need:
A 64bit Linux box i have that: Debian 10 currently.
Custom rom source (I'll decide on it later probably will be Lineage)
Samsung S9 Source Code etc <== Not sure how to get it.
A way to Flash said custom rom once built (TWRP would be easiest since i have it already plus saves me trying to make a flash package for the Linux's varient of Odin)
End of what I know im sure that there's more i will need hence the reason for the thread lol.
Anyway Thanks to anyone for any help they can offer in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
two things. 1: an unlocked bootloader 2: asking your question in the right place just messing with you on the latter, of course.
Id poke around in the Galaxy devices built specifically for non US markets as they have unlocked bootloaders and that level of development is awash in those areas.

Youdoofus said:
two things. 1: an unlocked bootloader 2: asking your question in the right place just messing with you on the latter, of course.
Id poke around in the Galaxy devices built specifically for non US markets as they have unlocked bootloaders and that level of development is awash in those areas.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
actually i have the unlocked bootloader SM-G9650 (star2qltechn) i forgot to mention that lol my bad..

Newbie questions about custom ROMs on A5 2017 (a520f)

Hi, I know most of these questions were answered hundreds of times, but I want to be sure.
1. Which ROM is more stable currently: Lineage OS 17.1 or PixelExprience Plus Edtion 10.0?
2. Does S-View Cover work?
3. Does Widevine DRM L1 work? (Netflix in 1080p)
4. Is this good to install afterward custom kernel (like Project Rise)?
5. Is there any official guide on how to install TWRP+LOS/PixelExperience+Magisk+(Anything really necessary) for dummies?
6. Does IMEI preserve installing custom ROM or need to be restored somehow?
7. What does mean Knox 0x1? Can there be any troubles with any anti-tamper mechanisms?

CondomPack said:
Hi, I know most of these questions were answered hundreds of times, but I want to be sure.
1. Which ROM is more stable currently: Lineage OS 17.1 or PixelExprience Plus Edtion 10.0?
2. Does S-View Cover work?
3. Does Widevine DRM L1 work? (Netflix in 1080p)
4. Is this good to install afterward custom kernel (like Project Rise)?
5. Is there any official guide on how to install TWRP+LOS/PixelExperience+Magisk+(Anything really necessary) for dummies?
6. Does IMEI preserve installing custom ROM or need to be restored somehow?
7. What does mean Knox 0x1? Can there be any troubles with any anti-tamper mechanisms?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
Some great questions. Always good to have as much information as possible.
I'll kick things off, and my friends @Simon1511 @SnowFuhrer @Option58 @sheepkill15 and @letsmakecakes will add to this, I'm sure.
1. Any of the ROMs on offer at the moment have their strengths and weaknesses. There is no direct answer here. My advice would be try them all and find your comfort zone. Personally, I enjoyed crDroid as I liked the customisation aspect.
2. I'm not sure how far @corsicanu got with this, so not sure
3. I don't believe the A520 is supported
4. Certain kernels are only compatible with certain ROMs. There will be guidance on the individual kernel threads and/or ROM threads.
5. There are MANY guides on the forums. Best practice would be to read, re-read, read again, ask questions.
6. Unless you screw something up, IMEI will remain intact.
7. Knox 0x1 is a trip. Means that the efuse on the motherboard has burnt. This is a security measure hardwired into this device series (and others!). Which basically renders things like Secure Folder and Samsung Pass useless (if my memory is correct).
I hope that helps to start with. Others will be along to help.
Any questions...just ask
Moozer

Question Popularity of the device?

Hey guys,
it's been 3,5 years since I've had a Oneplus 5 and couldn't root the other phone that I had during that time.
I'm happy to be back but feel like this device isn't nearly as popular as what the previous models (at least till the 5) have been.
I feel like here's much less root related stuff (like custom Roms) to be found.
Can someone give me an update or correct me if I'm wrong?
Thanks in advance.

Twrp has been out since 20th June...

Not only is TWRP a factor, but the evolution of android as a hole. Rooting isn't necessary these days to achieve desired results. My only intention on rooting my op9 pro is to remove the annoying bloatware from T-Mobile.

I feel like rooting/custom roms really are not worth it anymore.
The custom roms are designed to make the device better but in my experience you end up with more issues than you initially had when stock.

you dont have to flash custom rom when you root your phone. I use root acces for these: block ads, debloating unwanted system apps, some deep theming with swift installer and custom kernels. for example omega kernel is better than oneplus kernel now. especially while we all know that Oneplus heavily throttling well known apps.
you dont have to flash custom rom when you root your phone.
regards

sultan.of.swing said:
I feel like rooting/custom roms really are not worth it anymore.
The custom roms are designed to make the device better but in my experience you end up with more issues than you initially had when stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, that is your opinion. From my perspective, I'm not happy with basic Android or provided extension and want to flash whatever suits me better and customize as much as I can. And rooting is must have for some specific apps I need, but generally usefull for proper ad-blocking.

Unbreakeable said:
I'm happy to be back but feel like this device isn't nearly as popular as what the previous models (at least till the 5) have been.
I feel like here's much less root related stuff (like custom Roms) to be found.
Can someone give me an update or correct me if I'm wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I felt that way at first, coming from a OP7P where my phone had been heavily modded the whole 2 years I used it and I tried about every custom ROM and kernel available. Then I bought the OP9P on release day and there wasn't anything posted in the Dev section for about 2 months. But there were some challenges early on with a brand new device, Android 11, no TWRP until last month, etc., so development is just now really picking up. I expect to see more and more in the coming months.
And like others have said, a lot of us who used to always use custom ROMs have found other ways to mod without having to rely on ROMs, which can sometimes be a hassle. With root, custom kernels, and a whole slew of magisk modules to choose from, I personally don't have a reason to switch to a custom ROM right now, other than boredom.

Develop Bugs

welcome