Hi
Let's say we have tablet with allwinner a20 but there are two versions of MB(let's call it first MB and second MB). They use different firmware, when you flash wrong one device is booting but lcd is black(only backlight). I have access to stock firmware but only for first version of MB. So I tried to pull firmware from working device. What I did(in short):
1. Factory data reset.
2. Dump bootloader, boot, env, system, recovery partitions using dd if=nandX of=nanaX.img
3. Unpack stock firmware with imgRePacker.
4. Replace bootloader.fex, boot.fex, env.fex, system.fex, recovery.fex with files from step 2.
5. Mount bootloader partition and make copy of script.bin.
6. Update boot1 and boot2 files using update_boot0 and update_boot1 from SDK.
7. Second MB have one extra partition (called private) so I edited sys_partition.fex and generated sunxi_mbr.fex & dlinfo.fex files with update_mbr.
8. Pack modified firmware to img file.
Device booted successfully after flashing my firmware with phoenixsuit, everything worked, but when i restarted, tablet was stuck in bootloop. I tried to look at logcat output, it looks like it cannot create dalvik-cache directory on /data partition. Strange thing, because all required folders are created on /data partition at first boot, including dalvik-cache, they just dissappear after reboot. Wipe data from recovery doesn't help, I need to do reflash using phoenixsuit, but again, first boot OK and then device is bootlooping.
I also tried flashing my firmware on another tablet but I clicked No in "Does mandatory format?" window, tablet was stuck in bootloop with same errors about dalvik-cache directory.
When I try to make dalvik-cache directory manually using ADB it gives me some I/O error, but I can create folders with different names on /data partition without problems.
I don't have access to device right now, I will post logcat asap.
Another strange thing, on second MB with stock firmware there is 4,07GB of internal sd, but when I flash my firmware it grows to 4,56GB. It's almost 500MB Output of cat /proc/partitions is same(only size of last partition(internal sd) is different).
I will try to dump /data partition and add it to img file but it won't problably work. I'm also looking for a way do dump original MBR and boot0/boot1 from nand, in /dev/block I don't have device that represents full nand, only partitions(nanda, nandb, etc).
I have access to many tablets that I can play with, I bricked 2 so far
I don't know if it's right place to post such problems but I hope someone will be able to help
MultiSystem is a powerful tool for locked- and unlocked-bootloader Android devices with many features that at least includes the following:
Keeps stock system partition safe/rooted
Permenant root survival with proper use
MultiROM support via virtual ROMs
Unlimited number of virtual ROMs
Booting options to choose stock, primary, or secondary virtual ROM
Any of the virtual ROMs can work as a recovery replacement
Flashing multiple ROMs at the same time without a reboot
Ability to create/install ROMs on Linux to microSD card
Great performance & battery life on virtual ROMs
Recovery solution to install ROMs or Mods
Easy upgrade to newer versions of Android
Ability to safely apply OTA updates to virtual system
Permissive SELinux and other kernel tweaks
Safe flashing that doesn't trip KNOX flag on Samsung devices
Wrapper script runs via ADB or a Terminal Emulator on device
APK to manage all MultiSystem functions with a nice UI and extra options
Management for the best performance & user experience
Support for all Android devices with microSD card
Portability to almost all devices
Compatibility with all Android versions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Q&A
What is the concept behind MultiSystem?
It runs virtual Android ROMs on microSD, like booting multiple systems on a PC from different partitions/disks. So, your stock system partition is kept safe/rooted. It won't affect performance or anything (might even be better on the virtual system if you've high quality microSD & the device supports its speed). Also, you can freely modify any of the virtual systems & in the worst case, reboot the safe stock system or another working virtual system to recover. So, no root loss or potential damage to the original device partitions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it a recovery or an APK tool?
It's a shell script that hijacks system at early boot & force Android to boot from the stock system partition or a virtual system IMG & an APK that manages all booting options, virtual ROMs, and works as a recovery replacement + extra features...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does it work as a recovery replacement?
It IS a POWERFUL recovery replacement. You can do whatever you do in recovery with the APK. HOW? recovery does its magic b/c it doesn't depend on the system & has its own kernel/ramdisk. In MultiSystem, you can boot a virtual ROM from extSD that sure doesn't depend on stock system partition or any of the other virtual ROMs (it does depend on the kernel, which you can't flash on locked devcies anyway). Hence, install, backup, restore, ... & all recovery functions are all possible +++ more features since you're running a full ROM not just a recovery ramdisk like Safestrap.
Bottom Line: I think it's the best & most convenient recovery replacement ever for locked devices & it can also attract unlocked devices for the powerful features, MultiROM, and recovery from within ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I use FlashFire along with MultiSystem?
Yes. MultiSystem is compatible with FlashFire & fully supports it on stock & virtual ROMs. So, you can use both/any of them for flashing to either a stock or virtual ROM. However, it's recommended to use MultiSystem when flashing to the stock system partition (shouldn't be needed anyway since you can always be safe & flash to your old/new virtual ROMs).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does MultiSystem require FlashFire?
No, MultiSystem doesn't require FlashFire. They're fully combatible though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would the virtual ROM we install be exactly the one in the stock slot?
In MultiSystem APK, you can create a virtual ROM from stock system, a copy from other virtual ROM, a new IMG, a dev-provided ROM, a flashable .ZIP, ... etc. Literally, your virtual ROMs can be any stock or custom ROM that's compatible with your firmware/kernel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How can it run virtual ROMs from external microSD card?
External MicroSD will be formated into 2 partitions:
exFAT or FAT32 for the 1st partition (your new external storage)
EXT4 for the 2nd partition (your MultiSystem partition)
It'll hijack the system & boot a virtual system from the 2nd partition. The 1st partition will be automatically detected as your extSD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I run unrooted virtual ROM for work apps or any other reason?
Yes. You can add unrooted virtual ROM & reboot to it via MultiSystem APK.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you boot back into a different ROM?
MultiSystem APK manages all functions including ROM activation & reboot to current system, another stock/virtual system, download mode, recovery, ... etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will it be OK to still store media like movies/photos/music to extSD?
100% OK; That's my setup a few months ago. 2 virtual ROMs in the SECOND extSD partition in EXT4 format while all personal data are stored on the FIRST extSD partition in exFAT or FAT32 format... TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERET PARTITIONS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How much space are we going to have for virtual ROMs?
The size of the 2nd partition is optional (> 4GB) for your ROMs, but here is an estimated sizes:
1 Virtual ROM Uncompressed = ~2.7 GB ---> ready for running
1 Virtual ROM Compressed = ~1.5 GB ---> for full ROM backups
I'd say better allocate 4 GB for each ROM you plan to run. If you just need one virtual ROM to keep stock system safe, 4 GB 2nd extSD partition is enough; The remaining space is allocated for the 1st extSD partition as your external storage.
For me, I run Linux too from extSD via MultiSystem. So, I've 64 GB extSD card with two partitions 32 GB each.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I clear up space on an existing SD card and partition it while full or will the entire card need to be wiped and partitioned from scratch?
You need to backup all your files; it'll be wiped & repartitioned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How can I swap microSD cards & be able to run virtual ROMs?
You can swap microSD cards as you wish provided that the device is powered off; don't remove the microSD card when running a virtual ROM. If the new microSD card doesn't include a 2nd parition of available virtual ROMs, the device will boot directly to the stock system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there a specific sd card you recommended for this?
I personally have two microSD cards:
SanDisk Extreme Plus 64GB (Up to 80MB/s read speed)
Samsung 64GB PRO (Up to 90MB/s read speed)
You don't have to change your microSD card for MultiSystem; any card you use on your device should work just fine. The need for more speed is relevant when the device supports that speed & if you're going to buy a new card anyway that you may use with a newer device later.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I copy virtual ROMs to a new microSD card?
Yes. I'll add a feature for swapping microSD cards so that you can backup/restore virtual ROMs from/to the current extSD to/from internal storage as follows:
power off device
use MultiSystem APK to backup your virtual ROMs
insert the new properly formatted microSD,
power on device (it'll boot to stock system)
use MultiSystem APK to restore your virtual ROMs
use MultiSystem APK to activate one of your virtual ROMs
use MultiSystem APK to reboot to any of your ROMs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about other data/cache partitions and internal storage?
Only system img's are in the extSD. All ROMs share all other partitions. This substantially improves the performance & you won't notice any difference between your stock & virtual ROMs. The reason for performance improvement is that EXT4 loop devices are very fast in reading but not in writing. Your system partition is read-only while data (for example) is read write & cache IMGs cause problems like Safestrap issues on ROM slots. Also, you don't have to worry about switching data/settings between ROMs (they're shared), but you just need to regularly backup your important data (which is healthy anyway).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can your elaborate where data is stored?
The userdata partition is also shared; so, you'll have access to all your FULL storage partitions & all apps/data similarly on either stock or virtual ROMs. This also solves the Safestrap issue of having less storage on ROM slots...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will mSDcard incur a significant performance penalty on some devices?
there's no diffrerence between virtual & stock ROMs in terms of performance & battery life. The reason is simple: loop devices associated with the READ-ONLY system IMG mounted from EXT4 partition using a high-quality microSD card IS very fast more than enough.
The read speed is faster than the device can operate anyway + the exact same device should perform on the lowest speed when reading/writing from/to the FAT/FAT32/ExFAT extSD card (where you store your files or even move apps!!!) anyway, which is much slower than the read speed of a loop device mounted from EXT4 partition.
That's why data partition is shared for many reasons, including the poor READ/WRITE performance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If virtual systems are read only, how do we modify them? Do we have to boot to another multisystem rom to modify a virtual rom?
The stock system partition is mounted by default read only & so are the virtual systems. To modify a stock/virtual system, the MultiSystem APK remounts them read/write. You can modify the currently running virtual system, copy it & modify the copy, modify another stock/virtual system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is a corrupted virtual rom handled? Does it see it's bad and default to stock system?
At early boot, MultiSystem checks for the microSD & active virtual ROM to boot it. There's a boot menu that gives you options to select a stock/virtual system, but it crashes on LP. I'm debugging it, but all functions won't be affected if I removed it. To fail safe, you can remove the microSD card to boot to stock system & restore/repair your virtual ROMs.
UPDATE1: MultiSystem v1.0.1 now allows you to also switch to stock system on boot to repair corrupted virtual IMGs or any other reasons. More options will be added during boot to ultimately select another virtual system if the active IMG is not booting normally (e.g., bootloop after applying a mod or flashing a bad .ZIP).
UPDATE2: Now, on boot, you can choose from two primary/secondary virtual ROM or stock ROM. Flashing multiple ROMs at the same time without a reboot is now possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How to check if an IMG is corrupted using MultiSystem status?
Code:
Current System IMG: Test_Rom.img
Current System DEV: [B][COLOR="Red"]/dev/block/mmcblk0p23[/COLOR][/B]
When you see "/dev/block/mmcblk0p23"; it's the original system partition; so MultiSystem failed to boot Test_Rom.img, but it should be your current system.
So, the check is simple based on "Current System Device":
/dev/block/mmcblk0p23 = Stock System Partition
/dev/block/loop0 = Virtual System IMG
Note: The block device number (mmcblk0p23) may vary per device & per variant !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does android do any maintenance whatsoever on stored data within /data or external sd? So if I have an app installed on 1 system and not on another system will android see it and clear the data?
No, all storage partitions are shared between ROMs. If you installed an app, it'll be availabe for all of them. Since on locked devcies we're limited to stock manufacturer-based ROMs, this makes the switch between ROMs very convinient (you don't have to worry about your changes/data/setup & storage space on the another ROM; all ROMs share everything except system). However, you should make regular backups in case a virtual ROM (probably with unsafe mods) results in bootloop due to your user data. In this case, it's safe to wipe data & selectively restore apps/data from backup(s). Another advantage of sharing all storage partitions is that your messages/emails/etc received on a virtual ROM are immediated synced (actually shared) to the other ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will anything like Xposed modify the virtual ROM system IMG as opposed to the stock system IMG?
When you run a Virtual System, everything incldung kernel & apps are hijacked to speak to it as the original system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can we install AOSP ROMs on locked devices?
You can only install stock/manufacturer-based ROMs on locked devices while unlocked devices can use kexec or flash the required kernel to boot any AOSP/Stock ROMs. I've got a Note 4 Developer Edition & a lot of development is planned to go there (thanks to the unlocked bootloader!) More devices will get supported including unlocked TMO & international variants after adding more features untilizing the unlocked bootloader with kexec'd kernels.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are there limitations to the combinations of ROMs that can be loaded on the "stock" and "virtual" slots? Can you mix KK and LP?
Yes, if they can run on the same kernel. LP won't run on KK kernels & so, you'd have to upgrade the firmware anyway. As for running mixed compatible Android versions, this is possible but your'd have to backup your data before switching ROMs; if it cause no issues, enjoy smooth switch & if it doesn't, do factory reset in recovery & restore your data backup. Backups via MultiSystem are painless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are applications installed once for each ROM slot that has that applicaiton installed, or can I share a game across ROMs (for instance?)
Everything is shared between ROMs, which is very good for storage & for easy switching. Just make regular backups of your sensitive data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How there are no performance hits while internal storage memory was much faster than any microSD technology?
Read speeds from microSD is very fast compared to write speeds & since virtual ROMs are actually a virtual read-only systems (hence, MultiSystem), they provide a high performance. Moreover, again, read speeds from EXT4 loop devices are higher compared to physical partitions. They're very bad in writing, which we don't need for the read-only "system".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there a preferred "daily driver" ROM that should be installed in the stock slot?
Uses a stock ODEXED ROM on stock slot for better stability!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it based off of Safestrap?
Short answer NO. I've been working on MultiSystem & Safestrap for ~7 months. Earlier versions of MultiSystem (called, JasmineREC) was based on Safestrap, but it failed to support newer versions of Android mainly due to TWRP changes in the graphics/UI libraries that cause segmentation fault & the stock kernel framebuffer issues. Then, I decided to find another solution. However, the basic idea of system hijack is powered by Safestrap (or 2nd-init recoveries in general) & all the work done by @Hashcode is GREATLY appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How can it overwrite system files while running?
MultiSystem allows you to install safe mod's or a ROM in full or OTA-like update. It's strongly recommended to install .ZIP files NOT to the current system, b/c some files can not be overwritten while running. So, you can use backup function to copy the current system & install to the new img or any of your other virtual systems. You'll have several options to activate a virtual img & reboot directly to stock system, any virtual img you've activated, quick reboot, Download/bootloader, recovery,... etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How would I benefit from it if I'm only running Stock ROM or would there be no point for me to install it?
If you run a ROM on stock system, you're vulnerable to root loss unless/untill a new rooting method for LP comes out. MultiSystem gives you the option to run safe-to-mod virtual ROMs + recovery replacement + extra features.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there a way to convert a normal ROM .ZIP into MultiSystem .IMG?
Create or copy any of your IMGs, activate it & reboot to the active IMG! Then, use FlashFire to flash the ZIP file. However, the updater-script should be safe/compatible. Some devs mount the phyical partition, which will redirect everything to it!!
For example:
Code:
mount(“ext4″, “EMMC”, “/dev/block/mmcblk0p23″, “/system”);
will mount the original system partition; while
Code:
run_program("/sbin/mount", "-t", "auto", "/system");
will mount the current system (stock or virtual). This is recommended/safe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would a KitKat ROM work with multisystem even though my stock is Lollipop?
Any ROM requires a compatible kernel & modem. So, running KK ROMs requires flashing KK firmware (namely, kernel & modem). This may work with MultiSystem on other devices, especially if the bootlpoader is unlocked. For example, I plan to add features for Note 4 DevED to allow different Android versions (including AOSP, manufacturer-based, & probably Linux systems) by utilizing kernel swapping or execution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When MultiSystem comes out will it be open sourced?
Most probably, haven't decided yet!
Anyway, here's the repository on GitHub: https://github.com/hsbadr/MultiSystem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Video Tutorials
A quick preview of MultiSystem v1.0 tested on Lollipop for VZW Note 3. The video has been captured on a stable virtual ROM of JasmineROM v5.0.1. It's FULLY compatible with FlashFire on virtual/stock systems. More devices will get supported as well, after required testing.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hsbadr/videos/vb.331488823689599/428178174020663
How to check if you are running a Stock/Virtual System?
There're many ways to check whether you're running a Stock or Virtual system. MultiSystem app should include this simple check at some point. That's important to avoint ruining the Stock system & keep it safe. To make it clear to NOOBZ & anyone who's requesting "another" proof even though I owe hime nothing. Very weird!
Anyway, BusyBox mountpoint applet can print the current block/device mounted to /system mountpoint by running the following command:
Code:
busybox mountpoint -n /system
The stock system is mounts the original system partition:
Code:
[B][COLOR="Red"]/dev/block/mmcblk0p23[/COLOR][/B]
while the virtual system mounts a loop device associated with a system IMG:
Code:
[B][COLOR="Blue"]/dev/block/loop0[/COLOR][/B]
Here're two videos for both stock & virtual systems...
UPDATE:
Now, you could run the following command to print the current system (stock or virtual) and the system device (physical partition or loop device):
Code:
MultiSystem status
Note: The block device number (mmcblk0p23) may vary per device & per variant !
How to repartition microSD card for MultiSystem?
You can use any tool/program for partitioning on Android, Linux, Mac, or Windows. For example, MiniTool Partition Wizard is a good partitioning tool for Windows. So, let's use it for this task. Simply, you need to follow this PDF tutorial (thanks to @carl1961). In sum:
Step 1: delete old partitions on SD card
Step 2: create FAT32 PRIMARY partition
Step 3: create EXT4 PRIMARY partition
Then, apply changes (note that the program UI may get changed in newer versions).
Notes:
This partitioning tutorial doesn't create PRIMARY partitions (it creates logical partitions). So, you need to change "Create As" from "Logical" to "Primary" when creatig a partition.
The sizes of the two partitions are arbitrary depending on number of ROMs you plan to install on the 2nd EXT4 partition.
The 1st partition (check size) is automatically detected as your external storage
In Terminal Emulator or ADB shell, check the existence of the two partitions by running the following command (in red):
Code:
[email protected]:/ # [COLOR="Red"]ls -l /dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.3/[/COLOR]
drwxr-xr-x root root 2015-05-02 21:08 by-num
lrwxrwxrwx root root 2015-05-02 21:08 mmcblk1 -> /dev/block/mmcblk1
lrwxrwxrwx root root 2015-05-02 21:08 mmcblk1p1 -> [COLOR="Blue"]/dev/block/mmcblk1p1[/COLOR]
lrwxrwxrwx root root 2015-05-02 21:08 mmcblk1p2 -> [COLOR="Blue"]/dev/block/mmcblk1p2[/COLOR]
/dev/block/mmcblk1p1 is mounted by Android as your external storage.
/dev/block/mmcblk1p2 is NOT mounted & will be your MultiSystem partition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How to check microSD card partitions for MultiSystem?
You need to correctly repartition microSD card into two partitions:
exFAT or FAT32 for the 1st partition (your new external storage)
EXT4 for the 2nd partition (your MultiSystem partition)
Use the directions in this post!
You should check your 2nd SD partition in EXT4 format mounted to /MultiSystem:
check that the /MultiSystem directory exists after a reboot
check that the 2nd SD partition (/dev/block/mmcblk1p2) is mounted to /MultiSystem by running the following command in Terminal Emulator or ADB shell:
Code:
mount | grep /MultiSystem
The output should be:
Code:
/dev/block/mmcblk1p2 /MultiSystem ext4 rw,seclabel,relatime,data=ordered 0 0
How to check MultiSystem Installation?
The 1st thing to do after installing MultiSystem is to check the /MultiSystem directory & its contents (it shouldn't be empty!). Then, check usage by running the following commands in Terminal Emulator or ADB shell:
Code:
su
bash
MultiSystem
If it retuns "MultiSystem not found" or permission denied, try to use open MultiSystem app to Update Configurations & try again. If this does't fix it, try the following command:
Code:
/MultiSystem/bin/MultiSystem
This should work if you've MultiSystem binaries installed in (extracted to) /MultiSystem directory. If so, you can create a symlink in /system/xbin as follows:
Code:
mount -o remount,rw /system
ln -sv /MultiSystem/bin/MultiSystem /system/xbin/MultiSystem
Then, test it by running:
Code:
MultiSystem
The last thing before using it is to check the boot options: reboot & monitor the GREEN LED indicator for 3 seconds (change in the app) , which give you the following options:
Volume UP = Primary virtual ROM
Volume DOWN = Secondary virtual ROM
HOME KEY = Stock System
Pressing nothing will boot the active system: stock or primary virtual system. Sure, you should have installed one or more virtual ROMs.
Backup & restore or creating/installing a virtual ROM are easy as copy & paste: all img's will be at
Code:
/MultiSystem/img/system
To backup a virtual/stock system, you have many options:
Use create function to create from stock system
Use copy function to copy the IMG
Copy & paste with a new name
Use FlashFire (fully supported on virtual/stock ROMs)
...
If you've IMG mounting issues, run the following commands:
Code:
mount -o remount,rw /system
busybox ln -sv /proc/self/mounts /system/etc/mtab
If this doesn't help, try mounting from Terminal Emulator or ADB shell after selecting the IMG in MultiSystem app, by running the following command:
Code:
MultiSystem mount virtual
Mind Boggling
hsbadr said:
MultiSystem is a powerful tool for locked- and unlocked-bootloader Android devices with many features that at least includes the following:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had to login just to thank you.
Awesome.
Sent from my SM-N910V DE
Remember: Read twice flash once
I decided to go ahead and try this. Using the latest version it appears to install Multisystem with no problem. Then when I try to flash a rom it says: "file selected: null" when I try to select the rom. So I tried FlashFire and ended up flashing on top of my system instead of the virtual rom partition. How do I tell flashfire where to install to?
MultiSystem Video Tutorial
Thanks To: @Tomsgt , aka RootJunky
Don't forget to subscribe & like the video to show appreciation of his great effort & time spent in making the video :highfive::good:
stueycaster said:
I decided to go ahead and try this. Using the latest version it appears to install Multisystem with no problem. Then when I try to flash a rom it says: "file selected: null" when I try to select the rom. So I tried FlashFire and ended up flashing on top of my system instead of the virtual rom partition. How do I tell flashfire where to install to?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will explain this very soon
hsbadr said:
Will explain this very soon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks man. You're awesome as usual. ?
Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
hsbadr said:
Thanks To: @Tomsgt , aka RootJunky
Don't forget to subscribe & like the video to show appreciation of his great effort & time spent in making the video :highfive::good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I found out I was leaving out the "Create Virtual IMG" step. But even with that it still gives me the "File selected: Null" message.
stueycaster said:
I found out I was leaving out the "Create Virtual IMG" step. But even with that it still gives me the "File selected: Null" message.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Update Configurations >>> Activate Virtual System >>> Select Primary IMG
hsbadr said:
Update Configurations >>> Activate Virtual System >>> Select Primary IMG
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, does this look right? It looks like I have 2 copies of the same rom on the same partition.
Sent from my SM-N910V DE
Remember: Read twice - Flash once
stueycaster said:
Ok, does this look right? It looks like I have 2 copies of the same rom on the same partition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This means that IMG doesn't exist or corupted. You need to create a good IMG & activate it: Create IMG >>> wait for the LED >>> Update Configurations >>> Activate Virtual System >>> Select Primary IMG
hsbadr said:
This means that IMG doesn't exist or corupted. You need to create a good IMG & activate it: Create IMG >>> wait for the LED >>> Update Configurations >>> Activate Virtual System >>> Select Primary IMG
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I fixed it. The problem was my ext4 partition on the sd wasn't big enough. I tried to set up exactly 4 gb but of course it came out 3.68 gb instead. So I went back and expanded it to 5.4 gb. Now the status is right.
Could I replace this virtual image with the stock rooted LP image with Root Explorer and it would work? This one was done with MoRom. I'd like to have the stock rom too.
Or could I flash the 2 part recovery flashable LP update with either MultiSystem or Flashfire without wiping system or data? If I wipe system I'll lose the MultiSystem directory right?
Update: Or should I wait for Jasmine?
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app
Any chances this will work for the Note Edge before I go through all the work?
stueycaster said:
I fixed it. The problem was my ext4 partition on the sd wasn't big enough. I tried to set up exactly 4 gb but of course it came out 3.68 gb instead. So I went back and expanded it to 5.4 gb. Now the status is right.
Could I replace this virtual image with the stock rooted LP image with Root Explorer and it would work? This one was done with MoRom. I'd like to have the stock rom too.
Or could I flash the 2 part recovery flashable LP update with either MultiSystem or Flashfire without wiping system or data? If I wipe system I'll lose the MultiSystem directory right?
Update: Or should I wait for Jasmine?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great! Yes, you can add virtual ROMs with any root explorer. I'd suggest to increase the EXT4 partition size & keep it for ROM or even backups (it's faster & more reliable compared to FAT32/exFAT). You can add this rooted ROM, unrooted stock ROM (for enterprise, etc), and/or wait for JasminROM.
rlkirkland said:
Any chances this will work for the Note Edge before I go through all the work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, but not tested yet.
hsbadr said:
Great! Yes, you can add virtual ROMs with any root explorer. I'd suggest to increase the EXT4 partition size & keep it for ROM or even backups (it's faster & more reliable compared to FAT32/exFAT). You can add this rooted ROM, unrooted stock ROM (for enterprise, etc), and/or wait for JasminROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm obviously doing something wrong or I've left a step out. I placed the stock rooted LP .img into the /MultiSystem/img/system file using Root Explorer. I opened MultiSystem, tapped Install MultiSystem, chose the virtual rom that I copied originally as Primary System image, the rooted LP image as secondary System Image, tapped Update Configurations, closed the MS app then rebooted. When the LED lit up I tapped the down volume rocker til the light went out. Then when it finishes booting it says it's the stock system instead of the secondary virtual image.
Update: Even when I try to choose the primary virtual image it boots the stock system.
Has anyone tried to resize their system partition? I've known for a while that the system partition is huge (2.4GB) and only about 1/5 of it is used. [SEE SCREENSHOT]
I'd like to reduce size of the system partition so I could then, hopefully, increase the size of the data partition. I've done some searching and apparently there is no way to do it without changing the kernel:
"Partition table (start addresses and sizes) is hard-coded in bootloader, and can be redefined in kernel boot parameters (in this case recovery needs to be recompiled with the same parameters too, otherwise it won't write to the same partitions the kernel will read from). You're welcome to hack any of those. As you could probably understand from this paragraph, I wouldn't expect having GUI tools for that."
(something I am not equipped to do, neither equipment-wise nor knowledge-wise).
Does anyone know something that I don't? Thanks in advance.
Partition sizes can be altered using a modified pit file to repartition.
Not advisable to resize the system partition as stock roms will likely refuse to install. Custom recovery should handle modified partition sizes without the need for any modification.
If you want to utilise the unused space then I suggest moving data apps to system. This will then give you the free space you desire without compromising the system.
Thanks ashyx. As always, you are a font of knowledge. I'll have to do some research on your suggestion...did you mean "move app data to system" ?
BTW I use TWRP, and AICP ROM.
Yep, there are apps available that will move apps from data to system. In fact I think system app remover does this.
Funny, I have that app installed but have never really explored it--until now and, yes, it looks like it does just that. Also I'm going to look at Link2Sd. Thanks again.
Hi guys have weird problem with my phone. Sometimes when I want to make nandroid I can see error 255 always on system partition . When I restore system partition I can do nandroid.
Next thing, when I want to delete any system app using titanium backup, after restart app is back again and im not getting free spacer in system partition. Also very often when I restore nandroid system doesn't want to boot, it just stuck on boot logo.
It is happening since last few weeks. What should I do to fix it?
Format all partitions then clean flash of rom?
joloxx9joloxx9 said:
Hi guys have weird problem with my phone. Sometimes when I want to make nandroid I can see error 255 always on system partition . When I restore system partition I can do nandroid.
Next thing, when I want to delete any system app using titanium backup, after restart app is back again and im not getting free spacer in system partition. Also very often when I restore nandroid system doesn't want to boot, it just stuck on boot logo.
It is happening since last few weeks. What should I do to fix it?
Format all partitions then clean flash of rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would work if you arent rooted with otg ...the you could image the system and fix it on a Linux box with fsck
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk
uudruid74 said:
That would work if you arent rooted with otg ...the you could image the system and fix it on a Linux box with fsck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you please tell me How can I fix IT?
joloxx9joloxx9 said:
Could you please tell me How can I fix IT?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The method you mentioned will work. Format everything and reload. I wish that recovery systems for Android supported fsck. Actually, if you have busybox installed, even under tmpfs, you might be able to get to a shell to run fsck. I can't try it now, but it worth a shot.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk
uudruid74 said:
The method you mentioned will work. Format everything and reload. I wish that recovery systems for Android supported fsck. Actually, if you have busybox installed, even under tmpfs, you might be able to get to a shell to run fsck. I can't try it now, but it worth a shot.
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Click to collapse
No Way to run fsck. I will try to format everything later then send files from PC and install fresh system on the phone.
joloxx9joloxx9 said:
No Way to run fsck. I will try to format everything later then send files from PC and install fresh system on the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for future reference, there is a "Repair filesystem" option in twrp. It says it runs e2fsck, which works for ext4. It won't hurt an f2fs filesystem, but I don't think it will repair it either. I'm seriously considering switching my /data to ext4 just so I have proper recovery tools.
My OP3T does have fsck.f2fs on the system, which means you can fix your data by opening a Terminal session from TWRP and then running :
Code:
fsck.f2fs /dev/block/dm-0
should fix your data corruption should you see this error again. For ext4, you use e2fsck rather than fsck.f2fs. This is also what you would use on /system (which is /dev/block/sde20 on my phone) should that ever be mounted read/write and get corrupted (pretty low chance even if you do mount it read/write as writes are low frequency and ext4 has a rock solid journal).
WARNING: Device numbers are for my OP3T and may be different on other devices or even on non-US devices.
Hi, what are the storage requirements for the /system partition for LOS 15.1?
I tried upgrading LOS 14.1 + opengapps nano to 15.1 + opengapps nano after the updater notified me of availability.
Initial attempt to upgrade the system ended in failure (made apparent with opengapps installer, not LOS) which I tracked down to the LOS installer completely exhausting the free space on /system - the build.prop file was empty and opengapps refused to install, citing incorrect SDK version.
So next I tried wiping the /system partition and then installing both again - LOS installer finished successfully, but this left free space of only ~120 MiB, not enough for opengapps nano. Is it expected that a fresh install of LOS without opengapps takes ~700MiB?
I used pico. Wipe the system area, install the nightly, Mount system, delete system/app/jelly or system/app/email and then install gapps.
st3v3ntehl33t said:
I used pico. Wipe the system area, install the nightly, Mount system, delete system/app/jelly or system/app/email and then install gapps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, can't quickly try that - already reverted the device to the backup of 14.1 Do you mean you had to delete stock LOS apps to even install the pico opengapps package?
According to description, the diff between pico and nano is Health services and Google search, neither of which is installable from the play store, AFAICT (and would prefer to leave them in). Is there an option for a proper solution, eg. repartitioning the flash so that the system partition is big enough to hold it all? (How big is the system partition on phones factory-shipped with Android 8.1, anyway?)
Yes, that's correct there's not enough space to install gapps with all the factory apps installed. It was asked how this ROM could even go official with lineage when you have to do this work around to get play store functionality but technically having the play store is not a requirement for lineage os. (There's other options). Afaik it's only an issue because of the size of the actual system allocated area (call it a partition if you want) on the Nexus 4 itself. After you get it installed you can install apps to replace the ones you deleted.
Glad I found this post. Thanks for the details, because I was going around in circles trying to figure out what could be wrong.
While GApps are technically not "required", not allowing space for their install - which is likely very common - seems very short-sighted. Furthermore, the Install page offers the option (instructions) of flashing the GApps zip. If they're not going to leave any room for it, they should either document that, or mention that they didn't leave any room for you to do it. And really, the partition should just be sized big enough to allow for it.
st3v3ntehl33t said:
I used pico. Wipe the system area, install the nightly, Mount system, delete system/app/jelly or system/app/email and then install gapps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, pico actually worked!
To anyone is still not on LOS 15:
Repartitioning is fairly simple (although time-consuming, expect the data transfers to/from PC to take ~90 minutes in total), as the device's storage uses plain GPT as a partitioning scheme. Reposting my answer on stackexchange:
I eventually found this thread, where the author prepared an archive with gdisk and a few other tools.
Requirements:
Computer/VM with adb, fsck.ext4 and resize2fs
This zip file
Overview
The relevant partitions (system and userdata) are 21st and 23rd on the storage. The 22nd partition is just cache, so there's no harm nuking it, and making a new one after data from the other 2 are in place.
The TL;DR version of the procedure is:
boot into recovery, unmount everything
pull the data partition to computer
Code:
[PC] adb pull /dev/block/mmcblk0p23 userdata.img
put gdisk on the phone, and use it to modify the partition table - grow system while retaining its starting sector, shrink userdata by the same amount, and re-create cache between them
Code:
[PC] adb push gdisk /tmp/
[adb-shell] /tmp/gdisk /dev/block/mmcblk0
...
use resize2fs on the phone with the system partition to grow it
use resize2fs on the computer with the userdata partition's image to shrink it to appropriate size
push the modified data image to the phone
Code:
[PC] adb push userdata.img /dev/block/mmcblk0p23
format the cache partition, reboot into system
EDIT: I'm intentionally leaving out the details of what to do with gdisk, as I think using sgdisk's output and a text editor to just change the partition boundaries is the proper way to do this. If you really want and need some hints though:
On the phone, all of the affected partitions started on 8MiB-aligned sectors, and I maintained the alignment after the resize. It also makes specifying the new size to resize2fs straightforward
Partition name in the GPT, and unique GUID should be maintained after resize.
Oh, and regarding LOS-15 installation, the installer will image the system partition with original, 840MiB filesystem, and won't grow it, so subsequent g-apps installation will fail. It's necessary to grow the filesystem manually and then install g-apps.
myxal said:
push the modified data image to the phone
Code:
[PC] adb push userdata.img /dev/block/mmcblk0p23
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Click to collapse
putting aside missing information about how to get and use sgdisk (or gdisk) you're also not saying what modification has to be done to userdata.img and if this modification works with encrypted /data
rotanid said:
putting aside missing information about how to get and use sgdisk (or gdisk) you're also not saying what modification has to be done to userdata.img and if this modification works with encrypted /data
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Click to collapse
The modification referred in point 6 is the shrinking done in point 5. I have no experience with encrypted /data (or knowledge how that is implemented, for that matter), so I don't know what extra steps would be needed in that setup.
myxal said:
The modification referred in point 6 is the shrinking done in point 5. I have no experience with encrypted /data (or knowledge how that is implemented, for that matter), so I don't know what extra steps would be needed in that setup.
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oh, thanks for the fast reply!
in that case, i think it's not possible to keep the data if it's encrypted, because you can't decrypt it on the PC to be able to shrink it