Database Users

Atrix Custom Backup For Each Sbfs

Hi,
I readed this
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1041572
then I had an idea that is just simple
I got tired with my att atrix for many months now we can't flash any sbf on that phone.
I suggest that people dump data and system files and all other folders for all the sbfs that are shared.
that is as simple as it is, after that we just need to update the folders and files over the old ones.
I will also try myself to extract contents inside the .smg files of sbfs using linux but I can not garantee it will work since I don't know what is the real file format of current atix smgs right now.
I will create a shell script that will do the job easily and I need people that have Bell atrix, Europe Atrix, Latin atrix or Asia Atrix.
If we succesfully overwritte those folders and files on our phones, I'm pretty sure that future update will also work since update.zip is just looking for right files on the phones and not checking for 1init bootloader version.
Who would like to participate and try?
for those who have questions, feel free to ask me

extract sbf
rename CG57.smg to system.img
use kitchen to make a update zip
or
make a nandroid backup
use system.img from clockwork/backup folder
use in kitchen to create update.zip

[How To] Create a custom firmware for SmartQ Ten3 T15

These are the steps explaining you how to create a custom firmware based on the SmartQ firmware releases.
Warning : Creating a firmware and changing the files may cause your device to stop working, I won't be held responsible for any damage caused by this.
Creating a firmware file is actually very easy, not much is involved and nothing more than some basic software is required to create the files. If you don't understand the steps below than maybe you shouldn't fiddle around with this and wait for other members to create these.
There is nothing explained here about the flashing itself, as I will create a seperate How-To about that with pictures explaining the steps of the recovery.
Also there is nothing explained about kernel building itself, I have no clue how to do that and I'll leave that up to SmartQ.
Use the instructions below to make your own Firmware file with the software you want in it and make all configuration changes you want.
1. If you haven't already download the latest official firmware from SmartQ.
2. Extract the zip file. You then have 2 files, a Chinese .txt file with the release notes. And a file called "SmartQT15".
3. Rename the file "SmartQT15" to "SmartQT15.zip". Accept any warning about making the file useless, as in fact you are making it useful.
4. Extract the zip file. Then you end up with 4 new folders :
"boot" - This will be the files required for booting the OS. And possibly the recovery.
"data" - The user apps and data are in this folder.
"META-INF" - The certificate SmartQ used is in this folder and also the update script that manages the update process.
"system" - The actual Android OS.Stay clear of the boot folder, unless you are 100% sure about what you are doing, this may cause a bricked device without the possibility to reflash.
Add apps to the app subfolder in the data folder. Make sure if you do add apps to set the permissions in the update script file and make changes accordingly. The data-extra.tar file is extracted during the update process.
In the "META-INF\com\google\android" folder you can find the updater-script file, you can edit this with Notepad++. This file tells the CWM based recovery what to do and in this file the permissions are set for apps. Also is it required to edit this if you want to create a pre-rooted firmware.
Be carefull what to change in the system folder it can cause your OS not to boot, but it should be no problem to revert back to another build that did work previously as you didn't touch the boot folder and the recovery should work normally.
Once you have made all the changes you wanted to do. You follow the steps back.
5. zip the 4 folders backup using Winzip or WinRAR, whatever suits you best (You can use compression, I tried out Fast, Normal, Good compression in WinRAR and the firmware flashed without problems). Make sure you have the 4 folders in the "root" of your zip file. Use for filename "SmartQT15.zip"
6. Rename the "SmartQT15.zip" file to "SmartQT15" and accept any warning again about changing the extension of your file.
You have now created a flashable firmware file for the SmartQ Ten3 T15.
Copy his file to the root of an empty microSD card and follow my How-To about flashing Custom Firmwares.
Don't use the guide to flash original SmartQ firmwares as this won't work, by changing the firmware package you break the firmware signature and the recovery will check for this during flashing.
Signature checking can be disabled though in the recovery as I will explain in the new How-To.
If you have any questions feel free to post below and I'll do my best to answer them, all the above is based on my experience and from what I could find out on the Internet.

[Q] Stock rom ?

Hi,
i would like to know how i could get my stock rom from my N4, like a .zip file. Because i tried nandroid, but i would like to modify the rom with the kitchen, and i don't know how to do if i don't have a zip file... Thanks !

AutruiP said:
Hi,
i would like to know how i could get my stock rom from my N4, like a .zip file. Because i tried nandroid, but i would like to modify the rom with the kitchen, and i don't know how to do if i don't have a zip file... Thanks !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should be able to extract the boot and system images from Google's factory image.
https://developers.google.com/android/nexus/images#occam
I wasn't aware that the kitchen worked with the Nexus 4 as its still listed as one of the unsupported devices but the thread hasn't been updated since October of last year so maybe that changed.
this is copied from dsixda's kitchen thread (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=633246 post #3):
How do I import a ROM into the kitchen to use as my base?
(The instructions below are for HTC devices in general. For other devices, please visit the appropriate thread.)
From a shipped ROM:
First, find the shipped ROM for your device, usually from htc.com or from searching xda-developers (check the Wiki or sticky posts under your device's sub-forum).
This link may help: Various devices
Please don't ask me for links, as I don't know everything or own all devices.
The shipped ROM can be found in three different formats. Identify the type you have downloaded:
If the shipped ROM is in a .ZIP format, then simply copy it to the kitchen's original_update folder.
OR if the shipped ROM consists of system.img and boot.img files, then copy those two files to the kitchen's original_update folder. If the ROM also includes a lib.img (found in some newer HTC ROMs), then copy that as well!
OR if the shipped ROM is in an .EXE format, then do the following:
In Windows, run the shipped ROM's .EXE file till it gets to the first dialog. Stop there but don't close the window yet.
Go to Start->Run and type: %TEMP%
When the folder opens, search for Rom.zip (use the "magnifying glass" Search button)
Copy Rom.zip to your kitchen's original_update folder
OR from a cooked/custom ROM:
Copy the update.zip (or equivalent ZIP file) to your kitchen's original_update folder
OR from a Nandroid backup (under /sdcard/nandroid) [NOT RECOMMENDED FOR NON-STOCK ROM BACKUPS]:
Copy the system.img and boot.img files from the backup folder to your kitchen's original_update folder

Hm, i see. But the problem with the dev links for Google is that it's 4.2.2 and not 4.2.1... I would like to stay to an older version for the moment, with those problems with bootloaders, kernels etc... I will try with system and boot img, thanks !
Sent from my Blade S using xda app-developers app

Well, i tried to use the tutorial about shipped rom, but my system.img and boot.img files aren't recognized by the kitchen... So i don't know how to do Halp ?

In this thread you have posted link to factory image with android 4.2.1 http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2145848

Great !! Thanks a lot eskeyy !

[HELP] Retrieving TWRP data [SOLVED]

Hello, I would like to know how I could extract backed up TWRP data on my computer? maybe because the data was large TWRP split it into two files : data.ext4.win000 and data.ext4.win001 (sizes 1.5 and 1.2 GB)
How I got there:
I've been using XenonHD rom for quite a while, and this rom uses koush's superuser app.
I noticed there was a newer version on the market so I installed it; however it appears the one used by the rom developer was modified and therefore had a different package name: I ended up with two superuser apps, one of them asking to update the binaries, which I did.
After that the phone got stuck and rebooted two or three times before being stuck indefinitely at 'updating app' message right after the bootanimation. I tried:
- to wipe dalvik cache but it was still stuck;
- I reflashed the rom + gapps but it was still stuck;
- then I went to the /data/app/ folder (via TWRP) and deleted the superuser app i installed from market, as well as the corresponding data in /data/data, wiped cache and dalvik again: still the same...
-the I decided to make a backup via TWRP : one of the whole system, and one of Data partition only;
- then I realised I couldn't transfer it to my computer in TWRP, so I finally made a factory reset, re-flashed the rom+gapps, and then (it worked) copied my backup to the computer
now; how can I retrieve the data of my apps only, as I guess it is the system data that is messed up?
Of course I tried to restore the Data backup in twrp and it got stuck again the same way....
any help greatly appreciated!

You could try appextractor on the play store
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

forvrknight said:
You could try appextractor on the play store
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It didn't work for me...
I finally got my data back by this tricky procedure (there might be an easier way but google+xda was not my friend on this one, I tried ext2explore and ext4explore, linux_reader, Andoird_ICS_JB_ext4_unpacker and maybe some more without success)
I renamed the two files:
data.ext4.win000 renamed as data.ext4.tar.001
data.ext4.win001 renamed as data.ext4.tar.002
Unzipping the first one with 7zip recreates a .tar archive named data.ext4.tar, which is not really a tar archive (extracting it will only give a very few files, for me it only included the image files of my custom bootanimation)
On this file I used AccessData FTK Imager, which would recognise the 'evidence' as a tar file and would allow you to export the data, however this is only the data contained originally in the first file (data.ext4.win000) (although the reconstructed archive was the right size, for me 2.7GB, the part extracted by this software was only 1.5GB)
To recover the second part, simply rename the second file (initially data.ext4.win001) into data.7z and then extract. (this does not work with the first file, all you would get is again a very few files, for me it looked like the content of a single apk file)
All you have to do now is to merge the two data folders and voilà
I could then retrieve my sms mms messages by retrieving the file smsmms.db (and eventually smsmms.db-journal) located in /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases, and putting them on the phone in the same folder
I could also retrieve my phone call logs by retrieving the files contacts2.db (and eventually contacts2.db-journal) located in /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases, and putting them on the phone in the same folder
Hope it helps someone someday
For some reason replacing the data folder of a particular app does not always work, I have to investigate a bit or maybe start fresh with a new rom and try again

asim0 said:
It didn't work for me...
I finally got my data back by this tricky procedure (there might be an easier way but google+xda was not my friend on this one, I tried ext2explore and ext4explore, linux_reader, Andoird_ICS_JB_ext4_unpacker and maybe some more without success)
I renamed the two files:
data.ext4.win000 renamed as data.ext4.tar.001
data.ext4.win001 renamed as data.ext4.tar.002
Unzipping the first one with 7zip recreates a .tar archive named data.ext4.tar, which is not really a tar archive (extracting it will only give a very few files, for me it only included the image files of my custom bootanimation)
On this file I used AccessData FTK Imager, which would recognise the 'evidence' as a tar file and would allow you to export the data, however this is only the data contained originally in the first file (data.ext4.win000) (although the reconstructed archive was the right size, for me 2.7GB, the part extracted by this software was only 1.5GB)
To recover the second part, simply rename the second file (initially data.ext4.win001) into data.7z and then extract. (this does not work with the first file, all you would get is again a very few files, for me it looked like the content of a single apk file)
All you have to do now is to merge the two data folders and voilà
I could then retrieve my sms mms messages by retrieving the file smsmms.db (and eventually smsmms.db-journal) located in /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases, and putting them on the phone in the same folder
I could also retrieve my phone call logs by retrieving the files contacts2.db (and eventually contacts2.db-journal) located in /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases, and putting them on the phone in the same folder
Hope it helps someone someday
For some reason replacing the data folder of a particular app does not always work, I have to investigate a bit or maybe start fresh with a new rom and try again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It actually helped me, thanks a lot!

Two Questions
asim0 said:
On this file I used AccessData FTK Imager,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a 4.6 Gigs professional software. If TWRP can read this type of file there must be a smaller tool available for this.
Can you please let me know of any other toll which would do the same?
asim0 said:
All you have to do now is to merge the two data folders and voilà
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the 2nd file do we need to follow the same procedure like 'evidence' and stuff?
Thanks, I am desperate to read some information from TWRP backup and cannot wait 6 days while the 4.6 Gigs of ISO will download.

pi_yush said:
This is a 4.6 Gigs professional software. If TWRP can read this type of file there must be a smaller tool available for this.
Can you please let me know of any other toll which would do the same?
For the 2nd file do we need to follow the same procedure like 'evidence' and stuff?
Thanks, I am desperate to read some information from TWRP backup and cannot wait 6 days while the 4.6 Gigs of ISO will download.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These files (at least the ones produced by TWRP2 on my phone) are just standard gzipped tar archives. The tar command has supported this format for at least 20 years. You can extract with a command like this:
Code:
tar xvfz data.ext4.win000
tar xvfz data.ext4.win001

number_thirty_two said:
These files (at least the ones produced by TWRP2 on my phone) are just standard gzipped tar archives. The tar command has supported this format for at least 20 years. You can extract with a command like this:
Code:
tar xvfz data.ext4.win000
tar xvfz data.ext4.win001
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks number_thirty_two, I copyed thes to a folder I named untar in my home folder of CYGWIN, and extracted my system files perfectly
C:\cygwin\home\carl\untar\
system.ext4.win000
system.ext4.win001
tar xvfz system.ext4.win000
tar xvfz system.ext4.win001

Apologies for resurrecting this, but does anyone know how to extract them if they were compressed as .comp files?

asim0 said:
It didn't work for me...
I finally got my data back by this tricky procedure (there might be an easier way but google+xda was not my friend on this one, I tried ext2explore and ext4explore, linux_reader, Andoird_ICS_JB_ext4_unpacker and maybe some more without success)
I renamed the two files:
data.ext4.win000 renamed as data.ext4.tar.001
data.ext4.win001 renamed as data.ext4.tar.002
Unzipping the first one with 7zip recreates a .tar archive named data.ext4.tar, which is not really a tar archive (extracting it will only give a very few files, for me it only included the image files of my custom bootanimation)
On this file I used AccessData FTK Imager, which would recognise the 'evidence' as a tar file and would allow you to export the data, however this is only the data contained originally in the first file (data.ext4.win000) (although the reconstructed archive was the right size, for me 2.7GB, the part extracted by this software was only 1.5GB)
To recover the second part, simply rename the second file (initially data.ext4.win001) into data.7z and then extract. (this does not work with the first file, all you would get is again a very few files, for me it looked like the content of a single apk file)
All you have to do now is to merge the two data folders and voil
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Flash Stock ROM missing META-INF directory

Kinda makes this noob sick. I just got a new Moto G4 X1625 (not Amazon). Next came the steps to unlock the bootloader with Motorola and to install TWRP. Everything had gone so easily by following some how-to steps I jumped to the next step of installing SuperSU without doing a backup – thinking it was simply adding an app. Big mistake! Reboot and now always stuck on the logo boot animation.
Okay, so I found and tried use TWRP to install ATHENE_6.0.1_MPJ24.139-13.1_cid50_subsidy-DEFAULT_CFC.xml.zip in an attempt to get back to stock. No luck there since install always aborts with a "Could not find 'META-INF/com/google/android/update-binary' in the zip file."
I checked a couple of other ROMs and that META-INF directory doesn't seem to be included in them either.
What do I need to do just to get back to normal eliminating the effects of that SuperSU install? Help greatly appreciated.

That file you downloaded is not a flashable file.
Instead, read this linky

Thanks for the helpful clue @t0mm13b. I followed the approach at <http://www.stechguide.com/download-stock-firmware-of-moto-g4-and-g4-plus/> and executed the listed commands from my MacOS Terminal. They did the job resulting in a fresh install after bootup.
2-1/2 questions…
1. Are flashable ROM files readily available? The ones I found all seemed missing the META-INF directory. Will they be .img files and not .zip?
2. Is TWRP not useful for these stock ROMs?

The ones I found all seemed missing the META-INF directory. Will they be .img files and not .zip?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As a general rule of thumb, read the accompanying text to the link of the download, on a web page where you find one. It will tell you if it's flashable or not.
Factory images, just like what you had to carry out previously, never have, and do not have the `META-INF` directory. They usually contain img files that requires `fastboot flash`.
On the other hand, OTAs and flashable zips will have that in their respective zip file.

Thanks again @t0mm13b for the clarification. I often didn't see info about whether a ROM is flashable in link or web page text, but it may have just been assumed based on being aware of what the zip contains.