Related
So basically turning a provider locked phone into the european open D802?
edit: another question:
If i do a nandroid backup of my stock LG rom, is it possible to just do a nandroid back up, install stock recovery and basically "lock" the phone without the hassle of having to go through the longer "unrooting" guide?
thanks in advance!
It should be enough to follow the "back to stock rom" thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2432476 , this will change the current rom with a stock LG rom using LGs own tools.
Partially no, it flashes based on IMEI region. You want to flash a EUA KDZ. Then disable OTA.
I apologize for the lack of knowledge. Ive flashed all my phones so far sgs 1, nexus 4, galaxy nexus,htc one x and what confuses me about this phone the most is the kdz files.
My phone, for example, is a provider locked d802 - provider being www.a1.net
(Austria)
Now i followed the link you showed me but it only shows me open european d802 and some from germany files fir download. Would it be safe to flash those when reverting to stock considering i have a d802?
If i want to flash my provider's rom, how do i go on to acquiring those files ? Just incase of phone issues and i have to send my ohone in. Would it be as simple as flashing my stock nandroid backup, flashing stock recovery and typing fastboot oem lock in cmd ?
Im sorry for all those questions, while im quite confident i would get it done, i just like to acquire the basic understanding needed before i start anything.
Not to say i dont understand the effort put together by those who made the threads (how to flash/revert to stock etc.) But the threads to a certain degree are limited to just a simple how to when they could maybe use a little bit more detail.
Thanks in advance guys! Looking forward to rooting this thing
Sent from my LG-D802 using xda app-developers app
If by unlocked, you mean allow you to put any Sim card in it and it work, no I don't think there is a way to make that work. Roms deal with a totally different part of the phone than the carrier lock. If you mean boot loader unlock, that would specific to your phone model and flashing one from a different model could do nasty things to your phone. I would suggest finding the exact forum for your phone model (I.e. at lg g2, international g2 etc).
They should have all the info you need, and to carrier/Sim unlock your your phone to use on various providers- I would Google "Sim unlock *insert phone name here*) and read through til you find a site that will work out.
Edit* I just saw your provider, u "should" have an international version and you should be able to easily bootloader unlock, root and flash the phone. Be sure to read carefully before attempting anything though.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
Oh.. So although im provider locked and own a d802 i basically still have the international version and therefor should follow the d802 international guides/should be able to flash d802 roms?? I really apologize if my questions have been stupid so far. Just i am very cautious. Thanks a bunch though.
But can you answer thr nandroid part (in bold text) ? Basically reverting to stock with nandroid backup, flashing stock recovry und locking the phone in fast boot. Is this doable on the g2? Thanks a lot once again appreciate it
Sent from my LG-D802 using xda app-developers app
If you unlock your boot loader and install a custom recovery like clockwork mod or teamwin recovery you can then make a nandroid of the exact stock ROM to restore back to. Relocking the boot loader is separate but usually fairly easily done. More often than not, the steps to relock the boot loader are laid out in the same thread to unlock it.
Be very careful, most of the time, once you start changing things you NEVER EVER want to accept an ota update from lg until you return EVERYTHING back to stock.
My recommendation would be unlock, install twrp and flash a custom ROM. That way you won't ever be asked to do an lg update, and most custom Roms end up being as stable or more so than the software that came on the device to begin with.
Or to return to total stock easier, most phones have a "factory" image that flashes in Odin or some other similar software meant for that device. It will erase everything, remove root and relock the phone all at once I believe. Just remember to read everything at least twice, and try to totally understand exactly what you are about to do.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
LTE band 66 service and OTA updating is disabled through the DirtySanta root exploit on the stock build when rooted. I was hoping that there would be a ROM or two for the Canadian version of this device. Need something relatively stable, with nightly updates, and with support for AWS 3/Band 66 connectivity
Any leads are are appreciated. Thanks!
Considering the 915 isn't even a supported device no. If someone has gotten the 915 please let me know.
Until FREEDOM Mobile allows the LG V20 LOCKED bootloader to be UNlocked, there will be no FREEDOM to have a custom ROM anytime soon
That is what I got the T-mobile version with the unlockable bootloader which works great on NON-freedom.
lumberguy1028 said:
LTE band 66 service and OTA updating is disabled through the DirtySanta root exploit on the stock build when rooted. I was hoping that there would be a ROM or two for the Canadian version of this device. Need something relatively stable, with nightly updates, and with support for AWS 3/Band 66 connectivity
Any leads are are appreciated. Thanks!
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Click to collapse
Well i have a theory about getting root and signal on the 915 but it involves losing recovery afterwards. If anyone wants to discuss it let me know
markbencze said:
Well i have a theory about getting root and signal on the 915 but it involves losing recovery afterwards. If anyone wants to discuss it let me know
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Click to collapse
Actually very interested. I have the LGUP tool on Windows with Uppercut drivers installed, so I can unbrick my device even without recovery. Living without a rooted device is causing me extreme stress and trauma.
lumberguy1028 said:
Actually very interested. I have the LGUP tool on Windows with Uppercut drivers installed, so I can unbrick my device even without recovery. Living without a rooted device is causing me extreme stress and trauma.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok so here's my theory.
Basically we can root and have twrp but the problem is that signal ceases to exist afterwards which we assume is caused by the bootloader. Someone posted that they fixed their signal issues using the hidden menu features. But they didn't elaborate if they were rooted at the time and that was the direct reason for losing it in the first place. Nor have they replied. So that part is unknown. It may or may not be an option. The other question I had was is it just wind users who lose signals or does it affect wind devices that are unlocked but being used on other networks like bell, etc.
Anyway those are the unknown things that I'd like some clarification on. But in the meantime here's a theory I have that may or may not work if the above signal fix doesn't work.
So if the above fixing signal doesn't work via that hidden menu then we should be able to confirm the bootloader is the issue. What that means is that we need to have stock bootloader in order for everything to work.
But you cannot have stock bootloader with twrp unless you've "bumped" your recovery which we cannot do.
So my theory was to follow the whole root method and once your phone is booted up with root and twrp you would extract the stock recovery and stock bootloader from the restore file. Then you would flash them via flashfire which I'm told can be done. I'm told that flashing the bootloader does wipe your device which would eliminate root since it's the systemless method. So in theory you'd be back to pure stock again. That's not what we want to have. So we would have to use an alternative root like phh's root method flashed instead of supersu from twrp during the initial root process here. My theory is that you would be restored to stock again but you would have root at least.
So you would at least be able to tinker just not flash stuff. But I believe you can flash a few things from flashfire and still have root for general tinkering or ad block etc.
Of course there is also the possibility that with the locked bootloader (stock) that your phone may not even boot due to new security features in 7.0
But like I said this is just a theory that may or may not work. I haven't had time to try it because I'm constantly busy working and testing themes but if I do ever get time I would consider trying it if we can confirm that we are able to 100% restore to stock. At least with that confirmation we know that if it doesn't work we can get back to how things were.
Hopefully that makes sense.
markbencze said:
Ok so here's my theory.
Basically we can root and have twrp but the problem is that signal ceases to exist afterwards which we assume is caused by the bootloader. Someone posted that they fixed their signal issues using the hidden menu features. But they didn't elaborate if they were rooted at the time and that was the direct reason for losing it in the first place. Nor have they replied. So that part is unknown. It may or may not be an option. The other question I had was is it just wind users who lose signals or does it affect wind devices that are unlocked but being used on other networks like bell, etc.
Anyway those are the unknown things that I'd like some clarification on. But in the meantime here's a theory I have that may or may not work if the above signal fix doesn't work.
So if the above fixing signal doesn't work via that hidden menu then we should be able to confirm the bootloader is the issue. What that means is that we need to have stock bootloader in order for everything to work.
But you cannot have stock bootloader with twrp unless you've "bumped" your recovery which we cannot do.
So my theory was to follow the whole root method and once your phone is booted up with root and twrp you would extract the stock recovery and stock bootloader from the restore file. Then you would flash them via flashfire which I'm told can be done. I'm told that flashing the bootloader does wipe your device which would eliminate root since it's the systemless method. So in theory you'd be back to pure stock again. That's not what we want to have. So we would have to use an alternative root like phh's root method flashed instead of supersu from twrp during the initial root process here. My theory is that you would be restored to stock again but you would have root at least.
So you would at least be able to tinker just not flash stuff. But I believe you can flash a few things from flashfire and still have root for general tinkering or ad block etc.
Of course there is also the possibility that with the locked bootloader (stock) that your phone may not even boot due to new security features in 7.0
But like I said this is just a theory that may or may not work. I haven't had time to try it because I'm constantly busy working and testing themes but if I do ever get time I would consider trying it if we can confirm that we are able to 100% restore to stock. At least with that confirmation we know that if it doesn't work we can get back to how things were.
Hopefully that makes sense.
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Click to collapse
Im not sure how much you followed with me but... In my attempts to find a return to stock method i reflashed my stock aboot(bootloader). This bricked me. There is no way to use the stock bootloader once its been replaced that i have found.
me2151 said:
Im not sure how much you followed with me but... In my attempts to find a return to stock method i reflashed my stock aboot(bootloader). This bricked me. There is no way to use the stock bootloader once its been replaced that i have found.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for clearing that up. So then my next question was did you attempt that signal fix method and were you using yours on wind or was it an unlocked wind used on another network?
here's the link to this signal fix https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=70328080&postcount=3
and here is a post about someone saying they used it to fix their signal but they wouldn't elaborate on anything else.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=70571563&postcount=12
markbencze said:
Thanks for clearing that up. So then my next question was did you attempt that signal fix method and were you using yours on wind or was it an unlocked wind used on another network?
here's the link to this signal fix https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=70328080&postcount=3
and here is a post about someone saying they used it to fix their signal but they wouldn't elaborate on anything else.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=70571563&postcount=12
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Lol Im the dirtysanta dev. I have a LS997. Not a 915.
me2151 said:
Lol Im the dirtysanta dev. I have a LS997. Not a 915.
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Click to collapse
Well I knew you had worked on ds. I wasn't sure however if you had a 915 or not. So then at this point it seems that if that signal fix is in fact valid that it is the only method to get things operational and I would presume it's a stretch given the user who posted about it doesn't seem to have any credibility to go by.
markbencze said:
Well I knew you had worked on ds. I wasn't sure however if you had a 915 or not. So then at this point it seems that if that signal fix is in fact valid that it is the only method to get things operational and I would presume it's a stretch given the user who posted about it doesn't seem to have any credibility to go by.
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Thanks for this. Yeah DirtySanta may have been developed for LS997, but it seems to work on H915 minus the modem issue.
lumberguy1028 said:
Thanks for this. Yeah DirtySanta may have been developed for LS997, but it seems to work on H915 minus the modem issue.
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Correct but it's useless to use since the phone doesn't function properly afterwards. If there was a confirmed way to have data and signal working then that would be great but there is nothing confirmed to work yet.
I've just moved to a V20 from a Note 4. All my Note4 ROMS were T-Mobile versions. I believe Rogers/Fido phones are basically the same as T-Mobile, which uses freq. channel 66 as well.
Has anyone tried a T-Mobile (918) ROM on the 915 yet? Might just work...
no root yet for freedom????/
whats the method
whats the method to root the lg h915
diehard2013 said:
no root yet for freedom????/
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The 'Freedom' name becomes a bit ironic for the LG V20 H915 variant it seems. Not a lot of freedom when one can't unlock and root it. Just got one the other day as somehow my Note 4 stopped functioning as a phone, after a couple of months of fun running through loads of Lineage and other nightlies. Loved that phone, but I'll come to love the V20 I'm sure. Already like it a lot. But root seems essential. I haven't had an unrooted phone for more than a few hours in years. Adaway and just general user control of the file system seems essential. Getting rid of bloatware and such. I mean... I disabled a lot of that nonsense, but it's still there, existing in MY phone, which makes me mad. I want to dump a few custom notification sounds into root directories but can't. It's frustrating. So yeah, commenting to subscribe, and hoping a developer with a V20 in Canada decides to get excited enough to remedy the situation, whenever that becomes possible. Otherwise it seems I'll just have to get used to the odd ad and the other limitations.
GerardSamija said:
The 'Freedom' name becomes a bit ironic for the LG V20 H915 variant it seems. Not a lot of freedom when one can't unlock and root it. Just got one the other day as somehow my Note 4 stopped functioning as a phone, after a couple of months of fun running through loads of Lineage and other nightlies. Loved that phone, but I'll come to love the V20 I'm sure. Already like it a lot. But root seems essential. I haven't had an unrooted phone for more than a few hours in years. Adaway and just general user control of the file system seems essential. Getting rid of bloatware and such. I mean... I disabled a lot of that nonsense, but it's still there, existing in MY phone, which makes me mad. I want to dump a few custom notification sounds into root directories but can't. It's frustrating. So yeah, commenting to subscribe, and hoping a developer with a V20 in Canada decides to get excited enough to remedy the situation, whenever that becomes possible. Otherwise it seems I'll just have to get used to the odd ad and the other limitations.
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Click to collapse
Why Wouldent you just use the secret # in the hidden menu to change bands to get signial. Also you could try searching for exsisting bands that are near by, this dont require the hidden menu.
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Not understanding what you are suggesting. I tried lots of hidden menu options to get the SIM recognized in the Note 4, but it appears the slot died on that phone. It just won't be a phone any more, no matter which ROM i flash.
If you mean the LG V20 I'm even more puzzled. How would changing hands help with rooting the phone?
GerardSamija said:
Not understanding what you are suggesting. I tried lots of hidden menu options to get the SIM recognized in the Note 4, but it appears the slot died on that phone. It just won't be a phone any more, no matter which ROM i flash.
If you mean the LG V20 I'm even more puzzled. How would changing hands help with rooting the phone?
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Click to collapse
Oops my bad i was sleeping while i read that. You can fix your sim card reader just use a soder tool. Also there maybe a root for this phone but i don't think it is safe enough yet.
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Has a KDZ (or other method to get back to factory stock) been created for the ATT model? This is a reason why I'm apprehensive about doing the dirtysanta root. If I get a boot loop with no way back, and cant get into twrp, I will lose a lot of work. I just cant stand the f-ing bloat on my phone. And the skins suck!!
cwis said:
Has a KDZ (or other method to get back to factory stock) been created for the ATT model? This is a reason why I'm apprehensive about doing the dirtysanta root. If I get a boot loop with no way back, and cant get into twrp, I will lose a lot of work. I just cant stand the f-ing bloat on my phone. And the skins suck!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No KDZ exists for our variant - and I honestly doubt that it ever will. However, the chances of getting into a permanent bootloop are very minimal. Just know as long as you have access to fastboot and/or TWRP, you will be able to fix your phone. However, its generally not recommended to unlock & root your phone if you dont have at least a little technical competence. Theres a valid reason on why such security measures are in place.
If you get stuck you already know where to go to ask for help! But dont ****talk devs and people who are willing to help out. For some reason it seems theres quite a bit of hostility inside our phone's section. Good luck!
I only **** talk people who start with me.
I've been rooting since the Google g1. I don't know there's something more complicated with this one. The hell with it. I'm going to try.
I have successfully rooted my Spring LG V20 using DirtySanta and it seems to be working for the most part, but I'm not really impressed with the benefits of rooting at this point. What's even more disappointing was the lack of a method for reverting to stock. My question is--can I bring this in to a Sprint store and ask them to restore it to stock? I checked fastboot for oem status and everything reads false. I don't have SuperSU or any other root apps installed on the phone. The only thing that shows up is the damn red triange every time I boot. Anyone have any experience with this? I don't really want to get in trouble for rooting, but I'd really like to get back to factory stock. Doesn't look like we'll be getting a restore method any time soon either, correct? Thanks in advance...
I don't think there is a revert method (inside or outside the store). I know it's after the fact, but on your next device, you may want to figure out exactly what you'd want to do with root before you go through with it. I typically only do it for TB backup purposes and XPOSED, but I've found that I can back up in other ways, and I dig stock enough not to risk rooting. I don't knock you for rooting (there are plenty of good reasons to), this is just my advice going forward. In the meantime, you should look around XDA, you may find your golden goose app that you can leverage root for. Good luck.
bgibson72 said:
I have successfully rooted my Spring LG V20 using DirtySanta and it seems to be working for the most part, but I'm not really impressed with the benefits of rooting at this point. What's even more disappointing was the lack of a method for reverting to stock. My question is--can I bring this in to a Sprint store and ask them to restore it to stock? I checked fastboot for oem status and everything reads false. I don't have SuperSU or any other root apps installed on the phone. The only thing that shows up is the damn red triange every time I boot. Anyone have any experience with this? I don't really want to get in trouble for rooting, but I'd really like to get back to factory stock. Doesn't look like we'll be getting a restore method any time soon either, correct? Thanks in advance...
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Click to collapse
hey sorry to hear that your having issues,
but you and the other poster are correct, sprint never released a restore file that wasn't encrypted.
And to my knowledge the repair centers would not be able to fix this issues, and sadly lg would more then likely deny a
warranty claim as this was modifications done by the end user.
A good chance in the future that we will get the files needed or a process to revert back to stock, but currently there is no SAFE method to try, and pushing the stock aboot and system.img back to the device WILL hard brick the device.. @me2151 attempted the restore process once, and failed, so please be careful as you may have issues.. The red warning triangle is due to your aboot "bootloader" being swapped for the debug version and will never go away, unless we get a dev willing to risk his device for a .png swap of the warning RED img. Other wise its there forever.
The static on boot up can be removed using a custom kernel but be aware it WILL break things in return. Typically update to prl and profile
fm radio, comfort view and a few other little things..
Hey, thanks for the reply. I can deal with the red warning screen, I just get a little anxious when I can't use the touchscreen or my cellular data gets hosed. As long as there are fixes here (which there have been--thanks to all) and I can use my phone, we're good. I figured if someone could break encryption on government files then why would an encrypted KDZ file be such a challenge? At any rate, I appreciate the help. I'll just keep my fingers crossed for a PNG swap!
I'm expecting delivery of 2 V20s in the next couple of days. These are "refurbs" of the VS995 variety. These are advertised from the seller as "unlocked." I will be using these on Verizon (or MVNO).
I did some basic research before I bought and I was pretty sure I saw info on rooting this model and the ability to do custom ROMS on an unlocked, but I am a little concerned.
I have 3 main questions:
1) I see there is both a VS995 and a US996. I'm having a hard time finding info on the differences spelled out exactly - but it appears that the VS995 is locked to verizon and US996 is unlocked for all GSM. Is this correct? If so, wouldn't an "unlocked" VS995 be equivalent to a US996? If not, what would be different.
2) I want to do a comprehensive check on these phones before I start tinkering to make sure everything works. My last HTC phone had a hidden diagnostics menu which would test everything (battery, compass, gps, sensors, buttons, etc, etc...). I would like to know if the V20 has something similar? Also I want to know what the "problem areas" of V20s are. Things I should check out to make sure they aren't wonky.
3) I need to know if I can root this phone. I've seen a couple methods but I'm not sure now if they apply to my model and if they still work and/or if they are safe (relatively speaking). I definitely need root and would also like to load custom recovery so I can do alternate ROMS, thought I probably will run with stock for a while to get used to it. I would like to upgrade to latest official ROM (for the newest features), but don't want to do any upgrades if it will ruin my chances to root/unlock/etc. What do I need to check on the phone and what is the method I should follow (links are fine for this).
I recently bought a refurb VS995 because I like my original VS995 so much and I am thinking that shortly after the Oreo upgrade comes out, any refurb might come with Oreo and may or may not be easily rootable. (and it is looking very unlikely any phone in the future will come with replaceable batteries) That said, mine came with 15A and I was easily able to roll back to 12A with the 'hacked' LGUP tool and then root it and flash the at-the-time current AlphaRom (now discontinued) without issue. AFAIK *all* current VS995 ROMs can be rolled back to 12A (rootable), up to the latest 1BA. This may or may not change soon (some versions of the V20 CANNOT be rolled back after they take specific updates) The SuperV20 ROM is running the almost up to date version 1AA (with hints of an update coming soon) so you'd be up to date with a close to stock ROM. I will say the rooting process on the V20 is a bit more convoluted than most other phones, which leads to the issue that the rooting threads are nearly incomprehensible anymore-- too many people not following directions, not reading, and complaining about tons of "normal" issues-- static screen (normal after rooting with stock kernel, once the phone boots up fully cover the proximity sensor until the 2nd screen blanks out and then the static will go away-- replace the stock kernel with the mk2000 kernel to fix), phone vibrates on boot after charging (no fix, but will stop the first time it's made to vibrate after booting). I would stay stick to the original rooting thread and READ CAREFULLY. I had issues trying to follow some of the "updated"/new threads where I had issues trying to get the phone to boot properly.
That said, if you do hit a roadblock, DON'T PANIC. The V20 is more resilient than you might think and you can almost always get it back from soft bricking with the LGUP tool (I had to reflash mine 2 or 3 times before I finally got root to stick with the ORIGINAL DirtySanta thread). Basically, the process is flash it back to 12A, use DirtySanta, **boot it once or twice after getting root via DS** (first reboo.t may take a while, with a static screen and vibrating phone, let it sit 10-15 minutes before panicking as it's rebuilding the app cache), then get into TWRP, do a factory reset, flash the new ROM and BTTF kernel, then it should work.
The VS995 has a more limited LTE band selection than the US996. While it can sort of work with other carriers (you'll have to search for instructions/compatibility), the US996 will provide a better experience.
Keep in mind, each version of the phone is SLIGHTLY different, so MAKE SURE you're always using VS995 builds of ROMs/kernerls/recoveries. Apparently you can use US996 ROMs as well but I've never bothered. (you gain a few things, you lose a few things [like wifi calling I think], do your research) Trying to use anything other than VS995 or US996 roms is asking for trouble/limited functionality/soft bricking.
I haven't really used my refurb all that much but it seems mostly fine. The only glitch I see is that the battery seems to drain faster than my original V20 but that might have more to do with the battery condition-- I need to get around to swapping batteries between the phones to see what happens. Given everything else is fine I am very hesitant to return it under warranty. I don't know if there is a way to run a self-test, I would hope there is..!
Good luck, the phone is amazing once you get it tamed...
Links:
Downgrade: the VS995 "all in one" thread has a good video for this. That said I think I had to piece together a working LGUP from a few threads since you need a tweaked DLL file. https://forum.xda-developers.com/v20/how-to/lgv20-vs995-verizon-aio-post-06-19-2017-t3624326 (when I tried to follow the root directions in that link I had issues and had to re-flash 12A and start over, YMMV)
DirtySanta: https://forum.xda-developers.com/v20/development/ls997vs995h910-dirtysanta-bootloader-t3519410
Once you get a working TWRP from DirtySanta, update it to this one: https://forum.xda-developers.com/v20/development/recovery-twrp-3-2-1-0-t3720239
SuperV20 ROM: https://forum.xda-developers.com/v20/development/rom-superv20-h918-t3764390
mk2000 kernel (I'd use the "back to the future" version of the kernel to start): https://forum.xda-developers.com/v20/development/h918-h910-us996-ucl-mk2000-kernel-t3708330
Buzzy42 said:
Good luck, the phone is amazing once you get it tamed...
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thanks.
Been doing research for the past hour or two and am getting a little bit of a better handle. I've seen the downgrade tutorial and looks solid.
I'm not worried about "convoluted" and the phone seems pretty brick proof so I'm good there.
Just to confirm - if I want root I need to go no later than 13A firmware? My understanding is "firmware" in context of this phone is ROM+Kernel rolled into one.
So if I want root, I can't be on the latest stock ROM (18A), right? Looks like features are all the same - although I do like having the latest security updates, but I guess I will need to forgo those for root?
One other thing I'm looking at is that I prefer to root with Magisk. I've seen a couple threads dealing with this and they recommend to use the "reStock" kernel. My understanding is that you would flash the "reStock" after reverting to the 13A firmware. What I'm trying to understand is if the kernel can be separated from the ROM, could one not flash 18A and then the reStock kernel (which is based on 10b)?
Also, still really interested in the answer to my 2nd question in OP regarding accessing diagnostics for the phone and any problem hardware/screen/etc issues to look out for before I accept this "refurb" as golden.
Yeah, the phone is mostly brickproof and most issues you run into can be solved. If all else fails, just re-roll it back to 12Ain download mode (pull battery, hold down volume, plug in USB cord which will make the phone boot into download mode) and start over. I've seen very little signs of anyone TRULY bricking a V20 who wasn't really trying. (I.e., doing major hacking on it or totally throwing caution to the wind and flashing something they shouldn't have flashed)
You have to downgrade to 12A or 13A to root the phone and get TWRP properly installed the first time, but then you can flash any ROM/recovery you want, so you don't need to worry as much about security patches (just find a ROM that's as up to date as possible). There was AlphaRom up to 1AA which works great (and what both of my V20s are on), Super V20 is being updated but apparently has known issues on the VS995 that the developer has issued a patch for... you might want to skim the various ROM threads to know what works for you. My V20s are both using Magisk.
You can flash kernels and ROMs separately. Some ROMs have a kernel baked in-- I usually boot them once or twice and then re-flash the kernel if I want to. Some ROMs need a kernel flashed separately during the install process. So yeah, you could install an 18A based ROM and then the reStock kernel. (some ROM/kernel combinations work better than others, but you'll have to figure out what you want as some kernels do more than others-- specifically look for KCAL color adjustments, as you can slightly tweak the colors on the screen to help with the screen retention issue the phone has)
The kernel versions and ROM versions are different. I don't fully understand it myself either but AFAIK kernels based on 10b are the latest for the VS995. ROMs based on 1BA would be the latest (they're using hex numbers, so releases go 11A, 12A, 13A.... up to 1AA, 1BA). Some variations of the V20 seem to have more versions of the kernels than the 995 does.
Buzzy42 said:
...
You have to downgrade to 12A or 13A to root the phone and get TWRP properly installed the first time, but then you can flash any ROM/recovery you want, so you don't need to worry as much about security patches (just find a ROM that's as up to date as possible). There was AlphaRom up to 1AA which works great (and what both of my V20s are on), Super V20 is being updated but apparently has known issues on the VS995 that the developer has issued a patch for... you might want to skim the various ROM threads to know what works for you. My V20s are both using Magisk....
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Thanks. I'm wanting to run stock for a while (with Root though) so I can get a feel for how everything is "supposed" to work.
I'm not sure if I will find benefit in the "Second screen", but if I do I would like to find a ROM that supports it.
I've been running latest LineageOS on my HTC M8 for a while now and wouldn't mind sticking with it. However I would like to find some ROMS that are still being actively developed. Honestly I plan to have this phone for at least 2 years so the most up to date stuff I can find now will hopefully future proof me a little from that angle.
TraderJack said:
Thanks. I'm wanting to run stock for a while (with Root though) so I can get a feel for how everything is "supposed" to work.
I'm not sure if I will find benefit in the "Second screen", but if I do I would like to find a ROM that supports it.
I've been running latest LineageOS on my HTC M8 for a while now and wouldn't mind sticking with it. However I would like to find some ROMS that are still being actively developed. Honestly I plan to have this phone for at least 2 years so the most up to date stuff I can find now will hopefully future proof me a little from that angle.
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Yeah, totally understand not wanting to jump in to custom ROMs right away, especially if you're testing a refurbed phone. Flashable truly stock ROMs have been a weakness of the V20, but I think a version of 17A was floating around if you want something a bit newer than the 12A/13A that are rootable. Someone else might be able to help with that. Sadly there isn't a lot of development-- there have been big bursts of activity, then a lot of silence-- which mostly mirrors LG's seeming abandonment of the phone. You should still be able to flash other kernels (restock, mk2000, etc) over whichever rom you run, though. Be careful not to take any official OTA updates because the rooting process installs a debug-bootloader (someone got a hold of an engineering sample of the phone and dumped that phone's bootloader which is what allowed us all to get rooted with an unlocked bootloader) that gets wiped out and leaves the phone in a weird state.
The second screen is really useful once you look at it as a very powerful LED notification light. It takes a while to get used to but I don't know if would want to use a phone without it (or some sort of always-on feature) now. Unfortunately the Lineage ROMs lose a lot of the cooler functionality of this phone due to it having some many weird non-standard functions, but for some people that's not as big of a deal as staying current, so it's whatever your priority is. I am really hoping once the phone gets Oreo (which seems to be "real soon now"..) that we'll still be able to upgrade to it and use that as a base for a while, but keep root/etc..
Buzzy42 said:
...My V20s are both using Magisk....
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Is there a special process to use Magisk instead of SuperSU? My search found some convoluted answers which "required" the reStock kernel to get it working.
I don't know if Magisk has been updated to make it easier...but is there any instructions/link you can forward on how to get rooted with Magisk after I do the 13A downgrade?
Also, it would appear that everything up to 1BA does *not* have anti rollback enabled (ARB=0). Is this correct?
I was told on reddit that you can only root firmware where ARB=0, but clearly this is not the case if you can't root anything past 13A.
Do you have any idea what specifically is the block as to why we can't root past 13A?
thanks
TraderJack said:
Is there a special process to use Magisk instead of SuperSU? My search found some convoluted answers which "required" the reStock kernel to get it working.
I don't know if Magisk has been updated to make it easier...but is there any instructions/link you can forward on how to get rooted with Magisk after I do the 13A downgrade?
Also, it would appear that everything up to 1BA does *not* have anti rollback enabled (ARB=0). Is this correct?
I was told on reddit that you can only root firmware where ARB=0, but clearly this is not the case if you can't root anything past 13A.
Do you have any idea what specifically is the block as to why we can't root past 13A?
thanks
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I'm trying to remember what I did for Magisk. There wasn't anything particularly special. That said, I switched to Magisk when I re-flashed the phone (so I flashed the rom/kernel/Magisk together, in that order I think), I didn't try to just swap between SuperSU and Magisk on a running ROM. Once you get TWRP going you *should* be ok to just remove SuperSU and then reboot into TWRP and flash Magisk. I am on the mk2000 kernel with Magisk so you definitely don't need to be on Restock.
I am not sure if it is possible to do the rooting process without SuperSu and using Magisk instead, if that's what you're asking. I think it'd be safest to use SuperSu and then switch it out later once you're sure you're rooted in the first place.
As for the rollback, there are a few different issues here.
12A/13A have the Android vulnerability which allows DirtySanta to work to root the phone. This was patched after 13A, so DirtySanta can't run and you can't root the phone on a later version of the firmware. If you run anything later than 13A you can't start the rooting process (but you can upgrade your rooted phone past 13A using TWRP to flash an appropriate ROM, but not through the OTA process)
ARB (anti-rollback) prevents you from rolling back to a previous version of the firmware. It has nothing to do with rootable/non-rootable. But it prevents the phone from going back to a rootable firmware on SOME V20s. So far, no firmware on the VS995 has enabled this, so you are safe rolling back to 12A and trying to root with any firmware currently available up to 1BA (definitely 1AA but I have read a few comments that 1BA is still safe). On SOME other models of the V20, ARB *has* been set, which prevents you from rolling back to a previous version of the firmware with ARB=0 (if you try to roll back on a phone with ARB=1 you get an unrecoverable brick.)
So if tomorrow Verizon released a hypothetical update with ARB=1 and you updated, you could no longer roll back to 12A or 13A to root your phone, and you'd be stuck without root unless someone developed a new workaround.
Does that make more sense? Keep in mind that with all of the different versions of the V20, what is appropriate (or even relevant) for one model may not apply at all to another. Thankfully the VS995 still is pretty hackable at this moment. This could all change at any time.
Buzzy42 said:
...12A/13A have the Android vulnerability which allows DirtySanta to work to root the phone. This was patched after 13A, so DirtySanta can't run and you can't root the phone on a later version of the firmware. If you run anything later than 13A you can't start the rooting process (but you can upgrade your rooted phone past 13A using TWRP to flash an appropriate ROM, but not through the OTA process)...
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Hold on.. So are you saying I can flash 13A, then root with Magisk, then upgrade the ROM itself to 18B to get all the latest patches?
If so, I haven't seen any instructions yet for doing that method, but that would be ideal for me for starters until I want to mess around with custom ROMS and Kernels.
TraderJack said:
Hold on.. So are you saying I can flash 13A, then root with Magisk, then upgrade the ROM itself to 18B to get all the latest patches?
If so, I haven't seen any instructions yet for doing that method, but that would be ideal for me for starters until I want to mess around with custom ROMS and Kernels.
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Not quite that simple-- you have to downgrade to 13A if you're not already there when you get the phone.
When you run the DirtySanta rooting process, when it's done, you will end up with a rooted 13A with TWRP and SuperSu. I believe it will have the debug kernel which has a lot of issues, but you can flash any kernel you want at this point (like ReStock to get rid of the static screen you'll see at every boot). That way you'll have a 99% stock (except the ReStock kernel tweaks), rooted, 13A phone.
You can now flash any ROM you want in TWRP. If you want to stay truly stock, I'm not sure what is out there that is flashable, beyond I vaguely remember there was a 17A flashable. You do need to use a repackaged update in TWRP no matter what you want to update to, if you try to just take whatever OTA update the phone offers you (the "software update available" notification pops up and asks you to install while you're using it), you'll lose root and have to do everything over again. This is where you will most likely not be able to get to a truly stock 1BA unless it's floating around.
If I were you, I'd roll it back to 13A, get it rooted (with Supersu), flash the Restock kernel, disable updates (use Titanium Backup to freeze "FOTA Update 7.0") and stay there for a while for testing. If you want to try to switch to Magisk, remove SuperSu and flash Magisk through TWRP. The phone's functionality hasn't changed much/at all. When you're more comfortable, move forward to a ROM based on 1BA.
When you flash a new ROM most will include a kernel or ask you to flash a kernel along with it.
Basically, any updating you do has to go through TWRP. After you get root initially, though, it's really straightforward.
TraderJack said:
I'm expecting delivery of 2 V20s in the next couple of days. These are "refurbs" of the VS995 variety. These are advertised from the seller as "unlocked." I will be using these on Verizon (or MVNO).
I did some basic research before I bought and I was pretty sure I saw info on rooting this model and the ability to do custom ROMS on an unlocked, but I am a little concerned.
I have 3 main questions:
1) I see there is both a VS995 and a US996. I'm having a hard time finding info on the differences spelled out exactly - but it appears that the VS995 is locked to verizon and US996 is unlocked for all GSM. Is this correct? If so, wouldn't an "unlocked" VS995 be equivalent to a US996? If not, what would be different.
2) I want to do a comprehensive check on these phones before I start tinkering to make sure everything works. My last HTC phone had a hidden diagnostics menu which would test everything (battery, compass, gps, sensors, buttons, etc, etc...). I would like to know if the V20 has something similar? Also I want to know what the "problem areas" of V20s are. Things I should check out to make sure they aren't wonky.
3) I need to know if I can root this phone. I've seen a couple methods but I'm not sure now if they apply to my model and if they still work and/or if they are safe (relatively speaking). I definitely need root and would also like to load custom recovery so I can do alternate ROMS, thought I probably will run with stock for a while to get used to it. I would like to upgrade to latest official ROM (for the newest features), but don't want to do any upgrades if it will ruin my chances to root/unlock/etc. What do I need to check on the phone and what is the method I should follow (links are fine for this).
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I found your thread her and on Reddit and was hoping you have found an answer to the hardware check feature you were looking for. I am having radio off issues with my V20 and was hoping to have the phone run a hardware check. It seems that someone posted the code "##22378" to do this but this does nothing for my older sprint v20 and my Verizon model has the MOBO back in a bag of rice. Is this only code?
redsphinx said:
I found your thread her and on Reddit and was hoping you have found an answer to the hardware check feature you were looking for. I am having radio off issues with my V20 and was hoping to have the phone run a hardware check. It seems that someone posted the code "##22378" to do this but this does nothing for my older sprint v20 and my Verizon model has the MOBO back in a bag of rice. Is this only code?
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I had a Verizon V20 (VS995) and these are all the codes I found (from my notes):
Hardware Diagnostics
To run in-built hardware diagnostics use the following phone code:
##228378
Select Device Test > SAAT
Other Diagnostic Menus
##DEBUG
##PROGRAM
##PROGRAM995
##FEATURE
** Service codes for all above should be "000000" **
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I'm pretty sure the ##228378 code was the one that brought up a pretty comprehensive hardware test menu. But, as you know each vendor does their own and this very possibly doesn't work on non-Verizon models. Sorry that's all I got!